Always remembered with love

Just over 20 years ago, Nerea made her debut appearance, bringing us so much joy. We've accomplished so much in that time, creating what I hope are a raft of happy, 

family memories she can recall with fondness in later life. But during this time, there 

 have been moments of unutterable sadness for me as my mum was no longer with us.  

Mum would have been a wonderful Grandma and I'm always so thankful that before she 

died suddenly, 20 years ago today, she'd held my baby daughter in her arms for 

 a few precious hours. Requiescat in pace, Mum

Mum singing a lullaby to Nerea - March 1994

Inshore Waters

We had something of a minor indiscretion on Tiree for we bought a beautiful picture that called to us from the Blue Beyond gallery.  It’s an unusual piece, vividly depicting the intensive blues that form the skies and seas that surround the island, using both textiles and paint. Created by Susan Woodcock, who runs the gallery with her artist husband, Colin, she has dyed fabrics and layered them to create a seascape collage that draws the viewer into the scene. Like Tiree itself, the painting appears to change in different lights, embodying the restless, endless, shifting nature of the sea   

Hockey Dinner

As Andy coaches the school 2^nd hockey team, we attended the hockey dinner the other weekend and again had a delightful meal in the company of lovely young people.  Between courses, reports were given and prizes awarded with lighter moments created by a slide show and the presentation of humorous “team awards”. The girls were generous in their praise of each other and showed a remarkable ability to laugh at themselves. At the end of the evening, they thanked the catering and sports staff with small gifts so Andy received a delicious bottle of wine. It was a lovely evening.

Tiree

Balephuil Bay

 

The Maze, Sandaig

One’s heart can’t fail to soar at the shimmering turquoise bays and white beaches of Tiree. They are wonderful, draped with necklaces of seaweed and shells and cloaked by green, sandy dunes.  Their seductive curves, caressed by silver topped waves whispering ageless secrets, charm those who see them, drawing the visitor into a helpless love affair that lasts long after the Island has been left behind for the grey pavements of life. But thankfully, as is the way for all lovers, it is possible to close one’s eyes and be enveloped, albeit momentarily, back in a tender, peaceful “Tireen” embrace. 

Vaul Bay

Salum Bay

One a penny, two a penny......

With Easter round the corner and spurred on by the success of my Simnel Cake, I’ve embarked on Hot Cross Bun production. I’d bought some fresh yeast in the reduced aisle of the supermarket so resorted to the old fashioned method of hand kneading instead of using the bread maker. After an extended rising period in the airing cupboard, (I was enthralled by a catch up session of Shetland), I soon had them knocked into shape and proving in a more visible place. The smell of spice when they were baking was simply glorious and they tasted just as good!

Dough Recipe

14g dried yeast or 30g fresh yeast

500g white bread flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon mixed spices

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

185ml warm milk

40g butter

200g mixed dried fruit

Icing for crosses

100g icing sugar

lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven at 200 ºC

2. In a bowl combine the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 125 ml warm water. Stir and leave in a warm draught-free place for 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy and light

3. In another bowl sift the flour, spices, remaining sugar and butter. Rub in the butter with your fingertips and add the dried fruit.

4. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and 185 ml of warm milk to make a soft dough.

5. Dust with flour a surface and turn the dough over it. Knead for 15 minutes until smooth, adding more flour if needed. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap or with a damp tea towel.

6. Leave the bowl in a warm place free of draughts for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size.

7. Turn the dough on a floured surface, knead to deflate. Shape the Hot Cross Buns into 12 balls. Place them on a greased baking tray touching each other. Leave in a warm place for a further 20 minutes until doubled in size,

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden

9. To make the crosses: mix the icing sugar and lemon juice into a paste. Fill a piping bag and pipe crosses over the buns. 

Simnel Cake for Easter

I made a mini  Simnel cake today.  I actually made two but only finished one with its topping of lightly toasted almond paste and eleven symbolic almond paste balls (depicting the disciples without Judas).  Historically, it was made to be eaten during Lent on Mothering Sunday but as we’re going to Scotland for Easter, I thought it would be a special treat for us to be able to feast on fruit cake after a hard day walking on the beaches of Tiree, hence the baking!  It smelt so good, it was hard not to cut a slice to test it!

Easter Simnel cake by Mary Berry

Ingredients
100g/4oz glacé cherries
225g/8oz butter, softened
225g/8oz light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
225g/8oz self-raising flour
225g/8oz sultanas
100g/4oz currants
50g/2oz chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice
For the filling and topping
450g/1lb marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/280F/Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in
cake tin.
2. Cut the cherries into quarters, put in a sieve and rinse under running
water. Drain well then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.
3. Place the cherries in a bowl with the butter, sugar, eggs, self-raising
flour, sultanas, currants, candied peel, lemon zest and mixed spice
and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the
prepared tin.
4. Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the size of
the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the
remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen,
evenly brown and firm to the touch. Cover with aluminium foil after
one hour if the top is browning too quickly. Leave to cool in the tin for
10 minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling
on a wire rack.
6. When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam
and roll out half the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Press firmly on
the top and crimp the edges to decorate. Mark a criss-cross pattern
on the marzipan with a sharp knife. Form the remaining marzipan
into 11 balls.
7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls
around the edge of the cake. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten
egg and then care

Happy Easter

City of Dreaming Spires

A glimpse of Magdalen College

My only other visit to Oxford was for a work-related training course which took place in a former large Victorian residence away from the centre so I saw nothing of the city! Last week I had an opportunity of making a whistle stop visit on a journey “dahn Sarf” so with it being a fine afternoon, I headed off into the town.  I managed to find several caches and enjoyed tempting glimpses into several of the college grounds despite having limited time.  I even witnessed the filming of Vera Brittain’s “Testament of Youth” around Brasenose.  Definitely a place to revisit

A glimpse into the Botanic Gardens

Film set

Radcliffe Camera; The Bodlian

"Busty Ricycles"

One of those dreaming spires