General Chat

There's this recipe, will use up some of your oranges and lemons !!

Sticky Lemon Cake with Orange and Lemon Syrup.
* 250g Butter, softened
* 250g Caster sugar
* 1 tbsp Grated lemon zest
* 4 Medium eggs
* 2 tbsp Lemon juice
* 250g Self-raising flour

* Orange and Lemon Syrup
* 100g Caster sugar
* 2 tbsp Lemon juice
* 150ml Orange juice
* 1 Orange, peeled and sliced
* 1 tbsp Lemon zest
* 1 tbsp Orange zest

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and almost white. Beat in the lemon zest, then the eggs, one by one, and the lemon juice. Sift in the flour, and mix well.
Pour the batter into a greased 20cm-square cake tin lined with non-stick baking parchment. Bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
To make the syrup, put the sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, orange slices and zest in a pan, and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes to make the oranges break down a little.
Turn out the cake and cut it into 9 generous squares. Pierce the top of each square with a skewer, and spoon the hot syrup, chopped orange and zest over the top.

3.18 Norfolk

Fairways3, thank you for the info about the Cumquats, the recipe would be great, and then I will try it.
Have you any other recipies that you could add to our Thread?
MilliemollyAmanda, I am going to try your cake recipe at the weekend, I am sure it will be much appreciated by my OH.
Greenfingers, I should have known that you would be able to explain how to grow some potatoes, being of Irish descent I simply could live on Potatoes!!!

We are having a Curry tonight, OH likes to have at least onecurry a week and I must say we do enjoy it. I do not have any special breads for it today and did not want to go into town for it because I would not come away with jjust one Item!!!

Bye for now

15.45 hrs Spain

9.05p.m. in West Aust.

Cumquats can be made into marmalade or put into a jar with sugar and brandy added and left for a while to mature..
I made brandied cumquats years ago and they were very useful for spooning over plain steamed sponge puddings for a topping or over ice cream and I used to eat one every time I opened the fridge as well.
I will look for the recipe if you like.
Years ago I had a tree in my garden and I used to eat several every day while I was watering the garden. The juice is sour but the rind is super and has an after taste that lingers. Try squashing all the juice out of one then eat the rind and see what you think.

I like the sound of the Lumberjack Cake ,will give that a try !!

I have this recipe for Apple Almond Cake

125g Butter
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Plain Flour
1/3 cup Milk
1 Apple( grated)
1/4 cup Slithered Almonds

Grease a 20cm round cake tin (you can line the base with greaseproof paper )
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy,beat in eggs one at a time
Stir in half the sifted flours and half the milk , then add the remaining flours and milk.
Stir until smooth ,put into greased tin ,then sprinkle with the apples and almonds
Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes .

2.02 Norfolk

Yes, you can grow potatoes in a tub, or a special deep bag. We have done so again this year. Basically 4 in of soil at the bottom, out in Potatoe tubers that have chitted (sprouted) and then cover with more soil...not tooo deep. Then as the shoots come thru cover with more soil. Keep well watered and use a fertiliser once every two weeks. Should be ready in 12-16 weeks depends on tubers

Good luck, look forward to hearing how the Lumberjack Cake is ....

Greenfingers congratulations on posting the first recipe on page 20. The recipe sounds great and I am thinking of making in it today as I have everything needed. Also have a glut of oranges and lemons so any ideas welcomed. Have made marmalde so do not need any more. I seem to recall my mother and grandmother drying the skins but cannot remember exactly what they did and why!!!

O have also grown something which I think is called Cumquat, I tried one for taste and had to spit it out because it was so sour, can anyone please let me know how to use them.
My apple tree has been in blosoom so I am really looking forward to finally found an apple tree wihich has survived, it has only taken me six years to get that far, This tree was put in 18 months ago so I am thrilled. seriously mow thinking of growing other items such as tomatoes, herbs etc any suggestions very welcome. Ido not want to many perhaps enough for OH and me with just a few extra. I wish my father was still alive he grew everything, also is it correct that I can grow potatoes in a tub???

Beautiful day here I have been sitting in the garden for the last hour doing absolutley nothing.....The birds are churping away, the trees are moving gentle, the sea looks magnificent and oh so calm, but still chilly to enter, there is a sense of great calm and peace.
The people below us have arrived and been busy cleaning and tidying there home. The is a large family who share this lovely house and since we were first here the family have grown somewhat and somtimes it is like a league of nations
Gemans, Dutch, French, Canadian, one English person, and many Spanish, great fun when there is a big mix of both ages and nationality!!!

Well time for me to go and prepare this evenings meal which is a Curry, I really enjoy making these.
New recipie will be sent later today.

Take care evryone and enjoy your day

Spain 14.20hrs

Googled this after seeing it mentioned on A-Z of foods. Thanks Persie from NZ

Lumberjack Cake

Line and Grease a 23 cm square cake tin
Oven at 180oC
2 large apples peeled, cored and finely chopped
1cup chopped dates, 1 tsp bicarb, 1 cup boiling water
125g softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 cup caster sugar, 1 egg,1 1/2 cups plain flour.
Combine apples, dates and bicarb in a bowl, add the hot water and leave for 10 mins. Beat sugar, butter and vanilla and egg until light and fluffy
Add this to apple mixture and fold in flour. Pour into the tin and cook for 50 mins Whilst this is cooking make topping, 60g butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 2/3 cup shredded coconut. Combine all these in a pan and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Remove cake from oven after the 50 mins and spoon topping over the cake, return to the over and make for a further 20 mins. Then leave to cool. You can make the cake without the topping if you like, but adjust the cooking times.

Haven't made this yet but it sounds scrummmmmy

See we are on page 20......................

That should be deleted not delighted!

I have just delighted my message instead of sending it !

So I start again. Good morning everyone. I am looking for some inspiration for Easter weekend. I will have my eldest son his German girlfriend and her 10 year old son staying from Thursday until late on the Monday.
I would like to make the Easter specials for them but not sure whstbthey would hsve in Germany at Easter time.

Any help appreciated

Thanks.

I will be back later with one or two new recipies

07.39hrs Spain

You will impress with the dessert, just make sure it is a high cocoa solids choc 70 % at least and it is lovely with some fresh fruit.............


Saw your posting on the soups site we can all benefit

Regards

6.25pm Norfolk,

Greenfingers, I have visited the thread Home Made soups and some certainly caught my attention. I also have left a message for the posting people and now I hope that we can work in unison which you suggested. We like soups and I used to have some good recipes for summertime soups as well bu lord knopws where I have left tyhem, maybe I did not bring them with me.
The Gateau Diane I hope to make for next weekend, and as I have my eldest son visiting for Easter with a lady and her son neither of whom I have met before I must be on my best behaviour and have some good fingerfoods as the weather forecast is looking very good indeed.
Well I am cooking to=day so will add some other dishes in the next few days.


19.17hrs Spain

Dished up my Gateau Diane today for our daughter and her fiancee as I hadn't made it for a while...........but oh its sooooooooooo good, and not too sweet


4.55pm Norfolk....Sunday

Hi Spanish Eyes and everyone else

Did you know that under General Topics there is a thread called "Home Made Soups" they all sound delicious, it shouldn't have any affect on this thread and could complement it rather well. Though the way the weather is at the moment you wouldn't want soup

regards 2.45 pm Norfolk

PS have forgotten to say its on page 5...I have posted a message extolling the virtues of our site and asking them if they might like to join us...keeping their own thread of course

Green fingers thanks for the chicken recipe.

Pleased to say that the connections for the comp are staying on most of the time today but we have been sweeping and cleaning the gardens for most of the day and the 30 stairs that weh have to use if we go down to the pool area@
Have to go as builder now here to replace some of the patio tiles
Sorry
15.48hrs Spain

Spanish Eyes

The lower fat chicken recipe is on page 18 called Maple Chicken.

Leftover chicken bits could be made into Coronation Chicken have you the recipe ?

I know this is not for leftover chicken, but you could boil up a carcass and use the stock.

Easy Minestrone

Serves 4
In a large saucepan heat 1 TBsp oil and put in 1 medium onion peeled and chopped, 2 celery sticks sliced thinly, 1 garlic clove crushed and 1 carrot peeled and diced. Cook until veg softens. Then add 1 1/2 pts chicken stock 2 large tomatoes deseeded and chopped, 1 handful of spinach chopped, a 400p can of either red kidney beans, or chickpeas drained and rinsed, and 1 oz uncooked small pasta. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 mins. Then chop 1 small courgette into dices, and add cook for a furthe 5 mins. remove from heat season and add 2 TBsp fresh Basil torn into pieces.. Serve immediately.

Agatha
Welcom to our great interest in food and I suspect drinks! Drinkks are not necessarilly alchoholic!!
Green fingers dwhen did you do the healthy Chicken recipe, whay am I missing it. I wanted one from the leftovers but love Chicken soup,
The only reason I put time on mine is that we no longer have tiome on the heading from GR and also for us to know more or less where in thw world we are...you never know there may be a UK person in India for examl and the =y could give us even more food for thought .., "wishful thinking me suspects"
No time for cooking etc today simple pork chops and veg for us.
We have the Gardeners in and they are reducing our 40approx evergreen trees, which have overgrown in the last two years and the sunshine is right now coming back into that part of the garden, and also the palm tree which was bloking the view and all the bits and pieces kept falling in the pool.

Well that is all for now
so bye bye until tomorow as we are out with OH doing the fortnightly Quiz toningt.
Will add some Delights tomorrow

17.01hrs Spain

Sorry julia...but you don't have to do them all at once !!!!!!!!!!!
I did do a healthy Chicken recipe tho.......................


1.08 pm Norfolk

Agatha, to be sure, so it does. It is a vegetable after all, isn't it.
Take Care
Julia in Derbyshire

11.18 Derbyshire