What is a "Thread Drift"???

[Bron]

How about simnel cake then instead of the chocolate? Or is that just a British thing?
I really ought to make mine tonight.

Bron

[Bikingmomof3]

How about simnel cake then instead of the chocolate? Or is that just a British thing?
I really ought to make mine tonight.

Bron

The word "cake" caught my eye. Please, please share the recipe.

[Geonz]

BikingMomof3, I just peeked over at the BJ forum (where I am proud to be one of the many Thread Drift Warriors - we try to make the subject headings stupid-sounding and I suspect people know who we are and avoid us ) on the "2500 mile race" post and saw your name on it... how's that going?

[Bikingmomof3]

BikingMomof3, I just peeked over at the BJ forum (where I am proud to be one of the many Thread Drift Warriors - we try to make the subject headings stupid-sounding and I suspect people know who we are and avoid us ) on the "2500 mile race" post and saw your name on it... how's that going?

Ha! I forgot all about BJ. My computer died and with it all my links and passwords. Anyway, my biking is not going well. I hate the trainer, but I need to regain balance before setting out in traffic or even around other riders. My balance has been difficult to regain. On the upside, my running has greatly improved. This shall be the spring and summer of relearning bike skills.

Thank You for inquiring.

[Geonz]

Ha! I forgot all about BJ. My computer died and with it all my links and passwords. Anyway, my biking is not going well. I hate the trainer, but I need to regain balance before setting out in traffic or even around other riders. My balance has been difficult to regain. On the upside, my running has greatly improved. This shall be the spring and summer of relearning bike skills.

Thank You for inquiring.

Here's to balance!! One step at a time

[Bikingmomof3]

Here's to balance!! One step at a time

Yes, my balance will return. As soon as it decides to stop snowing here, I plan to practice in parking lots, not fun or scenic, but safely away from drivers and others. My skills will return, they cannot get worse.

[Bron]

The word "cake" caught my eye. Please, please share the recipe.

Simnel cake is traditionally made for Mothering Sunday but most people eat it at Easter now. The 11 balls represent the Apostles (minus Judas) but some people put 12 on to include Jesus.

Well, here is the recipe that I am going to try tonight. I'll have to see how it matches up to my Mum's.
The amounts are all given as weights, if you use measuring cups, then it will need converting, if I have time later I can try to do the conversions.

Bron (hooray, I can drift too )

Ingredients
110g/4oz butter (or margarine, but not the low-fat stuff)
110g/4oz soft brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g/5oz plain flour
pinch of salt
½ tsp ground mixed spice (optional)
350g/12oz mixed raisins, currants and sultanas
55g/2oz chopped mixed peel
½ lemon, grated rind only
1-2 tbsp apricot jam
1 egg, beaten for glazing

For the almond paste: (Marzipan) or you can just buy some decent quality marzipan).
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz ground almonds
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp almond essence



Method
1. To make the almond paste: place the sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Add enough beaten egg to give a fairly soft consistency. Add the almond essence and knead for a minute until the paste is smooth and pliable. Roll out a third of the almond paste to make a circle 18cm/7in in diameter and reserve the remainder for topping of the cake.
2. Preheat oven to 140C/275F/ Gas 1. To make the cake:cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well incorporated and then sift in the flour, salt and spice (if using) a little at a time. Finally, add the dried fruit, peel and grated lemon rind and mix into the mixture well.
3. Put half the mixture in a greased and lined 18cm/7in cake tin. Smooth the top and cover with the circle of almond paste. Add the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top leaving a slight dip in the centre to allow for the cake to rise. Bake in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. When you are ready to decorate the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3. Brush the top of the cooled cake with the apricot jam. Divide the remainder of the almond paste into two; roll out a circle to cover the top of the cake with one half and form 11 small balls with the other half.
5. Place the circle of paste on the jam and set the balls round the edge. Brush all the top with a little beaten egg.
6. Return the cake to the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or long enough for the almond paste to brown.

[Bikingmomof3]

Thanks Bron!

[DrBee]

Good morning Ladies! It's sunny and chilly here this AM. Mr. Bee and his dad are putting up our fence today...and tomorrow...and the next day... Yippee!

I bought more Cadbury minieggs yesterday. yummmmmmmmmmmmm.

Sorry, but I just had to start everyone's day off with a notion of chocolate. I would just be wrong not to

[KnottedYet]

i'm eating a Cadbury caramel egg and drinking coffee.

Mmmmm.

[LBTC]

BMo3, I'm thinking about butterflies that help you balance.... I sure hope you can get outside on your bike soon, but I'm glad you've found that running is pretty good for you!

I am amazed at how different I feel this morning. The new massage therapist is a wonder! YAY!!

Let's all have a wonderful Thursday and hopefully all of us have a long weekend with good friday off, like I do! Yahoo!

Anybody need some soil? We've got a massive raised vegetable bed that we'll be cutting down to 1/4 its size....that's a lot of soil for just topping up the other flower beds.....but, hey, maybe they need that much. I guess we'll find out when we start digging tomorrow!

Hugs and happy butterflies,
~T~

[AuntieK]

i'm eating a Cadbury caramel egg and drinking coffee.

Mmmmm.

Oh! This reminds me of my favorite way to eat the mini eggs--put one in your mouth, sip a warm drink, and hold both in until the inside of the egg is nice and gooey on the inside. Yummm...

[Bikingmomof3]

Well, here is the recipe that I am going to try tonight. I'll have to see how it matches up to my Mum's.
The amounts are all given as weights, if you use measuring cups, then it will need converting, if I have time later I can try to do the conversions.

Bron (hooray, I can drift too )

Ingredients
110g/4oz butter (or margarine, but not the low-fat stuff)
110g/4oz soft brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g/5oz plain flour
pinch of salt
½ tsp ground mixed spice (optional)
350g/12oz mixed raisins, currants and sultanas
55g/2oz chopped mixed peel
½ lemon, grated rind only
1-2 tbsp apricot jam
1 egg, beaten for glazing

For the almond paste: (Marzipan) or you can just buy some decent quality marzipan).
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz ground almonds
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp almond essence



Method
1. To make the almond paste: place the sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Add enough beaten egg to give a fairly soft consistency. Add the almond essence and knead for a minute until the paste is smooth and pliable. Roll out a third of the almond paste to make a circle 18cm/7in in diameter and reserve the remainder for topping of the cake.
2. Preheat oven to 140C/275F/ Gas 1. To make the cake:cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well incorporated and then sift in the flour, salt and spice (if using) a little at a time. Finally, add the dried fruit, peel and grated lemon rind and mix into the mixture well.
3. Put half the mixture in a greased and lined 18cm/7in cake tin. Smooth the top and cover with the circle of almond paste. Add the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top leaving a slight dip in the centre to allow for the cake to rise. Bake in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. When you are ready to decorate the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3. Brush the top of the cooled cake with the apricot jam. Divide the remainder of the almond paste into two; roll out a circle to cover the top of the cake with one half and form 11 small balls with the other half.
5. Place the circle of paste on the jam and set the balls round the edge. Brush all the top with a little beaten egg.
6. Return the cake to the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or long enough for the almond paste to brown.

My son (one of the healthy ones and the baker in the family, made the cake). Oh my. Wonderful goodness!!! He added fresh blackberries and raspberries to the top. (insert drooling smilie). This is indeed a recipe that will be made each year. Thank you for sharing this. Our family now has another tradition.

Side note: we are a family of science geeks , so the measurements in grams were fine.

[roguedog]

darn it.. now i'm tempted to make this as well as lemon meringue pie.

someone tell me how on earth we get "mer-ang" out of that word.. i always feel bad for ESL folks with all the French and other languages mixed into ours...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

someone tell me how on earth we get "mer-ang" out of that word.. i always feel bad for ESL folks with all the French and other languages mixed into ours...

I think it's the NON French/Latin/Italian/Spanish derived words that are harder for most ESL'ers. (Unless they are Chinese etc...in which case ALL english would be hard to learn. ) So much of French/Italian/Spanish are constructed the same way and have words from the same roots.
In Spanish, for instance, when you see the written word, there is only ONE way to pronounce it, there are no weirdo exceptions and rule-breakers in basic pronunciation of letters. None of the infuriating english "I READ that book last week" vs. "I will READ that book next week".....and no "died" and "dyed" or "waited" and "weighted" being pronounced exactly the same way.