Last week I told you I was starting a pallet project and I did make a start by painting both of them and adding some weed suppressing membrane to the rear of them to create a pocket. I now need to get a lot of soil to fill them and decide on their final position before filling. I will then be able to plant them up with a mixture of herbs, veg and flowers.
The weather has turned really cold and apparently will be for most of March which negates sowing much outside but the lettuce I sowed has popped their little heads up on my window cill. I will be sowing my tomatoes this week, I don’t have room for many plants but will probably sow twice the amount I need and if they all survive will take them to our local seed and plant swap.
At the start of the week I decided to go to my secret spot to check on the growth of the wild garlic and was very happy to find some early growth. I managed to pick a handful to make my wild garlic and cheese scones that I made last year.
As I was out in Dartmoor I had a lovely walk with Faith in an area I had driven through when going to a client’s house and wanted to explore more on foot. It was quite delightful and I will definitely be going there again in the summer to dangle my feet in the pools and picnic by the stream.
I have made another hat for my flower baby, this time a hydrangea, all those little flowers whilst individually did not take much time to make, I had to make 14 of them to cover the little hat but the result was worth it.
Also this week I purchased a sweet goose pattern from Kate Eastwood at Just Pooling. I am so in love with it and definitely need to make a whole gaggle of geese. It crocheted up in just one afternoon. I just need to get some more cream yarn.
Friday evening I decided as Georgina and I actually were going to be able to sit down together for our evening meal to make a main and a dessert. I had managed to pick up some reduced neck of lamb the other week and had popped into the freezer. Therefore I thought I would make a British classic – Lancashire hot pot and real meat and two veg dish. I used a recipe from kitchen sanctuary, such a simple recipe with lots of flavour.
The dessert was an apple crumble cheesecake which I adapted from a recipe I had seen for an Italian apple torte.
Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Ingredients
For The Crumble:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cold butter, diced into small pieces
2 tablespoons water
2/3 for base and 1/3 for topping
For The Filling:
8 ounces mascarpone, (at room temperature)
8 ounces cream cheese, (at room temperature)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 large granny smith apples, (sliced)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°c
Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to a large bowl.
Add the cold butter and begin working it in with your finger until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add in the 2 tablespoons of water and continue to mix with your hands until evenly spread throughout. Be careful to not overwork the dough. The mixture should be loose and crumbly.
To the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, add 2/3 of the crumble mixture, pressing down to form a crust. Bake in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until set until just slightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, add the mascarpone, cream cheese, and sugar. Mix on high until fluffy and combined, for about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping with a rubber spatula if necessary, and mix on high until the batter is very smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and apple cider vinegar, and mix until incorporated.
Pour the mascarpone filling into the crust. Arrange the sliced apples over the top to cover the cheesecake filling, and finish by topping with the remaining 1/3rd of the crumble mixture.
Bake in the oven for one hour, or until the topping is golden brown and only the very center of the cheesecake jiggles slightly.
Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Remove from the springform pan, and dust with powdered sugar to serve.
Today we are going to a local pub for a carvery. My name was pulled from a draw and I won lunch for two. I never win anything and actually cannot even remember entering 🤣 but I’m so going to enjoy not cooking Sunday lunch.
I will leave you with a photo of my kitchen island display for March, flower baby is sporting her daffodil hat for St David’s Day. The can covers were from last year’s Stylecraft garden party trio design by Lucy at Attic24 .
Next Sunday we are off to Crufts at some ungodly hour so the next update will not be until the Monday. Fingers crossed the beast from the East does not affect travel plans.
Until then have a good week whatever happens.
Stepping Into Sixty and Out Of The Comfort Zone 