Easter Plans

I had planned to have some kitchen time today.  I want to do a fair bit of baking for this Easter Weekend.  Today I wanted to do a quiche for our tea and a Simnel Cake.  I got pastry out of the freezer, along with carrot soup for lunch.  I checked that I had all the ingredients for the Simnel Cake - I had.  Then it was out to me to go shopping.  I needed milk to tide us over till tomorrow when I do the weekly shop.  Plus there were some Crock type shoes on offer in Lidl that I could make good use of.  When I am in the kitchen weraing my slipppers, for some reason I can feel the cold of the floor coming through them, which I haven't had with any other footwear, including an identical pair of slippers I had last winter.  So I agreed to go shopping with Mum.  We came back five hours later, after going to Wilsons the Butchers, Lidl, Iceland, Home Bargains and Morrisons, I didn't get any baking done and we didn't have quiche for tea and the carrot soup is still in the fridge.  It was so busy on the roads and in the shops!  It was like Christmas.

 

So I want to go out first thing tomorrow and get what we need for the week, and get back in good time, and try again to do some baking!  I also want to bake some bread, some biscuits with Mary-Jane, maybe do a trifle, and this Manchester Tart which is starting to drive me up the wall because I've not made it yet.  And a lasagne, I've been after making one for a few weeks.  My last attempt was thwarted at the final hurdle as I didn't have any lasagne sheets(!).  I do now.

 

On the upside of things, Mum bought a Pop Cake Maker and chocolate fondue set today.  Pop Cakes are now on the Coming Soon Menu.  I bought some candy melts on Saturday.  I am looking forward to having a play with them.

 

I also have lots of plans of things to do with Mary-Jane over the Holiday Weekend.  I want to decorate eggs with her, construct Easter Baskets and have an Easter Egg Hunt in the garden.  Weather permitting of course.  Fingers crossed for a day like today. If the weather is good, I'd like to take her to the beach and have an ice cream.  I think I may be pushing it too far to say that I'd like to have a picnic.  I also want to plant some herbs with her.  I will put them on the kitchen windo ledge, and cover them wiht plastic cloches, otherwise they will never withstand the 'pruning' by the cats.  Only old Bob is allowed up there.  In fairness, the others jump down from there when they see me, especially when I reach for the wooden spoon.  Ahem.

 

Lots to do, let's see what gets achieved and what prevents it!

A Hectic Weekend

The last few days have been busy and involved a fair bit of running around and 'doing'.  It started Saturday.  I had only arranged to meet someone for a coffee, taking perhaps an hour and half, two hours tops.  Plenty of time left in the day to bake some bread.  I had read in Paul Hollywoods 'Bread' what would be an ideal size tin for bread.  I had exactly the size given, but it is my tattiest tin, the non-stick is not even there is some places.  I guess I am hanging onto it because I've not yet got another one to replace it.  I asked Mum in the morning if she had one a similar size.  She hadn't.  At the end of a very long and convoluted day, (most of which isn't really for here) I still didn't have a new tin-for-bread-only tin.  Mum had bought a Silverwood 12" multi size pan with two extra dividers, which could of course be used for bread.  It will come in very handy and be very useful and I'm excited that I may have a chance to use it. 

 

Sunday I took Mary-Jane to Messy Church at the Methodist Church in Gosforth.  I was quite wary of this, even though it sounded like fun.  I was on my guard that this might be a way of 'introducing' me to the Church.  This is a very sensitive subject for me, probably more sensitive than what I realise.  The Nuns at the Convent have so much to answer for.  I took Mary-Jane down and boy did we have fun!  The Messy Church was free and there was so many activities for MJ to do - reading, colouring, playing 'kitchen', baking bread rolls, using playdoh, decorating small cupcakes, decorating eggs, face painting, making easter cards and making pictures with tissue paper!  Wow!  And then we had lunch, with cakes - the ones that the children had decorated.  After that there was an Easter Egg Hunt in a wonderful garden of a 'church lady'.  Mary-Jane found two eggs.  On our way home MJ was given two mini creme eggs and two mini Lindt chocolate rabbits.  It was a fantastic two hours.  The only religeous part of it was when we were waiting for the lunch to be put out.  There are two main rooms - the Church and the Church Hall as such.  We were sat in the Church and a visiting Reverend told a bible story of Easter and two songs were sung.  The story was pitched a little above the older childrens head, I thought, but they got the jist of it.  The age ranges were from a babe in arms to about 8 or 9 ish.  I will definitely take Mary-Jane again.  It's on three or four times a year.

 

Sunday afternoon we managed to 'win' a fish tank and supplies from Freecycle.  We went to collect it Sunday afternoon.  It turned out to be from a Knitty Lady that I know, and haven't seen since Gosforth Show, so it was nice to have a quick catch up.

 

Monday morning first thing I hot footed it to Lidl in Whitehaven to get MJ a Balance Bike, they had them on offer that day.  I got there for 9am.  They were already sold out.  I was so disappointed.  The store assistant was very helpful and rang around other stores for me, but without joy.  She took my number and said she would ring me if any of the other stores in the group had any left. 

 

Then it was off to Tesco.  I  wanted to talk to Customer Services about some sausages that I had bought last week.  They were on offer - £1 instead of £2.15.  They had gone through the till at full price.  I hadn't noticed till I got back, then rang the 0846 number to hear a recorded message saying that I should take the product and reciept back to the store and they would double the difference.  Customer Services said they couldn't do this as the sausages were on offer when I bought them, the offer had finished and there was no way they could verify that they were on offer.  I said that I couldn't have returned them on the day (also the last day of the offer) as it was not worth a nearly 20 mile round trip for the princely sum of £2.30.  I said I would never have bought them if they were full price. Still No refund.  However the chap did give me the direct phone number of the stores Customer Services, so that if it happened again, I could ring, speak with them, get the situation clarified, and there would be a credit note waiting for me.  Next time.  Hmmph.

 

I managed to get back for about 10.15 and was due in Gosforth to meet Helen for a cuppa at The Hungry Parrot.  I do enjoy the cuppas and chats with Helen.  Just what I needed after a hectic weekend.

Double Chocolate and Ginger Steamed Pudding with Banana Ice Cream

Double Chocolate and Ginger Steamed Pudding with Banana Ice Cream.  Not the best flavour combo, but not a bad one.  It is a fairly quick desert, especially when you need a 'comfort pud'.  The pudding is a variation of the Chocolate Poppity Ping Pud


The Pudding

• 100g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100g chocolate chips

1. Grease a 2 pint/1.2 ltr pudding basin
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. Add the eggs, one at a time
4. Add half the flour mixed with the cocoa powder and ginger, mix, add the milk, mix, then add remaining flour.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Turn mix into the pudding basin, put a loose cover over it (greaseproof paper) and put in microwave on high for 3 1/2 - 4 minutes depending on the micro wave watt

The Ice Cream

• 4 frozen bananas, previously cut into inch strips
• 50g caster sugar
• 100ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Put all ingredients into blender and whizz until smooth.  I found that it was better to let the bananas stand for 20 mins or so to defrost rather than using them straight from the freezer.  The coldness of the bananas should freeze the buttermilk.  I put the ice cream in the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes, which made it similar to a soft scoop.  I am leaving some in overnight to see if it firms up any more.

I think this recipe may have potential, especially as a quick recipe.  I may try it with cream instead of buttermilk.  I have also come across a similar-ish hot cross bun ice cream, when I have tried and tested this, I'll let you know!

Summer Stripes Top

I finished MJ's Summer stripes top a couple of days ago.  The colours are pretty - and right for spring/summer.  I do like this design.  I will see if I can vary it a bit.

Mary-Jane likes her new princess top.  All tops that she likes at the moment are princess tops/dresses.  It will be good for her if the weather ever breaks and we get some warm weather.  I'm not holding my breath.  I am pleased that she is finally happy again to wear woolies.  Around her neck is her Special Treats Bag.  She has this on when she get her special treats - chocolate and sweets etc - from Granma.  Her treats go in the bag, she wears the bag and is a happy girl.

Last night I started a Ruffled Top by Elena Nodel, again the pattern is freely available on Ravelry.  It's going alright at the moment. I don't envisage any problems with it as it is quite straight forward.  I'm thinking that pretty soon I may need a break from MJ clothes, I think the last four things I have done are for her.  Maybe I just need to do something a bit more challenging for her.  I don't want to stop whilst she is happy to wear woolies.

Bread

Bread.  I bit the bullet and decided it was high time I made some bread without the use of the Bread Maker.  I didn't have much confidence in this area and this is the main reason I have been putting it off.  No longer.  I have been much spurred on by my success today.  I don't have grand visions of bread making, but now I know I can make bread. And make bread I will.  Without bias, this tastes so much better than any shop bought bread.  I want to experiment a little, try different things and see how I improve along the way.

The texture of the bread (or crumb, as a certain Mr Paul Hollywood, leads me to believe it is called), seems quite good to me.  I had this particular one buttered with cheese. Lovely.

Mary-Jane helped out a little, she will help more next time when I am not so uptight.  I plaited the loaves for a reason - when I was little, this is how I was allowed to play with and shape the dough, so this is what Mary-Jane will learn.

Swirly Skirts and Summer Stripes

I finished the Swirly Skirt for Mary-Jane some days ago.  She does like it and is happy to wear it - it was a bit touch and go whilst I was making it.  She looks beautiful in it.

I was trying to get a shot of her mid 'princess twirl', that was quite tricky, especially when she wants me to princess twirl as well!  However, I don't think I did too bad at catching the movement of the skirt.

MJ has re-discovered Grandad's Rocking Chair.  She loves it.  I believe she may be the fifth generation, perhaps the sixth to use it.

I am having a day or two off baking.  I did make some spicy carrot soup.  I have had a portion and HK has had two.  Today I've frozen another three big portions, so the bag of carrots has stretched very well!  I would do a bit more freezing of soup and veg, if I had more freezer space!  I do have a few egg whites in there from my recent frenzy of curd making.  I am planning to make italian or swiss meringue topping for cupcakes, or even do an Angel type cake where egg whites are needed.

 

Yesterday I got my copy of Ruth Clemens - The Pink Whisk - Cake Making book.  I had it on pre order from Amazone, due out in May, but the publication date was bought forward so now I have it in my grubby paws.  I have had a good look through the book, and I like it.  I like the angle it comes from, the hints and tips.  I am eager to try out a few recipes.  I think Manchester Tart with bananas is top of the hit list.  I have promised HK another Pumpkin Pie over the weekend.  Never trust a skinny baker!

 

Knitterati was on Tuesday.  I got my head together with another lady and we talked knitting, various projects and knit a longs.  She showed me her yarn that she had recently bought.  I haven't really been round much yarn lately that I was accustomed to (all the top end stuff) so it was a real treat for me.  Made me appreciate more what was in my stash - and made me want to stash surf again, just to look through pretty things.  I do appreciate all my yarn so much more this past year or two.  I am so glad that I was an impulse buyer and that I stocked up the last year I was working, knowing that I was heading for a long 'dry' spell. 

 

I cast on another 'Tango Tank' for Mary-Jane, I'm calling it Summer Stripes.  I am using Sirdar Summer Stripes, in pinks and greens.  I have three 50g balls.  I think if I'm lucky I might get away with just two balls, if not I will only need to break into the third for a few yards. Then I need to decide waht to do with the stray ball!

Scones - A Disaster and a Triumph

I have been making scone over the last few days.  Two batches.  The first was Baileys and Choc Chip Scones, the recipe is by Ruth Clemens aka The Pink Whisk and can be found here.  If you like Baileys, (or any Irish Cream Liqueur) I would highly recommend them - and have them topped with thick cream, I used extra thick double cream.  I tried using chocolate spread, as recommended in the recipe, but I found this over powered the Baileys.  These are a decadent Afternoon Treat - you can be very naughty in public and no-one will be none the wiser!

The same cannot be said for my second lot of scones - Mary Berry's Raspberry scones.  Disaster.  I put the scones in the oven for 12 out of the 15 minutes, giving me food that is nearly fit for the gods (burnt to you and me).  With my usual scone recipe I bake them for 9 - 10 minutes.  Then there is the 4 tsp of baking powder.  I could actually taste this in the finished scone.  Then the raspberry juice reacted with I don't know what to give a very dark blue/purple colour even before it was baked.  I have heard of this, in a very hazy part of my head, but I'm damned if I can remember what causes it.

I do not have the heart to try this recipe again, unless I modify it (remove all that baking powder for starters).  The idea really appealed to me - the scone dough is cut in half and rolled seperately then the  raspberries are put on top of one half and the other dough is laid on top, in effect sandwiching the raspberries. Hey Ho!  Can't get it right every time!