London in Late spring May 2018

I visited London in the last week of May 2018, met up with Jonathan, who was at Heathrow Terminal Four waiting for me. He took the Mega bus down from Bristol, its a two hours plus journey. He preferred the Mega bus than the National Express bus, he said, because it is spacious and it stop at his University, that is very convenient if you have big luggage.
Anyway London is in full bloom during this time of the year, but I guess if its early spring it will be  prettier, I missed seeing those crocuses and daffodils sprouting out of the ground in early spring. Still its great to be back in the springtime. This time I went alone because Jonathan's dad is
busy with work.

Pretty roses at Spear Mew

Jonathan interested in Photography, along Notting Hill

Beautiful Colorful Petunia along Earls Court Road

Table Setting event with fine bone China

Just the other day I attended a table setting event, there were quite a number of people who wanted to learn more about it.
There were pretty tea sets made of fine bone China and porcelain, cutlery to pair with the dinner setting. The event was brief but we did managed to acquired a bit of those fine etiquette needed to correctly use those dinner and tea time setting. I myself has got a Royal Albert tea sets of fine bone China which I treasured, I bought mine from Selfridges, London, well over twenty over years ago.

Invitation to  Table setting and etiquette

Beautiful fine Bone china

Peggy Porschen delicious cake

Just the other day I was looking through my collections of cookery book and what a pleasant surprise, I had forgotten that I have a copy of Peggy porschen  Love Layer cakes book. Her shop at Belgravia, London is the most instagramable place. Just looking at all the pictures posted makes one wants to go there and experience the pinkish fairy tale atmosphere and taste the beautiful and tantalizing cakes there. It also has a baking academy offering diploma courses in baking.
I tried one of the recipes from the book, lemon, raspberry and rose cake and it was so delicious. I will be trying out other recipes from the book when I crave for a delicious cake next.

Lemon, Raspberry and Rose cake

Peggy Porschen Love Layer Cakes baking book

Christmas fruits and nuts cake

A good family friend gave us a Christmas cake that he had bought  from Melbourne, Australia.
It's a Christmas cake made in Australia, when i was younger my mother used to buy big sister's fruit cake in a box imported from Australia, at that time we do not know how to bake a fruit cake and furthermore it required a long baking time. Nowadays the ingredients are easily available and thus you can bake anytime you feel like eating a fruit cake and not only during the Christmas season.
I am thankful for our friend KS.T for the very tasty fruit and nut Christmas cake that he has given us, at least it spurred  me to bake a fruit and nut cake just the other day,and it turned out beautifully and it tasted so yummiest too. I think I had this recipe which I had been using on and off from Better Home and Garden magazine. I just roughly estimated all the nuts and fruits and bind them with the flour mixture or you can follow the recipe below, bake the cake in the oven for about two hours.

Tasty Australian Fruit and nut Christmas cake

My fruit and nut Christmas cake

The Recipe for the above fruit and nut Christmas cake

Reminiscing fondly Good Housekeeping Magazines

Recently I was clearing out some of my old stuff and came across many old Good housekeeping magazines, USA editions. I then took quite a while to look over some of the magazines, especially the December issues which was full of good quality pictures and recipes. Those were the days when I was really looking forward to the Christmas issue and every year I will  get a copy to see what recipes will be published. I am happy to say that I learned how to bake gingerbread cookies from one of its issues, tracing the template on cardboard and cutting out the dough to make a big reindeer and Santa Claus. As I sit there flipping the pages it brings back happy and fond memories of those younger days.

My treasured Good Housekeeping Christmas Issue Magazine 1990

Jumbo Santa Gingerbread recipe