Becky Bakes…

The morning began as it usually does with the radio springing to life just before seven o’clock and the weather report but then silence – no pips to mark the hour. That made me take notice. What had happened? Did Amol Rajan forget to press the button? Well, whatever, I was awake. A cup of tea, Wordle and later, Thought for the Day came from Martin Rowe. He began by telling us that one in four vegans had given up and started to eat meat again, largely due to anxiety about the lack of protein in their diet. Some now describe themselves as “flexitarian” – sometimes vegan/vegetarian and sometimes meat eaters. In my last school we had Matron, a qualified nurse, who kept an eye on the health of the children amongst her other tasks. She could always identify a child who was vegan (not advisable in that age group tbh) because their skin was often almost transparent, they were lethargic and had bluish rings around their eyes. Protein, needed for growth and repair at the very least, contains essential amino acids not found in vegetable food sources and so supplements need to be sourced from health food shops. Fine for adults, but not for children please ! x

Not very seasonal, but that’s the problem. Going back to last December, there was anxiety about Bird Flu which made me think there might have been a shortage of turkeys for Christmas. In my panic I bought a frozen one from our local supermarket “just in case”. A couple of weeks later I came across a fresh stuffed turkey breast, which is our bird of choice – meaning our frozen one was not needed. It’s been in the freezer since then – till I decided to use it on Easter Sunday. What a mistake. Easter means lamb not turkey. Did I enjoy it? Not a bit. It didn’t have much flavour and was quite tough, so I won’t do that again and need to be brave – just trust there will be a fresh one, even if we wait till the last minute to find one!

As a bit of a traditionalist, today is the day for Hot Cross Buns. Have you had one yet? Actually I haven’t, but intend to have one for breakfast tomorrow – toasted of course with plenty of butter. When shopping earlier this week I must admit I was not impressed with all the weird and wonderful flavour combinations on offer…chocolate and cherry, rhubarb and ginger, apple and cinnamon, orange marmalade, carrot cake to name just a few. I have to say why? The original ones are so delicious, why do we have to meddle and “improve” on something that’s so good? Oh well, suffice to say I just bought ones labelled as “extra fruity” and used some for the beleagured shopkeepers this morning. The shops which were closed will get a treat tomorrow – they’re having Easter Nests. I managed to find a Columba – the dove shaped cake similar to Panettone. That doesn’t seem to have been “improved” this year…let’s wait and see what happens next year! Enjoy the weekend, however you are spending it xx

It’s back – I hadn’t realised we’re getting to that time of year, so was thrilled when the “Hunter-gatherer” came home from the town with a beautiful bunch of the stuff locally grown. When we first moved into this house, fifteen years ago, I didn’t notice there was a crown of asparagus in the flower border. It was only in the summer, when it became lovely fern wafting in the breeze, that I knew it was there. So we added more and it did well for several years, but was in the way of the greenhouse so was moved. It didn’t like that and turned up its’ toes. When I use it I snap off the tough end then often boil it or steam it lightly but my favourite way to cook it is in a foil parcel with butter and seasoning, probably for about 20 minutes. Later in the season I might add some leftover (!) cooked spears to a green salad or to decorate a savoury flan. It won’t be with us for long, so I’m going to make the most of it ! x

…is a favourite phrase which I haven’t been able to employ lately. In the autumn our visit to France had to be cancelled as our house was surrounded by so much scaffolding that any burglar would have had a field day. My birthday visit to the West Country went ahead thankfully, so we have spent time (and money) in Bath where I trained to teach. We stayed in a lovely hotel which offered a varied menu, but why do vegetables need to be served so al dente that a table knife won’t cut them? Carrots, French beans and broccoli so undercooked they were inedible. Sally Lunns hospitality was charming as ever and we marvelled at the architecture, as we always have done and catching up with far-flung family members is always a treat before we travelled on to Burford. There we discovered that Huffkins had been revamped but the lovely Jane made up for the slightly more formal atmosphere. Our last meal was at The Masons Arms in Clanfield where we found plenty of interesting dishes on the menu and Sadie left us to finish the excellent chips while we polished off the last of the wine. Road closures with no diversions signed made for complicated routes, but I can assure you that whilst we think our pot holes are bad in Suffolk, they are nothing like the ones we encountered in Somerset and West Oxfordshire…take heart ❤

That was brought home with a vengeance this week when I celebrated a significant birthday – it had a zero at the end but, honestly, I don’t feel any different except for the streaming cold I’ve caught from hubby! It was lovely to catch up with our favourite young people who had come, sadly, to celebrate the life of a lady who we have lost, far too soon. Logistics meant that I needed to make the cake for the beleagured shopkeepers ahead of time, so chose the Cup of Tea cake. I don’t know about you, but I often make a pot of tea which is bigger than we can drink, so pour a lot of tea away. Using it to soak the dried fruit and sugar for twenty four hours before adding the flour, egg and spice means less to do on baking day. Happily one loaf-sized cake is just enough to share, with a little slice left over for hubby 😉

What a week this has been! The sunshine has returned to our little seaside town and that has meant I’ve tried to get out into the garden. Trees have been pruned, cheeky weeds (that seem to grow whatever the weather) have been pulled up and there are shoots on the geraniums, I think. Since our winters are usually mild I often leave them in their pots to stay outside and they seem to be fine. The garlic is still doing well in the greenhouse and there’s a pot of lettuce seedlings on the bathroom window sill too. With several commitments in the diary this week I had to plan when to make cake for delivery to the beleagured shopkeepers on Friday so chose to make a tray of Brownie. With its’ high sugar content it keeps well, so Tuesday was earmarked for that – don’t tell them will you ? I’m sure they wouldn’t have been able to tell 😉

Early in January we uploaded a series of very short videos based on skills which I consider useful when cooking. Funnily enough, the one I expected to be popular hasn’t hit a chord with many people – it’s the “How to segment an orange” one. This is something I really enjoy doing and I use it as the basis for a fresh fruit salad, with little pith and no pips as well as lots of juice. Never mind. Lining a baking tray went down well, but it’s separating an egg that’s been the most successful. Whilst tipping from one shell to the other works well most of the time, it’s the use of an egg cup to hold the yolk in place while tipping away the white which seems to have the popular vote. Shortly after those were uploaded we added a soup, leek and potato, which is probably the most economical one I have ever shared – and it’s so delicious. I don’t know who has watched it but it has had far more viewers more quickly than most other videos we’ve shared. So, whoever you are, thanks – and I’m glad it was helpful. x

Everywhere! That reminds me of English lessons at school – we had to learn a number poems over the years and The Ancient Mariner was one of them. But this week it’s been the rain which has scuppered my plans. I am so keen to get into the garden as there’s so much to do – the weeds have started to grow, there are more roses to prune and trees which are now starting to interfere with the neighbour’s telecoms wires. Big John is due to give another tree a serious haircut but it’s just too wet out there. Even the cat can’t bear to be outside for long and skids across the floor when she rushes back inside. On a happier note there are signs of Spring with hellebores doing their best, camellias trying hard to look beautiful, hubbies garlic plants are over a foot tall and tiny daffodils are beginning to bloom. Roll on proper Spring though – and soon please!

Not hair, toes, brandy snaps or even kale and parsley but those amazing lumps of volcanic rock from the little uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig, just off the west coast of Scotland. Apparently the rock is so hard that’s it’s guaranteed not to crack on impact with another stone. They aren’t cheap either – about £12,000 for a set. Now I don’t know if you have found it as gripping as we have, we knew about the sport but the technicalities are fascinating and the skills needed to make the stone curl are very clever. The ice is special, without certain minerals and all that brushing creates a completely smooth surface, upon which the stone can glide towards the opposition. There are some hilarious joke scenes on social media of ladies mopping vigorously in front of their robot vacuum cleaner and brushing the floor in front of Henry… I think it’s gripped the imagination of so many of us!