Copy Cat Flat Bread

If its got rye in it,  its likely to be Swedish...and I love the original name 'Polar Bread'.  This recipe comes from Home cooking with Sonya.  We are baking buddies on the Facebook page of The Book of Buns.

We had run out of bread, what with the need to get the garden up to scratch reading for the Kenilworth in Bloom competition, and needing rests from time to to time.  The judges arrived early yesterday and were suitably bribed with the last of the sweet buns in the freezer, warmed and puffed up, and tea.

They were hastily made on Sunday...actually they take a little time to cook on the griddle, 3 minutes each side, but with 3 at a time it was easy.

I made them smaller making 10 all together, but I think I shall go smaller to 12 next time.   We had them filled with a chickpea stew for Lunch.

We had one each for lunch, and the rest for later in the freezer.

In a Vase on Monday....Be afraid

Poisonous plants in a little Poison Bottle

In the Vase on Monday this week is staged in a little blue bottle.  When I saw this little cobalt blue bottle on a stand at The Kenilworth Castle Fair at the weekend, just a couple of £s, I knew straight away that I would get it to stage this week's In a Vase on Monday.  It is an old poison bottle with ridges and the words

NOT TO BE TAKEN

When we visited Alnwick Castle just a few weeks back I had two guided tours of the Poison Garden.  There were some gruesome tales, and I have at least two toxic plants in the garden.

The lovely blue Aconitum growing under the fence from my neighbour, and a little Euphorbia with which I have a love hate relationship.  I love it in the spring when it comes up with its acid green, then by now it is usually scraggy...and I cut it down, being very careful to wear long sleeves, trousers and gloves.

Today as I was looking for something to set off the lovely blue of the Aconitum, I saw that the Euphorbia is just about to flower a second time.  Both plants are toxic and need to be handled with care.  However the bees loves both these plants.

I'm not the first to use Aconitums this year in In a Case on Monday, so it is their  inspiration which inspired this posting.  

Cathy who is the instigator of this theme, has posted a beautiful calm bouquet.  There is so much inspiration from other contributors too, and I am continually adding to my understanding of plants, and maybe new additions for my garden.  

Staying local

For several years we have travelled to Kelmarsh Hall for History Live.  I'm not a history buff, but I love reading novels set in the past, visiting museums, looking at  architecture, watching history type documentaries on TV, and understand that what happened in the past has a strong bearing on how we live our lives now.  Often I like to be able to put myself in the 'shoes' of other people.

For some reason it had not twigged with me that this very weekend here, just a moderate walk from our home, up at Kenilworth Castle there was a Medieval Festival....

After a morning in the garden, a quick early lunch, off we went.  The weather was fabulous, the grounds well set out, interesting stalls, knights and ladies, scallywags and ruffians too.  We loved looking round all the stalls, and particularly chatting with the 'campers'.  Over the years of reading etc I have gained quite an insight into the domestic angle...of course I love my kitchen, but how about this for a batterie de cuisine...

Mr S discussed pottage and we also talked stews with this 'pot stirrer'

I love the fact that you could buy indulgences and pardons: medieval equivalent of going to your 'therapist' to talk over problems and find 'resolution' perhaps?

We found a sheltered bench against an ancient walk and with a pint of good ale for him and a half of excellent Perry for me, we sat and chatted, and watch the world and his dog go past.  We really love all the 'enactor dogs', they get a nice pat and chat from both of us!

Going again today...I bought three masks, 'Green Men and Women' and want three more for the gazebo.  Just updated these: got 3 more masks and a plant from the English Heritage Stall...a golden sunny plant in go into what is evolving into my golden corner, as apposed to the pink, mauve theme elsewhere.

Summer Sunshine

Friday was chutney making day....am I mad?

By the end of the day I was really tired, but had been occupied as mainly displacement therapy.  My hero arrived home, smiled, gave me a big hug, rolled up his sleeves, cleared the kitchen and did all the washing up.

Vinegar is one of those smells he really dislikes...so we had our drinks on the patio, in the sunshine, and then we spied butterflies.

I had heard all about butterfly watch on the radio that day, so got out my camera.  Not a clear picture as each time I got close enough it flew off...this was taken from about 3 metres..I read that one of the plants it lays its eggs on apart from nettles is hop, and I have just planted a golden hop just below where I took this picture.  I'm entering the garden for the Kenilworth in Bloom competition, with judges arriving on Monday....don't think it will quite up to standard, more Britain in Bug that Britain in Bloom!

This little hover fly seemed to want to pose.  I was starting to despair at the amount of greenfly and black fly in the garden, and just could not justify spraying on account of the number of bumblebees and bees on the flowers.  But suddenly all their predators have arrived and all will be well.

Earlier this week, through the conservatory window I watched a ladybird larvae munch through a whole of lot of black fly just on the other side of the glass.  I knew I had some black fly on some succulents on the other side of the garden, so went to pick it up and take it across.  On the plant it went for the black fly, but suddenly some ants arrived and fended it off, about three ants ganged up, and the poor larvae dropped to the ground, but very quickly made off under its own steam for some other greenery.  So even the black fly and green fly provide food for other insects...for the moment I shall just watch and marvel...except for the Rose Saw fly which I attack with my fingers.

Shubbak el-Habayeb

My lover suggested we share our bun, as my 'Lover's Window' Buns came out quite large, and we are both on a diet of 'elegant sufficiency', eating a little less, and getting used to smaller portions.  My windows look shut though....Maybe next time I would make 16 buns to get some a smaller size.

They are delicious with the aroma of rose water, orange blossom water, cardamon and mahlab.

This is a recipe from the Iraq region, and has lots of sugar for 12 buns:  100g.  Next time I make these I shall activate the yeast in the milk with a little of the sugar and some flour, before adding it to rest within its cocoon of sugared flour.  Jane Mason in her Book of Buns gives the first technique for most of her recipes...add the yeast and liquid into a well into the flour, close by flicking some of the flour over, and leave to rest for an hour, before kneading.