Hmm . . . . .

Not sure Fly Fishing and Martial Arts are going to be helpful regarding this Blog of mine.

Followed my number 4 Follower, if you follow my gist - and had a quick peep during my 5 minute break from cooking and housekeeping - to see what's available on Mr Wonderful (with a capital W)'s site.

One is spoilt for choice, as you will see, if you click on him.

I will leave you to it as I MUST get back to my labours.
I promised myself I would NOT do any sewing or computing today - but confine myself to cooking and tidying up.
So much for resolutions.

Re cooking:
I made a LUSCIOUS CHERRY CAKE this morning, using ground almonds, Amaretto and cherries - smothered it in Amaretto and icing sugar. Topped with more cherries. It is the most vulgar looking cake one is likely to see. Just as well I am camera-less at the moment. You would reel back in shock at the sight of it!. However, it is delicious and just the thing for my diet.
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BASIC RECIPE:
Ingredients:
250g butter
250g caster sugar
250g SR flour - I substituted 100g ground almonds for this particular cake.
4 eggs
1 tablespoon Amaretto for this cake (normally use lemon juice and grated zest of 2 lemons)
100g cherries (not fresh - the sticky ones in a little tub - can't remember the name)! Chopped and a few whole ones for top.

METHOD:
Pop butter and caster sugar into Delta food processor - (Aldi - cheap and excellent) on #1 setting for 5 minutes (set timer).

Meanwhile, set oven to 180ºC and prepare baking tin.

Add eggs one at a time - whiz for at least 30 seconds between each egg.
Sometimes I add a bit of flour after each egg to prevent curdling.

Add flour/ground almond mixture all at once. Pulse a couple or three times to incorporate dry ingredients.

Add chopped cherries. Pulse for 3 seconds.

NOW for the 'SECRET' ingredient. This info is strictly for your own use. (Please respect my COPYRIGHT and PARANOIA!)

Hmm . . . should I reveal it? Hmm. . . .
Oh, go on Babs. Have faith. They'll keep this info to themselves - just tell 'em!

Add 2 tablespoons SEMOLINA. Yes, semolina. Pulse for a second.

Finally add the liqueur (or lemon juice) and pulse again for one second.

Pour mixture into prepared tin. I usually line mine with baking paper but this time I used a square plastic-type cake baking container or wotever it's called - it is blue and from Lidl. Can tolerate heat to 230ºC.

Bake for 30 minutes. Check cake. Cover with a piece of foil or baking parchment if browning too quickly.
Bake further 15 minutes - check top to see if it is very soft at centre. Continue baking until it is fairly firm on top, thus cooked.

Pour a mixture of icing sugar and Amaretto ( or lemon juice) onto cake whilst is still warm and in baking tin.

Leave to cool. Wrap in parchment. Store in tin - gets moister as time goes by. ENJOY!
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Made PEPPERED CELERY SOUP. Very tasty and unusual. I have to call it peppered as I accidentally dropped a load of black peppercorns into the pan - top came off.
Rescued half of them but thought 'blow it' and 'jiggered' the soup till smooth and creamy.
Soup now contains lots of little black bits - which are not unattractive in their own way. Sort of. But It's delicious!
Gordon Ramsay and Marco eat your hearts out!

Oh dear, look at the time - got to give in to the inevitabe. Switch this machine OFF for rest of day.

Enjoy the cooking. Let me know how your cake(s) turns out.

The basic cake recipe is a bit like my own approach to PATCHWORK.
I start with a very basic block and then fiddle around with it - adding bits here and there..... until it becomes . . . ??

Look, I'm going or will be here all day . . . . cheerio . . . .