Baking

Mid-May Sunday Musings

~ beetleypete ~ 42 Comments

The end of a good week. A trip to Suffolk, which I have already posted about, and an easygoing time with nothing too dramatic happening.

—————————————————————————————

The weather was the star of the show, with sunny skies and high temperatures most days, followed by first-time sightings of the Northern Lights on Friday. The mud has finally dried up on my walks, though that might change with the chance of thunderstorms later tonight. There may also be a dramatic fall in temperatures by up to 10C during next week. But by English standards, we have had a taste of Summer, so that’s a real positive.

—————————————————————————————-

I find it incredible that I am still meeting people on my walks who did not know that Ollie has died. One lady was so upset by the news that she engaged me in conversation for more than 30 minutes, and she doesn’t even have a dog. He is certainly remembered by all, and missed by many.

—————————————————————————————–

Julie has been working extra shifts to cover unexpected absences at work. But on her day off she went straight back to baking, and is already planning new bakes for next time. Her twin daughters have their birthday tomorrow, so later today she is driving over to see them with their gifts.

——————————————————————————————

Have a great Sunday. Doing what you want to do, where you want to do it.

——————————————————————————————-

Last Sunday Musings For April

~ beetleypete ~ 82 Comments

If one word can sum a week, then that word is COLD. I have felt cold all week, and the heating has been on in the house for 14 hours a day, every day. Some days have been dry, but walking outside felt like winter, in a biting wind all the way from Norway sweeping down the east of England. The weather is set to warm up next week so they say, but with that comes ‘occasional heavy rain’. Hard to believe it is almost May. The front Beech hedges are still bare branches, and there are not many leaves on the two Oak trees.

—————————————————————————————

I am still coming across people who don’t know that Ollie died in February. Recounting the story of his last days yet again keeps the pain of the loss going, like twisting a knife in a wound. But people are only being kind and sympathetic, so I have to endure it.

—————————————————————————————-

Julie had two extra days off during the week, and used them to good effect by baking cakes, bread, and savouries. I featured that in a post earlier, but since then we have also enjoyed some scones she made on Saturday. She certainly has the ‘Baking Bug’, buying lots more flour over the weekend, and constantly looking for ideas in her recipe book.

——————————————————————————————

My mood is still up and down. I tried to start reading again, and chose a new book on my Kindle. But I only managed 15 pages before giving up. I might go back to it, though I have no idea why reading books suddenly became so difficult fro me during the pandemic lockdowns. If there is such a thing as ‘Reader’s Block’, I definitely have it.

——————————————————————————————-

It is raining heavily here as I type this, though the temperature has jumped to a relatively balmy 10C. (50F) I hope the weather is more pleasant where you are, and that you have the kind of Sunday you wish for.

——————————————————————————————–

Baking Days

~ beetleypete ~ 61 Comments

Julie had two extra days off last week, and with the help of her new stand mixer, she spent a long time doing some baking.

Two Beef and Onion pies for the freezer, and some sausage rolls.

Fresh farmhouse loaf of bread.

Coffee and Walnut sponge cake.

Victoria Sponge with real cream and strawberry jam.

Sunday Musings In Late April

~ beetleypete ~ 54 Comments

Weather-wise, we were quite lucky this week with not too much rain. Although we had a few cold days, and near-freezing overnight, the sun has been out, the birds singing their heads off, and it does feel like we might finally be able to enjoy the outdoors soon.

—————————————————————————————

I bought Julie a new stand-mixer to replace the old hand one that she had been using, and she responded by making some tasty bread. She has rediscovered her love for baking during the past year, and now enjoys her days off work by spending more time in the kitchen.

—————————————————————————————-

Our grandson has been staying for the weekend. He is very bright, and already knows a lot about many things, especially ancient history and astronomy. But he still prefers to spend the majority of his time on a tablet or laptop, playing computer games. Julie gave him some of her crystals, and let him read her book about them. That caught his imagination, and now he hopes to start a collection. We took him out to eat at a ‘family’ pub/restaurant last night, and he made friends with a girl his own age while they were playing outside. He made me smile when he came back inside by saying “She has younger siblings”. He’s only nine, and sounded so grown up.

—————————————————————————————–

Other than that, I have stuck to my usual weekly routine. Still going out on what would have been long dog-walks if Ollie was here, and keeping my daily exercise going. I am looking forward to warmer days and venturing further afield.

——————————————————————————————

It is only 7C (45F) here today, and despite the sunshine, there is a cold north wind. I hope the weather is better where you are and that you have the perfect Sunday for you.

——————————————————————————————-

Easter Loaf

~ beetleypete ~ 69 Comments

No, not lying around on a sofa.

I ran out of ‘my’ bread today. I like bread I can cut myself, not the sliced loaves. Of course, it is Easter Sunday, so none of the shops that sell such bread are open.

Undaunted, Julie decided to make me a loaf, (by hand) so that I would have fresh bread for tomorrow. Behold a ‘White Farmhouse’, cooling from the oven!

Well done, Julie!

Home Made Buns For Easter

~ beetleypete ~ 88 Comments

Easter is a time for festive food. And in England, it is the time for Hot Cross Buns.

Yesterday, Julie spent some time making her own, a batch of 12 buns. These soft buns have a spicy flavour, and are stuffed with plump sultanas. The cross has its religious significance too of course.

After a lot of strugglng with wet, sticky dough, and a considerable time proving the mixture in a warm place, in the oven they went.

After cooling, they were glazed with a mixture or water and apricot jam to give them a shine. Then we ate some spread inside with real unsalted butter.

Julie dropped some off locally to a friend, and will take more to one of her daughters this evening.

I am pleased to report that there were light, fluffy, fruity, and delicious!