That time of year!!

 Christmas!!!!!!! Or rather preparations for it!! With the Pudding all done and in the cupboard maturing nicely, it's time to do the cake!! Before they put the electric up again!!  Last Wednesday I put the brandy in the fruit as per Mary Berry's instructions!!

A mixture of Organic Currents, Sultanas, Raisons, Apricots and Glace Cherries in a quarter of a pint of Organic Brandy and Sherry ( I ran out of Brandy doh!) bit of Orange Zest in there as well, which means I've been eating Organic Oranges at work all week!!

I follow this  Christmas Cake Recipe from the Legend that is Mary Berry, made it for the last few years and it's a cracker, heartily recommend!!! I do take a few liberties, the fruit mix I do is less Currant heavy, I prefer Sultanas and I add in the apricots as well!! The recipe also calls for blanched Almonds, which I forgot to buy!!😏So I put in some chopped Brazils instead!! Also this year I've gone Gluten Free see this post  for the reasons why, Gluten Freedom so I've used Gluten Free flour, in general you need more liquid, it's a bit trial and error, so I've gone with an extra Egg and a bit more Black Treacle, this has worked in ordinary Fruit Cakes so fingers crossed!!

Margie's contribution, apart from licking the bowl, is to construct the grease proof paper lining for the tin, a complex and vital task that I have no patience for!!!

Chopped Nuts

Construction Underway

Dark Muscovado Sugar 

M&S Organic Butter a lucky Ocado swap!

Gluten Free Plain Flour

The Good Stuff put it in all my fruitcakes now shame it's not Organic but can't be left out 😢

Starting the process

Looking good

Adding the fruit in, more fruit than cake!!

Nicely Combined

The results of Margie' efforts, relatively little swearing this year😲

Ready for the Oven

Margie doing the washing up!!

4 hours later and jobs a good un!!! Now to feed with Brandy for a few months, until it's time for the Marzipan and Icing!!
 

If it tastes as good as the raw mixture it will be great and if it tastes as good as the cooked cake smelt it  should be amazing!!!😁 Fingers very much crossed!!!

Dash Round Pulborough Brooks

 With rain forecast for about 11 o'clock Margie and I planned to get up early for our trip out today and we very nearly did!!😏😂 We did at least arrive before 9 o'clock so not all was lost, although me leaving my bins in the car and having to go back for them compounded by Margie looking for her phone, which she'd left at home did delay matters further!😂At least the  Sun was still out, though a chill wind wasn't conducive to good displays of Butterflies so expectations were low!!! Lots of Red Admirals and Peacocks on the Buddleia around the Visitor Center! Couple of Margie's pics below.

Red Admiral and Peacock!

Peacock

Red Admiral

We headed down the Zigzags, few Butterflies about mainly Gatekeepers and the odd Meadow Brown, nice display of Fleabane though!

Gatekeeper by Margie

Fleabane by Margie

No time to waste with the skies darkening we headed to West Mead hide, on the way we found a nice display of Fungi,  some Swallows were hawking over the grass and from the hide we had a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper which was nice!!!

The Fungi doesn't look much but close up it's quite impressive!!

Swallow

View from West Mead Hide by Margie

Margie also spotted a Heron

Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

We powered on, the Highland Cows were safely behind a fence, a flock of Goldfinch, including a few youngsters were seen. There were quite a few more Butterflies in the grassland between West Mead and Winpenny Hide, again mainly Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns but I did winkle out a Small Copper!

Goldfinch

Small Copper

Highland Cow

Margie amused herself with some flowers

and got arty with some Grass!

Hunk alert!! I know I forgot the C at the front!!😀Would like to point out I am safely on the path here and it's just the angle of the pic that makes it look like I've gone rogue!!

Winpenny hide was mainly quiet, a few distant Lapwings and an active flock of Starlings pretty much all that was noted, though we were only in there a few minutes!!

A view from Winpenny by Margie

A view from Winpenny with a Heron by Margie

Zoomed in Heron by Margie

We walked around to the Hanger, nice Green-veined White Butterfly on the way, from the Hangar there were a few Waders on the Brooks mainly Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings  and what after much humming and hahing  I decided was a Common Redshank!

On the way to the Hangar by Margie

Random Flowers

Green-veined White

Not sure, maybe a Meadow Brown

View from the Hangar

The Hanger Robin by Margie

Looking a bit knackered, been a difficult breeding season perhaps!!😂

Black-tailed Godwit

Redshank, I think

Great Tit also looking a bit worn out

Lapwing!

With the weather closing in we continued back to the Visitor Center, stopping only when  Margie thought she heard a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, very pleased with herself when the birds appeared!!!! 

Archway by Margie

Meadow Brown by Margie

Webby thing by Margie 

Long-tailed Tit

We made it back by the skin of our teeth, the rain starting as we pulled away in the car!! An enjoyable if  a bit rushed walk around!!