Happy Halloween.....

Halloween means different things to different people – here however are a few of my thoughts about Halloween…..

This festival is the beginning of the Celtic New Year and allows you to come to terms with your past year and leave all mistakes and regrets behind you, in order to move on; it is a time to plant the seeds of new projects, to end old projects and to generally take stock of one's life.

Halloween is considered a time to eliminate weaknesses - this has evolved into the custom of writing your own weaknesses onto a piece of paper then burning it. 

It is believed that witches used the magic of this time to say good-bye to a bad habit, an old relationship, or anything else negative in life.

 

Halloween is the night to leave it all behind, hence “Happy Halloween”!

 Below are some of our Halloween photos:-

 

 That'll be me, then..... 

  

 .....and EVERY witch needs a black cat.....  

 

  .....scary pumpkins.....

 

 .....of all kinds!

 

 Halloween Tree.....

 

 .....Trick or Treat kitty.....

 

 .....Haunted House.....

  .....Happy Haunting wreath.....

 

.....and a poem I wrote!

Here are some more vintage Halloween images we love:-

All Hallow's Eve (Hallowe'en) is when witches celebrate the renewal of life.....

 

.....pumpkins are carved to ward away evil spirits.....

 

 .....a time of celebration!

If any of you have any interesting Halloween facts you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you!

Until then - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Warm Wishes for a Wonderful Witchy Week

Cally xxx

Thrifty Time......

Well after writing in my last entry that we wanted to have a back street Christmas NOT a high street one I found this lovely blog - Dottie Angel - and look what she is doing.....

What a fantastic idea and imagine how many small independent traders we would keep in business if more of us did this too??

So with that in mind I decided to have a look around the other stall holders at Topsham Market on Saturday to see if I could start my gift buying for Christmas there and I found this dress for £6.00, it is LOVELY quality and though the label has been cut out I am sure it would have been an expensive buy  because it is made so well.

We have said that all gifts will be £5.00 or under this year - oh dear, I went over budget on one of the first ones but the recipient will love it - she doesnt 'do' computers so no danger of her finding out!!

I think that so many of you have such great ideas with trades,swaps and giveaways - it is truly heartwarming!

So if you want to  enter into this pledge too you can click on the picture below on the side bar and visit Dottie Angel too...

This week I am updating my Christmas Cupboard so 'hi ho , hi ho its off to work I go'.......well just as far as the cupboard under the stairs!

Warm Wishes for a wonderful week,
Cally xxx

Sugar and Spice - Part Two....

Well, in preparation for Christmas baking preparations I made  another batch of marmalade last week - so with marmalade and cinnamon sugar all ready, this weekend was time to make  mincemeat and Christmas cake!

I  am sorry to say that I have never made either before myself as I have always been busy working but as we are having a 'Back Street ' Christmas not a high street one this year I have promised myself that I will make as much as I can and purchase what I need from individual traders this year whenever and wherever I can - I will keep you informed of how I do!

 I am determined to boycott the high street if I can. Not because I don't LOVE the likes of Marks and Spencers but because;
a) I live in rural community and want to support it
b) We are living on one wage so I need to make every penny count. 
c) because I want  to capture the true spirit of Christmas by making it as authentic as I can.  It will be my first festive season  not working(apart from markets) in over twenty years and  I want to make this Christmas a truly homespun one.

Homespun Christmas.......

So I started with making the Mincemeat, I am quite an adhoc cook at the best of times so generally only follow recipes quite loosely, but as I am a novice at this I decided to try and follow a recipe in MRS.BEETON'S CHRISTMAS  that I liked the look of  - though it did end up as a slight adaptation of what she actually writes!

I used: -

• 2 cooking Apples
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1lb (450g) each of raisins and sultanas
  
• 250g of Suet
• 2lbs of Soft Brown Sugar ( I used cinnamon sugar)
• 1/2 a jar of home-made marmalade
• 5 fl oz (call it 150 ml) of brandy or Cointreau- your choice!(I use Cointreau because I like the orange flavour)
  

I then followed her instructions - pretty much! Starting with baking the apples in the oven for an hour - then adding everything else into a bowl and leaving it for two days - stirring occasionally before spooning it into sterilised kilner jars and popping in the fridge. 

The final result........

Now onto the Christmas Cake which this time I followed with only a few personal adjustments.....

Ingredients used: -

• 7 oz Butter
• 7 oz Sugar ( I used a mix of soft dark and soft light)
• 7oz plain flour (with a pinch of salt and 2 tsps mixed spice mixed in - I used cinnamon and ginger too )
• 6 eggs
• 4 tbs of Brandy (or was it 6....)
• 7oz of Currants
• 7oz of Sultanas
• 5 oz of Raisins
• 5 oz of Apricots( instead of candied peel)
  
• 3 oz of Marmalade with lots of the peel
• 2 oz of Flaked Almonds

Cream the first two ingredients together, stir into the flour, then add the eggs and brandy and stir like crazy.  When it looks good, add everything else and stir thoroughly.  Then into a tin lined with greaseproof.....

and then set it to cook: -

• 45 mins @ gas mark 3
• And then 1 hour @ gas mark 2
• And then 1 hour @ gas mark 1

Until finally.....!

It smelled wonderful - so fingers crossed that it tastes ok too...... I am sure as with everything else that I am discovering now I have the time to be a 'fifties housewife' that all you talented people have been doing all this for years while bringing up your families and working too! But as this is all new to me excuse my enthusiasm!!
This Saturday I am at Topsham Market but the following one onto Christmas Pudding....

Warm Wishes for a wonderful week

Cally xxx

All Aboard.......

Well, one of my recent visits to our local library paid off in a number of ways! Not only did I find the wonderful Thrift Book ( see previous blog) but I also met a lovely lady in there asking if the library had any books on Christmas grottoes - you can imagine how my ears pricked up!

It turns out that the lovely lady in question - Carol -  is a volunteer for South Devon Railway and they needed some help decorating Santa's Train this year!!  So, we went down and met all the wonderful volunteers that keep this beautiful place running - and we took a trip on the steam train too....

I cannot believe this amazing attraction is walking distance from my house and I have never really paid it much attention before - too busy working etc - and although I wouldn't have called myself an enthusiast in any way, I do love vintage and oh my goodness, this place is as authentically vintage as you can imagine!  It's truly wonderful.

So over the next two months we will be creating a little piece of magic in a lovely old carriage for  children to see Father Christmas when he visits later - if you would like to visit too click here.  The railway has many other events going on most of the year.

Here are a few photographs of our trip....

The Station....

Away We Go....

The Scenery..........

First Stop........

Staverton Station.........

Isn't Autumn gorgeous.......

Totnes Rare Breeds Centre.......

Second Stop, Totnes...........

2009 - 0r 1909.......?

Thank you so much to Carol and Mick for making us feel so welcome......

Warm Wishes for a wonderful week !

Cally xxx