Thank you for all your well wishes on my last blog post, they are really appreciated. Unfortunately eldest Sweetpea went down with the bug a couple of nights ago so we had two children being sick and one coughing all night - fun times! The up-side is that we all snuggled in bed yesterday just chilling out all day and all did some sewing (apart from little Sweetpea who sorted buttons). They all seem a lot better now (fingers crossed) although I do feel a bit off colour but I am hoping that is just lack of sleep. Thank goodness for on-line shopping as I would have been stuffed otherwise with a week out of my Christmas shopping schedule due to sickness as the kiddies are off from tomorrow onwards :-) Oh how I hate Christmas shopping.
Well enough of my moaning, now for some lovely brightness on this grey, dark and cold day (well here in the UK anyway, I bet it is lovely in other countries).
I bought some Violas a few weeks ago to bring some brightness into the dull winter garden and then pondered on making them into sugared flowers. I remembered reading somewhere that you could eat Violas and Pansies so looked up how to sugar them.
First I picked the flowers and then washed them to make sure we didn't get any sugared caterpillars :-)
I then asked the chickens nicely for some of their eggs and used the egg whites to paint over the petals.
I then scattered caster sugar over the petals and then left the flowers to dry overnight. I think I could have done with a sugar shaker however to give a finer look, also I think you can buy super fine granulated sugar which would probably look better.
I then popped these in an airtight container until I had time to bake some cakes. This happened to be a week or so later (that is what happens when you are a Mum of 3 lol). I then had to find the time to ice the cakes, which was another few days later (hence the rushed crappy looking iced finish above :-)). I did however love love love the glittery finish to these lovely flowers. They also store fantastically as the egg white seems to seal the colour and moisture into the flower so maybe next time I will make a bigger batch and store them away for a while.
Take care all of you and keep those bugs at bay :-)
x
im glad the bug hasnt reached you, but my you excel yourself sugared pansies i wonder what they will taste like! I know what you mean though about baking, you have all good intensions to bake but then that gets put aside as something else takes its place then a week later you remember what you were planning to do in the first place x Take care sweetpeas x
ReplyDeleteGlad your family are almost rid of the bug! The sugared pansies are lovely, they look lovely on the iced cake! I'm also wondering what they actually taste like! :) x
ReplyDeletewow those are gorgeous! I'd have a go but my violas carked it in the last lot of snow! x
ReplyDeleteYour posts always make me smile! (Although I'm sorry your sweetpeas have all been ill and you've had bad nights.) The sugared violas are so beautiful, they've worked really well. Online shopping is the answer for busy mums. Hope everyone is well now and you have a lovely start to the Christmas holiday.
ReplyDeleteHelen x
pretty flowers! I love online shopping! read a few blog posts while I do it...! Hope you are all on the mend. I have finally turned a cornor with my coughing, turns out to be a brontitis thing. Hope your babes not coughed too badly. Its really horrible! Hopefully we will all be super well for Christmas! Jacs x
ReplyDeleteGlad you are all feeling a little better...what a terrible time of year to get sick! Your sugared flowers are gorgeous...so delicate and sweet :)
ReplyDeleteWill I tell you that the weather here in Perth is sunny, warm, and perfect for the beach? Probably not :) Does it snow at Christmas at your place?
What a fab idea, they look lovely. Hope you don't catch the bug, it's busy enough at this time of year without being ill.
ReplyDeleteMrs S-P, you are a domestic goddess with your sugared violas and extra fine granulated. Am in awe. LOL, Ax
ReplyDeleteHope everyones feeling a bit better. The Violas are so pretty. PS Loved the story when your (drunk and unfit) Mother (Sue Ellen) left you at a party! hahahaha xxxxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful idea. The sugared violas look gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'm so with you on the Christmas shopping thing. I've done 90% of mine online this year. I get very resentful that, as a stay at home mum, my usual shopping haunts get completely taken over by grumpy Christmas shoppers who are normally at work!! Hrmph.
Do hope you're all clear of lurgy soon - it's everywhere. Blondie son and I have had the unattractive hacking cough thing which has been quite miserable.
Hx
Those look beautiful! So sorry about the sickliness at your house; Big Lad is on his second cold this month, and I am crossing my fingers that the rest of us don't have to have a second round ourselves. Take good care...
ReplyDeleteThey look really great. Really sparkly for Christmas, we will all be trying that out! So glad you are all nearly better and bug for for Christmas, Have a lovely, lovely time x
ReplyDeleteOkay...way too cute!!!
ReplyDeleteReally nice idea. Thanks for sharing. But one question: In the instructions you say you painted them with the egg white, but then further down you say the egg yolk must help preserve them. So which did you use, the white or the yolk?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.......how do they taste? I would like to try this. Violets are good to use too. I know they taste good.
ReplyDeleteJanice