Hello everyone.
It has been a sunny and relaxed week in this corner - wherever you are, I hope the weather has been good for you, too.
Last week, I splashed out on a new food mixer/processor/liquidizer machine, and it has kept D and I happy all week.
It wasn't long before D was busy baking. This full-on chocolate cake was delicious, and three happy people enjoyed this latest sweet treat.
To add to this decadent sweet treat, I picked these huge strawberries that had ripened and added them to our dessert, along with some ice cream on Friday.
While wandering around the garden with my camera this week, I noticed how many pink flowers were in bloom.
Cosmos
Pelargonium 'Moonflair - Amythyst'
Pelargonium 'Sunflair - Linda Pink'
Cranesbill (Geranium)
Astrantia
Tiarella
Cranesbill (Geranium)
This is our lettuce salad bar.
It sits just outside the back door, and we have been plucking leaves to go with our salads all week: even hubby, who doesn't usually enjoy eating lettuce, remarked on how good it tasted. The seed packet was a 'mixed lettuce bowl'.
I cover the leaves at night with a cloche to prevent the pigeons from eating the lot overnight. We have also avoided slugs and snails, making the lettuce a gourmet snack. A winning crop this year.
However, I've not had much success with beans and peas this year, although I can see a few peas starting to form pods now. The tomatoes are flowering slowly but there is plenty of time for fruits to form over the coming weeks.
It's another sunny week forecast here, meaning we will use sun hats and sun cream daily. Having a spell of dry weather is good, and I shall enjoy it as much as possible.
Have a wonderful week, everyone.
Beverley x
I can see your new toy getting plenty of use. The cake looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful to see our gardens enjoying the recent sunshine. Xx
Hello Jules. Our new kitchen toy will open up lots of new possibilities for baking. The cake was delicious and the first of many more to come I hope.
DeleteI just love seeing new blooms opening each day in the garden. The sun has made a huge difference.
I hope the sun is shining in your beautiful part of the country this week x
A very productive garden - lovely. I'm glad the slugs and snails are being denied access to your salad leaves. They have their place in the world, just not on your edible produce.
ReplyDeleteI agree that slugs and snails have their place. I just try and encourage them to look for lunch elsewhere. Have a good week,Janice.
DeleteYou have a very prolific garden! Wonderful to have little helpings of lettuce so close to hand.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a very good year for lettuce growing. I think I have found the perfect spot for it to grow and it is easy for me to pick a few leaves regularly through the summer. As always some crops do better than others bu I always enjoy trying to grow them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will enjoy using your new toy. That cake looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteLove your lettuce salad bar, so nice to go and pick your own.
We've enjoyed the sunshine this weekend and the coming weeks forecast tells us we have more sunshine to look forward to.
Whatever your plans enjoy the new week.
All the best Jan
The lettuce bar is in just the perfect spot for them to grow and be eaten - a permanent home I think. I am looking forward to the next treat from the new mixer.
DeleteThat's a great new kitchen gadget and the cake looks amazing. I think maybe I ought to cover my pot of salad leaves. Hmm - what could I use?
ReplyDeleteOr maybe bring them inside? xx
The new mixer will get lots of use in this house. D loves it so she will be using it regularly. If you suffer with pigeons or other creatures eating your veg over night try poking a few sticks in between the leaves to make it more difficult for them. I also use copper tape around vunerable pots which I find helps. Enjoy your salad leaves x
DeleteYour garden looks wonderful, it is a pink time of year here too. It's good that strawberries have ripened at last. Your new gadget will be well used and the cake looks wonderful:)
ReplyDeleteI was quite surprised at the number of pink flowers I found on one day - so many different shades. I'm checking on the strawberries every day.
DeleteThe cake was delicious. A sign of things to come I hope!
I'm sure your new gadget will get plenty of use and definitely worth every penny when it's helping produce such yummy cakes. Astrantias are one of my favourite flowers in the summer garden, I have a white one and it's gone crazy this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jo. The mixer will definitely be well used in this house. I have only grown Astrantias for a couple of years but they are doing really well. I might need to split and move them in the Autumn as they have grown so much. The flower heads are so unusual aren't they.
DeleteA new mixer/liquidiser-do-it-all machine is a fabulous gadget to have. We've had ours for years and it keeps on giving! A good investment, for sure. All our garden edibles have been pigeon food.... we need to be more vigilant. Love a good fresh salad!
ReplyDeleteI have not owned a mixer this big before, especially with alll the gadgets. D and I are looking forward to many happy baking days with it.
DeleteSometimes wildlife gets in first - a pain, but I guess that's life when you grow your own fruit and veg. It's like a gourmet restaurant for everyone :-)
The garden looks lovely as do the flowers!
ReplyDeleteThat cake looks delicious!
hugs
Donna
Aww thank you Donna, so kind. We are looking forward to the next creation from the new kitchen gadget. It does make life in the kitchen so much easier.
DeleteThe food processor looks great, including the cake... I think I'd try white bread straight away - wheat needs to be kneaded extensively! Not like my rye, which I only work a little with my hands :-)) Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers in the garden are wonderful and yes, the weather is a delight. In my house the blackbird whistles and when it gets dark the fireflies come.
I wish you a happy evening.
Hug Viola
Bread would be a great idea to try with the new food mixer/processor.
DeleteWe have blackbirds that visit our garden often but we don't have fireflies. I hope you have a lovely week, Viola x
I haven't baked in ages and now I'm tempted
ReplyDeleteI think I will wait until the weather cools off a bit for baking. It's been hot here today. We may bake at the weekend though.
DeleteYour new kitchen toy looks great! And it looks like it's already been put to very good use. The cake looks delicious. I used my food processor to grate cheese for pizza this evening. It comes in so handy. I love all the pink in your garden. And what a delicious looking salad bar you have right out your back door. Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine!
ReplyDeleteI think the mixer is our favourite kitchen gadget at the moment - so many possibilities.
DeleteThe salad bar is also being well used. I'm just waiting for the tomatoes to grow and ripen. Homegrown fruit and veg is delicious and satisfying to grow.
I think having fresh lettuce just outside my door would be wonderful! I love salad but that freshness would be so yummy. So would that chocolate cake! You really are making the most of your new kitchen gadget!! Happy Wednesday to you -
ReplyDeleteJust being able to pick a few leaves outside the back door has certainly encouraged us to eat more of the green stuff this year. A habit I will continue in the future. Chocolate cake was delicious but only a tiny slice at a time. Calories- absolutely none. (In my dreams!!) Have a great day tomorrow.
DeleteHi Beverley, your chocolate cake looks absolutely delicious! It must be bliss having your new kitchen toy to play with. I can imagine it will be put to very good use by both you and D. Your pink flower photos are lovely. It is Winter here in New Zealand, so it is nice to see your Summer photos and think of warmer times in the garden. I hope you have a lovely weekend. Hugs, Rose x
ReplyDeleteHello Rose. Thank you for your kind comments. Both D and I love the new mixer and look forward to lots of baking with it over the coming months. It makes tasks so much quicker and easier. The pink flowers were a happy accident. I started with one flower and before I knew it I had quite a number of different ones. It seems strange that you are in Winter while we are in our Summer so we can cheer each other up with flowers all year round. Have a great week x
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