BUTTERMILK BREAD,QUICK AND DELICIOUS

I have just spent the better part of a couple of days baking,bread cakes and cookies. I had the shame making experience of being caught without a single biscuit in the house,a rare occurrence thanks the Gods for if the news gets about I shall never live it down.

Of course ,not everyone either wants or is able to spend much time baking,even so with this recipe in about thirty five minutes any one can have a delicious tasty hot loaf to eat with soup, stew or as part of a breakfast with bacon and tomatoes.

1lb plain flour

1 level tablespoon of cream of tartar

1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1 breakfast cup of buttermilk or use a dessert spoon of vinegar to a cupful of fresh milk, or two tablespoons of runny yoghurt mixed with fresh milk to fill the cup.

Grease a flat tin. Set the oven to 435oc. Sift the flour with the rest of the dry ingredients into a bowl.

Add just enough of the milk to make the dough adhere together in a ball. Divide the dough in to two and shape in to rounds. Place on a greased tin. Mark the top with a knife,a cross is traditional, and bake for twenty minutes. Serve at once.

In the unlikely event of there being any left over it wrap it in a damp tea towel and place in a hot oven for about three minutes.

Try this bread with leek and potato or mushroom soup.

The saga of the cats continues,we are still being staked out by a bunch of determined Tom cats,all competing for the favours of our little cat. Since she will not allow anyone to pick her up it we have been unable to catch her and take her to the Vet to be neutered. However I have just discovered that there are now contraceptive pills for cats.

I suspect that we are too late this time but you can wager shall be making enquiries at or local vets practice very soon indeed.

The tiny side room which I brought in to use during the summer has really come in to its own during the winter months. I can sit with my back to the radiator watching the birds in the orchard no matter how bad the weather. In the Ash tree out side the window my robin sings several time a day and a pearly grey wood pigeon copes at me in the morning.

If I open the window and reach out my hand the robin hop on to my fingers and will take meal worms and bits of suet,quite unafraid.

At nigh a colourful Moroccan lamp emits a cosy glow which is very comforting in bad weather of if I am in pain. All in all I am glad I made the effort ,and so is Twiggy as it has become one of her favourite roosts.