Pleased to report we've landed back home safely after our little adventure in France. The car went really well, only a broken spring on the clutch pedal and a dodgy wiper blade to contend with during our travels.
Speaking of cars, I loved the colour of this blue van...it was parked in the street near where we stayed. At first we assumed it must be planted there by the local tourist board just to enhance the picturesque street scene...but the next day I saw the owner driving it...it actually goes!

I can never get over the pots and window boxes in France...such dazzlingly scarlet and crimson geraniums...guess all that sunshine helps too.

Now I know that is something you probably don't want to think about in the height of summer...but the hay really does remind one of the time of year it will be used. And when you smell a handful of it in the depths of winter, it seems to capture summer.....

This makes a delicious summer dessert. I filled it with cream and strawberry jam, but you could use fresh strawberries, or raspberries instead of the jam.
4oz, 115g plain flour
4oz, 115g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated

Oven set at 180/Gas Mark 4/350
You need a swiss roll tin 33/23cm

Whisk egg whites until stiff. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar, and a tablespoon water. Fold the the egg yolks into the whites. Then carefully fold in the flour. Pour into the greased tin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Turn out onto some greaseproof paper, which you have sprinkled with caster sugar. Spread with cream and jam, and roll.

This swallow flew in when the door was opened early yesterday morning. Bet it was glad to be let out into the great outdoors!

This was taken earlier in the summer, late in the evening. It was fresher than it is now. I can't say I like this hot muggy weather; but as we have hay to get in, let's hope the rain holds out for a bit longer. Apparently, today was the hottest day so far this summer (at least for some of us).

You need
6oz, 175g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2oz, 50g butter
Pinch salt
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1oz, 25 g caster sugar
handful raisins or sultanas
some milk

Rub butter into flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add sugar & fruit. Mix in the milk until you have a pliable dough. Roll out to about 1" thickness. Cut out and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with lashings of butter!

The 2008 Flower Festival ends with a concert tonight. It has been as busy and satisfying as usual - the nice things visitors say about the flowers and the home-made cakes etc. at the village hall are a good reward for the very hard work that goes into the few days.

As the weather seems set to be a bit finer, serious thoughts are turning to hay-making, here in the countryside. However, yesterday it was time for our tiny harvesting of strawberries. These don't require a farm...or even a garden. They are simple to grow in a pot.

First let me say that my lack of flower arranging skills is only matched by my lack of patience, so imagine my delight the other day when someone set me the task of "making" fairy cakes out of little yellow flowers and oasis. What the results were...well they don't bear close scrutiny.

This year's flower festival is celebrating 100 years of our village hall, and this is the WI inspired corner. The wedding dress was worn by one of the members almost 50 years ago and formed part of a wedding dress show earlier in the summer - wedding dresses over the past century. Hope to show you some other Church pictures in the next few days.

This is inspired by one of the favourite cakes I have when I go to a local coffee shop. It is my version and I think it tastes reasonably like the cafe version!
5oz, 150g self-raising flour
2oz, 50g ground almonds
2 eggs
6oz, 175g butter
6oz, 175g caster sugar
1 bramley apple, peeled, cored and sliced
flaked almonds
A little extra sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Gradually mix in the beaten egg. Fold in the flour and ground almonds. Put in a tray, about 9"X 6", and place the sliced apple on top. Scatter the ground almonds on top and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Wait until it has cooled before removing from the tin. Cut into squares.

After much juggling and re-arranging all our holiday gear has finally gone in. This is only down to my new found determination to jettison about half of what I really want to take. And how it goes against the grain...even now I keep thinking of things we couldn't possibly do without!
Yes, we're off on our hols. The joys of France and the open road await. Noreen will keep you posted while we're away. Au revoir!

Have you noticed how tall the ordinary foxgloves have grown in the past couple of weeks. Bet you could write a good mystery story based on the foxglove and digitalis - probably been done though.

These white foxgloves are a bit more rare

...has been turned into another bag - now there's a surprise! This time
in-your-face red with white spots...makes me think of Minnie Mouse.

It is time for our Flower Festival again, next week. I thought I'd get a small bit of baking in. So the following recipe is for 2 trays - one for eating, the other for freezing for next week. Obviously you could halve the portions.....
1lb,450g self-raising flour
half-teaspoon baking powder
3 lemons
12oz, 350g butter
12oz, 350g caster sugar
4 eggs.

Beat butter, add sugar, and beat together until creamy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating continuously. Fold in the flour and baking powder. Add the zest of the 3 lemons, and the juice of 2.
Put mixture in greased tins. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30-40 minutes. When you take the tins out of the oven, sprinkle some granulated sugar on top; then squeeze juice from remaining lemon over this. When cool, remove from tin, and cut into squares.

Rain, rain, nothing but rain! I don't know about you, but I'm heartily sick of it - enough now!
So I thought you might like to see the deep pink marguerite that I've planted in an old clay drainage pipe. It's a cheery bit of brightness by the back door, and boy, do we need it.

Brian found this on Sunday morning - first of the season. Mushrooms are extremely versatile, and for vegetarians, great for adding a savoury taste and depth to lots of dishes. And they can come free!

This recipe was kindly given to me by a neighbour. It is a tray-bake cake
8oz, 225g chopped dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3oz, 75g butter
1 large egg
10oz, 275g plain flour
100g chopped walnuts
8oz, 225 sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
half-teaspoon salt

Icing
2 & half tablespoons demerara sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cream

Icing
Mix ingredients together in a saucepan. heat gently and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Allow to cool and pour over cake.

There's such a heady perfume from the philadelphus (or mock orange, to give it its common name). I like the way that white flowers show up particularly well as the light falls...we've a white rose that really glows at dusk. And walking past neighbours' gardens this evening, I caught beautiful scents of summer...ah!

It's Wimbledon, Andy Murray did his best and we must have strawberries to celebrate...now there are juicy English strawberries in the greengrocers we can really enjoy them. This flan has shortcrust case filled with custard and covered with either whole or sliced fruits. Just need the Champagne now!

6oz eslf-raising flour
3oz sunflower margarine
half pint full cream milk
2 eggs
1oz sugar
4oz strawberries
a little strawberry jam or recurrant jelly for the glaze

Rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add a little cold water and bring together to make the pastry. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill.

Grease a 9ins flan tin. Roll out the pastry to fit. Bake at 150C, gas mark 2 for about 15 mins.

Warm the milk but do not let it boil. Beat the eggs and add to the milk. Stir in the sugar. Pour into the pastry case and bake at 150C, gas mark 2 for about 25 mins.

When cold, arrange the strawberries on top. Warm the jam a little and brush over the strawberries to glaze.

This could not be easier to make...and tastes good
3 unwaxed lemons
5oz/150g sugar
2 pints/I litre & 140mls boiling water
half-oz/10g citric acid (health food shop)

Scrub the lemons. Using a potato peeler, thinly slice the rind and put into a large jug. Add the squeezed lemon juice, the citric acid and the sugar. Pour on the boiling water & stir until the sugar has dissolved. Strain and put in the fridge.

The white clematis is a picture still...at least it was an about an hour ago when this was taken. It was sunny then; not now though. We've just had darkened skies and blustery rain. Trust me to forget that I'd opened the big window in the conservatory...some mopping up there. And I've left the washing on the line - huh!