Monday, April 25, 2011

Happy Easter

Home baked hot cross buns are the best, the smell of cinnamon and mixed spices wafting out from the oven is wonderful.
I had to bake another batch the next day because the first lot were all gone lickety split.
If anyone would like the recipe please email me and I will send it - have had trouble inserting the link here. I did share the recipe in my Easter post a few years back.

We picked green olives from this tree
...and the black olives from this tree.
In total we have about 12 trees around our property.
Because the weather was dry and hot back in November when the olives were forming, have given us a bumper crop. This is what we spent a lot of time doing, over the weekend. The birds have been feasting on them ( you would not think they would like them as they are very bitter) and the Tui's got quite stroppy when we started picking. We did leave a lot up at the top of the trees though, for them.
I will take them to be pressed at one of the big Olive oil companies, so we can have some bottles of olive oil to put in the pantry.

Image ~ Victoria magazine

Twas Easter Sunday Full blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance and joy.
~ Henry W Longfellow

I hope that you are having a beautiful Easter weekend
Hugs
Carolyn

56 comments:

  1. I hope you have a wonderful Easter, Carolyn!

    I used to have an olive tree in my previous house but I never picked them!!

    I hope you have a great week!!

    xxoo
    Marsha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Easter! Your hot cross buns look so yummy!

    Wanda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Carolyn, I hope you had a beautiful Easter! Those hot crossed buns look so good... my grandmother used to make them when I was a child, you brought back a memory I had forgotten :o) It must be wonderful to have your own olive trees and have fresh olives and oil, I love olives in salad! Have a super nice week! hugs, Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  4. THERE THEY ARE!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THEM! Oh, the smell of the dough encrusted with cinnamon makes me crazy with delight!!!! OLIVES...oh, my favorite thing is olive oil. You must be feasting right now dearest! ENJOY! Anita

    ReplyDelete
  5. Have a bright and joyful Easter Monday, sweet Carolyn xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a lovely Easter! I hope you had a great time!
    Hugs, Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  7. Blessings and much love
    Happy Easter♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. Easter joy to you Carolyn!

    Those hot cross buns look so good - I can almost smell them from here, they've got my saliva buds going!!!
    We've got three very puny olive tress in our courtyard and this year they've got the most fruit ever - not enough for oil though!!!

    hugs
    Shane

    ReplyDelete
  9. The cross buns look very yummy, Carolyn. No wonder they were gone immediately.
    With the global warming the day might come that olive trees will grow in Germany. Right now the olive oil we get to buy over here mostly comes from Italy, Spain and Greece. I think it's so cool that are able to produce your own olive oil.
    Happy Easter Monday!
    Hugs,
    Julia

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ciao cara!

    Nonostante in questo periodo sia al lavoro per un evento...

    Non posso fare a meno di passare a aslutarti...esprimerti i miei AUGURI...ma soprattutto a ricordarti quanto tu mi sia CARAA!!!

    Un bacio grande ed un augurio ancora di piu! ;o)

    HAPPY EASTER...my dearest...HUGS adn KISSES...your friend NI

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh My,
    How lovely that you have olives harvested and soon your own olive oil. Hoping your easter has been wonderful. The last image in the garden is my idea of heaven - a tea party with kindred spirits. One day hopefully you and me. And perhaps we will be eating your lovely hot cross buns.
    My dear paris is just a little glimpse away - 3 weeks and 5 days - I have two friends joining me....wooohooo. x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Picking olives sounds so funny, lovely and have their own. The bread looks so good, hope you had a nice easter.
    Sunny hugs
    AnnaMaria

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Carolyn- how wonderful to actually have olive trees in your own garten- and to be able using your own oil, in the food--uhhmmm
    The closest we are on exotic trees here, is our fig-tree,--that`s yummy, too.
    Hugs,Dorthe

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Carolyn,

    What a delightful surprise to know you have olive trees!!! Aren´t they so special and nice?? And I´m sure you will enjoy a very tasteful and aromatic oil, you know what they say...Olive oil is liquid gold!!
    And mmmmm I think I can smell a very yummy hot cross buns from here!!! :)

    Have a wonderful Easter Monday my dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I hope you are having a wonderful easter too!lots of hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  16. O yes we have darling !!...you see my next post......and now we are going away...enjoy this day....love love Ria....xxx...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yummy and gorgeous post, darling!

    Hope you had a lovely Easter!

    xoxox,
    CC

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a lovely way to spend Easter weekend, the trees are beautiful.
    I hope your Easter was filled with rich blessings
    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  19. Happy Easter to you also Carolyn,
    Your cross cinnabunns look soooo good.Yummm.
    We have two olive trees in my greenhouse. They have not made any olives yet, Do you know how old they have to be?
    Thank you for stoping by Dear. I'm working on paper dolls right now. Pat from Summer's Darlings got me started...LOL. Now I'm a paper doll making fool. They are so fun to make and you can use your creative juices. You take care Hon,
    XXOO Marie Antionette

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
    Nice pics selection; love especially the last one!
    xoxo
    S

    http://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Carolyn,

    I hope you had a wonderful Easter Sweet Friend, the hot crossed buns look divine!

    Thank you so much for your words of comfort for my dear Toby. I have cried buckets of tears these last few days, but it is the comfort of sweet friends like you that hold me up during this difficult time...I can't thank you enough.
    xoxo
    Karyn

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sweet Carolyn,
    Your hot cross buns are awesome looking!!! I trust you that they were delicious!!!

    Delightful post and to think that you have trees on your property to pick olives is wonderful.

    God bless,
    d

    ReplyDelete
  23. I hope you had a lovely Easter, Carolyn!
    The buns look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  24. 3 nails
    1 cross
    4 give

    Happy Easter my darling friend

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear Carolyn,

    What a lovely image from the Victoria magazine!

    You must live in a very warm part of the US to have Olive trees in your garden. In Holland they don't survive the winter outside.

    Your buns look great! Happy Easter monday!

    Lieve groet, Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
  26. Carolyn I hope you had a beautiful Easter.

    Your hot cross buns look delicious! I do love a good bun but i'm not sure if I have ever had a hot cross bun. I will have to search for a recipe because I love to bake.
    I think it is wonderful that you can pick olives from your tree's and have it processed into olive oil to use in your cooking- I bet the flavor is heavenly.
    Take care sweet Carolyn and have a beautiful week.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The buns look delicious! Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Glad you had such a wonderful Easter, Carolyn! Those hot cross buns look absolutely divine! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Carolyn, your hot cross buns look gorgeous - I can smell them from here!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my friend..you are so blessed...Olive trees...I would so love to see an Olive tree!

    And your hot cross buns look amazing!!!!! Homemade...wow my friend.

    Hugs for a great new week. xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  31. Those do look delightful Carolyn! Hoping your Easter was wonderful. Have a great week. xo Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh my gosh Carolyn...those hot cross buns look so gooood!!!! I think I'm going to have a craving now, thanks to you.LOL!
    It must be awesome having your own olive trees and fresh oil.
    WIsh you a beautiful week.
    sending a big hugs your way...

    ReplyDelete
  33. Très LOVELY post!!! Hope all is well with YOU!!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. What a beautiful Blog I am off to visit your past posts, stop by and say hi sometime~ Happy Spring oxxo Diane.. I am your newest follower

    ReplyDelete
  35. Just found your blog Carolyn ... Great post - I'd love a taste of those hot cross buns!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Dearest Carolyn,

    Well, Easter was pretty this year with great weather. We had a quiet one since we got home on Good Friday by 4:00 PM from our vacation in Florida.
    Thanks for your comment; you beat me by reading before I even edit my post...
    Lots of love from Georgia. By the way we do have a Rotary Exchange group of professionals that are coming from New Zealand to Georgia and a team from Georgia goes there...
    My husband has been to New Zealand but I only made it to Down Under.

    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  37. A lovely week to you dear Carolyn!

    btw the buns were yummy that we helped ourselves to through the computer screen!Sorry about the crumbs ...!

    XOXO Lola & Nora:)

    ReplyDelete
  38. I hope you enjoyed your Easter! Everything looks so pretty on your pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Beautiful pictures, it looks like you had a wonderful easter. Thanks for your sweet comment.
    Groetjes uit Holland.
    Renny

    ReplyDelete
  40. Happy Easter Carolyn!

    Yummy, those hot cross buns look so delicious. I can almost smell the warm cinnamon! ;-)

    You are really lucky to have olives growing in your garden and having a warm climate. I used to like growing lemon trees in NZ.

    Best Easter wishes,
    Jo.x

    ReplyDelete
  41. I hope you had a lovely Easter, Carolyn! Your hot cross buns look delicious...no wonder they were gobbled up quickly!

    What fun to have all those olive trees! I wish I could be there to taste the results!

    Sending a great big hug your way!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh these photos are heavenly Carolyn!!!!! Beautiful to share a quick visit with you in your world....love the yummy buns and the olive trees.....you are so lucky!!!

    Have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hope you had a really great Easter too :-)xxx

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hi Carolyn...I was here earlier, but had to dash before I could leave a comment. Your hot cross buns look so amazing. I know you posted the recipe a few years ago...I thought I printed it out...but I can't find it. Can you post the link to the post with the recipe? I would love to make them for my family!
    I hope you enjoyed your Easter weekend.
    Your olive trees look wonderful...so full of olives. It is so nice that you can get the oil from them and so close to home...our climate is just too cold for such treats!

    Talk soon,
    Hugs, Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  45. i had to come visit again to look at the hot crossed buns- i am SO excited to try your recipe- thank you so much Carolyn~ i'll let you know how they turn out!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Oh those buns look wonderful! I would love to have an olive tree. How great that would!
    xx, shell

    ReplyDelete
  47. Looks like you had a lovely Easter weekend! Thank you for sharing all these wonderful photos. The Hot Cross Buns look divine, but I'm most in love with the olive trees. How I wish I could pick my own and get them pressed into oil!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi Carolyn,
    Sounds like a beautiful Easter for you and yours. Your hot cross buns look so yummy. Now I am hungry for sure.
    Love your olive trees. How wonderful to have olive oil from your own trees. It is amazing how the birds will eat those olives.
    Enjoyed the quote at the end.
    Have a wonderful week.
    Thank you for stopping by and your kind comment.
    Hugs,
    Celestina Marie

    ReplyDelete
  49. I hope you had a wonderful Easter Carolyn. Looks like you enjoyed nice weather. How wonderful to have olive trees right at hand. We bring our olive oil from Jordan or Jerusalem. It is so absolutely delicious. When I go to the States and buy olive oil in the grocery store, it has absolutely no taste and therefore food just doesn't taste as good. Those hot cross buns look and sound delicious. Best wishes for the rest of the week. Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  50. How amazing to pick olives! They look wonderful! Enjoy your week! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  51. Oh my Carolyn boy do these look good. I can go back to your older post and find your recipe. Would love sit down and share one of these with you.
    Sounds like a wonderful Easter and I am so glad your trees did so well
    We are in a drought in Texas no rain for months and everything is dying.
    Appreciate you kind comments about my daughter. I can not believe this happened but it did and I know she not well since it did. I am going there tomorrow.
    Have a wonderful weekend
    Love ya
    Maggie

    ReplyDelete
  52. Sweet Carolyn I hope you had a blessed Easter!

    Jo

    ReplyDelete
  53. Your hot crossed buns look luscious! I want one!! Good looking olives too. You are a lucky girl!

    xox
    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hope you had a lovely Easter! How lovely to have your own olive trees and to be able to make olive oil from them, Nice of you too to leave some for the birds!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Oooh those Home baked hot cross buns look mmmmmmm!
    i want to try baking them!
    I'm off to look for the recipie!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting Draffin Bears.
It always makes me happy to read your comments
and I look forward to visiting you.


Carolyn xx