I'm over here

You can't see me in this shot. I was there. Really!!! I was walking Scruffy and I was on the other side of her. However way in the background you can see our garage. 15 minutes of fame, oh yes I think so.

Boden catalouge shot not that I read it of course!

daily Inspiration

 Lots of people posting daily inspiration posts and as that in itself is an inspiration for me, here's mine. Fantastic and very reasonably priced decor wallpaper.

















And my poorer attempt painting onto a wall. Not sure it will survive the night poor thing. Have paint and I'm prepared to use it.

Tomato Soup Gingerbread Cake

I don't know about you but at this time of year so soon after the mammoth feasts of Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year not to talk of Boxing Day or the Epiphany I am heartily sick of cooking. It is at this point to rouse myself from drudgery that I  start restlessly looking for a challenge, a touch of daring do. That's right I start cooking weird food. You know that recipe that lurks in the back of your mind that sounds gross but now it sounds sort of exciting. People meet The Tomato Soup Cake. This little beauty is from my very own A Campbell Cookbook or Cooking with Soup. I found this in a Bookstore in a very small town in the backwaters of upstate New York. Totally wanted to try this.

Tomato Soup Gingerbread Cake

The recipe as it is calls for a gingerbread mix, which sounds interesting but I don't have. It also calls for two packets which sounds excessive and for the purposes of this experiment I have cut all the ingredients measures in half. For two reasons. Firstly what if it tastes gross, and secondly my loaf tin is only a half size and so I always make half cakes. I also haven't added the raisins or the walnuts as my kids would definitely not eat this cake if it had those in. Not using two cans of soup and I cut it down to two eggs.So first the actual recipe. I would comment that old fashioned gingerbread cake probably didn't have tomato soup in it but what the hey.

So not having the said gingerbread mix I adapted a Nigellla recipe( of course who else ?)

Gingerbread mix

75g unsalted butter
65g dark muscovado sugar
50g golden syrup
50g of the syrup you get in the stem ginger in syrup
1 lump of stem ginger finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda dissolved in warm water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of marmalade as it was the end of a jar that needed using. I don't believe that this is vital .

Nigella calls for the butter sugar, syrup, ginger, marmalade and spices to be melted on a low heat. I then added a 1/2 tin of Campbell's  tomato soup.At this point hold your gag reflexes. I have to say I did not fancy tasting this. But in the name of science I did. It tastes OK. A good sign for the future

To this I added 170 g of plain flour and the two eggs. Use you mixer to give it a good thrashing and pour into a loaf tin. And wait optimistically perhaps for the result and a chance to say to your kids guess what this is?

I actually made Pig's Cheeks Tacos yesterday so my kids are very blase` at this time of year.

" Tomato Soup cake! Really, but we ate Pigs Cheek Tacos yesterday big deal" ( Not a real conversation but it could have been!)


I cooked the cake in a hot preheated oven at 180 C for about 45 minutes. Nigella says it's best a bit soggy as it will carry on cooking. While it's cooking there is this weird tomato soup /cake smell. Not sure if that is nasty or nice.

And here it is! Straight out of the oven. Its a lovely texture and good to cut it has a warm ginger taste and isn't too sweet. Great result actually!

 Let me know if you have a go and how it turns out. Actually if you have any weird food to try I would love to hear about that and give it a go myself.

London Art Fair 2013

 


The London Art Fair is very conveniently situated in The Business Design Centre which is where Hubby works and also where I exhibited work when it first opened straight out of college. It's on this year from the 16th til the 20th and I don't have to pay as I have a pass!

Its always good to have a walk around these Fairs and even better not to have to pay to get in. Lots of the good and the great and lots of weird and wonderful. There is even an ostrich in a box.  In fact with the popularity of taxidermy and particularly Polly Morgan there was lots of wee small creatures. Sorry I didn't take any pictures myself so there is a link on the ostrich to a blogger who did!

Story Teller

I love Somerset House. I love it in the winter ice skating. I love it in the summer playing in the fountains and I love the exhibitions there both in Somerset House and at the Courtauld Gallery.

So today I continued my catch up of exhibitions that I really should have gone to before. Tim Walker: Story Teller. Firstly can I just say what a great exhibition. It's only on til the 27th of January but if I have time on Saturday I may go back with the children. Secondly what a great FREE exhibition.

These pictures do not do this space justice. It is truly magical and I don't say that about most exhibitions. If you can go .

Preraphaelites

Happy New Year ! Mine has started with quickly catching the Pre Raphaelites exhibition at the Tate Britain before it closes on Sunday, though to my shame and chagrin I missed the Turner Prize show( sniff sniff).
Strangely the first picture in the exhibition is this..

Which is Mrs James Wyatt Jr and her Daughter Sarah. Sarah Wyatt! My name sake and there are a lot of them... still. I was for no real reason really pleased.

This painting by William Holman Hunt- Our English Coasts is also in the exhibition and is of Fairlight in Hastings. The Pre Raphaelites have a strong connection to Hastings with Rossetti having lived there for a very brief time.