Vote!Vote!Vote!

Hello, just here to ask if you could do me a solid and vote for ma mamma (if you didn't already know it's Maria Stengard-Green) in this photography competition. Then you would be putting the bread on our table..... (joke) Real simple and would be just great! thank yoooou eve' so much! We wouldn't normally ask, but see, some of the people in this competition advertise on the radio.... so its big time competition. Would appreciate it a lot!

http://www.phototraining4u.com/apprentice.html 

Now that I'm done shamelessly pestering you for favors, I'd like to tell you that I made a marble bundt cake today, and I'd like to share it with you. Come over, its sunny, eat cake.... alternatively I'll post the recipe soon!

Hot Blueberry Soup

Deep somewhere in the Swedish forest

Whilst we're in this stage, where winter feigns summer for a day or two, then quickly turns around and smacks you in the face with winter again and you don't know whether to turn to soup or a smoothie, here is a reminder of summer with the warmth needed in winter.

Attempted artistic squiggles

Elsa Beskow's beautiful children's book about the Swedish blueberry underworld

This is the same sheepish look I think I get when I've eaten all the blueberries

I went to London yesterday, and late in the afternoon, visited Portobello market, wandered around, ate lots of churro's and spent money I didn't have on a pair of dungarees (fool!). It had been a long and lovely and strange day and then... the years supply of rain fell out of the sky and got held in my hat and tipped into dress soon as I looked down. On top of that we were late for the train, so, soaking wet, we fought our way through the crowds of equally soaking people on the tube, we made it! I mention this only because THIS is exactly the right time for hot blueberry soup. Whilst I don't recommend recreating the events, it gives you an idea of exactly the kind of recovery this soup may provide. It's a miracle soup, a soup not like any other. It's weird, but that's fine. Just trust me.

And even if this recipe gives you sense of unease, a fear of the unknown, just add a little vodka to make it into schnapps!! The alcoholic drinks with antioxidants! Now that's got to be good!

 

Blueberry soup

3 cups of frozen blueberries

1 and 1/2 cups water

3 tsp vanilla sugar

juice of one lemon

1 tsp cornflour, sifted

2 tblsp sugar

1. Put all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes and then smash the blueberries with a masher.
2. Strain and serve with a little crème fraiche or even ice cream.

To make the schnapps, mix equal measure of vodka and blueberry and serve in a schnapps glass.

With the mush left over, mix with vanilla yogurt and waste not want not. 


And here is quite possibly the most beautiful song ever...

Sticky Lemon and Rosemary Morning Buns

 These are for the morning after. The morning after a night, as it normally runs. A night filled with curry, and cluedo, wine and eton mess, to nurse the hangover and to share with your friends. These are for a sunny sunday, a sleepy saturday. These are dead easy, and they should be, why stress over sticky buns, worth it as they may be.

Recipe adapted from BBC recipes, the Great British Bake-off

 The flavours of the fragrant lemon and rosemary are real wonderful!

                          Though my mum still won't believe it- mess is beautiful! (sometimes)

 

And here comes the recipe....

 

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz strong white flour, sifted
• 250g/9oz plain flour, sifted
• 125ml/4fl oz warm water
• 125m/4fl oz warm milk
  
• 1 x 7g/¼oz sachet fact-action dried yeast
  
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
  
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
  1 1/2 lemon, zest only
  8 sprigs of rosemary, finely cut with a pair of scissors
  1/ 1/4 cup margarine
  5 tbsp sugar
  1 free-range egg, beaten
  50g/2oz butter, cut into cubes
  vegetable oik, for greasing
  
  
  For the Sticky drizzle
  
  
  1/4 cup sugar
  juice of 2 lemons 
  
  
  For the Icing
  
  
  1/2 lemon, juice only
  50g of icing sugar, sifted
   

And how to do it....

Place the flours, water, milk, (heat the milk and water with 4 sprigs of the finely chopped rosemary) yeast, salt, sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Add the beaten egg and butter and continue to mix until the mixture comes together as a sticky dough. (and don't forget to add the egg like I did-what a fool).

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for five minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil a bowl with a little of the vegetable oil.

Place the dough into the bowl and turn until it is covered in the oil. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Lightly grease a baking tray.

Knock the dough back to its original size and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out so it measures roughly 30 by 25 cm. Spread with the margarine, the zest of half a lemon, the 5 tbsp sugar and the very finely chopped rosemary). Roll into a sausage and cut into about 10 pieces. 

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Bake the buns in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden-brown. Remove the buns from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack. (they should look a little less cooked than mine, whoops)

Whilst still in the oven, make the drizzle by combining the sugar and lemon juice. When the buns are ready, immediately prick them with a cocktail stick and pour over the sticky drizzle.

Meanwhile for the icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl until smooth. Once the buns have cooled completely, drizzle the icing sporadically over the buns like a sweet lemony art. Decorate with little sprigs of rosemary. mmm mmmmm


Eat either cold or, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or the oven till warm. 


Leaving you with another cracker! 

Christa x