Monday 15 April 2013

Weather and baking

After a lovely sunny warm weekend, the weather today is cloudy but still warm at around 16 C. Have washed one bedroom curtain and it is blowing nicely in the wind. I needed to wash it as it has a little mould on the liner, which I treated before washing, and I'm hoping the weather will kill off any remaining spores that I might have missed.

This is the first time I have had mould on a liner but it has been a particularly cold winter with the window condensing almost every night. Although it was dried off every morning, obviously the liner caught the damp anyway. I'll wash the other one tomorrow if the weather holds. I'm then going to line them with an adapted black king size duvet liner as I hate getting woken up too early with the light. Don't get me wrong, I love having the sun pouring in, just not at 4 a.m!

Did a quick bake yesterday using up some of the brambles picked last year. I used the weight of 3 eggs to make a cocoa sponge then stirred them in. The mixture was put into a large tray and baked until done.
Once cooled, it was cut into 2" squares. Most were frozen in small packets, the rest we shall eat over the next couple of days. We also finished off a piece each last night after a small plate of chili.  The bramble sponge was served with half a banana and some custard.

Just come back from having my monthly massage, feel a lot better now. Boy did she find some lumps! Driving along the country lanes to get to her place, it was lovely to notice the hedges are beginning to turn green. Doesn't it make you feel good? Going to take it easy this afternoon.

16 comments:

  1. Monthly massage sounds great. Sun certainly lifting a lot of spirits.

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  2. It certainly is although this massage is a medical one (unfortunately have to pay for it).

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  3. I find driving through the Norfolk lanes - especially in sunlight - very uplifting at the moment. Spring flowers, shoots, and leave appearing, COME ON!

    You've also given me an idea...I have some berries lurking in the (newly sorted) freezer, always a problem how to use them up as I never think to freeze them in usable portions! Cakes! Of course. Yours sounds lovely.
    Glad you enjoyed ...if that's the word! - your massage. I think it's wonderful therapy for all kinds of ills, and sometimes just because.

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    1. I know, so exciting. One of the joys of living in the countryside. Tractors are now very busy on the fields. On the cake front, it is nice but for some reason didn't rise as much as normal. I have made bramble brownies before, now they are very nice.

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  4. Shame you have to pay for the massage but well worth it for the benefits you get from it. The chocolate bramble sponge looks delicious, we had apple and blueberry crumble this weekend, I have so many apples and pears still in the freezer they should last until the next lot. We are lucky to have a friend of a friend who has an orchard and never picks anything themselves... criminal... but more for us :-)

    Its great to get the washing on the line to dry, trouble here is keeping it on, with the winds, but at least is warm and sunny.

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    1. We also have quite a bit of fruit to use up. Once the warmer weather comes, we tends to have it with yoghurt or ice cream rather than custard. Mind you, I can tuck into puddings any time of the years. Dried one curtain on the line today but had to keep going out to re-peg it.

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  5. Oh a massage! How lovely.

    Sft x

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  6. I have to say the cake sounds amazing. I honestly didn't think of using up brambles in a chocolate cake. Mmm, I think I'm going to have to save some from my foraging this year for this.

    Thanks for a lovely post. :)

    KB xx

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    1. They are even better stirred into a brownie mix.

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  7. I like the idea of a monthly massage. That bramble sponge looks lovely. I would have to freeze the rest too but only because I would eat it too quickly if not! X

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    1. It was either the cake or mini bramble puddings. x

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  8. That cake looks lovely. Which reminds me, I still have blackberries in the freezer that will need using up. And, it is lovely, isn't it, to have brighter warmer days. I actually went out without a coat on yesterday which for me - who feels the cold something rotten - means it must have been really warm. Have also hung washing outside for the past 2 days and its come in dry. Long may it continue.

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    1. We haven't had to light our fire for the past 4 nights - wonderful.

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  9. Ooh I could really do with a massage at the moment, it sounds so relaxing . Your bramble sponge looks very yummy and a good idea as I have loads in my freezer to use up. The sun definitely lifts the spirit as well as making everything look lush and green outside.
    Patricia x

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    1. Make sure you book a few massages when you finish. Really helped me relax after the dissertation and final show.

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