Of course we'll do it again, the cuppa and the chatting. None of us have so many friends we can afford to lose one and certainly not one who was part of our becoming who we are. Time for a choc chip cookie (or two) after that slightly serious thought.
Had coffee this week with an old friend. We calculated that it is over 40 years since we did more than exchange an annual Christmas card so there was a fair bit of catching up to do over our scone and jam. We haven't even scratched the surface but it was good to be chatting away as if we had just seen each other yesterday.
Of course we'll do it again, the cuppa and the chatting. None of us have so many friends we can afford to lose one and certainly not one who was part of our becoming who we are. Time for a choc chip cookie (or two) after that slightly serious thought.
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I'm currently experimenting with gluten free baking so I can introduce a gluten free class to the mac'Bread repertoire. My dear friend is really keen to take a class but she needs gluten free goods and I’m working to accommodate her and others in the same situation. It's quite an adventure really, not just a case of replacing one flour with another as you might think. You have to lay aside your preconceptions and ignore your understanding of baking as you know it. That's where I went wrong today and why Mr mac'Bread, the star in my life, is currently on his knees with a wallpaper scraper trying to clear up the shortbread welded to the oven floor. Even though the dough responded like a conventional shortbread when I was putting it together it did not behave in the oven like one. Butter melted, flour did not hold onto it and the resulting liquid had more in common with glue than shortbread. Fortunately, as with most mistakes in the kitchen, it tastes fine and will certainly be eaten. Mr mac'Bread will be in need of energy when he's done. And I promise him faithfully never to be so daft in the future and that I will always put the gluten free dough in a tin which will contain its molten form until the bake firms it up! It started off fine; glorious sunshine,a freshly baked sourdough crumpet for breakfast and a plan to spend the day in the garden after returning the livingroom into a non-rabbit proofed area. Then came the first phone call which required a follow up email which led to a further phone call and follow up email, and so it went on like some demented conveyor belt for most of the day. I watched the garden recede in a haze of disappointment as I battled manfully (or more correctly 'womanfully') onwards to reach the end of the conversation. Still not resolved I'm afraid, however, I can bask in the happy knowledge that even 'though today went a bit awry, I can always try again tomorrow, God willing, only tomorrow the answering machine can do the work! The secret, according to the 'don't panic now you're 60' book my Mum and Dad gave me, is to do something new every day. I have tried over the past year but it does become a little stressful finding all these new things. This week, however, has been a week of new things. Monday I ate my first ever a poached egg. Don't have any problem with eggs boiled, scrambled, omeletted or even fried but I've never been able to get beyond the yukkiness of a poached egg poaching. My lovely daugher and I had lunch out on Monday and the warm lentil and Toulouse sausage salad sounded lovely but for the poached egg that was part of it. I'm proud to say I ignored the mental picture of floaty eggy bits and ordered it up. It was lovely and the egg was fine although I still don't get the soft yolk thing. Onto Tuesday's new thing which was crystallising primroses to decorate today's 'first', a Simnel cake which I've wanted to make for years but it involves marzipan and Mr mac'Bread just won't eat it. This year I made it anyway and will find people to eat it with me. The cake sits on the cooling rack waiting for it's decoration and smells delicious. Can't wait till it cools. Check our Facebook page on Friday to see how it turns out. Tomorrow I might actually attempt to poach an egg myself; any tips on how to avoid the goo will be most welcome! Crystallised Flowers
Method: Pick edible flowers from your garden. You can find a list of what you can eat and, more importantly, what you can't eat, on the internet. Lightly whip up one egg white and using a small paintbrush paint the petals of your flowers with it. Paint back and front and the stem as well before covering in caster sugar. Lay the coated flowers on kitchen paper to dry. You can treat leaves the same way but don't eat them. You'll need to make these a day before you need them to give them time to harden. Easy thing to do and impresses your guests no end. |
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Hello, I'm Marianne. I live in Central Scotland with my husband, Jim, and an occasional rabbit. Glad you could join me :) Archives
November 2017
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