Lost and found

Well today has been an interesting sort of day.  apart from being freezing cold with a strong icy wind as well to bring down the chill factor, I cannot find my car keys. 

red tips of my nandina

This doesn't usually happen to me.  Generally my keys go straight into my bag as soon as I am out of the car.  I came home yesterday just after 1pm, dumped all the paraphernalia I had onto the benches/floor and did not go out again. 
So, where did I put the keys this particular time?  who knows, certainly not me at this moment. 

I had a few errands to run this morning, important not urgent, but did need to be done today.  Having searched in every place I can think of, logical and illogical, for the missing keys I remain stumped.

The upside is that my kitchen has had a good clean and I was able to organise things in my fridge that needed sorting out.  Lemons to be grated, squeezed and  the juice frozen, apples peeled and stewed.  Chicken poached and liquid used for stock.

As I have ladies coming over tonight I wanted to make pumpkin scones.  I tried these for the first time last week and they were given the nod of approval from my son.  They were really delicious with butter and lemon butter.  Overkill maybe, but good all the same.



One good thing about not having keys was being forced to stay inside and do all those little things you keep putting off.  Of course the jobs I needed to do that required a car, still have to be done and that happened with the aid of a friend.  Thank goodness for friends, how poor our life would be without them. 

ready to play ladies

Some of them are coming over tonight and I like to get out my nice cups and the silver teapot, put the goodies on nice plates and play ladies.  Actually didn't use the silver teapot this time.

This pumpkin scone recipe is from gourmet traveller website.  Never having made them I was surprised that the butter and icing sugar was creamed and egg yolks added.  Not common for scones. Regardless, the texture was light and moist without being too cake like and my friends thought they were yummy!

Look at the gorgeous color of this dough

The other good thing at the end of the day, okay it was only 4pm, was that I DID find the car keys, whilst talking on the phone and walking through my steps the day before.  Tucked into the quilt at the end of the bed in a neat little pocket so that they didn't make a jingle when I searched the bed during the day.

What a relief!!

I have also made a more secure arrangement for my keys when I come home so that I don't have another day like today. The wind I have no control over unfortunately.

Viola!!!


1 cup mashed pumpkin - I used Kent
40 gms butter
1/3 cup icing sugar
300gms self raising flour
1/2 tspn nutmeg
1 egg yolk

*cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy
*add egg yolk and mix together
*fold in cool mashed pumpkin with a wooden spoon
*fold in flour and nutmeg
* turn dough onto floured surface
*dough will be sticky
*knead dough with plenty of flour to prevent sticking
*when dough has come together form a disc about 2cm thick
*cut out with whatever size cutter you prefer
*brush with milk
*bake in a hot oven - 200dg - for 10-15 minutes

Enjoy

Jo