Grandmothers crumble cake

One of the things I like most about changing my working week to give me a day off is that whilst the bearded one is busy with school runs and other work related errands I get to have a bit of a lazy start to my day, which usually starts with a cup of tea in bed, a cuddle with the furry paws and a chapter of my latest read. 

I also use this day to turn into the domestic goddess that I am not and get the household chores done.  Whilst others are out of the house and with clean sheets on beds, washing out on the line and all the other things that domesticity entails to bring harmony to the nest once more completed I get the chance to occasionally turn my hand to a bit of baking.  This is definitely not where my forte lies I am a very basic baker and for the most part can produce something edible and when I do I like to share my small triumph with you.

I am sure we are all familiar with upside down cakes, I'm sure most of us of a certain age will of produced one of these in domestic science or home economics whilst at school, with either peaches or pineapple on the top. Why they couldn't just call it cookery I don't know because I don't remember doing anything other than cookery in those lessons. I think it was supposed to teach us how to run a home, look after children and of course most importantly our husbands, I think I must of been off sick that day.

We were one of those old fashioned families that lived with our grandmother, she was a widow and very much the matriarch of the family.  As we had a cooked meal at school my grandmother had quite a thing about high tea which always included cakes, scones or other types of buns as well as sandwiches and sausage rolls and eggs wrapped in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, the name of which escapes me, and all home made for when we got home from school, and a big pot of tea using leaves not tea bags and proper cups and saucers no mugs allowed thank you. She used to tell us it was her best china and I was always terrified I would break one, it was years later after she'd died that I found out it wasn't but I suppose she was trying to instill in us good manors even then.

Anyhow one of the cakes I always used to like to make with my grandmother other than an upside down cake was a crumble cake. It is a really simple cake to make and I make it with either pears, apple or apple and blackberry.

The crumble topping you will need:

• 115g/4oz of self raising flour
• 85g/3oz butter
• 85g/3oz caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon or ginger (optional)

Pre heat the oven to 180C/150F/Gas mark 4

In a bowl I rub together the flour and butter till it looks like breadcrumbs and then add the sugar and cinnamon or ginger if using and give it a stir so its mixed well and then put it in the fridge to firm up a bit.

For the cake mixture you will need:

• 450g/1 lb of cooking apples (that normally equates to 1 or 2 reasonable sized apples
• 175g/6oz of self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 115g/4oz butter
• 115g/4oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1-2 tbsp of milk

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, gradually add the beaten egg one at a time adding a table spoon of the flour with the last bit of egg and now mix well. 

Add the remaining flour and pinch of salt and mix. Once combined add the milk and stir till combined. 

Grease and line a 7-9" loose bottom cake tin.  

Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and leave to one side.

Peel and core the apples or pears and cut into thin slices and lay the slices over the cake mixture pressing slightly down into the mixture.  To finish off sprinkle over the crumble topping and bake in the oven for approximately one hour until firm and the topping is golden brown.  Leave in the tin to cool for a few minutes before releasing from the tin and allowing to cool on a cooling rack.  

The biggest issue with this cake is it doesn't last long, by which I mean it gets eaten not goes off. The bearded one likes to eat it whilst its still warm and usually with custard, not sure what my grandmother would make of that. 

Have a good week one & all

Mx

The Clockmaker's Daughter - Kate Morton

My father called me Birdie;

he said I was his little bird. Others

knew me as his child, the clockmaker's

daughter. Edward called me his

muse, his destiny.

My real name, no one remembers.

The truth about that summer,

no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one women has been shot dead while another has disappeared, a priceless heirloom is missing, and Edward Radcliffe's life is in ruins. 

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting looking women in Victorian clothing and an artist's sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin gabled house on the bend of  a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? Who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? And will she ever give up her secrets?

Intricately layered and told by multiple voices across time, this is a kaleidoscope story of murder, mystery and thievery, of art, love and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a women who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker's daughter.

....................................

Elodie Winslow is an archivist she finds a sketchbook within a leather satchel and discovers a sketch of a beautiful young women and house, a house she knows well from her a childhood, a story passed down within her family from generation to generation a story she thought was just fairy tale. Elodie decides she needs to find out what is her families connection is to this house, now a museum, to try and find out who is the women within the sketchbook and was it she who pulled the trigger that left a young women dead and was it she who stole a precious heirloom, the Radcliffe Blue diamond. 

I have read all Kate Morton's novels and always enjoyed her style of writing moving between the past and the present weaving her story as she goes. There are many characters all of which have a connection to Birchwood Manor. The clockmaker's daughter is written using a narrator a spirit that has never left Birchwood Manor who knows all its secrets including what happened that summer in 1862. 

Unfortunately for me this was not one of Ms Morton's best novels. Normally I am gripped from the start and can't wait to be able to find time to pick up where I had left off to be able to indulge in more of the story she is setting. For me the clockmaker's daughter became a little disjointed with too many characters and the usual seamless flow moving from one time frame to another just didn't seem to happen. I loved the fact that the story was being told by a spirit locked within the house for the past 150 years, but it became a little unbelievable that a spirit would of kept up with modern technology and would know what a mobile phone was never mind a laptop and how to communicate by email.  

Sadly for me not one of her best.................

Mx

Spring is here!!!

So finally February has come to an end so too the last few days of Winter, although you wouldn't think so judging by the cold , wet and windy weather we are having at the moment.  We had had such glorious weather towards the end of February that even Marjorie Mountfield had been let out of the shed and given a twirl around the lawns to give them their first cut of the season.

When I look back at the photographs of this time last year when we were knee deep in snow I couldn't believe the weather we were being blessed with. That was until last Sunday morning when we woke to you guessed it.

Oh my goodness snow. This had not been forecast but thankfully it did not last.

 One of the things I love about living here is the diverse bird life. There is nothing more exciting than spotting a new bird in the garden and working out what it is.  I have a couple of very good bird books but sometimes you have to have some idea of what you think it it might be in order to look into it further.  This bird was one of a flock that had been coming into the garden over several days.  Eventually I sent a message to Spring Watch, yes they are there all year round and always happy to help but when the show isn't on air it can take then a couple of days to get back to you but better that than not knowing at all. They confirmed this to be a Fieldfare also known as a Winter Thrush, typically seen when the weather is colder and food more scarce. and apparently they are quite partial to apple and love to feast on them.

This morning there was great excitement as we descended our stairs to see out of the window this Sparrow Hawk sitting on the hedge.  I thought I had seen one on the fence post a couple of days ago but it flew off before I could get a good look. This morning it was back but rather than visiting the bird feeders I rather think it was thinking more a long the lines of sparrow for breakfast. The sparrows live in the hedge it is perched on and in the spring it is an array of bird song and becomes the local maternity ward, so much so that when the hedge grows over the spring/summer we can't cut it back in fear of disturbing the birds and by the time we get to cut it back in the autumn it looks quite unruly. 

Now just before I sign off this came up on my facebook feed and the person who posted it could as it says spot 4 faces. I spotted 10 so for a bit of fun on a cold, wet & windy Friday why not see how many faces you can spot.

Mx

Fairy Dust - cross stitch ta dah moment

My three older children all left home sometime ago now and as the years go on I find it increasingly difficult to know what to give them for birthdays and Christmas, especially as all three of the big ones have birthdays in January and February.  I didn't plan that very well did I. You would of thought I'd of known better being a winter baby myself.  They have all had knitted hats and scarfs and crochet blankets and they will occasionally come up with something they would like but that is not very often.  I suppose now they are all out earning their own money when they want something they get it for themselves.  I don't like just popping some money into their bank accounts as I always feel as though I haven't put any thought or effort to getting them a present, but I'm sure that's not how they feel.

Anyway I digress.  I bought this beautiful little cross stitch chart a couple of years ago whilst at the craft show at the NEC Birmingham. She has been patiently waiting to be stitched since that time but then a baby came a long and things went a little hectic for a while.  I found her again in November and decided it was about time she was stitched and with my daughters birthday coming up it felt like the perfect gift. She has always appreciated my love of all things myth and magic especially fairies, unicorns, pegasus and dragons. When she was 21 she had a tattoo of a fairy to remind her of me. I am not brave enough or young enough to start having tattoos so I'll stick with creating my beautiful cross stitches instead. 

The artist is Jean Baptiste Mong who is famed for his celtic faeries and whimsical creatures. The chart has been commissioned by a french company Nimue of France and this chart is known as 'Fairy Dust' or 'Poussiere de Fee'. As well as being able to order direct from Nimue, although there is no translation facility on their site, there are now a number of retailers in the UK and further afield and can be bought as a kit or stand alone chart. I bought the chart and the average price seems to be between £10-12 depending where you purchase from.  I purchased from Sparklies the details of which are in my links page. 

I particularly liked her colours which are all DMC, but the list of threads included mohair filament which I have to say I have never heard of and had no idea where I was likely to be able to source.  So I used a bit of poetic licence and used copper coloured krenik instead which I think has come up well as an alternative.

I wouldn't say it's a complicated chart to follow so whether you are a novice, intermediate or an advanced stitcher  you would be able to take this project on. They do recommend you stitch on evenweave or linen as there are some half stitches and back-stitching and to stitch using one strand of floss over 2 x 2 strands. as you can probably make out in the picture above.

I certainly enjoyed stitching this little lady and I am already thinking of other projects I would like to stitch in the future from this company.

She is now back from the framers and I think they have done a fabulous job.  In years gone by I have been told off numerous times for not signing my projects and some I have others I've not as I didn't want to spoil the effect.  I had never thought of having my name added as shown in the picture before until D had a project framed for me and had my name and date added. It was a bit of light bulb moment as to why had I never thought of it before.  This is definitely something I will continue to do going forward.

Now I just have to wrap her up to gift to my daughter, if I can bare to be parted from her. That's the fairy not the daughter.  

Mx