Friday Bake - Sweet honey cake and some pretty strawberry pincushions

Hello lovelies. It has been a super duper busy week here with soooo much going on so both mind and body is really pleased that it is Friday. This week I wanted to bake something from this new book that I bought for a bargain last week. This National Trust book is crammed full of wonderful recipes, but my first choice was 'Buckland Abbey's Honey Cake'. I have never made honey cake before and to be honest I don't know why as I have always fancied the idea. I love honey and have many wonderful memories as a child eating fresh honey on fresh bread, yum!

Fortunately, I have also found the recipe on line, so you can use this link to get started right away. It is a REALLY easy cake to make and I can tell you that the entire cake was scoffed in record braking time. I have never quite seen anything like it in our house. The kids LOVED it and the visitors that dropped in all enjoyed it, so I think it is fair to say, it is a winner and will be made again VERY soon. The added mixed spice makes it the perfect cake for this time of the year, not only is it comforting, but also sends wonderful aroma's of honey and mixed spice wafting through the house.

 

 

I loved the shape and colour that the honey made, such a pretty flower. I adapted the cake to suit my be gluten and dairy free 'weirdness' (as my friends would say) by using Doves Gluten Free self raising flour and Pure Sunflower spread.

 

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 It is pretty much a case of throw and go and within minutes your cake will be ready to go in the oven.

Unfortunately there aren't many pics of the afters as it literally got scoffed in two shakes of a lambs tail. Always a good sign! Well there was a very blurred effort to grab a snap of the last piece going.

Earlier this week I met with three very close and special friends to celebrate a birthday and also to celebrate the fact that we could have our first lunch out without kids. It was a wonderful afternoon where we laughed, cried and just loved being in each others company. As a present I bought my friend Sarah Moore's Vintage Home book and for anyone interested in this book go and grab yourself a bargain as I have just seen it for sale for a great deal less at The Works, bad timing or what?!, grrr. Anyways to go with the book I made her one of my Scandi style tea towels and also a pretty little pincushion.

Recently I have been so inspired by all the pretty strawberry pincushions that are being swapped around blogland, that I just had to make some. They are so easy to make and for reference I used the instructions from one of my favourite ladies on YouTube 'The Gourmet Quilter', here is the link. I didn't follow it to the letter as I had an idea of what I wanted, but she is amazing and I just love here laid back attitude to sewing and quilting in general and I always find her tutorials really helpful.

 

This week I also harvested the last of our vegetables from our patch, meet bill and blob (sorry couldn't resist :-)).

 

 

This week I have done very little in way of crocheting or embroidery, I have largely worked on finishing off custom orders that was collected yesterday, but some of them involved a little crochet edging, so also joining in today with Chrissie and Marianne with their Crochet-A-Long, oops a day late sorry.

  

Before I go, a big and warm welcome my new readers, it is so lovely that you have decided to stop by and I look forward to getting to know you a little better. Also thank you to each and every one of you who leave such lovely comments and sorry that I haven't replied to any of them of late. I am finding it difficult to get around all your lovely blogs and also leaving messages here. I am sure life will resume a slightly less busy schedule after my stall at the end of November. I hope you all have a great weekend and I will pop in on Sunday with a little stitching.

Warm Wishes

Hannapat

xoxo