This week the children and I are excited about making homemade biscuits and bunting flags!
Before we begin, I suppose I should clarify what I mean by a “biscuit.” If you are from America, you may be thinking of a soft, fluffy, savory bread. If you are from England, you may be thinking of a sweet, crispy- crunchy, treat. Technically, both thoughts are correct, but today we will be referring to an English biscuit- which is akin to an American cookie.
Our homemade treats are inspired by an English Hobnob. A Hobnob is a sweet biscuit that has a delightful oat base and a creamy chocolate topping. I have several fond memories of eating these Hobnob delicacies while living in England, and I will share those a little later in this post.
The bunting flags were a fun project that I did alongside the children. While this project was a little more in depth than my previous paper bunting flags – the children still enjoyed learning along with me.
We do love a craft and a confection in this family – so come join us for a fun week of English biscuits and bunting flags.
~Tea and Biscuits~
Drinking tea and eating biscuits is an important aspect of the English routine. If you are invited to someone’s home, you most often will be offered a cuppa tea and a biscuit. Equally, if you go to a community event or a church service, you most often will be offered a cuppa tea and a biscuit.
You can see where I am going here- tea and biscuits are very much a part of the English culture. *To read more on this English tea culture click here:
Of course there are exceptions, and naturally some English people prefer coffee to tea- nevertheless, a hot drink is never very far away.
~How Many Cups of Tea Can There Be? ~
In the English winter, the days are often drizzly and gray. Therefore, a cuppa tea and a biscuit, is the most comforting of all refreshments to be offered on such days.
Looking back now, I smile, as I remember how I had to get used to being offered so many cups of tea.
I can recall more than a few home visits where I was offered a cup of tea (which I happily accepted). Then just a short time later- the host was offering a second round of tea (which I again happily accepted). But by the third or fourth offer of tea, I had begun looking around, thinking…is this for real? Just how many cups of tea do these English people drink in one sitting?
In hindsight, I learned that it is not that uncommon for some English people to drink anywhere from 3-10 cups of tea a day! It’s simple really- one cuppa tea when you wake up, one cuppa tea in a thermos as you go for a walk, one cuppa tea for your return… and so on and so on. That single cup of tea can quickly turn into ten cups of tea with that math.
It is worth noting, that I may be exaggerating just a tiny bit. Who says Americans can’t have a sense of humor?
~The Fondest of Tea Memories~
Being back in America- I do not always drink tea in the same manner- but I do look back with such fond memories of my tea times in England and realize what a lovely ritual, tea drinking is.
The warmth of the mug, thawing your cold hands. The simple comfort of the tea warming your body…all the while, quieting your busy mind.
Ahh, the English cuppa tea, a lovely comfort for me!
~English Biscuits~
English grocery stores have an abundance of lush biscuits to choose from. Some biscuits are made for dunking, while all English biscuits are good for munching.
One of my favorite English biscuits is the Hobnob. A Hobnob is undeniably a lovely treat…even for the harshest of cookie snobs.
A bit of a backstory: I gave birth to my first daughter in the English wintertime. Naturally, I had a bit of a learning curve in regard to many things, namely nursing. One of the midwives suggested pumping and nursing to help increase my milk supply. “But” she instructed, “Make sure you are eating enough calories- so be sure to stock up on your favorite treats for a few days, and don’t forget to enjoy those sweet newborn snuggles.”
Following this instruction, my kind husband went to the supermarket and returned with loads of yummy English chocolates, salty crisps… and of course, a box of Hobnobs.
Still, to this day, when I eat a Hobnob, I am immediately transported back to those early, exhausting days of motherhood.
~Homemade Hobnobs~
In America, you can occasionally find Hobnobs at Publix, in their international section. Sadly, as they have come from such a long way across the pond, they are sometimes not as fresh as they would be in an English supermarket.
For this reason, I thought it would be fun to try and re-create my own version of a Hobnob for my husband and children.
Now that’s enough of the dilly and dally- let’s go into the kitchen and get to baking, shall we?!
~A Recipe Made with Memories and Love~
~Bunting Flags~
As I have mentioned before, bunting flags are commonly seen in the English Cotswolds- in cafes, tea shops, and village fates. When I first moved to England, I really enjoyed seeing the lovely bunting flags that were often displayed throughout our village. They created a whimsical, playful atmosphere.
When our oldest daughter was born, we bought her a set of bunting flags from a shop on the high street. Since then, we have purchased a set of bunting flags (from England) for each child we have had- to hang above their beds.
Being directly influenced by this charming English decoration- I have since learned to make my own bunting flags. I am always drawn to fabrics with florals, stripes, and polka dots -as they remind me of the prints and patterns, I saw in the Cotswold cottages.
In my opinion, bunting flags are a lovely little accent that add a pop of color and sense of enchantment to any space.
~A Beautiful Bunting Beginning~
Our bunting flags began as a project “round our kitchen table”- a place where many happy things begin.
Picture this: my precious children (all four) gathered around, trying to squeeze into any available space – under an arm, underfoot, onto a warm lap… leaving nary an inch for mom to move.
(If this scenario makes you chuckle, I’d be willing to bet, that you must be an empathetic mom.)
My children love being near, even when I could use “a wee bit of breathing space”- they seem to be blissfully oblivious to this fact.
How endearing, and how sweet, that they still want to be with me in this way-like a mother bird with babies under her wing.
“Pause”, I remind myself. “Pause”, “smile”, “savor”- for the days are long, but the years are short.
Motherhood is “sew” sweet. (See what I did there.)
I digress, onwards and upwards, back to the bunting.
~Bunting Stages~
~A Vintage Sewing Basket~
I cannot fail to mention my lovely sewing and fabric baskets that I picked up at a thrift store. As previously mentioned, I love baskets. They are very handy for organizing- and they add a lovely woven texture to almost any room.
My sewing basket is one of my favorite “basket” finds. It is “sew” handy to tote my sewing supplies around in. I love it most because it has a note written on the bottom of the basket. It is addressed to a granddaughter, and it was given as a birthday gift. The message shares that the basket was used as a sewing basket for a generation of women.
A basket with a story to tell- now that is a basket for me.
~Until Next Time... ~
Lovely English biscuits- and floral fabric bunting- make my heart sing.
The biscuits are delightfully delicious; the bunting is a decorative pleasure- both look enchantingly beautiful. Thus, making a home fit for a king! (And imagine…all accomplished without spending a king’s fortune.)
A bit of creativity, a bit of laughter and fun, and just like that…a new feeling of warmth has begun.
Learning, laughing, imagining, all happening by simply gathering “round the kitchen table” and living.
Table moments, tender times-all worth a billion dimes.
I hope you all enjoyed following along, and hopefully, gaining a few new creative ideas to try out in your own homes and kitchens. (If you enjoyed this bunting flag post, why not read about another style of bunting while you are here?)
See you all next week.
~Elizabeth~
I love this! As always your biscuits look fab. Bunting is also amazing!
Thank you, Keri! I have some more bunting flags being featured tomorrow. 🙂