Living in the UK again

There hasn’t been too much of interest to post on recently, I was waiting until today, as I was expecting to be able to confirm, the family had their flat and were going to move in tomorrow. Well they got their keys but shall we politely say, that  due to what seems like a simple thing, they can’t move in. Unfortunately they have prepayment meters and the prepayment card and key they put money on to pay for energy are not in the flat. So they have registered for replacements. For them and me it’s frustrating, I have seen photos of the flat with all the furniture and items they were given, it’s on the first floor and  it looks really nice. Easter will naturally delay the sending of the key and card, I have warned them of this, I think in a weeks time they should be there. I will go and visit them at some point. So this is an interesting cake. The lodger’s wife is on a fasting diet, no dairy, meat or fish. So as she can’t eat my usual cake offerings I found  this  reci...

So today, was the day of the Spring show for the Horticultural association I am a member of. I have been, if you remember been practicing cheese straws and brownies. I made both yesterday with a lemon drizzle cake which was for sale by the slice in the tea room that we run as part of the show. The straws I cut with a ruler and I held them together with two foil wraps, as you can see below.  The brownies, well not so successful, the first batch were hopelessly undercooked, I did this as I was told my practice run ones were overcooked. So I made them again, and of course in my opinion they were over baked again! You want them gooey inside but these were not. They had almond flakes in them, they taste ok, but are really like a chocolate cake.  This year, the show has had a major facelift. The old white cardboard niches that the floral art entries sit in are now brand new black ones, that we can clean easily. The entry tables have a nice covering to hide the tired surface. We have...

As rhubarb is in season I decided to write my next contribution for the TRHA newsletter on cooking with rhubarb. I found a rhubarb and ginger loaf recipe, which wasn’t bad, but the Norwegian   one  with almonds on the top is sublime.  The wife in my lodging family is on a fasting, relating to Easter, like they do in Greece but no dairy produce is allowed. So no cakes for her unfortunately! I am making a lentil bolognaise tomorrow, but for yesterday and today, she is doing her own food thing. It’s been a lovely day here, it’s felt really hot. After the gym, I went and did some work on the TRHA garden, I did some Sunday while the store was open and I finished off the main garden bit today.  It will need some more tlc when things really start to grow. On previous years when I have been around on the other side of the fence, is a grass verge with a thin soil border. We have sown sunflower seeds there and they did really well. Only a couple got vandalised. So we will do t...

I went out today with my Skull and Crossbones friend. We went to the local pet rescue place, she had a dog agility kit she wanted to give them. We did not see any dogs, but she bought her pooch a nice coat which I think was black and said guard dog on it. Unfortunately her dog is probably not a very good guard dog! We went to a place which probably started as a garden centre, but now has several other units, with other businesses on site. There was an excellent fruit and vegetable shop, they had fresh turmeric, it’s like a small version of ginger. Finally on  the way back we stopped in Hurst, where we knew there is this huge knitted Easter egg, made by the Hurst Hookers. When I got back, I then did a litter pick walk around the village. I did not find much which is good. It also did not rain. Last night I had my fish and chips supper and sat in the railway station and afterwards took some photos, I put them in a Facebook post. This morning, before my trip out, I changed over the TR...

After the frenetic activity from last week, responding to kind requests from local residents to kit out my lodgers flat, it’s been a bit quieter. I did some work on the TRHA garden on the Sunday, pruning back the blackberries and starting the tidying there. I also finished cementing the stones around the pond, I bought some new plants too. To finish it off I bought a ton bag of larger stones than the pea shingle currently there, which looks better.  We are waiting for the final sign off for the flat my lodger and family will move into, it’s not being helped by the fact the liaison officer at the council is now on holiday, his coworker is meant to be helping, but he has his own work to do I guess. They may be here for another week. I have also weeded the back garden, trying to get rid of weeds like dandelion, ground elder and buttercups.  I have formalised the next version of the TRHA web page, it’s just needs to be approved by the chairman, I am already looking into the versio...

It’s been an amazingly busy few days. After posting the request for items for the Ukrainian family, my Facebook was almost on fire with responses from kind people. Large items like a nearly new tumble dryer,  and all sorts of other things to turn an empty property into their first home in the UK. One lady brought bedding for their daughter, her teenage daughter said, every girl should have a fluffy pillow to cuddle up to, so she gave one to the daughter. She also gifted a pretty mirror glass trinket box, for jewellery. Amazing. Two people had nothing to give, so gave us money. So I bought an iron and a kettle, as we had not been given them. There was money left over, the family will buy some new pans. I have been making cakes of course, the carrot cake, the second example was much better than the first. It’s one of my favourites. It’s looking like the family will get the keys on the 18th March, and will move in to the new place in that week. The mother had written a nice piece that...

I made a lasagne two nights ago, and here is a tip for you. If you use dry lasagne sheets, sometimes, they don’t get cooked after cooking in the oven. So my tip is make it twenty four hours before want it and pop it in the fridge. The lasagne sheet softens and I am sure the meat sauce develops its flavour too,  the chewy lasagne sheet problem  is solved.  After having two helpings, my lodgers wife, asked if some of the left overs could not be put in the freezer, so she and her husband could have some for breakfast! I donated the bowl and mixing implements from my broken mixer to my neighbours daughter, she makes cakes as a business. We got a glorious ginger cake in return. My cakes are generally nice, but this is amazing. The texture and taste is awesome! She gave me the recipe. This afternoon we are all celebrating with the Ukrainian family opposite with a BBQ, it’s the Ukrainian’s husbands birthday. One of my neighbours has said she might have some items for my lodgers ...