Last weekend in England, the Formula One races were held at Silverstone. Silverstone is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Northamptonshire, England is the home of British motorsport. It just so happens that Silverstone is only a thirty-five-minute drive from our previous home in England.
(Let me wind the clock back a bit- to the year two thousand and sixteen.)
My sports-loving, English husband planned an exciting venture for us to see the Formula One race- that was held at the Silverstone Racetrack. What an exciting opportunity this was!
This exhilarating Formula One experience- is the inspiration for this week’s blog post. The children and I made a traditional English Trifle to go alongside an indulgent hot cocoa (which is a nod to my own personal Silverstone experience). I will also share a Silverstone-inspired, homeschool craft- as well as some of my favorite Silverstone-inspired, vintage finds.
Let’s race to the kitchen, shall we?! Or as they say in Formula One, “Lights out and away we go!”
~An Outing at Silverstone~
I remember the day quite clearly, my husband had tickets to a Formula One Silverstone race- and he wanted me to come along with him.
As I said before, I am not a huge sports fan, but my persistent husband would not take “no” for an answer. So, away we went.
I am thankful that he insisted I come along- for it is not an experience that I shall soon forget.
I remember how surprised I was that the F1 cars were so noisy as they sped past. They were much louder than they were on the television! I also had no concept of just how fast the F1 cars were!
They sped past the track- almost before you could turn your head to follow!
This Formular One race was an outing for the senses: the thrill of the noisy cars, the flashes of light- as the cars raced by, the smells of hot coffee and hot chocolate wafting about the air, the taste of the sweet and savory concessions, and the feeling of hands clapping together in congratulations of the winning team.
A real delight!
~A Rainy, English, Summer Day~
The day we went was a chilly, rainy, English, summer day. I remember feeling quite damp and cold, but not miserable enough to dampen the palpable excitement that filled the air.
Craig-wanting my first Formula One experience to be a happy one- promptly rushed off to buy me a hot chocolate. This simple loving act was much appreciated- as I was colder than I would have ever admitted.
I can still say, that was one of the best hot chocolates I can remember having- as it gave a happy warmth to my hands, body, and soul.
The rich hot chocolate, the excitement in the air, and my handsome company made the day a sweet moment in our newlywed life.
~The Red Arrows~
I also remember seeing the Red Arrow Jets fly above our heads- as we watched the race cars “fly” before our eyes. In fact, the highlight of the day for me, was seeing the Red Arrows flying in the sky above the track.
The English Red Arrows are the United Kingdom’s Royal Airforce aerobatics team-who put on elaborate air displays that the public can… and do, enjoy at special events.
As the Red Arrows fly, they emit colorful rows of red, white and blue steam (for lack of a better word). These colors are also representative of the Union Jack flag.
The rows of colorful, trailing vapor create an enchanting visual that can be seen for miles around.
They are a real treat to see!
~Our Homeschool Red Arrow Craft~
If you have been following my posts, you may have gathered by now that I enjoy easy crafts as a part of my homeschooling curriculum.
This week, I thought it would be fun to make window art to symbolize the colors of the Red Arrow’s vapor. The colors are red, white, and blue.
Of course, these are also the colors of America- so this simple activity could be done as a fun fourth of July arts and craft.
We used tissue paper, popsicle sticks, wooden stars, silver ribbon, sequins, and glue- to create a stained-glass window effect.
The children enjoyed doing this together at the kitchen table, as they learned a bit of the history of the English Red Arrows.
~Our Silverstone Treats~
As a nod to my personal Silverstone hot chocolate experience, I made a warming hot cocoa that I knew the children would especially enjoy. (Despite the summertime heat we are experiencing).
I also made a homemade English trifle, because the colors of the English pudding (dessert) reminded me of the Red Arrows’ air display.
~Warming Hot Cocoa~
Hot cocoa never lasts long in our family.
While, I do not always make this special treat, the children always enjoy it when I do-often clamoring for more.
This is a simple recipe that uses cocoa- as I often have cocoa powder on hand. However, other chocolates would do the trick as well.
Sometimes, to make this treat extra indulgent- I like to add chocolate chips for a richer, fattier taste and mouth feel.
This simple recipe can be easily adapted, by adding more or less sugar, or experimenting with different milk fats and chocolates.
The whipped cream, in my opinion, is a must!
~An English Trifle-Inspired by Silverstone~
English Trifle is a dessert that my husband remembers eating as a child. I was first introduced to this decadent dessert by Craig- as we bought a Bird’s eye Pudding packet- to make our own trifle, per his request.
This sweet, layered dessert was a favorite thereafter.
Since being in America, we have ordered a Bird’s Eye trifle kit to make the English trifle here. However, seeing as those dessert kits are not as easy to come by in America, I thought I would make my own English-inspired trifle.
Trifle does take a bit of time to prepare but it is a fairly simple recipe.
~The Layers of the Trifle~
A trifle’s layers can be adapted by adding different fruits, but my children and husband prefer not having the fruit included (go figure).
The first layer is made of Jello (which the English often call “jelly”) and ladyfingers. Ladyfingers can also be hard to come by in America, so in a pinch… cake can be baked and added to the Jello layer. In fact, adding cake would have been the original way English trifle was made- as a way to use up un-eaten, leftover cake (which doesn’t usually exist in my home).
The second layer is made of a rich vanilla, egg custard.
The third layer is made using homemade whipped cream and decorated with fruit or hundreds and thousands (also known as sprinkles).
While there is no blue in my layered dessert- the red, white, and blue in the sprinkles reminds me of the enchanting Red Arrows of Silverstone.
This dessert would be a lovely addition to a birthday party or a Christmas feast.
~Silverstone-Inspired Vintage Thrifts~
I found these crystal and silverplated drink coasters at a thrift store. I love the star detail on the crystal bottom, and I immediately knew these would be a useful addition to my household. Because there are four, they look lovely in a stack on a coffee table… or just scattered about areas of the home where you may want to protect any wooden furniture from water rings.
I knew these would be a lovely accompaniment for my indulgent hot cocoa.
A simple, lovely way to protect the tabletop- while also looking beautiful.
~A Scalloped Frame, Revamp~
I also found this vintage wooden picture frame. It actually was framing a simple painted canvas (which I am sure will make a debut at some point). I was drawn to the frame, simply because I liked the lovely little scalloped edges. However, it was a dark reddish color which was not my favorite.
I did not let the color stand in my way-no, no! I used some paint stripper and sandpaper to remove most of the original finish, and then I added a bit of wax to finish the frame.
Lastly, I replaced the original print with a thrifted teacup and saucer print that I had found at another time.
I like having pretty frames that I can just switch artwork in and out of. I also like to use the frames to layer and decorate spaces, so this little frame was a fun addition.
~Until Next Time~
I hope this post again inspires new recipes, new traditions, and new creative expressions.
In fact, I thought I would end with a creative expression that reminds me of the 1980s.
This photograph is nothing flash or fancy, quite the opposite really- it is a photo of an ordinary kitchen sink…
An ordinary kitchen sink… that just so happens, to be splashed with beautiful colors-that made my children shriek with excitement- when they saw these ordinary- yet extraordinarily colorful, waterlogged sprinkles.
The magical colors made them all smile, so I hope a bit of a mess in the kitchen sink makes you smile too. Seeing the world through the eyes of children can remind us all to find joy in the ordinary.
Until next time…
