When Life Gave Me Lemons

 

Thank you so much for all the kind birthday wishes on my previous post. I passed them all on to Lily and she was thrilled to bits. 

Last weekend we enjoyed a ride along the newly re-opened Keswick to Threlkeld trail. This was the perfect opportunity for Lily to try out her new bike, and for us to see all the improvements to the path since the route was closed off following storm damage way back in 2015. It is designed for walkers and cyclists, and completely traffic free, following the old railway line from Penrith to Cockermouth.

The route passes alongside the River Greta and crosses so many bridges on the way that I lost count. There are historical information boards all along the track but we were too busy enjoying our ride and admiring the scenery to stop and read them all. 

It was a chilly day and we stopped at the park in Keswick for our picnic and a hot drink, but for some reason I struggled to warm up. Even though I was wearing gloves, my hands were freezing and I just didn't feel quite right. I put it down to feeling tired after a busy week, but the following morning I woke with a sore throat and swollen glands. Lily did too.  :( 

We've been feeling out of sorts all week now and, disappointingly, had to cancel our much anticipated camping trip that we should have been enjoying this weekend. Never mind, we'll still be getting out and about. It just means we will be able to sleep more comfortably in our own beds each night. I've been drinking lots of hot lemon and honey but I'm not entirely sure it is making a difference - it tastes good though :) 

Seeing as I had plenty of lemons to hand. I couldn't resist making some of my favourite lemon cake. 

This is the recipe I use if you would like to try it.

125g Butter

175g Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs

175g Self Raising Flour

4 Tablespoons Milk

Zest and juice of 2 un-waxed lemons

An additional 50g of sugar for the syrup

Cream together butter, caster sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. 

 

Add eggs, milk and flour a little at a time and mix well.

Bake in a loaf tin for around 40 minutes at 150°

Stir lemon juice and sugar together, then heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. 

When the cake is removed from the oven, skewer all over and pour on the syrup, allowing it all to soak in.

I must admit that following a busy day at work, Tuesday me was very grateful for Sunday me doing this baking. It was a delicious treat being able to enjoy a slice of the cake I'd forgotten all about. Also, this can be made into a delightful summer bake by leaving out the lemons and pouring over some elderflower syrup instead.

J. X