Five on Friday - A Miscellany!

There is no link up for Five on Friday this month but I thought I would do it anyway... it's such a neat and convenient way to tie in several random topics that have nothing much to do with each other. Separate topics, that in past times when I was managing to write a blog post more than once a week would have probably warranted a blog post each of their own. But for various reasons I don't seem to get here more than once a week at most so here are five snippets from the past week or so...

 

1. Walking

 

 

I'm still trying to keep up with regular walks and last week Gill and I had a faulous walk around the village of Much Hadham, followed by a wonderful lunch... and cake, at Hopleys garden centre. This was my birthday present from Gill and I have to say I do rather approve of spreading birthdays out over several months, especially when they are lovely treats like this! The walk was over miles of beautiful countryside but we were both mesmersied by this fabulous meadow of wild flowers. The photo doesn't do it justice!

 

2. Lunching

 

 

I'm now realising there are tenuous links between my five things (or at least between the first two) because I enjoyed my lunch with Gill so much that I decided to recreate it at home. I couldn't find any links to suitable recipes on line so made it up as I went along. All butter puff pastry (bought, not home made I might add) topped with red onions that had been slowly cooked until soft and caramelised. On top of this was a sliced pear, a scattering of walnuts, topped with crumbled stilton... and then it was baked in a hot oven until the pastry was brown and crispy. Delicious served with a variety of salads and it was just as good warmed up the next day too!

 

3. Baking

 

 

There is never a week goes by without some sort of baking in my house and this week there was a bit of an experiment that came to me in the middle of the night... and I wonder why I don't sleep! Of course having thought it up in the middle of the night I had to try it the next day. A Battenberg cake with a twist... a combination of a lemon drizzle cake with an almond sponge, sandwiched with lemon buttercream and wrapped in a layer of almond paste. It got the thumbs up all round so will be added to my ever growing folder of cake recipes.

 

4. A Commission

 

 

After two weeks of avoiding my sewing machine and studio I ventured in to complete a long over due commission. I had been asked to make this hellibore brooch a year ago, although in my defence I was told it wasn't required for another 18 months. Of course, I promply forgot all about it until Terry turned up at my Open Studio this year and I had to come clean! I put a big sign on my studio notice board so I wouldn't forget about it again, and this week I finally got around to finishing it. Always a mistake to tell me something is not required for ages as I work much better to a deadline (as regular readers will know), so I was feeling rather pleased that this was finished in plenty of time after all!

 

5. Sewing

 

 

 

And while I was in the mood for sewing this week I made some tea cosies. I sold all that I had left at my open studios, so thought I would build up some stock before the end of the year... before people start looking for presents for you know what. I'm like a boy scout me... totally prepared!

Have a lovely weekend.