Vintages - A brush with Silver

 Cutlery for daily use

I'm an avid collector of antique glass and silver accessories and am always on the lookout for anything with a silver handle, tableware, sewing tools, buttonhooks, powder jars, salts, trays, mirrors and brushes, even ink wells and handbags. I have a special weakness for silver cutlery with bone handles, which I use for everyday use. They do require slightly more care than stainless steel which can just be thrown into the kitchen sink, but the little effort is worth the pleasure.

Cutlery close-up

Vintage and antique accessories add a special touch to any room, no matter what your décor. Glass and silver on crisp white linen looks great on a table for a special dinner party or celebration, together with flowers in any vintage or antique vase.

A sketch of Hydrangeas on my dinner table arranged in my vintage Hollands pewter pitcher from the mid-1950's.

Out of my collection - A Fish knife on Cut glass knife rest - Sheffield 1899

Amid the cruets and crystal on a formal table, every proper Victorian hostess would have set out - to the right of each place - a gleaming knife rest: an artful little bar that handily propped up knives to keep the tablecloth spotless. Rendered in such rich materials as cut glass, silver and bone, rests came in a wonderful array of elegant and whimsical shapes. Whether newly minted or antique (now the province of collectors round the world), these charming accessories can still ad a note of festivity to any well-appointed table.

Some of my silver collection displayed on Cut glass knife rests. The knife on the left is a Silver Wedding cake knife - Sheffield 1921, all in daily use.

Dressers or vanity tables are another great place to use and display your silver and glass collection. Today's vanity tables, though less elaborate than those of a century ago, can be just as appealing - especially when enhanced by cosmetic brushes with antique silver handles that not only recall a luxurious era, but also impart a soft glow to the complexion.

At the turn of the century, a vanity table always included an assortment of jars, or cabochons for holding creams and salves, as well as hair, make-up and clothes brushes.

A fan-shaped brush is especially good for applying blush and highlighting cheek-bones. When you hold any of these brushes in your hand, you experience a sense of continuity and permanence - a link to the past.

My guestroom Vanity

Hallmarked Silver and Blue enamel brush set

Silver Hallmarked hand mirror - next to it is an antique Silver chain mail mesh purse (unlined) dating from the Edwardian era c1908. Specially for those evenings when you don't have pockets and don't want to carry a purse! It's just big enough for an ID and a lipstick and a couple of R100 notes.

Close-up of chain mail mesh purse

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Spring and Peach blossom bath oil

It's almost the end of August and spring is in the air! It's been a couple of weeks now that my almost 20-year old peach tree has been threatening to blossom and this week it happened! I was afraid we might get a cold spell (not that it can't still happen!) and that her buds would be killed. 

Did you know that peach blossoms are edible? The flavour isn’t very strong; the petals are sweet, and taste like nectar. The flavour has been likened to almonds.

 

Peach blossoms are used for adding colour and flavour to dishes. Scatter pink peach blossoms onto a salad or soup or use as a garnish for a dessert. Peach blossoms can also add colour to drinks or punches. Pluck the petals from the base of the flower because the rest of the flower can be rather tough.

Peach Blossom bath oil

This time of the year is when I make my own Peach Blossom Bath Oil. Using an essential base oil like Almond oil, I pour it into a clean Nescafé instant coffee bottle (because it has a wide mouth), add a couple of handfuls of peach blossom petals, screw the lid on tightly and leave it for about a week. I then pour it carefully into a pretty bottle (I have a great collection of those!), careful not to disturb the peach blossoms as they tend to break up and make the oil look murky. Once in the new bottle, just for good measure and for prettiness, I add a couple of fresh petals and voila! your own peach blossom bath oil!

Some interesting facts on peach trees :

- The blossoms of the Peach tree are pale to dark pink in color and have five petals.

- The Peach blossom appears before the Peach leaves.

- The delicate pink Peach blossoms may be large and showy, but sometimes are quite small.

- Peach trees (Prunus persica) grow 15-25 feet high. Their slender leaves have toothed edges.

- Peach trees start to bear fruit at 3 to 4 years old, reaching a peak at about 12 years.

- Peach trees are native to China and have been cultivated there for over 2500 years.

- Peach blossoms are in the same genus as plums, cherries, apricots and almonds.

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Marigolds and tea

Many of us have Marigolds in our gardens. From the small, miniature variety to the large Tagetas erecta, they are well-known for their habit of spreading all over the garden as their prolific seeds are blown by the wind, spread by birds and inadvertently by the gardener herself as they are cleared out once they die off as winter approaches. I myself am a great Marigold-lover as they are so useful to fill empty spots in the garden, growing in just about any type of soil. But did you know that Marigolds or, the official name Tagetes, makes a great cup of tea?

By drinking marigold (calendula officinalis) tea you can treat gastric ulcer and infections of mouth and throat and improve digestion by stimulation of bile production and also helps to cure menstrual cramps, liver disease and constipation. Marigold has also anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Marigold is mainly used externally to treat bruises, wounds, eczema, skin disorders, haemorrhoids and burns.
Resource

I just made myself a pot this morning, so here's the recipe : 

Marigold Tea Recipe:
To prepare Marigold Tea, boil 1 liter of water.
Then, put 1 or 2 teaspoons of the plant and allow it to infuse for 10 minutes.

Drinking Calendula tea 2 or 3 times a day works as a body cleanser. It acts as a detox, protects your liver, gall bladder and other internal organs from long-term failure or damage. It is also noted for reducing sore throat and fever associated with common cold and other infections. Also, it aids the body in absorbing food, particularly fatty food items. Calendula tea, if consumed after you eat, can prevent symptoms of heartburn as well.

Against bile disorders, drink at moderate temperature 2 to 3 cups a day, and it can also used in dressings, bandages and compresses. The specific species Tagetes erecta has been used for 100′s of years for traditional and herbal medicine. In Modern times, this plant is used for the yellow die you can create from it.

Some of the ailments Tagetes erecta helps with are apparently kidney issues, muscular pain, ulcers and wounds but can also help with earache. For external purposes the leaves are used on boils and carbuncles.

The most important part of the plant is what it does for your eyes. Lutein is the main ingredient of the plant and that is very good for your eyes. The lutein acts as an antioxidant and protects the eyes against cell damage. Lutein filters some of the sun’s damaging rays. Lutein can be found in your eye’s macular region but you only get lutein from the food you consume.
Lutein info from Wikipedia 

Evolution Magazine proclaims the health benefits of Marigolds as such :

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
The major advantage of consuming Calendula tea is basically the nutritional elements present in it. Marigold contains lots of beta carotene, a nutrient present in carrots. Beta-carotene can boost the body’s defense mechanism, cut down the risks of some forms of cancer, and helps prevent rheumatoid arthritis as well as other bone-joint inflammations. In short, you’ll get almost the equivalent beta-carotene from drinking this tea that you can from consuming carrots, in addition to a rich dosage of vitamin-A to boot. Calendula tea also consists of other sugars and oils that, along with beta-carotene, can help improve your immune system greatly.

Prevents gastrointestinal problems
Calendula tea is usually beneficial to those struggling with gastrointestinal problems. Calendula can shield the linings of the intestines and stomach by suppressing the prostaglandin-E1 (PGE). Also, it can help limit the negative impacts related to gastritis, stomach cancer and peptic ulcer.

Promotes healthy skin
As mentioned above, Calendula contains carotenoids, which serve as antioxidants that enhance healthier skin. This tea could be applied externally by using a piece of cloth to alleviate several skin problems like bug bites, rashes, scrapes and minor cuts. This tea can be utilized to give your skin a healthier look and many people state that it can help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Women’s health
Another fantastic benefit to consuming Calendula tea is the fact that it controls menstrual periods in females. During these periods, drinking Calendula tea can relieve pains related to abdominal cramps also it can lessen the incidence of menopausal flashes, headaches, and nausea or vomiting. For people who’re struggling with menstrual problems, Calendula tea can help alleviate and reduce the pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.

They say the Marigold is a good rain doctor also! If the flowers are closed in the early morning, it will rain that day. When picking the flowers, you should only pick in the bright sunshine and in the middle of the day.

(Disclaimer: It should not be used if there is hypersensitivity or allergy to Calendula. It should not be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding because its effects are unknown. It is not to be used in open skin and eye irritations. Interactions with other drugs have not been described, although due to the presence of mucilage, there could be a potential risk of delay or decreasing the oral absorption of other active principles.)

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Monday - what a day!

I have quite an impressive "to do" list right now and was able to mark a few off today; do the filing, buy some compost, paint a little table white, sort out my walk-in dressing room, clean and pack all the kitchen utensils and taking pics for this post. What a day and a great start to this week, it feels like Wednesday already and it's only Monday!

Pic for filing

Pic for compost

Pic for little white table

Pics wic

Pic of kitchen utensils holder

August is when the first sign of spring arrives in the garden. Fresh shoots start emerging and your garden starts readying itself in anticipation of the coming months. My Monkey-tail cactus is already sporting her first flower, very early in the season.

The weather is changing from the cool of late winter to warmer days and nights. It's been a short winter this year and not as cold as it usually is here. I have the feeling it will be a long hot summer.

A little extra help and encouragement such as a layer of mulch and fertiliser will not go amiss and is a perfect way to prepare your garden for the burst of growth and activity that will erupt throughout the spring months. But there is still a wrist of frost, especially here where I live, so I won't be cutting all the dead stuff until I'm quite sure that it has really warmed up.

August is a great time to plant spring and summer annuals :

Pansies
Petunias
Lobelias
Dianthus (sweet William)
Begonias
Gazanias
Alyssum
Calibrachoa (million bells)

Indigenous plants are always in fashion because they save water, grow well in our environment, are fast growing and colorful. These are just a few that you can get from your local garden centre:

Vygies
Osteospermums
Nemesias
Diascias
Gazanias

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Cucumber salad

With warmer days looming just around the corner here in South Africa, it's time to put all those lovely cucumers you've planted to use! The benefits of cucumbers are legendary (you can read more here in a previous post) and they are so easy to prepare. So here's a lovely quick and easy cucumber salad to spice up your life.

1 cucumber
10 black olives
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 spring onions
½ lemon
½ fresh red chilli
5 or 6 sprigs of fresh mint

Run a fork down the length of the cucumber all around it, then halve and quarter it lengthways and cut the quarters across into 1cm (½in) chunks. Put them into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Drain 10 black olives, squeeze out their stones, and tear them into another bowl. Pour over 2tbsp balsamic vinegar and push down on the olives, so the vinegar starts pulling out their saltiness. Trim and finely slice 3 spring onions, then add to the olives.

Drizzle 4tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of ½ a lemon into the olive mixture and stir really well.

De-seed and finely slice ½ a red chilli and add to the bowl of cucumber. Pick the leaves from the sprigs of mint, finely slice them and add to the cucumber. Pour over the dressing, toss quickly, drizzle over a little more extra virgin olive oil and take to the table and enjoy!

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Birds and bliss

Nobody else knows your reason for being. You do. Your bliss guides you to it. When you follow your bliss, when you follow your path to joy, your conversation is of joy, your feelings are of joy — you're right on the path of that which you intended when you came forth into this physical body.
--- Abraham-Hicks

Birds... those lovely little creatures that just brighten up any day, no matter how cold. Without any complaints they just go about their business, finding food for the family, basking in the sun on a bare branch, singing soft melodies that gladden the heart.

Having the birds in my garden visiting my various bird feeders makes me feel so special. Makes me feel alive with purpose. Brings a smile to my face and makes me feel grateful to be part of Mother Nature who surrounds us and takes care of all her siblings, me and you included.

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Green tip #2 : Baskets and cut flowers

 Have a basket handy at the back door for putting your cut flowers in 

Ever gone into the garden to get some cut flowers and ended up having to lay them somewhere on the grass, risking having them bruised, just because you can't carry it all? 

Keep a basket handy at the back door or close to where you will be cutting and collecting the flowers - this way they are carefully put together, also saving your hands from any thorn pricks and scratches. 

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Become a food gardener

Set a trend in your area: join the food-growing culture - instead of a visit to the gym for muscle-toning and aerobic exercise, pick up your spade and a bucket, and head for the garden. An hour or so outdoors gives you plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise to boost your immune system and keep you trim!



There is no doubt that by being part of the process of growing our own food (even if you are just starting off with a simple herb garden or veggie patch or some greens for the chickens) we heal ourselves and become more spiritually rooted in our bodies. Food gardening provides exercise, fresh air, sunshine and mental relaxation that are vitally important for boosting one’s defense system. If you haven’t already started your veggie and herb patch, get going and give yourself a break – in more ways than one. Don’t think for one minute though that if you don’t have a large plot of land that you cannot grow at least some of what you eat. Nasturtiums from my garden often make it to the salad bowl and dinner-plate, easy and within reach!

All that is required is a small piece of soil - set aside a space in your garden for planting some lettuce, carrots, cabbage, herbs or any of your favourite vegetables. Some of the vegetable plants are really beautiful and won't detract from the look of your garden unless it is very formal or you're going with a specific design. My favourite way of gardening is indigenous and cottage style, it gives me far more leeway to be creative, offer food and shelter for the birds.


Start an organic farm on your kitchen windowsill.

It will save you time, money and water. Sprouts are the easiest-to-grow, most power-packed, year-round food. They grow very quickly, are always fresh and are, uncontaminated by pesticides. You can eat them everyday in salads, stir fries and sandwiches, in soups and stews, or just as a snack. They are the most economical food and use very little water to grow. The rinsing water can be used in your garden, or added to the cooking pot.

Some seeds from your kitchen cupboard that you can sprout: Lentils, chickpeas, soya beans, peas, peanuts, mung beans, fenugreek, mustard, and alfalfa or Lucerne. You can even sprout onion and broccoli seeds, but make sure that you never eat the seeds from the packets that you buy for planting in your garden. They may have poison on them!



How to landscape with edibles
Like all plants used in the landscape, edible plants grow best in certain conditions. Many (but not all!) fruits and vegetables do best where they receive at least 6 hours of full sunlight a day. Most also like well-drained soil. Parts of your garden that satisfy these conditions are good places to start an edible landscape.

To start simply, consider a one-for-one substitution. Where you might have planted a shade tree, plant a fruit tree. Where you need a deciduous shrub, plant a currant or hazelnut. Edible plants come in nearly all shapes and sizes and can perform the same landscape functions as ornamental plants.

Why landscape with edibles?
There are many reasons to incorporate edible plants into the residential landscape. These include:

- To enjoy the freshness and flavor of home-grown, fully ripened fruits and vegetables
- To eliminate pesticides and herbicides used on the foods you consume
- To increase the food security of your household
- To save on grocery bills
- To grow unusual varieties not available in stores
- To get outside, interact with the natural world, and have fun

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Antipasto Platter

With the weekend coming up, quick and easy meals are always welcome. Whatever you're serving up in this cold weather (we're almost at the end of winter now here in South Africa), whether it's a hot stew or a pasta dish, a fresh, tasty salad is always welcome.

Antipasto (plural antipasti) means "before the meal" and is the traditional first course of a formal meal. Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella) and pickled meats and vegetables (both in oil or in vinegar).

The contents of an antipasto vary greatly according to regional cuisine. Here in South Africa, an antipasto platter would generally consist of salad material like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and many of the ingredients which you can find in your own vegetable garden, perhaps including some cheese and croutons.

If you’re planning a party with lots of guests, keep the antipasto simple so you don’t crowd out the main meal.

Quick and easy Antipasto Platter 
Serves : n/a
Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : n/a Oven Temperature : n/a

Ingredients:
Cocktail Onions
Dill Cucumbers
 Green Stuffed Olives
Black Pitted Olives
 Jalapeno Chillies
Pickled Onions
Calamata Olives
Artichokes
Pimento
Mini Corn Spears
Asparagus
Few slices Provolone cheese or cheese of your choice
Few slices salami Freshly sliced tomatoes.

Method:
Arrange all the ingredients attractively on a serving platter.

Cook's Tip : Garnish with fresh basil and serve with Olive oil and vinegar




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