Spot the difference!!!

Our new woodland lawn!

One of the nicest things about living in a village is that you know everyone and everyone knows you. Now, I can imagine that if you liked a lot of privacy or had secrets you wished to keep, a village wouldn't be the place for you. Luckily, I don't fall into either of these categories. I have often borrowed a cup of flour or sugar or other baking ingredient from one of my neighbours and there is a very nice community feel. In true village spirit, this morning the postman knocked on my door (he has recently been having a few samples from the book so knows I like to bake) to ask whether I could help him with cup conversations in a recipe he had. Having just "cup and stick" converted 365 recipes, I proudly knew the answers without even looking it up! In return I asked for the recipe and was so intrigued by the limited list of ingredients (no flour or butter?) that I made them in my lunch break today and can happily report that they are yummy, although very sweet! I added chocolate to the recipe in the hope that they would taste like my favourite Reeses peanut buttercups. Not quite...but they were nice all the same

Postman Howard's Peanut Butter Cookies

200g/7oz caster sugar
340g/12oz crunchy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
200g/7oz milk or plain chocolate, chopped into chunks.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190C/375F and grease a large baking tray. Cream together the sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again. Stir through the chocolate. Place small balls of the dough on the tray and press down. The cookies do not spread very much. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes until golden brown.

As you have all lived through the last three months of me writing the book, with many of you testing recipes and proof reading, I wanted to share my celebration with you that yesterday I submitted the final part of my book (on time!!!). What a huge relief! I am one happy bunny today - although I imagine by 5pm I will be twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do with all the free time I now have on my hands!

Last weekend Mum and Mike attended the World Conker Championships at Ashton - you have heard it all now, I hear you cry. I just love these really "English" traditions! Lots of teams in fancy Dress - Little Britain, Gladiators, French Maids. I remember going to this when we were little and my brother taking part. As kids we would try everything to make our conkers harder - baking, pickling in vinegar, polishing - I am not convinced that any of these tricks made a difference. There are so many shiny conkers underfoot now when we walk up the lane to the fields - I like them best when they have just fallen and are still pristine in their prickly shells.

Rather belatedly, a short report on my trip to BBC Radio Northampton last week. I have to say that I loved being on the radio and surprisingly I wasn't nervous at all!!! Bernie and Anna were lovely and made me feel so welcome, as did Bernie's dog Riley who came and sat with his head on my lap whilst I was being interviewed. After over 10 minutes of interview, we had covered Masterchef, the book, magazine writing, how best to roast potatoes, cooking with an Aga, Jamie Oliver and the poor state of the Nations culinary skills and cooking with lavender. These are the cakes and cookies I took for them to try whilst we were on air - although I am not sure Bernie was convinced by cooking with lavender, he was definitely a fan of the edible glitter!!

Although I have spent the whole weekend trying to finish the book for my Wednesday deadline (nearly there!!!), I managed to fit in a little baking this weekend as it was Joshua's birthday. Panda Bear cupcakes (from Hello Cupcake) which Josh had seen and fallen in love with (Panda's are his favourite thing) and a Power Ranger cake as this was the theme of his party. Here are Wonder Woman and Supergirl in full party spirit and Birthday boy Joshua with his mum Jess playing pin the cupcake on the panda - Jess' creative game inspired by the panda cupcakes!

Monday evening was our village Harvest supper. This year I had to bake 50 potatoes and two apple pies! Luckily not the casserole!!! Rather than adding sugar in with the apples I made a toffee sauce with 2 tbsp of golden syrup, 2 tbsp of muscavado sugar and 1 tbsp of butter, simmered until the sugar dissolved and then 2 tbsp of cream added - Sticky Toffee Apple Pie! I will definitely be making this again! The auction was frenetic and I ended up paying £7 for 2 pork chops (orchard fed and locally reared - I felt as if I was buying part of someones pet!) - luckily it was for charity so I didn't feel too bad at my extravagant purchase. Wonderful marrows and baskets filled with home made bread and jam. Here are Lucy, Andrew Millie and David all enjoying the evening!

One thing about keeping a blog is that it makes you realise how quickly the months go by. This weekend was Kimbolton School Junior Masterchef and I was asked to judge again. It feels like only yesterday that Steven and I were there judging last year. The standard this year was even higher and it amazes me that their cooking skills are so far advanced even though some of them were only 11. Here are the winning dishes - A raspberry cheesecake with white chocolate icecream and raspberry coulis, walnut crusted cod with parsnip puree and roasted tomatoes, chicken in red sauce and buckwheat belinis with salmon and lamb with red cabbage and red currants with apple crumble and creme anglais (made from scratch!) Yet again, it was such a special occasion and thanks to their lovely teacher Clare for the invite.

Tomorrow morning I am going on BBC Radio Northampton to talk about cooking with lavender (a busy week when I really should be finishing writing up the book) - you can listen in here should you wish at 9am ish

The last few days have been testing. I managed to double book myself for two meetings and my work decided that I would have to fly between the two as I couldn't miss either. Now if you like flying this could be seen of as jet setting. I hate flying and it was my worst nightmare! Flying in a cessner in a rain storm was the most frightening thing I have EVER done. Had I not been so scared, the irony of taking off from Birmingham International in our tiny plane between two easyjet planes would have been quite funny. I will not be double booking meetings again and will certainly not be getting in a cessner again as long as I live - it was like flying in a car with wings.

Anyway, to cheer myself up I went berry picking yesterday evening with my friend Susan. We were worried that there wouldn't be any berries left but they hedgerows were laden down. If you haven't been out picking yet, grab a basket or box and go this weekend. We picked a lovely selection of blackberries, rosehips, crabapples and sloes for gin. Natures free harvest! Having frozen most of the berries to use up over the long winter months, I saved a few to make blackberry and apple muffins for our breakfast this morning.

Harvest Muffins
Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 – 20 minutes
Makes 10 muffins

250g/9oz self raising flour, sifted
2tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g/3½oz light brown sugar
1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 large handful of blackberries
2tsp ground cinnamon
55g/2oz flaked almonds
150ml/5floz milk
2 heaped tbsp natural yogurt
100g/3½oz butter, melted
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/350°F and place muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin pan. Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir well with a large spoon. Stir in the grated apple, cinnamon and flaked almonds. In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, milk and yoghurt. Add the eggs and whisk again. Pour the liquid into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold in with a large spoon or spatula. Stir through the blackberries. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and firm to touch. Leave to cool before serving.

It is the time of year for village shows again. A few weekend ago I had the honour of judging the confectionery class at Sharnbrook Show - lovely cakes, jams, quiches, breads - I was much better prepared this year and had no breakfast before judging and didn't leave the chocolate brownies until last (unlike last year when the brownies nearly finished me off!) Lots of fun!

This weekend was my Mum's show at her allotment - best dressed scarecrow competition, lots of wonderful vegetables grown on the allotment, bunting, BBQ food - Mum won 1st prize for her vase of fresh flowers - well done Mum!

Mr Pheasant being spotted eating grass seed!

Squash and Pistachio Orrichetti

Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetables - right up there with parsnips. I think I like them because they are so sweet and as you may have noticed from most of the recipes on this blog, I have a sweet tooth. With salty feta, crunchy pistachios and a chilli kick, this is a perfect supper dish for cold autumn nights

Serves 4

400g orrichetti cooked according to packet instructions and drained
1 large butternut squash, seeds and skin removed and cut into small cubes
2 large cloves garlic
3 - 4 small dried chillies
2 tbsp olive oil
handful of finely chopped Greek basil
100g pistachios
3 tbsp double cream
200g feta cheese, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to season

In a pestle and mortar, crush the chillies with the garlic and some salt and pepper to a smooth paste. Add the olive oil and stir. Toss the butternut squash cubes in the garlic oil, place on a baking tray and roast in a hot oven (Gas Mark 5/375/190) for 30 minutes until soft and tender and just starting to caramalise. Sprinkle over half the basil and the pistachios and bake for a further 10 minutes to allow the nuts to release their oil. Place the drained pasta, butternut squash and nuts in an oven proof baking dish, stir through the cream and add the feta cheese. Return to the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the remaining basil to serve. This is also nice cold as a pasta salad.

Whilst I am busy adding cup measurements to my book so that you lovely peeps in Australia and America might be able to use the book, my mum is busy proof reading for me! These are two little presents I bought her to say thank you - the cakes on the napkins are so pretty - almost too good to use and would be lovely for a Servietten Technik door stop in the kitchen (paint a large flat stone white and allow to dry - remove the very top layer of the printed napkin and smooth over the stone and then varnish in place - the doorstop in our kitchen was made this way as it has lasted for 7 years - people are always asking where it came from and are amazed at how simple it is to do yourself). The bath bags for harrassed cooks made me chuckle - I have turned everyone in my life into harrassed cooks over the last few months will all the testing so these will definitely come in handy!

What lovely weather we had at the weekend - a final swing in the hammock (with laptop writing my introduction to the book - perfect) and a picnic supper with Josh and Rosie. I was so pleased to find these lovely rice paper butterflies (www.janeasher.com) - although not cheap, there are hundreds in the pack and they transform a very ordinary cupcake into something quite special. We were paid a visit by Superman, who approved of the cupcakes wholeheartedly and used the cupcakes to improve his flying prowess!