Spring flowers & flooded ditches.

Monday has come around again in the blink of an eye and so we head to one of the most interesting blogs I know, Mary's thelittle redhouse, for Mosaic Monday.

After last weeks torrential rain and gale force winds had subsided I went out to try and capture the feel of it all.

Although we were not as badly affected as the Charente Maritime and other regions, the rain had no where to go as the surrounding fields were still sodden from previous storms.

The water was draining into the ditches at the side of the lane so fast that waterfalls and rushing streams formed along the way.

One bright note, the wild primroses and orchids are begining to show at last.

Shadow Shot Sunday.......a staircase.

For Shadow Shot Sunday over at Hey Harriet's Australian blog some shots of the staircase at home, as I came down yesterday morning.
As the winter sunlight poured through the landing windows above and the glass panelled front doors below, the wooden hand rail and wrought iron balustrade were thrown into stark relief against the stair runner, the pale yellow walls and a framed gravure of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Mrs Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday: G

Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday is the place to be where the letter "G" is under the spotlight this week.

My head was spinning trying to come up with a G word and Gosh there are lots: Goat, Geranium, Gate, Garden, Gnome, Grace, Goodness, Gratitude (which is my word for this year). Galloping Gourmet, Garlic, GorGonzola, Grapes, Ginger, Garnish, Gravy, Geese, Gooseberry, Grapefruit, Google(!) this list Goes on and on.

But.....I couldn't find pix to go with any of those so instead here are some scrapbook pages that I did last year.

For some reason GREEN was the colour that I Gravitated to Generally.

Desvres faience for Tabletop & 3 or More Tuesday

I'm joining Marty's Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll through Life today for the first time with photo's of an antique English washstand which I have had for over 25 years and resides inside the now defunct fireplace in our dining room.
I'm also joining Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner for 3 or more Tuesday.
Why not treat yourselves to some wonderful vignettes and interesting collections by visiting both of these very gracious hosts but do please leave a comment so I know who came calling at le Presbytère today.

This is where I display my small collection of Desvres souvenir faience.

A sweet young woman carrying a basket, she holds salt for us at the dinner table, a small bud vase which bears the legend "Plestin les Greve", an oil and vinegar cruet set, a souvenir from Mont St Michel in original holder.A small trinket box with the Brittany crest and "A Ma Vie" inscription, and in the background a large platter produced for sale in Cancale, Brittany. The space beneath the washstand is not wasted, DH finds it's the perfect place for a small wine rack.

Well, nous sommes en France, n'est pas?

Shadow Shot Sunday with Harriet. Chicago.

It's almost Sunday so I'm heading over to Australia to join in with Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday #93 meme.
When the Quimper Club got together for their annual meeting in 2005 the host city was Chicago, IL.

One of the pre meeting events arranged for us, we always try and pack in as much as we can during the 3 days, was a boat cruise along the river through the city.

The architcture is stunning and created some great shadows which luckily for me I was able to capture.

Some of us were able to see the wonderful Lautrec Exhibition before boarding the boat.

Even back then, before blogging was even a twinkle in my eye, I was looking for interesting shots to bring home to show my DH who was unable to make the trip that year.

Alphabe-Thursday ..............F is for?

It's Alphabe-Thursday again so off we go to Mrs Matlock's class to learn about the letter F today.
Flowers, Fruit and Faïence some of my Favourite things.

A pretty display on top of an antique bow front chest of drawers in the sitting room.

Colourful tulips, lemons in a HenRiot Quimper bowl, HB Tabac jar and floral, bird plate from Henriot.

HB Quimper floral plate and a Nevers cache pot stand beside a large Sarreguemines platter in the Obernai decor.

We purchased this painting whilst living in Bavaria and it's one of my personal favourites.

Head over to Jenny's place to learn more about the letter F but do leave a comment before you go.

Lemon Curd made easy.

A couple of days ago I came across a recipe for a lemon curd & blueberry loaf cake.

Well, I can't find blueberrys here at the moment and I used all my Crazy Jack organic blueberries making muffins last week.

But what really bugged me was that I didn't have any lemon curd either..............you're beginning to think I've gone mad aren't you?

But, I did have lemons and so I made some lemon curd in my slow cooker.

The easiest thing I've made in a very long time.

I'm linking to Dining with Debbie's Crockpot Wednesday with this simple recipe, but I'll probably get thrown out as it's so easy to make!

My recipe:

4 oz butter (100g), 4 large brown eggs, (only kidding they can be white!) lightly beaten, finely grated rind and juice of 4 lemons, 1lb (450g/2 cups) fine caster sugar.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the lemon rind & juice, then the sugar. Heat gently stirring constantly until the sugar has all dissolved. Allow to cool.

Stir the lightly beaten eggs into the cooled mixture and pass through a sieve into a 2 pint (1.2 litre/5 cup) pudding basin or souffle dish.

Cover securely with aluminium foil and place in the slow cooker.

Pour round enough water to come halfway up the side of the basin.

Cover and cook on low for between 3 - 4 hours, depends on your slow cooker, until thick.

Uncover & remove the foil after about 3 hours and take a peek, I find a quick mix with a hand whisk helps everything to combine and thicken, then cook for another hour.

Pour straight away into sterilised jars, fills about 3 depending on size, cool & seal.

Stored in the fridge it will last about 3 weeks, if you're not greedy.

Wikipedia has this to say about Fruit curds..............

Fruit curd is a dessert spread and topping usually made with lemon, orange or raspberry. The basic ingredients are beaten egg yolks, sugar, fruit juice and zest which are gently cooked together until thick and then allowed to cool, forming a soft, smooth, intensely-flavored spread. Some recipes also include egg whites and/or butter.
In late 19th and early 20th century England, home-made lemon curd (also known in the UK as lemon cheese) was traditionally served with bread or scones at afternoon tea as an alternative to jam, and as a filling for cakes, small pastries and tarts. Homemade lemon curd was usually made in relatively small amounts as it did not keep as well as jam. In more modern times larger quantities are feasible because of the use of refrigeration.
Lemon curd is still a popular spread for bread, scones, toast or muffins. It can also be used as a flavoring for desserts or yogurt. Lemon-meringue pie, made with lemon curd and topped with meringue, has been a favorite dessert in Britain and the United States since the nineteenth century.
Curds are different from pie fillings or custards in that they contain a higher proportion of juice and zest, which gives them a more intense flavor. Also, curds containing butter have a smoother and creamier texture than both pie fillings and custards; both contain little or no butter and use cornstarch or flour for thickening. Additionally, unlike custards, curds are not usually eaten on their own.