Hello there ....
Yes ... I've given in and embraced the season ...
At least the 'run up to the silly season'..
It was just a case of 'what can I do with these Christmas tree shaped pieces of fabric off cuts'..
So I made few little trees ... just a few .. then I got fed up with trees.... fiddly darn things.
I bunged them in a basket for sale ...lets hope someone wants to give them a home.
A Hubby P bargain here.....
A few weeks ago Hubby P came back from the local shop with a couple of boxes of Mixed Dried Fruit .. reduced to pennies...
not a man to miss a bargain he had snapped them up.
I had put them in the back of the cupboard ... and promptly forgot all about them.
It was yesterday as I was going through the cupboards checking stocks of baking stuff ( a shopping list in hand)... I found the fruit.
Now the only problem is .. we are not keen on candied peel .. I tend not to buy mixed fruit for this reason .. but these boxes .. well ... these were a bargain ..
so I set to ...
and I picked out all the candied peel.
The peel went into the bird house feeder for the birds and the mice...
and I had three good jars of dried fruit.
Today was a work day ... we had a good old sort out and a re/set out/ display ... of goods in the containers.
All ready for tomorrows trading day.
Now I know we all like to look at pic's of other peoples doings ... at least I do ... so I took a few quick snaps.
Vintage-y girly bits and bobs.
Bags and bow ties ...
Glittery glassware...
Lace and linen ...
Buttons and more buttons ...
And time for home ... its getting darker and jolly cold.
Time to get the oven on and the house warmed up.
Before we left I put a couple of handful of the dried fruit in a basin with the remains of the teapot (cold tea) and left it to plump up nicely.
I thought a nice tea bread would do the trick .... haven't made one in years.
So I had a quick look at Nigella's page (googled it) and made a sort of version of a tea bread.
As you may notice on the pic ... I had only Bread flour left in the cupboard .. so ..
8 oz flour (and I chucked in some baking powder)
4 oz sugar
2 tbsp marmalade (none of that either .. so in went some apple and gooseberry jam)
An egg beaten
and the fruit and tea ...
Oh and I rooted in the spice tin and sprinkled a bit of ginger and cinnamon in there too.
Give it a good stir up .. pop in a loaf tin ... an hour or so at 140 ..
And oh boy ... so easy ... and so yummy.
Ideal ... quick and easy to throw in the oven when cooking tea ... and you need to fill up those empty shelves.
I imagine it would be great toasted too .. not that this will last that long the way 'some people' are munching it!
So .. come on .. share .. the cold weather is a comin .. whats quick and easy to fill up the oven ... and doesn't cost a fortune.
xx
yum, that sounds perfect! I love looking at your photos of goods, the linens and the buttons I love to look at, I put a rice pudding and some scones in the oven today, with split pea ham soup on the stove top, we won't go hungry in this place,
ReplyDeleteFunny you should say that I've just put pudding rice on my shopping list!
DeleteKeep warm..
Vicky x
Admission time:
ReplyDeleteI've done the same thing- picking out all the hard citrus peel bits !! Only It didn't dawn on me to put it in the bird feeder !!
Your 'fluffing of your display looks inviting. Now I'm sure I need a healthy scoop or two of buttons and that little tapestry looking purse !! Only wish I could come see all of your stall and lived where I could do so !!
xoxo
The buttons sell really well .... an its nice to see the young girls showing an interest .. I sell a 'cupful of Grannies buttons for 50p'.
DeleteIts a nice job. x
Those Christmas trees are so darling! I holidayed on Anglesey this year, it's my favourite place on Earth! Found your blog and followed from a few of my other must reads! Not sure if it was Pam's, Mum's or Frugal Queen's! Anyway, hello :-)
ReplyDeleteWell hello .. and welcome to my little bit of Anglesey. You must stop by and say Hello next time you are on holiday. Hope you enjoy my ramblings. x
DeleteI am doing! I too ramble on n on about stuff n nonsense! We stayed just near the Anglesey Sea Zoo x
DeleteOh now that does look jummy!! Off to get the brandy for my fruit cake this week, love anything fruity. Love the pictures of your displays, and oh, all those buttons! Loove buttons. Your little christmas trees are so qute, l am sure they will all be sold quickly. I am into needle felting sheep for christmas presents. Hope to make a lot of the presents this year. Hope you have a lovely week, Pam xx
ReplyDeleteI just love christmas cake soaked in brandy .. but I refrain from making one .. there is only the two of us .. and I would scoff most of it myself .. piggy that I am.
DeleteHave a nice week .. add to your flock of cute little sheep. x
I'm going to make a rib-sticker stew-come-soup today with mince at its base, lots of tomatoey bits etc. Sort of Minestrone with Mince! Plus some Chocolate Blackberry Brownies (scrummy) and perhaps a pizza for tea - I've got the fresh yeast out anyway, so it's warmer than fridge temperature.
ReplyDeleteI wish we lived nearer, as I would LOVE to browse on your stall, especially the linens and the sewing bits. We did the Antiques/Fleamarket on Sunday and are still getting over the loooooong day, but we did very well, and love doing it SO much.
We had hail in the night and wintry showers ever since. We have that curious yellow light out there now, which normally means bad weather . . .
I'll share my recipes on my blog when I've made them. Your frugal tea bread sounds lovely. I'm not mad on the dried peel either, but my daughter made me some PROPER candied orange peel last Christmas and that is something else - I could sit and munch that from the jar!
Work days can be so long .. customers dont realise that we have been up since 4am .. and it can be so cold.
DeleteMiserable cold and damp ... huge hailstones here. Enjoy your stew .. its the weather for it .. we've just had soup and 'warm from the oven' cheese scones. Yum x
Urgh I hate mixed peel too, I made my Christmas cakes a few weeks ago and substitute peel with extra cherries, much nicer.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics, your trees are very cute.
I've got a beef casserole in the slow cooker today, smells lovely, made with beef, herbs from cupboard and squash and potatoes from the allotment, tiptop.
Think I might have to do some dumplings too, well it is very chilly today :)
Love to you both.
Twiggy xx
I like a nice cherry too ... and dumplings are a must ... its practically the law when its chilly.
DeleteKeep warm and snug x
Wonderful Photographs, thank you for sharing, my favourites are the Linens, so pretty and feminine and the buttons, I love old buttons, I bet there is a few good stories behind some of those. Your little trees are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI love a good tealoaf and toasted sounds a real treat, dripping with lashings of unhealthy butter! I like to fill up the oven with quick to make things like flapjack, scones, a good old fashioned rice pudding with a nutmeg crust or for a savoury dish some sliced potatoes and onions cooked in stock until really soft. Sometimes I will cook a tray of sausages then freeze, they make a quick sausage casserole without the pain of browning them first.
Take care, Karen x
Ooo yes .. we has scones for tea ... cheese scones warm from the oven with some soup.Just the ticket..
DeleteGlad you liked the photo's .. I like to ring the changes with the post subject.
x
I like your trees, esp. the ones with blue.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed your post, would love to see the stall.
I love the little black snap purse, and esp. the linen & I just love buttons!
The linen is lovely .. so many talented needlewomen worked so very hard.
Deletex