Nanny Nettie-Kin's Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns and Bobby!

Bobby Loves Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns and Goat's Milk!

Nanny Nettie-Kin made Hot Cross Buns using the receipt in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". As we mentioned back in our "Forget-Me-Not Fair" post, little Bobby was a problem for Nanny at Hot Cross Bun baking time. This is Part Two of "Nanny Nettie-Kin Makes Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns"... including little Bobby.

Click Here for Lovely Music

Some of these photographs were taken last year (2014) but we have not posted them here at the Corgyncombe Courant until now.

As Nanny's back is turned, busy with putting some of her spices away, Bobby whispers to little Hitty "Nanny Nettie-Kin won't miss any of those buns."

"Bobby, they look good but maybe you shouldn't take them!" replies little Hitty.

"Nanny won't see or hear me!" Bobby whispers.

Bobby goes over to the chair and starts dragging it across the floor.

Bobby keeps a keen eye on Nanny. The chair makes scraping noises as Bobby drags it closer to the table.... squeeeak.

Bobby climbs up on the chair as Nanny turns around and exclaims "Robert! It's not nice to take Nanny's hot cross buns!"

Under her elbow, Bobby watches Nanny Nettie-Kin squeeze icing onto the hot cross buns.

Whilst the Hittys have their buns and milk, Nanny Nettie-Kin decides to have a little one-on-one talk with Bobby along with goat's milk and hot cross buns.

Sporting a milk mustache, Bobby states "But Nanny, I'm just a growing boy!"
Nanny Nettie-Kin sighs...

Some of the photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant and from our previous postings elsewhere on the internet.

Setting the Hot Cross Buns out to cool. The receipt for Hot Cross Buns is from "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook".

The buns have been frosted with a cross on top.

Here is a link to Part One of:
Nanny Nettie-Kin Makes
Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns!

 Here is a link to:
A Joyful Resurrection Sunday!
A Pussy Willow Bouquet!

 Our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2015/04/nanny-nettie-kins-tasha-tudor-hot-cross.html
copyright © 2015 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nanny Nettie-Kin Makes Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns!

A Tasha Tudor Easter Time Tradition!

Traditionally for years at Easter time I have made the Hot Cross Buns using the receipt in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". Receipt is an old fashioned term for recipe. Nanny Nettie-Kin also uses the same receipt to make Hot Cross Buns for the Hittys at Pumpkin House.

Click Here for Lovely Music

Tasha Tudor's Scottish Nanny used to make these hot cross buns, as well. Nanny Nettie-Kin thinks they are delicious!

These photographs of Nanny Nettie-Kin were taken last year (2014) but we have not posted them here at the Corgyncombe Courant until now.

Nanny Nettie-Kin uses real goat's milk and butter from Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille. As you can see on the little plate the goat's butter is white. Nanny heats the goat's milk to just the right temperature for dissolving the yeast.

A photograph of Carmella Lucille taken in the pretty, rosy copper light before sunset. She was watching us run and play with her goat kiddles in the Corgyn yard that we call the "Corg'ery".

 After rising, Nanny Nettie-Kin adds the warm melted butter and kneads the dough to make Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns. She sets the dough aside to rise again.

After the dough has risen again, she shapes the dough into buns and sets them to rise again.

Nanny Nettie-Kin opens the oven door to her stove the "Ark" and checks to see if her hot cross buns are finished baking. Nanny says they are done just right and asks me to photograph them before she takes them out of the oven.

At the Corgyncombe Bakery, I make Hot Cross Buns, too. After the first rising, warm melted butter is added and the dough is kneaded a bit more.

The dough has risen again.

After rising, the dough is shaped into buns and set aside to rise again.

Above is little Bobby at the Forget-Me-Not Fair.

As we mentioned back in our "Forget-Me-Not Fair" post, little Bobby was a problem for Nanny at Hot Cross Bun baking time. Soon we will have Part Two of Nanny Nettie-Kin Makes Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns... including little Bobby.

The carved wooden dolls were made by talented doll carver Judy Brown.
Their furniture was made by talented Roy Bubbenmoyer.

Our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2015/04/nanny-nettie-kin-makes-tasha-tudor-hot.html
copyright © 2015 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blog Thieving...

"The Three Billy Goats Gruff"

Corgyncombe's Darling Little Clementine

Our Sweet Goat Kiddle
Amongst the apple petals

Oft' times when we have fed the goat kiddles their bottles, especially during a before bedtime bottle feeding, we tell them their favorite story. This is how our bottle feeding times would go:

We each settle a kid on our lap and as they delight in Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille's good and delicious milk, everyone thoroughly enjoys our version of the classic tale of the "Three Billy Goats Gruff"! We always use the different personalities of each of our goats in the story as each goat encounters the troll. Through the years it's always been the kiddles' favorite!

Diane's Uncle's old school book with the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" story.
Alongside is a bottle of Carmella Lucille's warm milk for her goat kiddles.

Unfortunately, such difficulties as are in the story the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" are not only in fairy tales and stories, but, alas, sometimes are found in the blogging world, as well. More about that further down in this post.

We have been telling the kiddles the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" story for years. Every year when we have new kiddles, we add to the story to include them, the smallest and youngest are always the first to go over the bridge.

The story starts out with the littlest goat crossing the bridge, clompen, clompen, clompen go their little hooves on the wooden bridge.

The nasty troll pops out from underneath the bridge and says "Hark, Who goes there, over my bridge? Grin!"

"MmmHmmmmmm, it's only me, Clementine, hmmmmmmm" bleats little Clementine in a sweet little high pitched voice.

"I am going to eat you Goat!" exclaims the troll.

"Hmmmmm, Don't eat meee! I'm so liiittle. Eat my big brother Velvet, instead. He's always been bigger than I am!"  (Clementine and Velvet were born at the same time and Clementine has always been the smaller of the two!)

The troll says "Perhaps you are correct, Goat. You do look awful puny to make a meal sufficient to satisfy my large appetite, Grin!"

"All right, pass!" says the troll.

"Clompen, clompen" go Clementine's hooves as she goes over the rest of the bridge to the other side.

And on the story goes as each goat takes its turn going over the bridge: Velvet, Louisa May, Lucy, Daisy, Sweet Pea, Brownie, and finally the last goat Carmella Lucille Queen of the Herd.

"Clompen, Clompen, Clompen" go Carmella Lucille's feminine and Queenly hooves on the bridge.

Carmella Lucille

"Hark, Who goes there, over my bridge? Grin!" roars the troll.

"It is meee, Carmella Lucille Queen of the Herd, and I am crossing this bridge to go and eat the green grass to make fine milk for my Milkmaid."

"I am going to eat you Goat!" exclaims the troll. "And I am going to drink your fine milk! Grin!"

Carmella replies: "No one can drink my fine milk without my Milkmaid's permission and you do not have her permission nor mine! You will not eat me and you will not drink my fine milk!"

You know, Dear Readers, what happens in the story the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" at this point, when the last goat goes over the bridge...

The story finally ends with Carmella Lucille peacefully and contentedly eating her green grass on the other side of the bridge.

 Carmella Lucille before delivering triplets.

I took a cardboard cereal box to the barn and sketched Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille.

Tasha Tudor made gingerbread cookies of animals and hung them on her Christmas tree.

Baking gingerbread makes the cottage smell so good!

Antique rolling pin on the upper right and wooden Springerle mold in the center.

Gingerbread cookies before they were baked, the Grinning Troll and Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille.
The grinning face mold we got years ago with many other round molds of acorns, thistles, snowflakes, and other designs.

An antique goat cup to put your warm goat's milk in.

Yes, unfortunately, such difficulties as are in the story the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" are not only in fairy tales and stories, but sometimes are found in the blogging world, as well.

Someone has been lying about me.
Someone has left obnoxious, nasty, untrue comments that are lies about me on other peoples blogs and on our blog.
We moderate comments to our blog, so we did not allow these obnoxious comments to be posted.

We at the Corgyncombe Courant have also had problems with a person copying my "St. Distaff's Day" post (that I posted on a group) almost word for word, putting it on her blog, and claiming it as her own. It was like she was making believe she was me, in a strange and creepy way. She was nasty when we asked her to remove it.

She has never apologized or asked forgiveness.

At a time previous to that, she had demanded to know, just before a public memorial service, whether I was going to attend the service, because she said she wanted to meet up. When I failed to answer her demands, she got angry. I was busy with work around the cottage but then again I wasn't about to tell her and I did not feel obligated to tell her where I was going or any of my plans.

In my opinion, I think that she got angry because she thought I knew she was copying another blogger. I did not tell her that I knew that she had copied the other blogger but I suspect that she knew that I knew, thus her anger at me. I knew that she had copied this other blogger nearly word for word, put it on her blog, and claimed it as her own, it seemed like she was taking on this person's life, changing the other woman's children to her children in the copied post. In the oddest twist, she had even went as far as to show up, in person, to see the blogger who she had copied right after posting the copied post. It seemed strange and creepy to me. I was disgusted by her copying and creeped out because then she wanted to meet up with me.

I have never been removed from a group for bad behaviour. I have been, ahem, eliminated, from a group, not because of bad behaviour on my part, but I think because the group leader got angry because she thought I knew she was copying the other blogger nearly word for word, it seemed like she was taking on the other blogger's life.

(By the way, a few years before that, someone in the group leader's inner circle said to me that some members of the group were baiting me and she complimented me on trying to avoid the nasty baiting and complimented me on the way I tried to handle their nastiness by being positive. I do feel that the group leader and some of her group members were baiting me.)

My last posts to group before I was eliminated from group were nothing but cheerful and nice. This was all near the public memorial service time in 2008, when the group leader contacted me off group, wanting to know if I was going to attend.  When I failed to answer her demands, she got angry.

At this time I had a huge web site with many of my own personal photographs on along with my writings. I decided to make my copyright more visible on my photographs. I took all my photographs (over 2,000) off from public view on my web site, and was in the process of putting them back on my web site with the copyright, eventually deciding the best place to put the copyright was near the middle of the subject right on the photographs.

There may be some who are bothered when I put my copyright near the middle of my photographs. One thing the copyright is intended to do is make my photographs harder to steal.

We have also had trouble with people stealing our photographs and selling products with our photographs, online. We contacted the online marketplace and the online marketplace removed the items from sale.

 
Some people who have posted our work on their blog, when we have asked them to remove it from their blog or site, have been very cooperative and polite and we have thanked these people for their cooperation.

But, obviously, there are some people who have taken my work who don't like the fact that I object to them taking my work.

Some people apparently don't like it when we publish posts, that we put a lot of effort in, so that we may share some of our favorite things with our dear readers that they might enjoy looking at and we know that many do enjoy. Some people apparently don't like this. But let us assure our readers that despite this, we have been blessed by our dear readers, and it is our hope that our readers have been blessed and inspired by the Corgyncombe Courant.

If you receive or hear of any obnoxious, nasty, comments about me, we would appreciate it if you would please send us an email at:

atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

If you see anyone using or selling our work please let us know by sending us an email at:

atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

A Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille cookie!

Carmella Lucille the goat looks so cute! She likes to have behind her ears scratched and under her collar and I always give her a good back scratch after milking. Sometimes if I stop scratching she nuzzles my hand to say she wants me to continue. So very sweet!

We have written before on the Corgyncombe Courant about telling our version of the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" story to the goat kiddles during bottle time.

Added July 21st: Thank you dear readers for all the kind comments. We also appreciate your keeping an eye out for my work that has been stolen.
Gratefully,
Diane and daughter Sarah

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2013/07/blog-thieving.html
copyright © 2013 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. Nicholas Tea Inspired by Tasha Tudor!

A Wreath of Candles to Light December Teas!

Today, December 6th, is St. Nicholas Day.

When lit, the Advent wreath creates such lovely shadows and light on the ceiling.

The chosen music to accompany this post is Carol of the Bells:
Click Here for Specially Chosen Delightful Music.
Return Here to Read the Corgyncombe Courant.

 The Dundee cake is brought out to be served with tea.

With the coming of Christmas, Dundee cakes are delicious at teas throughout December!

The photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant.

 

I took the photograph of the chickadee several years ago, as St. Nicholas Day morn dawned snowy, sparkly white!

 

 Mixing the Dundee cake. Corgyncombe uses the receipt for Dundee Cake in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". Dundee cakes are made a month ahead of time and put in cold storage until time for St. Nicholas Tea.

The Corgyncombe Bakery makes many Dundee cakes in all different shapes and sizes.
The receipt for Dundee Cake is in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook".
I never add the citron nor the raisins as called for in the receipt, but add more than the called for amount of currants and in addition to the almonds in the receipt, add walnuts.
This combination makes the most delicious Dundee cake!

Dundee cakes are festive at St. Nicholas Tea on December 6th!
The design on the cup has St. Nicholas pulling a gift laden sled, with a tree over his shoulder, and a doll in a sack at his waist, whilst adoring children look on.
Inside the cup is fresh milk from Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille!

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2012/12/st-nicholas-tea-inspired-by-tasha-tudor.html

copyright © 2012 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Old Corgyncombe Tall Clock!

An Old English Clock!

The old Corgyncombe tall clock that ticks away the hours that are rarely dull!
The clock is from the late 1700s and was made in the area that is now called Cumbria.

Beatrix Potter lived in the scenic Lake District of England, which is now part of the area called Cumbria.

The clock reminds us of the one in "The Tale of Samuel Whiskers" or "The Roly-Poly Pudding", written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter illustrated mother cat Tabitha Twitchit on the landing of the stairway with a clock behind her, whilst she is looking for her missing son Tom Kitten.

In "The Tale of Samuel Whiskers" or "The Roly-Poly Pudding", written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, Samuel Whiskers and his wife Anna Maria steal a pat of butter, a rolling pin, and some dough. In the photograph above, Samuel Whiskers is seen running away with a pat of butter. Below the book is a pat of hand churned butter from Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izannah Walker Dolls at Corgyncombe Cottage!

Izannah Christmas Delights!!!

Bridget is very happy to be at Corgyncombe Cottage where she enjoys tea parties, cooking and baking, sewing, and bird watching. Bridget is an Izannah Walker inspired doll made by the talented dollmaker Margaret Flavin. Bridget is holding a little bunny that befriended her on a Corgyncombe outing. Darling Bridget is wearing her Christmas party dress and a pretty white cap that she borrowed from her Cousin Charlotte, both made by Margaret Flavin. Behind her is the old fashioned table top Christmas tree with little fence round.
Izannah Walker (1817-1888) made dolls using a special technique.
Izannah Walker lived in New England and her Walker ancestors lived very near where Diane and Sarah's Walkers came from.
You can find more information about Izannah Walker dolls and the technique used in making them in the Christmas 2011 issue of "Early American Life" magazine and in the August 2011 issue of "Antique Doll Collector" magazine.

At Corgyncombe Cottage & Corg'ery, many of the Bunn family gather under the bird feeder along with the birds.
Above, a rabbit and chickadee seen below the Corgyncombe bird feeder.
The rabbit above reminds us of the pastel done by Tasha Tudor of Colonel Bunn the rabbit.

Waking up to Colonel Bunn at Tasha Tudor's Corgi Cottage.
'Twas such a delight for Diane to wake up mornings at Tasha Tudor's to the sight of Colonel Bunn, especially since Diane has always had such an interest in bunnies. A print of Colonel Bunn can be found on the Tasha Tudor and Family web site. Colonel Bunn was named after a person that Tasha knew of. This reminds the genealogical researchers (as Tasha would say) at Corgyncombe of Fanny Bunn, a cousin to Diane and Sarah through the Taylors. Fanny Bunn was listed on the census as having 16 little Bunns. One of Fanny Bunn's sons was named Peter Russell Bunn and one of the daughters was named Fanny Belle Bunn. We have named some of the bunnies at the Corgyncombe Bunn'ery after Fanny Bunn's little Bunns Peter Russell and Fanny Belle. Bunn'ery is a word that Diane and Sarah use, meaning a place where delightful wild and tame bunnies and rabbits happily and hoppily dwell.

The little chickadee outside with the bunny in the photograph above makes Diane think of the chickadee that Diane found one cold morn in January 2009, upside down, quivering in the snowy cold. It looked stunned, as if it had flown into something and fallen. Diane picked it up and brought it into the house where she held it in the warmth of her hand for awhile. After a bit the chickadee started moving about and Diane took it outside, opened her hand and 'twas most exhilarating for Diane to see the chickadee fly off free to a tree limb.

Bridget and Charlotte went out and about Corgyncombe gathering rose hips.

Bridget in her splendid hood and coat made by Margaret Flavin.

A sweet little bird card from the Corgyncombe Ephemera Collection.

When Sarah was little we went to hear a quartet playing at an old historic house. We then went out to dinner. Our after dinner plans were altered as Sarah announced that she wanted to go back to listen to the "pretty usic". The event was held on a different day than it had been in years past so it was practically a private performance. Sarah sat on her Daddy's lap with her elegantly dressed bear until the evening's entertainments were brought to an end. The cellist was so impressed with Sarah's attentiveness that she invited her to feel the cello vibrate as the bow graced the strings. In a few years hence, Sarah would start playing the violin and played 1st violin in her own quartet!

In the 1975 version of "The Night Before Christmas" illustrated by Tasha Tudor, Tasha wrote to Sarah:

"To Miss Sarah who wears fine boots! Love from Tasha Tudor"

Charlotte came to Corgyncombe several years ago. Every year at tea Charlotte reads the miniature version of "The Night Before Christmas" written by Clement Clarke Moore and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Charlotte just loves the Tasha Tudor illustration of the doll wearing a bonnet, a toy sheep, ornaments, and a candy cane. Charlotte wears her lovely handmade chemisette. She enjoys thumb cookies and Tasha Tudor's Welsh Breakfast Tea. The receipt for "Linda de Christopher's Thumb Cookies" is in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook".

Charlotte and Bridget were both made by the talented dollmaker Margaret Flavin.


Colonel Bunn at Tasha Tudor's Corgi Cottage.
The canopy bed is the same one where the parents are tucked in "for a long winter's nap", that is drawn in the 1999 version of "The Night Before Christmas" illustrated by Tasha Tudor.

Charlotte dons her cape and bonnet and loves to go out and about in the beautiful Autumnal weather. Above, she is sitting on a moss covered log near Corgi Creek. Behind her, leaves can be seen falling from the trees. Charlotte has found a purple aster and lavender in the Corgyncombe Garden of Herbs. Isn't the moss on the log lovely?

A collection of January Calendar ephemera on the art stand. The calendar with the little girl in the sunbonnet holding an umbrella has a string for hanging on the wall that ends in a tassel.

Izzibeth is a reproduction Izannah Walker doll made by the talented dollmaker Paula Walton.
Izzibeth was made to have the look of an antique Izannah doll that has been a joyful dolly playmate for many a little girl throughout the years. She has such a sweet smile and expression! She has a resemblance to Diane's Grandmum and Great Grandmum and feels quite like family!

Izzibeth is wearing a frock and slat sunbonnet both made by Paula Walton from antique double pink fabric.

Some of the sunbonnets in the Corgyncombe Antique Clothing Collection.
The double pink sunbonnet reminds us of Izzibeth's.

Bridget brought her cranberry-plum coloured hood and coat to keep her warm whilst out and about in the Corgyncombe cold. The hood and coat remind us of Diane's cape of a similar colour, hanging with the sunbonnets above.

The calendar with the children wearing old fashioned winter clothing out in the snow can be folded up to change their clothes from winter to summer amongst the flowers.

In honor of Izzibeth's arrival a tea party was held with gingerbread animal cookies made by Charlotte.

IzziAnnie is an Izannah Walker inspired doll made by the talented dollmaker Margie Herrera.
IzziAnnie came to Corgyncombe Cottage last year and what a delight she has been!
She is wearing a lovely blue frock made by Margie Herrera of antique fabric.

Some Christmas ephemera from the Corgyncombe Collection.

Charlotte received this whimsical tea strainer as a gift.
If you look closely you will see a little bear decorating the handle.

The colours of Bridget's frock match the tea cup.
Bridget has sweet hand painted ringlets.
She is wearing a lovely Christmas head wreath that Margaret Flavin made.
Diane can picture more head wreaths for Bridget using the wild and homegrown flowers out and about Corgyncombe.

Charlotte and Bridget taking tea.

Kitty sits near Izzibeth and eyes the little gingerbread cookies!

Peter Russell Bunn Seen on His Early Morn Hop About
In the photograph above Peter Russell Bunn is underneath the bird feeder where he suddenly stands up and surveys the acreage.
In Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", Peter Rabbit lost his jacket and hid in a water can as he was fleeing and hiding from Mr. McGregor. Right after Peter left the water can and took flight out of the tool-shed window knocking over some potted geraniums, Beatrix Potter illustrated the poor panicked Peter who was pondering which way to go, desperate to locate a way to escape out of the garden. The illustration of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit reminds The Corgyncombe Courant of Peter Russell Bunn seen standing alongside the smokehouse underneath the bird feeder.
Of course Corgyncombe is still snow covered and wintry, and lush greenery is but a memory and a dream to come true in a sunny, warmer time. Peter will have to be patient... however he will have to stay out of Mrs. Johnson's gardens come gardening season.

Upon hearing a noise Peter Russell Bunn hastily takes his leave through the little tunnel between the smokehouse and the cornstalks. All one can see is a retreating bunny tail and back feet...

IzziAnnie

Like Diane, Charlotte likes to bake and cook, churn butter, and make cheese.
In Charlotte's cozy kitchen, she has mixed up some dough for making crackers. She has used butter that she hand churned from the Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille's cream. In the above photograph, she has rolled out the dough, cut out the crackers, and is pricking designs in them with a fork. On the cookie sheet in front of her are some crackers that have been baked in her old fashioned wood cookstove.

Margaret Flavin made Charlotte a wardrobe of clothing, including frocks, cape, cap, bonnet, apron, stockings, shoes, undergarments, chemisette, and purse.
The apron she wears in the photograph above, over her frock, is an antique.


Charlotte has made some cheese using Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille's milk, and added chives from the Corgyncombe Garden of Herbs. Charlotte enjoys the cheese with her crackers!


Cheese made by Diane in the Corgyncombe Dairy using Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille's milk. The cheese is flavored with chives from the Corgyncombe Garden of Herbs. The cheese is delicious with homemade crackers baked at the Corgyncombe Bakery. What a tasty treat!


Charlotte celebrating in memory of Tasha Tudor's birthday.
Charlotte finds a nice place in the shade to enjoy her tea, cake, and ice cream. Her cake, decorated with forget-me-nots, is from the Corgyncombe Bakery and her goat ice cream is from the Corgyncombe Dairy.
Charlotte used receipts from "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook" for the cake and ice cream.


Diane's Grandmum always had an old fashioned table top Christmas tree.
This year we decided to have a tree like Grandmum's to put in the old fashioned kitchen/herbary.
When guests arrived the old Kalliope music box was playing.
Simply magic!!!

In the photograph above are toys beneath the old fashioned table top Christmas tree.

In the 1975 version of "The Night Before Christmas" illustrated by Tasha Tudor, there is a two page colour illustration in the book with a Christmas tree surrounded by Christmas toys, such as a rocking horse, a doll house, a doll riding in a carriage, a doll with a trunk full of clothes, a toy sheep, a jump rope, a copper kettle, a doll sofa, a tea set, a miniature wash set and drying rack, a sled, a drum, a wagon with blocks, a Jack-in-the-box, toy soldiers, a cow on wheels, a bubble pipe, a ball, and a toy dog on wheels. What a delightful illustration of a Happy Christmas!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~