Tea & Crumpets

When we found these gluten free crumpets at the grocery store, we decided it was time for a thorough introduction.

Crumpets are interesting. The tops make them look sort of like English muffins. But they're not dry and bread-y, they're moist and doughy—they definitely need toasting.

Now (apparently), there are two important aspects to crumpet preparation. The first is toasting time. Some people prefer theirs warm but doughy throughout. Others prefer them crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. And after careful testing, I can definitely say I'm of the crispy school of thought.

The second key to crumpets is topping quantity. In the words of my wonderful husband, you must "properly slather" them in butter and jam. Don't be shy.

Yes, crumpets are not a low calorie diet food. And yes, they are absolutely amazing.

Go on. Try some. You'll love them.

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Chestnut Soup & Toast Points

The past few days have been the coldest so far this year. Not surprisingly, the freezing temperatures put me in the mood for something warm and cozy.

So, I made Jamie Oliver's recipe for chestnut soup and toast points. I had never had chestnut soup before. It was very easy to make, and very very good. The soup had a light, creamy, earthy flavor, which went perfectly with the crispy bread.

Just the thing for a cold night in front of the fire.

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Chim, Chimney...

Our lovely little cottage came complete with three Victorian fireplaces—two upstairs, one down. They are beautiful, but needed a bit of love.

The two upstairs were easy. We don't plan to use them, so we gave them a coat of black gloss paint. But, we needed to find a fire-friendly way to bring the one downstairs back to life.

After some research, it turns out the old way is still the best way: this past weekend, we re-blacked and polished our fireplace with black grate polish, like proper scullery maids. Now, I'm not saying I'd want to do it every day, but it was actually really fun.

It's amazing what a little black polish will do. Though, getting it out from under your nails is an entirely different story!

PS: Sorry there aren't any 'before' shots. We got too excited!

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First snow of the season!

I love snow, especially this time of year. And, this was an unexpected, happy surprise. It was really coming down...

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Orange Blossom Cupcakes from Roost

One of my favourite blogs at the moment is Roost; her photos are beautiful and her recipes look amazing. The bonus? It's all gluten free. So, after months of admiring her work, I thought it might be time to actually try one of her recipes.

Yesterday, I made Orange Blossom Cupcakes with Cashew Cream. And, though my cream didn't come out as creamy looking as hers did, the final result was spectacular; moist, tart, and delicious—perfect for these darker days.

Gluten free or not, make these. You won't be disappointed.

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Vocabulary Lesson(s)

In England, if you want to say... 

bandaid, you have to say plaster.

soap (as in, dish soap), you have to say washing-up liquid.
bus (as in greyhound), you have to say coach.
rent (as in car), you have to say hire.
diaper, you have to say nappy.
crib (as in, baby), you have to say cot.
stroller, you have to say pram.
squash, you have to say courgette.
pickle, you have to say gherkin.
popsicle, you have to say ice lolly.
jell-o, you have to say jelly.
jelly, you have to say jam.
Side note: It's no wonder no one over here eats peanut butter & jelly sandwiches!

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Before & After: The Bathroom

  

    

Our pre-renovation bathroom was not only moderately unusable, but also poorly designed. Though small (4.5' x 6.5'-ish), size wasn't the problem.

The tub took up the entire back wall; the shower was electric; the floor was an interesting sparkly blue linoleum with the texture of soft-grit sandpaper; and the teeny tiny corner sink wasn't even in the bathroom—it was in the utility room.

Our number one goal was to get the sink, tub, and toilet in the same room. The key was getting a smaller tub and rotating it so that it fit in under the window. Next, we replaced our boiler so that we could do away with the electric shower, and replaced the radiator with a ladder-style towel warmer to save space while drying our towels properly. Finally, we opted for easy-to-clean tile in traditional black & white (in-keeping with the age of our house), and added a huge mirror for form and function.

Our bathroom has gone from icky, difficult and ugly, to clean, usable and pretty.

And I absolutely love how it turned out.

PS: In case you're wondering about storage, we installed a three shelf chrome corner unit in the shower, and a three drawer kitchen cabinet unit just outside the bathroom, next to the washer (where the sink used to be), with the same counter top as we put in the kitchen over top (photos in an upcoming post).

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Read's in Faversham

Read's "restaurant with rooms is set in an elegant Georgian manor house, surrounded by tranquil grounds..." The décor is a gorgeous, cozy mix of vintage and traditional; the food and wine are exceptional; and the chef will accommodate gluten allergies without compromising the cuisine—no consolation prize dinners, here. 

A year ago, we had our wedding reception at Read's. The food was perfect, the wine was perfect, our day was perfect. 

This year was no different. We spent an evening at Read's to celebrate our first anniversary, and it couldn't have been more lovely.

Happy anniversary, sweet Huw. Here's to many many more.

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Easy Sweet Potato Soup

 
It's that time of year when I crave a cozy cup of soup at the end of the day; an easy, filling,
cozy cup of soup.

The other night, I happened to have a bunch of onions and sweet potatoes in the pantry.
Et voilà! Sweet potato soup.

Method: 1) peel (if you like; I did) and roughly chop 5 or 6 sweet potatoes, and 2 yellow/white onions; 2) toss them in your soup pot with a bit of olive oil, on high heat; 3) cover; 4) stir occasionally, until the potatoes and onions get soft and start to brown; 5) turn the heat down to medium/low and stir in 1 chopped red chili pepper (include the seeds if you want it a bit hotter) and 1 chopped clove of garlic; 6) let it cook for a few minutes, then add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring it back to a boil; 7) cover it and let it boil for about 5 more minutes; 8) turn the heat off and use a hand blender/food processor to blend it up; 9) add more chicken broth if you'd like it a bit thinner; 10) salt to taste; 11) serve.

PS: Up until now, I have been taking all these photos with my iPhone. But, my wonderful husband just got me a brand new—and seriously awesome—proper camera to use. Yay for real cameras!

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Fall in the Orchards

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Repurposed Hooks

Before we started renovating The Cottage, we went through and removed everything we wanted to keep—it wasn't much. We found these vintage hooks screwed into random places all over the house. Some were holding up window shades, others were painted over and served some long-forgotten purpose.

We thought they were interesting enough to keep. As it turns out, they were useful, too.

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Pickled Egg & Crisps

As strange as it may sound, pickled egg & crisps is the sort of British delicacy you should
try at least once.

Method:
1) Ask the bartender to give you a pickled egg (these had been pickled in distilled vinegar with chilies so they had a bit of a kick) and a bag of crisps (potato chips). 2) Decide whether you want to crush your crisps or leave them whole. If so, give them a smush (I didn't). 3) Open the bag & drop the egg in. 4) Give the bag a shake to coat the egg in crisp-ness.
5) Tear the bag open and dig in.

My personal taste experience? Weird but enjoyable. Definitely worth a try.

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Remember, remember...

Every 5th of November, Brits observe Guy Fawkes Night.

Guy Fawkes participated in a failed attempt to assassinate King James I by blowing up the House of Lords, on the 5th of November, 1605. That night, citizens lit bonfires all over London to celebrate the King's survival.

Fawkes' failure continues to be celebrated each year by lighting bonfires, setting off fireworks, and generally having a good time.

We joined the festivities at The Rose Inn, in Wickhambreaux. It was fantastic.

PS: In case you're curious how it went down...
Fawkes was in charge of the gunpowder part of the plan. So, when the House of Lords was searched that night—they'd got an anonymous warning letter—he was found guarding 36 barrels of it, and arrested. He was later convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Ouch.

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