The journey thus far: Nigellas' traditional Christmas cake
Reason for making: Our very good friends Malcolm and Helen getting married after 30 + years together - wedding date 29 April to coincide with the Royal Wedding (will have to tape the other one!)
Tuesday - raisins, currants and cherries to soak in brandy - two types used as insufficient of one kind (hope this is allowed, Nigella didn't mention that happening!!)
Tuesday night - Visit Scotland lady in the house doing her overnight stay to assess our B&B operation
Wednesday - Tied up during the morning with said lady, then off to Jedburgh for lunch and chat with Ann (friend and ex neighbour), we researched going to London to the Tate gallery to see the watercolour exhibition and I fitted up a new mouse to her computer (She thought I was a very clever IT person), then over to June (another ex neighbour) for more chat and catch up. Then home for 20 mins, and then off to eat with Mum in the village of Denholm, followed by Community Council meeting at 7 pm - and who was remembering the fruit soaking for the wedding cake?? Certainly not me ...
Thursday - Off to Edinburgh with sister Sue to do a quick trip to John Lewis to change bras, have a coffee, drive to the M&S in the Gyle for long shorts for Australia and a pair or two of trousers. We were coaxed into buying meals for £10 which gave us £10 each off ladies clothing - has to be done, so £20 was saved on my purchases - great result. We enjoyed a wee panini for lunch and then went to Penicuik to see the conservatory Les is building for my brother Andrew. Am I giving the wedding cake any thought during all of this - NO not at all. See episode 2 - next post
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Friday, 25 February 2011
Wedding cake journey - Episode 2
4 pm Thursday, arrived home and realised I need to get this wedding cake made!!
It seemed to take ages to prepare everything, with chopping up pecan nuts, sifting flour and chopped almonds through a sieve that seemed to be on a go-slow. The mixture got heavier and heavier and looked quite honestly 'not very nice' at one point. I soldiered on, wondering who did I think I was making a wedding cake when I have never made a fruit cake in my life before - that is a very good question.
By 5 pm the cake was in the oven, with special brown paper innards in the tin, and specially cut newspaper (double layer) round the outside tied with gold thread as I couldn't find any string - I think Nigella would be quite impressed with that.
Sue and Jeremy (sister and hubby) came to join us and we all ate our £10 meals for two from M&S, leaving the kitchen, which had the strong aroma of fruit cake merrily cooking away in it, at approx 7pm. At 8.23 to be precise I screamed "the cake" and could have wept at how burnt it looked. There were some pretty hard currants stuck on the top of it. What happened to all the layers of protective paper etc - ummmmm I just left it in the FAN oven too long and didn't allow for the fan element - So much to learn and so little time to do it in. See episode 3, promise the story will end soon, and there may even be a photo!!
It seemed to take ages to prepare everything, with chopping up pecan nuts, sifting flour and chopped almonds through a sieve that seemed to be on a go-slow. The mixture got heavier and heavier and looked quite honestly 'not very nice' at one point. I soldiered on, wondering who did I think I was making a wedding cake when I have never made a fruit cake in my life before - that is a very good question.
By 5 pm the cake was in the oven, with special brown paper innards in the tin, and specially cut newspaper (double layer) round the outside tied with gold thread as I couldn't find any string - I think Nigella would be quite impressed with that.
Sue and Jeremy (sister and hubby) came to join us and we all ate our £10 meals for two from M&S, leaving the kitchen, which had the strong aroma of fruit cake merrily cooking away in it, at approx 7pm. At 8.23 to be precise I screamed "the cake" and could have wept at how burnt it looked. There were some pretty hard currants stuck on the top of it. What happened to all the layers of protective paper etc - ummmmm I just left it in the FAN oven too long and didn't allow for the fan element - So much to learn and so little time to do it in. See episode 3, promise the story will end soon, and there may even be a photo!!
Wedding cake journey - Episode 3
Lovely Les (husband) was saying that you can't go wrong with fruit cakes - he must have made a few in his time (not), Sue was trying to reassure me it would be okay, by now I just saw the funny side and thought I would be starting again with Sue in close attendance and no movement away from the kitchen while it cooked.
Woke on Friday to give my wee cake some TLC, trimmed all the sides off, and tasted a bit and it somehow tasted of fruit cake, albeit a bit dry - more brandy required clearly coz I cooked the other stuff out... took a wee burnt bit sample to Sue, with the cake double wrapped in foil (coz Nigella said), and Sue pronounced it would be okay with marzipan and icing on, and liberal doses of brandy between now and 29 April.
So, we achieved a happy ending eventually, I think - the wedding is small and will only have 16 guests and they will only want small pieces and by the time I trim the top and the bottom too, they will only be getting a small piece!! Maybe I should just go to the bakers and order a sponge cake ...... I just wanted to do this special thing for our mates.
Think I will stick to drop scones and rocky road in the future - more my style .......
Woke on Friday to give my wee cake some TLC, trimmed all the sides off, and tasted a bit and it somehow tasted of fruit cake, albeit a bit dry - more brandy required clearly coz I cooked the other stuff out... took a wee burnt bit sample to Sue, with the cake double wrapped in foil (coz Nigella said), and Sue pronounced it would be okay with marzipan and icing on, and liberal doses of brandy between now and 29 April.
So, we achieved a happy ending eventually, I think - the wedding is small and will only have 16 guests and they will only want small pieces and by the time I trim the top and the bottom too, they will only be getting a small piece!! Maybe I should just go to the bakers and order a sponge cake ...... I just wanted to do this special thing for our mates.
Think I will stick to drop scones and rocky road in the future - more my style .......
Tuesday 22 February - where did that month go?
We had a few hours of real warm sunshine today - what a complete treat while it lasted, we are now back to rain! One of the targets this week is to make a wedding cake for some friends who tie the knot at the end of April. All of the ingredients are in Janets' larder and Sue (sister) showed me how to line a square tin professionally - what a range of talents she has - I would have just greased it and hoped for the best. She also tells me I have to wrap newspaper around the outside of the tin and tie it with string to stop the outside edges of the cake burning. Photos will follow through that journey.
Yesterday saw me driving Mark (piano tuner) to Berwick, Eyemouth, Burnmouth and back to Berwick. My entertainment for the day was visiting the loo in Tesco (new store with no coffee shop), walking along the pier to the lighthouse and running round it 3 times (Les doesn't believe that part!, but it IS true), reading and finishing my book, shopping and coffee in Morrisons, making phone calls, meeting and chatting to a lovely couple in Berwick (new customers) and a lady who I could have talked to all day in Burnmouth, helping ish to move an upright piano and a brilliant walk down the very steep hill to the sea at Burnmouth, and back up the rough road and even steeper hill at the other side. Took some photos on my mobile - will see what they are like ...
Yesterday saw me driving Mark (piano tuner) to Berwick, Eyemouth, Burnmouth and back to Berwick. My entertainment for the day was visiting the loo in Tesco (new store with no coffee shop), walking along the pier to the lighthouse and running round it 3 times (Les doesn't believe that part!, but it IS true), reading and finishing my book, shopping and coffee in Morrisons, making phone calls, meeting and chatting to a lovely couple in Berwick (new customers) and a lady who I could have talked to all day in Burnmouth, helping ish to move an upright piano and a brilliant walk down the very steep hill to the sea at Burnmouth, and back up the rough road and even steeper hill at the other side. Took some photos on my mobile - will see what they are like ...
Monday, 21 February 2011
Driving the piano man 21 Feb
Photo 1 - Berwick lighthouse on a dull, bitingly cold day
Photo 2 - A cute row of holiday lets in Burnmouth, I loved the colours and they brightened up a grey day
Photo 3 - The same pic from a different angle, the cottage at the end is for sale if anyone is interested!
Photo 4 - Boats in Burnmouth harbour
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Charity breakfast
We hosted a breakfast for four this morning (Helen, Syd, Eleanor and Anthony) - they bid for this in the Auction of Promises held last year to raise funds for the Ruberslaw Church roof in Denholm. They tucked in in a hearty fashion and kept us amused with their stories - great fun!
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Wednesday
What a busy day - sorting out cupboards, haircut for Sydney and a back massage for a very sore arm and shoulder (having to lay off swimming crawl as the pain is too much - and I had achieved my mile per session target!) maybe that's what did it. All this followed by an advanced driving session - will be sitting my test in April - feel ready to get it done now. Desperate to get outside this weekend and prepare our hard standing for motorbikes - then we can bring on the bikers!!
Monday, 7 February 2011
Snow threatening Monday
Weather report - very wild, windy and horizontal rain through the night, the river at the back is running extremely high, and now snowflakes in amongst the rain too.
Travel report - leaving soon to go to Edinburgh for an overnight before setting off for Fort William in the morning. We are visiting Heather and Nick at Dalcomera B&B near Ben Nevis - check out their website
http://www.dalcomera.co.uk/ Bec (my daughter) and Lauren (her friend) are going to see and experience the jewellery workshop and I am going to compare notes on running B&Bs.
Weekend report - very busy here with my brother and his wife, and my school friend from 1971 and her partner staying over, all topped off with various other visitors across the two days. Most of the hilarity was around the kitchen table - very cosy!
Travel report - leaving soon to go to Edinburgh for an overnight before setting off for Fort William in the morning. We are visiting Heather and Nick at Dalcomera B&B near Ben Nevis - check out their website
http://www.dalcomera.co.uk/ Bec (my daughter) and Lauren (her friend) are going to see and experience the jewellery workshop and I am going to compare notes on running B&Bs.
Weekend report - very busy here with my brother and his wife, and my school friend from 1971 and her partner staying over, all topped off with various other visitors across the two days. Most of the hilarity was around the kitchen table - very cosy!
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
District news and driving the piano man
District news done and dusted for this week for the Southern Reporter and the Hawick News (local papers), topics include the Boys Brigade coffee morning, Community Council summary of minutes of last meeting and the Police report for the local area.
Off to a meeting tonight to see which shifts I am picking up for driving Mark Fulcher, the piano tuner, who is registered blind. This is a great way to spend a day - driving Mark to his different appointments all over the Borders - he spends approx 1.5 hrs per piano. Sometimes I am asked in for a cup of tea, other times I read or go for long walks, or shopping or to a coffee shop. Mark is a character and knows all the routes in their intimate detail and will let me know if I take a wrong turn!
Off to a meeting tonight to see which shifts I am picking up for driving Mark Fulcher, the piano tuner, who is registered blind. This is a great way to spend a day - driving Mark to his different appointments all over the Borders - he spends approx 1.5 hrs per piano. Sometimes I am asked in for a cup of tea, other times I read or go for long walks, or shopping or to a coffee shop. Mark is a character and knows all the routes in their intimate detail and will let me know if I take a wrong turn!
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