Do you like rhubarb? We love it. I was so excited the first spring we lived in this house to discover a clump (patch? plant?) of rhubarb growing behind the shed! It was my first experience of eating something from our own garden, and even though we had nothing to do with the growing of it, it was still so satisfying! Sadly Mr M had to dig up the clump (patch?! plant?!) to clear the space to use for bike storage (our shed is overflowing), but not having our own does make the start of the forced rhubarb season all the more exciting.
When I saw the first of the forced rhubard in the supermarket a few weeks ago I couldn’t resist giving this recipe a try (originally from the Morrison’s magazine). It turned out nice and yellow and custardy, but was a little disappointing on the rhubarb front. I think I’d make it again but next time add an extra 200g raw rhubarb to the mixture before putting it in the tin.
Rhubarb and custard cake
1. Put 200g chopped rhubarb in a pan with a tight fitting lid, and add 50g demerera sugar. Cover and cook over a medium to low heat for 10 mins until just softened.
2. Cream together 150g margarine or butter and 150g caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Measure out 100g self-raising flour. Add 3 eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of flour after each egg. Once you’ve added all 3 eggs fold in the rest of the flour along with 100g ground almonds, 1/2 tsp almond essence and 60g custard powder.
3. Loosely fold in the cooked rhubarb and juice (this is where I would stir in the extra raw rhubarb pieces) then spoon into a lined 20cm round cake tin. Scatter 25g flaked almonds over the top and bake at 180°C/gas mark 4 for 45-50 mins.
4. Dust with icing sugar to serve. It’s nice with yoghurt, cream, ice cream or extra custard, if you like that sort of thing!
Remember those good intentions I shared a few weeks ago? Well, I’m still a bit of a grump, and I haven’t made it to the fabric shop yet (although I do have lots of fabulous sewing plans), but I have managed to make a start on the reading! This is the ‘to be read’ pile from my bookshelf, nicely sandwiched between my Tardis and my wooden giraffes. Some are charity shop finds (The Testament, Change of Heart, Where Rainbows End, Life Swap), some are gifts (Julie and Julia), some are on loan from friends and family (Gods Behaving Badly, Winter in Madrid, This Sceptred Isle, Fire). Some are fact, some are fiction, some are novels, some are short stories, some are dramatic, some are trashy, some are old, some are new, some are borrowed, some are blue … oops sorry, got a bit carried away there! I think the point is that my to do book list reflects my varied taste, and I’m really enjoying losing myself in a book again. Hurrah for reading!
How could I resist this mushroom and noodle broth? I love both mushrooms and noodles, and noodle soup always make me think of this scene from Friends which in turn always makes me laugh. I love Joey!
I found this recipe in February’s delicious magazine but for some reason I can’t find it on the website. I’ve tweaked it a bit anyway (due to not shopping in Waitrose, where they seem to get most of their speciality ingredients) so here is a domestikated version. It’s light, fresh, healthy, filling, deliciously yummy and only takes about ten minutes!
Mushroom and noodle broth (serves 4)
1. Pour 1.5 litres water into a large saucepan. Add 3 tbsp light soy sauce and 200g instant miso soup powder, whisk together and bring to the boil then reduce the heat.
2. Add 500g mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced or torn into bite-sized pieces and simmer gently for 5 mins until tender. Stir in 175g shredded mangetout and 4 thinly sliced spring onions.
3. Meanwhile, cook 250g thin noodles until tender, then drain and divide between 4 soup bowls. Ladle over the mushroom soup, take straight to the table, and proceed to slurp it up with a spoon and a fork (or if you’re feeling authentic and have the tools, a ladle and some chopsticks). Be warned: it is impossible to eat this daintily, but it is delicious!
Mr M and I had a trip to Ikea yesterday (it was fun, but it wasn’t quite like this!) and I fell in love with this clever clock. Isn’t it super? Sadly Mr M did not fall in love with it and thus we did not bring it home with us (and even if we had I’m not quite sure where we would have put it) but I am definitely admiring it from afar. There’s also a fun wee video about it on the Ikea website which is a bit of a faff to get to, but worth it! If you can be bothered, click here, then click let’s go, then click on the seed pod in the middle of the bottom row. Once you’re there, it’s worth looking around, as there are all sorts of fun videos about the inspiration for the new PS range. Happy shopping!
Another aspirational spring collection is beautifully displayed in the new Cath Kidston magazine. The style is very different from Boden but is just as much about selling a lifestyle. In Cath Kidston land everything is pretty, the dullest of household chores is brightened by using a cutesty cloth, and life is full of books and sewing and cups of tea served in adorable floral teacups or fun and funky mugs!
If the fun and pretty patterns haven’t won you over, maybe browsing the magazine will. It’s packed full of fashion, recipes, book reviews, crafty ideas, beautiful bags and a full product guide, as well as these adorably booky children!
‘Tis the season of the spring catalogue, and my Boden catalogue arrived yesterday like a little ray of sunshine, selling the idea of long, warm summer days, walks in the country and days on the beach. In Boden land, things move at a slower pace, everyone is smiley, and everything is beautiful.
I’m pretty sure real life is never quite like this, but Boden sure sells it well! If the gorgeous pictures aren’t enough to make you smile, pop over to the website and explore the fun stuff (I especially like the questions and the fact that Johnnie Boden is ginger), or if you can’t be bothered with words just look at the babies!
I’m not a massive Valentine’s Day fan, but I do like a nice card, and I spotted some fabulous ones in Marks and Spencer earlier that I couldn’t resist snapping and sharing! It’s almost as if they designed the collection based on some of my favourite things. I mean, they’ve got …
… laser cutting …
… owls …
… biscuits …
… and vegetable puns! Amazing!
Fabulous food courtesy of my mother, and too many scrummy soups to choose from (pea in the bowl, lentil and apricot in the cup)
Lots of Anna time. At six months she’s doing a lot of smiling, wriggling, gripping and squealing, and she’s just perfect!
Cold, bright days and seaside walks. This is the view across the Forth to Edinburgh just before sunset.
Tennis, and Anna supporting Andy in the Australian Open final. Shame he lost, but I do love Roger, so although I’m sad for Andy I am not entirely disappointed with the result!
Am I the only one who can never remember how to spell broccoli? Two ‘c’s or two ‘l’s; I am never sure. I may not be able to spell it but I do enjoy eating it, so when I found myself with some leftover broccoli earlier in the week I was quite keen to cook up some soup to take to work for my lunch.
A quick search threw up this recipe, which I adapted to suit what I happened to have in the fridge! The basic method was to soften a chopped onion and a couple of garlic cloves in some melted butter, then add a couple of chopped medium potatoes and cook for a few minutes before throwing in a couple of handfuls of broccoli florets and enough vegetable stock to cover the veggies before simmering until soft, then blending it all and gobbling it up. It was so yummy that I forgot to take a picture (on my phone, hence the fuzziness) until I’d eaten most of it!
Sorry I’ve not blogged much this week; it’s been a busy one. I’ve just waved my in-laws off and am now heading round to my parents’ to see this lovely little thing. This is how my niece looked the last time I saw her; I wonder what she looks like now? I can’t wait to see her, I’m so excited I might burst!
