Autumn In London

The back garden

Attending my cousin's boyfriend's funeral yesterday left me with a migraine that I could not shift. I lay in bed this morning (and then on the bathroom floor after I'd been sick) and thought just how much more awful it must be for my cousin. Seeing her crumple into the front of the pew as the coffin was brought into the church was one of the most heartbreaking things I have seen.

This afternoon I was forced to venture out of the flat to get some milk and realised what a gorgeous day it was...

trees on our road on my way to the shop

On my return to the house I decided to have a bash at Hannah's welsh cakes which she so beautifully wrote about the other day. I did what she said but mine didn't look quite up to her standard (!) as I am sure you can tell from the photos below. They tasted good though, despite being a little crumbly and not quite spicy enough.

Chilled and cubed butter ready to rub into a mixture of sifted flour, baking powder and mixed all spice


Ready to roll out after mixing the flour with currants and a beaten egg

The last one left to eat with a cup of tea in the sitting room

...

All images by me

Make Do and Mend: Banana Bread

Take the very end part of one jar of white sugar and one jar of brown sugar and using a wooden spoon bash out any lumps and combine to make a pale brown colour (175g). Add half a packet of cooking margarine which is definitely past the shops date but which looks and smells absolutely fine (125g). Cream together until combined.

Take 2 eggs which went out of date 2 weeks ago but when floated in a jug of water still sit on the bottom. Break one egg into a separate bowl and smell it, just in case. Add to the butter&sugar mixture. Beat well. Repeat with second egg.

Sieve 280g of plain flour into a bowl before adding half to the mixing bowl. Stir well. Add 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Measure 125ml of milk. Add half to the mixing bowl. Stir well. Add the rest of the flour. Stir well. Add the rest of the milk. Stir.

Take up to three old soft bananas (depending on how many you have and how pronounced a banana flavour you wish) and mash. Fold into mixture. Add 1tsp vanilla essence (if you remember) and 75g chopped walnuts (if you have any).

Tip into greased loaf tin and bake on gas mark 4 for one hour.

Eat warm with butter and a cup of tea.