Ok, Angus won an 'Oscar' for his version at Summer Gathering and Xavier got nominated for best beard after his adventures eating it... so here is the recipe I have - having already written it out for Dylan and been asked for it by Thomas I figured putting it here made most sense!
This is the version I got from Michael when I needed it in a hurry to take to Pardshaw at the Beck's behest. The original verison which Bee's mum got from the Guardian (and was made famous when we made it for about 150 people at YFCC in Newcastle one year - I seem to remember Laurence put it in YQ as Aunty Dunford's chocolate pudding, so if you still have back issues from circa 1990 you'll find it there!) is pretty much the same but uses cups instead of tablespoons, as more people tend to have spoons I'm sticking to his (which he got from his mum - cheers Michael's mum!), if you don't know what a tablespoon is it is about 4 teaspoons/20ml! Fortunately the recipe is fairly forgiving of guestimates of quantities so don't worry about it too much....
the mixture...
4 oz Self Raising flour
1 teaspn salt
2.5 oz caster sugar (2 oz is ok)
1 tablespn cocoa powder
2 tablespn oil (veg/corn/sunflower etc or melted butter)
8 tablespn milk (soya works!)
few drops vanilla essence
the topping...
2 oz brown sugar
1 tablespn cocoa powder
0.5 pint boiling water
Method
0) Pre heat oven to 350 f / Gas 4
1) Sift flour, salt, sugar & cocoa together
2) in another bowl mix oil, milk and vanilla essence
3) Stir (1) into (2)
4) Pour/spread mixture into a 2 pint oven dish
Now for the topping...
5) Mix the cocoa and sugar together and sprinkle over the pudding
6) Pour the boiling water over the whole thing abd bake for 45-60 minutes
In theory this serves 4-6... but from experience 3 can make short work of it all pretty fast! Apologies to those who use metric, I don't have my cookbooks here with conversion tables in so you'll have to work it out yourselves or Google for a handy link! I don't have any kitchen scales at all here so methinks a trip to the Warehouse is called for....
Monday, January 16, 2006
coming back to earth
...but somewhat reluctantly!
I've been surprised by how hard it has been to get back into the swing of 'normal' life again after Summer Gathering. You'd think (well I would) that seeing people again so quickly as they head back north, plus emails coming in already and knowing I'll see others again soon, not to mention the number of actual Wellington folk who were there and I've seen since getting back, that making the transition back would be fairly painless. But it appears not.
I know in many ways it has to do with the children I spent so much time with - I must've looked fairly panic stricken when I first got asked to help bail out the 4-11 yr olds group, being far more used to the 11+ range but I absolutely loved it. Since leaving it has been as tho' there is an enormous hole where they were. Dylan (11yrs) told me to enjoy the peace and quiet whilst it lasted but I'm not really enjoying it at all - I'm missing them heaps. Having Kirsten & Liam's small hands coming and slipping into mine as I walked along the paths, the hugs somewhere around mid thigh height, being able to stand with my arm comfortably resting along Dylan's shoulders (that won't last - he'll no doubt be too tall soon...), being able to pick someone up to hug them goodbye or goodnight, playing tig & football, mucking about in the pool, telling silly jokes (why can I never remember the good ones?) and bedtime stories (Winnie the Pooh - what else!), deep and meaningful discussions about Thomas the Tank Engine with children of all ages (altho' I think we were mainly YFs...), Xavier (4yrs) starting nearly every sentence with "D'you know what...", Hugo's big grin, Zeb's smile, Keava's words of wisdom, Liam's puppy dog eyes...
Broody? Clucky? Me? Well only for children, not babies, and only for quite specific children at that. I think it is the knowing that by the time I see most of them again they'll have all changed so much. Once they reach YF age and beyond it is different, change slows down, the connections made one year can be built upon the next whereas with children, especially those reaching their teens, they move on so quickly and the boys who were happy to sit on your knee or curl up on the sofa by you and want a hug get to the 'girls? Eeuuuurrrgggghhhh' stage and don't want to know any more.
I am extremely grateful to them for including me so much in their week, for giving me so many really special memories, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off next time we meet...
... tag - you're it!
I've been surprised by how hard it has been to get back into the swing of 'normal' life again after Summer Gathering. You'd think (well I would) that seeing people again so quickly as they head back north, plus emails coming in already and knowing I'll see others again soon, not to mention the number of actual Wellington folk who were there and I've seen since getting back, that making the transition back would be fairly painless. But it appears not.
I know in many ways it has to do with the children I spent so much time with - I must've looked fairly panic stricken when I first got asked to help bail out the 4-11 yr olds group, being far more used to the 11+ range but I absolutely loved it. Since leaving it has been as tho' there is an enormous hole where they were. Dylan (11yrs) told me to enjoy the peace and quiet whilst it lasted but I'm not really enjoying it at all - I'm missing them heaps. Having Kirsten & Liam's small hands coming and slipping into mine as I walked along the paths, the hugs somewhere around mid thigh height, being able to stand with my arm comfortably resting along Dylan's shoulders (that won't last - he'll no doubt be too tall soon...), being able to pick someone up to hug them goodbye or goodnight, playing tig & football, mucking about in the pool, telling silly jokes (why can I never remember the good ones?) and bedtime stories (Winnie the Pooh - what else!), deep and meaningful discussions about Thomas the Tank Engine with children of all ages (altho' I think we were mainly YFs...), Xavier (4yrs) starting nearly every sentence with "D'you know what...", Hugo's big grin, Zeb's smile, Keava's words of wisdom, Liam's puppy dog eyes...
Broody? Clucky? Me? Well only for children, not babies, and only for quite specific children at that. I think it is the knowing that by the time I see most of them again they'll have all changed so much. Once they reach YF age and beyond it is different, change slows down, the connections made one year can be built upon the next whereas with children, especially those reaching their teens, they move on so quickly and the boys who were happy to sit on your knee or curl up on the sofa by you and want a hug get to the 'girls? Eeuuuurrrgggghhhh' stage and don't want to know any more.
I am extremely grateful to them for including me so much in their week, for giving me so many really special memories, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off next time we meet...
... tag - you're it!
Friday, January 13, 2006
home again
and soooo looking forward to being back in my own bed!
I'm absolutely shattered with a classic case of the post Summer Gathering blues and lack of sleep. I'm missing being surrounded by children but not even Liam would fit into my rucksack...
Thanks for all the birthday cards and emails etc - I'll write back when I'm feeling more awake and I've so much to write about here I don't know where to start, methinks I'll sleep on it first.
Tigger says hello to those who remember him!
Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible......
I'm absolutely shattered with a classic case of the post Summer Gathering blues and lack of sleep. I'm missing being surrounded by children but not even Liam would fit into my rucksack...
Thanks for all the birthday cards and emails etc - I'll write back when I'm feeling more awake and I've so much to write about here I don't know where to start, methinks I'll sleep on it first.
Tigger says hello to those who remember him!
Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible......
Monday, January 02, 2006
baking in Blenheim
Ok, so I said I wouldn't be writing for a fortnight and here I am the next day - well, broadband and time to spare was too good an opportunity to miss...
For anyone reading this in Wellington (er, Fran?) who heard about the planes being cancelled and everyone being sent home to try again tomorrow don't worry I got here ok, I'm not still at the airport. The nice guy at the Air NZ desk said he'd heard that story so many times and then flights had left two hours later so would I like to try for a later flight? I did and lo and behold the 12.30 left only 5 minutes late, and I got to watch the cricket highlights whilst waiting =)
However it must be said I now understand why Gill entreated me never to fly into or out of Wellington - we were in a piddly plane (a Beech 1900D for the Aidan's of this world) which seated 20 plus two pilots. There were just 7 passengers including a somewhat terrified teenager. To be fair we had been watching 120kph winds for the previous 2 hours, the small planes were all tied down to the ground and when they did start the engines on ours the lefthand propellor took a disconcertingly long length of time to start turning. I must admit I was rather glad we were taking off from Welly not landing as the take off bore a remarkable similarity to a ride on the Ultimate (a rollercoaster oft frequented on Quaker summer gathering outings!). The views coming into Blenheim were stunning - classic LOTR scenery, but as it was still a bit bouncy I doubt very much if the photos I tried to take will come out. An 'interesting' flight but all in all probably preferable to the 3 1/2 hour ferry crossing my 4 guests from last night embarked upon this morning. We'll swap notes when we get to Ranfurly!
So Mum, what is it to be - ferry or plane to get to South Island?!! You can get bigger planes don't worry, they just don't come to Blenheim.
It's been too hot here to do anything other than sit inside and blether this afternoon, Carole & I even let Brian get a word or two in edgeways! We're off for a walk along the river after tea to exercise more than just our vocal chords. Hope it's cooler tomorrow, it could be a very long bus ride to Christchurch otherwise....
(Oh and how come I had to come all the way here to find out what Danny looks like Lynn? Good pics from Dot & Dave's party - didn't expect to see you with long hair tho'!)
For anyone reading this in Wellington (er, Fran?) who heard about the planes being cancelled and everyone being sent home to try again tomorrow don't worry I got here ok, I'm not still at the airport. The nice guy at the Air NZ desk said he'd heard that story so many times and then flights had left two hours later so would I like to try for a later flight? I did and lo and behold the 12.30 left only 5 minutes late, and I got to watch the cricket highlights whilst waiting =)
However it must be said I now understand why Gill entreated me never to fly into or out of Wellington - we were in a piddly plane (a Beech 1900D for the Aidan's of this world) which seated 20 plus two pilots. There were just 7 passengers including a somewhat terrified teenager. To be fair we had been watching 120kph winds for the previous 2 hours, the small planes were all tied down to the ground and when they did start the engines on ours the lefthand propellor took a disconcertingly long length of time to start turning. I must admit I was rather glad we were taking off from Welly not landing as the take off bore a remarkable similarity to a ride on the Ultimate (a rollercoaster oft frequented on Quaker summer gathering outings!). The views coming into Blenheim were stunning - classic LOTR scenery, but as it was still a bit bouncy I doubt very much if the photos I tried to take will come out. An 'interesting' flight but all in all probably preferable to the 3 1/2 hour ferry crossing my 4 guests from last night embarked upon this morning. We'll swap notes when we get to Ranfurly!
So Mum, what is it to be - ferry or plane to get to South Island?!! You can get bigger planes don't worry, they just don't come to Blenheim.
It's been too hot here to do anything other than sit inside and blether this afternoon, Carole & I even let Brian get a word or two in edgeways! We're off for a walk along the river after tea to exercise more than just our vocal chords. Hope it's cooler tomorrow, it could be a very long bus ride to Christchurch otherwise....
(Oh and how come I had to come all the way here to find out what Danny looks like Lynn? Good pics from Dot & Dave's party - didn't expect to see you with long hair tho'!)
Sunday, January 01, 2006
we're all going on our summer holidays....
...sun and laughter for a week or two' ok, that's enough of that, Cliff that is, not the summer holidays!
Tomorrow morning I leave GFH in the capable hands of various relievers and head down to South Island, first stop Blenheim to visit my Mum's cousin, then Christchurch to hopefully see one of my Dad's (2nd) cousins and get my lift to Summer Gathering - an all age Quaker event for 8 days, this time in Ranfurly so I'll get to see some of Central Otago.
At least this year we don't get the incredulous looks Ngaruawahia produced when you said where you were going for your holidays (where it was held last year - it's near Hamilton and well at first I thought it was a bit mean to name a place after Hamilton - then I went there). Altho' next year it is being held up the Hutt Valley at Silverstream, a location more commonly known for being where the civic dump is, altho' there is also a Railway Museum there with steam trains (no prizes for guessing which outing I'll be picking. One childhood fascination I have never quite grown out of), and it is on the edge of the Rimutaka range with some great picnic options. However the joys of that are still way off (thankfully as somehow I seem to be on the organising committee for it... shock horror, now there's a novelty) and this year I get to enjoy SG with 'just' a WGYF session to do with Fran, Jonathan and Charlotte and help out with the JYFs (13-15 yr olds). You know one day I'll get to go to an event again purely as a participant... one day, maybes.
So, it means I'll be out of internet range for a couple of weeks and thus not blogging, emailing, skypeing, messaging or whatever. So much for any bright ideas about New Years resolutions to stay in touch better - dashed before they are started. Not much new there then =)
So Happy New Year to you all - have a good one, and I'll catch up with you again in a fortnight (er, that's 2 weeks time for you N. Americans!)
Tomorrow morning I leave GFH in the capable hands of various relievers and head down to South Island, first stop Blenheim to visit my Mum's cousin, then Christchurch to hopefully see one of my Dad's (2nd) cousins and get my lift to Summer Gathering - an all age Quaker event for 8 days, this time in Ranfurly so I'll get to see some of Central Otago.
At least this year we don't get the incredulous looks Ngaruawahia produced when you said where you were going for your holidays (where it was held last year - it's near Hamilton and well at first I thought it was a bit mean to name a place after Hamilton - then I went there). Altho' next year it is being held up the Hutt Valley at Silverstream, a location more commonly known for being where the civic dump is, altho' there is also a Railway Museum there with steam trains (no prizes for guessing which outing I'll be picking. One childhood fascination I have never quite grown out of), and it is on the edge of the Rimutaka range with some great picnic options. However the joys of that are still way off (thankfully as somehow I seem to be on the organising committee for it... shock horror, now there's a novelty) and this year I get to enjoy SG with 'just' a WGYF session to do with Fran, Jonathan and Charlotte and help out with the JYFs (13-15 yr olds). You know one day I'll get to go to an event again purely as a participant... one day, maybes.
So, it means I'll be out of internet range for a couple of weeks and thus not blogging, emailing, skypeing, messaging or whatever. So much for any bright ideas about New Years resolutions to stay in touch better - dashed before they are started. Not much new there then =)
So Happy New Year to you all - have a good one, and I'll catch up with you again in a fortnight (er, that's 2 weeks time for you N. Americans!)
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