I couldn`t believe my luck,
Scotland hot and humid at the end of september!
Are we runners going to run the Loch Ness Marathon in glorious sunshine and heat? Or, is the dreaded wind and rain set to return and seal our fate?
With wispy clouds and glorious sunshine, everyone seemed out in force enjoying the belated heatwave here in Inverness.
The last week had been plagued by gale force winds and heavy rains.
With Flora Macdonald covering her eyes from the sun, the flowers bask in the late sunshine whilst the fishermen enjoy a good catch!
Then I thought, well, I`m in Scotland, How about an unusual mix of cheesecake?
I only have the one Morgans Spiced Rum and coke when I`m here, but what if it were put in a cheesecake? An unusual, sickly sort but what the hell, lets give it a go!
Ingredients:
3 Ripe Bananas
1 pkt digestive biscuits
1 carton of Double Cream (300ml)
2 cartons of Mascapone cheese
25ml Morgans Spiced Rum
1/2 pkt Butter
Method:
Heat half the butter in a saucepan then crush the digestive biscuits until they resemble crumbs and add to the melted butter.
Combine the 2 until the biscuit crumbs are coated in the butter and put in a 21cm sprinform tin, pan out and place in fridge to cool for 30mins.
whisk Double Cream until soft peaks form and put to one side.
Whisk Mascapone Cheese and put to one side.
Beat 2 of the ripe bananas until mushy and add to whisked Mascapone and then add all the cream and the Spicy Rum to the Mascapone.
Take out the tin from the fridge add all the ingredients and with the one remaining banana, slice and put them on the top of the cheesecake and put tin back in fridge to set in 2 - 3 hours.
After that, Enjoy if you dare!
I don`t add gelatine to any cheesecakes these days, I find the gelatine can make mixture stodgey and too thick giving the cheesecake an "awkward texture" instead of light and creamy.
When it comes to eating out in the West Midlands or South Staffordshire I tend to find the best with the best prices and with competition high, that all important meal at the end of a days walking is very important.
I have found two wonderful places to eat and I hope the pictures will speak for themselves.
The Dudley Arms is only two miles from Himley Hall And Park and its variation and prices make for a wonderful, mouthwatering and tantalising feast that is fit for any King or Queen.
The Oddfellows situated on the Bridgenorth Road, Wolverhampton and is an ideal place to enjoy a good old fashioned pub meal and the area where it is situated is ideal for those who are walking the Staffordshire and Worcester Canals, which is 100metres from the Oddfellows (the walk of which will feature later) and it is very busy, booking adviseable.
I`m now going to let the pictures do the talking but for ten of us the meal (including some drinks) cost £105.00! A Bargain!
The Lasagne accompanied by the salad dish and garlic bread was a melt in the mouth experience!
Whilst the Scampi and chips lacked the salad, the coated Scampi was cooked perfectley and we could have eaten more!
The melt in the mouth Chicken and sauce accompanment with salad dish was well worth every penny, with just the right amount of food, nothing got wasted!
If you want to try a true home made burger, then try this unbelievably enticing burger that made other well known burgers look second best!
Indeed, we all enjoyed the true taste of finally made burgers without the harshness of onions or anything else added, just a burger, nothing more and a true taste of burger heaven!
Or if its the traditional steak and chips you enjoy, then tuck into this succintly mouthwateringly, beautifully cooked to order Rump Steak - you won`t be disappointed!
Even the home made Creamy Coleslaw was devoured with OMG! Perfection of a coleslaw so understated as 1 of your 5 a day!
Now how about this?
A chocolate cake with soft centred chocolate inner oozing with excellence (warm I shall add!) and a knob of chocolate ice cream and a gentle dusting of icing sugar and this dish went down a treat - and it was all mine! And Dawn`s And Andrew`s And Martyn`s And Twish`s and Mum`s.....................
Or how about the Old favourite The Knickerbockerglory!
Its homemade icecream a heavenly dream!
Or what about the Original mousse, a lingering flavour to savour!
If you`ve enjoyed the pictures, try them for real - resistance is futile!
`Tis that time of year when nature reveals itself in a different way, showing its transformation of different colours and insects galore.
One such place to see such splendour is Himley Hall And Park which is situated between Kingswinford and Wombourne in Staffordshire.
It was an 18th Century Manor House belonging to the Earl Of Dudley which was demolished to make way for Palladian Mansion and its 180 acres were designed by Capability Brown.
These days Himley Hall caters for weddings, parties and many other social events that you can organise or join in, so why not come along and see for yourself......
It also houses a cafe with a golf course and the grounds are lovely to walk around and with the colours changing on the trees and "free food" falling from them, what better way to enjoy a day out than here!
Have a good walk around and enjoy a cuppa in the cafe - pets welcome too!
The train journey to Skegness can be quite a stunning one and with the skies full of rain, not even the sunflowers were put of, giving us a fine display of their yellow petals in full bloom.
Forgive my ignorance but for years I thought Skegness (also affectionately known as Skeggy!) was in Scotland and not on the East Coast.
Our arrival was warmly met by a very busy tourist high street with fish and chip shops galore! The smell lingered in the air, tempting us to go and buy some, but we resisted and made our way to the Welcome Hotel, Our accommodation for a couple of days.
It was pleasantly furnished with tea and coffee very welcome.
With my faithful companion in tow, now also recovered from her injury, we made our way to the beach and watched as Willow did plenty of running circles round me and other people, clearly delighted at being somewhere different.
Skeggy with all its beaches and it has something unique that is happening.
Every year land is being formed, its beach is expanding and it`ll take around 200 years before the sands reach the windmills that can be clearly seen out to sea, they are not too far!
Whilst most of the coast around the UK is receding, here it is expanding by as much as 3ft a year, doesn`t sound alot and certainly when you see the tide come in you wouldn`t think it true, but wait til the tide goes out, you have to chase the receding tide!
It is also home to a big site of windmills in the sea, they look impressive, but i`m still not certain about them.....
The lifeboat statiion and clock tower are certain attractions and so to are the lights that light up the night sky along its pier (which used to be one of the longest and oldest, but now it is a fragment of its former self, though still magnificient) and the many amusement arcades that frequent the roads.
And then where would I be without a picture of Willow enjoying herself!
Skegness is well worth a visit and try the many rides it has offer.
Although the East Coast of Lincolnshire is flat with no major hills, the scenery is stunning and the people friendly, so come on over and enjoy your Fish and Chips!
It has been a while since I was last on, my apologies ill health has played a major part.
We were due to "bring your own seat" at Cafe Black, but all seating has remained whilst Lincolnshire Council and the owners try to settle it diplomatically - although Lincolnshire Council have yet to turn upto a meeting, maybe they can`t get there £10 per mile car fare as it may harm their purses, or maybe its before 9am and they don`t start til 10! but who knows!
Anyway click on the update left and you can read it for yourself, but all in Stamford and foreign visitors are going to join in any protest should the seating be lost.
