Tea and crumpets

Crumpets are one of my favorite teatime treats! You'll need crumpet rings (like these) to make them, but it's worth tracking some down in order to have fresh, homemade crumpets. I recommend the following recipe, which came to me by way of my friend Susan:

• 1 pkg. yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1/4 cup warm water (~110 degrees F)
  
• 1/3 cup milk at room temperature
  
• 1 egg
  
• ~4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine yeast, sugar, and water and let stand until bubbly. Blend in milk, egg, and 1 tbsp. of butter. Add flour and salt and beat smooth. Cover and let stand in a warm place until almost doubled (around 45 minutes). Brush insides of rings and surface of griddle with the melted butter. Heat rings and pan over low heat. Pour about 3 tbsp. of batter into each ring.


Bake until holes appear and tops are dry (around 7 minutes). Remove rings and turn crumpets to brown the other side lightly (around 2 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter.


Serve warm, or cool and toast before serving. Makes 7 to 8 crumpets.

(LAURA'S NOTE: I usually triple or quadruple the recipe. The amount you get will vary by the size of your crumpet rings and how heavy-handed you are when pouring batter.)

A favorite passage

"He accompanied her up the hill, explaining to her the details of his forthcoming tenure of the other farm. They spoke very little of their mutual feelings; pretty phrases and warm expressions being probably unnecessary between such tried friends. Theirs was that substantial affection which arises (if any arises at all) when the two who are thrown together begin first by knowing the rougher sides of each other's character, and not the best till further on, the romance growing up in the interstices of a mass of hard prosaic reality. This good-fellowship -- camaraderie -- usually occurring through similarity of pursuits, is unfortunately seldom superadded to love between the sexes, because men and women associate, not in their labours, but in their pleasures merely. Where, however, happy circumstance permits its development, the compounded feeling proves itself to be the only love which is strong as death -- that love which many waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown, beside which the passion usually called by the name is evanescent as a steam."

--Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, first published 1874

Bunnies in the grass

It's that time of year -- the bunnies are coming out in droves! If we'd had wild bunnies in our yard in Colorado when I was a girl, I'm sure it would've been my life's ambition to catch and tame one. Nowadays, we have to discourage their presence in our yard because of this fearsome beast:


He's too decrepit to catch full-grown bunnies, but the babies are fair game. One summer, he racked up seven notches on his belt, the wretched cat! (And yes, he's missing a fang -- my guess is that it's embedded in the skull of a neighborhood cat.)

The first violets of spring

O wind, where have you been,
That you blow so sweet?
Among the violets
Which blossom at your feet.

The honeysuckle waits
For Summer and for heat.
But violets in the chilly Spring
Make the turf so sweet.

--Christina Rossetti

Bride's scrapbook

In her cedar chest, my grandmother also kept a scrapbook of all the cards given to her and Grandpa upon the occasion of their marriage.


I enjoyed browsing through the cards, ranging from beautiful and elegant to sassy and humorous. I giggled at how "un-P.C." this card would be considered today:


"Here's hoping that the Bride knows how to wield a wicked skillet..."


"And hope the Groom can bring a lot of bacon home to fill it!"

The Bride's Book

Inside her cedar chest, my grandmother saved a bridal magazine from when she was married in 1947. I'd rather take a look at this little gem than have a dozen modern bridal magazines!


It has articles on everything from engagement rings to bridal etiquette to the honeymoon. I really got a kick out of the "Check List for Your Trousseau," which I've reproduced for you:

INTIMATE WEAR:

• Two negligees
  
• Nine nightgowns
  
• Two housecoats
  
• Pyjamas
  
• Six pairs of panties
  
• Six slips, tailored and dressy
  
• Six bras
  
• Four girdles
  
• Two or three bedjackets
  
• Six to eight pair hose

DRESSES:

• Going-away outfit
  
• Spectator sports
  
• Active sports
  
• House dresses (for "home work")
  
• Dresses for business, if any
  
• Suits
  
• Afternoon dresses
  
• Dinner dresses
  
• Evening dresses

SHOES:

• One pair for the going-away outfit
  
• Spectator sports pumps
  
• One pair for business use
  
• Evening slippers
  
• Boudoir slippers (to match lingerie sets)
  
• One pair of rubbers
  
• One pair of galoshes or boots

HATS:

• Going-away
  
• Business
  
• Morning
  
• Afternoon
  
• Dinner
  
• As many hats as you can wangle!

ACCESSORIES:

• Mix and match -- gloves, scarves, veils, belts, costume jewelry, umbrellas, bags.

COATS:

• Fur
  
• Dressy cloth
  
• Sports
  
• Raincoat
  
• Informal shortie
  
• Evening wrap

LUGGAGE:

• Travel suitcase
  
• Week-end case
  
• Wardrobe trunk
  
• Hat box
  
• Travel beauty box
  
• Jewel case

BEAUTY AIDS:

• Cleansing cream
  
• Skin lotion
  
• Night cream
  
• Make-up
  
• Foundation cream or lotion
  
• Rouge
  
• Powder
  
• Lipstick, for type and for costume
  
• Eye brush
  
• Eyebrow pencil
  
• Eyeshadow
  
• Mascara
  
• Cotton
  
• Perfume
  
• Bath powder
  
• Hand cream
  
• Manicure kit
  
• Nail polish (to match lipsticks)
  
• Cologne
  
• Toothpaste, brush
  
• Deodorant
  
• Bath salts

Yup, seems like you'd have everything you need there! What puzzles me is why the list only requires six panties (how often do YOU launder??) yet calls for nine nightgowns. Cologne AND perfume seems a little redundant, but I suppose it's okay to splurge on both. And I definitely agree with the admonition to acquire "as many hats as you can wangle!"

Hope chest

I've never actually had a hope chest, but upon learning of my engagement, my Grandparents Ackerman gave me a cedar chest in which to store items for my future home! It was made in the late '40s or early '50s by my Great-Grandpa, who was blinded in World War I by a mustard gas explosion in France.

Mom and I went over to their house yesterday to pick it up. Grandma had emptied its former contents onto the bed, none of which I'd ever seen before -- and boy, were there some treasures! I'll share more about what was inside in the next few days...

April (snow) showers

Swatches

An intriguingly abstract photograph of the silk swatches that came in the mail recently... 100% silk duchess satin from Fishman's Fabrics, that is. Even though they don't look it, they are all different shades (from the top: white, diamond white, ivory, and cream). The fabric is luxuriously beautiful and it has a lovely weight (but not too stiff). At $70/yard, it costs more than I've ever contemplated spending on fabric before in my life!

More swatches are on their way before a final decision is made for The Dress...

Spem in alium

I heard this piece by Thomas Tallis on the radio and was transfixed. I asked my dad if he'd heard it before and he hadn't, so I tried to find a recording at the library to play for him. Well, the 1969 recording they had (on a scratchy record, at that) did nothing for the piece, so where else to turn but YouTube?