Trying out some new flour... produced for the WI!

Hello peeps,

How is everyone? I do believe that Spring is in the air.... somewhere.... last weekend it was so warm that Mr P was in shorts, however this weekend we've got the fire lit! Very strange! We also appear to be shrouded in fog every morning which is rather annoying! I'm used to sea fog having lived my the coast all of my life, but the amount of fog we get inland is astonishing.

There appears to be a new range of flour available on the market! You can read more here. Flour made for the WI by local producers! Oh yes! Along with a range of other goodies including biscuits and preserves which are made in the UK. You can find them in your nearest Waitrose.

The flours have not long been introduced to our local Waitrose so I popped down today and brought a couple of bags of plain and self raising flour to give them a try since they were on offer. Well it would be rude of me not to give them a go considering that I now work for the WI....

Lovely packaging (it's only flour I hear your cry.... there is flour, and then there is flour). The packaging tells you a bit about the producers and there is also a lovely recipe on the back of each bag which is handy.  WI tried and tested recipes of course!

First off I made chocolate brownies with the plain flour and then a classic Victoria sponge with the self raising flour.

The test will be in the eating tomorrow when I take them to work for my colleagues at Denman College to try! There is no pressure when I bake for work now.... who am I kidding!??!?

I've also managed to get around to take some photos of my new bowls that I won on Ebay - well, they are new to me, but they do go back a few years themselves... I've tried to look into them to see how old they are but I can't find any records at all. They are made by TG Green and I love them. I also brought the flour sifter to match. The guy who I won them off on Ebay does house clearances and they were wrapped in the original paper that they were brought in. He was clearing out an elderly ladies house. I use them all the time, but make sure I wash them by hand as I wouldn't want to damage the paint work.

Better go and make some butter cream for my Victoria Sponge ... should be cool by now!

I'll let you know how the taste test goes!

Cheerio,

Nic xoxoxo

UPDATE: Here you go....

Victoria Sponge for the Housekeeping team...

Mmm, a mouse appears to have nibbled one of the brownies!  Just letting the second one cool prior to dusting with cocoa powder.

A bit of a crafty post....

Hello hello hello!

How is everyone? Sorry for disappearing for a short time, but life has been quite hectic! New job, putting house on market, house hunting..... so as you can imagine, I can't tell up from down at the moment!

I managed to steel some time today to catch up with you.

I popped down to Cornwall a few weeks ago before I started my new job with the WI (yes folks, that is the Women's Institute!) to catch up with friends and family. Much to my delight, I also had time to catch up with my gran who has very kindly given me a wonderful stash of craft goodies. Yay! Gran was a keen crochet and lace buff, but unfortunately age has caught up with her and has started to affect her eyesight which is a terrible shame.

I was lucky enough to be given a lovely crocheted doily at Christmas which my gran made me. I think it is her last piece of work. I know it took her a long time to finish it because of the detail. It now sits at home, in pride of place, under my egg basket in the kitchen.

Talking of crochet, it has been something that I have wanted to learn for ages. It's been years since I picked up a hook and some yarn, so just before Christmas I went on a course at Darn It and Stitch in Oxford. After an afternoon of learning the basics and buying some books and practicing at home, here is my first creation.... which I must say, I am very pleased with....

Now that I have inherited a box of crochet goodies from my gran, which includes crochet threads, loads of doilies and trims to play with, and a super stash of old books and patterns.... some going back to the 60's and 70's.... I think I have enough to play with and create something! Ideas on a postcard please! I may just have to take my stash over to the tutor at Darn It and Stitch for some guidance!

Part of the stash!

Doilies already made and ready to be put together.... somehow! Any ideas!?

Plenty more of where that came from!

What a stash of books! 

From 1972! This one is older than me and Mr P!!!

I was also lucky to be given some lovely old plates that my gran was clearing out. I have been after some old plates for serving my afternoon tea on for ages and also ones that are nice to photograph.... et voila! I'll have to remind Mr P that these plates DO NOT go in the dishwasher!

So, there you go! Not much on the baking front I am afraid. I feel that I need to make some lavender shortbread to go with those lovely plates now!

But for the time being, I'm off to get tangled in all of that yarn from my gran!

Cheers for now!

Nic xoxoxox