easter

Easter ~ hazel tree branches with glass eggs and paper chickens, cakes and tulips at Burtown House, walking along the River Barrow in the sleepy village of Graiguenamanagh with my sister, magical Huntington Castle, egg hunting and coloured bunting, home to the garden and weeding and planting. 

Spring ~ a time for growth, not always easy because sometimes growth means moving away from what you knew before and going in a different direction where perhaps the way ahead is less clear, and possibly even difficult, but somehow better for you. Have the courage to grow, even when it's hard.

easter

Easter - the clocks have changed, and although today we had sunshine and hailstones it feels very Spring-y! I made a Simnel cake for the first time (including marzipan!) and it's nearly all gone. And on the table a corkscrew hazel branch from the garden has been decorated with delicate glass egg-shaped decorations and paper chickens...and of course there are chocolate eggs too...

easter

Easter morning. Of course there has been (modest) chocolate consumption. There were even hot cross buns and crumpets for breakfast. Now the back door has been flung open, the boys are playing in the garden and Kevin is finishing some dry stone walling, the thrush that haunts the elder tree providing a running commentary throughout. The rain has finally tired itself out and we are left with overcast skies and warm, welcome Spring air. Inside on the table sits willow branches tied with garden string, their furry buds decorated with paper and felt chicks and rabbits. Later we'll eat roast lamb and perhaps do a bit of visiting to family. All in all a gentle Easter.

busy planning

image from pinterest

Now that we have a little time thanks to school holidays, added to the fact that it's raining (again) I've been thinking of things to do that'll keep little hands (and big hands) busy. I'm planning on making a Spring tree to hang with decorations ~ there is some willow in bud up the lane that I think will look very pretty in branches on the dining room table. There's also:

delicious primrose decorated easter cake from Circle of Pine Trees

really cute easter decorations from Seeds and Stitches

oh my goodness, this gorgeous bird's nest from 5ftinf

this popcorn recipe from Green Kitchen Stories ~ I think the boys would love it!

eggs benedict from Manger

rain stops play II

And so the Easter holidays begin! The day started with rain loud enough to wake us from sleep and although the morning and the early part of the afternoon were rain free, it started again not long after lunch and so they came in from the garden and settled in front of the stove and played Monopoly. Thank goodness for board games....although I hope the weather will be kind enough over the holidays that we won't need them too much.

holidays

It's a slow but steady dance, waiting for Spring. Two steps forward, three steps back. Daylight is stretching, the mornings have been amazing ~ all blue skies and high clouds and the longer evenings are fantastic for the boys playing outdoors. But sometimes it all goes dark and there'll be a massive hail shower or rainfall and it'll feel like November again. We are on the cusp of Easter holidays. Mide is especially keen to be off school and this morning he did a little dance, singing that there were only two and a half days til holidays. We will have two lovely weeks of slow mornings (no lunchboxes!), catching up with family, Easter egg hunting and hopefully going to the seaside for some blustery walks. So yes, I'm with Mide on this one... only two and a half days til holidays...yippeee!!

...out like a lamb

On this, the last day of March, some Amaryllis. A thoughtful Christmas gift, the bulb was planted in the depths of winter when it was dark with endless damp grey skies and now look- such trumpeting beauty and colour! We are enjoying a day of warmth-the sun has broken through the clouds, there's washing flapping in the early evening sun, the boys are charging round the garden in muddy wellies and the dogs are rampaging through the daffodils. It's spring and the sap is rising!

This coming month I would love to

• bake this simnel cake 
• do some Easter based art activities with the boys
• make this amazing looking floral wreath
• go to Fortnum and Mason's Stationery Room for this
• read Jane Austin's Emma 

what's on your wish list for April?

recipe :: Leek and Gruyère Frittata

Easter Egg Hunt: 

Spot the odd one out

(no prizes, just the satisfaction of knowing you really are quite bright)

Yesterday we had a delivery of fresh speckled eggs from my brother-in-law's chickens (thanks Anthony!). It's good to know that we are edging ever closer to Spring now that the chickens are laying again. And we've gained that valuable extra hour. Now all we need is some warm sunshine to start warming up the garden...

If you have a surfeit of eggs why not try a frittata?

Leek and Gruyère Frittata 

20g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced

coarse sea salt and pepper

6 organic eggs

125ml milk

75g Gruyère cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190C/ gas mark 5. Heat the butter and oil over a medium heat in a 25cm cast iron frying pan. Sauté the leeks until golden and soft and season them well. In a bowl beat the eggs and milk and pour over the cooked leeks. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and let it cook on a medium heat for a good 5-7 minutes until the edges are set but the middle is still runny. Then put into the oven for another 8 minutes or until the middle is set through.

egged on

We're just back in from a very chilly Easter egg-travaganza at the local Scouts Den. It was truly egg-cellent. Egg-cept for the freezing cold. But I suppose that's to be egg-spected at this time of year. The boys egg-celled themselves. Hugo egg-citedly joined in the egg and spoon and William won first place in his group's 'Best Decorated Egg' competition...he was egg-static!

 I am loving Mide's egg (in the middle) - it just has the perfect gin and tonic overload egg-pression! Okay enough of that. Happy Easter to one and all!