It's Beginning To Feel Like Spring.

I am eternally grateful for the change in season; I look forward to it every year, desperately waiting for the morning I pull myself out of bed at 5 and see the sunlight, knowing I can walk to work without it being bitterly cold and dark.  It cheers me up no end, especially since I'm not terribly fond of my job ^_^

We've been having to take extra good care of Whiteface, since he unfortunately developed an infection where his leg was removed.  He is now sad cat, wearing a cone and taking lots of antibiotics.  He's eating and drinking and pottering about though, recovering slowly.  Poor mite!

I'm excited about spring.  It brings out a creative spark in me, like a whole new beginning for a new year (even though I know that started four months ago!) and this year I have been indulging in pretty colours and baking.  I really, really have caught the baking bug (which is helping out with my 12 new recipes challenge) and am, most days, up to my elbows in flour.

While it's still a little chilly outside, I'm enjoying spending my free time curled up with a book (attempting to cross something else off of my list!) and a big cup of coffee or, in this case, hot chocolate.  I bought some Peeps for a friend while I was over for my visit, and thought they looked pretty floating in my drink!  Which, I might add, was housed in the biggest cup I've ever had.

This cup is -brilliant-.  Not only is it so big it nearly doesn't balance on the coaster, it's also covered with Shakespearian insults!  I think my favourite is 'a fusty nut with no kernal' but they're all brilliant!  A lovely gift from a lovely friend ^_^

I made a lovely lemon sponge cake with a lemon glaze on top.  There is something so deliciously fresh about lemon flavoured things.  I adore citrus scents and tastes at the moment - only the other day I bought a little bottle of clementine perfume!  I like smelling of oranges all day ^_^

I have to give the credit for this scrumptious honeycomb to my Mum!  It's a combination of golden syrup, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.  It's like magic when you add the bicarb, watching it grow and pale and all the little bubbles foaming and popping!  A very nice, chewy sweet treat!

I haven't made bread for -years-.  All the recipes I looked at called for proper bread flour, unsalted butter, all these fancy techniques and ingredients I didn't have readily available!  I found one which was incredibly simple and used it to make this little beauty.  There's something very satisfying about making bread, that it takes a little while and a little patience to prepare.  I also made croissants, which I'll be telling you about another day.  Now they really were a labour of love!

I hope you're all having a good weekend and you have a lovely week planned ahead of you.  This last week has been full of shocking, awful news from America, from the terrible bombs in Boston to the tragic explosion in Texas.  My thoughts truly are with those who were affected by these tragedies.  I hope this next week is a positive one, looking forward to a bright, happy future.  Thank you for stopping by.

xoxo