Tuesday 18 October 2011

Pear recipe

The pears are ripe. They don't keep for long so it's a case of cramming as many as possible into recipes that will freeze. This is an adaptation of Bakewell tart.

Shortcrust pastry case. Spread 3 tablespoons of marmalade over the base.
Mix together
2 oz sugar
2 oz butter
1 egg
2 oz self-raising flour
and half a teaspoon of almond essence and pour on top of the marmalade.
Fit in pieces of pear and bake for 30 minutes, 350 deg F, gas mark 4 until the filling has risen and is golden in colour.
Sprinkle on some flaked almonds five minutes before the end of the baking time.

Good with custard!

Saturday 15 October 2011

Enjoy

What a beautiful start to the weekend.  Enjoy!




Thursday 13 October 2011

Willow's Ball

Time to go home, I've lost my slippers, not to mention my partner Scaramuccio. I've been dancing for hours. Thank you, Willow!

Saturday 8 October 2011

Fettling up


We went to the Yorkshire Dales for a week, where the weather was glorious! The rose that twines through my front railings had burst into a second flowering. Many years ago I took a sprig of it from the front wall of a derelict water mill further down the dale. I don't know the variety, and in truth, it doesn't look anything special, but for sentimental reasons I am so pleased to have it.


The front garden is just a narrow strip, small enough to knock back into some sort of order whenever we visit. What is called in Yorkshire, 'a bit of fettling up'.
The wooden seat is well placed for catching any sunshine and for watching village life go by.



The back garden is a wild piece of paddock - just the place for a bonfire!

In the early evenings, after the heat of the day, we walked on the moor tops. It was strange to experience such warm, balmy weather but with the heather already having flowered and gone. I know that as a Yorkshire woman I am a bit biased, but surely it can't get much better than walking on the moor in weather such as this!

When we got home, guess what? There was plenty more fettling up to do.