Changes

My shiny, brand-spanking new website is currently being created - by me, so this could take anything from a few weeks to a few decades, given that my knowledge of website building is mainly based on "lets see what happens if I mash all these buttons with my palm" - and so you probably shan't see much here for a little while. Do keep checking back & keep an eye out on Twitter for all the changes!

The new website will incorporate my current personal blog - Our Pea Green Pod, the Pea Green Pantry food blog as well as some reviews & my personal art portfolio.

I'm so excited I could wee!

Hope to see you there, soon!

How Do You Like Your Eggs?

Lunchtime:

Eggs on toast?

Nope! Goats cheese & yellow tomatoes. Though I love eggs, this is so simple, tastes great & looks cute too!

Flash in the Pan Friday

Today we've been baking for the neighbours who have been putting up with my Eldest daughter making a huge mess in their garden this glorious afternoon.

I used the Carrot & Honey Cake recipe from the River Cottage Everyday cookbook. I added some sultanas & cinnamon (yes! I do love cinnamon!). The cases are from Sainsbury's - aren't they fab?!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

 Rumour has it that despite life having lobbed a few lemons this way, the Pantry is back in business..

All I know is this: when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

When life doesn't give you lemons & ruins your plans for a desirable drizzle cake, you say "Sod* the Lemons!" & grab the nearest Orange. 

 

 For Cinnamon & Orange Drizzle Cake you will need:

• 4oz/115g Butter
• 4oz/115g Caster Sugar
• 2 x Medium Eggs
• 4 oz/115g Self Raising Flour
• 1 x heaped tsp of Cinnamon
• Zest of 1 large Orange
• Juice of half large Orange
• 3 or 4[ish] x heaped tbsp Icing Sugar

 For a Cinnamon & Orange Drizzle Cake you must:

1. Cream together the Butter & the Caster Sugar until pale.
2. Beat in the Eggs, one at a time, adding a little Flour (to stop them separating).
3. Gradually stir in the Flour, Cinnamon & Zest. I like lots of flavour, so tend to whack in a load of cinnamon - you could also try putting half a tsp of Nutmeg in there too if you fancied. You know what, I bet this would be cracking with a handful of sultanas or mixed fruit in too.
4. Put in a greased & lined cake tin or loaf tin - 20/25cm round or similar - & bake in a preheated oven for 20-30mins - or until nicely golden brown on outside, I love to have a crispy outer! & you can insert a skewer into the middle & pull it out clean. You know the drill!
5. Meanwhile, at the Bat Cave... Mix together the Juice & the Icing Sugar. You can make it as runny or as solid as you desire. I like mine to be fairly runny so it gets in all the nooks.
6. When cooked & still hot (& in the tin, otherwise it's messy!) make deep holes in the cake with a skewer - or if you are like me then scissors will do! - then pour your icing on top, ensuring it all runs into the holes & makes your cake lovely & moist.

et voila! - Cinnamon & Orange Drizzle cake, with not a Lemon in sight! Enjoy with a well deserved Cuppa ...and relax!

 

*words other than 'sod' may be used in this instance. Please feel free to improvise.

Long Time, No See

Hello all,

Just a quick one to send my apologies for having not been here for a while. You know how life gets from time to time.

I'll be back soon, & I may even be raring to go too!

Hope you've been well.

Chloe.

Holiday

Hello all, just a quick message to say that this week I am celebrating my birthday & simultaneously going thru a bit of a dry blogging patch so I shall be taking a week off the old blogging & will be back in time to do a Food as Therapy post next week! Apologies for any inconvenience & all that - have a lovely week all!

Food as Therapy #3

Firstly, apologies all for the delay in this week's post. Yesterday saw the funeral of my Great Aunty Joy. It was a sad day for us all, but particularly for my Grandmother, her sister, who was very close to her & had cared for her until the end. In the latter years of her life she had sadly suffered from severe dementure & so was not herself as we all knew her, but in tales I have heard lately of her life it's even clearer to me that she was an inspiring woman.

Stories ranged from those that included wild motorbike rides to London with her sister to working with the elderly & teaching disabled children to ride horses.

Now, I know you may be thinking what has this to do with food or therapy but let me get to it.

My memories of Aunty Joy are skipping in through the porch of her bungalow, shoes trip-trapping on the cold concrete floor & through into the kitchen - pale blue cupboards, small gas hob, folding leaf table - & inevitably the request to be given a task, more often than not, making small terracotta plant pots into fully furnished houses for tiny clay mice, but whatever the task before it was undertaken she would stoop into one particular blue cupboard & pluck from it a jar of jelly babies. We would each take one & then on with the matter in hand.

Sometimes, the task would be baking rather than making. One particular occassion, I remember coating macaroons in chocolate & coconut. To this day, every time I partake in the odd macaroon, that'll be my first thought. Another foodstuff that never fails to evoke childhood memories of both Aunty Joy & my Granny is the wonderful thing that is jelly, but not any ordinary jelly - jelly with appropriate fruit suspended in animation. As a child this was the pinnacle of desserts, not only delicious but I remain mystified as to how the fruit found it's way into it's place! I now make this for my daughter too!

So food does not only serve the one purpose - to nourish us. Because it is something we partake in so often, food relates to so much more, including associations with people, places & memories.

These are some of my foody memories, & this week I ask, what are yours? What dishes, recipes or anything else do you assosciate with good times, beautiful places or loved ones? What food brings not just nourishment or fulfillment to your body, but warmth & happiness to your soul?

I look forward to hearing from you all. Please link up below, comment or drop me a line on Twitter (@PeaGreenPantry).