Water, Birthdays, Scottish Bakery, Doctors, Driving, Prince Andrew,

I forgot that the water was going off once again Tuesday morning. We managed to clean our teeth but not shower. Having had lunch we couldn't wash dishes and I was making some Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot so the kitchen is currently piled with dishes etc. Then I put some chicken in the Pot and horrors, realised I couldn't wash my hands. In the end, I took the lid off the toilet tank and rinsed my hands in there. Chicken'y hands would not be a good idea.

As a reminder, I have my parent's birth dates on my PC calendar. My dad would have been 111 today, 4th December. Not sure why I bother but it is, to me, fascinating to think they were born over a century ago.

In the morning I phoned the Scottish bakery to order some goodies to pick up this afternoon when we went to Cambridge to see the doctor. Left home at 2 and when we got there, I got 8 Cornish Pasties, 8 scones, a Christmas pudding and four individual lemon meringue pies. I left broke. Almost as bad as going to Victoria St. Market.

On to the doctor's and got there way too early, thought it would take us longer to shop. Luckily someone pulled out of a wheelchair parking spot just after we arrived. No way we could walk from the parking to the rear and all the other spots were full. Unfortunately Matt is not good at waiting any more, tends to make him agitated. However, got to see the doc reasonably quickly (in my opinion anyway).

The weather has been grey and miserable all day. We only just got back home before it got dark and I was having a bit of trouble with the lights of oncoming cars. Driving at night is not something I can do with confidence any more. Put all my shopping in my walker basket and headed upstairs. Got into the apartment and dropped the box with the lemon meringues in, luckily only one was a bit squished, not too seriously. The Instant Pot was on countdown to supper, about 8 minutes when we got home. Great machine. I ate the squished pie for dessert LOL.

Have you read all the scandal regarding Prince Andrew? Seems like he has been lying just like someone else from south of our border. What a disgrace for the Royal Family, mind you, they are human like the rest of us. The Queen must be horrified.

Talking of puddings - well Christmas pudding which I used to make every year once upon a time,  but the one I bought today was a Marks and Spencer pud from England - here is another pudding which sound scrumptious. Tickles me that it suggests topping with ice cream or clotted cream, joke, can't get that in this part of the world.

Sticky Toffee and Earl Grey Pudding

One bite of chef Merlin Labron-Johnson’s take on this classic dessert and you’ll understand why he

earned a Michelin star at the tender age of 24 at Portland. Dates are a regular player in sticky toffee pudding recipes; Labron-Johnson steeps them in Earl Grey tea, infusing them with the bright, aromatic lift of bergamot.

2 cups pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
2 Earl Grey tea bags
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 ounces)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup light muscovado sugar, divided
3/4 cup dark muscovado sugar, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), plus more for greasing
1 cup heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream or clotted cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place dates, tea bags, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups boiling water, and let stand 15 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir mixture with a fork to break apart dates.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine shortening, 1/4 cup light muscovado sugar, and 1/4 cup dark muscovado sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture just until incorporated. Stir in date mixture. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of pudding comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes.

3. Remove pudding from oven, and immediately prick all over with a wooden or metal skewer, piercing all the way to the bottom of pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm toffee sauce evenly over pudding, and let stand until sauce is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Cut warm pudding into 9 (3-inch) squares. Top servings with ice cream or clotted cream; drizzle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup toffee sauce.

Servings: 9

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day