Socially distanced cats - and Lemon Pudding

 Here is the rather scrumptious Lemon Pudding (slightly scorched) which I was persuaded to make the other day.  Here is the recipe:

LEMON PUDDING

Preheat oven to 170 deg. C/325 deg F/Gas mark 3

4oz (100/125g) sugar

2 oz (50g) butter or margarine

1tblspn boiling water

2 oz (50g) plain flour

Juice and grated rind of one large lemon

2 eggs, separated

8 fl oz (225 ml) milk

Cream the sugar and butter, adding the tablespoon of water to make the mixture workable.  Stir in the flour and lemon juice and zest.  Whisk the egg yolks in the milk and add, a little at a time, to the creamed mixture.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture.

Pour the pudding into a buttered 2 pt (1.1 litre) pie dish and stand in a roasting tin half filled with warm water.  Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.  Serve hot on its own or cold with a little cream (or ice cream).  The light topping covers a lemon curd base when cut and is delicious.

    The recipe comes from Farmhouse Cookery (Reader's Digest) - a book I have had for many years.

Here are Sam and Miffy, doing Socially Distanced Hunting in the paddock!

    Sam is being a proper PITA right now.  He is the biggest of all the cats here, and he knows it.  He tries to bully the indoor cats - he knows all about cat flaps and is our weather Barometer as he will come inside when it is the least bit inclement.  He makes sure that he sleeps for a time on every seat/place beloved of the indoor cats, and has been found upstairs on a pair of jeans left on the hall coffer, or a favourite windowseat.  Little Whale and Theo are stressed by this.  Little Whale didn't seem to mind until recently so there must have been a spat in the night and a change in the pecking order and we have had a territory marking in the back hall, which I can well do without.  Girl cats NEVER do this!  All our cats are neutered, but even so, we do not want "calling cards" thank you very much.  We will be glad when we have moved and are just down to the four house cats and Sam stays here.

    Now it is time to put some slap on and go to the PO, and yes, I am vain, or not confident in my skin - I always put some eye makeup on when I go out.  Just makes me feel like me, I suppose.