Wednesday 24 June 2015

Strawberry LoVe....

I’m starting to wonder if I may have spoken a little to soon
in my last post, referring to summer....
summer? What summer
....that has been the question here for the last couple of days.
Not just has the sky been grey and the rain hasn't stopped in days 
but the temperature has dropped to an really uncomfortable level.
All that said it hasn't stopped us enjoying the beginning of 
the summer fruits season. 
If you have been following me on here for a while 
then you know what is for us, 
especially baby Paperdoll 
the one & only ....the ultimate fruit at this time of year.       


StRaWbErRiEs

We LoVe them
fresh all natural    as yummy jam  ♥  
with a dusting of icing sugar 
 in true Wimbledon style served with cream    
made into homemade extra thick & creamy ice-cream


  as a classic Strawberry pie
For most of my cooking and baking I’m not a set recipe kinda person.  
I’m more of a 
....these are the basic ingredients I need and then there are the little of
this & that ingredients to keep it interesting.  
This sweet shortcrust pastry was no exception, 
I used dark Muscovado sugar for this pastry. 
I have to admit that pastry baking isn't my favourite thing,
 you can imagine my delight when this one turned out much nice then I had hoped.


It had a lovely flaky crunch, 


the Muscovado sugar worked a treat with the layers upon layers 
of very sweet and super yummy strawberries from our market.
This pie got the thumbs up from the whole family.


On cold & grey days I need something warming and uplifting,
fluffy latte with a nice slice of fresh strawberry pie is just that thing.

And for the hopefully soon returning warmer days I have some 
extra thick & creamy homemade strawberry ice cream chilling in the freezer 
to keep us cool & refreshed.


Unfortunately my list of ....things to do ....places to go, 
hasn’t stopped growing,  
so I must run....
just time to wish you all a lovely week! 

XXXX

Friday 19 June 2015

My summer so far....


Its such a wonderful time of year here in Berlin


whilst summer may not officially start until Sunday it has 
well & truly arrived here and the city is showing itself at it’s best.
Berlin really is a very green city with it’s seemingly endless amount of 
woods, public parks, gardens and green’s dotted all around.
Being spoilt by glorious sunshine 
we have made the most of the beautiful weather being out & about.
It may mean that my home is not up to royal standard 
....but lets be honest it’s rather unlikely that the Queen 
will pop by for a cuppa on her visit to Berlin next week, so I can sleep easy.
After all your children will always remember 
the fun, laughter & magic 
you shared not how perfectly sparkly clean there home was.


Even on rainy days like today I’m loving every minute of this summer.
I have to confess I quite like a bit of rain ever so often, 
especially after humid & sticky days.
I just LoVe LoVe LoVe that fresh smell it leaves behind.  


Rainy days are also the perfect excuse to get snuggled up 
watching the world go by outside and indulge in a sweet treat 
or two or in my case more like ten. 



On the warm sunny days the air around my house 
is filled by the sweet perfume of the rose bushes in my garden.


As much as I love my roses in the garden 
I also love a few on my table.
Luckily for me the bushes are overflowing with blossoms 
so there are always a few I can spare for inside.


My new photography craze are raindrops


I’m just LoVe fresh raindrops on beautiful blossoms


I have also enjoyed what is for me a new food craze, 
goats cheese wrapped in beacon with a nice homemade pesto.  
Goats cheese & green pesto 
were an absolute NO NO for me until recently 
go figure!   


A Victoria sponge was baked 
....my Dad just like me has a sweet tooth 
....after seeing a recipe for a Victoria sponge he hinted on numerous occasions 
that he wouldn’t say no to a slice or two, 
so on his birthday the paperdolls and I surprised him 
I had to improvise with the filling as I have been unable 
to find clotted or double cream over here, 
so I just used soft cheese and icing sugar and I have to say it was rather yummy.
it was quite touching to see how a little gesture like baking a cake 
can bring so much joy.


Sun shining .....a picnic packed
we headed by ferry off to Peacock island a few Sundays back.


 Peacock island is a small island in the Havel river here in Berlin, 
it once served as the romantic hideaway for the Prussian King 
Friderick William II and his beloved mistress Wilhelmine Encke 
for whom he built the little white palace on the island.  
Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site open to the public for most of the year. 
With cars, smoking, loud music and dogs being prohibited on the island, 
it makes for a very tranquil place where you lose all sense of time. 


 The German author Theodor Fontane (1819-1998) perfectly described this island 
“An image from my childhood springs to mind like a fairytale: 
a palace, peacocks sitting up on a high branch or fanning out their tails, fountains, shady lawns, winding paths running in all directions,
but leading nowhere in particular …”. 


I couldn't have put it better myself,
it really has that magical fairytale feel about it. 


Even for us who have wild peacocks regularly visiting our garden 
this island still has magical appeal 
I never tire looking at these beautifully majestic creatures.


The intensity of the blue green & lustrous shimmer on the feathers is stunning,
yet another perfect colour combination by nature.  


It was a magical day filled with lots of fun & laughter.
Another place that we can cross off our “places to visit” list 
but I will not be surprised 
if we find ourselves back there before the summer is over.


A bag Tah-dah
I made the body of the bag early last year 
but when it came to the handles my ideas weren't working.
Getting a bit frustrated with it all, I put the bag handle-less away 
and as I was organising my new sewing room I stumbled across it again.


 Like so many times before with a problem project 
walking away from it helps me to refocus 
and the other day it made click and I had the perfect workable idea 
that I’m very happy with. 


SuRpRiSe SuRpRiSe
one project has led to another and with left over fabric scraps 
I started a little beach quilt lets just hope 
 I get it finished in time for our trips to the beach.


Wishing you all a beautiful weekend, 
remember to make the most of the magical moments this weekend!!

XXXX