Beautiful bunches of daffodils

 Swathes of bluebells

Bruschetta with pesto, mozzarella and basil

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 firm ripe pears

50g light brown sugar (you could use golden caster sugar)

30g runny honey

tiny pinch of salt

tspn white wine vinegar

30ml water

Method

Tips

• HOT CARAMEL BURNS. Keep a bowl of cold water very nearby, to immerse your hand if the caramel touches your skin.
• If you don't have  a sugar thermometer, you can test it by pouring a little into a bowl of cold water. It should harden instantly and be brittle and easy to break. If you can still squash the toffee it needs further heating. (I didn't do this with the pear you can see and the caramel wasn't crisp).
• The vinegar gives the caramel the structure it needs.
• Serve within three to four hours.

I want everything to look lovely without breaking the bank. I have been collecting cans with lots of projects in mind, and I knew I had a tin of paint in the shed. So, this afternoon I made this lovely little herb garden to hang on my shed. It was so quick and easy to make and this is how you can make one, too.

First peel the labels and remove the remains of any glue off the cans using nail varnish remover. Then make a hole for the string, about an inch from the top of each can. You can use a sharp nail and a hammer. Make four more holes in the bottom of each can for drainage.

Then rub all the shiny surfaces with sandpaper or wire wool, to provide a key for the paint. After wiping off any dust, spray the cans with two or three coats of paint, leaving a few minutes between each. I used a tin of multi-surface spray paint I have had in the shed for years. When the paint has dried, for each can, take a 10" piece of the string you are to use and knot it at one end. Thread the string through the hole in the can from the inside out.

At this stage you can fill each can with compost and plant herb seeds, leaving them on a windowsill to germinate or grow. Or you can do what I did and replant pots of herbs from a garden centre or nursery. I used mint, coriander and basil.

When the cans have herbs, tie each of them onto a longer piece of string, spacing them out as you wish. Then hang your herb garden somewhere sunny and give it a good watering.

 Planting fresh herbs on the potting bench to use in recipes

 Lovely scented lilies to brighten our dining room

Gorgeous gifts given to me by a dear friend 

Have a lovely week.

This is a lovely variation on the more traditional tiramisu I made for the romantic date night menu that you can see here.
1) Put half the sugar in a saucepan together with 150ml (5fl.oz) of water. Bring to boil for 2 minutes then leave to cool for 5 minutes. Add creme de framboise and leave to cool completely.
2) Chop 150g (5oz) of the chocolate and melt in a small bowl over a pan of hot water. Remove and allow to cool a little.
3) Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and thick. Beat in the marscapone cheese until really smooth, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate.
4) In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold them carefully into the egg and marscapone mixture until well combined.
5) Strain the fruit mixture over a bowl to catch the syrup. Dip half the biscuits in the cooled syrup and use them to line the bases of the glasses. Add a layer of the marscapone mixture followed by a layer of strawberries. Build up layers in this order and finish with a layer of marscapone mixture.
6) Grate the remaining white chocolate over the top of each glass. Cover the tiramisu desserts and chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.

Have a lovely day.

From Rachel Allen - Home Cooking.