Thursday, January 23, 2020

Friday Five: Domesticity and Reading



Our snow is but a memory, quickly melted and washed across the land into the sea by the unrelenting waves of rain that blow in from the Pacific. It's gloomy out there, but on Wednesday, when the rain let up and a bit of weak sunshine braved through around 5:00, I noticed that it was not quite as dark as it had been a few weeks previous. Spring is on its way!

I bought a bunch of tulips at the grocery store and they've lasted more than a week. I trim them as they get rather leggy and long in the water. 


Mugs and cups of steaming tea are consumed throughout the year, not just in the winter. A cup of tea in the morning sets things up for the day for me. The blue and white teapot is from Ten Thousand Villages, made in Vietnam, and given to me by my youngest daughter a number of years ago, and I love it. It makes a good amount, and I'll have a second cup when there's time.


Tim gave me the Ladyship mug a couple of years ago, and when I saw the matching Lordship version, I wanted to get it for him. They are good-sized mugs and are perfect for those mornings when neither of us has to go anywhere, ie the weekend. 

That brings to mind Lady Grantham's words from Downton Abbey "What is a week end?" 

Well, there's another one coming up, and I'm pleased about that! The second term of school finished this week and the new one begins on Monday. 



I made a Roasted Grape and Blue Cheese Flatbread to accompany a soup meal recently. The combination of sharp cheese and sweet fruit is a winner for me. 


I've finished this stack of books; some are better than others. I really enjoyed A Single Thread, about women who embroidered church kneelers after WWII, and The Right Sort of Man, a lighthearted mystery also set after WWII. 

The cookbook on the bottom is all about Persian food and my mouth watered reading it. I like cookbooks with stories, short ones, attached to the recipes, do you? I tried an Orange Chicken recipe from the book and thought it delicious. Tim thought so, too. Turmeric, saffron, orange, onion, cinnamon, and more combined to make it both comforting and fresh-tasting. 

Rain is in the forecast for the foreseeable future. Lots of tea is in my forecast! Happy Weekend.

18 comments:

  1. Lorri,

    Your Friday post is a delight to read, as always! Gorgeous tulips, pretty blue and white teapot, and I love the Lord and Lady mugs. The Roasted Grape and Blue Cheese Flatbread with its combo of sharp cheese and sweet fruit would be a winner for me too. I'm off to find the specific books you mention as they sound delightful. And I love Persian cookbooks with stories attached to the recipes. I made the orange cardamon cookies from one lovely book I read several years ago, and now I'm off to find this one.

    You've given me a lovely start to the week-end (wink). Here's wishing you one that's beautiful in every way. Brenda xox

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  2. I loved Tracy Chevalier's book, not just because of the stitching, but also remembering those times slightly, (only a child of course!)

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  3. Your post is perfectly timed for me - I have stilton cheese left over from the Christmas season and had decided to use it in a puff pastry tart. Grapes would be a great match, something that I hadn't considered and I may add a few walnuts too, so thank you.
    I have been without a computer for most of January so no emails or contact with any of my friends, but plenty of reading has been accomplished.

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  4. The mugs are wonderful, though imagining a morning without coffee is a challenge. On the other hand, an afternoon without tea is also a challenge. Our corners are so very different. I can not allow myself to think of the word that rhymes with string or I would be setting myself up for deep disappointment. ☺️ I’ll just enjoy yours until...

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  5. Your teapot is very pretty. Apparently, Ten Thousand Villages stores are closing. I've always enjoyed browsing in them. That flatbread looks delicious. I'd like to read the Tracy Chevalier book. Happy Week-end!

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  6. My daffodils and other bulbs are peeking through the leaf litter marking the approach of Spring! I love that blue pot, really gorgeous. Happy Friday!

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  7. That bread sounds wonderful! We are having a very rainy day here in NC.

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  8. The teapot is quite beautiful I love the shape and blue and white porcelain is so classic.
    That’s quite the book stack you must be a fast reader...am reading a book by Canadian author Helen Humphreys called Machine Without Horses and it’s quite interesting. I want to read her book Evening Chorus as it was a contender for the Governor General's award.
    Enjoy you big mugs of tea this weekend!

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  9. Oh that teapot is lovely, and your tea mugs are perfect! I adore Lady Violet, she had the best lines!

    Enjoy your weekend. We're to get rain tomorrow.

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  10. The Tulips are so pretty and definitely make me think spring.

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  11. Fun mugs! Love the teapot. I'm such a fan of blue and white in dishes and accessories. How nice to be able to enjoy those tulips for a full week and more. I'll have to make note of that book about ladies who embroidered church kneelers. We saw so many beautiful ones somewhere...maybe at the Washington Cathedral in D.C. or maybe in England. hmmm.
    Beautiful looking flatbread, sounds delicious, too. Well Persian food is always welcomed to my palate. Right now the closest I can get to a Persian Restaurant instead of making it myself is in eastern B.C. just above us about an hours drive...
    Happy weekend to you!

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  12. The tulips are just amazing. I know someone who might love a book about the church pews thank YOU!

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  13. I've even drank hot tea this week....it's been THAT cold! lol Love your pretty mugs! And I'm glad it's the week...end! Hugs!

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  14. Great Friday Favs, your blue and white teapot is so pretty, greta fun mugs too.
    I like coffee in the mornings, and enjoy tea in the afternoon, fresh ginger tea has become such a favorite of mine.

    A bouquet of Flowers this time of year always brightens the day and lets me know that spring will soon be here., tulips are a favorite of mine too!
    Thank you for your visit and sweet comment., we will be going home today.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  15. That first sentence? Gorgeous!

    Great mugs! I remember the night I heard her ask about week end and the look on her face. The only cookbooks I like are those with stories. There is a cook from Georgia called Nathalie Dupree, don't know if you've ever heard of her but she once told a true story with a recipe that is as romantic as any novel I've ever read. And any novel is better if cooking has a large part in it.

    You make the prettiest breads!

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  16. Lots of "prettiness" here dear Lorrie - the pink tulips, the teapot (enjoy the warming brews), adorable mugs, a great looking flatbread (Rosemary used your grapes idea in her puff pastry version today, and I will be making one this week to use up my Stilton aging in the cheese drawer of the 'frig. . . . . . .before the pong knocks me over!!!!

    Those books sound interesting - I've not read any of them. Yes, cookbooks need little personal stories aside from the recipes - they are what make those particular books so interesting, for me anyway.

    Happy day - Mary x

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  17. Hi Lorrie

    The Persian chicken recipe sounds so delicious! I will have to look for that cookbook at my local library. The bead you made also looks like a wonderful treat.

    Your lord and lady mugs are very unique. I have a "Queen Mother" mug I adore that I bought in Belfast years ago.

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  18. Yum! The roasted grape and blue cheese flatbread looks very tasty.

    All the best Jan

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