Easter Cakes and Creativity

Only one week left of March. Soon we will have lovely Spring days, blossom and trees bursting out everywhere. The garden is filling with colour already.

The hyacinths are so lovely and their scent is wonderful wafting on the air. They seem to like our soil. I’ve had some for years and they continue to pop up and flower.

Such vibrant colours at this time of year. It’s almost as if they’re shouting to be noticed. Fabulous and very welcome after the drabness of Winter.

More delicate flowers are dotted here and there. Quietly putting on their own show and just as much appreciated.

Our magnolia has lovely buds, waiting to unfurl magenta petals very soon.

My Cosmos seeds are germinating. The seed trays are full of tiny shoots. I’m excited about the stunning show they’ll make later on.

In the greenhouse I’ve sown some vegetable seeds as well. I have chilli peppers, sweet peppers, and Brussels sprouts. I grew one sweet pepper plant last year, bought at our local plant nursery. First time I’d grown them because my husband doesn’t like them. I loved them! So sweet and tender compared to supermarket ones. So,I thought I’d try growing my own from seed. Will let you know how it goes.

I’ve also sown celeriac. Celeriac seeds are so tiny, like grains of salt. It’s tricky handling them. Drop them and they’ve gone! Too small to find if they’re scattered. It’s hard to believe that big leafy plants will develop from them and form a tasty bulbous vegetable. Fingers crossed, but they usually do.

I spotted two beetles on one of my rosemary bushes the other day. Possibly a “courting couple”! I’ve never seen rosemary beetles in the garden before although I did know about them. Perhaps another effect of climate change. Other pests have appeared in recent years. They’re very attractive with shining, bronze-like bodies. They don’t do a great deal of damage so I left them to get on with it. In a balanced environmental system you have to take some of the rough with the smooth. I snapped a photo of them.

It will soon be Easter. I made my Iced and Spiced Squares as an easy alternative to making hot cross buns. In my recipe, included in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook, I used some dried milk to add nutrition and a little something extra to the cake. But dried milk seems very expensive now unless you can find a regular use for it, so I decided to try baking them without it. Result was good. No noticeable change to the taste or texture.

If you love hot cross buns, you’ll love the taste of these cakes and so simple to make. The icing on top adds a delicious sweet treat which enhances the spicy flavour. If you already have my cookbook, you’ll find them in the Sweet Treat Squares section. Thank you so much for buying it.

To find my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook, just click this link.

https://geni.us/eANQu

Although I love baking and cooking, I do like it to be easy and uncomplicated. I think a lot of people are put off by endless lists of ingredients and instructions which are vague and unhelpful. I know I am. Time in the kitchen should be a pleasure with a delicious treat to follow and the satisfaction of the creative process. All my recipes are simple to do and I think they taste good and are nutritious.

Of course, it doesn’t always go to plan! I hadn’t enough icing sugar to coat all the squares so I tried to spread the icing a bit too thinly. Because it hadn’t set, it was very sticky and pulling up the surface of the cake. The result was one untidy mess. I should have checked my icing sugar supply before I started and allowed the icing to set before I cut the cake into squares. A lesson learned! They still tasted really good though and most will be enjoyed before Easter. Here are some looking very scrappy.

Regular readers know my outlook on life is about the pleasure of being creative, looking after myself and a quiet life. Of course we all need to make a living but contentment comes when energy is saved to spend on these things. Baking a cake or cooking a delicious meal, sewing or knitting something, painting a picture or growing some of our own food can bring a surprising amount of happiness. They increase independence, self-esteem and soothe a busy mind. No-one needs special talents for these things. Everyone finds their own level. I certainly can’t do as much as when I was younger and fitter but I still find creativity is essential to a healthy mind.

Look for beauty in life and you will find it everywhere. I hope you find a little of it on my blog. Thank you for reading and sharing my pleasures.

Here is a little painted sketch of Muscari flowers, also known as grape hyacinth, although they’re not really a hyacinth. They grow like weeds in our garden but are very welcome. Drawn with pencil, outlined with pen and painted with gouache.

Bye for now. With you again next week.