Tea Break

During the six hours that the Little People are at school each day, I am extremely lucky to be pretty much as leisure to please myself. Certain things have to be done to keep the household ticking over,  but mostly I have a great deal of freedom. And I try never to take this gift of freedom for granted. Yes I am a lucky so-and-so to be able to spend my days in this way.

However the flipside of all this freedom is that my days are pretty haphazard on the whole, without an awful lot of structure. I wing it from day to day, going with the flow, deciding on how to occupy my time as the mood takes me. Mostly this is a Good Thing, but sometimes I do end up feeling a little lost in the midst of my day, a little moochy, a little adrift.

One thing guaranteed to perk up any Adriftness is a Tea Break, preferably accompanied by a little bit of home baking. And I find that this is most often needed around about 2 o'clock in that lull of time that comes after lunch and before the school run. Yes, Two O'clock is usually Tea Break time for me.

I baked some fruity flapjack for my tea break today (recipe here), using dried cranberries and a grated apple as the fruity element. I also added in a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, although to be perfectly honest, the cinnamon didn't really work out. It was too much. And the truth is that I only really wanted to put the cinnamon in so that I could use my new measuring spoons look.........

......aren't they Lush??? Oh, I am LOVING these lickle spoons!!!!!

I bought them on a complete whim a few days ago after spotting them in the window of a little local kitcheny type shop. My eye spied them, my feet went of their own accord into the shop (yes, I swear they did), my hands grabbed them off the shelf, hurried them to the till and paid for them and these delicious spoons were very quickly mine-all-mine. I was powerless to resist.

 

Enjoyed my Tea Break this afternoon (despite the too-cinnamony flapjack), it was just what I needed.

Right then my lovelies, it's now 3 o'clock and my six hours of freedom is up :: need to pull my boots and coat on and venture out into the grey wet afternoon to go collect my Littln's from school.

Think I'll take them some flapjack to munch on the way home.

They can always feed it to the ducks if they don't care for it's cinnamonyness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Edited to add :: the spoons are of the soft silicone variety and made by "Zeal" :: see here.

 

-

Comments

[Jennifer]

I loved flapjacks as a child, and to my shame I haven't made them in a long time. I think I definitely need to make some soon, very soon. Your measuring spoons are just perfect. They are so you, glad you found them. Isn't it wonderful that such small things can bring such happiness? Hope you have a wonderful rest of the day.

[Janet]

Suprised the cinnamon didn't work out - it usually goes so well with apple. Love your dinky little spoons - I tried googling 'dinky little spoons' but drew a blank - do you know who made them?

[Anna-Karin, Sweden]

I want those measuring spoons!!! Wonder if they can be found in Sweden...

I do envy your 6 hours... I have my 5 year old boy at preschool 3 hours (8-11), and my 9 year old boy is in school 8-13.30 each day (they start first grade when they turn 7 here). So I really envy your long "free" time. But it's good to be able to be at home with the kids that much anyway!!
Have a wonderful afternoon and evening!
Love Anna xxx

[marigold jam]

Lovely colourful post as always just right for a dull wet day like today. Love those little spoons. Am just off for a tea-break myself sadly no flapjack though but I might get a scone made last week out of the freezer to have with my cuppa.

Jane x

[Lou]

I love your blog - came across it the other day and has become compulsive reading, already made 3 batches of cookies with chocolate drops with the kids and planning on more for Children in Need next week :) LOU :)

[Julie]

Ooooooh! a Flapjack recipe my favourite and like you I'm going to put Cranberries in too.
I remember those six hours when my boys were younger too, wonderful aren't they, but I did hate going out in the wind and rain to collect them from school although when they were really young we did puddle jump when we walked home through the lane.

[Carole]

Hi Lucy oooo those measuring spoons are lovely and cheerful. I`m on the hunt for some new ones myself. I`ll have to be on the look out for them.
Oh by the way i`m half way through making one of your robins. But the brown yarn i`m using is Sirdars luxury soft cotton and it does seem to split easily. OOOOOOO it`s sooooo anoying. Anywhoo i`ve got some Rowan handknit cotton for the other bits, so wish me luck. Bye for now.
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxxx

[Berê...sempre Berê]

\0/\0/\0/ ohhh,huummm... good very good!!

[Robbie]

Hi Lucy,
Love the yummy looking flapjacks, although I am not familiar with them. To me it looks like a granola bar!? I guess that is a UK word, I like the sounds of it!!!(better)Enjoy the rest of your day. Robbie : )

[Keri]

Lucy,
Your bump blanket is lovely! It is so nice to read your blog and appreciate your contentment w/ your life! Thanks for the encouragement! We have tea (officially) only on Fridays...the entire family! and we LOVE it! I will have to give your flapjack recipe a try. Thanks for sharing it. Have a great day!
keri

[The Garden Bell - Kate]

Yum, yuM, yUm.... What a nice afternoon treat. If the cinnamon didn't work in here, maybe you need to make one of my snugglies w/cinnamon. Love your new measuring goodies. I wouldn't have walked by either. They would have come home with me for sure.

Thanks for stopping by to see my Circus Parade Tutorial.

www.thegardenbell.blogspot.com

Hope it goes will for you. It's really, really much easier than it looks. And a great stash buster for all the leftovers from all your ripples. Can't wait to see it, I'm sure all your colors will be smashing. Let me know if you have any questions. Just remember Hills and Valleys.

Well, back to THE GRINCH for now. Did you see my new one yesterday... Already over the Xmas colors.... big icks and yucks...

On last thing, yesterday's picture of you was great. I'm guessing it's a boy. Baby girl's tend to steal their mother's beauty while pg., and you are still looking great... so it's a boy...

HUgs and TreAts,
The Garden Bell- Kate

[Jackie]

Lucy ~ I love those wonderful,colourful and very Attic 24 measuring spoons. You very lucky thing! I can quite understand why your feet went into the shop of their own accord and how your hands grabbed them off the shelf too!! Flapjacks and tea sound just the thing to have at 2 o'clock ~ although I don't think I would care too much for the cinnamon either :O)

[jane]

i'm living vicariously "in color" through your blog! it is fun for me to be enveloped in all your hooky color, with the flowers and socks, and SEWN squares (the best)!, and photos of the most magnificient countryside (even the rainy rooftop view) and everything else. i feel a lift after each session "with you". i'm happy for you that bump24 is an awaited joy, and that you get to be pushed uphill on your outings. i am AMAZED by the baking you do. (and consumption, i hope!) thanks for everything!jkj

[Siobhan]

Measuring spoons are wonderful. Measuring cups are pretty good too. I used to be put off from lots of lovely American recipes because of the cup measurements. Well I got some and it is so easy and quick and I think more accurate - you know how scales always wobble (at least mine do). Now I prefer to use recipes with them. Your spoons are jazzy and rainbow coloured. Mine are all orange - came with the cups and have been great - no more guesswork! Have you even tried to buy a tablespoon? Woolworth's probably had some eons ago, but not in recent times. Won't they be missed over Christmas? No "it's beginning to look like Christmas" going round and round your head (TV ad) and what will we do without all those sweeties? And for that matter fairy-lights. Oh dear, I have digressed. Never mind. Your flapjacks look scrummy - maybe the cranberries didn't like the cinnamon. Bet they smelled great though. And I just know those ducks didn't get a look in either and the little people scoffed every last piece.

[Jeanmarie]

Just luckily discovered your blog and oh, the colors! Lovely, lovely. I'll be back for inspiration!

[knitwick]

The flapjack looks quite tasty. I will have to give the recipe a try sometime soon and eat them with a nice cup of tea.

The measuring spoons are also very lovely...

[Mamalion]

Oh, bummer. Spoons not available in the US. Love your colors, and the Baby Blanket was gorgeous!

[Tracy]

The measuring spoons are divine! I must say I love your style - it's cheerful, yet cozy. Love all the colors. :)

[valerie]

great spoons I have some bright pink ones along with some cups which I love to use for baking:)

[Fruitful Fusion]

Oh those spoons look so you! I love 'em! And the flapjacks sound yummy. I love cinnamon-y things. I think I will have to make some tomorow!

[Heather]

The lack-of-structure is what I am finding hardest! I have been a stay at home Heather for 4 days now and I miss my little daytime routine of being at work. I have also drunk a lot more tea than usual :)

I am v envious of your stripy mug by the way, stripes are my favourite :-D
xxxx

[Fabric and Lucy]

Ooooh the flapjacks look yummy - and can something really be TOO cinnamony???

Loving the spoons, I have similar mixing jugs that slot together. But mine are Joseph Joseph. Colours make things such a joy to use don't they...

- L x

[Linda]

Looks delicious!

You are so blessed to be able to stay at home! I'm trying to figure out a way that enables me to stay at home with my sweet babe AND make money for our household.

[Sharrieboberry]

Love the measuring spoons. They should be easy to find in the cooking/utility drawer!

[eileenaway]

Thank you for writing your blog, we enjoy it here so much. I love the coloured spoons and there's lots of very desirable things to buy on that website, so Attic 24! I had to remind myself that payday is quite a long time away.