Yesterday's Mish-Mash

I'm going to post some photos from yesterday.


Just a mish-mash. It sums up my brain!


I made some Apple Tarts. The recipe I use for the pastry is really not a pastry recipe at all. In fact, it's a recipe my mum got about 30 years ago from a lady in our village. That 'lady' was the Builder's aunt, so she became my aunt some years after that. These things happen in communities like ours. We marry folk we've known all our lives, and our parents have known their parents, or worked with them, or are related to them...... Eeek! I didn't just say that. Honest, it's not true. Don't believe it. There's no evidence for it.


Is there? 


Well, I'm the epitome of sanity. Amn't I? Well?? 


Okay, don't answer if you really feel you can't.


Where was I? Oh, yes - Apple Tarts.


This is the recipe I use for the 'pastry'.


6oz marg
2oz icing sugar
vanilla essence
6oz plain flour (all-purpose)
2oz custard powder


Mix butter and icing sugar. Add vanilla essence. Mix.


Add the other ingredients.


It's very basic, and was really the recipe for little biscuits I used to make. I made some of these yesterday with the left-over pastry, so I should have taken photos to show you. When they're done, I stick them together with buttercream icing in between.


So, as you see, it's not really a pastry recipe, but it's lovely in desserts. I use it for my Lemon Meringue Pie too.

This is it ready for going into the oven.

The top always cracks a bit.

Any advice on how to prevent this would be gratefully received.

I love the pie, warm with vanilla ice-cream.

The Builder and the Big Brother love it with hot custard.

Either way, I do like it. A lot.

After that, when the Big Brother came home from work, the rams were to be gathered.

As usual, he couldn't do anything without me.

Well, okay - without my kids. Same thing.

I help just by being there. Just by having my camera.

And the sound of my voice soothes them as they work.

Well, it might....if I dared open my mouth.

The rams (and yes, I recognised they were rams without my kids having to tell me) had a pedicure last night.

I'm not kidding, by the way. They also had their wool trimmed and dyed.

I think the world's going mad. All except me, of course. The epitome of sanity - that's me.

The weather is sooooo cold. Can you see it from the photo?

The temperature was around 9 degrees (48 F), with a strong North-easterly wind.

It was freezing, and that's why I retreated to the safety of my Family Room to take this photo.

Here are some of the other rams this morning, oblivious to the beauty of the scene behind them.

DR and Katie had to put last night's pedicured and spruced-up rams back into the field this morning. Here they are en route.

Don't they look lighter on their feet. I think the pedicure did them the world of good.