This morning a jar of whole stem ginger and bag of poppy seeds satisfied my baking lust.

This morning Mother told me I wasn't happy.

This afternoon I'm making a Cottage Pie then watching Alan Ladd in Shane.
And that Mother darling makes me happy.

I know what mum means though, I do have days when I dislike living and mum being ever present and everywhere sees it, she sees all, in that respect she is very much like God.


A list of goodies to be baked between now and Christmas Eve...

Moist Gingerbread with Stem Ginger and Lemon Icing. 
Dark and sweet. Yum

Hot Cross Buns without the crosses. 
Ideal toasted and buttered and enjoyed with tea on a winters afternoon.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Traybake. 
Squares of it can be warmed in the microwave for a minute then served with cream. In fact I often serve cake this way. Another winner is slices of Madeira with pears and chocolate sauce.

Rich Fruit Cake with marzipan and white icing. A lazy girl's quickie xmas cake. A jar of Luxury Mincemeat is added to a bowl of flour, butter, glace cherries, nuts and eggs. Baked. Then marzipanned and iced. Quick, effortless but tastes like its taken three months to mature.Alcohol optional.

Coffee and Walnut Sponge.
A classic. I use camp coffee and chicory essence to flavour the sweet buttery icing. Served in wedges on its own, any more sugar and you'd probably feel ill.


Cherry Pie.
Crisp buttery pastry shell filled with a jar of cherries warmed and thickened with cornflour and flavoured with almond essence. Gorgeous served hot with ice cream or whipped cream. Or on its own on a small plate dusted with icing sugar. Very festive especially if doileys are used.


When I'm not cooking I'm reading...
This book is perfect for childless dreamers like me.

An orange and yellow skip sits on the driveway.
Already laying broken inside the echoing the echoing metal tomb, torn apart furniture
Room for a human?




As you can tell.... this morning's outing with a weak and sombre mother left me drained. I'd like to write positively but my mind has shut down and my body runs on auto.
Just now... a fleeting fly - by over an endless lavender field....The fragrance of my fabric conditioner being the ticket.

 

Saturday Night's Feast

Rice with carrots, peas, tomatoes, onions, green beans, cauliflower and chicken. Warmed by curry powder and garlic. Simple, scrumptious and friendly...

Angel Cake. The lightest cake in the universe. Made with five egg whites, a little flour and sugar and a few droplets of vanilla extract. Too good to be true. Served with a drizzle of cream. All white on the night.

.........Had a dawdle around Rochford square this morning. It was almost empty of people. A few old stragglers slowly passing the butchers making their way to the ever popular Greggs but other than that mum and me had the place to ourselves.
What a difference a few days make..On Tuesday the square was so packed you couldn't help brushing shoulders with the elderly.

I picked up two sherry glasses for 60p, a glass amber coloured tea light holder for 70p and for mum a squidgy white handbag with chunky chain.
Other goodies included a dozen old magazines for £1 and a banana yellow 1pt pudding basin.

This shopping trip was difficult for mum on account of the pain in her arm and down her right side, but she wouldn't hear of staying in, in the warm, with me whilst Mr Horsehound fixed the side gate. She wanted to be out and about  in her faux leopard jacket and sensible shoes.
Mother has driven me to overeating and then no eating but I more than admire her tenacity.

She has our evening planned too....
One reaches the stage where it makes sense to accept one's lot and bloody get on with it.

Talking of taking on new things..I've just put an Angel Cake into the oven. Never made it before. But as I read through Mrs Beeton's recipe I thought it sounded light and delicate and rather cute so I found my 6 inch ring tin and had a go.

If it bakes up ok I'll post a pic.

Now I must fly...Mother needs brown bread and marmalade.

Southend-On-Sea

...........A fruitful shopping expedition in the rain

Splashed and damp but we hauled home....

A new leopard print three quarter length coat for mother plus a frilly vest and silly slippers.

For me....bought in a charity shop, an old book called 'A Year's Dinners' written by May Little. No date inside. But by the contents I'm guessing the 1920's 30's.
On the first page it says... 365 Seasonal Dinners. With Instructions for Cooking. A Handy Guide-Book for Worried Housekeepers. (That bit really tickled me)
By May Little, First Class Diplomee, Late Staff Teacher at the National Society's Training School of Cookery, London. Author of "Cookery Up To Date"

It's a glimpse into a bygone age. I love it...... Water Lily Savoury. Cheese Eclairs. Minced Duck and Tomatoes.Calf's Feet Fritters. Sprouts and Cheese. Chicken Kromeskis.

Mum and me spent a good couple of hours jostling with other shopping ladies thoroughly enjoying the warm squeezes and smiles.
I offered tea and toasted tea cakes but mum declined so after a bit of buying in Poundland we headed back to the car where I wrapped mother up like an precious parcel.

Home via McDonalds.



Tonight's Tea...

Minced beef and vegetables with dumplings and mini roasted potatoes

.............England's fruitcakes lost to Germany's 'b' team.
We watched in disbelief.
But the highlight of the night's viewing was when former Three Lions player Gary Neville solemnly predicted that England will win a major Tournament in the next 10-15 years...

So by my reckoning England will hold aloft a big shiny cup when I'm picking up me pension.

                                                  Whatever you say Gaz, whatever you say.

More Good Than Bad

....and a vintage cut glass sugar bowl. I could rattle on about my morning with mum and how our marrows were chilled as we stopped at shop after shop but I'll spare you that...I did though buy a giant cauliflower from a man with scared white hair and purple old tats.

Tonight's tea is sausages with potato boulangere and carrots. For sweet... A Queen of Puddings made with blackcurrant jam instead of the usual raspberry. Feels good knocking convention.
By the way I've flung out my bras opting instead for smooth white lycra vests.
Mother, you see, is changing the way I think and feel. Gloria is being knocked hither and thither. To save my life and sanity I've taken my swinging boobies and swollen knees to the bunker from where life seems rosier. It's a damn sight easier than more war.
A row on Sunday being the catalyst.
Mum needed her feet soaked. I'd had a busy day. And I'd just sat down with the Sunday Mirror when I was reminded about her ankles and ingrowing toenails which needed washing and trimming and creaming and other feet jobs.
 I flipped. I mean I really growled. So much so that at 7pm, despite screaming foul language and tears from me
poor Mr Horsehound stormed out kicking a filthy hole in the drawing room door and I paralysed by despair jumped in my car and drove around town in my PJs. Such was the rage that engulfed us. Mum though sat watching telly.

We've calmed down now. And tonight Mr Horsehound, mum and myself will watch England take on our old rivals, Germany.
I'm hoping the game will take me to another place.