Well, that's a shame, was about to make a GOOD comment on Lover of Life. The posts are really good but, unfortunately there must have been a fair amount of spamming and comments are moderated. If followers are serious, why spam? It just ruins the enjoyment for serious blogger followers. Anyway, have just bathed the puppy and must go and change. More water on me than her.

Cheese and Apple Pie

As they say ' Apple Pie without Cheese is like a Kiss without a Squeeze!

For the pastry
200 gm wholemeal flour
50 gm margarine
50 gm lard (Trex)
3/4 tbsp iced water

For the filling
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
75 gm Cheddar cheese (thinly sliced)
Finely grated rind of a lemon
half a tsp grated nutmeg
2 tbsps sugar

Combine all pastry ingredients until a firm dough is reached.
Grease a pie plate 20-25cm in diameter.
Cut 3/4 of the pastry and roll out to line the pie plate
Layer the apple and cheese on the pie case and sprinkle with nutmeg, lemon rind and sugar
Roll out the remainder of the dough to form a lid.
Dampen, seal and seal the edges
Brush the top with water and sprinkle with a little extra sugar
Place a baking sheet to heat in a moderate oven and place the pie dish on top of the hot sheet. This will help the pie base to be well baked. Bake for approx 45 mins.

Corn Chowder

I have used this simple recipe for more years than I care to remember. It was given to me by a friend from Durham.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
2 medium potatoes (part boiled)
8 fluid oz double cream
1 16oz can sweetcorn
8 fluid oz chicken stock
10 fluid oz milk

Fry onion in butter for a few minutes
Remove pan from heat and add the flour.
Set aside
Put potatoes, corn, milk and chicken stock into another pan and bring to the boil over a moderate heat.
Pour a little of this mixture onto the flour and onion mix and blend. Add the rest of the liquid. Put on low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper .
Add chopped chicken. Heat thoroughly.
Add the cream just before serving.
This is delicious with crusty bread for dipping.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

2 mashed bananas
4 oz butter
6 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
8 oz Self raising flour
Handful sultanas
Drop Almond essence
half a tsp olive oil

Cream butter and sugar
Beat in eggs
Fold in flour, olive oil and sultanas
Gently fold in bananas

Line a loaf ton with greaseproof paper

Cook at gas 4/180C/350F for approx 40 minutes. Check and give another few minutes if not cooked.

Apple Cake

Ingredients:-

7 inch square cake tin, greased with the bottom lined

Oven Gas 4 for 40 minutes, reduce to Gas 3 for a further 40 minutes

Mix all ingredients below together at high speed

8 oz Self Raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps mixed spice
8 oz butter/marg
6 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
6 oz apple sauce

Thinly slice an apple, and after putting mixture into baking tin, place in slices and bake

Glaze whilst warm with honey and a pinch of mixed spice (approx 4 tablespoons honey and 1 tsp mixed spice)

The mixture can be divided between 2 loaf tins, and the baking time reduced.

Christmas Cake - last minute recipe

Here is a recipe I used just a week before Christmas. Very disorganised in 2006 but I must admit this is one of the best cakes I have ever made.

Ingredients

450g/1lb 2oz currants
250g/10oz sultanas
250g/10oz raisins
100g/4oz mixed peel (optional)
150g/6oz glazed cherries
50g/2oz ground almonds
50g/2oz chopped walnuts
350g/14oz plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
300g/12oz butter
300g/12oz soft brown sugar
half a lemon
half an orange
6 eggs
Brandy (not the expensive stuff)

1) Soak the fruit in GENEROUS quantities of booze for at least 24 hours
2) Add nuts and cherries to the fruit. Stir well to capture any booze left at bottom of fruit.
3) Seive flour and spices into a large mixing bowl
4) Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy
5) Gently add beaten eggs to the mixture
6) Squeeze and add orange and lemon juice.
7) Fold flour gently into the mixture
8) Add fruit and nuts and mix well, but gently
9) Turn into 9 inch diameter baking tin, lined with greaseproof paper
10) Over wrap outside of tin with newspaper, making sure it is taller than the height of the tin. Fasten with string.
11) Bake in the centre of the oven at 150C/300F/Gas Mark2 for about 4 hours. Check that the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean
Feel free to change the fruit, nuts, spices and alcohol to suit your own taste but keep the quantities the same. Do not amend the other ingredients.

Now, eat and enjoy - good job you did not make it sooner or it would be gone by now!

Christmas Pudding - easy-peasy

Ingredients:-

3 oz currants
4 oz raisins
3oz sultanas
3 oz dried apricots
2oz glace cherries
1 oz ground almonds
1 egg
3 spoons brandy
3 spoons milk
3 oz fresh brown breadcrumbs
1 medium carrot - grated
3 oz beef suet
3 oz dark brown sugar
3 oz plain flour
half tsp mixed spice
quarter tsp cinnamon
quareter tsp ginger
Juice and grated ring small orange
1 small apple peeled and chopped

Method
1) Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the carrot and apple.
2) Mix the egg with brandy, orange juice and milk
3) Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Should be a dropping consistency.
4) Cover and leave overnight.
5) Line and grease a 2 pint dish
6) Fill with mixture and cover with a double layer of greaseproof and fasten with string.
7) Add a foil lid and fasten tightly
8) Steam for 7 hours
9) Cool completely, wrap in foil to store.
10) Finally, to serve, steam for a further 3 hours