I love this alcoholic drink, it’s fresh and has full on flavour, it is also so easy to make. I picked up the recipe thanks this blog  http://2friends4cooking.com many thanks to you both for your kind permission to share.

You will need the following

8 Organic unwaxed Lemoms
1 ltr Vodka
350g White Sugar
1 ltr Water (I use tap water but you might prefer to use bottled)

Peel the lemons making sure that as little of the pith is left on
Add the vodka and lemon peel to a plastic container and leave to infuse for 7 days
Make a sugar syrup with the water and sugar
Add the cooled syrup to the vodka and lemon peel
Bottle in sterilised bottles

This drink can be make less alcoholic by using 1 1/2ltr water.

And a little bonus…I dipped the lemon peel that had been infusing in the vodka in chocolate, thought it could be served with the Limoncello after a meal.

We have spent quite a few hours looking at seeds, debating what to grow. A few more weeks a we will start to sow, fingers crossed for a good growing season. Last year seemed to be wet and wetter, not a lot of sun either. Some successes and some failures but that’s the way it goes.

The lemon grass which I started from a piece that was bought at the local supermarket is just about hanging on in the shed where it has been all winter. I really wasn’t sure that it would survive especially as the temperture has be constantly below freezing all winter.

We are still picking the russian kale, jerusalem artichokes, mooli, leeks but the carrots have finished now the last one in the picture.  Soup is still made from the garden produce, not so much variety but it’s very nice, even if  I say it myself.  Fresh from the garden can’t be beaten for flavour.

The squashes we kept in the shed did well and had the weather been a little kinder maybe we would have had a better crop which would have lasted right through the winter, having said that though I’m not disappointed in how the squashes we did grow kept  so we will be doing the same again this year.

The parsley that I planted facing north side of the apple trees, has been an amazing success and we have had enough to cut all through the winter.

I am still using the aubergines we grew and froze, they were a tremendous success, we bought five tiny plants and nursed them on keeping three and giving my Mom two. Ours were outside all summer and produced pounds and pounds of fruit whereas my Moms were in a greenhouse and didn’t. I can only think that the bee’s found it more difficult to pollinate in the greenhouse.

The  apples stored in the shed are still being used.  These have been stored in cardboard fruit trays which came from the supermarket and have been really effective. The last time I used the apples was at the weekend in a Summer Pudding with some frozen damsons and  berries.  Yummy…

All the apple trees have been pruned this year, so maybe we wont get quite as much fruit but they were going skyward and needed to be sorted out. The trees are looking more open now and hopefully it will help keep them in a healthier state too.

I have made these bars in the hope they will stave off my crisp addiction. I have agreed with my daughter to fore go the three C’s; chocolate..mmm, cake and crisps for the forty days of Lent.  We have done this over the years making Easter eggs all the more appreciated and enjoyed.  Mostly we have  gone without chocolate but some years have changed it to make it a bit more challenging. One year we stopped eating meat and chocolate, I never went back to eating meat but the chocolate, well…there was no contest there.

This is a simple and quick recipe loved by all who have tried them. Hope you will like them also.

The picture actually shows the second batch, these I made up using apricots and hazel nuts with some ground almond too.  They are still just as tempting.

You will need the following

75g Butter
75g Brown sugar
1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
175g Oats
A handful of chopped Apricots
A handful of chopped Almonds
(Of course if you don’t have apricot and almonds  any other dried fruit and any other nuts will be just fine)

Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan
Add the oats
Add the fruit and nuts
Mix together and place in a baking tin that has been lined with silicone or baking parchment
Smooth down with a palette knife or your knuckles slightly moistened with water
Cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes on 180C, 350F, Mark 4 gas
Divide in the tin and leave to cool in the tin until you can handle without burning yourself
Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely
Place in air tight tin.

This  is a recipe that brings many of my childhood memories.  Helping my Mom to make this cake, my first task I was allowed to do was to take the stones out of the dates and then onto chopping with my Mom overseeing.  It is such a simple recipe that was then and still is now, a great one for beginners to start with.  So if you feel you can’t bake a cake this one will prove you can!

You will need the following

1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate Soda
1 cup Boiling water
1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/4 lb Dates or a mix of  Dates and Sultanas
1 Egg
3/4 cup Sugar
A dash of warm milk

Set the oven to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4
Butter and flour a 1lb Loaf tin
Take the stones out of the dates and chop
Pour boiling water in a dish and add the butter and dates
Add the Bicarbonate Soda
Add the egg
Add the rest of the ingredients
Mix well and pour into the loaf tin
Bake for about 45 minutes
Turn out onto a wire tray to cool.
Serve sliced spread with butter as my Mom always has.

I know,  I was so pleased to find one that was going to be perfect but alas, it was not to be, the weak point was where the blade  was  held in place by two tiny little pieces of plastic that were  fixed into two holes.  After a few days of work, the blade began to continually popped out of its sockets and the frustration started all over again.

I think unless any of you do have a better idea I’ll resort to the  slightly more than occasional cut fingers and use my paring knife.

Just making a mental note to buy a new pack of plasters!

You would think that replacing a peeler would be a simple thing to do but this isn’t so, or rather, I haven’t found it easy.

The first I bought looked exactly the same as the lost article but it just didn’t seem up to the mark. The blade was set too wide and made peeling difficult.

So the search was on but I have been shocked by some of the prices and to tell the truth, badly designed product that is out there in the shoppingsphere.

The light at the end of the tunnel was a  peeler from JML. Its has a ceramic blade which is so sharp that it makes peeling much quicker and easier. The ceramic blade also helps to stop apples going brown after being peeled.

The blade twists  so you can use it vertically or horizontally, it also rotates right round so can be used for left or right handed people as  well.

The handle is ergonomic and fits comfortably in the hand with non slip sides.

I know it seems mad to go on about a peeler but honestly with the amount of stuff I peel in a week it makes a huge difference to me to have a tool fit for the job.

I bought mine at Tesco’s, they have had them hanging down on cards in no particular place in the aisles at a cost of £2.00, bargain!

Part two of the saga

Another one bites the dust.

So sorry if I gave you false hope.  Ummm…that really good peeler, with the ceramic blade and twisty thing for the left or right handed, the all singing all dancing one is now condemned to the bin.

I know,  I was so pleased to find one that was going to be perfect but alas, it was not to be, the weak point was where the blade  was  held in place by two tiny little pieces of plastic that were  fixed into two holes.  After a few days of work, the blade begain to continually popped out of its sockets and the frustration began all over again.

I think unless any of you do have a better idea I’ll resort to the  slightly more than occasional cut fingers and use my paring knife.

Just making a mental note to buy a new pack of plasters!

To make this soup you need the following ingredients

1lb of  peeled Jerusalem Artichokes and Potatoes (I used half and half)
1 large Onion diced
2 sticks of Celery
1 good sized clove of Garlic
2oz Butter
2 pts or 1 lr stock (not to salty)
1/2 pt or 1/4 lr milk or milk and cream
salt and pepper to taste
12 toasted hazel nuts ground down roughly
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1teaspoon of Smoked Maldon Salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon of yeast extract
1 teaspoon of good quality soy sauce
The salt,paprika and celery seeds are ground down in a mortise and pestle. The yeast extract and soy sauce are mixed in and then blended with the butter.

Par boil the potatoes and artichokes for 5 mins
Drain and chop
Add the smoked salt mixture to a pan and now add the chopped  potato, artichoke, celery, onion and garlic
Sweat down until all the vegetables are soft
Add the stock and bring to the boil for 5 minutes
Add the milk or milk and cream mix
Whizz to a smooth texture
Serve sprinkle with hazel nuts and chopped parsley.

To make the dough

1 1/2 cups of plain flour
1/2 cup butter
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
1 or 2 chillies
some freshly chopped coriander leafs
1 teaspoon of thick greek yogurt or cream cheese

Add the salt and baking powder to the flour
Rub the butter in until it resembles bread crumbs
Blitz the ginger and chillies and add to the flour mix
Add the chopped coriander leaves
Knead together until it forms a dough if it doesn’t add a teaspoon of the thick yogurt or cream cheese

Now you can either roll it out as finely as is possible or be lazy like me and use a pasta maker, I took it to setting 5 on mine.

Now use a pastry cutter to cut out discs

Cook on 325°F, 170C, 3, very moderate and turn every five minutes or so until golden brown.

Store in an air tight box

4 carrots
4 small winter radish
2 jerusalem artichokes
1 medium leek
4 bay leaves
1 small celery head
2 ‘Rooster’ potatoes
2 ‘Pink fir apple’ potatoes – both waxy so hold together well in soups.
Olive oil to sweat the vegetables
From the garden – stored
3 large shallots
3 garlic cloves
Plus stock, seasoning and bouquet garni

Peel and chop all the vegetables keeping the potatoes separate for use later
Add the olive oil, bouquet garni and vegetables to sweat down until soft
Add the stock and bay leaves
Add seasoning to taste (sea salt and black pepper)
Add the potatoes
Leave to simmer over a low heat until the potatoes are cooked.

This recipe comes from Diet for the 21st Century written by David Wright, it is egg free and meatless cooking with 100 non-dairy recipes too.  If you want to get hold of a copy:  ISBN 0-9692669-0-1 .

This is an all in one recipe and I can usually find most of the ingredients in my cupboard.

To make you will need the following:

100g (1 cup) well washed Basmati Rice
112g (1/2 cup) washed split Mung Beans
2 med Carrots peeled and cubed
1 small Sweet Potato cubed
1.5L (6 cups) Water
78g (1/2 cup) Cracked Wheat
Ginger Root cubed to taste (I have used a piece about 1 inch)
60ml (1/4 cup) Ghee or Light Vegetable Oil
1/2 tablespoon Mustard Seeds
1/2 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
1/2 tablespoon Ajwain Seeds (if you have not got these maybe a little thyme instead)
1/2 tablespoon Fenugreek Powder
1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida
1 teaspoon Cayenne
4 teaspoons Salt or to taste
2 teaspoons Molasses

Combine the rice, mung beans, carrots, potatoes and water in large thick bottomed pot and boil over high heat stirring occasionally;remember the consistency of this should be very much like porridge, so don’t add to much water

While beans, rice and vegetables are cooking, toast cracked wheat and ringer root in a thick bottomed pan, stirring constantly, and add the preparation

To prepare chaunce? (spice mixture): Heat the ghee or oil in small frying pan until it begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, when they begin to pop add cumin seeds. When the seeds are lightly browned add ajwain seeds and brown them. Add the powdered spices, cook light, then add spices to the rice and vegetables. Stir well and continue cooking until the beans, rice and vegetables are soft and the preparation has a porridge like consistency.

Turn off the heat and add the molasses and salt.

This should serve five.