MOTHER'S DAY...

with the 'White Company'

Happy Friday everyone!  

Always a good feeling when you know that the weekend is in sight!

I am particularly looking forward to this weekend, as it is my daughter Georgie's 27th birthday.  With her older brother having turned 29 earlier this week...it has been a nostalgic few days, with us wondering where on earth the years have disappeared!  One minute they are babies, and the next they are all grown up and out in the world.  

Alongside birthday celebrations for her on Sunday, we shall be joined by my lovely mother for a Mother's Day celebration too.  We three girls have been promised a work free day from the kitchen, feet up with a glass of something bubbly and 'Mr. W' and youngest son cooking up a feast in the kitchen....I can hardly wait!  Eldest son is sadly not with us this year as he lives in Singapore, but not long now until a special family holiday reunion coming up!

So what do we Mums really want gift wise for this special day?  I think that if you ask any of us, we truly just want our families with us, or to at least know that they are healthy and happy, and of course, a heartfelt card is always lovely!

  If however you would like to spoil your lovely Mum on Sunday, here are a few last minute gift ideas from 'The White Company' that I for one would be thrilled to receive!

Above is the beautiful Porto Stoneware collection and what better way to show someone you love them, than with a heart shaped dish. Perfect for so many things in the kitchen, but would also make a beautiful accessory on a table top, perhaps filled with those special treasures?

How lovely is this Cotton Pom-Pom Scarf?  The perfect Spring accessory that's both fun and stylish.  In a beautiful pale grey, it is perfect with most things in your Spring wardrobe, and well, who can resist a pom-pom?

Something pampering is always a lovely choice.  Making time for a long hot soak in the bath is something that mothers at all stages of life truly appreciate!  Not always easy, especially with little ones growing up, and busy lives, but something we should all make time for.  The White Company Spa range is just gorgeous, with delicious oils of Neroli, Geranium and Eucalyptus.  A real treat, and a lovely way to bring that Spa experience in to your own bathroom.

This gorgeous Leather Crescent Make-up Bag certainly caught my eye and is so lovely that it would also make a pretty clutch or jewellery travel case.  Such a gorgeous shade of blush pink too!

Lastly candles....can we ever have too many?

I particularly love the new season's Spring candle, with beautiful notes of honeysuckle, rose, jasmine and lilac with a hint of mown grass.  A gorgeous aroma of my favourite season and perfect for any room in the house I think.  

I do hope that you all have a lovely Mother's Day on Sunday.  Even if you are not a Mum yourself, or yours is sadly no longer with you, why not show yourself a little self love and treat yourself anyway or a special friend, just to show how much you appreciate them?  Whatever you have planned, have a lovely relaxing and spoiling day!

Until next time....

Sophia xxx

Ps.  The White Company also have some very special offers with up to 50% off....just press the link in the right hand side bar.  Happy shopping!

AUTUMN HARVEST...

Good morning!

Well Mr. W and I have just returned from a fabulous 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Singapore and Indonesia (blog post coming shortly!) and while we were away, it looks like Autumn sneaked in?

Apart from the shock of the cooler weather, both here in the UK and because we left temperatures of 30+ degrees, I adore this change in the seasons, and everything that it brings.

It really has been the most wonderfully productive year in both the vegetable and fruit garden, and particularly a bumper year for apples in our little orchard, which we have gradually been adding trees to over the last few years.

Keen to not lose them all to the Crows while we were away, there was a last minute hurried harvest to gather them all in safely.

A lovely mix of both eating and cooking varieties...

As you can see, we were not without our little helpers!  Is it just my dogs that love fruit?!

Filling three large rubber trugs and three large bags....

It really has been our largest crop to date!

What to do with this lovely harvest?

I am excited to say that the majority this year are being made in to apple juice.  Our local apple farm kindly, for a fee, take in customers' apples and juice and bottle them.  Ready in a couple of weeks, I am excited to take delivery of several crates of our first ever delicious juice.  Now all I have to do is design some lovely bottle labels!  I look forward to sharing the finished product with you all soon....and I think everyone in our family probably knows what they are getting for Christmas!

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Are there any autumn projects that you are particularly enjoying at the moment?  I would love to hear....

Happy September days to you all!

Sophia xx

LOVING......EDIBLE FLOWERS!

Monday morning started well, with the postman delivering a little surprise gift!

As a thank you from the team at Sarah Raven, for my contributing guest blogger posts for their main website blog 'Garlic and Sapphire', I received this rather lovely 'Flower Vase Set'....

A sweet lilac glass vase, with a packet of Calendula seeds...how gorgeous will these vibrant orange beauties look when grown, and placed inside.  Two colours from opposite ends of the colour wheel that work so well....

Not just decorative, Calendula (or commonly known as 'Pot Marigold') have been used traditionally as both culinary and medicinal herbs. The petals are edible and can be used fresh in salads or dried and used to colour cheese or as a replacement for saffron.  

Calendula oil is used medicinally as an anti- inflammatory and a remedy for healing wounds, claiming to have antiviral properties too.  

It is for salads that I like to grow Calendula, along with an assortment of other edible flowers such as Nasturtiums, Pansies, Borage and Violas....there is nothing like a pretty pop of colour, to brighten a large mixed bowl of leaves....we eat with our eyes after all!

A wonderful source for both growing and cooking with edible flowers, is in this beautiful book written by Kathy Brown which I came across last summer at the 'Chelsea Physic Garden'.  With over 400 gorgeous photographs, and many projects, tips and recipes, it is a wonderful source of inspiration for both gardener and cook...

Do any of you like to grow or use edible flowers?

If you have any favourites or tips, I would love to hear from you......

Roll on Spring....I can hardly wait!

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Sophia xx

A COOKERY BOOK MAGPIE....

I know I am not alone in saying that I have a little bit of a 'thing' for new cookery books.  I have a large cupboard in my kitchen full to the brim with them....surely more than enough inspiring recipes to last several life times and beyond!  Yet as soon as I hear a recommendation from a friend or from a magazine, promising new culinary inspiration, the chances are that a few clicks later with my good friend 'Amazon' and the next lovely book is on its way...who else can relate to that mild flurry of excitement when the postman arrives baring that anticipated parcel?

Cook book addiction aside, I am pleased to say that I have been genuinely inspired recently with two great new publications.  

The first of which is 'Persiana' - Recipes from the Middle East and beyond.  This fabulous book is perfect for any of you, who like me, love the flavours of the Middle East.  Modern, accessible recipes which are uncomplicated and delicious.....trust me, their 'Za'atar Cod with Relish' and 'Spice Perfumed Shoulder of Lamb' are  winners, along with flavoursome, interesting vegetarian recipes too.  The 'White Bean Salad Piyaz' and 'Harissa marinated Asparagus' were very popular in our household over the summer months.

Link: Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East & Beyond

Another cook book I have been enjoying is Madeleine Shaw's 'Get the Glow'.  There has been a wealth of new healthy cookbook releases over the last year, and I have enjoyed most of them, but Madeleine's recipes are particularly appealing.  It is a book that I go through and actually want to cook everything in there and are satisfying and delicious as well as good for you....unlike one or two other uber healthy recipes from other books I have tried, which Mr. W found a little challenging,  but am pleased to report that everything from 'Get the glow' has scored well with him!

Link: Get The Glow: Delicious and Easy Recipes That Will Nourish You from the Inside Out

Next on my cook book radar are these!  I have always enjoyed Rick Stein's TV programmes and 'Venice to Istanbul' was particularly inspiring.

Link: Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul

We all know how the huge success of 'The Great British Bake Off' seems to have got the whole country baking, and 'The Great British Bake Off Celebrations' looks naughty but very nice!

  

Link: Great British Bake Off: Celebrations: With recipes from the 2015 series

High on my Christmas wishlist is 'The Nordic Cook Book' (please note, any family reading...!) which is an impressive and beautiful compendium of the delicious nordic cooking of my Swedish mother's heritage that I love and am keen to explore more of, as well as the history and culture of ingredients, along with beautiful photography.

Link: The Nordic Cookbook

Having enjoyed all of Ottolenghi's books to date, I am eager to delve in to 'Plenty More' which has come highly recommended by chef daughter Georgie.

Link: Plenty More

Lastly, we all love the amazing Mary Berry don't we?  Aged 80 with numerous successful books to her name and of course, the success of 'The Great British Bake Off' she is still working hard, and is a true inspiration!  If anyone is going to convey confidence in her tried and trusted recipes, then it's certainly Mary, and her book 'Mary Berry Absolute Favourites' looks like the perfect edition to jazz up both family mealtimes and help with successful entertaining.

Link: Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites

If you have been inspired by any of the above,  just click on the links, and if you have any other recommendations then I would love to hear from you....although I may just have to rethink my cookery book storage situation first!

Happy cooking!

Sophia xx

LOOKING FOR THAT PERFECT GIFT...

As a girl who ideally likes to get all her Christmas shopping out of the way by the end of November, I now realise that I really need to get my skates on.  

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year, and even more so the run up to it, so the aim is to have done as much as possible in advance, so to hopefully enjoy a calm and fun filled December....at least that is the aim!

Whether looking for that perfect birthday gift during the year, or with a host of presents to buy at Christmas...Maisie K in the picturesque Kentish village of Cranbrook is a favourite destination of mine, especially for pressies for the girls on my list.

With eye catching window displays, it is always hard to resist popping in for a browse when passing....

...and even harder to leave empty handed!

Established in 2004 by talented and stylish owner Clare, Maisie K is imaginatively stocked with gorgeous home interiors, furniture, wonderful gifts and jewellery, and more recently, beautiful items of clothing.

When I popped in this week, Clare was putting the finishing touches to the fabulous Christmas displays....

Whatever your style or colour scheme this festive season...there are also stunning decorations to inspire you.

Of course, every girl also deserves a treat for themselves at this hectic time of year, and I certainly have my eye on these gorgeous fur pom pom hats which are so on trend this season...! 

 So if you want to get ahead with your Christmas shopping and find yourself near the pretty Wealden village of Cranbrook, do pop in....you will not be disappointed!  

Maisie K will also be exhibiting at the fabulous Wealden Times Midwinter Fair 19th - 21st November.....see you there!

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Happy Christmas shopping...

Sophia xx