A Quick Glance at My Week

My weeks are beginning to fly by in a blur of painting, decorating, preparing for the arrival of our of little girl and dare I even say it...organising the Christmas collections at Butterfly Lane.

This week at Beech House we have had all the sash windows painted, a job that I have dreaded for months so we decided to hire a lovely man called Ned to finish them for us.  It really has given our house a lovely facelift and I am as pleased as punch.

These light and airy rooms are inspiring me at the moment...as are the beautiful hydrangeas in the picture below!  

 

I cannot stop eating strawberries at the moment (maybe my little bun in the oven is clued up that Wimbledon has started!).  I am literally going through a punnet a day, so this salad is so summery and fresh.   

Strawberries, Mango, Red Onion and Rocket

We are just finishing our Christmas Lookbook here at Butterfly Lane HQ and here is a very quick peek in to our new 'candlelight' collection...

 

I'm eying up these gorgeous patent Valentino Rockstuds as a my next indulgence.  The perfect addition to a pair of boyfriend jeans.

Valentino Rockstuds

Work on the nursery continues and I can't stand the cuteness of this bag full of bunnies for one of the windowsills, I can't wait to see them all flopperly lined up.  Yes, you guessed it, the theme seems to be bunnies!

To top off my week, I've just had a message to let me know that my lovely friend has had a lovely little boy, congratulations! 

Hope you've all had a fabulous week.

Recipe: Scones For Wimbledon

It's that time of year again, get the Pimms chilled and the strawberries picked (or bought in my case!), Wimbledon starts on Monday!

Last year the fabulous folks at Wimbledon served up 150,000 bath buns, scones, pasties and doughnuts, 7,000 litres of dairy cream and 28,000 kg (112,000 punnets) of English strawberries!  Phew, I'm exhausted just at the thought. 

So, I'm going to make my own scones this weekend ready to devour whilst watching Andy Murray defend his title.  

Don't forget to get the strawberries prepared and the clotted cream ready for the perfect topping.  Here is my favourite and fail safe scone recipe.  Happy baking everyone!

 
The secret of good scones is not to handle them too much before baking, and to make the mixture on the wet, sticky side. Either eat scones on the day of making or freeze once they have completely cooled.  If time allows, thaw them at room temperature for a couple of hours and then refresh in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes. If you like large scones, this amount of mixture will make 8-10  9cm (3 ½ inch) scones.

INGREGIENTS

450g (1 lb) self-raising flour
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
75g (3 oz) butter, at room temperature
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
About 225 ml (8 fl oz) milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation time: about 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Makes about 20 scones

1).  Lightly grease two baking trays. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7.

2).  Measure the flour and baking powder into a processor. Add the butter and process until a crumble, then add the sugar. Or make by hand by rubbing  the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

3).  Beat the eggs together until blended and make up to a generous 300ml (1/2 pint) with the milk, then put about 2 tablespoons of the egg/milk aside in a cup for glazing the scones later. Gradually add the egg/milk mixture to the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough. It is far better that the scone mixture is on the wet side, sticking to your fingers, as the scones will rise better.

4).  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it out with your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1-2 cm (1/2 – ¾ inch). Use a 5 cm (2 inch) fluted cutter to stamp out the dough by pushing the cutter straight down into the dough (as opposed to twisting the cutter) then lift it straight out. This ensures that the scones will rise evenly and keep their shape. Gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then re-roll and cut more scones out as before. 

5).  Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays and brush the tops with the reserved beaten egg/milk mixture to glaze. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist. Serve as fresh as possible, cut in half and spread generously with strawberry jam and top with a good spoonful of thick cream...and a fresh strawberry! 

Loving This Week...

Hello Butterfly Lane readers.  I have been away for quite a while, so I'm sorry if you've missed our updates!  But, I'm back, and get ready for daily updates from Butterfly Lane!

I thought I'd ease ourselves back in to bloggersphere by showcasing a few of my favourite images that I've stumbled across this week...

A stylish kitchen...

 

I'm busy decorating my little one's nursery at the moment, and scouring images for inspiration.  This room (pictured below) isn't for baby, but I love this look for a few years down the line. 

I'm translating grown up elements in to my nursery at the moment, chandeliers, glass mirrors and a velvet chair and I think this has the same principles...a child's room that still fits (and flows) with your home's style.  

Modern glamour...you've got to love it!

Summer time is here and it gets me thinking about al fresco dining...I could sit in the space forever!

Our autumn collections have started to arrive and this clock is one of my favourites.  So much so that it hangs with pride at Butterfly Lane HQ. 

£60, buy here.

Another kitchen, another style.  I love the grey, I love the drinks chiller and I love the multi leveled island.  

What has inspired you this week?