Time to Eat WW recipe
100g (3½oz) self raising flour
50g (1¾ oz) icing sugar
½ vanilla pod
75g (2¾oz) self raising white flour
75g (2¾oz) cornflour
1. Preheat oven to Gas 4/180°C/fan oven 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Beat the margarine and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Scoop out the vanilla seeds and beat into the mixture. Add the flout and cornflour and mix to form a stiff dough.
4. Divide into 16 small balls and arrange on the baking trays. Press them down with a fork.
5. Bake until just golden 12-15mins. Cool on the baking trays for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
I didn’t have any vanilla pods in so used some essence.
Almond essence is rather divine.
So is mixed spice.
Ginger is next on the list but I need more sugar and cornflour before I try that.
WW 1½ points, total 25. Again, I make mine into point-sized portions.
I found when pressing down with a fork the dough wanted to stick to it so didn’t really bother. I went for the rustic appprach.
Freezeable.
Delicious warm.
Another WW Time to Eat favourite
75g (2¾oz) self raising flour
50g (1¾ oz) polyunsaturated margarine
50g (1¾ oz) caster sugar
1egg, beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1tbsp fresh lemon juice
Topping
1 tbsp lemon curd
1 tbsp boiling water
1. Preheat oven to Gas 5/190°C/fan oven 170°C. Line a 9 hole bun tin with paper cases.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl beat the margarine and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, lemon zest and juice with 1 tbsp of the flour and mix well.
3. Add the remaining flour to the mixture and fold in with a metal spoon. Divide the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 15 mins, until the sponges are springy to the touch.
4. While the cakes are still warm, mix the lemon curd with the boiling water and brush this over the surface of the cakes. Allow to cool before serving.
WW 2 points. 16 total recipe.
I have a 12 bun tin so used that and made 12 – less points per cake.
Freezeable.
I used all the juice from the lemon, plus some of the flesh.
Also, I used golden granulated sugar with no ill effects.
Delicious warm.
A lovely WW recipe from Time to Eat
75g (2¾oz) plain white flour
75g (2¾oz) Demerara sugar
75g (2¾oz) porridge oats
½ tsp ground nutmeg
75g (2¾oz) polyunsaturated margarine
1 tbsp honey
1. Preheat oven to Gas 4/180°C/fan oven 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, oats and nutmeg.
3. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan with the honey and then pour it over the dry ingredients. Mix well and place 16 spoonfuls of the mixture, set wellapart, onto the prepared baking trays.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until the biscuits hve spread out and are golden brown. Allow them to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
WW 1½ points each. 24 for total recipe. I make 24 smaller biscuits.
Even nicer if you skip the nutmeg and add ginger to taste.
Keep for 1 week in airtight container.
Freezeable. I make a double batch at a time.
Delicious warm
I’ve had enough of it now.
When I went back to work before the holidays it snowed. I needed a new tyre on my car and didn’t want to drive with a tyre that didn’t have enough tread. My colleague T picked me up and brought me home again.
With last week’s snow I still hadn’t got my new tyre so it was T to the rescue again. This time I had to walk down the hill as T couldn’t get up as the road was so bad. At least we got sent home from work early each day so I could trudge back up the hill in daylight. Was quite enjoyable really.
I got my new tyre at the weekend so at least I’m fully mobile again.
Still haven’t managed to get any wellies or snow boots though.
Since Christmas I’ve been making quite a lot of this:
Gingercake
350g (12oz) SR flour
Pinch of salt
1 Tbs ground ginger (I use 2tbs cos I like to taste it)
75g (2 ¾ oz) polyunsaturated margarine (I used ‘Can’t believe it not butter light)
75g (2 ¾ oz) dark soft brown sugar
150g (5 ½ oz) carrots, grated
3 Tbs treacle
150ml (5 fl oz)
2 eggs, beaten
1. Preheat oven to Gas 3/160C/Fan oven 140C. Line an 18×28cm (7×11inch) rectangular cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and ground ginger. Rub in the margarine using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and carrots.
3. Place the treacle in a small saucepan with the milk and warm gently, until the treacle has melted into the milk. Add this to the dry ingredients along with the beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes, until firm and springy to the touch. Turn out the cake on to a wire rack to cool, and then cut into slices/pieces.
I tried a variation on Sunday and melted the ICBINB into the milk and treacle mix and it worked just fine. Saves getting cake mix under your fingernails.
Another good tip is to try a couple of pieces whilst cake is still warm. Very yummy.
The whole recipe is 38 ½ points and the cake can be frozen.
I’ve never measured the dish I use to bake with but find I can cut the cake into 40-ish pieces quite easily.
Details are for Jen at Suburban Mum. I can’t seem to manage the link thing tonight and fed up trying now.
1. I still love work but it can leave me mentally knackered. I have a difficult case where I’ve been dealing with a chap for a while. I was about to close the case but he was readmitted to hospital after 5 weeks so it all begins again. Oh joy.
2. You may recall I had a small operation on my toe in January. At the follow-up appointment I pointed out that the problem was already coming back but I was told to live with it for a while. I went to see my GP a few weeks ago and got myself referred again and a different surgeon has now sorted me out. He’s lovely. I had the op last Tuesday and now I’m doing the resting up bit which is no fun at all. I can’t even potter in the house as I’m supposed to keep off my feet. Another dressing change tomorrow, this time at GP surgery. They wouldn’t do it at first so I had to get a lift to the local walk in centre. Booked in for hospital appointment next week to have stitches out. Had it done under a local anaesthetic as I really don’t like GA. The anaesthetic wouldn’t work at first so I’ve got lots of holes in my foot where they kept increasing the dose. The anaesthetist doc came in to give me sedation and put a cannula in my hand as they were all for knocking me out as I kept saying ‘yes’ when they asked if it hurt when they attempted the procedure.
3. For some reason I ended up having a pre-op before I saw the consultant. I went to Withington as it was the shortest wait (on a Friday). Had a shock as I’d put on a stone since January and my blood pressure was way too high. The nurse said she would refer me back to GP about this but I made my own appointment the following Monday. Two lots of blood tests later, I’m now on statins for cholesterol as they reckon it won’t come down enough by diet alone. I’m borderline with diabetes so have to have a glucose tolerance test the Tuesday morning next week. My blood pressure has been coming down so that’s a good sign. GP reckons it’s higher when she measured it last Thursday with a manual system than it was whilst I was in theatre on Tuesday. Really don’t want meds for this as well. Have to go monthly for a weigh in and BP check.
4. After leaving the GP on the Monday I went across the road and signed up for Weight Watchers. I’ve been before and lost just under 4 stone but ended up helping out and not getting weighed every week. Then I had to work late some weeks and a few other things got in the way of me going. I put on all I had lost plus the extra stone. I had to weigh myself at home this week as I can’t dive right now. Total after 4weeks is 15.5lbs so I’m doing something right.
5. I signed up for the gym at work with a friend. On a Thursday. Then got a cancellation slot for my op so haven’t actually been yet. I will though.
6. Mum had a stroke. I got her a pendant alarm from work in case of falls or illness but did she use it? No. Phoned my brother who works nights so he brought her to the hospital. My gym friend came to A&E with us and was very supportive. Top bloke. At first the docs thought it was a TIA but was later confirmed as CVA with frontal lobe infarct. Back home now following 2 weeks inside and doing great. Mostly back to normal with just some occasional word finding difficulties. I was going to get her to ask GP for a referral to the Memory Clinic before the stroke but feel the word finding problem would affect the outcome. She’s had a habit of repeating tales for a few years now.
7. Christmas. Have managed to buy none of my 4 presents so far. Had cut down to just Mum, nephew, TLP and Secret Santa. I have an agreement with everyone else not to buy presents for each other now. TLP doesn’t want anything and has everything he needs. Nephew likes computer game things. Had originally booked this week off work to hit the shops and markets in Manchester but can’t even get a proper trainer or shoe on yet so that’s out of the question.
8. My friend K had her baby at the end of last month. He was 3 weeks early and is absolutely gorgeous.
9. Had a really nice evening out with TLP and our friends to celebrate their engagement.
10. Football looking good. First cup semi for years coming up in the New Year.
There you go. I managed to write 10 things. A good number so I’ll end there.
The lovely Byrney tagged me last week and I said I would do this over the weekend but I didn’t get round to it as I was busy and not online much.
I get to tell you 5 reasons that I am proud of myself. I don’t really do being proud of myself – things just are, or happen, and I can find it quite hard to blow my own trumpet. I shall have at look at what others have written for inspiration.
The badge will be added when I remember how to do it.
1. I got my great job last year. It has been the best move I ever made. Even when it gets very demanding and challenging I know I have the support of my team-mates and management. Love the job, humour and singing.
2. I can paint and hang wallpaper. May not be such a big deal to some but my Dad used to do the decorating at home. I was allowed to ‘help’ by picking things up and making lots of cups of tea to keep him going. After he died and I needed to decorate my room I managed it all by myself. I was impressed. Now I mainly live by myself and have decorated throughout the house. Only injured myself the once when I dropped the wallpaper steamer and grapped the hose against myself. Oops.
3. Have managed to keep my relationship with TLP going for over 5yrs. Possibly living apart helps. He’s my best friend and very lovely.
4. I’m very musical and can play the recorder, violin, cymbals, maracas, triangle, tambourine, clackers and kazoo. Just not necessarily very well or tunefully.
5. I make my own cards. I think I enjoy this as I get to play with glue and glitter and sparkly gemstones and scissors and coloured inks and paints and other bits and pieces.
And now the tagging 5 more bit. Let’s have a think:
Dave – he’s local and jolly nice, plus his take out was not good
Nutter – she was bored earlier so this’ll give her something to do
Glowstars – also needs summat to do
FlissTee – just turned 40
Milo – he’s bendy
You may have seen it before but I haven’t
LITTLE GIRL ON A PLANE
A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the
airplane when the stranger turned to her and said,
‘Let’s talk. I’ve heard that flights go quicker if you
strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.’
The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed
it slowly and said to the stranger, ‘What would you
Like to talk about?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said the stranger. ‘How about
Nuclear power?’ and he smiles.
OK, ‘ she said. ‘That could be an interesting topic.
But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow,
and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass – . Yet a
Deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a
flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried
grass. Why do you suppose that is?’
The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl’s
intelligence, thinks about it and says, ‘Hmmm, I have
no idea..’
To which the little girl replies, ‘Do you really feel
qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don’t know shit?
My local church was 140 today.
I received an invite to the celebratory service last month and thought I’d go.
When I was younger I used to go regularly but I’m down to occasional visits these days, plus going to socials and helping out at the fairs. I can’t get used to all the new songs and some of the more modern practices. There was nowt wrong with saying ‘trespasses’, etc as far as I’m concerned.
Anyway, apart from hymns I’ve never heard of before, I quite enjoyed the experience. The Bishop put in an appearance and was an entertaining speaker.
Matt the vicar ran through the history of the chuch with a slide show. Brought back memories and talked about things I’d heard of years ago such as people buying milk from the farm. The farm got sold and houses were built on the land. My parents home was built on land the farm sold off in the late 1950’s. I can remember coming home from my swimming lesson one evening and seeing the barn ablaze. We weren’t allowed out to play after the fire as rats had appeared in our avenue after feeing the blaze.
I also found out that the chancery was only added to the church in 1934. You’d never guess from the outside.
The church was built as more people moved to the area to work, following the discovery of coal and then clay. A mill was built and my Dad’s sisters all worked there at one time or another. Two local council estates are usually referred to as the The Miners and The Mill. The mill was finally demolished a few years ago and replaced with housing. The local Ferranti site is also a housing estate these days. I think the site closed about 20 years ago but I’m not sure of the date. My sister in law was working there at the time she met my brother but left before it closed. They’ve recently celebrated 21 years of marriage.
Anyway, enough rambling. I’ll add a photo of the church if I can find one online – off to search the council’s website.
Rushed home from work, quick shower and change of clothes then called at Morrison’s for our dinner of fish and chips. Very handy on a match night.
Following this we headed off to the pub for an hour. We were looking forward to the match. Would it finally be our year again? Not very likely if the last few seasons were anything to go by.
First half we weren’t very impressed. Second half much better but couldn’t finish the game off. Then it was Extra Time. Please don’t let it go to penalties! Hurrah for Kolo Toure. Very pleased with his goal at our end.
If you want to read the match report go here: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2009/September/City-v-Fulham
Ta Milo