A Few Degrees Lower Makes All the Difference

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all well and the week has been good for you.

For most of this week, it has again been exceptionally hot, with more fires burning closer to home. Our son lives near Stourbridge, where people have had to be evacuated. I do hope people take note of the requests about lighting any outdoor fires at the moment. A spark can so easily cause flames to spread quickly. I am so grateful to the fire brigade and others who are working tirelessly to stop this happening.

This week we had the solar eclipse on Wednesday. Unfortunately, hubby only managed to get a few atmospheric photos of the sun's rays through the clouds that covered the skies. Our son managed to get a better photo.

Meanwhile, just a few more photos of the bees enjoying the sunflowers. They are such a joy to watch, as they are busy collecting nectar.

We also enjoyed a 30th birthday party with a friend, and this is what we bought her for a bit of bright fun. Hopefully it will keep her smiling whatever the weather. It is also practical, as it is a doorstop. 

With the cooler temperatures arriving this week, I intend to get back outside and try to bring some order to my frazzled garden.

Wishing you all a happy and safe week.

B x

Chocolate and Cruising

Hello everyone. 

As it has been a little cooler at times this week, hubby and I have been baking again. This week we made Easy Chocolate Squares. It was a lovely recipe that just required some melting, mixing and some time solidifying in the fridge.

Here is the recipe, which I changed to the ingredients I had in my store cupboard.

Easy Chocolate Squares

Ingredients

225g/8oz plain dark chocolate

75g/3oz butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

75g/3oz shortbread type biscuit ( I increased the amount of biscuit and kept the pieces chunky rather than having too small crumbs)

100g/4oz raisins or sultanas. (I also added some glazed cherries)

Method

1. Grease a swiss roll tin or line with baking paper.

2. Put the biscuits in a strong food bag and lightly crush with a rolling pin.

3. Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a small heat-proof bowl. Add the syrup and butter. I melted these ingredients in the microwave in short bursts, but if you prefer, you can do this over a saucepan of hot water.

4. Stir the biscuits, dried fruit (cherries) into the mixture and spread over the swiss roll tin. Chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight. Cut into pieces and enjoy.

And now, over to D with an update on her holiday adventures.

Hello all, D here.

I had a lovely time on holiday around the Greek Islands - plenty of rest and relaxation amongst a few excursions I went on. I thought I would share some of the photos I took during the tours.

The Acropolis at Athens - that's the Parthenon. 

The site of the First Modern Olympic Games

The famous Hourly Changing of the Guard outside the Greek Parliament

Santorini

Bodrum Castle, Bodrum (Turkey)

The Palace of Knossos, Crete

This is the great palace of the Minoan civilisation, which existed between 3000 and 1100 BCE; they are considered to be the first civilisation in Europe. However, you might be more familiar with Knossos from the myth about Theseus and the Minotaur - this palace is where the labyrinth was supposed to have been. Although sadly, there are no signs of a labyrinth anymore.

Aphrodite's Rock, Cyprus. 

According to Greek Mythology, this is where Aphrodite - the Greek Goddess of Love  - rose from the sea.

Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sunion.

This temple looks out over the Aegean Sea, and it is a very stunning place to visit. However, when I visited, it was very windy - I had to shove my hat in my bag, for fear it would try and fly home without the benefit of an aeroplane. Still, I managed to get some really lovely shots of the temple.

The Habour at Rhodes.

Have a great week.

B and D 

New Plants and Cookie Biscuits

Hello everyone. 

It has been another sunny week here in this small corner, but there have also been a few cooler breezes and some rain showers on Thursday, which were very welcome.

As the temperatures have been lower than we have been used to over the last few weeks, hubby has been getting on with constructing the rest of the raised beds nearest the decking. 

The last bed was much more of a challenge, as is usually the case with a project. After the rain on Thursday, hubby was able to lift the old turf, but the ground was very compacted underneath, and we have quite heavy clay soil. He started turning the ground over and found a metal spike for a rotary clothes line. It took some time to dig that out, and it must have been there over 25 years, longer than we have been in this house. Having removed that spike, almost next to it, he found another one. This was of his own making for a rotary line we put in over 20 years ago. Hubby had set that in concrete, never to be removed!! It took a sledgehammer and a heavy-duty jackhammer drill to break it up. Then he had to fill the crater he had made. At least now the ground has been properly turned over, and once the compost and manure are added, any new plants should have a good start in our garden.

I have not done any digging this week, but instead I have been busy buying plants. A friend of ours had recommended two new garden places to visit - one has great air conditioning in the cafe and a good selection of plants to tempt. Then further down the road was a wonderful nursery, again with lots of very good plants. 

I'm afraid I came away with several plants for my new garden beds. 

French Lavender

English Lavender

Anemone

Choisya(Mexican orange blossom)

Hebe

Santolina

Geum

Chives

Oregano

Rosemary

Once they have all filled out some more, they will be perfect. I still need some other plants, but I think a good start has been made.

This week, my tomatoes have started ripening. At first the colour change was slow, but now there are lots of ripening tomatoes that I can start picking and using. 

D is on holiday at the moment, so I am missing my baking partner. This week, I found a new helper to bake with. Hubby usually stays out of the baking zone, but the chance of cookies at the end of the day encouraged some practical support. These were the cookies/biscuits we made.

It was a very easy recipe that I adjusted to the ingredients I had to hand.

Here is my own version.

It was a very easy recipe that I adjusted to the ingredients I had to hand.

Here is my own version.

Traditional Sugar Biscuits

350g/12oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

115g/ 4oz butter

225g/8oz caster sugar (I used granulated sugar)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence (or essence of your choice)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Topping

A mix of crystallised sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Method

1. Sift the dry ingredients together except the sugar, and set aside.

2. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to mix well.

3. Add the flour mix alternately with a spoonful of milk until a soft dough forms. ( You may not need all the milk). Wrap in cling film and chill for about 45 mins.

4. Heat the oven to 180℃/350℉/Gas 4

5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm/ 1/8 inch. Cut into rounds with a floured biscuit cutter and transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon topping. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone, and have a good week ahead.

B x