A missed opportunity

I made a whole heap of goodies for yesterday's bookclub - spicy buffalo wings with blue cheese dip, homemade feta and pancetta pizza and to follow, strawberry scones, but I was so busy cooking and tidying that I had no time to record the evidence and then of course.. it all got eaten.

It did look pretty too - you'll just have to take my word for it!

A scary half hour

Last night I ventured into camp for a function to wish goodbye to some old friends. Now, I quite enjoy a brandy or two and a friend's husband was despatched to the bar to provide drinks for all. Service at the bar was slow and when the drink eventually arrived, I took a big gulp to find out it was AMARETTO - the almond liqueur! Disaster. I then spent a most unpleasant half hour panicking, pacing up and down, and all the time with heart pounding. When I eventually calmed down, I was fine and didn't seem to be having a significant reaction which is odd. I have no idea why a drink with almonds in it didn't affect me more. But oh the relief.

Lightning strikes twice

I officially relinquish my title of 'part time runner'. I am now a 'no time at all runner' I have given myself achilles tendonitus after too much time spent on Terrance. PAH. I am now waiting for an ice pack treatment and massage from Michael (he knows all too well how I feel!)

and how will I fit into my new linen trousers by the summer now?

A very good loaf of brown bread

The best advice I ever had regarding breadmaking was from a random man in Tesco who was shopping with his wife. He saw me oohing and ahhing over bread flour and gave me this tip - mix the flours! So Michael and I tried all combinations and this is our favourite. The addition of the white flour keeps the loaf springy and light, and the wholemeal, well I don't know, just try it - it's very good!

For a large loaf

1teaspoon of yeast

300g of granary flour

100g of strong white flour

75g of strong wholemeal flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar (I use brown)

25g of butter

11/4 teaspoons of salt

320mls of water

I could not live without my breadmaker. FACT.

(Well I could, but I'd be miserable)

Ummmm

An abundance, a profusion, nay a cornucopia of my homemade jewellery.

Question is..what am I going to do with it? Well, I can answer part of that myself - some of it I wear, some I give away (to really lucky people!), lots I cut up and remake into other things. What about the rest? Selling seems too mercenary, and I don't actually think its good enough. The pleasure for me comes from making it - that's all. I simply adore my bead box full of sparkly and gorgeous treasure; I just don't quite like the look of the beads in the end result.

The whole, it seems, is not better than the sum of its parts.

Perhaps I should just give up and try something else.

Meet Terrance

Isn't he fine? No, not the dog, that's Henry!

This was our Christmas prezzie to ourselves - yes I know what total masochists/idiots.

And speaking of idiots, the thought of Bono makes me gag. Every radio station, all TV channels, the internet, it's saturation point - U2 are everywhere. Enough already!

Sunday lunch - update

Apparently there were 140 people at the Sunday lunch and it was really good fun.

Rats!

The absolutely best lemon curd in the world ever and it cooks in minutes in the microwave.

Found this recipe in the Guardian yonks ago and it's brill. I made some today to accompany the scone mountain!

MICROWAVE LEMON CURD

75g butter

250g sugar

3 eggs

3 lemons (juice and zest)

I don't use a grater, but one of those gadgets that gives you long yellow ribbons of zest as they look very pretty in the finished curd, and hey it's easier.

I have used limes instead of lemons for this recipe and it was tasty but exceedingly sweet.

I recommend only using 200g of sugar for lime curd.

Put the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Melt in the microwave (about 2-3 mins) Stop the microwave at the halfway point to stir. Let cool.

Break the eggs into a sieve, push through the sieve into the lemon butter/sugar solution. Whisk thoroughly.

Heat in the microwave for one minute - Whisk like mad

Repeat

Repeat

Done! Decant into sterilised jars.

Eat straight from the pot when you have a sugar dip

I also love it in scones (just as well) and it's fab as a cake filling, great with natural yoghurt and some toasted oats in the morning and for all non nutters, M&S mini tart cases filled with this curd make a pretty passable Tarte au Citron (just scatter with icing sugar and job's a good'un)

Scone post

I don't know why that previous post went so gappy!

Michael makes scones (Oodles of them)

Mike does tend to get.. how can I put this, a teensy bit obsessed sometimes. Pictured above are just some of his scone output today. He made raisin scones, cheese scones, regular scones with plain flour and then regular scones with self raising flour to contrast the effect.

(The plain flour ones were better)

Really!!! Even though they were quite delish, who's going to eat them all?

MICHAEL'S CHEESE SCONE RECIPE

225 grams plain flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

50 grams of butter

75g Mature Cheddar Cheese (more if you like them really cheesy - I do)

1 egg

100mls milk

I asked Michael to add a teaspoon of English mustard powder too

as it gives the scones a bit of a kick, however this is optional.

A pinch of cayenne pepper sprinkled on top before baking is also pretty damn fine.

Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a food mixer.

Add the butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 50g of cheese.

Add most of the egg and milk and bring together to a soft dough.

Roll out on to a floured surface and cut rounds 2cms thick.

Place on baking sheet, brush tops with the leftover egg and milk mixture
Top with cheese
Bake for 10 mins, Gas mark 7, 220c

To serve split the scones and smother with slabs of ice cold butter

x Divine x

No can do

Today there is a Sunday lunch in camp which I am not going to for obvious reasons. It's a roast dinner which I suppose is possibly one of the safest meals I could eat, but is it worth the risk? Would I want to pass out in a room full of people happily enjoying their meal? Would I ruin their day or worse still, become the talking point? The potential embarrassment factor is sky high. Sad isn't it that I'm more worried about what people think than my health? I feel freaky enough when I have to explain the situation - I'm sure people think I'm a faddie foodie hypo who craves attention!

And if I go and don't eat, how unbearable for a glutton like me, I LOVE roast dinner and today you can eat as much as you want! Also what will I do when people are eating, skulk round the edges of the room or prop up the bar? (not a bad thought actually), but then I'll end up fobbing off endless questions and my excuses are so lame.

'I'm not hungry'
'I've eaten already'
'We're going for food later'

See rubbish??

Anyway I'm not going.