Fat chance

Lime macarons.
Chocolate macarons.
Apparently they taste better the longer you leave them.

Battered and bruised

Cowardy

I would not describe myself as adventurous in the kitchen.
Unless you count putting chilli in almost everything.
During the closed season I have set myself the challenge of trying to make things which scare me a little.
Top of my list was custard tarts.
I don't even like custard tarts but there are two people in this family who love them. They looked pretty tricky on Bake Off  and so they proved this morning. Really tricky.
This is the recipe I, ahem, attempted: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Mine look a bit battered to be honest.

Still the boys will love them.

Making them left me with lots of egg white so I am currently making "macarons" a trend I have shunned until now. 

What I like about the home made ones is that they actually taste of something i.e. almonds and that if I can get them right they allow a pretty free hand when it comes to flavour. 

I'll try not to add chilli though. 

Judi, Steve and Me

Today, a no-cake day, I went to the cinema. On my own.
I saw Philomena.
I didn't take enough tissues.

Washed and dyed

The first winter job was to clean out my wardrobe and put all the summer clothes away. I have lived in them all season and don't want to see them til April.
I love scarves but can't really wear them to work so I threw them all in the washing machine, eager to freshen them up for A LOT of winter use.
They've all come out purple.
Apart from the one which started out purple.
This is now mauve.
*sigh*
I suppose this means I shall have to buy at least one more scarf....

Caked

It's clearaway day.
And I smile when the weather forecast is being broadcast.
For the first time in seven months I don't have to listen to it. I don't really care whether it rains or not.

I don't even mind the big clear up because the boys and girls who worked on Sunday did most of it when the last customer of the season left.
The Halloween decorations are down.
The outside furniture is in.
The leftover cake, bread, cheese and crisps have been distributed.

I am content.

Once we've cleared and locked up the first thing I shall do is take my car for a deep clean.
The past few weeks has seen a build up of mud and dirt from the farm track which leads to the tea rooms. It badly needs a power wash.
Then I can properly relax....

Over and out. Nearly.

That's it.
All finished.
Just the leftovers to eat up.
Ah, except for a light lunch for eleven fungi foragers tomorrow.

In the cauldron boil and bake

On Thursday a very attractive lady with cropped dark hair ordered soup for two.
Which one? I asked.
She looked shocked.
"We've come all the way from Wolverhampton," she explained "because it says on your website that you have Witches Brew."
When I delivered their soup the gentleman explained that they had not come all the way from Wolverhampton, but they had made a detour to taste our Halloween offering.

The message in the visitors' book was from Heather the Witch: "Witches' Brew soup well worth the broom ride".