Tradition! Tradition! Tradition!

Easter is nearly upon us and wanting to keep with our family tradition I invited my granddaughter Marisa, to join me in the baking and decorating of the Easter lamb cake.

When Jim inherited his Mother's cast iron lamb mold, our Easter tradition began.  For many years    now the lamb cake has decorated our desert table. Some years looking splendid, others perhaps a little tipsy, with an ear or two missing.

 Last year the poor thing was beheaded while Grandson Tim was slicing it to be served.   Quite a sight.  I think there even maybe a picture of that event.

For the time being our 2013 lamb is resting in the refrigerator, frosted and with both ears.

Good work Marisa thanks for all your help.

Tomorrow I will make Ina's Chocolate Cake and hope that it comes out as well as the lamb cake.

Grandma Butler's Mold

what a relief when it is released from the mold

Something is not quite right ...

Oh no Mr. Bill where is your nose..or is it your mouth that is missing?

Then...

and now
still so sweet !

don't worry nothing that can't be fixed...

A clean slice...nice work Tim

A blessed Easter to all... 

Hugs
Patti-Rose

One of my favorite pastimes...

Reading is such a joy.  A trip to Barnes and Nobel the anticipation of finding just that perfect book.  Looking  first at new fiction then the mystery section, where this week was a treasure, a new Laura Childs  tea mystery  Sweet Tea Revenge. The setting is in charming Charleston, where once again we visit with Theodosia and her friends at The Indigo Tea House catching up on all the happenings.

As you may have guessed by now reading is one of my joyful daily pastimes.

My second choice was The Plum Tree a story that follows a young woman through the chaos of World War 11 and its aftermath.  The setting is a small German village.  First novel for Ellen Marie Wiseman.

I like to have two or three new books waiting for me as I finish the one on hand, which today is The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister. It was a recommendation from the Barefoot Contessa Board. I have previously read her first two novels, Joy for Beginners and The School of Essential Ingredients the characters are slightly bent and quirky, fun reading.

Quilting another joyful pastime is enjoyed most days in one way or another (magazine, tapes or looking through quilt patterns or playing with fabric).  More about quilting in a future post.
 
 Curled up in bed with a good book, a cup of tea, and a nosh is an excellent way to end a joyful day.

Hugs
Patti-Rose

Irish-American Soda Bread

Channeling  Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa

There are three recipes which I choose from every year for my Irish Soda Bread. Two  more traditional than my Ian's.  This year Ina's Irish soda bread was the one I felt like making.  Traditionally Irish soda bread has four ingredients flour,sugar,butter and baking soda.   Ina's soda bread has her famous turned up volume, adding buttermilk and grated orange peel plus my own additions of raisins and a small amount of currents.

ready for the oven .

Ready to begin....

Looking good---Smelling good...

Nice color and  height...
a hollow sound when bottom is tapped ...

Thanks Ina, another successful recipe...
moist and tasty with just a hint of orange flavor.
Maybe its not traditional but it is delicious..

Favorite way of enjoying this bread is the next day toasted
with Kerrygold butter imported from Ireland. 

One of my favorite breads...

It's St. Patrick's Day and I am enjoying a delicious piece of Irish Soda  Bread slathered with Kerrygold Irish Butter could anything be finer.   My kitchen shelf is decorated with a few of my  favorite Irish treasures.  The house is quiet no one is up yet and I am delighting in the solitude.  Here are some pictures of my Irish treasures.

Hugs
Patti-Rose

My Irish Angel Peace and Plenty

A birthday gift from Auntie Janet on my 70th.

Himself needs no explanations...
The cup a gift from Jim and Mell  for Dad
The Celtic book a gift from my sweet Scottish friend  Priscilla

My precious Irish cottage teapot  a gift to myself.

Hope you enjoyed my sharing...

Teacup Tuesday

Good Morning...my first teacup post very exciting.  Some of my favorite collectibles tea cups, teapots, and cozies.  These cups and saucers are waiting to become part of my Easter decorations replacing my ST. Patrick decorations on the kitchen shelves.  Several of these cups are from my Bridal shower in 1963, gifts from dear friends and family so you can see this has been a lifetime of  collecting.

I will be showing you my St. Patrick decorations on Sunday.

Hugs
Patti-Rose

First Post March 3rd, 2013

Inspirational Sunday

For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.
                                       Psalm 91:11

My day started with 8:00 o'clock Mass the music was especially uplifting.  It is hard to get up on a Sunday morning when the bed is ever so enticing, but get up I did and I feel I was rewarded. 

Sunday's I like to make special from the rest of the week.  No housework except to make a supper which will be Hamburg in some form.  The rest of the day I would like to figure out a new quilt pattern that I have found in Better Homes and Garden Special Quilts and More, really several nice patterns. 

Here is a project I finished in late Dec. or early Jan. for my daughter-in-law Mell.  She had told me she wanted one for a long time.

I used Tashor Tudor fabric very pretty shades of light brown.  I lined it with house fabric also in shades of brown.  A fun project.

Well I am happy with my first blog post.

These are some of the happenings from the little blue cape on Walnut St.

Hugs Patti Rose