From My Kitchen

I cleaned out one draw of the freezer last week and found two bags of strawberries, two small tubs of mixed berries (bought half price), 8 frozen bananas and two small bags of rhubarb.

The berries were made into a mixed berry jam, it didn't set very well and is a bit runny, but it tastes good.

The bananas were made into two banana cakes, one for now and one sliced and into the freezer.

The rhubarb, along with some apples were turned into a rhubarb and apple crumble.

I also had some quinces given to me which I attempted to make into quince paste. 

I followed this recipe. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I could not get it to set. The quinces were cooked in the slow cooker until soft, then cooled and blended until smooth, sugar was then added, and then cooked for a further 3 hours on the stove top. The mix was still quite wet, so I tried baking it in a slow oven in an attempt to dry it out more, but that didn't work. This is my second attempt at quince paste, the same thing happened with the first attempt using a different recipe, there will not be a third. 

So, tell me, anything exciting happening in your kitchen?

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From My Kitchen

Artwork by Rebecca D.

Cool, rainy nights had me craving something warm and nourishing and a big bowl of pumpkin soup seemed to fit the bill.

Topped with bacon and a dollop of sour cream, DELICIOUS!!

Banana cake made by my daughter Rebecca, it is best served warm with a spoonful of cream.

In my continuing efforts to provide my family with more than just our daily bread I decided to try my hand at making a spicy fruit loaf. The first loaf didn't have enough fruit or flavour, the second one had too much fruit, the flavour was OK but it was so heavy it could be used as a doorstop and the third attempt (pictured above) was close with just the right amount of fruit, the flavour was good but still not perfect and it was still a bit on the heavy side. Do any of the bakers out there know how to make a spicy fruit loaf that is light and full of flavour.  What's been happening in your kitchen this week?

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