When you need a self saucing chocolate pudding ...

 I realise I have not shared any baking lately. It is purely an oversight on my part. 

Last night, hubby & I both felt like something sweet after our roast supper so I thought - mmm it has been some time since I did the self saucing chocolate pudding. 

It is simple enough - with ingredient that we all have at home already 

Ingredients 

1 cup of self raising flour

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of cocoa powdeer 

100g butter (melted & cooled)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Sauce 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c

Grease a deep ovenproof dish 

Combine the flour, cocoa & brown sugar in a mixing bowl

Combine melted butter, egg & milk in a jog & beat together. 

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, & pour in to a baking dish. Smooth the surface

Mix the brown sugar & cocoa topping & sprinkle on top of the cake mixture. 

Pour the hot water over the back of a metal spoon onn to the surface of the cake.

Bake for 35-40 minutes then serve with ice cream, cream or fruit. 

The pudding cake rises & the rich chocolate sauce forms underneath. It is a simple yet tasty pudding. I hope you try it & let me know how it came out. 

Thank you for stopping by, every visit & comment is appreciated

Dee 👩‍🍳🧈🍪

Honouring a life ....

Many here know the story of my parents, of their life long love & our life across Southern Africa with parents who were mindful of our strong personalities & desire to explore & just do. 

With the anniversary of my Father death again, my Mothers is in March, I thought I would share ways in which I try to keep their memory alive & to honour the lives they lived. 

In what ways do I honour them? Amongst others things, I …

* I take time to talk about them & share their story so it is not lost in time, so they live on

* I share their story & photos so it is remembered . My Mother was a great letter writer - her letters were filled with news, with clippings she thought I would enjoy, sometimes with a few tiny seeds, sometimes a guinea fowl feather she knew I loved, sometimes some new stamps or a postcard tucked in for the grand daughters. Perhaps I blog because of her story telling influence? 

* I continue traditions I learnt at home - the Advent calendars she bought at a specialist shop for my daughters long before they were common. It was a special trip to a continental shop on the other side of town, a sign of her Teutonic heritage slipping in. 

* I make foods that we had together & it reminds me of shared times. I still use my Mothers pancake recipe that she made regularly & often did scones in poor weather as it as a delight getting home on a cold day, knowing there would be hot scones as a treat. 

I continue the hobby of sewing that I learnt at my Mother & Grandmother's knee - a link to them. 

I repurposed items of their clothing & cloths to keep letters from them safe - a tangible link 

My Dad was always cautious & considered, my Mother more outgoing & feisty.  I have some of both but know that I am now more like my Father with a preference to quiet time.  

However, seeing your parents for who they were & understanding them, allows your to stop seeking what they weren't able to be. Inside every person you know is a person you don't know ... 

Life goes on & we must move forward with it, deciding what we want to carry forward & what should remain behind.  

They are not forgotten until there is no one left to remember, and when there is no one left to remember, we will all be together again. 

Thank you for  your visit, it is appreciated, 

Dee ❤️

Calming cream parian ware

Twelfth Night is almost upon us & after a few days of heavy storms & rains, we have been mostly at home so it is opportune to pack away the festive items while I can. I don't like to rush the packing away. 

I am always sorry to see the glistening tree in our lounge go; the gentle lights are very calming but it is a rather large one so the space is welcome again. 

The inglenook fireplace has a large garland that stretches over it, again with lights & a some  additional foliage tucked in to make it fuller. The brick fireplace looks rather bare & dark but it is also safely stowed for another year. 

The diningroom twig tree (from Hobbycraft some years back) has had the delicate South African beaded ornaments packed away again. I love looking at it whenever I pass through. The ornaments a reminder that my heritage spans several countries & cultures.

We have enjoyed the conservatory the most again - the Spode Christmas Tree items always well used & the Emma Bridgewater ones are  always on hand to take snacks, mince pies or more. I love that we use the items directly from the sideboard so it changes as things are used; functional & decorative. 

The sideboard is a mixture of these many styles & they work together so well,  & they are on hand to be well used over the 5 weeks they are up. 

The little tree with its exquisite bird decorations on the console table has also done its duty for another year.  The sideboard was cleared  ... 

What to put on the sideboard? 

I am rather partial to the calming creams of parian ware. The creamy pottery was produced in the Staffordshire potteries around 1850 and its elegance was in great demand. 

Mine is creamware rather than parian ware, these are some on the sideboard. I added in a few green items, but I have very little green china so it is really just a few things to lift the creamware.

The 3 lionhead bowls on the top by Wedgwood, they appear often around the house. Two have a delicate pink flower pattern while the third is larger & plain creamware

Wedgwood & co ltd pheasant bowl with the pretty green border. This one is backstamped with the unicorn mark for Pinnox & Unicorn works, Tunstall (so an old one)  

Spode Wicker Lane basket weave plates with their pretty border design. They are often used with pretty pink china. 

Vintage uranium jug & glasses (gifted by Olive) 

There are also two vintage creamware jelly moulds - they are very sweet & often appear in the kitchen window with herbs. 

A calming change that I will no doubt add to .... 

The front door swag of fresh greens I foraged & made, is always the last thing to come down. The Advent candles have been so long burning this time that I will let them burn down when I take off the front door swag & that will conclude this festive season 

Are your decorations down & packed away, or are you like me & taking it down in stages? Does anyone else find that their packing boxes multiply each year? How can it need more boxes when packed away (especially as I have not added to the stash? )

Thank you for stopping by & spending time with me, 

Dee 🏡