Tea bread

Do you ever get a desire to bake something and you just can't rest until it's done? I decided yesterday that I just had to have tea bread. Unfortunately it's not the kind of cake you can make there and then as it involves soaking the fruit, but I was prepared to wait.

I use a recipe from Jane Grigson's 'English Food'. It is heavier on the fruit and lighter on the sugar that a lot of recipes, so you can kid yourself that it's healthy. What? How can cake be healthy? It is, really it is - tea bread is fat-free cake after all. (Well, until you slather it with butter it is...)

I only have the measurements in ounces, but here you go...

12 oz dried fruit

4 oz soft dark sugar

8 fl oz cold, strong tea

8 oz self-raising flour

1 egg

1. Soak the fruit and sugar in the tea overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C.

3. Grease and base line a 2lb loaf tin.

4. Add the flour and egg to the fruit and mix well.

5. Put into the prepared tin and level the surface.

6. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Apparently the cake keeps well and even, I am told, improves with keeping, but I don't think I've ever made one that's lasted long enough to be able to tell you whether this is actually true. We are gluttons in our house.

Crumble

Is there a better pudding than crumble? Quick, easy, versatile and, oh so, delicious. Comfort food at its best, especially if served with custard.

I didn't plan to make a crumble today, but I spotted some red plums cunningly placed at eye level in my local grocers and crumble it had to be.

I don't always use a specific recipe for crumble and today I just kind of guessed how much fruit and topping I'd need based on the size of the dish I was using. 7 plums, chopped and covered with a couple of spoonfuls of sugar looked like enough.

The topping was made with 125g flour, 70g butter and 35g sugar.

Into the oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or until lovely and brown on top.

Oh it was good, a big thumbs up all round.

A sight for sore eyes

Surely this means that spring is on the way?

Half-term

Half-term seems to have flown by - I can hardly believe that it's Friday already. The trick to school holidays, I have found, is to keep busy - we've visited/been visited by friends and family, done a lot of colouring...

played with hama beads...

baked...

crafted...

and chosen yarn and buttons for a new dress for Snow White the funky bunny (astonishingly time consuming)...

Now, I am aware that the above sounds incredibly idyllic and probably a little smug so I'd like to confess that there have been times when the noise level has been enough to almost push me over the edge and I have missed having time to myself when the toddler naps. And I have got very, very behind with the housework. Just look at the teetering ironing pile...

Impressive, isn't it?

So, what would you like on your pancake?

The look of love...

...is in your eyes, lalalalalala...

Happy Valentine's!

A funny kind of day

E (my 4 year-old) and I were going to have a nice girlie day today. It started well. After swimming we went to a fab local children's book shop where we had coffee/a cup of milk and bought a couple of books, on to the yarn shop, then a quick round of the charity shops where we were lucky enough to find these...

Then home for lunch where I found this gorgeous bouquet waiting for me...

We made biscuits...

and then the afternoon went rapidly downhill. E took to her bed where she had a quick sleep followed by a lot of screaming and complaining of a sore tummy. It Was Not Good. I am pleased to report, however, that after another sleep she was well enough to come downstairs for pudding at tea time. Ice-cream, raspberries and mars bar sauce (melt a mars bar with a splash of milk) in our lovely new dishes. Enough to make anyone feel better.

Hearts

From a tutorial over at the Royal Sisters blog

Mr Funky's Bunny in a Dress

Poor old Mr Funky's Bunny in a Dress has been languishing, dismembered, on the sideboard for far too long. I was getting asked "when will you finish the bunny?" almost daily. Well, now I've finished the stripy throw, there's no excuse is there?

So here she is...

looking very spring-like in her lemon yellow dress. And her name, chosen by my 4 year old, Snow White. Love that.

You can find the pattern here on the Lion Brand website. Terminology is US.

Stripy throw

It's finished. Oh, how I love this throw - it's so soft and warm, not to mention that it has a wonderful texture and drape. So easy and quick to make too.

I am tempted to made another. A bit larger this time.

Better start saving up.

What's a girl to do?

I am supposed to be upstairs using this...

But look, just look, what the postie brought today...

A new mag AND some new yarn. I am happy, happy, happy!

It may not be the most inspiring of yarn deliveries, but it's what I've been waiting for to get on with this...

What a dilemma...

Vacuuming or reading?
Vacuuming or crocheting cute little 3 round granny squares?

Hhhhhhhmmmmmm, I wonder?!

Original features

They may look beautiful...

(original sash windows)

They may be one of the reasons you wanted to live in the house in the first place...

(open fireplace/stripped floorboards)

But when the weather is doing this...

It isn't half cccccoooooollllllllddddddd.

There's only one thing for it - shut the curtains, light the fire and have another cup of tea....

Cold, wet and miserable

That is the weather report for today! I am not looking forward to heading out on the school run in a little while. At least yesterday I could sit in my sunny kitchen and catch up with some crochet.

Is it just me....

...or does everyone have mugs that only they are allowed to use?