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.

Food as Therapy

Here we go...

This is... (drumroll, fanfare, huge anticipation) ...the first official post for the Food as Therapy blog-hop, linky thingamy! (More concise, witty name pending). If you haven't heard about it yet then check out the 'Food as Therapy' top tab & see what you think.

I'm sure this whole idea will grow & take on a little more structure as the weeks go by, but for now lets say, the first rule of Food [as Therapy] Club is that you MUST talk about Food Club! It's all about the sharing of ideas & good stuff. We can share:

• recipes that make us feel good
• pictures of meals we enjoy
• our plans for the week ahead
• ideas for others to try
• stories of what we are doing right & wrong
• our personal stories
• professional advice we've come across
• anything that relates to food & our wellbeing, be that mental, physical or emotional.

So this week I ask you all to make your introductions, in whatever way you see fit! Just link up using the linky below, leave a comment or follow us on twitter at @PeaGreenPantry

What will you do to make a start to the food as therapy journey?

I'd also love to see just a picture or even recipe of a favourite meal. Who are your favourite chefs & cooks (famous, infamous or completely unknown to anyone else)?

It's all very well me asking you all this, but what about me?

Well, I'm Chloe, I'm a mum to two girls (all ready!) & I'm very pleased to make your accquaintance! I do a lot of tearing my hair out & the such, not only with the tribulations of family life but battling mental illness & whatever else life throws at me. If you'd like to read my personal blog (lots of swearing & stuff) then you can find it here!

For a starter I am going to show you how I have begun to plan my weeks. During the darker days I find it terribly difficult to pull myself out of my pit & have a little structure so at home we have invested in a chalkboard (good ol' TK Maxx) & we now plan our week ahead - meals, appointments, birthdays, shopping lists, work hours & lots of doodles from me. No obscene ones this week though!

It has helped me hugely so far. I am a scatter brain, but when I can consult the board more stuff gets done. It's colourful too, which always makes me smile.

My favourite chef, well it's got to be Hugh, oh, Hugh. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. I have a little food related crush on dear old Hugh. I know, don't say anything!

& a favourite meal? I actually have scuppered myselff here as I don't think I could choose, but I'll say I'm a huge breakfast fan & recently fat blueberry pancakes have been a favourite with maple syrup & perhaps even some crispy bacon! Nom!

Here's one I made earlier!

I told you earlier that today I would be doing a spot of easy baking with Eldest. Alas, dear readers, I am dying. I think I have the man flu or some other such ailment, but whatever it is, baking is not on the cards - lying around moaning & possibly eating some baked goods, however, is totally on.

Though this was never meant to be the first official PGP post, rather a little something to whet your appetite, before we really get stuck in, I still feel I've let you down & so here is a post I made earlier instead. Originally made for my personal blog Our Pea Green Pod.

~   *   ~

We like to bake. We love to bake! However...finding a spare half an hour when you have a 3 year old child who spends most of her time on the naughty step & a ten week old baby who spends most of her time eating, crying or soiling herself can be a little bit tricky.

So, if you are in a similar predicament to me, then you may appreciate my step by step guide to cupcakes.

1. Preparation is key. Firstly get all your ingredients together: remember: 4:4:4:2 or in this case 2:2:2:1 - this is 4oz SRFlour, 4oz caster sugar, 4oz butter to two medium free range eggs. Place them on a tea towel so as to disguise your mingin' work tops from anyone who may be watching you, for whatever reason.

2. Check that baby is sleeping soundly. Yes? Good.

3. Find child & place in apron (may be trickier than it seems).

4. Make child smile & banish from sucking thumb until finished. Crop out mop in background.

 5. Remove gross child-germs from child's hands.

6. Now, at last, baking. Cream together butter & sugar using electric mixer, unless your child, like mine, is scared of electric mixers, hoovers, hand dryers etc. in which case either do this by hand or tell child it's safe to enter when you're done.

7. Beat in egg & vanilla essence. ("Awwww I wanted to crack the egg, Mummyyyy...")

8. After ensuing egg-related sulk, gradually stir in the flour.

9. Scoop into cases, taking extra care to avoid child saliva & other bodily fluids contaminating mixture.

10. Bugger, too late.

11. Place on tray & bake in oven for 10 minutes.

 

12. Meanwhile, have a cuppa, relax & contemplate why you ever thought it was a good idea to let your child in a room that houses sharp knives & dangerous electrical equipment, especially when all they ever do is ask "What's this?!" whilst wielding a meat cleaver or other such dangerous object the moment your back is turned. Perhaps I should add, in the name of safety & common sense - put all the sharp things tightly away!

13. Check buns, realise you are crap at timing & return to oven for a further five minutes.

14. Remove from oven. Perfect buns every time. 

If not, blame child.