Using a glut of veg...

On our garden patch that is being tended lovingly by DS and Dad there are a lot of certain types of veg all at once at the moment! We seem to have loads of courgettes and they are coming out of our ears! I have made lots of savoury things but yesterday I decided to have a go at a courgette cake.
Now, I made one of these a few years ago but this was a different recipe that called for a cream cheese filling - better option than the fresh cream or butter cream of last time! If you are a little sceptical of courgettes in cakes then just think along the lines of a carrot cake - it works the same way!

I set about making the recipe in the afternoon and then left the cake to cool... when making the icing there is more than enough to fill the cake in the middle and ice the top. It is lovely as you add lime to the icing and so the flavour is very fresh. I will say that the cake seems quite dense at times but it is delicious.

When grating the courgette make sure that you use the large grater setting as if you do it too small you will make the courgettes too watery and alter the texture of the cake.

I have to say that it I was very pleased with the result and the family loved it!

 

Here is the recipe:

Courgette and Raisin Cake

Ingredients For the cake: 60g raisins 250g courgettes (two or three) weighed before grating 2 large eggs 125ml vegetable oil 150g caster sugar 225g self-raising flour 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp baking powder For the icing: 200g cream cheese 100g sieved icing sugar Juice of 1 lime

Method Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Grate the courgettes and remove excess water by sieving over the sink. Cream the eggs, oil and sugar together in a bowl. Sieve in the flour, bicarb and baking powder until well combined. Stir in the courgette and the drained raisins. Split the mixture between two greased 21cm sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes. (Or you can split the mixture between 12 muffin cases, icing optional.) Cool on a rack while you make your icing. To make the icing: Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and keep beating and finally add the lime juice to taste. Spread the icing on the cake - inside and on the top. If you find that your icing is a little runny then just chill in the fridge for a few minutes before applying. I hope that you enjoy making this as much as we loved eating it! Until next time...

End of one era... beginning of another!

Today I am feeling emotional!
Tomorrow DS starts his first day at primary school. He has been attending nurseries and preschools from 4 months old (when I returned to work!) but this seems a whole lot different. He attended those because I was working and when I turned to part time hours then the days 'off' became our days together. We have always managed a variety of different things and activities which I have treasured in the deepest part of my heart. I understand (particularly as a teacher of Reception children!) the need for children to attend school but this doesn't make the wrench any easier.

I feel that I am being a little hypocritical in this post as for the last 10 years I have been the teacher prising the children from the emotional parent and placing the child in my classroom and then saying 'say bye to Mummy - they will be fine!'... tomorrow the boot is firmly on the other foot!

I have a deep feeling that this is the perfect time for him to begin this next phase on his life journey and he is MORE than ready for it but it is me that is emotional... he is so excited about it and I love to see the pure joy on his face when he realises the count down is getting ever closer. I am sure that after the initial wrench then all will be good but the emotions today are raw.

I attempted to quash them by having a proper 'Mummy and Son Day' and we went to the one place he has been asking to go to all summer - the local bird sanctuary. I do really think this nature loving boy is a Chris Packham in the making. We went and explored the unknown attraction and were in awe at many of the birds. It is a small place that manages to pack a lot into their smallish site! You can see it here. They also have a range of small animals to interest visitors.

We followed this with a visit to a local National Trust wood that is on the edge of Lanhydrock's estate... we went to see this walk and if you click on the link you can see the walk that the National Trust recommend.

 Because of my difficulties associated with my pregnancy we could not manage a walk but we did explore some of the area around the river and car park. There are gorgeous oak trees all around the large area and we managed to find 'treasure' in the form of acorns and leaves that had fallen from the boughs. DS was ecstatic at this! I cannot wait to explore this area in more detail as it is only a short drive from the house... the all terrain pushchair that I recently managed to get for a bargain price is really going to get put through its paces I think! DS was fascinated by the cows drinking the water from the fast flowing River Fowey and we tried to spot a fish or two in the tumbling waters - alas with no success.

All in all it was a fantastic day and I loved every minute of it... I did have a wobble in the car on the way home as we were listening to one of DS cd's and it began to play 'Puff the Magic Dragon' - the change from a little boy with his dragon to one who no longer visits made me a bit of a wreck I have to confess.

Off tonight to do some hooking at my knit/crochet and natter group.. I am continuing with the blanket in the VERY bright colours and will do a progress report soon.

Until next time...