I've found two more photos from way back in September or early October ..............small finds from weekend boot-sales.
A digger on tracks for the car box, a Christmas card for daughter and a pad of cards to colour which will be something for the grandchildren to colour and make sometime. (Annoyingly had to pay £1 each for these!)
And below 3 cards for the card box, an ice-cream van for the car box and a book that I'd not come across before. The book is aimed at teachers or parents who have more time than many do now and is filled with poems, songs, craft ideas and recipes for each season and the special days of the year. (50p each ......much better)
Middle Grandson has already visited and found the new vehicles. Every time he visits he takes them out of the box one by one, examines them closely and tells me what they are. Then he does the same with the tub of zoo animals. I love being able to add one he's not seen before as he is so surprised to find them.
I made the Wartime Christmas Cake this week , which tastes OK for a frugal cake but is a bit dry and crumbly.
This is the recipe if you want to try it.
4oz grated carrot
2 tablespoons golden syrup
3oz sugar
4oz marge (or modern equivalent)
1tsp bicarb
½ tsp almond essence
½ tsp vanilla essence
4oz dried fruit
12oz Self Raising Flour
1 tsp cinnamon
small teacup of slightly warm milk
Cook grated carrot and syrup over low heat for a few minutes
Cream sugar and marge until fluffy
Add bicarb to the carrot mix
Add wet ingredients to sugar/marge a little at a time as if it was egg
Stir in flavourings and fruit
Fold in flour and cinnamon
Add enough milk to make moist mix
Pour into tin, level top and put into hot oven then reduce temperature to very low and bake for 3 hours.
There's no temperatures given - maybe ovens varied a lot back then - so it means watching and testing with a skewer and covering if the top starts to burn.
I think I'll stick to making a smaller version of my usual Victorian Christmas Cake for this year.
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Clocks back tonight - for some reason this year I'm not hating the idea as much as usual.
Hope you have a good weekend. I came across details of another charity book sale - so guess where I'll be going.
Back Monday
Sue
(Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday and sorry I ran out of time to reply to all)
Sorry it ended up on the dry side. I cook a lot with apples (to replace eggs and/or to make a moist cake) so might have added a cooking apple or substituted the carrot with same. That seems an awful long time to cook it! Perhaps try an hour at 150 deg. which is what I did for the two big Chocolate Gingerbread cakes yesterday (in really heavy-duty loaf tins).
ReplyDeleteSome good little finds at the car boot sale. Enjoy the book sale.
The wartime frugal cake has now gone sticky and gooey - not so nice.
DeleteI love the ice-cream van. Rosie and I made easy-no-churn ice cream in the summer, and finished off the tub this week. Not done any boot sales recently, but yesterday we walked past a house with a yard of freebies - desperate housewife in pre-move clearance. Rosie and I were delighted - Liz smiled and muttered about Minimalism. Rosie has my "collecting gene"
ReplyDeleteI found a screw in the base of the ice cream van so I'm thinking it should have a small battery in for playing a tune maybe - haven't got round to checking that yet
DeleteHow fun that your grandson remembers what is in that box and is excited to see if there has been anything added.
ReplyDeleteI have a war time cake that is a small chocolate cake I should get that out and try it as it takes no eggs and eggs are becoming very expensive here.
We turn our clocks back next weekend in the US
Cathy
I used to dread the clock change in autumn but this year feel very calm about it which is hopeful
DeleteI know what you mean about the clock change - can feel annoying and unnecessary, I'm trying to relax about it - after all it happens twice a year, we should be used to it!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching ' the next big thing from Aldi ' programme I'm on the lookout for an authentic Rum cake recipe - Caribbean in origin - looks like it would make a great alternative to traditional Christmas cake.
Alison in Wales x
That means I've seen about 130 clock changes - you're right - we should be used to it!
DeleteWhere in the world did people get almond and vanilla essence in wartime? I remember the rejoicing when things like that finally came back to the shops in peacetime. I really wonder about some of these recipes.
ReplyDeleteOur clock change doesn't happen yet, for some reason. It usually takes me a few days to adjust.
Perhaps they might have had some essence left from pre war? The recipe was in a book where the lady writing was around during the war years
DeleteThose are sweet finds to add to your stash! My grandson does the same thing - he always spots the new vehicles in the box! I will have to hit the resale shops soon to see if there are possible Christmas gifts for the grandkids. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteIt's great fun watching grandson find a new vehicle - he always seems so surprised.
DeleteI have no idea what to find for the 2 biggest grandsons this Christmas but I know the 2 granddaughters will love a collection of crafting bits and bobs
Before we know it the holiday will be here. Your cake sounds good and fruit and cinnamon is always tasty. A nice cup of coffee or tea with cake is always enjoyed. The toy ice cream truck looks vintage and very adorable. Good find!
ReplyDeleteThe weeks rush by and with so many Christmas events to attend it will really will be here in a flash
DeleteThe cake looks nice. Sorry to hear it was a little dry. Some nice finds at the boot sales.
ReplyDeleteThe cake has gone sticky and not so nice now!
DeleteDLS ends here Nov 6; Sunday a week. Soon enough.
ReplyDeleteClocks back next week here. It sounds silly, but I really love dark winter mornings. I wish they'd leave the clocks right where they are.
ReplyDeleteThe cake looks lovely and so does the Festivals book. What a find! xx
ReplyDeleteWe had the Family, Food and Festivals book when the children were young. It's a lovely book.
ReplyDeleteI like the hour going back every year, having an extra hour of light in the mornings for a couple of weeks is worth all the rounding up of the clocks and alteration. The animals were all very confused about their teatime though!!
ReplyDeleteThe Wartime Cake recipe is interesting. It makes me want to make a quick chocolate cake with pureed pumpkin. I guess it was the mention of the carrots and the color of your cake that steered my mind there.
ReplyDelete