As it’s the time of year for soup I make a big pot every Saturday and it usually lasts the whole weekend. Continue reading
So here is one of the soups I made recently (well a couple of weeks back…)
Pumpkin Soup
Use the pumpkin from Halloween. I always buy a large one which I carve in the basic fashion (sorry, nothing fancy). Continue reading
So on Monday Older daughter and QT1 carried on with the task of breaking up the shed Continue reading
Our old garden shed, which was over 20 years old, had rotted beyond recognition. The days of the door shutting (and being padlocked) were many years ago and the whole of the far side had, more or less, rotted away. Continue reading
Hello again. I said I would put the recipe up for this so here goes:
Make two square sponge cakes (I am not sure of the size but generous square tins). The quantities I used are:
12 ounces of unsalted butter, 12 ounces of caster sugar, 12 ounces of self raising flour, 6 large eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (the more expensive kind from Waitrose)
Incidentally you also need four standard size vanilla jam swiss rolls. You could make these or do as I did, buy 4 of the cheapest own brand ones from Sainsburys. Finally a box of cheap traditional shaped icecream cones (or the flat bottomed cones is ok)
Grease the tins thoroughly and I also put greaseproof paper in the bottom of the tins.
Beat the butter and sugar until “creamed”. I cheat and use an electric whisk as my right shoulder is injured and has issues with me beating stuff by hand (good excuse, huh). Beat the eggs separately in advance. If using the whisk you can then add the eggs, vanilla extract and the flour all at once and beat until smooth. If doing it by hand I would advise adding the vanilla then small amounts of the egg and flour, always together to prevent curdling.
Split the mixture between the tins as equally as possible.
Cook on 190 for around 25 minutes, you have to amend this to your own oven (I have a fan oven) and in fact it took nearer 40 minutes this time, I had to turn it down and cover the, to prevent burning, not sure why that was, temperamental older oven I guess. Anyway they are cooked when the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Let those cool totally.
Make buttercream. Don’t ask me for quantities. I just threw in unsalted butter and loads of icing sugar and whisked (again with electric whisk) to sandwich the cakes together. Maybe about half a pat of butter and 6 ounces of icing sugar? Trial and error I am afraid.
Then make the strawberry buttercream to cover it. Again I just threw it in. Bearing in mind that you have to cover the swiss rolls as well I think I used 3 pats of butter and about half a bag of icing sugar, also around 4 teaspoons of strawberry flavouring along with 3-5 teaspoons of red food colouring (it should be pink, not scarlet!)
Cover the main cakes then cover each swiss roll and stick one at each corner of the square cake (the castle body). Smooth the icing down with a palette knife but make sure it covers everything. Cover four ice cream cones in the pink buttercream and add one to each “tower” to be the turret. Add more covered ice cream cones to the body of the castle to make it more fancy if you wish.
Whilst the icing is still “wet” I add chocolate finger biscuits for the arrow slits and use a pink wafer or similar rectangular biscuit for the doors and a draw bridge. Frankly by this stage because it was so hot everything was sliding off so mine was disastrous but if you make this at a cooler time of year (or perhaps in a refrigerated room) it should be ok.
I used “toppers” with messages on from my hand made greeting card stuff and stuck them on cocktail sticks to be banners on the turrets. Again mine fell down the melting icing this time but hopefully yours will stick! I recall when I made the cake for Older daughter’s friend we hand made a banner and strung that between two of the turrets.
Enjoy!
After a long gap I finally have time to write again about the fortunes of my lovely family. Continue reading
I doubled this thats why I’ve got too much!!
Jam kettle or large heavy bottomed pan
Large muslin square (£2 at Wilko)
Sterilised jars
Wax discs labels etc £4 pack in Wilko
1kg Seville oranges
2kg preserving sugar
2 litres cold water
1 lemon
Juice the oranges and lemon using old fashioned hand squeezed method. Put juice in pan with water. I use a jam kettle. Discard (put in compost) lemon. Scrape flesh pips etc from oranges. Set peel aside. Place flesh pips and all in middle of large muslin square and tie up tightly with string to make a bag. Add to pan. Chop peel finely or chunky as you wish.add to pan. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Take bag out. Compost the fruit mess. I couldn’t save the muslin it disintegrated. Add the sugar and stir over heat until dissolved. Then boil! I stir occasionally that might be why it takes so long! Boil until serting point is reached (thank you thermometer). If no thermometer then spoon some onto a cold saucer when it has cooled push a clean finger through it. If it wrinkles it’s ready. Put into the jars. Put a waxed disc on top and put lid on straightaway. Hey presto.
Waitrose had marmalade making ingredients on offer. So i thought how hard can it be?! First of all it took me 1 1/2 hours to prepare the fruit. Secondly it took soooo long to get the mox to the relevant setting point (thank goodness for Aldi jam and sweet thermometer -worthwhile investment some years ago). I sterilised old jam jars and some huge Kilner jars (well loved and used over the years) with baby bottle sterilising fluid.
I was filling the jars at 11.30 pm and when i came down this morning they were stuck to the side! All wiped and cleaned up later and tested on toast. Delicious! But I have enough for an army! Ideas for using up marmaladeon a postcard please!!
I am astounded to note that indeed i haven’t posted since July! So much water under the bridge since then.
First QT1 completed her months trip to Peru. She came back full of stories and excitement with so many photovraphs and her camers intact! In fact all she lost was one walking sock that blew away off the line apparently. Not bad for a trip that involved lugging all their life in a huge rucksack for four weeks.
Then QT2 completed his 4 weeks of National Citizen Service also without a moan and with apparent enjoyment at the grafitti cleaning, litter picking, weed clearing and mural painting at the canal for 2 weeks on some of the hottest days of the summer. I highly recommend NCS as a really worthwhile teenage experience. He also made loads of new friends
Next was family hols in Devon. QT1 and took a 12 hour coach journey to join the rest of the family. Not fun as she was jetlagged. Hols were good with decent weather and only a couple of dinghy disasters!
Then time for results. A2s followed by GCSEs. QT2 embarking on 2nd year of 6th form ok and QT1 -hurrah- just scraped good enough grades to get into chosen 6th form and onto coveted rugby programme. Great relief.
Older daughter meantime did bar and waiting work and did at least earn some money to take back to Uni. But has still had to be subbed by Dad and grandmothers because being on full time (unpaid obviously) teacher placement all term hasm’t had time for paid employment.
In fact the QTs are also too busy with school work and sport or hobbies to get work. QT1 now also has all the fun of applying for Stage Managrment Uni courses for wich she has two interviews already. But a London institution is her only goal so we are working hard on the “why i want to go here” parts of the applications. Another round of stressful! She is so passionate about her chosen career I have everything crossed that she succeeds.
Hooefully that updates us for now
It is that time of year again. Already been to one barbecue Continue reading
Suburban Law Mum 