My Signature Dish

My friend Cherry asked me the other day what my signature dish is!  Someone who loves cooking, has an online shop selling kitchenalia and who would be the first person my friends would say had perfected a signature dish - does not have a signature dish!! Ahh
Well I think I should.  I'm good at lots of dishes and useless at others!  I've narrowed it down to the following that I am good at and always proud of when I serve it.

Plum Jam - Not really a dish is it?

Tray Meringue with mixed berries and creme fraiche - easy and boring

Beef Bourguignon

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves - Probably my best dish - really yummy





So having put it in writing I actually think that Stuffed Cabbage Leaves is my signature dish however that sounds very unappealing if anyone asks!!!  If any of my friends that have sampled any of the above that I have made them maybe you can comment!
Going to get my friends and family to tell me what they think and am determined to have a signature dish declared by the end of the month!!
Love Nostalgic Vicky

Vintage Amateur Photography

Oh my word I have been shown how to put special effects onto your photos which will change my photos forever!!!!  We went round to some fabulous friends for drinks on Friday night and spent most of the evening swapping clever apps from our phones.  As a Vintage lover and seller of Kitchenalia some of these apps are a godsend!!  'Vintage Camera' and 'Camera Art Fx' change your photos and give them an effect.  I went around my kitchen taking photos and trying out all the effects and here are the results....

My Log burner in my kitchen with a vintage tinge.

Egg cups on my dresser with a watercolour effect



Scales on my worktop with a poster effect

My glasses on the worktop with a vintage effect

 Cannisters with a comic book style

 Me in a blurry retro effect



 My stall at Olney on Saturday looking very old!!!

 My Humphrey in the Kitchen as a line drawing.

So so clever and add interest, depth and change the era of the photo in just one small click! Whatever next??

Love Nostalgic Vicky xx





Jumble Sales vs Carboot Sales

I am not ashamed to admit I am addicted to Carboot sales!!  It is the only thing that will make me leap out of bed at some godforsaken hour and snap into action.  Off I trot with my pull along trolley and search for treasures.  You can get anything at my local carboot sale from washing up sponges to plants to clothes.  Some people carefully lay out their unwanted items on tables covered in tablecloths and others just empty their car out onto a blanket on the floor and everyone dives in.  It is the rummage that reminds me of the old fashioned jumble sale and what leads me to think that the carboot sale is the modern day jumble sale.

I love having a good root around to see if I can discover something wonderful - one man's junk is another man's treasure!!  Carboot sales are just jumble sales on a much larger scale.  The jumble sale was usually made up of donations and items sold for a cause however the carboot sale is solely for each individual.  Whatever the reason behind either sale I love them both and that you can come home with great finds.

I am selling at a Jumble Sale on Saturday and I intend to really enter into the traditional spirit of the sale.  I am going to put my things on my stall to allow people to rummage and have a good sort through. I am going to make each item £1 and hopefully everyone will experience the thrill of the jumble/carboot sale.

I'm Taking a Leap of Faith!

Yes I am taking a leap of faith in vintage lovers all over the world!  I am scarely giving up my reliable paid income and going it alone in the Vintage world. 

I have decided that life is too short to spend your life doing a job that you don't enjoy and have therefore had serious financial discussions with my hubby to see if we can manage while I focus totally on my business The Nostalgic Kitchen.  My website has been up and running for nearly a year now and I do fairs every weekend and I simply love every minute of it.  I wake up the morning of a fair with butterflies in my tummy! 



Part of my grand plans to build up my business is to blog more and reach out to more people.  I'm not going to panic under the pressure and I'm going to enjoy making The Nostalgic Kitchen the successful business I dream it can be.  If anyone has any tips or ideas for me I would be ever so grateful to receive them!!! So for now I'm gona.....

Oh to be Mrs Monty Don!!

I am being British and hopeful that summer will one day arrive and it is worth putting effort into my garden!  HOPE - that is definitely what I think us British have to have in abundance otherwise we would get so depressed in this weather!  I have started transforming my garden from the one we moved into to the one I want it to be.



June is here and the roses are coming out and the hanging baskets are starting to fill out and the bloody weather is awful!  I decided to go out in between showers and take some photos of some of the best bits in my garden so at least I can enjoy them from my laptop even if I can go out and be with them.  Even Monty Don on Gardeners World is doing all his jobs at Long Meadow in the pouring rain with his fussy hair caked to his head - I love you Monty!

Mum and I went to Gardeners World Live yesterday and had a fantastic day!  I so wanted to meet Monty but he wasn't there.  Yes I have a secret crush on him - not secret anymore now I have told all of you!!!  It was my first time at Gardeners World Live and The Good Food Show Live was on as well. 

The Floral Marquee was to die for.  Amazing flower displays and millions of plants to buy.  I found lots of new plants I loved but I always end up chosing a rose as my best in show!

We went around the show gardens outside first as the sun was shining when we first got there.  We had a Pimms and saw Joe Swift and then wandered around the marquee and the stalls.

I bought a daisy plant that had pinky white delicate daisies on to put amoungst my Alliums.  Yes I know all the names and everything - I should be Mrs Monty Don!!  I don't think my husband would mind.  Here are some more pics from the day!

Being a Vintage loving gal my absolute best in show as I said was a rose and I loved it because the colour was a chocolate pink that was such a vintage looking colour.  Here it is.  It was called Hot Chocolate but I'm calling it Nostalgic Vicky's Vintage Hope......