~Why Traditional English Food Matters to Me: ~
Are you interested in learning about traditional English recipes? Do you appreciate the cultural significance of foods? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then this is the perfect place for you! Welcome to my blog space!
By experimenting and recreating many classic English foods, we will discover the magic of English cooking (and baking)- for both the past and the present. Some of the recipes I feature on my blog are strictly English, while others may have a slight American twist. Either way, each recipe is filled with love and is full of personal stories. Often the stories themselves have led me to the recipe.
Let me first explain why I choose to celebrate traditional English recipes.
~Why I Celebrate Traditional English Recipes: ~
As far back as I can remember, I have enjoyed being in the kitchen. Learning alongside my grandmother, my aunts, and my mom. I was always content to quietly sit at the kitchen table and observe. There was always something about being still in the company of those I loved that was special to me. I suppose making traditional English recipes brings me back to such times.
As I grew older, I was allowed to experiment and try new recipes. One of my childhood specialties was homemade fudge. Fast forward another fifteen or so years- and I became a high school home economics teacher. One of my favorite classes to teach was Food and Nutrition. The students and I were able to experiment with all kinds of new and exciting recipes.
Incidentally, I taught a favored unit of study called Cultural Foods. Little did I know, that in the future, I would experience a new culture’s foods on a more personal level.
~Living in England~
Fast forward a few more years- I married a man from England and found myself living on the outskirts of the iconic Cotswolds. Here I was emersed in the English country lifestyle and was able to sample many new British foods.
Spending time in English tea rooms introduced me to some lovely English desserts and cakes. Being invited into authentic English homes allowed me to sample foods like Sunday roast dinners– filled with roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings-along with apple and rhubarb crumbles.
My husband, our first daughter, and I lived in England together… for a little over two years, before moving back across the pond. After my family and I made the move back to America, I wanted to bring the English recipes I had grown to love with me. Therefore, it has been my personal goal to prepare traditional English meals- and proper English desserts- as much as I can. This act is for the benefit of my English husband and our four precious children.
I would be thrilled if you would join me on this cultural taste testing adventure- where I seek to use English recipes (sometimes with an American twist) to bring joy to my kitchen table and home.
~English Bread Recipes: ~
English bread is truly a delight.
My time living in England, taught me that fresh English bread was a culinary delicacy. After sampling many different English breads, I could honestly say that fresh English bread was hard to beat! If asked to describe English bread, I would answer by saying that English bread is crunchy on the outside… yet pillowy soft on the inside. Not overly sweet, and yet full of richness. Perfect fresh- or lovely toasted. Truly, you cannot go wrong with a freshly baked English bread.
Upon moving back to America, I knew I needed to re-create this delightful English bread. I began my bread making adventure with my English loaf- and have since branched out to make tiger loaf bread, English muffins, and crumpets.
By using my experiences, and my English husband’s expert taste-testing advice, I have expanded my baking repertoire. Naturally, I would love to share my recipes with you all.
~English Dessert Recipes: ~
I will admit, I have a sweet tooth. Truly, I enjoy desserts (in moderation- of course). Baked English desserts are both delicious and beautiful. Many iconic, English desserts can be found in any high street bakery, tearoom, or cafe.
In order to have access to all my favorite English desserts- that I miss so much, I knew I would have to bake them myself. This is where my journey of baking English desserts and treats began. Any opportunity to try a new English treat is always welcome in our home. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for special English recipes that remind me of my time spent living in England.
Here is the ever-growing list of my favorite English desserts and delights:
~English Seasonal Recipes: ~
England is known for many things, not least of all… its traditions. Many English recipes are still passed down through the generations. I think it is important to carry those traditions on-by making and preparing these same delicious recipes from the past. In doing this, the past recipes continue to live on. Those generational recipes grace the tables of the present… while continuing to give joy and nourishment.
Living in England for two years allowed me to experience some wonderful seasonal foods and recipes. I continue to learn about these recipes from my English husband (and the help of my English family). Generally, I seek to perfect my recipes by studying old English cookbooks and by using good old-fashioned trial and error. This information is then paired with my English living experiences and my family’s personal tastes.
While my husband (Craig) does not cook the recipes (mind you), he does tell me what he remembers eating as a young boy. These early memories of his, help to lead my English recipe endeavors. My husband and my children are my official taste testers.
It is the cumulation of all these nostalgic memories, experiences, and recipes that has become the regular inspiration for my blog posts. Allow me to share with you some seasonal recipes that my family and I enjoy making together:
~English Sunday Roast Recipes: ~
English Sunday roasts are a real treat.
In my two years living in England, I had the pleasure of eating many Sunday dinners in local pubs and in the homes of authentic English people. There was generally always a meat, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots, parsnip, lots of gravy, and a pudding.
When my husband and I arrived back in America, we knew we would have to create our own version of an English roast. This is something we often do together as a family. How special for our children to be a part of these English traditions that we are establishing in our own American- English home.
Most notably, we enjoy English Roast dinners for Easter and Christmas. Together, we have perfected our family’s roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese, and Yorkshire puddings. It is our hope that our four children grow up with memories of mom and dad preparing an English roast dinner together at Christmas and other special times of the year. Meals together truly are valuable and important.
Note: You can see our Christmas meal in the seasonal link above, or by clicking here.
- Cauliflower Cheese
- Yorkshire Pudding and Roasted Potatoes (featured in one post)
~English Inspired Meal Recipes~
My English inspired meals are either English by nature, or they are inspired by my time living in England. These meals are an amalgamation of traditional English foods and American foods. The recipes are often created based on my family’s personal experiences that pertain to England in some way.
In my opinion, a recipe is like a story as it tells the personal preferences of an individual- while linking to cultural or nostalgic appreciations and memories. Therefore, each recipe I feature in my blog also has a story tied to it. Allow me to introduce some of my family’s favorite English inspired meals to you now:
- Lasagna (Inspired by the English Rock Band-Oasis)
- Pork Cornish Pasty with an Unexpected Apple Surprise
- Indian Curry
- Beef and Beer Meat Pies
~ Storied Recipes (Recipes Inspired by My Time in England) ~
Naturally, being an American, some of the recipes I feature in my blog posts will be recipes I grew up with in America. However, many recipes are an amalgamation of different cultures. Therefore, I use my life experiences -and stories- to lay the foundation for many of my family recipes.
Generally, these recipes tie back to my time spent living in England. For, my favorite recipes are the ones that tell a beautiful story. As you follow along with my blog, you will see me weave life stories throughout my writings and my recipes.
~English Table Settings and Tea Tables: ~
Beautiful tables are both welcoming and lovely.
Personally, I enjoy making my family dining table feel special- even on normal days. I believe that you can celebrate life in many ways… but one of my favorite ways to do this is by preparing and sharing good food.
Setting a table to be warm and comforting is a skill that anyone can learn. Using thrifted glassware or china pieces, any table can be made lovely without spending a lot of money. My favorite tablescape items to decorate my table center with are thrifted candlesticks and fresh flowers in thrifted vases. I truly believe that sharing a meal with yose you love is something of great value.
If I can make mealtime feel welcoming, while offering delicious nutrition to my family, then I have accomplished a good thing. I hope and pray that my family table is always a safe place for my children- and husband- to celebrate both the good days and the hard days of life. Hopefully, each time we leave a meal together, we feel valued, loved, and rejoiced over.
We would be thrilled if you would join us as we share our family meals, desserts, and table with you all.
~Future Recipes: ~
Cooking and baking are something I enjoy doing.
Naturally, being a mom and a wife, cooking is something I do every day. Being a homeschool educator also allows me to add cooking and baking into my homeschool curriculum. It is important to me to teach my children how to experiment in the kitchen. So many life skills can be learned through baking and cooking.
Because I enjoy cooking, I am also keen to try new foods and increase my repertoire of recipes. Therefore, this list of recipes will continue to grow… so be sure to check back here as I will always add new English inspired recipes and baked treats. I will also share some of my family’s favorite meals and the memories we make along the way.
If there are any particular English recipes you are interested in, please let me know in the comments so that I might further explore those alongside you.
Cooking and baking is only part of what I do with my family- please do check out my other areas of specialty: thrifting, crafting, and homeschooling to see more English inspired ideas and inspirations.
