Divorce is a funny thing.   You not only lose your spouse but in most cases you lose an entire branch of people that have been your family for a very long time, as if by still associating with you they are being disloyal or some such.  Fair dues.  I completely understand.   This is my ex sister in law's recipe that she shared with me eons ago it seems.  It's the best bean salad you could ever eat.   I love it around the holidays because it goes great on the buffet table, lasts forever and tastes better with each day that passes.  Oh, and it serves a lot of people!  The lime juice is my addition to the recipe.  I like the extra tang it gives.



I dug it out and made it recently for a party we were having at church for the ladies.   Each had been asked to bring a salad to share and I thought this would be the perfect one to bring as it makes a lot and everyone always loves it.



I was completely wrong.   I was the only one who ate any of it.   The British don't seem to understand bean salad.   To them it's like eating a kangaroo, or an armadillo . . . maybe even snake.   They avoided it like the plague.  Nobody else touched it at all.   I was quite fascinated by their disdain of it actually.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me?  In any case, this is the best bean salad ever.   And I stand by that statement.  Unless you are a Brit, in which case, it's extremely suspect and to be avoided at all costs! ha ha



Whisk all of the ingredients together for the dressing in a large bowl.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.   Dump in all of the well drained tins of beans along with the chopped vegetables.   Toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the flavours to meld, giving them a stir every so often.  (This is a salad which gets better with sitting.  In fact I usually make it the night before I want to serve it, storing it in a well sealed plastic box and giving it a good shake every so often.)  Use a slotted spoon to serve.

One thing that I like to make each Christmas is Peanut Brittle.  It's easy to make and makes a nice hostess gift if you are invited out.  I have never had anyone turn their nose up at a pretty little box of it yet!



Making it in the microwave takes all the guess work out of it.  It goes together easily and always turns out.  I have never had it fail.   Just be sure to check it frequently and if you think it is getting too brown, stop.  It should never be more than a golden brown.



It's made in less than 10 minutes, and that is 10 easy minutes where you aren't standing laborously over a stove, stirring and watching.  The microwave does all the work.  The only thing you need to be careful of is that you use a glass bowl that is truly microwaveable safe and that you use oven mits taking it out of the microwave.  Glass conducts heat very well and this is candy.  Candy is hot.



Also be very sure to take great care in handling the sugar mixture, once again . . . it's really hot and it will stick to your skin, so do please be very careful.  I would hate for anyone to get burnt badly.



This year I added a chocolate dip to mine . . . if there is anything that tastes better than homemade peanut brittle . . . it's homemade peanut brittle dipped in chocolate.  Semi sweet chocolate flavoured with peanut butter.  



Oh baby.  This is good.  I may have to make another batch to give away!  This first batch seems to be shrinking rather quickly.  Oh I do so love the Holiday Season, don't you!




Place the chocolate pieces into a smaller microwaveable bowl.  Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chocolate melts when stirred.   Stir in the peanut butter until it melts.  Dip half of each piece of peanut brittle into the chocolate, scraping any excess off on the edge of the bowl.  Place on a wire rack to set.  Alternately you can let it set in the refrigerator.  



Note:  If you are not fond of chocolate and peanut butter, then just leave that final bit out and just make the brittle.  Store in an airtight container.

Note:  If you bake in an 8 inch square pan you can cut into squares to serve and you will get approximately 4 decent sized servings, or 8 smaller ones..

To celebrate the birth of the latest heir apparent to the British throne, PG tips has developed a new take on the traditional cuppa to wet the baby’s head – a ‘royal-tea cup’ cocktail.

Working with Rebecca Seal, drinks expert from Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, the Fruit Cup style cocktail takes inspiration straight from the royal wedding day to combine details from the pair’s nuptials with quintessentially English ingredients, resulting in a rich and refreshing PG tipple packed full of Britishness and served in dainty tea cups.



Ingredients in a PG tips ‘royal-tea cup’ include:

• Strawberries – as a major crop in Cambridgeshire, these summery English berries are perfect to include as part of a royal celebration
• Rose petals – two new rose bushes were named after the happy couple and planted in the grounds of Windsor Castle and sugar roses were used to decorate their eight-tier wedding cake
• Sparkling wine – English sparkling wine was served to guests at the bride and groom’s wedding breakfast
• PG tips The Rich One – like red wine, all tea contains tannins, which gives drinks a wonderfully rich flavour.  We’ve used PG tips The Rich One for its full-bodied taste
• Gin – a quintessentially British ingredient and, according to Rebecca Seal, the botanicals used to make gin (like juniper) perfectly complement the flavours in tea
• Cucumber – from a dainty finger sandwich at traditional afternoon tea
• Apple juice -  from the fruit trees of the great British orchards
• Elderflower – from the hedgerows that line England’s green and pleasant land
• Mint - from English country gardens

A ‘royal-tea cup’ cocktail can be made either with or without alcohol and is perfect for a sunny garden party, to have with afternoon tea or as an aperitif before a barbecue.




PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail Recipe:
To enjoy a very British punch in celebration of a potential future king, the below recipe makes 10-12 teacups or 6-8 longer drinks -

Ingredients:

• 6 British strawberries with the core removed
• A handful of fresh mint leaves, ripped
• 100ml freshly boiled water
• 1 PG tips The Rich One teabag
• 75g sugar
• 50ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
• ½ an unwaxed lemon’s rind, peeled and chopped
• 15ml elderflower cordial
• 100ml English apple juice
• 200-400ml gin
• 350ml soda water or sparkling water
• 350ml English sparkling wine (or cava)

For non-alcoholic punch:
Omit the gin and sparkling wine and use 150ml apple juice and 550ml soda water instead

 

Garnish:

• Lots of fresh ice in big chunks
• Slices of cucumber skin
• Rose petals
• Slices of strawberries  

 

Method:

Step 1: In a pestle and mortar, roughly crush the strawberries and mint leaves together

Step 2: Mix the crushed mint and strawberries with the hot water, PG tips The Rich One teabag, sugar, lemon juice and rind then stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Leave to stand for 8-10 minutes, then strain, reserving the syrup

Step 3: In a large bowl or jug, mix the syrup with the elderflower, apple juice and gin to taste. (The mix can be chilled for a few hours at this point until ready to serve.)

Step 4: When ready to serve, add large blocks of ice, the soda water and sparkling wine. Stir gently to combine

Step 5: To serve, line teacups with a sliver of cucumber skin, shaved using a potato peeler, then fill the cup with fresh ice. Serve using a ladle

Step 6: Garnish with a red rose petal and a slice of strawberry in the shape of a heart



I did the non-alcoholic version of this delightful little tipple and we quite enjoyed! Except for the cucumber skins . . . I thought they added a bitter touch which I didn't like very much, so I got rid of mine . . . so did the Toddster.

Of course, you know we did more than drink.  I had to make something to eat along with our little "tipple," and I baked some beautifully crisp lemon crisp biscuits!  Celebrations always call for something  REALLY special don't they?   And these crisp little biscuits are just perfect for that!



This is a very, verrrrrry old recipe, gleaned from the cardboard covering of a package of margarine many years ago.  My mother had ripped it off and it lay hidden in her red Co-op cookbook for many years.  I cannot remember my mother ever baking these, but I have  baked them many times.



The original recipe called for hard margarine, but I have always used butter.  I figure if they add stuff and chemicals to make margarine hard etc., . . . I don't need it in my veins.   I'd prefer to have natural vein cloggers.



These are a slice and bake cookie.  I've never been able to get them to come out perfectly round, but that doesn't matter.  They are crisp and sweet and buttery . . . with a hint of lemon as well as ginger, which is a perfect combination I think.  I added the lemon sugar garnish a while back.  It just made sense and was the nicest addition I thought.

So, what are you waiting for?    Let's get baking!



Rub the sugar and lemon zest together until very fragrant. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and lemon juice to combine.  Whisk together the flour, salt, soda and ginger.   Stir this into the wet ingredients, blending in well.   Shape into two 1 1/2 inch in diameter cylinders.  Wrap well and chill until very firm.

When ready to bake rub the topping ingredients together until fragrant and preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Line several baking sheets with baking paper.   Set aside.

Cut the rolls with a very sharp knife into 1/4 inch thick slices.   Place these on the baking trays.  Sprinkle each with a bit of the lemon sugar.   Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and golden around the edges.   Allow to cool on the baking sheets for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. 

Store in an airtight container.

I can remember when Prince William was born and how exciting it was.  I was pregnant the same time as Princess Diana and so Wills was always a bit special to me because he is the same age as our Douglas and I felt the whole way through my pregnancy that Diana was feeling the same way as I did!

I have followed his whole life, and that of Harry's with great interest actually.   I am a Royalist at heart and love all of the Royal Family, warts-n-arl as my late good friend Angie would have said.



I was thrilled beyond measure when he and Katherine Middleton got married in 2011.   It was such a beautiful wedding and they are such a sweet young couple.  I have always wished them all the best.   I was so excited when we found out they were expecting their first child, third in line to the throne and absolutely ecstatic yesterday when Katherine, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth  to their son!



Once again my life and that of the Royal Family have paralleled each other,  as my youngest daughter was pregnant at this same time as Katherine and just gave birth a few weeks ago to . . . yes, our own little Prince . . . Cameron David, and yes, we are thrilled beyond belief about that as well!  All in all, it is a great time for a celebration!



I can't show you a photo of the little Prince Windsor Mountbatten . . . but I can quite happily show you a photo of our little Prince.   I think he's just the cutest, but then again, I am the Grandmum!  Maybe Charles and I could share our bragging rights together!  In any case, a celebration calls for something spectacular to mark it's occurrence and that is just what this cake does!



In fact I can't think of a nicer cake you could bake to celebrate a special occasion!   This is always my go to for Birthdays and other celebrations.



It's a deliciously buttery sponge, filled with fresh raspberries and baked into two moist layers. Sandwiched together with a lovely vanilla butter cream icing and some seedless raspberry jam, and then drizzled with more sweetness. This is one very moreishly scrummy cake.



Just look at all of that raspberry scrumminess!!  This is a cake I wouldn't hesitate to bake and serve to Royalty . . . not Queens or Kings . . . or little Princes . . . or even Princesses . . .



Bake it for yourself . . . one bite will tell you how very right I am about this delightful cake.   Seriously. It is well worth the price of fresh berries and the time and effort to make it.  I do hope that you will make the effort and then come back and tell me all about it!

Congratulations to Prince William and his Duchess on this most wonderful occasion.  May God bless you all.




*Raspberry Celebration Cake*
Cuts into 12 scrummy slices
Printable Recipe

This is the cake I always bake for summer birthdays.  A light moist sponge, filled with lovely raspberries, butter cream icing and seedless raspberry preserves.  Top with a sweet glaze and serve with more raspberries.

For the Cake:
175g of caster sugar (3/4 plus 1/8 cup)
175g of butter, softened (13 TBS)
4 large free range eggs, separated
100g self raising flour (a scant 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds (1 scan't cup)
a few drops of almond extract
125g of fresh raspberries (a heaped cup)

For the buttercream:
75g of butter, softened (1/4 cup approx.)
125g icing sugar, sifted (about 3/4 cup)
few drops vanilla

For the glaze:
100ml icing sugar sifted (1/3 cup approx.)
water to thin



Also about 4 heaped dessertspoons of seedless raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.  Butter two 8 inch sandwich cake tins.  Line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolks.  Sift the flour and baking powder over the creamed mixture and then fold in using a metal spoon.   Fold in the ground almonds and exract.  Fold only until all traces of the flour have disappeared.

Beat the egg whites until they just hold their shape.  Fold them in gently, by thirds, being careful not to overmix and lose the lightness of the whites.  Lightly fold in the berries.  Divide between the two prepared cake tins and level off carefully.

Bake in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, just until they test done.  A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean and they should spring back when lightly touched on top.

Remove from the oven.  Let cool in the tins for five minutes, then tip out onto wire racks, peel off the baking paper and allow to cool completely.

Make the buttercream by beating together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Place one cake, bottom side up on a cake plate.  Spread completely with all the buttercream.  Spread the raspberry jam over top of the buttercream and then top with the other cake layer, placing it right side up.  Whisk together the icing sugar for the glaze and enough water to make a smooth drizzable mixture.  Drizzle decoratively over the top of the cake.  Allow to set, then dust with more icing sugar if desired.



Oh, and in case you haven't seen them  (Like what planet are you on if you haven't!)   here is the lovely trio.   I think they're such a sweet family and colour cor-ordinated too, and BLUE for the little Prince!