New Year's Day walk

My family braved the cold weather and went for a walk out at Stourhead Gardens, near Mere in Wiltshire.  A family favourite, walked here many times but I still love it!

Love looking up through the trees:)

This archway leads to my favourite part of  Stourhead; The Grotto. As a child, I think I thought it was a bit magical!

Really dark inside, but you can peep out over the lake!

Sounds strange but I love the texture of the walls inside the Grotto :)

Awesome reflections on a clear day

Oops!

Hungover with my beehive from the night before! lol!

Swans shamelessly posing!

I still haven't seen it but lots of scenes in the Keira Knightley version of 'Pride and Prejudice' were filmed at Stourhead.

 Sorry some photos are a bit dark :(

Do you have favourite places to go for walks?

Peebreeks xxx

New Year's Eve Pies!

This is the recipe for the pies I made for a New's Years Eve dinner party that I went to.  They are vegetarian but you could add meat if you like.  I adapted the recipe from this recipe from BBC Good Food: squash and mushroom pot pies

Started off with some lovely root veg and mushrooms, didn't actually use the red onion, so ignore that!!

Chop carrots and onion

Peel and chop butternut squash and add to the pan, chop parsnips.

I love chestnut mushrooms :)

Add 200ml vegetable stock to the pan and bring to the boil.

Add 4 tblsp of crème fraîche, I also added some peas and sweetcorn. 

Roll out sheet of puff pastry, place pie mix in pie dish, cover with circle shape of puff pastry. Shape edges with fingers.

Use end of a teaspoon to make a hole in the centre. Brush pie with egg or milk to brown.

The pies are pretty much cooked, ready for reheating at the party!

Taking some last photos of me in my house in 2012!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

 Peebreeks xxx

Mulled wine/cider recipe

A few people asked how I made the mulled cider and wine that we had at my party last weekend. 

Unfortunately I forgot to take photos :(   

I adapted the recipe from Jamie Oliver, see Jamie's mulled wine

Take 2 large saucepans and use ladles to serve.
I used approx 200g sugar, 2 star anise, about 9 whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, peel, juice and segments from about 4 clementines, peel from 1 lemon, then added the wine/cider enough to cover sugar and juice mix.  

Then I added a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and some grated nutmeg.

Then add the rest of the wine/ cider. 

(I used 1.5 litres of wine and 2 litres of cider to start then made more up later because it was in demand!!)

   
I sliced some apple and orange for decoration and added a sprinkle of ground ginger to the cider only.   I'm not usually a cider fan cos of the fizz, but I really liked the mulled cider, spicy and sweet, yummmm :)

I just used Thatchers cider as I knew some of my friends drink Thatchers and it's cheap for 2 litre bottles!

 Got lots of compliments and there was hardly any left, so I think it went down well!! 

Hope you find this recipe useful :)

Peebreeks xx

Deck the halls..

I'm a bit late in posting this but I made my flat all Christmassy this week as I invited people round for a festive housewarming!

Any excuse for fairy lights :)

Lovely cards by the stairs

I love decorating the tree, it makes me super happy!  
This year I went for red and white and silver, with lots of handmade decorations and yummy peppermint candy canes  :)

Over the years I've gotten a lot of inspiration for Christmas time from my mum,  she always makes the house look really cosy and festive. 

Here are some photos from my parents' house to show you what I'm talking about...

Mum's Christmas cake. Unfortunately not my cup of tea, but looks very pretty!

Dusky orange roses were the centre pieces on our table for Christmas Day

I gave my mum some red 'berry' lights a couple of years ago and she uses them on the stairs weaved in and out of banisters and Christmas tree off-cuttings.

Mum always decorates the mantlepiece above the fire. this year she went for a gold and red theme.

Mum used gold spray to decorate the pine cones and nativity figures, Christmas tree off-cuttings, red glass baubles and red and
gold ribbon to match!
Love the log fire, ahhhh :)

Hope you all had a very happy Christmas!

Peebreeks xxx

Feeling festive...

Finally went back to work this week and despite still feeling unwell, I have been getting in the mood for Christmas!! Here are some of my favourite moments from the last couple of  weeks. Photos were taken with my phone so sorry if quality isn't brilliant :(

Went out to choose my Christmas tree - luckily there were still some beauties left!!

My class made some beautiful Tudor pomanders.  Really easy to do :)

1. Put two pieces of tape on an orange in a cross pattern to mark where the ribbon will be.
2.  Draw dotted design of where the cloves will be in felt-tip. 
3. Use a cocktail stick to go over the dotted design to make holes for the cloves, watch out for orange juice! 
4. Gently push the cloves into the oranges. 
5. Finish by tying 1 or 2 pieces of ribbon so that pomanders can be hung up. 

(You can also sprinkle sandalwood/ frankincense oil on if you like, but we skipped this part!)

Father Christmas passed through the town, he was in such a hurry, I hardly had time to get a photo :)

 Peebreeks xx

Scarf time!

As we move into colder weather, I have been trying to knit more.  Last winter I made 3 chunky scarves (lilac, maroon and grey) for some friends, no photos, sorry :( Have been working on this scarf for a while now, but as I've been ill, have managed to do a bit more!

I'm using old Jaeger no.1 wooden needles which are equivalent to 19mm. I cast on 12 stitches in garter stitch. I use 'Seriously Chunky' acrylic made by Cygnet.  I buy this from Dorothy House charity shops as they regularly sell it and obviously the money goes to a good cause!  I have used 1206 Bright Red, not true colour in photos for some reason... It is a pillarbox red, really bright. Tried to show colour in comparison to my nail!

Will try and post more photos when it is finished with tassels. 

Peebreeks xx

Chest infections suck..

So have been off work since last Monday with a chest infection which isn't nice :( 
Am bored out of my skull... Not a lot of energy and pretty drowsy most of the time.  So I decided I would paint my nails, inspired by Caggie (Made in Chelsea.)  I went for some paintbox bright colours to lift my mood!! 
Will try and write on what they all are later, in case anyone wants to know :)

 

Caggie's nails (cuppateaandtoast-Tumblr)



My nails- a bit bodged but still fun!

My nails

Caggie looking sad :( but fun nails

Peebreeks xx

Those were the good ol' days..

On Sunday I went to Bath Vintage and Antiques fair, held in Green Park Station every last Sunday of the month.  There was lots to see and bargains to be had!!

Here are some highlights from the stalls and neighbouring shops...


 

Lots of gorgeous BT telephones which have been restored to their former glory.  I have a couple of the cream ones at home already so didn't buy any more!

 

Extremely heavy hairdryer! As I remember, one of my sister's Sindy dolls had a mini pink hairdyer like this!

This made me laugh out loud, I love the fact that you can hang tinsel on one side and cheese and olives on the other!

Bring some food and you're all set for a lovely picnic :)

Kitsch mini-LP Player, I want want want a record player...



Pretty retro dress, great shape :)

Comic desk by Mr Moustache furniture (Warminster), awesome idea!
Was also v. tempted by a yellow table with moustaches..... 




My latest decor obsession is 50's style kitchens- so fun!

My sister had to drag me away, I could have quite happily played 'house' all day!!

Visit the market if you get the chance and enjoy retro style, definitely worth a look.

Peebreeks xx