It's been a while.................

Near Dale, Pembrokeshire

since I posted!



Stackpole, Pembrokeshire

Hello my friends, I hope you are all well and rested and enjoying your summer (what summer?) holidays!

Its good to be back!

Bosherston Lily Ponds at Stackpole

Apologies to all my regular friends and new visitors who have popped over to visit over the last few weeks and found only a stale three week old post!

Bosherston Lily ponds

I haven't posted for a bit as we were away on holiday last week, and what with getting ready for it the week before on top of the usual "stuff", and unpacking this week when we got back.............the time has just gone and I cannot believe its three weeks since I last posted!!!

Logan on the beach near Dale

We have had a lovely relaxing week in Pembrokeshire with plenty of fresh air and excercise, heading for the various coasts every day (south, west and north Pembrokeshire coasts all easily accesible)

OK folks, I should warn you at this point that there will be quite a few holiday snaps coming up - to avoid these, fast forward to near the end for the winner of the Giveaway, and a recipe for Chocochini Cake ( aka chocolate courgette cake!) - now aren't I a kind and thoughtful person to spare you ???!!!!

Beach near Dale - you can just see me in the distance beachcombing

we pottered on virtually deserted beaches

Herbrandston Beach, accessed from the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, just before the heavens opened and we got drenched to the skin!

walked along the cliff tops and headlands,

View of Lydstep Haven from Lydstep cliff top

walked along stretches of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, 

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path near Skrinkle

Sailing at Dale

and strolled around towns and villages.

 Pembroke castle

 Overlooking the beach at West Angle bay

 Harbour at lower Fishguard

 Freshwater West beach - this was a favourite with surfers and body boarders

West Angle bay

 View of Freshwater West with the enormous sand dunes behind

Some days it did get a little warmer than this, but not many!

Bella and Logan on the lily pond walk

view from Herbrandston beach, Pembrokeshire

It is like autumn here today.

Cold, grey and windy, although here in Kent we have been spared the rain so far.

The Lily Ponds again! After a mile and half over narrow bridges and alongside the ponds you get to Broad Haven beach. Walking back the other side is only 3/4 mile and no bridges. All part of Stackpole National trust land.

The weather is often disappointing by the time you get to the "proper" holidays in late July and August, when the children are free of lessons, and with high expectations for some sunny weeks ahead.

All too often even the warmer days are hazy and cloudy, and the evenings are shorter as the nights draw in.

At the end of Bosherston Lily Ponds you find Broad Haven beach (the sea is in the background, the beach proper you cannot see) - there's Bella and Logan by the water in the foreground

I much prefer those unexpected hot days earlier in the year in May and June, with hot mornings, unbelievably azure blue skies for most of the day, and long, warm, balmy evenings.

Anyhow, here we are in late August.

And I have a delayed announcement of the winner of the Giveaway which ended a few days before we went on holiday.

After scattering the names on the floor and scooping them up in a playful manner to entice Logan to pick one..........



He quickly obliged and ran off downstairs with one, and just before he chewed it I managed to grab it!



blurry action shot of Logan with winning entry!

And the winner is.......................

Me and Tilly too!

Congratulations Lesley!


There is another journal cover to choose from now, made from a lovely red vintage french provencal fabric (which actually matches the bookmark included in the giveaway) lined with red gingham, with an integral East of India ribbon bookmark.


So have a look at the pics below Lesley, then please email me with your address and let me know your preferred option.

journal cover

I've just started to gather together the giveaway goodies, and there will be a few little extras in there for Lesley.

The vegetable garden is being very productive at the moment with loads of climbing french beans and dwarf french beans, and finally the runner beans - yay!!

Still lots of courgettes too - I cut 4 littlies this morning, and a big old boy who had got missed.

We decided to make the big guy into a chocolate courgette cake this morning, although my daughter has given it a much more fun name - Chocochini Cake!

This is because we decided the word "zucchini" was more appetising and appealing than "courgette", and indeed they are grown from the Italian Zucchini seed I picked up from our local nursery man who is Italian, so it is quite right and proper that we call it this.



As a treat for your bearing with me, I shall share the recipe for Chocochini cake!

Bella found the recipe online at http://www.allrecipes.co.uk/.




Best Chocolate Courgette Cake (proper title)
or
Chocochini Cake (our title)

250g plain flour
375g caster sugar
65g cocoa powder
2 tsps bicarb of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
350ml vegetable oil (we only used 100ml extra virgin olive oil as mixture was already quite sloppy)
340g grated courgette (remove some of the water using kitchen paper)
90g chopped walnuts

***
Preheat oven to 180c.
Grease and flour (we baselined) 20cm x 30cm tin (we used 20 x 20).
In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients (we sieved the flour and cocoa), then add the eggs, courgettes and oil mixing well. Stir in the nuts.
Bake for 50 to 60 mins in pre-heated oven or until cooked.
Either top with sieved icing sugar or your favourite icing.

***



There is no way you would know there is courgette in this cake.

The cake is deliciously moist and dense, and I do recommend trying this recipe if you have a glut of courgettes, or its worth buying some specially to make it.