Tuesday 27 July 2010

Fruit

Look at our apples. I'm pretty chuffed with these, it's a dwarf tree but we only planted it last year so it's done pretty well. There are lots of apples on it this year.
Look, real apples! This one has even got droplets of morning rain on it.

The blueberries are really fat as well this year. Must be all the recent rain that has swelled them up. Since we got the hosepipe ban here it hasn't stopped raining.

I've grown teasel this year, we have got them all along the back fence. They are lethal, really spiky, probably not the best plant to put in a garden with children but they are pretty and are attracting lots of bees and hoverflies. The seeds should attract goldfinches too later on, we'll see. So if you are thinking of scaling my back fence be prepared to get spiked. Ouch! Serves you right.

Monday 12 July 2010

Recipe for raspberry and white chocolate muffins

Hi Rob the recipe for the muffins is:

150g (5 oz) self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
100g (4 oz) soft brown sugar
50g (2 oz) melted butter
1 egg lightly beaten
125 ml (4fl oz) milk
half teaspoon vanilla essence
100g (4 oz) raspberries
50g (2 oz) white chocolate chips
half teaspoon demerera sugar

oven gas 4, 180 degrees C

Mix the dry ingredients, lifting with fingers to incorporate air. Melt butter, beat together egg, milk, vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients to wet mixture (don't beat).

Fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cases. Sprinkle sugar over the muffins. Bake 25 mins until well risen and just firm.

Eat them!

Friday 9 July 2010

Raspberry muffins

If you've got a glut of raspberries and you've done jam and crumbles, I recommend making some raspberry and chocolate muffins. The raspberry melts inside the cake and goes all gooey. Delicious.

Friday 2 July 2010

Ooo matron what a lovely pear

Don't know if you remember my pear tree last year. The leaves had some wierd stuff growing on them. I moved it down the side of the house for its final chance. There have been a couple of yellow leaves this year that I have had to pluck off but it has managed to grow a pear on it.

It will probably be like the poisoned witches apple from snow white so I'm not sure about eating it though.