Discussions and Decisions!

Today began with the usual rush of cake making... a lemon drizzle cake with pistachios  and poppy seeds (recipe and picture at the end) and also white chocolate and raspberry brownies - sorry no recipe as they were a Morrison's mix (which went down a treat with the girls).  Once they were in the oven, I set to to create the lunch menu which was chicken breasts, sliced lemons (using some of the left over skins actually as they still had lots of flavour and 'bits' left in them), sliced red onion and some home grown rosemary, all thrown in together and roasted with a modicom of water to stop it dehydrating (which I am very good at doing to my meals). Salad was easy enough to prepare and I just remembered in time to take the garlic and rosemary bread out of the freezer!

Alison arrived about 10.20 am  and we chatted about my next steps for a black and white based quilt for a friend of a friend.  she was kind enough to help me work out sizes, blocks etc which I still don't have much of a clue about how to work out... but I am learning! Then Janet arrived next having been waiting for a gentleman to complete measuring for carpets.. and had then popped into Needle and Thread on her way here. Chris followed closely and so we all settled to cuppas and cake.  

We  had a 'show and tell'; me with some lovely co-ordinating fabrics I had bought at the Festival of Quilts; Janet, her almost completed quilt top which she will teach a class for, and also some pins (decorative badges)she had bought at the Festival.   Amanda arrived later, after an appointment, (so we did a brief 'show and tell' again).  She stayed to have tea and cake and a good chat, then had to depart to look after some children as their family were at a funeral.  During this time Alison told us about her daughter's wedding and we all 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the tales and photos.  (She looked  beautiful, elegant and so relaxed, the family group photos showing the same.  The cake looked really pretty and the venue gorgeous.)  So on to some serious sewing.... after another cuppa!




 

Lunch was served, followed by a fresh fruit salad for desert and another cuppa.  Amanda had had to go by this time, but she had told us a little of her holiday in France and had brought us all some lovely soaps and a large flat tinned biscuit.  What do we do with the tins..? Well before we have even eaten the contents we were all trying to think what the 'recycled' uses would be, but it would most likely involve sewing of some description!!!!!



Stitching began in earnest for the girls whilst I ironed all my black and whie fat quarters.  Now to decide the size I need to cut and this is where the group are so wonderfully helpful.  After looking at images on google I had decided on a pattern, but how to present it and at what size to do for the completed blocks.  Alison and Janet conferred, drew out diagrams and gave me good advice.  Chris went home and then emailed me a picture of a Tiny Turning Twenty quilt top I had done and worryingly couldn't remember ever having doing it!!!  But it is ME in the picture.  Hmm!   Now to decide which I will do and so.... the girls departed, leaving me to make that decision.... after yet another wonderful relaxing day.




For the Cake
3 medium eggs
170g (6 oz) golden castor sugar
170g (6oz) SR flour
80g of melted unsalted butter.
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
50g (2 oz) chopped pistachios
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
2 lemons - grated rinds and juice
For the Topping
1 lemons- grated rind and juice
125g (4oz)icing sugar
Teaspoon of poppy seeds
50g (2 oz) chopped pistachios
Method
Whisk eggs and sugar until frothy.
Combine almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, rind and flour and fold into the mix.
Add the butter and fold in.
Add the lemon juice and fold in.
Bake in a 2lb loaf tin (buttered and lined) at 160 degrees for 45 minutes or so.
Take out of tin and cool for a few minutes.
Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the top.

I added a tablespoon of honey to help keep the cake moist and replaced some of the lemon with lime juice as I like things a little sharper than sweet!





Hope you enjoy it!