Step back in time...........

1940's style brooch

SOLD

I knew there was a reason.........

As to why I delayed in making my Christmas Cake.

On Friday morning while I was waiting for a friend to go for coffee with.  The charity shop had just opend its door, (the only one which opens early on a Friday for Farmers Market trade).  While I was waiting for Jill I went in and had a look just to see what they had definitely not intending to buy anything but on the shelf were these cake tins for £5 as you see never been used, twenty years ago I had the large ring and tray from an offer from a magazine for twice that which I still have!

 

I fitted in two large round cake cases into the medium size ring

and made my Christmas Cake.  This year I soaked the fruit in the Brandy the day before and everytime I passed the bowl gave the fruit a stir.  I also added a few Cranberrys and Dried Pineapple.  I do not add nuts anymore as my DIL is allergic to them.

My Version

Weight of 4 eggs in
Butter, Muscavado Sugar, Self Raising Flour + one extra ounce of flour

1lb  Mixed fruit (doesn’t have to be accurate near enough will do)

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Mixed Spice

4 oz Glace Cherries
3 Large Tablespoons of Brandy

Cream together the butter and sugar and eggs till very pale in colour.

Mix all of the dry ingredients fruit together and then add to the mixture.

Fold in gently.

Add the Brandy and stir in gently

Bake in a warm oven, 140°C (gas mark 1) for about 3 hours,

Test after about 2hours
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Original Receipt

Weight of 4 eggs in
Butter, Muscavado Sugar, Plain Flour

Plus 1/2 teaspoon of Baking powder
1oz of Ground Almonds

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Mixed Spice

6 oz Currants

6 oz Sultanas

6 oz Raisins

6 oz Mixed Candied Peel

4 oz Glace Cherries
2oz Blanched Almonds
Brandy, Port or Rum
　
Cream together the butter and sugar and eggs till very pale in colour.

Add the eggs one at a time slowly.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then add to the mixture.

Finally add the brandy, rum or port and fold in gently.

Bake in a warm oven for about 3 hours, test after about 2hours

600th Post

My 600th post! 

I wanted to celebrate this post with something else, but that will have to stay a mystery for a while longer!  Here are a some pics of my other makes!

Well I didn't make this!  I found it basking in the winter sunshine on one of my towels.  If anybody knows what it is please tell..........

I made this Apple Crumble with apples I was given.

I use butter and demerara sugar for the crumble it gives a shorbread taste!

I made these brooches

I made these Vintage Style Wash Cloths

and these Christmas items

In the days before plastic surgery............circa 16 July 1937!

In the days when it seems it was ok to really hurt peoples feelings by making them feel inadequate in the "womanly figure" department! Amazing really, were women really "pitied by women and ignored by men" if they were less than well endowed. Most intriguing though is what was the "something" that they would send you?  As they used to say "answers on a postcard......."

Better than any prescription!

After a visit to the doctors this afternoon, I had to collect a prescription from the chemist.  So while I was waiting for it to be prepared I went to the news agents nextdoor!

Saw this magazine!

It is new to me as I have never seen it before. 

It came with a free Tea Cosy. I bit small for the average pot I think though, or you can make one of two other items from the fabric.

The Lavender cushions are quite pretty.

Think I may try and make this for Caitlin as an extra Christmas present!

Apples and Tea Cosies!

About three weeks ago my friend Jackie and a her sister popped over for lunch.  We chatted and mooched around the charity shops.  She bought with her a carrier bag of apples.  I wasn't sure if they were cookers or eating apples, I forgot to ask so I treated them as cookers.  So far I have made..........  I now suspect they are eating apples!

 Apple Upside Down Cake

(I'm sure everybody has heard of Pineapple Upside Down Cake)

I used my usual sponge cake recipe but using two eggs.

Put the apples in the bottom of the dish and cover with sugar, then put the cake mix on the top.

About 40 minutes.

Apple Cake

Weigh three Eggs,

weigh the weight of eggs in Butter and Demerera Sugar,

weigh Self Raising Flour to the same weight as eggs and add another 3ozs

half teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Mixed Spice

2lbs Apples - peeled and chopped (not too large and not too small)

80ml (eighty) Apple Juice

Cream butter and Sugar till pale. 

Beat in the Eggs one at a time (if it looks like this don't worry!)

Sift the Flour, Cinnamon and Mixed Spice and carefully fold into mixture.

Fold in the chopped Apples and Apple Juice

Cook on 160 degrees for about an hour,

put in a skewer or knife and if it comes out clean it is cooked

(I don't have a large cake tin so I divided the mixture between two 8" loose bottom tins)

Eat warm with cream or custard or just have cold with a cuppa!

Which brings us nicely to these Tea Cosies which I have made!

They can be found here!

Jolly Weekend!

Beautiful weekend, well in the Southwest anyway! Anybody would think it was a height of summer, but alas no it is 2nd October, something to do with the Gulf Stream! And it is very disconcerting that is is really hot and it gets dark by 7.30 and getting dark earlier every minute. Bit too hot for me I'm afraid, I don't do heat very well. We both had a wonderful weekend though. First of all we went to Taunton yesterday morning just to look at the shops I bought Liam some clothes (a fur lined jacket would you believe?) for part of his Christmas presents; I also tried to purchase cotton sheeting for the quilts I am making but the shop said they were ordering Monday. Then we had lunch, did a bit more looking round the shops.  When the time for the carpark was up we drove to here and had a fun afternoon Great place for nostalgia in childhood TV. I can actually say I remember every Dr. Who since 1963 with William Hartnell (never thought then I would actually have a son who would appear in an episode of Dr Who) and although I personally was not allowed to watch much TV especially on days weatherwise like today, and I was only allowed to watch things approved by mum, and remember TV was not 24hrs then either I could name nearly every character!........Oh! I feel really old!

There was a different varieties of radios

and televisions in every corner and space possible

Muffin the Mule - one of the first television puppets

as well as many toys and games with a TV theme

as well as books and annuals

as well as radio annuals

I remember this character very well.  He is called Twizzle.  Twizzle had concertina legs who always helped his friends.  Is there anyone else would like to remember Twizzle.......?

photo collection of the Man from Uncle

I have a blank wall in my kitchen, I asked for a large picture of David McCallum

Wasn't allowed one!

after afternoon tea and cake at the museum

we went to see Hen and her lovely family and wonderful cottage

I purchased this for Caitlin, but grany thinks she may keep it to be played with only at her house.  The dollies are mine from when I was Caitlins age.  I managed to find the knitting pattern to re-make the white clothes! 

Yes that is a grass skirt you see on the black doll, but it has been there since she was created probably the early fifties!

This morning we went a book fair and bought these Caitlin and Liam

after lunch we went to the station to see what was there as it was a Steam Weekend.

...........it was Norton Manor having a photo-shoot on the turntable!  Something us locals don't often see because they only seem to use it for special weekends! 

Cornish Pasty's........................?

It seems the whole franchise is wrong!

someone else has complained about it too!