Thursday, August 26, 2010

Cold







The last couple of days have been, in a word, freezing.  To call it cold, wet and miserable is being kind.   Proper, western district bleakness that requires two jumpers (one wool, one possum), two pairs of socks, ugg boots and a roaring fire and the chill still goes right through you.  The little princess (darling daughter, aged 10) had to play netball yesterday afternoon in the pouring rain and it was seven degrees.  It was no fun to watch either, it took hours for my feet to thaw out (note to self, next time cast fashion aside and wear gumboots).  I felt too guilty to sit in the car and read my book with the heater on flat out..

How I have managed to endure this winter (remember, bluestone house, no heating) can be answered in two words:  woollen socks.  Beautiful thin woollen socks have changed my life as I hate not wearing shoes in the house (mostly because my feet get cold and you can detect underfoot the shortcomings of your housekeeping) so I need thin socks for my inside shoes.  Then I have a thicker pair to put on when I go outside and put on my gumboots or blunnies.  I was alerted to the wonders of woollen socks by Ewan Sparrow, who came to visit in May, mercifully before winter had really taken hold.  Ewan is the head of the New Zealand Sock Co:  www.nzsock.co.nz/ and he buys some of our wool for the socks, hence the visit.  He is the man when it comes to socks and the kiwis know a thing or two about being cold and they have developed an amazing array of socks, some of which he showed us.  He then sent us a few samples and we are loving them.  Tim swears by them and has declared that he's never worn better, especially then ones you tuck your jeans into before putting on your gumboots.



I love that a family owned business is still successful and has not sent its manufacturing overseas.  (I know it's NZ, but at least it's our wool).  DJs stock their socks in Australia.

Anyway those lemons just don't want to go away, so time for a nice winter pud.  This is a classic that is probably in every CWA book there is.


Lemon Delicious Pudding   Serves 6


1 tablespoon butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons SR flour
juice and zest of 1 lemon (I use the zest of two to make it more lemony)
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 180
Cream butter and sugar, add flour, lemon juice and zest, milk and well beaten egg yolks.  Beat well.
Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold whites into butter mix and pour into a buttered pudding dish.
Set in a baking dish of water and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve with cream or ice cream.



I served this with some caramelised oranges, which was very chalet girl-ish but quite good....







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