Tea in the Garden

 

'Tea in the garden is my one weakness.'
Dorcus Lane, Lark Rise to Candleford

Can you relate to tea in the garden being a weakness? When I watched that TV show this winter and the character Dorcus said that line, I laughed out loud! This is way too true for me too. Dorcus had a lot of weaknesses, though, as I suppose we all do. 

Nothing too philosophical today; just enjoying this marvelous time outside and hoping the weather stays beautiful! 

I have been working on a shady spot in my garden for tea. I have found a few new plants to put here.

I scored a French wire planter at the thrift store last week! Many weaknesses for sure! Have you had tea in the garden yet?

In Victory,

Sherry

Cheddar and Chive Scones

Today I am making something delicious from the herbs in my garden. I am making cheddar and chive scones.

I divided the chives, and now I have two pots of them. I didn't know how they would do, but they didn't seem to mind at all. So I went out and snipped a few for my recipe.

The book I have been using this year to get creative with my herbs has been The Herbal Yearbook.

The recipe is from the month of April. It is cheddar and herb scones. You could use any mix of herbs, and I went with chives.

Making the scones.

Preparing them for the oven.

Flakey and golden brown, just like pictured in the book.

They were reported to be delicious. I served them with chili because it was a cold day. 

Cheddar and Chive Scones

Makes 9-10

200 grams self-rising white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

4 teaspoons chopped chives

1/2 cup whole milk

milk, to glaze 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Add self-rising flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter using a pastry cutter, till fully incorporated. Add the cheese, chives, and milk and mix to form dough. I kneaded it in the bowl gently until the desired consistency. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. and cut scones using a pastry cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet or parchment paper. Brush the tops with milk and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe adapted from: The Herbal Yearbook

Enjoy!

In Victory,

Sherry

A Calm Day

Some days, a quietness falls over the house, and it is calm. That is when I take a rest and plan whatever I need to get busy with.

Peter and I think about the important tasks and the not-so-important tasks all the same. 

Sometimes you have to have your pleasures. You can't go forever without something you find joy in. 

Here at the cottage I have been planning much about the garden. Getting outside is a really enjoyable activity for me. So I am taking tea with Peter Rabbit and planning how I can add to the garden with things I already have in the shed. One of my newest creations was to take old garden fencing and turn it into a cloche to keep the animals off the plants. 

I have made three of these, and they are quite useful. A nice way to use up something I wasn't finding any other use for. Do you have things you reuse in your home instead of buying new?

In Victory,

Sherry

Early Spring Garden

The flowers are blooming fast now. It appears we are having an early spring. Maybe the groundhog was right in predicting the weather this year. 

I scored a French wire planter at the thrift shop. I loved it in this green color.

I am doing a huge amount of maintenance in the garden this year, and one of the jobs I tackled was dividing the chives. They had no problem with the division, and I now have twice the chives.

Trying some new plants in the shady spot in the garden. 

This is tansy. Once you grow it, it will come back every year. I love the foilage it has. 

In Victory,

Sherry

April Showers

 

Do you remember April showers bring May flowers? Well, we are having the showers today, but flowers are already here. Everything seems to be blooming all at once.

In between rain showers, you can find me darting out the back door and gathering rain-soaked blossoms. The scent of these lilacs is glorious! 

On a dry day, the lilacs always scent the whole corner of the garden, and today they are scenting my cottage corner.

So I made a cup of seven blossom tea; it seemed appropriate, and I enjoyed these flowers. 

I wait all winter to see the yard blossom out, and it couldn't be any more delightful than today, even in the rain.

Cut your tulips and enjoy them; it will make them blossom better next year.

In Victory,

Sherry

Peter Rabbit Mantel

There is enormous comfort in removing the chaos from your life and surrounding your self with things you love.

I believe Beatrix Potter might have know a thing or two about this when she moved to Hilltop Farm and created her endearing watercolors and wrote her charming books.

I have found some Peter Rabbit dishes and I have relished having them out on the mantel to enjoy.

I have long been a fan of Miss Potter. Here is my set of her storybooks from when I was young. The cottage style has my heart and no one exemplifies this more than Beatrix Potter's in the Peter Rabbit book series.

In Victory,

Sherry