Our life in this little house by the Thames get´s closer to it´s end. We are searching new home.

We have enjoyed life here in Isle of Dog´s not least because of this little community of our neighbours where we have always felt really welcome.
...but our little house is going to be sold and we are looking for a new home to move.
Here are few fun memories from past!

Christmas decorations from salt dough

I invited my friend Pia to try out Salt dough, and she had her little dog Pepe with her as well.
We did different kind of shape of "cookies" from dough, to decorate, and use them for Christmas decorations!
We have some very fun plans to paint them, and use them as a little gifts and surprises for friends.

How to do Salt dough?

2 cups of normal wheat flower
2 cups of salt (fine)
1 cup of water

just mix everything together, work on dough a little to get air bubbles out, as you don´t want your "items" to be too puffed.  Bake them with low temperature before they start looking dry, you can also try them.. we used little higher temperature, 120c was fine and depending on thickness of your cookies it will take 30-45min to dry them. don´t forget them in to the oven.

Before starting, cooks need to have something to eat and drink!

When dough was done, I rolled it as long as it was thin enough

Pia was cutting cookies

we had lot of different shapes, not very christmassy thoug

Lady of the house in action

This is how thin they should be.. or thinner

Ready for decoration! 

Visit in Audley end house

We wanted to see something beautiful today.. so took a car and drove to Essex and Audley End House.
It is one of the most amazing places I have yet seen.
Very grand still, but it is now only third of what it has been on it´s biggest.
Roomes where big but very cosy, and stables where amazing too, accommodating 3 horses.
Garden was beautiful, and little river near the house with it´s black and white swan was like icing on cake.
Audley end house was ones palace, in all but renowed as one of the finest Jacobean houses in England. It is currently in stewardship of English Heritage though remains the family seat of the lords Braybrooke.

Ready for Experiencing amazing house! 

I it amazing, and look at the way bushes are shaped! 

View from the house

He is training he´s dog for hunting birds :(

Snap Shot from upstairs window

Front of the house

Gate to shop and servants

Back of the house was equally amazing

it was all very beautiful, and weather was great too

Black swan.. and white. They where so beautiful

Me dreaming.. and holding my poodle girl Siiri

Stalls

As I was not allowed to Photograph in the house, I have found you few photos to share from internet, so you have an idea how it was.

Entrance to house.. the hall was huge

This must have been ladies day room

Look at the wall fabric. Isn´t it amazing

All amazing paintings, furnirture.. it was just beautiful

Kitchen

Almost like real life Downton Abbey!

This is how big the house has been..

and this is what is left from it.. and yet amazing. 

Hope you enjoyed my photos as I surely enjoyed my visit!

Christmas!! It is getting closer and closer..

I am going to give a "Christmas Treat" for all of you..  with Christmas that is going to start already on Movember.. uups.. November I meant to say! How many of you knows someone taking a part for Movember? I know few, and funniest is Little dog called Pepe who is growing he´s whiskers and taking a part. He is just few moths old so there is lot to grow! Go Pepe Go!

My window will look stunning

..and I am starting my Christmas decorations earlier this year, so that you have some time to
do things well a head if you want to make something that I will post to my blog.

There might be "new type" of traditional decorations coming too...

I have been lazy, but it is simply because I have been singing my first big opera role, Turandot, which was my Operatic Debute, and it took lot of time and effort.. but now, back to basics!!

I love old fashioned Christmas!

I have lot of plans for this christmas, it might be our last in this beautiful Victorian cottage, so I will take everything out of it. I have some fun plans to decorate our window´s some flower arrangements, my "traditional" paper doilies on windows, I try something new with them,  Salt dough decorations, and so much more.. oh I can´t wait to get started!!

Stay tuned!

Love

Serafiina

Victorian Christmas decorations are adorable

New Blogger

Oh Mine.. I hate new phones, or anything that is new for me in technical terms.. and when new blogger came.. it is just so confusing that it took me weeks to find my blog.. as it really came out with different email adress.. etc. what a thing. Anyway..
lot has happened to me since my last posting, and I try to catch up with all of you, and start arranging christmas , that will be unforgetable.. as we have no idea, if we are going to live in this beautiful house when next summer comes.. and this truly is one big Christmas dream for me.

Love

Serafiina

Serafiina´s Italian inspired Shortcrust pie!

I am big fan of Pie´s, as you can vary with them so much. One most important thing is to make great base where you can add almost anything, sweet or sauer.
So how to do a crust.. You can by it.. or just make it at home it is not difficult.

this is how nice and soft your pastry should look like

I used just  old recipe I have had forever, ( can´t remember where have I got it)
Here it is for your your comfort!

All you need is:
125g plain flour
Pinch of Salt
55g Butter, cubed
30-45ml/ 2-3tbsp cold water. (you may use more if pastry is "flaking and crumbling" But be careful not to add too much.. One spoonful is much in this pastry!

Put the flour and salt in to a large bowl and add cubes of butter
use your fingertips to rub the butter into flour until you have mixture that resembles coarse breadcrums with no large lumps of butter remaining.
Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.

I placed whole crumble to my pie dish, and flattened it there with my fingers.. Mary Berry would have cried if she would have seen me.. but I wanted to have rustic edgy feeling to my pie, it suppose to be country pie and nothing fancy.
When I have lined my tin, I used knife to clear the edges so that it looks nice in the end.
Be careful not to leave the pastry too thick, it is not what you want and it is surprisingly strong and holds a whole pie together. Ideal is about 3-4mm crumble.. or thinner if you have good eye.. That is why most of the people roll the pastry.. (I am not like most though).

When I am done with pastry comes my favorite part.. Filling!

I am going to have onions, chicken, basil, with cheese sause.. it will be delicious!

I often collect things I need in to one place before I start

For the filling you need: 
1 Large handfull of basil (see the picture)
6 Small size onions (again see the picture)
500g Chicken in small peaces.

For the cheese filling I used 3 old peaces of cheese, and 5 dairylea cheese trianles (in Finland we would use Koskenlaskija Cheese) , you can really use what ever you have in your cupboards, this is great way of using left overs.
Grate  all the cheeses, and add them to little pan where you add 5dl  milk and let all the cheeses melt in there to create even nice creamy sause. Let the sause cool down as you must mix whole thing with eggs and if cheese sause is too hot eggs will boil and you ruin your cheese filling..
Then take a 4 fresh  eggs and whisk them so that they become nice and foamy.
Mixx eggs and cheese sause together.

Pour this Cheese & Egg filing on top of the fillings you already have in your tin.
I used tomatos on top just asa decoration and finished it with tiny bit of grated cheese to create nice color and crusty top to my pie.

Bake whole thing in oven in 180c for a 40min.
(if top is starting to get too deep golden brown, you may lower the temperature, it depend quite a lot about your owen.)

Take a look at pictures they may give you some explanations to your questions!

Onions already in a tin, and cook (ea.Me) got a glass Rose wine!

Chicken must be in small peaces so that when you cut your pie later on they are easy to cut within.

Chicken was cooked before adding it to pie! 

 This mount of basil may feel much but aroma soften in owen so feel free to use as much as you like!

Onions, Chicken, and Basil already in tin! 

I whisk the eggs and cheese sause before pouring them in to tin

I used tomato just for the decoration

...and in last minute added some grated cheese on top of everything!

My pie might have been in the oven little too long, but I still like it.
I rather have something little over cooked than raw..

Crust came out nice and rustic as well

You may serve you pie with, what else than: More basil!

Hope you enjoy your pie!

Working on terass, and enjoying from Sun!

My little garden id growing, it is pathetic that I have to plant everything to planters as we are waiting to find a new house to live. Yes.. we must give up fromt his fabulous old house.
There is just too much wrong with this beauty and it would be just impossible to live here while doing renevation so we simply try to find a new house.. not an easy task to do after we have been so lucky to live in such a place. I have become really picky.

Never mind that.. Here is some photos from our Gardening day with Siiri my poodle.

Siiri and empty boxes waiting tubers and seeds, and lovely black compost! 

Hydrangea and Atzalea already growing! 

I must organize these boxes better..

Left our Vine and right tiny Lemon tree! Cute?

Common Mint is waiting to get growing.. other hers are already there! 

Look our Vine already have a grapes! 

I love these aluminium signs! 

I planted this marigold year a go winter and not it´s blooming!?!

Lemon tree is beautiful

Herb Jungle

Me, "the" proud gardener