According to English folklore there are many superstitions surrounding hot cross buns. My favorite superstition is accompanied by the rhyme…
“Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be”
Apparently, if you share a hot cross bun while saying the above words it is meant to ensure friendship throughout the coming year.
This is my first attempt at making “Hot Cross Buns” so here’s to sharing them with all my blogging buddies… HaPpY eAsTeR!
This weeks (now last week’s) WordPress Photo challenge is “Fall” or Autumn. When I saw this week’s theme I thought great! We are in England and the leaves are turning wonderful shades of gold and amber. The leaves are falling from the trees so I wanted to photograph them floating in the wind. Well, that was the idea! In practice an hour later and nothing! Is to do with shutter speed? Anyway, I was walking back down the country lane feeling quite dejected when I spotted many different berries in the hedgerows.
Autumn's Hedgerow Harvest
Rosehips in the hedgerow
A feast of berries in the hedgerow
Our latest grandchild less than 24hrs old!
We’d given up on Grandchildren, and then they arrive like buses!
Our first Grandchild, a beautiful little girl, was born in France on the 28th April and our, second grandchild, an adorable little boy called Oliver, was born in the UK just two days ago weighing in at 8lb 14oz!
Initially, in the Special Care Baby Unit due to breathing problems I am relieved to say all is now well and he should be allowed home tomorrow (Saturday)
Last update he was not allowed home today as he has feeding problems…we await further news.
As I walked into the Special Care Baby Unit to meet Oliver for the first time and saw the ‘prems’ (premature babies) fighting for life and my little grandson (huge by comparison) wired up to a machine, memories long-buried, came flooding back to me as though it was yesterday. Our sons (twins) spent the first three weeks of their lives in Special Care due to various complications. Discharged from hospital without them it felt surreal.
We have not been able to cuddle the little chap as yet, but once he is settled in at home we will have lots of cuddles. Plus plenty of practice with our first grandchild means we, actually I should say “I”, am also pretty adept at changing pooey nappies!
Grandparents have their uses!
Related posts: Proud Grandparents
An Emotional Rollercoaster
Posted in England, Grandparents
Tagged Expat Grandparents, grandparents, long distance Grandparents, postaweek2011
The “foodie” highlight of my trip to Devon in England last week, to visit my Mother, was to disappear for an hours peace and quiet and seriously indulge myself with a “Devon Clotted Cream Tea”.
Devon Clotted Cream Tea - A foodies heaven!
I just had to have one!
A Devon Cream Tea, for the uninitiated, usually consists of a scone, thick clotted cream and homemade jam plus a pot of tea. Hmmm delicious
This is probably as typically English as you can get. Yes, the cream and jam combination gives me the heartburn from hell, but occasionally it’s worth suffering the discomfort.
Enjoying the sunshine and my Devon Cream Tea
Sitting down at a pavement café in the sunshine I placed my order for a Devon Cream Tea and waited for it to arrive.
Two women sat at the table opposite chatting about this and that. It made such a change for me to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation I could actually understand. My Cream Tea arrived; a pot of tea, TWO scones, a dish of jam and real devon clotted cream – what a treat!
I promise the diet starts tomorrow!
I carefully cut each of the scones in half, spooned on the jam and then the clotted cream – a food orgy indeed! I was just about to take my first mouthful when I heard one of the women on the table opposite say…
“Oooh I could only eat one of these scones, two is just plain greedy”
I felt absolutely mortified for being such a glutton and wished the ground would open up to devour both me and my Devon Cream Tea; at least I could finish one or maybe two scones away from their prying eyes.
Hey, the diet starts tomorrow – live for today!
Related posts:
I hate diets because I love food…
Mrs Blobby’s 10kg Fat Attack!
SCONE RECIPE
This is a really simple recipe for scones. I am unable to buy the clotted cream in Portugal but I can still enjoy them with my homemade jam.
Ingredients
8oz plain flour
pinch of salt
½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoons cream of tartar
1½oz margarine
4 tablespoons (approx) of milk
4 tablespoons (approx) of water
Method
Mix together (sift) flour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda into large bowl.
Cut up margarine into small chunks and rub into flour until breadcrumb texture.
Gradually add milk and water and form into soft, but manageable dough.
Roll the dough to about ½” thick.
With pastry cutter cut into 2” rounds cutting as many scones as possible by utilizing the trimmings.
Place scones onto a preheated ungreased baking tray and brush with them with milk.
Bake near top of oven 450F for approx 10mins, until risen and are lightly golden brown.
Posted in England, Humour, Recipes
Tagged Clotted Cream Teas, Devon Cream Teas, England, plain scones, postaday2011, postaweek, simple scone recipe
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