Tuesday 10 November 2020

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 10 November 2020 - T for empress, figurine

 Hello lovely ladies,

What a week it has been! For most people it has been a week of excitement and/or stress. Well, we have survived and here we are on Tuesday again. 

First off is my postcard for today. I received it several weeks ago from Russia. It features Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of emperor Nicholas I. (Painting by K.F. von Kugelchen, 1817).


Alexandra Feodorovna was born Princess Charlotte of Prussia (13 July 1798 – 1 November 1860), and was Empress of Russia as the wife of Emperor Nicholas I (r. 1825–1855).

In 1814 the Russian imperial family arranged her marriage – for political reasons – with Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich of Russia, who later became Emperor Nicholas I. The couple married on 1 July 1817. Upon her marriage, Charlotte took the Russian name Alexandra Feodorovna. Ideally matched with her husband, she had a happy marriage that produced a large family; seven of her children survived childhood.

Following the death of her brother-in-law, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, in December 1825, Alexandra's husband became the new Russian emperor. Alexandra enjoyed her husband's confidence in affairs of state, but she had no interest in politics other than her personal attachment to Prussia, her native country. She was the obedient and admiring supporter of her husband's views. Her personality was completely overshadowed by Nicholas I's strong character. As empress, Alexandra Feodorovna had no interest in charity work. Her chief interests were in family affairs, dancing, balls and jewels. After 1841 her health deteriorated. She spent long sojourns abroad in search of a respite to her illness. As she became largely an invalid, Nicholas I took mistresses, but Alexandra retained her husband's love. She survived Nicholas I by five years and died in 1860.


The stamps are pretty too:


The large stamp was issued to celebrate The 100th Anniversary of Russian Academic Archeology. It shows the figure of a woman  IV millennium BC e. 
Here are some other stamps in the series:



What's been happening in my little world? We are confined to our village and have an evening curfew. Sports facilities are closed. No gatherings allowed of more than 6 people. Masks in public compulsory.
So we have been enjoying the fruits of our little vegetable plot, and cooking nice things.
We have kaki trees, or persimmon I think they are also called, on our plot.
This is one of them. We have harvested so many persimmon, I don't know what to do with them.
So I am freezing the pulp and also making cakes. And I gave a lot away of course.
Here I'm making Persimmon Bread:
One of the ingredients is brandy (well, the cheap equivalent)

Result, a delicious persimmon bread.

Saturday I tried a persimmon upside-down cake. It tasted really good.

There aren't many veggies left on our plot, the only thing left apart from the peppers and the broccoli, are the chard (Which I showed you last week). They are called acelga here:
I love to put in in my Italian minestrone:

As it is Tuesday, I will link up with Elizabeth for the T-Party.
My qualifier could be the brandy, or it could be this cup of coffee. Just in case I will show you my beer. 

Saturday my friend and I stopped at the bar after our walk, and I phoned dear hubby (we only live one street away) if he wanted to join us. He was there like a flash and we all had a beer as it was warm and sunny. They poured my beer in a pretty glass:

Now I wanted to show Elizabeth my little desk tidy:
I bought it years ago and i still use it for those small items that get lost on my desk.

The rings at the top used to contain the ATCs from my friends at the craft club I used to go to. (We had all made ATCs with our names and contact details on it, and them gave them out to the members in the group).

That's it for today. 
Wishing everyone a happy T-Day,
Stay safe,
Hugs,
Lisca




















18 comments:

  1. Somehow I don't remember tasting persimmons ever, though in recent years one sees them in the markets here. I don't think they grow in our climate, and don't travel very well. So all your persimmon foods look very exotic to me.

    be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  2. I love reading about your postcards and the history...
    persimmons- I have only tried it a few times years ago but I would love to try your recipes using them! And the chard- yes, I just got some earlier today from the garden and will be making a similar soup tomorrow;) Cheers and happy T day!

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  3. That is a fascinating history about your postcard today Lisca. I remember hearing about her back in school, but that was a LONG time ago so I don't remember much. And you've been doing some yummy looking baking and cooking. Thank goodness for homemade delicious food when you can't do much. I have never had a persimmon so I can only image how yummy it tastes. One day I will try one and think of you Lisca. Have a happy T day. hugs-Erika

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  4. I loved seeing your postcard and beautiful stamps as well as reading the history behind it. Very fascinating.
    That is great that you have found so many uses for all the persimmon. The bread looks delicious. And that is great that you are spending your time cooking. One must keep busy when you are stuck at home all the time.
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

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  5. That was a fascinating story behind the postcard. Arranged marriages often don't work out well, so this one sounded almost like a fairy tale ending. Those were lovely stamps, too.

    I've only had persimmons once and that was when I was in southern California. They won't grow here. It gets too cold. In a way, they remind me of kumquats.

    You had lots of great drink references this week. That glass of wine with the one in shadow behind it was my favorite.

    My tote is very similar to yours, but mine doesn't have that bottom yours has. I thought my friend bought the Bind it All and it came in that tote. I guess that didn't happen, but I haven't asked her. You certainly hold a lot of supplies in yours.

    Thanks for sharing your postcard, your garden plot, your tote, and your various drinks with us for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca.

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  6. What a life the Empress had... fascinating for sure.
    Our kaki were quite yummy, btw, not too sweet!
    The chard looks tempting, too (especially in the cold,only 5C here).
    The beer looks yummy, too (not so tempting at not even 07:00 am, though!).
    A happy T-day to you, hugs!

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  7. Wonderful postcard and stamps. Love those kakis, you have had a great harvest, and the bread and upside down cake both look very yummy. Glad you were able to get out a bit in spite of the lockdown, look after yourself. Have a good week, stay safe, hugs, Valerie

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  8. Beautiful postcard and stamps. I enjoyed the excursion into Russian history. Here I'm growing some chard, too. Delicious with some onions and potatoes. A friend of mine tried to dehydrate the persimmons, cut in slices. Not sure if that worked and how it tastes. Never tried persimmons.

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  9. Beautiful post Lisca, lovely postcards and stamps and always enjoy the history. Your garden plot has many yummy foods in it. when we lived in the woods if we could find them before the deer ate them all we had wild persimmons I love them in breads too and never would have thought to make an upside down cake-looks delicious. sorry you have a strict lockdown again nice to get out though with friends. Happy T hugs Kathy

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  10. Such a beautiful and interesting postcard! Your tree looks laden with fruit, I'm glad you have so many recipes for them, the bread looks delicious 😀. Happy T Day! Hugs, Jo x

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  11. Wonderful postcards and stamps. Nice photos. Your food looks delicious. Happy T-Day!

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  12. I'm drawn to the minestrone soup. It looks like the perfect cozy supper. I like the polka dotted cup and saucer. Cute, isn't it! Happy T Tuesday!

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  13. You tell historical information in a very interesting way. I was never a fan of studying history, though I recognize how important it is to know. Maybe I just had boring history teachers. I enjoyed your story of Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas I.

    Your coronavirus restrictions are very similar to ours. You have a very nice fruit and vegetable plot. It's nice that no one intrudes and takes the food, which would be easy because it's not right by your house.

    I've never tasted a persimmon, much less a persimmon bread or cake. I'll take your word. They all look delicious. Lovely minestrone. That - I know is delicious!

    Happy T-Day! Stay safe and stay well. Hugs, Eileen

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  14. persimmon bread with brandy??? yes please! The princess looks like our actress Brooke Shield!

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  15. Lot's of yummy treats and sips to see. Terrific story of the princess too ~ Enjoy the last of your veggies & your week!

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  16. We are in a modified stage 2. Restaurants may be allowed to open this weekend to inside dining in some areas of the city. Luckily we have had some incredibly warm patio weather.

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  17. My state also issued new guidelines. There is a 9:30 PM curfew until 5 AM. Restaurants and businesses must close. No more than 10 people at an indoor gathering. 25 people at an outside gathering. Masks must be worn inside and outside even if social distancing can be maintained. Our COVID infections have been rising at an alarming rate.

    Beautiful postcard of the Czarina. Rather a sad story with her declining health.

    I've never had persimmon, but your bread and upside down cake look delicious. We've had unusually warm weather so a little to early to have soup, but that looks like a comforting meal for the cold weather.

    STay safe and take care. Happy T Day

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  18. OH, my goodness that soup looks good, as it is cold weather here. :)
    And the cake looks good, too. Love those stamps; always so interesting.
    Happy t Day!

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