Wooow just saw a heron on the duck pond in my local park.

Very exited - I've just seen a heron on the pond in the park across the road from my house!

Bet the duck were not best pleased as they were not longer center of attention.

Whirlow Hall Farm Fayre

Had a amazing time at the local farm fayre this Sunday.  Lots of amusements, games and fantastic food not to mention craft stalls and live farm animals to coo over!

"Whirlow Hall Farm Trust was founded in 1979 as an educational trust working with inner city children and young people with special needs or disabilities. Since that date, over 250,000 children have visited Whirlow on a daily or residential basis. http://www.whirlowhallfarm.org/"

So what was my favourite thing, lots of foodie goodies to eat whilst wondering round the stalls and rides - nope.  Lots of foodie goddies to take home - nope. 

Lots of amazing craft stores to purchase goodies from, -nope.

My favourite thing - the piggies - just check this one out sleeping peacefully while surrounded by all the noise of the fayer and groups of excited people checking him out!

But not to forget the sheep and the turkeys -

Had a fantastic time - and Whirlow Hall Farm Trust does amazing work with so here's to another 30 years!

Loving London

Just come back from a brief visit from London.

The Railway Children at Waterloo is amazing!  The Railway Children



Hard to believe this is the centre of London!





Made some new friends -

 and saw this amazing plaque on someones front door - every house should have one!

Soggy Summer Morning

What to do if the summer just won't happen - bake!  Bring a little summer into the kitchen - crank up the oven for a little heat and open up the fridge door of a blast of sunlight and in next to no time you'll have something to eat with a cup of tea gazing out the window at the summer rain!

So I've woken up to a drizzly summer day - jobless but hopeful for the future.  But for my summer sunshine treat I've gone back to my mum's old BE-RO recipe book for a bit of nostalgic, comfort baking.  Rock buns - my mum used to make them for my sister as she loved them much more than cakes and even jam tarts!  I always remember the BE-RO book coming out and then the smell of the most amazing baked treats filling the house.

Then there is also the intrigue of trying to work out what temperature a hot oven is!  My recipe book is getting a little fragile, pages slightly ripped at the edges or loose but hopefully not missing.

So to the baking:  The BE-RO useful tips are:  First look to your oven.  Then slightly warm and grease your baking sheet.  Have everything weighed or measured before beginning to mix.



Rock Buns the BE-RO Way



So if you want to bake the BE-RO way and not my adhoc weigh and measure as you go along you'll need:  8oz of self-raising flour, 3oz of sugar, 3oz of margarine, 3oz of currants, 1oz of peel (optional) and one egg and a little milk. 

You'll need to warm and grease a baking sheet or as I do line the baking sheet with baking paper - much less washing up!

You'll need a hot oven - bit a trial and error required but if you bake scones then it's a similar temperature - this is the fun bit experimenting with temperature and timings!

Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the margarine. 

Mix in the currants and mixed peel - this is where you can re-invent the rock bun - use different fruit, leave out the peel or use just the zest of a lemon or orange... 

 Mix to a stiff dough with the beaten egg and a little milk.

 (Depending on the size of your egg you might not need the egg.)


 Place 14 rough heaps onto the greased baking sheet.  Bake in a hot oven for approximately 20 mins.

The finished product still warm and ready to eat!

 

Time for a cup of tea a still warm rock bun - feet up while watching soggy summer dog walkers in the park!