Monday, April 01, 2013

Easter bonnets be blowed!



On the coldest Easter Day on record in Britain, I sensibly marked the day, not with a new spring hat, but with new, warm and woolly socks. J Time enough for flowery Easter bonnets when I can actually see some flowers, rather than the patchwork of green and white which still decorates these hills. 



After an unsettling and in some ways difficult Holy Week, Easter Day was lovely. The TV morning service from historic and splendid Paisley Abbey was beautiful and deeply satisfying. The sun shone for at least some of the time, and all day long snow and icicles swooshed and tinkled encouragingly onto the roof of the conservatory and the surrounding ground. This means that ten days after the bulk of the snow fell, our solar panels are at last free of their icy covering and able to generate electricity properly again.

Being unable to go shopping, on Good Friday I was forced to dig out my recipe for hot cross buns and make my own. I didn't go to all the bother of making pastry crosses or glazing them, but they were still delicious and have vanished remarkably fast over the past couple of days. After all, my dough doesn't have preservatives in it and we wouldn't have wanted them to go stale, would we?  We even had eggs for Easter – sadly not chocolate, but scrambled for lunch, but, as my mother would have reminded me, it’s the thought that counts. 


And now it’s April and summer time has started. I have a strong suspicion that spring and summer will come all of a rush this year, but at present spring is on hold up here and we just have to wait patiently for winter to relinquish its lingering grip. It’s also April Fools’ Day, so I will leave you with a link to a simply splendid spoof from the British newspaper The Guardian. Enjoy…..

53 comments:

  1. Glad to see your snow is slowly vanishing Perpetua.
    Please can you give me the unknown name of one of the stores where "Guardian Goggles" are not being sold, because I really don't want any?

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    1. 'Slowly' being the operative word, Ray.....

      I just loved the way the Guardian sent up not only Google Glass, but its own readers. Brilliant! My idea of a walking nightmare.

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  2. I too enjoyed a giggle at the Guardian with my morning coffee.
    I'm glad your incarceration has finished.

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    1. So clever, isn't it? They always do good ones, but I thought this was outstanding.

      I'm afraid that despite the reappearance of some grass, the drifts are still 3 or 4 feet deep in the lane and are melting very slowly. Watch this space....

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  3. New socks for Easter, a first! Hope flowers and birds will come calling shortly.

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    1. Needs must in desperate circumstances. :-) Thankfully we have birds, though the poor things have had a very hard time this winter, but I've yet to see a single flower.

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  4. Love your warm woolly Easter socks. Snow is still hugging the mountains here, but at least we can get out now.

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    1. They are wonderfully snuggly, which is much appreciated in this still wintry weather. I'm glad to hear you can get out now - gives me hope for the future. :-)

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  5. Enjoyed that excellent spoof!

    Good to see the snow is finally retreating and you are no longer marooned.

    We had lovely sunshine today but temp started at a very chilly 1C and then only ever so slowly crept up to a "magnificent" [all things are relative!] 12C by later afternoon.

    Love those socks!

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    1. DH and I really loved it - very subtle in places. :-)

      The snow is indeed retreating, but only from the places where it was thinner because all the rest had been blown into our lane. :-) We're still marooned but the drifts are shrinking, though not as fast as we would like. Up here the temperatures are a couple of degrees lower than the ones the BBC keeps forecasting, so 4C instead of 6. 12C sounds positively tropical!

      Socks R Us. :-)

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  6. Your socks look snugly and warm. Hopefully you won't have to wear them for much longer. I too have a feeling that before we know it Spring/Summer will be upon us.
    Patricia x

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    1. And believe me they need to be. :-) Spring must be round the corner, but we still haven't caught a glimpse of it, even with the days now longer than the nights. Ah well, one day.....

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  7. Love the socks, and I too loved the spoof. Hunting through the Guardian on 1st April is usually a great joy. The socks really are splendid. Jx

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    1. Socks are my forte, Janice, and I can almost knit them in my sleep. :-) My motto is - everyone needs socks!

      The Guardian's April Fool jokes are traditionally some of the best, but I thought they excelled themselves this year.

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  8. I can't believe you have snow, although I acknowledge that it is really cold. May be we have had snow too whilst we were away?
    Love your cosy socks.
    I do hope that your prediction is correct and Spring and Summer are going to rush in, but when?
    Even in Spain the new Spring greening of the trees was way, way, way behind schedule.

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    1. Rosemary, you must have been away when we had the terrific snowfall on March 20th-22nd which brought much of the west of the UK from Mid-Wales and the Midlands northwards almost to a standstill. We've been snowed in now for 10 days and it will be days yet before the drifts finally melt and let us get out. There was snow in the Cotswolds too, but much less.

      Until this bitter east wind finally stops and lets the westerlies in again, I don't think spring is going to make much headway. Spain has been getting the rain we normally get, while northern and central Europe have been exceptionally cold for March.

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  9. Like everyone else, I LOVE your socks - they're nearly as nice as mine!! And the buns, too - they look very more-ish. We've just been watching Paul Hollywood's (?) programme on continental breads - I'd love to try some (the biscotti looked wonderful, but rather sinful, especially the mocha dipping sauce to go with them - Ooh yummy, but not good for us diabetics!!) Do hope you get release from durance vile soon, and that your lane won't be impassable due to more potholes when the snow & frost have gone.

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    1. You know me, I don't believe anyone can have too many hand-knitted socks.:-) The hot cross buns were indeed very moreish, but I shall make them smaller next time so they have a chance of lasting longer. I only caught the last bit of the bread programme, but will try to watch next week as it's on soda bread which I've always wanted to try.

      Don't even mention potholes. DH and I are trying not to think what this long period of freezing will have done to the surface of the lane. I just hope the drifts go pretty soon as we have a gas delivery scheduled in the next couple of week. The joys of country living....

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  10. Your new wooly socks, will certainly keep your feet warm Perpetua.
    Our spring is very very slow in arriving. Its just one day rain after another.
    I would love to have a try at making my own hot cross buns.. yours look delicious .
    Hillarious "guardian" glasses. ):
    Wishing you a very happy week and 1st April.
    val

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    1. They do indeed, Val. I'm sorry that Portugal is getting the rain that would normally be ours at this time of year. This stubborn high pressure is pushing the jet stream and all its rain south over Spain and Portugal, while here it is very cold but dry, with a bitter east wind. Very odd weather.

      I'm afraid I let the bread machine make the dough for the buns and just knead in the fruit before baking. I'd forgotten how easy that makes them. They certainly got eaten very quickly!

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  11. Those are the most beautiful socks! And the buns look fab too. How creative you are. I have to ask - seeing the rate of your sock production - what happens to all the *old* socks? Do you unravel them and re-use the wool, or demote the holey ones to bed socks? Or perhaps send them overland to a worker's co-operative orphanage in Africa, as directed by your Grauniad Goggles... ;)

    It's lovely to hear that things are sounding a bit more optimistic for you this week. I am crossing fingers for a continued thaw for the Welsh hills!

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    1. Oh, the magic of self-patterning yarn! It makes plain stocking stitch look incredibly complex, when in reality no proper creativity is required at all. :-) Not like your iPad cover and flying birds....

      As for the problem of old socks, we haven't actually got to that point yet. Although I made my first pair of socks around four or five years ago, production was very lackadaisical until quite recently. So far all pairs are wearing well, with no holes imminent. It will be interesting to see how long it will be before the first pair has to be given an honourable discharge. By that time we may all be living life under the control of the Goggles. ;-)

      The thaw is continuing, thanks, but at a snail's pace, and I know for sure we're not the only people in the same situation. There's a lot of snow in 100 yards of drifts....

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  12. For the coldest Easter on record, you certainly deserve those pretty new sox, in a very attractive colour palette! Your hot cross buns look absolutely delicious, and I am sure they are far better than any store-bought buns. Spring may well be on its way, because we have had a little bit of Autumn chill the past 2 nights, and even needed to find a blanket for the bed :)

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    1. I'm so much more a sock person than a hat person that Easter socks seemed totally appropriate. :-) There are so many beautiful self-patterning yarns that the only problem is deciding which to choose. It's so long since I'd made my own hot cross buns that I'd forgotten how much better they taste. I may never buy them again.....

      I do hope your hint of autumn presages a hint of spring across the other side of the world, with us shedding bedclothes as you start to need them. :-)

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  13. Love your wooly socks.
    You had commented on my blog that this has been the coldest winter recorded in the UK. That's impressive. I've read somewhere that some scientists are claiming we might be heading into a mini-ice-age. There are records that show cycles of mini-ice-ages in the Middle Ages, and again in the 19th century. What are your thoughts?

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    1. Bother Blogger! It just hiccupped and I lost my reply. :-)

      Glad you like the socks. I need them at present. It's not actually the coldest winter on record, but has been the coldest Easter and the whole of March has been exceptionally cold, with April not yet changing the pattern. I don't know about mini-ice-ages, but after a long run of mild winters in the UK, 4 out of the last 5 winters have been much harsher, with a lot of snow and frost. It's too soon to know whether that's a trend or just a blip, but I do wish this current cold spell would hurry up and disappear. :-)

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  14. Very nice socks! Knitting is such a restful and practical occupation. I think the prolonged time indoors brings out the creative trait in one. I have been thinking of taking up crochet and dusted off a very old leaflet to revisit a skill I once had. Crocheting squares to make a blanket is as far as I could manage, I think. The snow has nearly melted in our little corner of the UK and we were able to get to church Easter Day morning. We are continuing to look after grandchildren during the school holiday and thankful that we can
    travel again.

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    1. Exactly my thoughts, Linda. I think one reason I've been knitting so much recently is to help pass the time while I wait for my eye operations and also while I wait for the snow to disappear. I envy you your crochet skills, however much they need dusting off. It's a craft I like the look of but have never mastered and now knitting seems to satisfy most of my creative urges, whilst my arthritic right thumb would probably make it quite difficult to hold a crochet hook comfortably.

      Glad to hear you can now get around without difficulty. It would be hard to look after grandchildren who have to stay cooped up without being able to go out and about. All that youthful energy! :-)

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    2. Thankfully, the energetic grandson has been booked into sporting activities or a holiday club activity organised by a local church.
      The grand daughter is older, self-sufficient, good company, but still needs us to be on hand.

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    3. A perfect arrangement, Linda. :-)

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  15. Green and white, well it makes a change from just white, but Spring is taking its time to get its act together this year!

    Good thing you've got snug socks and hot-cross buns to keep the chill out and yer pecker up. Happy Easter.

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    1. A lovely change, though I think it's going to be some time before we're back to plain green. As for spring, let's just say I'm not holding my breath. :-)

      Happy Easter to you too. The hot cross buns are all gone, though I'm tempted to make more. :-)

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  16. I'm glad to see that some colour is peeking out of the snow ;-) The socks look fabulous! I wanted to make hot cross buns too, but as I didn't have any sulatanas and currants they would have been "not cross buns". Yours look delicious! I'm off to check out that April Fool now!

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    1. Yes, green is a definite improvement, though there's so much dead grass sround and the new grass hasn't started yet to grow. Highest temperature in the shade here today was still only 3C!

      My hot cross buns recipe uses currants and candied peel, but I may try including some sultanas in the mix next time. As for the socks, the beauty of hand-knitted ones is making them to fit my particular feet. :-)

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  17. I favour those super socks over Easter bonnets any day...any weather.
    I have watched The Guardian spoof three times (thank you for the link) and still found more to enjoy...
    Hot cross buns have been made and devoured...no shortage of takers.....and the first torrential afternoon rains have arrived a month early, so let's hope that the seasons are finally going to change for you too.

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    1. For me hats are to keep my head warm in winter or cool in summer, but not for personal adornment. Socks on the other hand are fun and colourful and make my feel attractively warm. :-)

      The Guardian spoof is marvellous - gently mocking both Google and Guardian readers. It will be hard to top it next year.

      I'm sorry to hear your wet season has arrived early. Will that make life difficult for your farmers and gardeners? Ours are having a truly dreadful time in much of the UK, though the forecaster are at last tentatively hinting at a possible improvement starting next weekend. Fingers crossed....

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    2. Luckily it is very welcome...temperatures have been unseasonably high, pasture reduced to brown sticks, so a downpour is just what the doctor ordered.

      I do hope your forecasters are right.

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    3. That's interesting. This evening we watched a repeat of a Horizon programme called Global Weirding, about the weather extremes being experienced all over the world in the past few years. Records for heat, cold, rain drought, all being broken in different places. Your unseasonably hot weather (also being experienced in southern California) and our unseasonably cold weather are just examples of what's been happening worldwide.

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  18. Celebrating with "lamb's" wool on your tootsies? I love your new socks, Perpetua, and how you made the best of your weather situation there. I hope that snow continues to melt, slowly but steadily as the air warms.

    Your hot crossed buns look so tasty. I sit here imagining the sweet aroma as they bake and their comfort as you ate them over tea, celebrating Easter in such a different way this year, but, celebrating just the same.

    As to the Guardian - tee hee. Loved it! Thank you for sharing so much, Perpetua.

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    1. Yes, lamb on my feet if not in my tummy this Easter, Penny. :-) DH will have to wait for the thaw to finish for his Easter treat. The thaw is happening slowly during the day, but it's still freezing hard at night. Hopefully by the weekend warmer air will arrive, so that it can thaw overnight too.

      Hot cross buns are beautifully spicy and the nice thing about making them myself is that I can add extra spice as that's how we like them. I think I'm busy talking myself into making another batch for next weekend. :-)

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  19. Yet more sock envy from me! And the good old Grauniad spoof was brilliant! Thanks for that, without you I'd've missed it!

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    1. Tut, tut, CB, thou shalt not covet they neighbour's socks. :-) The spoof is so good that I've been busy sharing it far and wide. Totally inspired!

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    2. Are they pure wool or a blend? Because if they're a blend, you're in trouble with Leviticus, so you'd better give them to me and get yourself off the hook...:-))

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    3. A blend, but I'll risk the Levitical curse. :-) No knitter in her right mind would knit socks in pure wool or she'd be darning them before she could turn round. Nice try.... :-))

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  20. I never saw it!. Brilliant.
    And he never once went into a post either.

    Hope you’ve emerged to pastures greening by now. Our snow is almost all gone except for great dirt coloured lumps on the ground and a fringe on the hills.

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    1. Far too good to miss, so I'm happy to have been of service. :-)

      Glad your snow has basically gone. Here the pastures are greening beautifully thanks, but it's the drifts in the lane and along the hedgerows which are proving so intractable. I went to check on them this afternoon and the car will definitely not be heading up that lane for a while yet. The downside of living on top of a hill instead of at the bottom.....

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  21. Please may I have your hot cross bun recipe - I fancy having a go at it. Then I might just have a go at the ordinary rolls, and a packet of special bread mix for savoury rolls as well, if I can sus the dough programme on my Panasonic! We're away this weekend - will the buns freeze?

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    1. I imagine so, though mine vanished before I could think about freezing any. :-) I'll get the recipe typed out tomorrow and send it through.

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  22. To whom it may concern:

    My hot cross bun recipe, using machine-made dough, is now on its own page. I'm sure those who are more energetic than I am could knead the dough by hand with excellent results.

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  23. Dear Perpetua, that spoof was a delight! The British do this so well. Here across the pond we seem to have a heavier hand and lack a real sense of humor about much of life! I just chortled when I saw the man stick out his head beyond his neck the third or forth time. And the "liberal" strain was a hoot! Thanks for sharing this.

    And thanks for sharing both the socks and the bun recipe! Peace.

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    1. It's a stroke of genius, Dee. I've watched it several times now and have laughed out loud every time. So clever. :-) Like you, I think we British are rather good at laughing at ourselves and our foibles. Comedy and satire have been an important part of our culture for a very long time and it's good to see the tradition being carried on as well as this. I'm very glad you enjoyed it so much.

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  24. The hot cross buns look delicious Perpetua. Fortunately on Easter Day, several people brought in additional refreshments for our post-Eucharistic Coffee Hour which included some home-made hot cross buns, as well several 'Beránek', a cake in the shape of a lamb which is a Czech Easter speciality.

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    1. And they tasted as good as the looked, Ricky. As we're still in Eastertide, I plan to make some more this week, and may even do all the finishing touches this time. I love the thought of cross-cultural Easter festivities, symbolised by different foodstuffs, :-)

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