The Great Bake Off

This Summer's weather has been glorious. I don't think anyone could possibly complain about the beautiful sunshine we've just had, even though we've just been dumped straight into a shall-I-turn-the-heating-on type of September!

The weather had a wonderful effect on our garden and we had a bumper crop of blackberries..and they just kept coming! Speaking to an elderly neighbour of ours, we were discussing what to do with all this fruit and she produced a bag of cooking apples fresh from her garden. It had to be apple & blackberry crumble then! (I delivered a smaller version to this lovely neighbour too and it made her day)

It was so satisfying to use produce that had grown in our garden and I still have bags of berries stashed away in the freezer to use as the nights draw in.

I didn't just make crumble though...I ended up making 2 sponge cakes, some small buns, a banana & sultana loaf and some chocolate cracknell! I was a baking demon!!

The latter two recipes I thought I'd share with you. The banana & sultana loaf comes from an old Rosemary Conley book and is a brilliant way to use up any overripe bananas and has very few other ingredients (and no fat whatsoever if you're watching the calories) and the chocolate cracknell...well, what can I say? If you remember this gem from schooldays, you will definitely want to recreate these yummy little treats and if you've never heard of chocolate cracknell, give them a try...you definitely won't be disappointed!

Banana & Sultana Loaf

1lb of over ripe bananas (about 5)

2 beaten eggs

6oz brown sugar

4oz sultanas 

8oz SR flour

Mash the bananas and add the eggs, sugar and sultanas. Mix well then stir in the flour. 

Place in loaf tin (I line it with greaseproof paper so it's easier to lift out) and bake for 1 hour to 1hour 30 at gas mark 4 or 180

Chocolate Cracknell

200g Golden Syrup

75g Dried Milk Powder

75g Cornflakes or Rice Krispies

120g Butter

25g Cocoa Powder

Melt the butter and golden syrup in a pan. Sieve the cocoa and dried milk powder into the melted butter mix. Return to heat and cook gently for 20 minutes. Put cornflakes/rice krispies in a large bowl and add the chocolate mix. Press into a tin or divide into cake cases and leave to set.

Enjoy!

Shifting seasons

September is here again and with it, my favourite season. I've always had such a love affair with Autumn..the colour, the smells, the brand-new-back-to-school feeling and of course, the excitement of Christmas! (oh ok, I know it's a bit premature but still. Christmas!!)

Tomorrow our gorgeous eldest son goes back to school in his final year at infant school...where has my baby boy gone? I  love September, it's a beautiful month, but these days my heart feels slightly sad walking up to the school gates and knowing that my little boy is growing up so quickly.

We have had THE most brilliant Summer though and the weather has been glorious for once! I've had to do a lot of hard work in the evenings and late nights to make sure I could have some time off with the boys but I am so grateful to have been able to share so many wonderful experiences with them. These Summer days have been so precious and we even managed a week's holiday to the seaside.

There have been lots of trips to the park, the cinema, playing in the paddling pools, baking, barbecues with friends and family, parties, treasure hunts, playing with our kitten Betty and friends round to play..and we've loved every minute!

Alfie has been keeping a record of his activities in a special album that he has been filling in with his Nanny & Grandad. He particularly enjoyed the 'make your own volcano' experiment in Nanny's garden but his biggest achievement this holiday has been learning to ride his bike. He was SO proud of himself! 

We took his stabilisers off some time ago but hasn't had much interest in trying to ride his bike since. Until one day this Summer when we suggested he have a go around the garden...suddenly he was determined to get this bike riding thing sorted!!

One sunny morning I took him off to the park and once he saw me riding around, he got on his bike, rode it down a small slope and he was off! Straight across the field with no stopping..he did it!

So tomorrow, it's back to school and nursery runs, packed lunches, hectic mornings and homework but we've packed so much into the Summer holidays, I think that happy feeling will last right up to Christmas!