saturday so far

Oh dear soccer. Book them in and then have the majority of games canceled due to soggy weather and even soggier grounds.What to do with a couple of over excited shin pad wearing children?? What to do with them when some revolting idiots have driven onto our local park and spent the night doing burnouts  so today it is locked and the locals are playing ball on the footpath as a result of the discovery that,after they decimated the first park, they then went over the nearest park to that.

We bake.Actually we bake and play handball and add to our reading challenge form.

First up lemons from a neighbour.I wish I could say eggs from our girls but they have closed shop due to the cold weather and despite morning bowls of hot milky bran the nest box remains empty.

 LEMON CURD or lemon butter ( recipe from River Cottage Family Cookbook)

100grams butter cubed

175grams caster sugar

zest of 3 lemons

juice of 3 lemons

three eggs ( it said two eggs and one more yolk but I tossed in the whole egg and it was fine)

Put everything into a heavy based saucepan over very low heat and stir.Slowly!! or you will have lemony scrambled eggs.

After a little while the mixture will thicken and when it coats the back of the wooden spoon,leaving a line when you run your finger through it the curd is ready for bottling.

Make sure you strain the curd ito the jars as there will be little bits of egg.

I used to worry about sterilising jars properly but after I saw Maggie Beer make jam and say that -as long as the jar is freshly washed,by pouring in the hot jam and turning the jar upside down for a moment,the heat from the jam will seal and sterilise the vessel- I have simply stuck to that.I am yet to find a problem.

MERINGUES

200grams

4egg whites

Preheat oven to 100degress celsius

Beat the whites until satiny then pour in half the sugar.

When the whites look like shiny white satin and you can hold the bowl over your childs head (without any falling on them!!) ,using a metal spoon,fold in the remaining sugar.

I dolloped large spoonfuls of mixture onto a lined baking tray and place in the oven for 90 minutes.

*they are ready when you can easily lift them from the baking sheet and are a light gold

Take them out and cool them down on a rack.

The most important part!!!!!!

Take one bowl.

Place meringue in bowl

Dollop over thick cream

Small dollop over lemon curd

Grab spoon

Devour....................... : )

 Next we made chocolate cupcakes.Well you would wouldn't you?

I have just finished a very sweet project from a new book.I rarely buy crafty books as often I find them catering to those new to the world of making and not addressing the number of people out there with skills they are busting to have directed in an imaginative direction.Seriously there are only so many books needed to show the world how to applique a motif on a babies singlet. Either that or I am simply blinded by the choice-bunny in headlight style.

 The book I bought was Sandi Hendersons  scrap busting book and the first thing I have whipped up is her lovely "Countdown Chain" project.Easy, fast and a fantastic idea.Just in time too as someone who used to be absolutely teensy is turning seven(yelp!!) at the end of August so tomorrow he can happily put up the first chain.Yay!!

xxxxxx

Comments

[Cláudia]

I love those fabrics :)))

kisses from Portugal :)

[Chicken Salad Recipes]

Oh, that looks good. And great for a soggy day.

[Melissa n Atlanta]

Yum- that looks delicious! I don't think it would help me lose any around the middle though :) I see your'e still with soccer- ahem, it's always eventful, that's all I will say here. haha! The season is just starting again over here and school is just getting ready to go back as well- August 23rd- a sad day. I am dreading it- everything gets rushed and there's no time to just hang out together. I still have your package to send off ( I'm the worst with the post office), but I'm thinking it will be perfect to arrive for your spring!

[sam]

The lemon curd looks delicious! I have always wanted to try it but for some reason the recipe always scares me off. Thanks so much for your email Clare, I so appreciate it. WIll try and write soon, hope all is ok with you! Cheers, Sam