Snowdrop Surprise and Air Fryer Food

Christmas planning going full steam ahead! But still time to wander around the garden searching for hidden treasure. Amazingly, I found a snowdrop in flower. Never known that in November. Mine usually flower in late January.

Still a few leaves in lovely colours hanging on and the evergreens are pleasing at this time of year.

In Winter other features of the garden take over, like the light behind a statue, the ivy trailing around a garden pot, the bark of the trees or the fading wood of the fence.

My broad bean seeds have germinated and are now peeping through the soil. When they make sturdy little plants, I’ll put them into the garden border to grow on until Spring.

The celeriac are lovely to eat now. Mine never grow very big but they are adequate and very tasty. They have a long growing season but worth the wait. I usually sow the seeds in early April, and they are harvested in late Autumn and Winter. Their mild, celery flavour is good cooked or grated raw in salads. They are messy looking, knobbly things when they come out of the ground but once washed and prepared, they are a welcome winter veg. I love to nibble bits while I’m chopping them for my one-pan meals.

I’m continuing to enjoy my air fryer. Mine has several settings and I’m finding the bake one very useful. I experimented with bananas. If you like them, try this, it’s delicious. Slice the peeled bananas lengthways, place the bottom halves in a silicone dish which fits the air fryer basket, and sprinkle the surface of the bananas with caster sugar and cocoa powder. Place the top banana halves over them. Set on bake at 160C and cook for 13 – 15 minutes. The sugar and cocoa make a chocolate sauce. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.

Another good banana idea was passed on by my sister. Slice bananas and fry in heated butter with a sprinkling of brown sugar, for a few minutes. Delicious and a really good way to use up over-ripe fruit.

I made a pecan pie. This is a Christmas treat which I have made every year for some time. I was so pleased with the way it turned out. Sometimes they can bubble in the oven and the surface cracks but this one was perfect. It’s not difficult to make and always goes down well with guests. Looks special and is a wickedly rich treat. Freezes well too.

I had a compliment from an American friend who tried my recipe. She said it was even better than her Mom’s. Loved that! If you’d like to try it, you’ll find the recipe in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook, with this link

https://geni.us/eANQu

You might remember my little teddy from last week. Well, the needles have been clicking again and he now has a companion.

Been great fun making them, although my fingers are a bit sore by now. I thought the little skirt required a dainty pair of pants to go underneath. I can imagine some small child looking for them! So, I got my thinking head on and worked out how to make them. Here they are.

That’s all for this week. I hope you’re coping with Christmas planning and enjoying the pleasures of the season. Bye for now. With you again next week.