Stamp collecting

I'm still collecting used stamps for Many Tears Animal Rescue. Please feel free to send me any if you have a spare moment. Much appreciated. These are some of the ones I like best. I've named them to represent some of my favourite blogs.

If All Else Fails Eat Cake

Well sadly it's really wet here in Lancashire today so I can't finish off planting my potatoes on the allotment. So instead of sulking and doing nothing why not bake...Pat's quick, easy and economical country style mixed fruit cake. My mum loves it...

125 g soft margarine.

60g sugar, granulated or caster

2 medium eggs.

300g self raising flour250g mixed dried fruit, I used the Asda smart price

150ml milk

30-60g glace cherries, halved

Suggests 6 inch round tin but I used a square one this time, usually I use a loaf tin which in hind sight makes the cake look better. But who cares bet it still tastes good.

Set oven to warm, gas mark 3, 160 degrees c/325 f

Cream together the margarine and sugar, gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour and fruit, then add the milk, a little at a time, until mixture smooth. Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Top with the glace cherries.

Bake in the oven for 30 mins.Reduce the oven temperature to cool, gas mark 2 or 150 deg c/300 degs f and bake for a further 30 mins. Test cake by inserting a skewer into the centre, if it comes out clean you know its ready. If not return to oven for 10- 20 mins. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

If your not a greedy git like me then you can wrap it in parchment, then foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost before serving.

Thanks to Pat Woodberry from Hadleigh in Suffolk... who wrote into Women's Weekly with this recipe all those years ago. Good things last don't they

Few Flowered Leeks

Thanks go to Crafty Green Poet for identifying this woodland plant on her blog today. I originally photographed this unusual looking plant back in May 2010 in Pleasington Old Hall Woodland Nature Reserve but was totally clueless about it until now.

In the original post I described the twosome looking as though they had been on the lash and were staggering back to the woods, see how one has it arm (stem) round the other for support. Too much elderflower juice me thinks.

Danny Douche Butters- Respect

Well-done to co worker and top fellow animal lover Danny Douche for raising 600 quid for the Dogs Trust.... He decided in January to forgo his lovely (but thinning locks) and undergo the Beverly snip with number 1 razor cut... We all encouraged him to go the whole hog but as the day in question dawned, I think we were all pretty nervous for him... I think he gave his beard an extra stroke that day;-)

No turning back here most of Crown's staff wanted to see value for money...

The Douche before with his Timotei hair style

Aww think Douche is hair sore

Steady on Bev...

Reminds me of Rodney's famous rats tail hair piece. Classic

No dude, Inverted bob ... Don't see many of those on those bikers fellers do you. Soldier on Bev this look is definitely a no no.

That's more like it dude.......

Round of applause for The Douche.... Jobs a good un, anyone got a hat. No seriously much respect...

Lavender Biscuits & Lavender Sugar

For the lavender sugar just mix 1kg/2lb 4 oz caster sugar with two teaspoons of lavender flowers. I didn't have a jar big enough so I halved the ingredients and put them into this Kilner jar, the lavender infused sugar should keep well for up to six months. Next year instead of buying culinary lavender flowers I want to try to harvest them from home-grown plants.

Lavender Shortbread

Ingredients

125g/4oz butter

55g/2oz lavender infused caster sugar

180g/6oz plain flour

Icing sugar/optional... I just used caster sugar

Set oven to 190/375f/gas 5

Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth

Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Then roll out the paste to 1cm/half inch thick

Cut to any type of shape you like sprinkle with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until pale golden brown

Set aside to cool on a wire rack

Mine came out slightly too golden so I would start having a peak in the oven after 10 minutes if you like them the colour of the shop bought stuff. These tasted even better the next day. What I liked about the recipe was the minimal amount of ingredients needed to produce something so scrummy.

Recipe adapted from bbc.co.uk/food

Culinary Lavender from Cotswold Lavender 3.99 for 100ml jar... Expensive for a small amount but if you make the Lavender sugar then it will go a long way. Nice product.

And The Winner Is?

Congratulations go to Trish from Life As I See It... you guessed correctly. Doogy was the toy Harry found in the park. Email me your address and I will send the bird box off to you. Was it the scruffiness that made you pick it?

Also congratulations to Matron at Down On The Allotment, Lioney was the most vigorously ruffed up toy by far.... I had to strategically photograph him so you could not see the holes where the stuffing was coming out. Consolation prize consisting of two knitted mice goes to you. These two cute colourful critters were made by Linda at Shabby Tiger, Handmade.

Thanks to everyone who took the time out to enter my little competition. Cheers

Shagrat's First Giveaway competition

Which one of these toys did Harry find in the park? Remember the rules, 1 guess only and you can't choose the same toy as someone else. See previous post for rules and prize info.

1. Piggy

2. Snaky

3. Monstar

4. Liony

5. Dumdum

6. Dino

7. Doogy

8. Foofer

9. Bally Wally

10. Bottle