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Monthly Archives: March 2014

World Food Night, Spring Posy and Flowers

1 It was World Food Night last Saturday but we were busy so we have hosted our charity night tonight. Everyone has brought a dish to share and is paying for the privilege as we raise money for asylum seekers and refugees.

Donate

We have feasted on Cullen Skink from Scotland, Vegetable Curry from Bangladesh, Thiou from Senegal, Tarte au Citron, Turkish Hawlet and Tunisian Almond and Orange cake. Thank you so much to all our lovely friends for their generosity and their delicious offerings and for making the evening such a success. We raised £150.00 between us and we’ve had a ball! Click on any photo for the detail.

Cullen Skink, smoked haddock and potato soup from Scotland

Vegetable curry from Bangladesh

Senegalese Thiou, recipe and method will be posted soon

Tarte au Citron, France

Turkish Hawlet, a very light cake with sultanas and pistachios

Gluten free Tunisian orange and almond cake

2 I have picked a rather weather-beaten posy from the garden for the table.

Spring posy

3 Our beautiful Three Wise Monkeys planter is in flower.

Three Wise Monkeys, made by artist Jez Beswick, and flowers

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 5, 2014 in Beauty, charity, Food, nature, photography, Postaday 2014

Tags: Cullen Skink from Scotland, Tarte au Citron, Thiou from Senegal, Tunisian Almond and Orange cake, Turkish Hawlet, Vegetable Curry from Bangladesh, World Food Night

Dalai Lama, New Gadget and Pancake Day

04 Mar

1 Our Redruth Chiropractor always has some inspiring words on the board in her window. I liked this one from the Dalai Lama. What a wonderfully wise man he is.

Dalai Lama’s words

2 Another new gadget I bought the other day is this ergonomically wonderful lemon squeezer. I used it today and it is brilliant. For those who asked if the new Garlic Rocker was as efficient as it is beautiful… It is! It is so easy to use and very easy to clean – a winner in every way!

Lemon squeezer

3 It’s Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, and, in the family tradition started dinner with Savoury Pancakes (stuffed today with chicken and peas in a Béchamel sauce) followed by Crêpes Suzettes – yummy! I can post the recipes if anyone would like me to.

Delicious savoury pancakes

Crêpes Suzettes

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 4, 2014 in Beauty, Food, photography, postaday2012, quotations

Tags: crepes suzettes, garlic rocker, kitchen gadgets, lemon squeezer, Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, The Dalai Lama

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

04 Mar

All over Cornwall are the abandoned engine houses from the days when Cornwall was the world centre of tin and copper mining. The area where we are has World heritage status and these buildings are the iconic remains of the industry.

Abandoned engine house, Wheal Uny

Baronet’s Engine House built 1866

The Crowns, Botallack

Wheal Coates in the glow of sunset

To see other photos in this intriguing challenge, click here

17 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 4, 2014 in antiques, architecture, Beauty, Cornwall, photography, Postaday 2014, Weekly photo challenge

Tags: Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned, World heritage status

Blossom, Primroses and Endangered Tree

03 Mar

1 The blossom on a local Cherry tree is just gorgeous in the sunlight.

2 Primroses on a Cornish hedge were lit by the sunshine too.

3 While we were away, our neighbours had one of a pair of beautiful trees taken down. This one is so far safe but I have the saddest feeling that it too will soon go so am saving it here for posterity. The next photo was taken when both trees were there.So much birdlife loves this tree and so do we.

Only one tree left

Sunlight on both trees last October

P.S. I have posted the recipe for Chocolate Beetroot Cake today. It is one of the best cakes I have ever made, moist and chocolatey and very moreish!

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 3, 2014 in Beauty, flowers, nature, photography, Postaday 2014, trees, Uncategorized

Tags: cherry blossom, Endangered trees, primroses

Garlic Crusher, Hugs and Catching Raindrops

02 Mar

1 On our way home the other day, we did some shopping. My favourite shopping is for kitchen gadgets (or for yarn or fabric!) I love the design of this garlic crusher which works by being rocked over the garlic clove. It is simply beautiful to look at – I don’t yet know how good it is at the job! I’ll let you know.

Garlic crusher

2 In the same shop, I found the perfect present for a very good friend whose birthday was yesterday and to whose birthday meal we are going this evening. Hugs are just what she needs right now.

Beautiful present for a friend

3 We have lots of Spring flowers here in Cornwall already but we are not through the wild, wet season just yet. There are flood warnings for the whole of the Cornish coastline tonight and tomorrow as big winds and big tides coincide yet again and I hope everyone keeps safe. I do like catching raindrops on the flowers in the breaks between downfalls.

Raindrops on daffodil leaves. Zoom in on this one and look at the reflections in the biggest raindrop.

Daffodil opening in the rain

Daffodil with Rosemary

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 2, 2014 in art, Beauty, nature, photography, Postaday 2014

Tags: beautiful design, kitchen gadgets, raindrops

St David’s Day, St Piran’s Parade and Spring

01 Mar

1 In the week we have been away, lots of our daffodils have bloomed so as I opened the curtains on this St David’s Day morning, there they were to greet me and to celebrate my Welsh heritage. Happy St David’s Day to my family, my Welsh friends and all my Welsh readers.

2 St Piran’s Day is on 5th March but is being celebrated in our town, and many other towns and villages in Cornwall, today. You can find the legend of St Piran, the Patron Saint of Tinners and of Cornwall, here.There has been a parade, Cornish music and food, the shops are decorated with the black and white flag and with daffodils to mark St David’s Day too and the celebrations will be going on all day and evening. As Cornish tinners went all over the world to work and to share their expertise, so this day is celebrated all over the world. Do let me know if there is an event near you. Click on any photo for the bigger version.
Happy St Piran’s Day to all my Cornish friends and family here and all over the world.

Leading the band

Child on one of the Tinners’ Hounds, sculpture by David Kemp

Hamilton’s Barber Shop as it used to be

Saint Piran’s flag dating from 1838

Hamilton’s Barber Shop

The Lamb and Flag emblem is used by Redruth Town Council as the emblem for the town. It was originally a mark used by Cornish tin smelting works to stamp the ingots of tin.

The Lamb is part of the Lamb and Flag emblem is used by Redruth Town Council as the emblem for the town. It was originally a mark used by Cornish tin smelting works to stamp the ingots of tin.