A Rainy Week in Somerset: Slow Living, Hot Cross Buns & Easter DIY Decor
Slow Living in the English Countryside: Easter Recipes, DIY Decor & Rainy Walks
Slow Living Moments from a Rainy Week in the English Countryside I'm making and baking classic British recipes for Easter: hot cross buns and mint sauce. I’m also doing a little Easter DIY decoration for the table. Lots of walks in the Somerset countryside, Quantock Hills, and surrounding villages – enjoy x
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The Beauty of the English Countryside in Rain
It’s been a rainy, quiet week here in Somerset. I noticed the first cow parsley along the country lanes, signalling that May, and eventually Summer is on its way.
All the rain we’ve had recently makes the countryside lush and bursting with new life, and I feel like bringing this greenery into my home. In April, the English countryside awakens, but soon, in May, it bursts into colour and scent. And I want my home to reflect that.
Classic British Recipe for Easter: Mint Sauce
Adding mint sauce to a Sunday roast around Easter is a well-established British tradition that we’re also cultivating in our house. At first, I wasn’t sold on mint sauce, but once I tried it with gravy, I understood why so many people around the country love it - it adds a hint of freshness to an otherwise meaty and heavy gravy, creating a lovely balance.
Mint Sauce Ingredients:
- 50g fresh mint
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Method:
Mix the boiling water and sugar until fully dissolved. Remove the stalks and roughly chop the mint leaves. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend using a hand blender. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Shop "Into the woods" green leaves & moss candle
The Calm Ambience of English Villages
The Quantock Hills in Somerset and their woodlands are bursting with new life—and so are the villages at the foot of the hills. The churchyards and cottage gardens are decorated with colourful flowers, and my favourite oak trees are now covered in a flurry of new leaves.
British Classic: Hot Cross Buns
It’s Easter, and it calls for another essential British classic - hot cross buns. The first written record of them goes all the way back to the 12th century, and by the 18th century, they were widely popular to eat on Good Friday.
Hot cross buns are simple buns made with spices and raisins, marked with a cross. I brush my hot cross buns with apricot jam for that lovely gloss while they’re still warm and ready - enjoy!
Simple Easter DIY Table Decor Idea
I connected the eggshells using a hot glue gun and decorated them with the little flowers I believe are called baby's breath. They dried beautifully, so there’s no need for water inside the eggs, and they’ll keep looking lovely for at least a couple of weeks. Lastly, I’m adding a little bit of dried moss on the plate to make it even more uplifting and spring-like for the Easter table.
