Contented Guinea Pigs

The chocolate cake was a winner, I have a little group of willing victims/guinea pigs at work who taste test all my new cake recipes.
 Nathan had his cake to take home and the other I cut into  12 squares, I had 1 with ice cream and took the rest to work. Michael had 1 and the other 10 were snaffled up, the last bit had to be broken in half as 2 "grown men" were having a discussion over it.
All gave a positive thumbs up and agreed that a dribble of cream would turn it into heaven. I was going to make 2 today but have been otherwise occupied but it is top of the list for tomorrow.

Michael went to the doctor late this morning and was referred to hospital for Xray this afternoon, luckily we only had to go to Wisbech and were out of the house for just over an hour.

I did take the opportunity to visit Button up & Stitch and replenish my stock of iron in interfacing and
2 oz wadding. I use these when making bags and want to run up a few for gifts. I also bought a metre of black and white cotton for bag handles.

I made a large loaf and 6 large baps before we went and Michael had one filled with home cooked ham as soon as we returned, he pronounced it delish.

My list of five things to be grateful for.

1. Michael finally on the way to getting sorted.

2. Ben for loving me so profoundly.

3. Grand Designs, I am hooked.

4. Home made Barbecue sauce.

5. New Potatoes, home grown, with mint.


Tonight we are having Pulled Pork with my barbecue sauce in home made bread baps and salad.
Francesca was badly delayed due to the vagaries of British Rail and this is one of her favourites.

I am going to take Ben for another walk so it is    TTFN    Pam

Chocolate in Cake Form, thank you Iowa

One of the blogs that I read avidly is "The Iowa Housewife", it is recipes, tried and tested by real people in real families. Today's post was for moist chocolate cake, now I do have a favourite recipe for this type of cake but it makes a large cake and I fancied something smaller and quicker
.
 My work partner Nathan is back tonight and he just loves chocolate cake. When he came to work with me I promised his grandmother, my lovely friend and neighbour Marina, that I would mentor him, I have almost adopted him instead.

Any way I made double the mix so that I could QC the finished product, I do.not want to put him off cake for life! fat chance.

Here they are still steaming hot.

Looking good once decanted and still warm.

Looking even better with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The shiny crust is just a little crisp and the crumb is so soft and not at all wet, and it tasted really good.

I simply doubled the recipe but used SR flour and 1 tsp of baking powder I added 1 tsp cinnamon and a tsp of coffee granules to the water, next time I will double the cinnamon or use ginger instead.

I will be making this again it was fast to mix, I used a balloon whisk so easy to wash up as well.

Things to be grateful for.

1. Myrna at The Iowa Housewife.

2. My Dining table cleared ready for the next project.

3. Today's rain watering my garden for me.

4.Steve Wright for playing music to my taste today.

5. My empty ironing basket.

Francesca is eating out in London with a friend tonight so I will not see her until she gets home from work tomorrow, I love that she socializes but still miss her.

Michael is back to see the GP tomorrow, if he does not get this sorted soon I may have to remove it myself. I know that he is in pain but I do not make a good nurse!

I must wash up and put my kitchen to rights and decide what to pull out of the freezer for tomorrow. Tomorrow I will go to the market in Sutton and stock up on fruit and veg, then pop into the Co op for milk and shopping will be done.

I am really enjoying lucky dips from the freezer, it is stretching my brain a bit and it is fun making new recipes up.     

Before I go I would like to welcome new followers, feel free to drop in for a visit as and when and if you like to leave a comment I will endeavor to reply.    TTFN    Pam

Better Late than Never aka BOGOF

OOPS the phone rang just as I was about to preview my last post and I clicked on publish before writing my list for today, so yeretiz.

1. My pain meds, and the fact that they are freely available to me.

2. My empty laundry basket.

3. The peaceful village that I live in.

4. My work colleagues.

5. The restorative properties of Tea.

Enjoy your day where ever you are, find your list of things to be grateful for and smile.

TTFN     Pam

Hipnotism and other Alements

I am in the relentless grip of sciatica, it hit me last night. I was dressing for work and bent down to put my socks on and WHAM Red Hot Knives in my ankle, knee and hip.  I hit the floor gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

Two paracetamol and a strong coffee, the caffeine pushes them into the system, and 10 minutes and I went to work. It was a busy night with a high level visit in the morning so I could and would not let the team down.

We worked like mad and got the cooking finished and most of the area sparkling by 4.00 so I came home early. I took my prescribed medication and fell into bed, it is now 13.12 and I have been up long enough to drink a cup of tea and pour the second one.

I have been given a pack of 6 different Ales, it was a gift to a work colleague who is tea total and who knows that I like to cook with beers. I rescued a piece of brisket from the freezer when I got home and it is now sitting in the fridge in a marinade of Oyster Stout, bay leaves, peppercorns and mustard seeds. I will put it in the slow cooker for tomorrows dinner.

There is a bottle of Waggle Dance in the pack and that will go into a bread dough later in the week, using a bag of Spelt flour which together should make a tasty loaf or two.

I had planned to spend time weeding today but that is out of the question so will indulge in some reading and music, if and when that palls I have a box or three of old photos awaiting my attention.

I need to eat some toast, the meds leave me exceedingly thirsty and quite nauseous but tea and dry toast sort those out, I just have to avoid Dairy products for a couple of days BOO HOO,
 I have some Lincolnshire Poacher cheese ready for Welsh Rarebit hmmmm that does not seem right, perhaps I should call it Lincs rarebit!
 I will use a little of one of the beers in that I have not chosen which one yet.

Michael has put a load of washing on the line and the machine is well on its way through a second load, I am off to shower away the sleep and meds induced fug.  TTFN    Pam

A view from my kitchen window and a bit on my soap box.

A warm sunny day, just what the doctor ordered.

Have a quick look outside my kitchen window.

One of my Geoff Hamilton roses, lovely to look at and sweet smelling.

A swathe of firethorn, pretty in flower, stunning in berries and a food source for the birds who over winter in my garden.

The flowers are starting to fade on my Broom, I have to cut this back every two years, it is a little bit thuggish.

Early potatoes in pots, nice and handy near the kitchen, the mint is just round the corner.

This yellow rose is free to rampage as it likes I love it's flamboyance and just cut it hard back to keep it in check. 

This elder is one of four, two supply flowers for cordial and goose berry ice cream, two give berries for jelly wonderful with any rich meat dish and very good with sausages.

I also make Rowan Jelly but gather the berries from a wild tree, it is quite sharp and goes with blue cheese perfectly.

Things to be grateful for,

1. My garden.

2. The Thrush who eats the snails.

3. The Hedgehog who eats the slugs.

4. The Birds who sing to me daily.

5. The Village Shop, Open Nearly All Hours.

Soap Box Time.

The first four are inter linked, the fifth is a wonderful convenience. Village shops are a dying breed, if you are lucky enough to have one do support it. As the saying goes " If you don't use it you lose it"

Our shop used to be a run down, quite scruffy place , mainly used by passing trade for papers, cigarettes and snacks.

Then along came a couple, from the village, with foresight and courage to take it on, shake it up and turn it into a thriving, pleasant place to pop into.
I aim to spend a little every week, if every household spent just £2 per week added to the substantial passing trade the shop would continue to flourish.
Luckily enough of the residents seem to understand this but other villages are not so fortunate. One of the shops in Long Sutton is closing down through lack of trade, many people have gone in and said what a shame it is to lose a shop but not many of those actually use the shop.

I have seen this scenario acted out in several places, for years in Diss there was a shop called The China Cabinet, shoppers from all over bought wedding presents, christening gifts, anniversary and birthday presents there.
Rates went up, rent went up, sales went down. when the closing down signs went up there were letters in the press, people calling into the shop all bewailing the fact. how strange with all this reaction that so few of the complainers were customers.

My home village has a thriving shop, when I was a child there were three plus a tobacconist and sweet shop, a butcher and a wool shop.
It is the way of the world, so many of us work and have to shop on the way home, we shop weekly, some less frequently, just as many have it delivered a "new " concept.
 My Granny had her shopping delivered FREE for her convenience, all she did was have her list dropped off in the morning and the shopping was there before 4.

Soap box stored away now, dinner is quiche and salad for us and a pie with veg for Francesca, she is always starving when she gets back from work. Bertie has just woken up and is wandering off to the garden, Ben is snoozing beside me, we did have a long walk this morning, it was so warm that we went almost double our normal distance.   TTFN    Pam

Where did the day go?

I find it hard to believe that it is almost 7,pm, I have been rushing around like a headless chicken since 10.30 this morning but even so, time has just evaporated.

I did an extra shift last night , work was hectic and I was asked very nicely so I said yes. When I got home I just fell into bed and was gone with the fairies for 3 hours and woke up raring to go.

The airing cupboard is so tidy that it hurts,  Ieven sorted my towels by colour then size beforefolding them neatly, Anthea Turner eat your heart out.

The laundry basket and ironing basket are both empty again, I do not know where the washing comes from,

Both fridges are gleaming and the freezer half of the tall monster is organised to the 'nth degree.

All my tiled floors have been  swept and washed and I washed all the skirting boards. I think I have  had too much sun.

I gave all the pots a liquid feed this morning and now the birds from the nest in the honeysuckle have fledged I gave that a long overdue haircut.

I want to take some more photos but although it has been warm and dry the light has not been good today, fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I did another wardrobe and cupboard sweep and have 2 boxes full for the CS, I will take them in tomorrow and focus hard on not looking at anything.

Dinner was chilli and salad with some rice for Michael, he also sprinkled his chilli liberally with Feta! sounds strange but he loved it. He had eaten half of his Oreo twin pack before dinner an still managed to eat more than double my meal, and he is still a scant 32" waist. There is no justice in this world for sure.

Francesca is having a "working" dinner in London and will be home late, I will wait up for her, she may be 25 but I like to see her come home safe and sound.

I am enjoying the warm nights, we have a cotton sheet and 1 quilt on our bed now, not long ago there was a flannel sheet and 3 quilts.

My things to be grateful for today are,

1. My electric iron.
2. The glorious colour of the deep purple broom flowering outside my kitchen window.
3. My tidy bookcase.
4. My tea caddy, full of English Breakfast Tea leaves.
5. My pretty pink cardigan, 50p with labels still attached and a price tag over £20.

I am looking for a sewing machine cabinet, we are rearranging furniture to get all my sewing stuff in 1 place, i looked at Horn but even on Ebay they are very pricey, so maybe I should consider computer cabinets. I do want solid wood and do not mind buying an old one containing a machine if in good repair. i may have to spend some time ringing round the C S's and antique/second hand shops.

I feel that it is time to put the kettle on so    TTFN   Pam

PS, Bertie snuggled down with Michael and enjoying  forty winks.

Sunday socialising

Oops, did you notice that I completely missed out the savings bit yesterday.  I went to the local Co op for a few things and had a look at the reduced section, as usual. Oh My Word, 3 legs of lamb, half price and then reduced by £3 each 3 of those became mine, pork chops in a Chinese glaze on offer and then reduced to half price I had 2 of those, good sausages £3 for 10 I had 1 of those and will separate them before freezing and packs of 4 x 120 grams Burgers  BOGOF. I do not normally buy burgers but picked up 2 packs.
Then I made my way to the Deli counter, the Coop are the only shop that reduce their cheese by 50% and I picked up 2 large blocks of Mature Cheddar, 2 wedges of Shropshire Blue and 2 pieces of Tintern  with chives and shallots, I have not bought this before but at half price I am sure that it will taste good.
My freezer is stuffed to the gills and I am a happy saver.

Today's reasons to be grateful,
1. Ben and Bertie
2. The scent of my Geoff Hamilton roses.
3. The company of old friends.
4. The glorious sunshine.
5. BBC Radio 2.

Michael has given the kitchen a quick blitz this morning so all I have to do is cook dinner and wash up, I am very fortunate to have him in my life.
It is, of course, Father's Day. My mother always said that Father's day was every day. Francesca is in Cambridge, with friends, for the day and gave Michael his goody bag last night, a huge bar of Toblerone, a double pack of Oreo's, 2 bags of Haribo sweets and a DVD ParaNorman, he was as happy as a dog with 2 tails.
I am not sure that it will be my cup of tea but we will watch it together next weekend.

We are having beef for dinner and a form of Eton Mess for pudding, Strawberries do not agree with Michael so into the broken meringue I will stir melon, figs, almonds and yoghurt, yummy.

Now I am off to get things started.  TTFN  Pam