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| Lemon Butter Cake |
Well you could say it’s been an odd couple of weeks but odd
doesn’t really do it justice.
No I haven’t encountered extra large babies again leaving me
speechless or attended parties at soft play centres which would no doubt have
had me turning the air blue.
N’s School Sports day did provide some light relief. It’s a
small village school and parents are encouraged to attend and give moral
support.
N did well managing to finish in the top 3 in all events. This
may have been down in no small part to the fact that there are only 3 girls in
her class but who am I to piss on anyone’s bonfire? Don’t answer that.
She did however win the egg and spoon race, so all the hours of
training we’d put in weren’t in vain.
In her age race my younger daughter M sprinted to a 30 yard
victory over the other nursery children, she’s pretty much a year older and
double the size of the rest and as she went on the G of Go the others stood on
the start line either crying or filling their nappies.
I looked on proudly, trying not to be one of ‘those’ dads who
takes the sporting endeavour of their child a little too seriously, I failed.
Apparently booing the other kids and then unfurling the union flag and doing a
lap of honour around the cricket pitch with your 4 year old in celebration
isn’t the done thing, who knew?
Unfortunately I was cajoled into taking part in the Dad’s race
and as I took my place alongside the others, all young skinny bastards, I heard
the little voice saying – Don’t fuck up, don’t embarrass your daughters, don’t
pull a hamstring, don’t slip another disc. Ok I may be a hypochondriac but it
comes with my heritage.
Needless to say riddled with these self-doubts I didn’t win
although I did avoid the ignominy of last place beating someone’s grandad. I
think a ‘short head’ is the sporting phrase used to describe my margin of
‘victory’ over him. In your face old man!
No my odd couple of weeks actually involves something a little
more important.
I’ve resigned from work and am now officially jobless.
Please don’t worry this isn’t some thinly veiled cry for help or
a begging blog for you to send money so the family Vino don’t go hungry. It’s
safe to read on.
Do people really believe and respond to those emails you
receive? You know the ones informing you of inherited cash or asking for help
and that the person will pay you back as soon as they’re back on their feet?
One hit my inbox a few months ago telling me I’d been left £120k to help me
continue my wonderful Evangelical Christian work. I mean I may be a lot of
things but a preacher of the good book definitely isn’t one of them.
That said I am quite happy to attach my bank details to the
bottom of this blog and if you feel that you’d like to spare a few quid I’m not
too proud to accept.
No this was an actual conscious decision to leave a steady job
with a good income but that said, a job that left me thoroughly miserable and
if I’m being honest it would probably have been easier to live with Saddam in
his bunker than me for the past few months.
So on a level of keeping my sanity it was an easy decision to
make however on the level of not knowing if I’m going to have to sell the girls
to Madonna to pay the mortgage leaves me a little petrified if the truth be
told. The main problem with this is I’m not sure the girls are ethnic enough
for Madge.
I haven’t quit without a plan for the future. That would be
completely bat shit crazy.
No…
I have a dream. Now I’d like to say this is as grand as Martin
Luther King Jnr’s dream of a racial equality for all. It’s not.
No mine is the lesser known I have a dream speech, given to
various friends and relatives over the last few months, one where I tell people
my dream of making Pies and Cakes for a living.
I’d also like to say it was initially as well received as MLK’s
speech. It wasn’t.
I am however happy to report that Mrs. Vino is fully behind the
venture, it was hard for her to see the job I was doing making me ill. Though I
think really she likes the idea of being married to Little Ribston’s very own
Alan Sugar, either that or she really loves to eat pie and a lot of it.
So the last few weeks have seen product development in full
swing. Pies and cakes are being baked on a daily basis and waistlines are
expanding. I’ve also been distributing them to anyone with a mouth that wants
it filling for free and funnily enough there are plenty of those around.
I should be able to give you further information and news once
the Council fulfills its commitment to process my food application in the
timeframe they set. Although if having a very close friend working for the
Council is anything to go by I’m not filled with confidence that this will
happen and I’m not holding my breath. Not that I’m bashing the Council in any
way I’m sure they’re very productive on the days that they do some work.
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| The sign that will hopefully one day hang over the door |
In honour of my prospective venture here’s a lemon butter cake
recipe that may adorn my menu in the near future.
It’s from Dan Lepard, yes I know I go on about him a little too
much which obviously has nothing to do with him responding to me on twitter but
trust me his recipes are really very good.
Lemon Butter Cake
Ingredients
2 Medium Eggs – Separated
150g Caster Sugar
100g Unsalted Butter – Melted
125g Condensed Milk
100ml Lemon Juice
Grated Zest of 2 Large Lemons
275g Plain Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
Icing
Grated Zest of 1 Large Lemon
100g Icing Sugar
25ml Lemon Juice
Method
Set the oven to 180c
Line a Loaf tin – preferably 19cm long, I used what I had and it
was perfectly fine.
Beat the separated egg whites with an electric mixter until
they’re frothy and then gradually add 25g of Caster Sugar and whisk to a soft
meringue consistency.
In a different bowl beat the egg yolks, remaining caster sugar,
melted butter, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice.
I didn’t grate the zest if I’m honest I just I zester and had
short strips of the zest – it made no difference.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and beat until
smooth.
Fold the egg whites in to this carefully and quickly as not to
lose the air from the mixture.
Spoon into your tin then smooth the mixture out.
Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out with only a
few crumbs. Mine took just under 40 minutes but then again my oven enjoys
cremating things.
Let your cake cool and then ice it.
To make the icing beat the zest, icing sugar and lemon juice in
a bowl until smooth and cover the top of the cake. If you don’t let it cool the
icing becomes runnier and will come down the sides of the cake as well. I know
this from experience.
Enjoy
Ax
Follow me on twitter @Vino_73
