April sunshine

The sun has been shining the last few days.  It feels like spring is finally here!  We've been busy in the garden, it's so overgrown.  There has been plenty of rain and mild weather from autumn through winter and it shows.  Springy, green branches are reaching high, seeking the warmth of the sun.  We've been cutting back, digging and planting.  It's only a small garden, but there's so much to do!  I call it my little 'pizza slice', because of its shape.  Yesterday I finally put some mangetout and beans in the ground.  Boy helped me and we built a new defence against the slugs.  A few years ago we built an elaborate slug defence system, but they still grated our seedlings down to the ground within days.  So there was great excitement this morning that the beans were still there, no holes in the leaves!  This time we scattered dried cypress needles all around the little plants, fingers crossed.  The rhubarb however is a dream.  It's an easy, no fuss plant. Ours is in its third year and juicy pink stalks are appearing already.  If we had more space I'd plant another one!

I made meringue for the first time.  31 years old and I had never made meringue before.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  It's amazing the amount of meringue you get from just 4 egg whites.  

*Meringue: in a clean metal bowl beat 4 egg whites, once you have soft peaks slowly add 1 cup of white sugar whilst still beating the eggs.  Fold in a teaspoon of white vinegar and half a spoon of corn flour, using a plastic spatula.  Gently put the mixture on to a tray with baking paper and bake for 1h15 on 140 degrees Celsius.  Let the meringue cool down in the oven with the door open a little. Decorate at will with cream and fruit.  Sit back and enjoy this sugary goodness in the sunshine!*