First of all my apologies for neglecting my blog for such a long time.

 In the meantime I've had the necessary eye surgery, 
with -besides some side effects which will hopefully be temporary- good results.

 Although I'm still in the middle of my recovery,  

I really felt the need to put a small post on here before another year is over.

The last few months I mainly spent at home and in my garden.

This past period has taught me even more how important my home is

 and how it contributes to my well being.

It has been a safe haven and embraced me when I couldn't go out that much.

Due to my eye problems, our plans (and renovations) for a holiday let in our annexe were postponed, 
but hopefully will be continued next year. 

Instead my husband full filled a longstanding wish of mine, restoring the -en suite- doors in our living room.

But also built an alcove around the new stove in our kitchen.  

Our living room as it was before ...

and how it is now ...

  

You can find the Butterfly Print here

With the separation we're now having a cosy snug and a kitchen diner ...

I'm so very happy with the end result and so very proud of my husband.
I was used to have a dad who could make and repair almost everything. 
This must have put a strain on my husband 😜 but not any more! 
I'm sure my dad would have approved 💓

I guess it doesn't need much explanation why I couldn't wait to
 put those fairy lights up there ...

You can find the Fairy lights, Angel and Tea Towel Robin here 

And from there, much more was creeping in ...

You can find the Christmas Car and Christmas Guest Towel here

And also in my 'new' kitchen diner ...

You can find the Angel here

You can find the Hanging Photo Frame here

and in my living room aka snug ...

You can find the Candle Holder here

You can find the Christmas Bauble Reindeer here

You can find the Glass Dome Display here

You can find the Christmas Bell Reindeer here

You can find the Paper Winter Scene here

You can find the Wooden Trug here

I also did some test baking for my Christmas Cake.

Because my sister-in-law recently developed a lactose intolerance, 
I had to try a new version of the Frangipane Cake with Pears I baked before,
 but now with a lactose free crust. 

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 150 gram almond flour
• 150 gram powdered sugar
• 120 gram lactose-free baking butter at room temperature
• 100 gram apricot jam 
• 50 gram flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 pears (conference)

Crust:

• 260 gram LU Bastogne Cookies
• 90 gram lactose-free baking butter

You will need a metal cake/quiche base with
with a loose bottom (28cm)



Mix the almond flour, eggs, powdered sugar and the flour.
Leave the batter (the frangipane) rest for at least 3 hours in a cool place.

Start crumbling the cookies by putting them in a plastic bag and
using a rolling pin or other tool. But maybe even better, use a food processor.

Put them in a bowl and mix them with the melted butter.
When both have been mixed, put them aside for a moment.

Grease the edge of the quiche base and use baking paper for the bottom.
Divide the cookie crumbs on the bottom and edge of the base,
using a wet spoon to press the crumble a little.
Put it in the fridge for an hour before continuing the cake.

Divide the apricot jam on the crumble base and then add the frangipane.

Peel and cut the pears in halve. Remove the core and cut the pears in slices
with leaving the top together.

Divide the pears over the frangipane and bake the cake
in about 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 160 degrees.




Doesn't she (Bambino) look fab as a showstopper on my Christmas cake!

To end this year with a positive note, I decided to have a
little giveaway on my Instagram account
where you can have a chance to win Bambino.
So hop over here and have a go!
If you don't want to take any chances of having this beauty also on
your Christmas Cake, you can also find her here on our website.

Wishing you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!


Anita
~xo~

Autumnal days are here ....

Don't know how it's with you, but over here there's a definite nip of Autumn in the air.
Though I've still got some (french) sunshine coming my way,
 I'm quite ready to embrace it.
I'm sure this has a lot to do with the wonderful Summer we've had so far.

Eating every possible meal in the garden was almost a rule.

You can find the Rustic Hanging Bottles here 

You can find the Wooden Scandi House here 

This year I was very late sowing and the heath wasn't very helpful either,
 but there still were enough flowers to fill my Jugs.

Both Hogben Jugs are available on our website and can be find here

A lovely customer gave me the idea for this display, 'love in a mist' in an Espresso Mug

For the third year in a row my 'Cafe au Lait' is flourishing, 
even after I left the bulbs hibernate in my border during Winter

The pond was the most popular spot for all wildlife this year

But also my Buddleia

Trying to hang on that Summer feeling I like to preserve all its produce in a box

You can find the Wooden Window Box here

Now the days are drawing in, I like to cook meals that have to simmer
or bake cakes.
Any excuse will do and this time it was the youngest son
coming home from a holiday trip on Ibiza.

You can find the Wooden Cookbook Stand and Tea Towel here

I saw the recipe of this cake on Facebook at a friends profile 
and because the men around this house love coconut I gave it a go.

I dare say with success.

I already shared this photo on my Instagram and there were a lot of requests
 to share the recipe, so here it is.

This is what you need for the Coconut Cake:

       *For the Cake Base:

- Sponge Flan Base 200gr

*For the filling:

                                                    - 30 gram Cornflour

                                                  - 480 ml of Cream

                                          - 3 Egg Yolks

                                                - 150 gram Sugar

                                                             - 55 gram grated Coconut

                                                       - 2 tablespoons Butter

Put the 480 ml Cream in a saucepan and add the Cornflower. 

Whisk until the Cornflower has completely disappeared.

Then whisk the Egg Yolks and sugar in its total through.

Put the fire on medium heat and bring to boil while constant stirring.

Once it boils, take it off the heat and stir in the Coconut and Butter.  

Pour the mixture over the Cake Base, cover it with Cling Film
and put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. 

     *For the Topping:

                                                     - 180 ml of Cream

                                                             - 3,5 tablespoons Sugar

                                                                       - 1,5 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

                                                                             - 40 gram grated Coconut roasted

Whisk the 180ml Whipped Cream, 3,5 tablespoon Sugar and 1,5 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
at medium speed and spread over the Cake.
Sprinkle the grated Coconut over the Cake and after being in the refrigerator
for at least two hours it's ready to serve.

The Cake can, provided it's covered, be kept for several days.

  

Right now I'm busy packing for our break in the Provence.
I'm still very behind with my monthly Embroidery subscription
so I made sure to pack the 'essentials' 😜

Basket available here

Leaving my garden in the capable hands of my lovely neighbor,
I can't wait to see my Wisteria (which is full of buds) flowering for the second time.

And of course meeting you here again!

Anita
~xo~



Easter (spring) 'cake' ....

This year I was aiming for something different than the traditional branches to get into the Easter spirit.

If only because of the comments from the men household in which I live. Especially because to them it's more like an obstacle then an addition to the atmosphere (or in other words .... it mainly obstructs their view on the television) 

A while ago I saw this lovely flower (wedding) cake from The Flowerbird on Instagram and it instantly gave me inspiration for an Easter (spring) display ....

Is it only me that when I'm looking for something, it's just not available or ridiculous expensive.

So I decided to make a cheaper version, of what I had in mind as basics, myself.

Therefore I bought this simple candle holder and sink scale in order to glue them to another. 

Together with floral foam (soaked in water) shaped to the size of the scale and moss they form the basis of my spring arrangement. 

Before the real decorating could start I made a hole in the middle and added the Narcissus Bridal Crown which I really love for its fragrance ....

After that I started decorating with these gorgeous roses and spring branches (using a cocktail stick to make a little hole before adding them ) ....

And some Easter decorations with the necessary 'tools' to secure them ....

After gradually adding all of its 'ingredients' this is the end result ....

Though I'm rather pleased with the end result, I braced myself for the expected comment that the men in this house would have preferred an edible cake.

So to keep them happy I prepared something edible too .... 

The narcissus make their expectation more than true, because the living room is filled with a gorgeous springlike scent .... 

Wishing you a happy Easter!

Anita
~xo~

This year's escape part two ....

One of the joys of sharing fragments of your life on social media is the heartwarming contacts you get through it.

When I posted a picture of last year's holiday in England on my Facebook page and expressed how I looked forward to our upcoming visit, the Dutch florist Martin from Martin & the Magpie invited us for a cup of coffee if we were in the neighbourhood. 

Because we loved to respond to this invite we adjusted our route from Devon to West Sussex in order to visit the beautiful town Hungerford , the hometown of Martin and his young family, but also where his beautiful flower shop is located.

Because the young family was recently rejoiced with the birth of another beautiful (second) son we took a small gift with us.

It was so much fun to meet Martin in person and to see how - as he himself said - belonged here. Not in the least because of his lovely wife Emma who made him come to England in the first place. But also the feeling he was really at home in England, an emotion I understand so well because it also feels like my second home by now. 

I really loved his shop with all its gorgeous homegrown flowers from their own walled garden but also the vintage pieces they sell.

Having first taken a bunch of homegrown lavender with us we continued our way to our cottage in Sussex ....

This was our first view when we arrived at our next stay this year , Willow Cottage ....

And what about our kitchen view ....

The owners of this beautiful cottage were so very friendly and hospitable and always have time for a chat.
When Steve saw me taking pictures of this gorgeous field he told me that his last crop potatoes wasn't great and he had planted this gorgeous Phacelia  to improve the soil.
A nice extra was that it also attracts these lovely creatures .....

After seeing a beautiful picture on Instagram of a meadow full of flowers in the Nature Reserve Levin Down - and as it was close where we were staying - we made an attempt to go for a walk over there but had not much luck finding it.
Having another very hot day we decided to have a drink in the nearest pub The Partridge Inn in the beautiful village Singleton with the most loveliest cottages.
Oh yes I definitely would settle for something like this as a second home ....

In the pub we got into a talk with a very lovely couple who gave us directions to the Nature Reserve we were looking for and again we started our hike and were soon welcomed and checked by this one ....

And after we were "approved" finished the lunch which we clearly had interrupted ....

And soon we found what we were looking for ....

There's an excellent mix of woodland, grassland and scrubland in this area and this is one of the reasons for the outstanding biodiversity achieved by Nature Reserve . Therefore butterflies are the star of the show at Levin Down ....

And here it is, a gorgeous meadow with all sorts of field flowers, my ultimate image of Summer ....

One of the reasons to end our holiday in West Sussex was to visit the annual Summer Fair from the Country Brocante and meet all the lovely ladies who attend this lovely fair ....

But before going to Petworth we first visit the Farmers Market in Hastings to see a lovely lady I follow on Instagram.
Meet Jaki of Perfectly Preserved whose delicious hand made seasonal jams go around the world.
How much fun it is to meet the people in your phone in person ....

Then we drove to the wonderful fair at Petworth and have met so much people in the most gorgeous setting ....

Outside some souvenirs for family and friends I bought this tiny cup and saucer from the lovely Hayley from Will and Bea - perfect for some snippets of my - so it seems - unstoppable sweet peas ....

The ticket not only permitted a visit to the fair at the park but also included a visit to the house which already looked impressive from the outside ....

Not to mention the beautiful garden ....

First we approached the servants quarters which contains fascinating kitchens and other service rooms.
It felt like we landed in an episode of Downton Abbey and could bump into Mrs Patmore any time ....

All kinds of bake molds which I think the participants of The Great British Bake Off would be jealous of ....

Lovely details everywhere ....

Could picture Mr.Carson easily in the long hallway using this ....

The impressive carved room ....

and the even more impressive view over the glorious parkland ....

Very curious whats upstairs but unfortunately not accessible for visitors ....

How beautiful is this garden view ....

So much space around it ....

It really took me back in time with all its grandeur ....

With only one more day left and also want to enjoy the lovely garden of our hosts we decided for a short drive to the nearby town Arundel and its Castle and Gardens ....

And imagined myself in vintage heaven because of all the lovely shops ....

After our visit to this beautiful town we enjoyed the lovely surroundings of our cottage in the sunshine with feasting on the delicious rock cakes and fresh flowers provided by our hostess Deb ....

To give you an idea of the size of the garden ....

Gorgeous roses everywhere ....

Our view of the pond ....

Love it when I gain all sorts of inspiration during the holidays and one of them this year is having raspberries in my garden next year ....

Because the owners allow you to walk around the whole garden we discovered there was more to the pond as our first look let us believe ....

It was such a relaxing spot. Not only by its gorgeous surroundings, the beautiful cottage which is even prettier then the website shows. And of course the lovely couple and their daughters who gave us such a great welcome.
But also this one, who paid us a visit a couple of times during the day, meet Willow ....

During one of our conversations Steve asked me what it was that made me love his country so much. He responded quite surprised when I said that not only the beautiful scenery but also its friendly inhabitants made me fall in love with England.
To me Steve and his lovely wife Deb are exactly the representatives of that feeling without even noticing themselves, says enough don't you think!

We've really unwind during our stay and the fact to have to wait another year to return makes me really sad.
I think the next video says it all, the countryside makes you take everything slow ....

But at the same time counting my blessings because very soon we're leaving for a two weeks stay in the South of France, hope to meet you here again to share some french pictures with you!



P.s. To keep the memory alive I tried to bake the rock cakes we've tasted for the first time on this holiday and they were approved by the men in the house. I already shared a picture on Instagram of my bake and for the ones who asked for the recipe here it is ....

Bon appetit!  (just practising my french a little)
Have a lovely weekend,

Anita
~xo~