Is it Spring yet?

Hello my dears! This is a bit of an ‘around here/bits and pieces/lately’ post from me this week. Here in the UK our school age children have 2 weeks off, and this year it started with Easter weekend. Both my hubby and I were off for the whole weekend (quite often one or other of us is working in our respective hospitals) and the four days stretched invitingly ahead.

To be honest, my lovelies, I am a pottering at home sort of person. I will go out on trips, but now my boys are older and don't require entertaining as much, I really cherish being at home, cooking, baking and spending time in my tiny but oh so precious sewing room.

 

My hubby on the other hand is a real ‘let's go on a trip’ person. He hates staying in all day and will sometimes fit two or three outings into a day! He had forewarned me that the weather would be best on Good Friday, so I hatched a sneaky plan of enticing him out early, and then spending the rest of the day at home!

Lovelies, in my heart I think I am not really a city person. I love the countryside, and I feel far more peaceful there. In the city I feel hemmed in by the buildings, and uninspired by the views. So I find heading out for a walk rather challenging. I start off sulky, I whisper to myself that the streets are ugly and that the buildings are too tall. I realise this is not the best way to make the most of things……. So on Friday morning I decided to look for the beauty in my surroundings….

The streets near my home have rows of these prettily painted houses, and look at that glorious blue sky! We headed down the road to join the Regent’s Canal. It is cool and dark down on the canal path. I was captivated by this pretty house and the Lock Keeper's cottage at St Pancras Lock.

 

A bit further along we came to the Kings Cross Gasholders. These huge guide frames were built in the 1850s. Gasholder No.8 is the largest of these, and was built for the storage of town gas that was manufactured here from coal. It has been moved, restored and turned into this rather stunning feature. Can you see me there?

 

Back home it was time to start baking for my second son's 15th birthday which fell on Easter Monday this year. Lu and I have a go to cookie recipe for when you need a big batch of tasty, crunchy biscuits to cut into seasonal shapes and ice. They are from Kate Shirazi's Cookie Magic and are called Basic Butter Biscuits. I decided to use Spring themed cutters and ice them with Royal Icing. I use sauce bottles that I bought from a catering shop. I mix the icing sugar with water to the consistency of a glaze and colour it in various shades. The bottles make it really easy to ice, I pipe some around the edge and then fill in the middle. You can add spots and stripes and use a toothpick to swirl fancy shapes……

 

My son C’s favourite chocolates are Cadbury's mini eggs, so I decided to make him a mini egg cake. He requested lemon drizzle for the cake, so I used the same Victoria sponge recipe that Lu used in her post and added the zest and juice of two lemons to the batter. I made a lemon/sugar syrup that I drizzled over the cakes as soon as they came out of the oven.

Photo credit - Lu the Other Brownie.....

Making an egg shape was a challenge……. How do you think I did? I filled the layers with lemon curd and vanilla icing from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (another favourite) and got carving!

Lu and her family came round for a birthday tea, and we had a lovely time. We may have had a glass or two of prosecco to celebrate the Wonders of Motherhood.....

It was back to work for hubby and me after the bank holiday, luckily the boys can now look after themselves……

This is the view as I come into the station near my work. Blackfriars Station runs across the River Thames, can you see Tower Bridge and The Shard in the distance? And here is the view from my lounge. London trying to melt my heart with pretty pink clouds...... well I must admit, London, you did.

Next week we are off to Yorkshire for a few days to stay in a lovely cottage, I can't wait. Countryside here I come!!

Take care my lovelies, and if you are on a spring break, have a good one!

Jenny xxx

Comments

[Kelly]

I think cities are wonderful places to visit (and I've loved London the few times I've been there), but I've become a true country girl at heart. I'm not sure I'd ever want to live in town again, much less a city! Still... you shared some lovely photos and it looks like a wonderful place to live and work.

I hope you'll share photos from your Yorkshire stay! Have a good time!

[Two Crafty Brownies]

Thanks, Kelly, I will! And if you are in London again, come have a coffee with us! Jenny xxx

[Meredithe]

Oh Jenny - perspective is a funny thing, isn't it? What you view as hemmed in and awful, I relish - all those gorgeous old, old old buildings! My suburbia is really boring!!! Mind you I do love the countryside too (born and bred country girl) so I do understand what you're saying. Very cute sewing room and your cake looks great! Hope Mr 15 enjoyed his birthday. Have a fabulous time in Yorkshire. xx

[Anne Donald]

I've never lived in a city, but I did work in Glasgow for 6 years, so I know what you mean about feeling hemmed in. I didn't enjoy my visits to London particularly - too busy, too dirty, but of course I know that there are lovely areas too. I love the birthday cake!! Belated best wishes to the birthday boy!

[Two Crafty Brownies]

You are so right, Meredithe! And I'm sure I would miss London terribly if I ever had to move away.....thank you, he had a lovely time, especially with Lucy's three who may as well be his younger siblings! Jenny xxx

[Two Crafty Brownies]

Thanks Anne! That's why I enjoy your lamb pictures so much! Jenny xxx