Just a Sunday...Baking..Knitting...

I always love the Weekend..

The Fridaynight together with a glass of wine...
Time for shopping, the laundry etc. on Saturday..
And time for...whatever.. on Sunday.

On Fridaynight I watched my all time favourite Cookery Writer: Nigel Slater on the BBC with his program.: "Dish of the Day" in which he demonstrated a very tempting Lemon and Thyme cake. 
I did find the recipe also in this really GREAT Cook-Book I have bought some years ago..
A great Read, esspecially if you like -as I do- reading Diaries, and this one is combined with very tasty recipes.

But if you don't have the book and want to make it: The Recipe is HERE .

So, this morning I decided to give it a go..Placed all ingredients together and the beating and mixing could begin..
More about the Cake later..

I just love baking..
Guess I have that from my late Mum.
She was excellent in cooking and baking. 
Now I really regret it that I don't have her much loved recipes..
The chewy chocolate cookies, the home made almondpaste which she used for her "Filled Speculaas" ususally baked in December, the Spritsen, Cakes and Cream Puffs with a chocolate topping which she baked for every birthdaycelebration..and so many more..
I remember my Mum always baking on Saturday afternoon and the kitchen smelled so good.
Usually I was standing (when I was young I stood on a little chair) next to her and helping her with mixing everything into a bowl.
And I was allowed to lick of the spatula..the taste of cake mix or the dough from the Appelpie..
The different flavors filling the little kitchen and the amazement when that batter has made it into a vanilla/ chocolate cake..
Yes,in that little kitchen my love for baking and cooking did start..
It seems you never forget those kid of tastes or smells from your childhood.
I guess a lot of kids of my age have similar memories.

That perhaps is the reason why I like the BBC cookery program: "Mums know Best" so much. It is all about Family recipes and a community feeling.
There are always memories turning up whenever I watch that program.
I have a cookery book from the first serie, but never cooked anything from it.. (that is not so strange for someone who just likes to read cookerybooks)

Baking!!!!
It always brings me in a good mood.

But back to the "cake baking adventure"..
After putting everything together, I popped it in the oven for about an hour..
The sweet smell of lemon and sugar filled the house..
After it came out of the over I pierced the top of the cake and put a warm mixture of lemon, sugar and thyme on top to soak in...
I let it cool down a little before slicing it.
A nice crumbly cake..

The taste?  
AMAZING.. Sweet, Sharp, Herby..just as a cake should be..
We had a Morning Coffee next to it...

And in the afternoon we had a little slice next to a cup of tea...HEAVEN!!

What else did I do this weekend?

I finished one of the mittens...and the 2nd one is on the needles..

I really like the 2 yarns together..

The slighty variegated hand dyed purple yarn adds an extra deepness to the pattern and the colours in the green yarn mix realy well with the purple..

I did cast on, and at the moment I am knitting the cuff from the 2nd one. 
Hope to finish them this week, because the temperature is dropping...

Last Friday I made my perfectly round ring which is now waiting to be finished of..
But.. 
Too much in a rush...
Not concentrated enough
I should have waited till the next lesson..
Didn't think enough about what I really wanted...
Used letters from the computer...but I really want my own handwriting on it..

Disaster Happened...
I made a mistake with the U.
What to do I asked myself?
So, on saturday I had a talk with my "Darling Goldsmith Teacher Jeanette" (Love you Sweetheart!!!), and we came to the conclusion that it can't be fixed..

So the Coming Wednesday I am going to start over again...
But...on the other hand..

A new idea turned up..
In the studio I found a big box filled with Pins I used to collect when I was young..
They are from all kind of firms.   
You got them when you bought a product from that firm
It was one of the things in my youth which you had to collect, exchange with friends and pin them in a piece of foam plastic to hang on the wall in your bedroom..

Not sure what to do with them...but I WANT to do something with them..
Ideas are already turning up, but it needs a bit more thinking on the idea, and on the technical aspect of it..
But I made already a choice of the ones I really like..

And ofcourse the bracelet is still on the list to make...but you can do more at the same time...can you?? 
But.....DON'T RUSH!!! 
Lesson learned I hope..

And because the weather today was sunny and fresh I took Bram with the wheelchair into town..
We had a look at the Cloister-Garden behind our house,which is in a real Autumn state...

With beautiful coloured leaves..

And where the shadows of an almost leaf-less tree make a striking image to the wall of the Theater/ Restaurant Bouwkunde, just around the corner of our house..

The weekend is almost over..
Just a lovely weekend..
And holiday is almost over..
Back to work tomorrow.. 
Students are waiting..