Recipe, chat, food and cats. A bit of everything!

I had a very busy weekend - on Saturday I was down in Clermont Ferrand making palm crosses, and then helping tidy and organise the Church offices. I then went to see "Selma" and finally sang at an evening of prayer for Africa. Due to weird timings my food consumption was not very healthy, by a long chalk - breakfast was fine (fruit juice, toast-and-cheese, yoghurt and dried fruit-and-nuts), lunch was a chicken/salad sandwich and a yoghurt/fruit bar (200 calories in the bar alone!) eaten hurriedly before the film, and then dinner was a cheese panini and chips, scoffed in a small park near the church (while being watched by slavering dogs!)

Sunday was a late get-up (clocks going forward) a bit of domestic activity, and then writing letters for 40Acts Day 31. I then became so involved in writing more Ninja notes (as I'd delivered all my spares around Clermont) that I found that I didn't have time to blog. I'm way behind writing up my 40 Acts reactions over at The Teapot.

Yesterday was all day work, and today I've got planning to do, cat litter trays to change, kitchen floors to wash, chicken casseroles to make, and a cake to make to use up some stewed plums that I took out of the freezer to fit something else in.

This one, copied from another blog, sounds as though it might be the ticket, especially as a commenter noted that she'd used stewed plums with no problems. 

from Lottie & doof

A pudding cake of honey, cinnamon, and plums 

adapted from Ripe by Nigel Slater

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 slightly heaping teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup (220g) golden syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup (125g) butter
• 1/2 cup (125g) light brown sugar, packed
• 12 ounces (350g) plums
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into a bowl.

Warm the golden syrup, honey, and butter in a pan until the butter melts. Stir in the brown sugar. Halve the plums, or cut them into quarters if they are large, and remove the pits.

Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk, and whisk to combine. Pour the golden syrup mixture into the flour and mix with a spoon. Pour in the eggs and milk and continue stirring until you have a loose batter without any traces of flour.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, scatter the plums in the pan, and bake for 35 minutes. Place a piece of foil loosely over the top of the pan and leave to cook for 15 minutes longer. Switch off the oven, but leave the cake in for a further 15 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.

Baking this on a Fast Day might not be the greatest idea yet, as I may be forced to try it! However the oven will be on for the casserole and for today's dinner (sweet potato and spinach bake with a tomato sauce - and not as much cheese as the recipe suggests!) so I should make the most of the heat! 

source

Right! I need to get back to my planning now! Take care my Lovelies!