Soops kitcheners

What a lovely treat for a very nearly 6 birthday girl and for you and your DH I'm sure kitty Can't wait to hear what she chooses. The sparkliest dress in the shop maybe? Have a lovely day together.

GD1 chose a puce, very full, tutu for her birthday last month

Looking forward to your blackberry and apple pie rosequartz Yum!

A very cheerful and sunny good morning to my lovely kitcheners...I'm so lucky to have your company.

kitty yes, please tell us what the dress is like. How exciting for the birthday girl.

Hang on a mo' while I pop back to catch up on the rest of the posts. Don't go too far...and, in my brief absence, don't go gobbling up all the goodies. There should be more than enough to share.

bags dear pal, thanks for the Empire biscuits. Most appropriate. Care to share the recipe? x

ffinnochio The hops in our garden are also looking lovely. The changing colours of the blue hydrangea are beautiful...tints ranging through palest turquoise to a pretty green. I enjoy Autumn. Walking through crunchy fallen leaves and picking glossy blackberries still delights me. x

Lona surely you are not suggesting that some of us lot like a tipple or two before the sun goes down behind the thingy... Tut! To be honest...when a neighbour calls in, we have been known to sup a wee dram...however, we are, more often than not, a very sober twosome.

Soutra Lona dusty when and rose and our lovely Bella...(((hugs)))

Can I recommend Chateau Soutra? I juiced several lbs of our black grapes this morning and it is an impudent little vintage, tending towards the "sec" but very quaffable!!

Hello everyone. Back from my hols. Glad you're all still here. Not got round to catching up with everything that has happened in the kitchen yet but Bella and Soop hope things look up for you soon. ((huggs)) and for you both and all who are having difficult times at the moment.

Soutra come out of the naughty corner and help me with these bags. I've brought back some goodies for you all. Here are some fresh scones, jam and tons of cream (the low fat kind of course ) there's fudge too (no prize for guessing which part of the UK I have been to for my hols) and what's this at the bottom of the bag ..........a scented candle oops! I guess that means I must have given auntie the scrumpy then
Enjoy your weekend all. Catch up next week when I've emerged from under the pile of ironing. Holiday over all too soon

Go on then, Soutra an impudent little wine would go down very nicely with cheese and biscuits. Will it improve with age...like us lot?

Hello and welcome back dear Crafting that's one of the down-sides of holidays...no sooner have you unpacked and got sand between your toes, than it's back home to sort the laundry. It sounds like you have enjoyed a welcome break from routine. Tell us more when you have caught up with the usual routine.

MacSporran came down from the loft armed with several old videos of family gatherings some twenty three or more ago. We've laughed and we've shed a wee tear too. The memories came flooding back. My late father holding his first grandchild of one week and telling funny stories...my sons looking like school boys and reminiscing about the time they had a band and used to put on concerts...such fun. MacS's 50th birthday gathering in Sudborough, Northants...all the family on both sides, arriving at Woodbine House for a party. Then there was my 50th and family piling into a private mini bus to ferry us to a lovely olde worlde restaurant in Northants. My now 40 year old son home from boarding school [he's in his teens] with a shock of longish curly hair. Our beautiful boy cat, Hamish...sitting alongside us on the terrace in Cornwall. Trips to the Cotswalds...we look so fit and youthful. We are about to commit the best bits to disc and we shall take them with us to the family gathering in Oakham...where once again we shall laugh, and maybe shed a wee tear.

Should read...twenty three or more years ago.

Oh soop I know Oakham and also Sudborough - those place names bring back memories of friends and school when we lived in Northants. As you say, happy days. Most of my photos from that many years ago seem to have discoloured over time, wish we'd taken more movies like you!

Oh, and welcome back Crafting!

moomin Northants is a lovely county. The wee villages of thatched mellow-stone cottages are charming. Where did you go to school? I went to Weston Favell infant/primary school (happy days) and then on to the Convent of Notre Dame. (not such happy memories for me)

Have exercised on my bicycle. Feeling "the glow" so I'm off for a wash and brush-up...followed by the Saturday night G&T. Slainte! I shall return in the morning.

Posted in a rush today. Just noticed mention of bags' empire biscuits then read up thread. I don't know what happened bags and Soutra but hope you are both OK now. If a recipe for empire biscuits is going, I would love a copy of it please, shop bought ones are tasteless. I used to do the cheats version, two Royal Scots biscuits with jam in the middle and icing and cherry on top

The Chateau Soutra went down very well with all the treats on offer today Soutra. A delightful aroma with a quite wonderful aftertaste. Not sure about finding out if it will age well with us lot. Hic!

Lovely to have you back Crafting. Sounds like you had a good holiday. Hope your auntie enjoys the scrumpy

I get very sentimental looking at old videos soop. Always have a wee bubble especially seeing my parents who are no longer here

A wonderful idea to take along to the family gathering. Torben especially will enjoy seeing his family in their younger days.

Righty-ho! I'll get an Empire Biscuits recipe sorted. Will link when done.

Here yous go, Soopies, one biccie recipe. I seem to have done the jamming and icing bit in a comment, but you probably don't need instructions for that anyway!

Thanks so much bags. I have printed it off and will get the bits I need tomorrow. Will be passing it on to DDs too

Hello to anyone who's still around. What an absolutely glorious few days we have had. It helps with the mild post holiday blues.

I've finally put away the suitcase and rucksacks, I now have to sort out the 3500 photos we took. Eeeekk!

I haven't managed to read through the entire thread but it is clear that there are some Kitcheners who don't have their troubles to seek. Here's to so many of you going through difficult times with strength and grace (raises ).

Are we still here? I keep expecting us to hit the magic number and like Cinderella (well, her coach) , turn into pumpkins.
There is sadly one thing missing from Chateau Soutra- I know, alcohol ah well, at least we can't be breathalysed when we mount our trusty broomsticks.
Northamptonshire is an underrated county I agree. Everybody enthuses about the Cotswolds but it can be just as lovely in places. Recently we went to a 70th birthday lunch at Rutland Water and the drive up past Rockingham Castle was stunning.One of my favourite "howfs" is the Fox and Hounds near Althorp and I used to shop at Weston Favell, soop our village is near Olney, south of Northampton. It is indeed a small world!

Soutra you can get off the 'norty step' now that you have brought your Chateau Soutra, just the thing to go with Bags's Empire biscuits which have no calories whatsoever!

(perhaps we need to make some United Kingdom biscuits while we still can? Ooh, wrong thread!).

Where are all the British plums? I keep seeing Spanish plums in the shops. And how I long for some damsons, please could someone make some damson jam, even a virtual taste would be lovely.

I remember the days when Rutland was a proper County and I cycled all the way to Rutland Water and stayed in a Youth Hostel.
Oh that my knees would allow me to do that again!

Didn't go to school in Northants soop, but eldest DS went to school in Oakham for a time. Yes Soutra Northants is a lovely county isn't it, I agree as good as the Cotswolds in parts and less traffic! Rockingham Castle has such a splendid position overlooking the valley doesn't it.

I had a friend whom I didn't see for years who lived in Olney, I kept meaning to go and see her when I still lived in Northants but didn't and then heard she had died Very annoyed with myself.

Thanks for the Empire Biscuits recipe Bags. I shall make some for youngest GD who adores them, although she does insist that they are called Vampire Biscuits after her Mummy made a specially decorated batch at Halloween. Like Agus my family always made these with Royal Scot biscuits - always kept a packet handy to make a quick treat if visitors turned up on a Thursday or Friday - baking day was Saturday. You can't buy Royal Scot biscuits anymore, but Abernethy biscuits are a reasonable alternative.

Hope everyone has had a gorgeous day again - 22 degrees in the car this afternoon and at 8.00pm we had a huge orange sun setting in the East AND a big yellow moon rising in the West. We always seem to get glorious weather once the children are back in school

Is that plain or sr flour bags?

rosequartz you are welcome to a jar of my damson jam. I was kindly given a bagful by a friend this year, I had none. I am really keen to try the Empire biscuits recipe. What a treat!
Just been to see a fantastic production of Journey's End, and cried my eyes out. I didn't realise til I got home to the light that I had panda eyes from where my mascara had run.
Granny23 - where are you, that your sun sets in the East???

Just seen the clock - it's my birthday!

Happy Birthday Icy. I don't know of the lmks work!

Links B tablet And fat fingers!

Happy Birthday Icy