GRANDMA DAILY

How life can change

2025-02-15T15:35:00.003+00:00

It is only when it happens that you realise one of the biggest upheavals of your life often takes place in old age.

You are accustomed to life with a partner ,familiar friends and activities, your home and shared responsibilities. Following a heart attack and fall when my husband was taken to hospital never to return home .After the funeral and giving me support family and friends returned home to their own lives .Whenever I went out I was returning to an empty house. There was no one at home and the one person I wanted to see was never going to be there again.

I was becoming increasingly anxious in a large house with steep stairs, repairs that needed doing that I could not afford and spending several days in a row where I would not speak to anyone.

There was only one way out of this, sell up, downsize and find somewhere to live with support and companionship. This was a long hard process.

A Coronation Cake

2023-04-17T16:31:00.001+01:00

Making A Coronation Cake

I am making a large cake for a community event to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles 111.

I have started with a crown made from sugar paste (not fondant) to decorate the cake . This will dry and harden for 3 weeks and I shall make the 9 inch and 6 inch cakes just before they are needed. I find that Betty Crocker mixes made with melted butter works well when large quantities are needed for catering for a lot of people.

I have based the cake design on one by lucyssugarshack which can be found at

http://hobbycraft.co.uk

Needlefelted Easter

2023-03-31T16:33:00.063+01:00

Needlefelting for Easter

I have been looking for a new craft to try, I have not felt like returning to the drawing and painting that I did before Covid . I have found a new creative textile craft ,needle felting. Here are some of the eggs and Easter themed things I have made. It is easy to store the materials and calming to handle the lovely wools that I have bought. I sell my results to raise funds for charities supported by a local church. They also make pretty gifts for family and friends.

Eggs to hang on a tree

Chickens

Colourful Hens

How to Needle Felt

See my book reviews on the subject at

www.jan-arts.com where instructions on how to needle felt are given.

Ordinary People(2)

2021-05-19T14:59:00.001+01:00

Return to England

The 1901 census finds Mary Elizabeth Green and her six children in Northampton, England. They were living in a Victorian house built like many others to house the workers in the recently established surrounding clothing and shoe factories .The industrial revolution came late to Northampton ,previously most work was done at home but the invention of the Singer Sewing Machine changed the speed and ease with which boots and shoes could be stitched. Mary named the house Parammatta ,a suburb of Sydney in memory of the time they spent in Australia.

From this house Jimmy worked as a tailor, Mary as a forewoman in a shirt factory Henrietta as a shirt cutter, and Aggie as clerk in the shirt factory. Their father had trained them well and their skills enabled them to find work and flourish. In 1902 the factory girls sent Mary a letter of appreciation .

The Green children grew up remaining a close knit family .Aggie, Jimmy and William and Henrietta (my grandmother) married and had their own children. This is them enjoying a picnic in the long hot summer of 1913 with their spouses unaware that the storm clouds were gathering before a war that was to change many lives.

The pasted in picture is probably of Julia. The old lady is Aunt Sarah, sister of the late James Green. Henrietta is not in this photo, she has problems of her own to deal with, more of this later.

About 1906 Mary bought a a corner shop which gave her an source of income and she could leave the job in the shirt factory. She was a thrifty, hardworking woman who gave support to her family and friends .Her housekeeping was legendary and the last batch of bread that she baked was consumed at her own funeral in 1944.

I can just remember her in long skirts and a large white apron when I went to tea with her on Thursday afternoons.

This family history will now continue through the life of Henrietta (Etty) Green .

Ordinary People (1)

2021-05-19T12:33:00.028+01:00

I am going to continue this blog with my family history. This is about ordinary people, their successes failures loves and losses.

A Colonial Adventure

England to Australia 1885

In 1885 my great grandparents James Green and his wife Elizabeth were living in Coventry and working as a tailors. They had three children Jimmy, Aggie and Henrietta .Life was hard, the industrial boom of the early Victorian years was over ,loss of respectability and the work house constant threats. Encouraged by the highly coloured statements of emigration touts they were induced with assisted passages to try their luck down under in Australia.

Mary Elizabeth had her photograph taken before they left .This costume showed off their tailoring skills supported by a painfully tight corset underneath.

After a long sea voyage they arrived in Newcastle, Australia, New South Wales eventually settling down in Adamstown. They set up a tailor's store , making working clothes for other immigrants. They had four more children ,Willie, Kitty ,Nellie and Julia .The children learned to cut fabric and sew. They went to a local school, Henrietta was a bright little girl , her photo was taken as the only girl to win a prize.

After ten years of everyone working hard , they made enough money for a visit home to England in 1894 .But tragedy struck when their youngest child, Julia, became ill and died suddenly .Shocked by this loss they buried little Julia in London Road Cemetery in Coventry and returned to Australia to carry on.

On their return they were photographed outside their shop.

James Green, Jimmy, Henrietta and Aggie, Mary Elizabeth, Willie , Kittie and Nellie above.

At some point James joined a Friendly Society. This was a wide decision for on 29th June 1898 he died in Camperdown Hospital from exhaustion and pneumonia aged forty one.

The Friendly Society

It is likely that the Society helped Mary to sell the business pay for the long voyage back home to England accompanied by her six children and with James' body on board The Augusta . They could only afford the cheapest berths near the boilers where they were constantly covered in smoke and soot. On arrival home James body was interred in the same grave as Julia. Their colonial adventure was over .Mary's priority was to find her family employment and avoid the workhouse.

Cambridge City Hazards

2020-10-14T15:46:00.006+01:00

Every area in the UK has now been put into a category telling the inhabitants what they should do to avoid spreading Covid19.The problem is that only Liverpool seems to have received precise instructions and everywhere else is waiting until they receive further information. We are clueless in Cambridge.

It is disturbing to learn that expert scientific advice was given to the government to take much sterner methods on 21st September .Once again Boris Johnson is behind the curve .He might decide to order a major lockdown from 24th October. What a mess this man is. He appeared on TV with his peroxide bleached hair visibly dropping out of his skull looking as one journalist noted "as if he has had a fight with a cat"

We have had three holidays cancelled ,the few days in Aldeburgh we have booked in early November look as if they might be cancelled now.

We went into Cambridge city early this morning to get an influenza jab followed by a coffee and delicious pain au raisin in Patisserie Valerie to help me recover.

The University students are back and in my view represent an immediate threat to the citizens. Wandering about in large groups, not wearing masks they think nothing of shoving old ladies like me in to the gutter to avoid stepping aside. Some use the city streets as their personal running track, breathing heavily and puffing all over other pavement users. There are plenty of parks and open spaces available to them in this city.

There are other sources of infection too, the Big Issue sellers shouting at passers by, no masks again Outside supermarkets are carefully placed aggressive beggars, no distancing and no masks .Doorways of empty shops are full of rough sleepers with mounds of filthy bedding , stinking of urine and accompanied by flea infested dogs. A few minutes observation will soon inform you that many of these people are actually drug dealers and addicts.

The authorities do nothing to clean up and deal any of these issues.

Poppy Brooch Kit

The poppy brooch crochet kit has arrived, so has the instruction book I sent for from Amazon, it is incomprehensible resembling instructions for constructing nautical knots. By the far the best instructions can be found on YouTube.

What Next?

2020-10-11T15:32:00.004+01:00

This morning I got up in good time to go to church ,we can have real services again at last, no singing allowed but we have an excellent organist who plays an extended piece at the end of the service so we can enjoy the pleasure of live music.

Although we have to wear masks and sit spaced apart it is good to take part in a real activity with real people instead of the suspended reality of doing everything on a screen.

I am dreading tomorrow in case the ghastly Boris Johnson orders old people like me and my husband into the open prison system known as sheltering.

In anticipation of this I have sent for a book on crochet with the intention of making some poppies to wear 11 November, Remembrance Day. A company called Deramores is selling patterns and make a contribution to The British Legion from the sales. I went to Hobby Craft yesterday and stocked up on sewing materials. Something to do when there is no gardening to be done and too much baking makes me fat.

I have not done any crochet for years .I remember my grandmother crocheting shawls for every baby that came along .As her eyesight became worse with increasing age the crochet stitches got bigger and bigger, by the time she was ninety years old the holes in the shawl were almost as big as the baby.

I shall also have a look on Youtube, there are instructions on there on how to do just about anything

This is the link for poppy crochet pattern:

www.deramores.com

If you want to raise money for the British Legion and are in touch with people you can sell things to they have all sorts of ideas and fund raising packs you can send for.

This is their link. It takes a minute or two to connect.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk

When I have had enough of everything my default position is in front of the television. My favourite programme just now is White Teeth ,adapted from the book by Zadie Smith, currently on Netflix. Hilarious.

This should make Grandmas smile: Tap Your Troubles Away - John Wilson on Broadway

2020-10-10T17:30:00.004+01:00

Covid19 October 2020, Seven Months On

2020-10-09T17:08:00.004+01:00

I have returned to this blog after starting it seven months ago.

I almost certainly had the virus back in March, caught in a local shop when an assistant coughed all over me. This was before wearing masks became mandatory. The cough was terrible and my lungs sounded like they were full of popping candy. After feeling ill for four days my doctor prescribed anti- biotics and wished me luck. I felt very ill on day five and even packed a bag in case of hospital admission. I have never done that before .

After a sleepless night I started to feel a bit better and the fever broke.

I gradually improved but the cough hung around for several weeks.

This is a serious illness and I can see why it is a killer of the vulnerable and those with health issues.

Do not fool around with it if you are elderly.

All you are being asked to do is stay at home at look after yourself.

If you have a pension and a comfortable home consider yourself lucky .It looks as if many of us in the UK are going to have more lockdown restrictions on Monday.

It is hard, I have not seen my son since last January and have seen my grandchildren and daughter only once since March.

Our planned holiday in Tenerife has been cancelled three times. We are not going to attempt travel overseas until there is a vaccine.

I do not want to find myself sitting next to a silly old fool like Stanley Johnson without a mask on a small aircraft for four hours.

I have given up painting and drawing , the thought of art works piling up with nowhere to exhibit them or sell them is too depressing.

I have bought several new recipe books that accompany TV series,

baking is soothing and at the end of of you have a treat to eat

Today that is going to be a Tea Loaf from Mary Berry's Comfort Food recipe book.

It should be served sliced thickly and spread with lots of butter. In my case it will be a low fat spread.

Surviving The Corona Virus At Home 2

2020-03-14T18:05:00.001+00:00

Saturday 14th March 2020

The Genie is Out of the Bottle

We are not in total lock down yet in the UK but numerous places around the world are.Many elderly friends, like me are avoiding crowded public spaces.We have been discussing what we are all going to do at home all day and avoid dying of boredom or go mad watching endless daytime TV with increasingly pessimistic news bulletins .
This is the time to explore the attics of your mind,revisit some of the things your have enjoyed doing in the past, set some new challenges,turn your attention to some of the things you have put off doing.

Don't go on a cruise.

1. Getting your affairs in order.

You may want to check your will with your solicitor and make sure that you leave your stuff to whom you want to leave it to.
Leaving instructions about how you want your funeral conducted in the way you want it could be done too.
Arranging for care of your pets in case you are temporarily too unwell to do it yourself may lessen anxiety.

I am not going this far at the moment but I am going to tidy my house. I do not want others to see the state of my knicker drawer.

2.Reading.

This is the time to reread those lengthy volumes you struggled with the first time around.I have been given an app called Audible as a gift.This means that I can choose books available as narrations by well known actors, it is very restful to be read to.The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens is my choice at the moment.I have just ordered Hilary Mantel's latest volume in the Woolf Hall series.

I shall not bother with Moby Dick.

The Seige by Helen Dunmore is a good survival novel about how the citizens of Stalingrad survived when the Nazis tried to starve them out from 1941 -1944 with the focus on one family.

Monday 16th March2020

3. Getting Outside

I cannot believe that we shall not be allowed outside if we are reasonably fit and virus free.The days are getting longer and getting up early when then are not many people around would be a good time to walk dogs,go for a run or stroll in the fresh air.Some shops, notably Iceland are going to open up early ,about 8a.m. and have a shopping hour exclusively for the elderly when shelves have been freshly replenished and not ravaged by greedier members of society.
Other stores may follow their example.

Gardening can soon begin in earnest.I have a tiny city back yard patio , everything has to be grown in pots .Last year I managed to grow herbs, tomatoes, salad greens,and runner beans all from seed using a plastic mini greenhouse to start them off.
This year I shall grow more vegetables, flowers can wait , a back yard supply of fresh veg will save shopping and may be a life saver if supplies in shops get harder to find.If you can't get to a garden centre many supplies for home growing are available online and can be delivered to your door.Time spent outside in the sunshine improve your mood and general health.

Consider having an Amazon Prime Account .Free deliveries of goods and access to Prime Film Services and Music have been worthwhile for me.

4.Watching TV

This will be a way many of us will pass the time.Because I was confined to the house for long periods following knee surgery I stumped up for Netflix and Sky.I have found the variety of programmes offered very enjoyable.
Look out for old films on Free to Air .Those old black and white movies like The Cruel Sea and Rebecca are great to watch.I know we must keep up to date and be aware but continuous news about COVID19 can get depressing and alarming.

Staying In Touch

If you are reading this you are probably computer savvy. Set up Skype or Zoom so that you can talk to friends and family.
The thought of not seeing my children and grandchildren for months fills me with despair. An electronic conversation is better than none.

Staying At Home, Corona Virus Survival for Oldies.

2020-03-12T16:45:00.002+00:00

12th March 2020

Get Over it or Die Quietly?

Any day now old Grannies like me are going to be told to stay at home ,keep out of the way and either get yourself well or die quietly.I have given a lot of thought to the getting over it option and I am going for that.Just in case we die I am making sure that I have next of kin, doctor and lawyer telephone numbers in a handy place for my nearest and dearest.

What about sensible stocking up without panic so that we can stay at home without going out for a couple of weeks?

First, establish an account with a supermarket company that delivers.I have been using Tesco for two years ,they were brilliant when I was recovering at home from knee surgery and offer a huge range of products.It is easier for older people to have this service and not struggle round shops putting themselves at risk of catching the virus from other shoppers.It also avoids public transport which is full of coughing passengers and snot encrusted kids. Sainsbury, Asda, Ocado and Waitrose are other companies who will deliver to you from an online order.

They can leave the goods you have ordered by the front door, that way you can have access to fresh food if you become ill.

What to stock up with?

Many people have bought mountains of toilet rolls.I am not sure why.

Think about what foods may run short.

As many people become ill they will not be able to do their jobs.

Bakers may not bake, dairymen may not milk the cows, fruit and veg pickers may not collect from the fields,truck drivers may not be able to deliver to the supermarkets.

Will suppliers of electricity and gas,water and sewage be able to continue as normal? I have no idea.

Food I have bought in moderate quantities

home bread making kits

strong flour and yeast

long life milk

coffee mate

tea

coffee

soft drinks

breakfast cereals

cans of fruit and vegetables

dried fruit

biscuits

canned meat and pie fillings

fray bentos pies

ready meals for the freezer in case I am not well enough to cook from scratch

cheese

rice

pasta

I have a small hydroponic unit in the kitchen for growing fresh salad
pet food

Cleaning materials especially those that kill viruses (Dettol products are good on this).

Enough laundry products to last for about a month including laundry disinfectant.

What medication to buy is a worry. I have no medical qualifications so this is not advice,just a list of what I have bought.

Paracetamol, throat pastilles and some Olbas oil to use in an inhaler cup.Although I have also tried to make sure I have a supply of my regular prescription medication my Doctor's surgery has just gone into lockdown, repeat prescriptions available today

Personal Care

A stock of items for personal care must ideally include hand sanitizing gel and hand wash.Bath and shower gel
toothpaste and oral care
shampoo and other preferred hair care products

Now I am going to have a nice cup of tea

Books for Summer Holiday Reading

2019-06-12T17:28:00.004+01:00

It has poured with rain all week and the weather forcast predicts no improvement as far as I can see. I have loaded up my kindle with some good books and am so pleased that I signed up for Amazon Prime. This means that in addition to getting most stuff delivered the day after I ordered it I have also got a huge range of films and TV serials to watch any time I like.

Time to treat yourself :

I have owned a Kindle for several years and regard it as an essential item.I now have dozens of books on it which means that I always have something to read no matter where I am since it is so light and easy to take in a hand bag.Many books like the Bible are free .I can also read the books that I have bought on my mobile phone and enjoy audio versions.




                                                          Audible Gift Memberships

Books that I have bought recently
   If you liked The Hand Maid's Tale then you may enjoy this. A story set in the near future where women are only allowed to speak a limited number of works a day .They may not work.The leader of this society suddenly finds that he need the skills of a brain specialist , a woman whom he has to release from the confines of her word counter.How she manages to outwit him and secure a better future for her family made a book I could not put down.

      A story set in 1930s Burma about a young woman who takes a job as a singer in a luxury hotel.Aware that her parents lived there many years earlier she decides to unravel the mystery of an older sister who went missing as a baby.Befriended by a set of rich, smart people she finds it difficult to know who to trust. Rangoon is on the brink of becoming involved in the war.Flash backs relating to her mother add to the mystery.An excellent read for your vacation.

A heart rending story about two young people who fall in love while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.They desperately find ways to see each other and stay together while trying to stay alive.There are many books about Nazi imprisonment but this is one that I shall remember .

Mini Greenhouse for My City Back Yard Container Garden

2019-05-04T18:26:00.004+01:00

This year I have bought a mini-greenhouse.I am so pleased that I have it .The weather has turned frosty with a bitter,cold wind from the north. The small sized summer bedding plants and tomato plants that I bought from the garden centre last week would never have survived but they are warm and well protected in my mini green house.They will stay there until late May when the danger of frost has past.

Mini Greenhouse in my Back Yard

The salad leaf seeds that I sowed 4 weeks ago are doing well and are ready to cut and eat.I have also planted some hyacinth beans in small pots. These will grow very tall grown up bamboo poles and have magnificent purple flowers followed by edible beans.

Lobelia,tomatoes and geraniums under cover until late May

Salad leaves ready to cut and eat

None of this would be possible without my little sentry box green house.
It was easy to construct and is made of tough plastic externally. The front opening can be zipped up for full warmth and opened on warmer days to help harden off the plants inside.

Hyacinth Beans

Click on this link to purchase this mini greenhouse:

Plants for My City Back Yard Container Garden

2019-04-25T17:50:00.000+01:00

Once the hard structure of your garden has been sorted out it is time to start the real gardening , choosing plants. You will need some tall plants for height and screening.Bamboo and small trees like bay are hardy.
Shrubs come next in height, include some evergreens like holly.Lavender smells lovely, hydrangeas are tough.Roses can do well in pots,especially patio roses. Smaller plants nearer to ground level may be bulbs for the spring and bedding plants like geraniums, trailing lobelia and Busy Lizzie for colour in the summer.

Do not be intimidated by complicated designs in fancy gardening books.
The great thing about a container garden is that you can move stuff around like furniture in your house until you get a pleasing arrangement .

A small back yard is much more economical to fill than a large garden, if there is anything you do not like get rid of it.Summer bedding can be thrown away and composted once autumn comes and it dies away. That is the time to plant some bulbs for the spring.

Go to a well stocked garden centre where everything is on display and you can see what you are getting.

Height and Screening

Bamboo,and bay are hardy in a temperate climate,smaller containers can be used for plants at lower levels .


Variety in shapes and heights of shrubs

Flowers and Shrubs at Mid-level

Plant these in the spring for summer colour.

Roses for colour and perfume

Asian Lilies for stunning colour.

    These can stay in their pots all year.

Low level plants

Pots of herbs like thyme are useful.Small bulbs suchas crocus and tete-a-tete mini daffodils in the spring

Summer Annuals

As their name suggests these plants will last for one season only .Buy them in late spring and do not plant them until all danger of frost has passed.Pale colours and white look cool in hot weather.Petunias,perlargoniums,and trailing lobelia are showy .When they die in the autumn remove them ready to pnat bulbs for the spring



Summer Annuals

Plant bulbs in the autumn for a lovely show in the spring

Winter
In the winter the garden can rest awhile, as long as you have planted some evergreens you will still have your personal spot of heaven outside .Your garden can be made festive for Christmas with one or two small Christmas trees. They keep well outside .Brighten them up with some outdoor lights.

You could also ask for this lovely set of tools for Christmas .I gave a set to a friend who was delighted with them especially the way they fit into a bag to carry round the garden and for easy storage.

Planning My City Back Yard Container Garden

2019-04-23T17:29:00.002+01:00

Starting Out

My back yard is in the heart of Cambridge UK,a busy University City with a crowded residential population.Many residents have built extensions to small Victorian houses like mine which has meant cutting down on garden space .In my tiny back yard I have had to adapt to gardening in miniature,work out what will grow in a climate than goes from -8 in winter to +32 in summer and how to grow in containers because there is no access to soil.

Why Bother?

There are three good reasons to bother with your back yard

Create an extra outdoor room ,an oasis of calm.
Enjoy a pleasant aspect from your home.
Be productive.It is fun to grow a few fresh herbs and salads.

Adapting Your Space

I have had to make some adaptations to get the best out of my tiny space and keep maintenance to a minimum. The major considerations have been what base is best,watering in dry weather,containers and what to fill them with.This year I have acquired a tiny green house to up my game a bit.

When we first moved into the house the yard was covered with decking and gravel. It needed constant cleaning and a rat took it over for nest building.The gravel stuck in out shoes and trod into the house.It all had to go.We invested in a company to lay good quality paving stones .They are easy to clean, provide a firm, neutral coloured foundation for containers and garden seats, look tidy and are in keeping with the house.Walls painted white reflect light.

Paving Stones

Containers

Large and small pots with dishes underneath to retain water.

My back yard has no access to soil , every thing must be grown in containers with compost.Some of them must be large enough for smalltrees and contain enough compost to support them for several years. I found that I would get given containers as gifts once friends and relatives knew of my interest in my little garden.Some I inherited and well cleaned containers used for other things can be put to use.. Look in builders' skips when renovation work is being done.
The brilliant thing about containers is that you can move them around so if you do not like your first plan then you can change it in minutes.

Seating

Keep seating simple and sturdy.You want to be able to take your coffee or a glass of wine outside when the sun comes out and you have a minute while dinner is cooking.Dragging furniture in and out of the house or garage is a pain,a small sturdy table can also be used as a work surface.I like old fashioned wrought iron.It does not blow over in the wind and hardly ever needs cleaning.Pads on the seats will give extra comfort.Use plastic glasses outside ,it avoids broken glass if you knock one over.

Wrought Iron table and Chairs

Water
Regular watering especially in the warmer summer months .You can fill can from the house supply but an outside tap and hose are much easier.If the weather turns very hot and sunny you may have to water twice a day.This is pleasant and cooling for the gardener too. A blackbird joins in regularly and takes a shower.

Outside tap and hose.

Greenhouse

This year I have added a tiny green house.I want to grow some salads and a few tomatoes.It was very cheap and I now have plenty of stuff growing well and protected from late frosts that could damage it.I bought some seeds, tomato plants and plastic trays and some peat pots to use inside it.
This is an extra and not essential to a back yard.

Mini Greenhouse for back yards and balconies.

What to Grow

Do not get too hung up about complicated designs in glossy gardening books.Go to a well stocked garden centre and see the plants on offer.Choose some shrubs that will stay green all year round.Bamboo, holly ,winter jasmine and bay do this and will provide structure and background to other plants.
Vary the plants seasonally.Bulbs like daffodils in the spring,hydrangeas, geraniums, lobelia,and patio roses in the summer.Buy summer bedding plants ready grown from a garden centre or store and plant them in late May when danger of frosts has passed.
Some things can be grown from seeds.Nasturtions and sunflowers give value for money.Herbs can be sown in separate pots and will enhance your cooking and salads.Just follow the instructions on the packets.Keep and use the labels provided.

Seeds from the Garden Centre

Some Essentials

A few hand tools and some compost suitable for use in pots will be needed.A trowel and fork for planting,secateurs for pruning,watering can and a stiff broom for cleaning the paving stones will do to start with.Garden centres have these all year .It is very convenient to buy them online and have then delivered. Bags of compost and large pots are heavy.

Easter Cake Recipe

2019-04-08T11:42:00.001+01:00

I have just made these mini-cakes to sell at a Church Bake Sale.They were very popular and sold out fast.Some people remarked they liked them better than the in your face Easter Eggs that are being pushed at a us at the moment especially for adults.I use small cake tins and 6 inch silver boards and finish the tops with mini- easter eggs , a little chicken and some yellow ribbon.Gingham ribbon also looks nice.The cake is slighty spicy and has a delicious centre of marzipan.

This recipe makes 3 mini round cakes and 1 in a 1lb loaf tin.I line the tins with ready cut liners and a drop of Cake Release.

For the Cake
100g ( 4 oz) red glace cherries
225g (8oz ) butter
225g (8 oz) golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
275g(14oz) mixed dried fruit(sultanas,currants, citrus peel)
grated rind 2 lemons
2 level teaspoons mixed spice

For the filling and topping

2 packets of bought golden marzipan (500g/1lb) x 2
3 tablespoons apricot jam
beaten egg to glaze
mini easter eggs

Method

1.Pre- heat oven to 150fan/130C/Gas 2
2.Line the cake tins
3.Divide one block of the marzipan into 4 and roll out to the same size as the cake tins
4.Cut the cherries into quarters, rinse under a hot tap then dry on kitchen paper.
5. Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat until well mixed.
6.Put half the mixture into the tins
7.Place the rolled out marzipan on top of the mixture.Then put the rest of the cake mixture on top of the marzipan.
8.Bake in the oven until well risen and golden brown. about 1 to 1 and a half hours.
9. Cool on a wire rack and leave in the tin for 15 minutes before gently turning out. Run a sharp knife around the inside edge if the cake seems to be sticking.Remove the baking parchment
10.When the cake is cold brush the top with the warmed apricot jam.Roll out the other block of marzipan to fits the tops of the cakes--do this on a little caster sugar.Fit the marzipan on top of the cakes and crimp the edges.
Brush the marzipan topping with beaten egg .brown the top either under a hot grill or use a chef's blow torch.
Decorate with the mini eggs , ribbon , fluffy chickens.The eggs can be stuck down with little icing sugar paste or edible glue as used by cake decorators.

This recipe will also fill a 20cm (8 inch) cake tin if you want one large cake.Bake this size for 2 a half hours.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Housewives' Choice

2019-03-27T17:22:00.000+00:00

If you remember this tune then you will probably remember WW2 ,Suez and The Three day week You know about emergencies.Check my Brexit Planning List

Hard Brexit Shopping List

2019-03-24T17:31:00.003+00:00

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Hard Brexit Shopping List

As someone who remembers what emergencies are really like , WW2 ,Suez and the 3 Day week , I am beginning to make a few adjustments to my shopping list as a Hard Brexit looms.I am just examining where my usual household products come from and buying a few more of things I do not want to be without. A lot are made in Europe.

The supermarkets will already have built up large stocks of non- perishables like pasta and canned food.It is perishable goods like salad ingredients and fruit from the Mediterranean that is likely to run short, this stuff cannot survive hours waiting around in the ports or delivery trucks waiting for inspections and forms to be filled in.In case this happens this I have ordered a mini greenhouse so I can grow salad leaves and a few strawberries

Paper based products coming from Scandinavia could be a problem .

I shall make sure I get my repeat prescription to the pharmacy in good time.

So here goes with a basic list for people like me who do not have a huge amount of storage space or unlimited funds to go on a spending spree.

Toilet Paper and Kitchen Roll

Tissues
Laundry pods
Dishwasher tablets
Bottled Water
Water purifying tablets
Wind up radio and torch in case of power cuts
Tea, Coffee
Olive oil
Frozen and canned fruit
Mini greenhouse
Seeds for mixed salads

Click on the products below to see how to get them delivered to your door from Amazon

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Knee Replacement Surgery,What You Will Need at Home

2019-03-12T16:24:00.000+00:00

One Year After Knee Replacement Surgery

It is exactly a year since I had total knee replacement surgery.I am still using some of the home aids that I bought from Amazon, I had to buy online , I did not realise how much support I would need until I was in a hospital bed.I wish I had known before I had the operation that I would be in a lot of pain and would need home aids to facilitate using the shower and toilet,sitting comfortably,getting in and out of bed and getting up and down stairs.

Before You have The Surgery

Get several pairs of wide leg jogger bottoms.You will have a hefty bandage to start with and your knee will be swollen.Tight jeans or pants will not do.If it is winter have warm fabric.Sturdy shoes are imperative
Consider an extra rail if you have stairs, Something to hang onto will give you more confidence.
Grab handles in the shower are a must.If you do not want the expense of disturbing tiles aand plumbing get instant suction grabs.
A seat to go in the shower cubicle adds to your comfort
Standing up after using the toilet is suprisingly difficult and will be helped by purpose made aids

A couple of frames are handy.Upstairs for help with dressing,downstairs if you want to do a few things standing in the kitchen.

Get all this set up before you have the surgery .Organize a food delivery system.You will not be able to drive, it was 4 months before I could drive safely so ask someone to drive you around or open an account with a taxi company to take you physiotherapy for example.

I bought and used all three of these products and found them all sturdy aand useful.It may soon be time to have my other knee replaced so I am glad that I have kept all of my aids.
I took major action over my bathroom.I realised that I could not climb into the big old fashioned bath or climb out of it unaided. I have now got a large walk in shower with a built in seat.
Sometimes we just have to accept that we are growing older and some adaptations to are homes are necessary.

If you are about to have this surgery good luck and get organized.

STALE BREAD RECIPES

2019-03-08T16:06:00.002+00:00

We throw away more bread than any other left over food
Here are a couple of recipes from my mother's waste not want not style cookery books for you to try before you throw the remains of that loaf away.

Cheese Pudding

4-6 slices stale white bread (100g,4oz)
25g (1oz) melted butter
2 eggs,beaten
300ml (half pint) milk
salt and pepper
100g mature hard cheese (grated)

Method

Cut the bread into cubes and place in a 900ml (One and onehalf pint)ovenproof greased dish with the butter.Mix the eggs and milk, season well,and pour over the bread mixture.Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake in the oven at 190C ,375F.Gas mark5 for about 30 minutes until golden and well risen.
Serve at once.

Good for a light lunch or supper.

Osborne Pudding

4 slices of thin bread and butter (brown is good)
1 level tablespoon of caster sugar
400ml milk (3/4 pint)
2 large eggs
orange marmalade

Spread the bread and butter slices with marmalade and then cut into strips.Arrange marmalade side up in a greased ovenproof dish.
Heat the milk but do not boil it.Whisk the eggs lightly with the sugar in a basin and pour the warm milk onto them stirring all the time.
Strain the egg mixture over the bread and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
Bake in the oven 180C,350F.Gas mark4 for 30-40 minutes until set and lightly browned.

Lovely with some pouring cream or vanilla icecream.

I prefer the crusts left on the bread for a crispy finish.

Hard Brexit Recipes

2019-02-07T17:27:00.002+00:00

Salad Vegetables

The foods most likely to be affected by a No Deal Brexit are the out of season salad ingredients like lettuce and tomatoes and cucumber during the winter months until home grown produce comes into season.Soft fruits like raspberries may be very expensive but at least it is possible to stock up with frozen fruit whereas salad ingredients cannot be frozen and perish quickly.

I have some winter salad recipes using ingredients that are produced in the UK, the kind my mother used in the 1950s, which are not as easy to throw together as the bags of pre-prepared salad leaves that we are used to but are a good standby , they are also economical.

Winter Salad

Half a small white cabbage

2 medium sized carrots

I small cooked beetroot

2-3 sticks celery

50g sultanas or raisins

mayonnaise (or Heinz salad cream for a retro flavour)

1.Prepare and wash the salad ingredients and the sultanas

2.Using a sharp knife or food processor shred the cabbage.

3.Grate the carrot finely ,cut the beetroot and celery up into 1 cm pieces.keep the beetrot seperate from the other ingredients or it will stain them.

4.Put the shredded cabbage on a flat dish and arrange the other ingredients very neatly in rows on top.

5. Serve the mayonnaise separately

Celery and Apple Salad

1 heart of celery

2 thin slices of onion

3 crisp eating apples

juice of 1 lemon or french dressing made with lemon juice

salt and pepper

1.Wash the celery, cut into 1 cm cubes and put into a bowl

2.Chop the onion finely and add to the salad

3.Peel ,quarter and core the apples,cut into 1 cm cubes and add to the other ingredients.

4.Add the lemon juice and seasoning and gently mix thoroughly.

Serve in a glass bowl to accompany cold meats

Tidying Up and De-cluttering

2019-02-05T16:30:00.002+00:00

What do you really want to get rid of and why?

This is your stuff. You may love it even if others do not. Do not be pushed into getting rid of things you would prefer to keep.

Clothes

If you cannot close your wardrobe door and drawers this is time to say 'goodbye' to those ancient garments that you never wear because you are too fat and they are past it.

Throw away anything that has holes in or smells.

Better,clean stuff can go into those bags that charities put through your letter box or take them directly to a charity store.

Food

Stale biscuits, herbs and spices labelled pre 2018 and anything in the freezer or cupboards over 5 years old (and that is pushing it) must go.

Books

Keep them, when family and friends borrow them do not ask for their return.Do a little research on finding out what they are worth on Amazon.You might be surprised and make a little money selling them.

Photographs

Keep them. Buy a good quality photo album,label and date them .This will form the basis of a family history which is entertaining to bring out at family gatherings.

Personal Collections

These can be very decorative,they are your memories.There is no harm in a carefully arranged clutter. If your kids do not like it too bad. I have decided that I shall just die and they can order the skip.

Two Hour House Cleaning Check List

2019-01-31T15:27:00.001+00:00

Cleaning is Cool

There is an obsession with house cleaning at the moment influenced by the Netflix series based on Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Cleaning Up.
I trained as a Home Economist back in the 1960s , a time when women were expected stay at home and devote their lives to house cleaning, cooking , bringing up baby and having a hot meal ready the minute your man walked through the door, all on a tight budget.There was about enough time for the occasional coffee morning or afternoon tea with a friend but the daily clean was a dominant occupation of many women's lives. For a long time my job as a home economics teacher was to train girls to carry on this tradition .
Nothing wrong with the cooking part ,but constant cleaning, forget it.

My House Cleaning Check list- you should be able to do this in 2 hours.

No fit adult or child over 10 should expect another human being to flush away their poo from the loo , clean up their spittle and toothpaste from a washbasin or make their bed.

Nag kids and partners until they understand this.

After breakfast put on a load of laundry,garments only on a short programme.
Put the dishes from breakfast into the dishwasher or wash by hand.
Wipe kitchen surfaces.
Collect all trash in one large plastic bag and take out.
Collect all the towels from the bathroom(s).Spray and wipe bathroom surfaces ,clean toilets.
Put first load of laundry to dry and replace with towels or linen on a hot wash.
Dust main communal rooms if necessary and vacuum the floors.Open the windows while this is done.
Fold the dry laundry

Stop after 2 hours. Make your morning coffee, sit down , take a break and enjoy you clean home.

Additional weekly jobs

Mop the kitchen and bathroom floors.

Check the fridge for stale food and wipe clean.

Vacuum stairs and bedrooms.

Cleaning products for kitchen and bathroom floors

Buy cleaning products that are fit for purpose and a large supply of soft cloths.These are some of my favourites.
This stuff is brilliant ,it cleans floors rapidly without the need for buckets and hot water.It is hard to find in supermarkets so I sent for the three pack as soon as I start to run out.

The bathroom

Flash bathroom cleaner is great for a daily swipe around the toilet,washbasin and bath.Finish the shower with a good dose the shower spray while it is still wet after you have used it and it will dry clean.
I live in a very hard water area which causes deposits on taps and shower heads. Use Viakal once a week to clear these annoying deposits.

Follow the instructions on the containers and only use the cleaners for the purpose for which they were intended.

The Kitchen

Use a degreaser like Dettol Power on kitchen surfaces, Flash for floor cleaning.

Communal room surfaces

   Specialist surface cleaners for wood, leather and glass give the best results.
     I have tried many spot carpet cleaners and prefer Dr Beckmann with the brush attached.



A daily cleaning routine will help you keep on top of things and mean that on difficult days you can leave things until you have more time.A tidy house makes for a calmer family.

Coffee and Cake

2019-01-17T15:53:00.000+00:00

So good to sit in the warm kitchen when the temperature outside is below freezing and enjoy the remains of the Christmas cake and a cup of coffee.

The Cake

Grandma's War ,No Sweets or Chocolate

2018-01-24T16:58:00.000+00:00

There were virtually no sweets or candy for civilians during WW 2 owing to the absence of sugar and the difficulty of importing cocoa beans.The troops deservingly seemed to have access to some of these things .When my father came home on leave from the army he would open his kit bag and share the stuff that he had saved up and we had all tiny amounts of Mars Bars and Fry's Chocolate Cream .Sweet rationing continued until well after the war.
No wonder my age group still love these treats. I will remember them while I have an expensive trip to the dentist on Friday.

GRANDMA DAILY

How life can change

A Coronation Cake

Needlefelted Easter

Ordinary People(2)

Return to England

Ordinary People (1)

I am going to continue this blog with my family history. This is about ordinary people, their successes failures loves and losses.

A Colonial Adventure

England to Australia 1885

Cambridge City Hazards

What Next?

This should make Grandmas smile: Tap Your Troubles Away - John Wilson on Broadway

Covid19 October 2020, Seven Months On

Surviving The Corona Virus At Home 2

Staying At Home, Corona Virus Survival for Oldies.

Get Over it or Die Quietly?

Now I am going to have a nice cup of tea

Books for Summer Holiday Reading

Mini Greenhouse for My City Back Yard Container Garden

Plants for My City Back Yard Container Garden

Planning My City Back Yard Container Garden

Starting Out

Easter Cake Recipe

Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Housewives' Choice

Hard Brexit Shopping List

Hard Brexit Shopping List

Paper based products coming from Scandinavia could be a problem .

I shall make sure I get my repeat prescription to the pharmacy in good time.

So here goes with a basic list for people like me who do not have a huge amount of storage space or unlimited funds to go on a spending spree.

Toilet Paper and Kitchen Roll

Knee Replacement Surgery,What You Will Need at Home

If you are about to have this surgery good luck and get organized.

STALE BREAD RECIPES

Hard Brexit Recipes

Salad Vegetables

I have some winter salad recipes using ingredients that are produced in the UK, the kind my mother used in the 1950s, which are not as easy to throw together as the bags of pre-prepared salad leaves that we are used to but are a good standby , they are also economical.

Winter Salad

Half a small white cabbage

2 medium sized carrots

I small cooked beetroot

2-3 sticks celery

50g sultanas or raisins

mayonnaise (or Heinz salad cream for a retro flavour)

1.Prepare and wash the salad ingredients and the sultanas

2.Using a sharp knife or food processor shred the cabbage.

3.Grate the carrot finely ,cut the beetroot and celery up into 1 cm pieces.keep the beetrot seperate from the other ingredients or it will stain them.

4.Put the shredded cabbage on a flat dish and arrange the other ingredients very neatly in rows on top.

5. Serve the mayonnaise separately

Celery and Apple Salad

1 heart of celery

2 thin slices of onion

3 crisp eating apples

juice of 1 lemon or french dressing made with lemon juice

salt and pepper

1.Wash the celery, cut into 1 cm cubes and put into a bowl

2.Chop the onion finely and add to the salad

3.Peel ,quarter and core the apples,cut into 1 cm cubes and add to the other ingredients.

4.Add the lemon juice and seasoning and gently mix thoroughly.

Serve in a glass bowl to accompany cold meats

Tidying Up and De-cluttering

What do you really want to get rid of and why?

This is your stuff. You may love it even if others do not. Do not be pushed into getting rid of things you would prefer to keep.

Clothes

If you cannot close your wardrobe door and drawers this is time to say 'goodbye' to those ancient garments that you never wear because you are too fat and they are past it.

Throw away anything that has holes in or smells.

Better,clean stuff can go into those bags that charities put through your letter box or take them directly to a charity store.

Food

Stale biscuits, herbs and spices labelled pre 2018 and anything in the freezer or cupboards over 5 years old (and that is pushing it) must go.

Books

Keep them, when family and friends borrow them do not ask for their return.Do a little research on finding out what they are worth on Amazon.You might be surprised and make a little money selling them.

Photographs

Keep them. Buy a good quality photo album,label and date them .This will form the basis of a family history which is entertaining to bring out at family gatherings.

Personal Collections

These can be very decorative,they are your memories.There is no harm in a carefully arranged clutter. If your kids do not like it too bad. I have decided that I shall just die and they can order the skip.

Two Hour House Cleaning Check List

Cleaning is Cool

My House Cleaning Check list- you should be able to do this in 2 hours.

The Kitchen

Use a degreaser like Dettol Power on kitchen surfaces, Flash for floor cleaning.