Strawberry Bundt Cake

• 225g/8oz soft butter, plus extra for greasing
• 
  
• 4 free-range eggs
  1/2 teaspoon of bicarnate of soda.
  1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• 350g/10½oz self raising flour
  
  
  250ml/9oz low-fat natural yoghurt or milk
• 
  
  2 teaspoon  vanilla extract
  
  
  
  
  optional red food colouring
  
  
  tin of drained strawberries
  
  
  or 2 punnets of fresh ones ( these will probably be from Spain )

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place a baking tray into the oven to heat. Grease a your bunt tin or use Lakeland cake release (brilliant stuff)
2. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together.
3. Mix the butter and sugar together in another large bowl with a wooden spoon (or a sparkly red mixer that looks like a shiny Ferrari ) until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking each one in with a tablespoon of the flour. Carefully fold in the remaining flour using a large metal spoon, then fold in the yoghurt and vanilla extract until well combined.Lastly add the drained strawberries or the chopped up fresh one , give another whizz in the food mixer.
   
   
   Watch technique0:35 mins
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread until level. Place the tin on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and cook for 45-60 minutes, until well risen and golden-brown. After 45 minutes, push a metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
6. Make sure you do remove the cake from the oven and place onto a wire rack, without removing it from the tin. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
7. Gently pull away the edges of the cake from the tin with your fingers, then carefully turn out the cake onto the wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
8. Once cool, decorate in a manner of your choosing . I combined icing sugar and melted chocolate . I also dipped in some whole strawberries to decorate.
   
   
   

Home sense and sensibilities

Home sense and sensibilities I know what I like and I when I see it I know it more, yet I am still fine tuning my style . Hand on heart I'm ecleptic and so as a result is everything else mixed with a certain joue  de vie. The map lampshade lampshade was £36  from Grace and favour ( you can go to their website or as I did you can go to Not on the high street as I had a £25 voucher to spend ) I bought the base separately from Matalan and this was £20.

I did need more lamps and lighting in my home so this time I am poping over to the DIY store to see what they've got ! 

Mexican Chilli And Lime Chocolate Sauce Pancake Recipe

I'm giving you forewarning that next week is Shrove Tuesday better known as pancake day it is a time of joy and much contemplation over pancake toppings.Pancakes are an international affair from Scottish pancakes to Mexican tortillas there is not a country I believe that doesn't love a pancake.

Can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Milk chocolate  chopped
• 120 ml of water
• 60 ml of double cream
• 2 teaspoons Waitrose sweet ground almonds 
• 1 teaspoon Waitrose orange natural flavouring 
• 1 tea spoon of chilli flakes
• Half the juice of a lime or add more to taste 

• 
  

Preperation

In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate gently .

Add the water and teaspoon of orange natural flavouring .

Stir until the sauce is somewhat smooth , about 20 minutes

By now most of the water will have evaporated.

The mixture will have thicken slightly . Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and the optional liqueur . Also at this point at the teaspoon of chilli flakes , half the juice of a lime until combined well. Cool sauce completely and transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Sauce keeps, covered and chilled, 1 month. Set aside and move onto to making your pancakes.

The key to a good pancake is not only a good pancake and toppings but preperations good preperation will hopefully help and make pancake day feel more relaxed. As mentioned above the Mexican Chilli and Lime Chocolate sauce can be made well in advance.

For the batter mixture.

125g plain flour

2 medium eggs

25g melted butter

300ml of milk

1 tsp of salt

4 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

For the pancakes shift the flour in a bowl .

Make a well in the centre of the mixture.

Add the salt,sugar, eggs, baking powder.

Gradually pour in the milk whisking as your pour until you have a smooth batter, then whisk in the melted butter.

To cook the pancakes , use a non stick pan . Heat the pan on medium heat until there is a slight haze coming from it. Brush the pan with with melted butter or oil then our in around 70 ml of batter in using a ladle if possible.

Tilt the pan so the pancake mixture covers the bottom of the pan.

Cook for around about 1 minute or until the batter has set and the pancake is lovely and golden. Loosen the edges of the pancakes and gently flip over then cook for a further minute.

Repeat the process to cook more pancakes.

Transfer to a plate and drizzle with the Mexican Chilli And Lime Chocolate sauce and decorate with strawberries and lime.

This a sponsored post in conjuction with Waitrose‘World cuisine’ Recipe Challenge

Country Life Is A Very Fine Life

Rugby today in a very scenic country park near Tamworth.

Country kids are it's very best , all be it quite big kids ! I don't mind the howling as long as I have my trusty bobble hat I'm set . There is no such thing as bad weather just so long as you have the right bobble hat.

 

Knitting Giveaway

A little giveaway which I really should have down at Christmas!

Thanks to the wonderful Peggys Yarn

Peggy's Collection and peggy's yarns was created to celebrate the memory of my late grandmother peggy, who taught me how to knit. Peggys collection was started in 2010 and win many awards, such as #sbs by Theo from dragons den fame.

Peggy is a lovely genuine warm hearted lady with an amazing business that deals in stunning knitwear

a Rafflecopter giveaway