~Yorkshire Produce (with lots of links)~

On my way back home from the Yorkshire East Coast, I called in at Drewtons Farm Shop on the A1034 in South Cave.  At the BBC Good Food Show in June, I'd picked up a leaflet on the Yorkshire Wolds stand about this new venture that opened last year.  I love a mooch around a good farm shop for quality local ingredients to cook and bake with. There's a food hall and also a tearoom, deli, butchers, wine cellar and home accessories as well as private dining and holiday accommodation.
I bought some Mercer's of Yorkshire Lime & Basil Mayonnaise to use at my first event for Time for Tea @ Lavender Attic on 3rd September and also 2 lovely chicken breasts which were made in Thai Green Curry very nicely by 16 year old L!  I also bought Atkins & Potts Rose Syrup, though not a Yorkshire product, I love roses and just fancied experimenting with it. I made some lovely rose shortbread with it yesterday, along with Betty's China Rose Petal tea and it's delicious.The family are enjoying the recipe testing, too! For more ideas about our great county's food visit the Deliciously Yorkshire website.

~More Bric-a Brac~

I've just returned from the Yorkshire seaside where I paid an overnight visit (husband and child-free) to my Mum and her friend P, who were both having a stall at a car boot sale here at Strawberry Fields in Bridlington.  I've found lots of treasures there over the years, so couldn't resist a quick jaunt. It fitted in well as J and my husband P were off fishing together all day today. So,last night, we had a nice girly evening in at Mum's seaside caravan and an early start this morning to Strawberry Fields...
Amongst today's treasures is this tea cosy-  I know I can knit, but it's the real-deal of tea cosies!

I also bought a huge white damask tablecloth and 12 napkins for £5, and colourful doilies too numerous to mention...

By 10.30am I was on my way home, but called via Hornsea (as in Hornsea pottery), I can recommend the charity shops there, if you get the chance to visit. I got this black teapot for £1, the fold-up cake stand for £1.50, 6 viners cake forks for £2 and the teacup and saucer for 50p.

...and 4 Woods ware bowls for 80p. Lastly the rose cake plate and 4 side plates for £1.50.

Time for a thrifting rest now methinks. (And some more Ebay listing perhaps to make some room!)

~I ♥ Custard Creams~

If you're from the UK you'll be well aware of the divine Custard Cream - two pieces of biscuit with a fondant centre decorated with it's characteristic swirly relief design.  Apparently there was a BBC News poll a few years ago which said it's the.favourite biscuit of our nation. As a child of the 70s, I loved breaking them in half and biting the cream off them, before dunking them in my tea. Still ♥ them as much.
Today we have been to a nearby outlet shopping centre, not very frugal I grant you, but we were on the lookout for school shoes for J. In the M&S outlet there was this biscuit tin in the guise of a giant Custard Cream, and better still it was filled with them!

So, I treated myself, it was £3.99, and also bought a bra and 2 pair of knickers from the clearance rail for £2.98. That I spend more on biscuits than underwear, probably says a lot about me. I'm just on eBay listing some items for sale, and see that these tins, even when empty, are selling in excess of £8.99; can you believe it? Also checked the calorie content of one custard cream, which is apparently 57 kcal. The shocking revelation that (just) 34 would satisfy my daily calorific intake has made me hide them in the pantry.