Blackberry cake update

I ventured out into the garden and picked the last half pound of blackberries and put them into a cake as was done by Kev Alviti and mentioned in my post before last. I have to say it was absolutely scrumptious : )

Blackberry Cake

4 ozs marg
4 ozs sugar
6 ozs SR flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
2 tbsps milk
2 eggs
8 ozs blackberries

Cream marg and sugar
Beat in eggs
Stir in flour and baking powder
Stir in milk to get the right consistency
Stir in blackberries

Turn into a 7" x 11" tin lined with baking paper.
Bake for 35 minutes at 160'C fan/350'F/gas mark 4

Absolutely fabulous flavour and so easy. I will definitely be baking this again next blackberry season.

Firsts

It has been a few days of firsts.  We have been to Cambridge for the first visit of the new academic year. I enjoyed the break although the amount of rain that we had, meant that I could not do as much pottering around as I usually do. I did go for a few bus rides which keeps me out of the rain but still sort of outside. I had something that I wanted that Boots only stock at their bigger branches so I had been waiting to go to the big one in the centre of Cambridge. And they were out of stock! Grrr. Was not impressed at that, having waited for it. I had thought of ordering it online and collecting it at out local small Boots but they now say that I have to order £10 worth to get click and collect without paying a charge so I had been waiting a while for the chance to buy this item. I shall start looking for it earlier next time I need it. I also popped into Tesco in Cambridge and was amused to find not only Christmas chocolate and other edible goodies, but also Easter hot cross buns...

We lit the woodburner for the first time yesterday as we were cold. Oh I do love my woodburner : )    It is lit again today and I am sitting surrounded by washing that was hung out yesterday and came back in still quite damp so I just hung it around the living room. It is the first time I have had to do that this autumn.  We also changed the bed yesterday and put the medium weight quilt back on - so another first. We have three quilts heavy (15 tog), medium (10.5 tog) and a lighter one (7.5 tog). I found the usual 4.5 tog summer one to be too light and was delighted to find a 7.5 tog in a shop one day when I was looking for something else.

And I ate something which disagreed with me rather and have been feeling under the weather all week because of it. It has been several years since I did that so it is a kind of a first. The upside, if it can be called that, is that I have lost half a stone this week and have very little desire to eat now. I know I am going to put some of it back on but hopefully not all of it.