Friday 21 June 2013


Feels Like Home Already……
Hi Vintage Lovers,

 
This is the view I have woken up to all week.......and I couldn't be happier.

The Old Croft feels like home already.

 

Our move went very well but we are still in a state of chaos until everything is sorted out. As the kitchen is still in the middle of being renovated we are actually cooking out of our laundry for the time being..........
 

and our kitchen table and old leadlight cabinet is in the family room for now to store all the pantry food. We are using office desk for all our other kitchen bits and pieces. It certainly is rather cosy at The Old Croft right now!


 
We have the fires roaring tonight.........it has been soooooo cold this week. So glad we have 4 wood heaters in our old girl. Sally has decided that the best spot right now is next to the fire in our library.


 We are having a night off tonight. It has been a huge and hectic week here. I am certainly looking forward to the weekend.
 I am exhausted, ready for my bed.........but very, very, very, happy.

Have a great weekend everyone.
Mel xx



Tuesday 18 June 2013


Sticky Date Pudding Recipe
 
Here's my Sticky Date Pudding recipe as promised.
Sticky Date is one of my favourite puddings to make and to eat........as you can see it doesn't last long!

Sticky Date Pudding

340g Dates
120g Butter
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb Soda
340g Brown Sugar
340g Self Raising Flour

Toffee Sauce

400g Brown Sugar
250g Butter
200mls Cream
Vanilla Extract

Boil the dates and Bi-Carb Soda together in 500mls of water. Combine other ingredients and then add cooled dates. Combine all. Bake in large cake tin for about an hour at 150C.

To make the sauce, mix ingredients together in a saucepan and cook until golden.

Enjoy.

Mel xx

 

Friday 14 June 2013


A Crazy Week,but a great one at that.....
Hi Vintage Lovers,
 
It's been a busy week here with lot's of things happening. I would love a hot bath right now and to curl up next to a roaring fire, but that's going to have to wait until we move. Might have to just settle for a hot cup of tea and a bickie for now......


and light my Brown Sugar and Vanilla Jurlique Candle.

Apart from packing, packing and more packing this week......

we have had to take out more unsafe wiring that the electrician has found. There has been quite a bit of it in the kitchen. The wiring in the photo below was wrapped around the wall from the kitchen to the front lounge room and connected into a power point.


 
 
 
 


The plasterer has also been back this week to run the channels down the walls in the kitchen.



 
 
Wayne and I spent most of today looking at fixtures and fittings for the kitchen. We found exactly what we wanted at  Old Adelaide Restoration Centre down in Adelaide. The shop is fantastic and they have everything you need for your restoration. Can't wait to get all the fittings to the Old Croft to see how they look.


We even had time for a quick coffee before picking the kids up from school.


The week was finished off with a family dinner at our place with my Mum and Dad who have just returned from a six week holiday in Europe.


We cooked pea and ham soup (perfect for a winters night) and I whipped up a sticky date pudding that went down a treat. I will post the recipe for the pudding next week for you all.


Moving Day tomorrow.
One sleep to go.
Yay!

Hope you had a great week too.
Mel xx

 
 
 
 

Tuesday 11 June 2013


Mel’s Traditional Shortbread Recipe
 
Here's my traditional shortbread recipe as promised. I have been baking this recipe for years (too long to count) and is very much a favourite in our house. I always make a double batch as they disappear way too quick.
 
Mel's Traditional Shortbread Recipe

180 grams of margarine

1/2 cup of caster sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1/2 cup of self raising flour

1 and 1/2 cups of  plain flour

Preheat oven to 180C. Cream margarine and caster sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat again. Add the two lots of flour and mix through. Knead the mixture into a ball. Lightly flour a board and knead the mixture until it is smooth without any cracks. Roll it out until it is about 1/2cm thick. Using biscuit cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place them on a foil covered tray. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy.

Mel xx

 

Saturday 8 June 2013


Back to Bare Bones
Hi Vintage Lovers,

We have had our electrician and plasterer back this week to do some more work on the kitchen.

The plasterer has put on a rough undercoat on the walls and the electrician came and hung all the wiring, ready for the plasterer to come back and cut out all the channels.

 

 
 
 I have been busy madly packing this week also....


the shed is certainly filling up with boxes.
 
It's also been a week of baking.
 

 
 
 It will be the last lot of baking for a while due to the 4 month wait on the Aga. I have been making the most of the oven while I still have one. I will have to go to Mum and Dad's for a while to do baking. I am sure they wont mind. J

I will post the recipe for my shortbread bickies for you in the next day or so.  They are so delicious!

This time next week we will be calling The Old Croft home.
One week to go !!!!! Yay !!!!
 
Hope you are having a fabulous weekend everyone.
Mel xx