This was a good weekend filled with friends and family visiting, much relaxing and plenty of eating. We did have the fire roaring and baking was on the agenda with some successes such as these little apple, cinnamon and orange tarts with scrumptiously light pastry (though I do say so myself).
and some not so successful efforts such as this lemon bake which, though lovely and moist with a good citrus tang, was baked in far too large a tin and thus was as flat as you can see here. Ah well, it will serve for pudding with dollops of custard to help it along.
Dave and I were discussing sowing some sweet peas for next year - something we rarely do this early as we are not so good at looking after them through the winter - when he spotted these on the ones I haven't yet taken down.
They seem to have had a resurgence which is amazing as they did little in the way of flowering through the summer. There are plenty of buds and as they grow in a sheltered corner outside the girls' bedroom perhaps we'll get gorgeously scented sweet peas to see us through October. Perhaps a little too optimistic, but there's no harm in hoping.
Outside our one tiny Munchkin squash is ready to be eaten. I photographed it close up but actually it it tiny and will probably not give more than a mouthful of pleasure to one of us!
On the work front, it is busy. That is a mild understatement. It is very busy with people turning towards Christmas (I have no shame in saying it!). I have a new notebook in the Notonthehighstreet Christmas catalogue and judging by the summer one which I also placed a product in, it will be manic. This is the notebook - a personalised garden journal - and I have yet to upload it onto my own site, so busy has the stockpiling been.
Should anyone be interested before I get that far please let me know. It will be selling for £18.50 with postage & packing free as ever. Sorry for the businessy bit, but I am a business woman after all!
So October is here and the skies have been every colour from golden to stormy mauve to mackerel silver. Beautiful.
What did you get up to? x
Your weekend sounded wonderful Pipany. Full of food, friendship and fun! The cakes look so delicious especially the melt in the mouth tarts! The garden journal is so pretty. You must have a put a lot of hard work into making these. x
ReplyDeleteThat sounded like the perfect weekend Pipany. I love sweet peas. Your garden journal looks fabulous and I am sure whoever gets one for Christmas will be highly delighted. Here we went fishing off the pier and picked brambles from the hedgerow, so it was bramble crumble for pudding and the start of bramble whisky for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYour weekend sounds a bit like mine, except that I did not get round to actually baking which I always hope to fit in but rarely do...shame on me..but I did make two whoppers of Yorkshire puddings which were perfect. I love the notebook and can feel an order coming on I just need to think what this 'not another notebook' will be for! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely weekend and lovely food too. (That lemon cake looks like the base of Nigella's lemon-raspberry plate trifle - delicious!) I made some Nutella swirl muffins and an apple almond cake (both Hugh F-W), went to Chris's book signing and did a 10-mile run. I love the notebook too - but could I bear to part with it if I bought it as a present? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies and wonderful puddings and if your family is anything like mine they always get curied under custard or cream.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day,
Nina x
Those little tarts look lovely - would you like to share the recipe? Our sweetpeas have been very poor this year although the little plants to begin with were the healthiest I'd seen. A final flourish last week but now they have gone. The notebook is beautiful - I am just starting to think about Christmas but my eldest son announced at breakfast he was really in the Christmas mood - lets hope it lasts! Karen X
ReplyDeleteDear Pipany,
ReplyDeleteI was behind in my reading again. I've been such a zombie for the past month and a half. However, I've read all the way back and feel like a much happier person - except for - my life won't be complete until I make some gingerbread/cake. =]
Thank you for taking us along on your trips to the shore. I miss it soooooo much. I live in such a beautiful and wonderful place but there's nothing like the ocean! When I see your precious-as-pearls family, it reminds me - reminds me of the beach. I'm living vicariously.
I love seeing what crafts/arts you're up to. Thanks for sharing!
Wasn't that rain intense. We had the very same storm, here, in NE, last week! Finally, though, it cleared out and we've had some cold weather. It feels like Autumn, now!
Wishing you very well, lovely lady!
Katy xo
Pipany, what a delicious apple tart! I imagine that they disappeared very quickly.
ReplyDeleteI also love the photos of the sweet peas. Amazing that you've still got them in bloom in October.
And, it's wonderful to hear that you've got lots and lots of orders. The gardener's journal is perfect.
I spent my weekend working at the shop, but think that next weekend will bring me some days to myself. Thank you for some inspiration.
xo
Ooh I could just eat one of those delicious looking tarts, apple cinnamon and orange sounds very very tempting. Our weekend was a bit of a wash out - literally - but the week is starting well.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week.
Kate xox
Hi Pipany
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful photos, and the garden journal is delightful :-)
By coincidence, I brought a bunch of sweet peas indoors today. Ours have been the opposite to yours - they've flowered abundantly all summer and are still going strong... I've no idea why, but I'm delighted as I grew them from seed (planted the seeds on Easter Monday!). I always choose 'spencer' type sweet peas.
It's good you are busy with your business, as I'm sure lots of people will be snapping up your lovely journals, etc.
Happy days to you,
Denise x
Pipany, your photos are so pretty. And that garden journal is lovely. The embroidery is exquisite!
ReplyDelete