We finally got our picture rail and prints from Casa Batlló up! We also installed the NUD light an Tord Boontje Garland, but the garland is a bit too small in this space so I’m off to hunt for a new one to add to the existing one. It’s starting to feel like home here… (Taken with instagram) Note: @Jelloworld. It’s a perfect gift if you need to post it as it’s really flat! And thank you for the lovely comments!  

We finally got our picture rail and prints from Casa Batlló up! We also installed the NUD light an Tord Boontje Garland, but the garland is a bit too small in this space so I’m off to hunt for a new one to add to the existing one. It’s starting to feel like home here… (Taken with instagram)

Note: @Jelloworld. It’s a perfect gift if you need to post it as it’s really flat! And thank you for the lovely comments!  

Permalink

I’m supposed to be walking around the Lavaux Vineyards quaffing grape based alcoholic drinks, but Husbands allergies have kicked up so we’re eating BBQ ribs and green garden salad along with pear cider on the balcony. A fairly reasonable compromise.

I’m supposed to be walking around the Lavaux Vineyards quaffing grape based alcoholic drinks, but Husbands allergies have kicked up so we’re eating BBQ ribs and green garden salad along with pear cider on the balcony. A fairly reasonable compromise.

Permalink

WPCoder.com, the finale

So I’ve finally had contact from WPCoder (www.wpcoder.com). The first in 3 weeks. They’ve settled the PayPal claim I had against them and have refunded my deposit.

They didn’t tell me why they’ve messed me around and have wasted 3 weeks of my time. They only gave a perfuctory apology and my money back.

I’m very glad I’ve my deposit back so I can hire another coder.

Though I’d really have preferred to have my website.

Permalink

We’re nearing the end of a long, long weekend here in Lausanne. Thursday was Ascension day and my husbands employer gave them Friday off as well. Meaning that I’ve had a playmate for four days! Thursday consisted of sleeping in, discovering it was sunny outside and heading to the lakeside for about 6 hours of coffee, lunch and languid lazing about- resulting in much relaxation and quite a fabulously uneven case of sunburn! To end the day I made a batch of Lemon Sabayon over a layer of gluten free sponge for a dinner at my lovely friend Jo’s on Friday night (it needs time to set). For dinner, Jo made us a decadently delicious meal consisting of an apero then a raspberry, walnut, roquefort and apple salad and spicy chicken roasted with beans wrapped in prosciutto. It was delicious. We had a fabulous evening with much laughter, fabulous food and great company. I contributed to dessert and took individual portions of the Sabayon to dinner in Weck glasses, served with fresh raspberries. I put the one in the photo together with the remaining sabayon and sponge. We ate it last night, but by this stage the sponge was getting a little dry. So I’d recommend polishing it off quicker than we did! But without further ado, here is the recipe I used to create these little pots of creamy citron! Little pots of Lemon Sabayon and Gluten Free Vanilla Sponge (Makes 6 -8 depending on the size) Lemon Sabayon Ingredients 2 large eggs, cold 2 large egg yolks, cold 3/4 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of lemon juice 170 grams of cold unsalted butter chopped into 6 pieces  Gluten free Vanilla Sponge Ingredients 2 eggs 65 grams of Schar Mix Patisserie C 65 grams of vanilla sugar (I keep my white sugar with a couple of vanilla beans I have used previously to infuse the sugar with the light scent and flavour of the vanilla) Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. To make the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Then carefully fold in the flour mix doing your best not to stir too much so as to keep as much air in the batter as possible. I then put a small amount of batter into each Weck glass as they’re oven proof. You may want to cook the batter in a cake tin and then cut them to size if you’re assembling them in pretty tea cups! I’d be devastated if I’d destroyed one of mine. Remember that the batter almost doubles in size in the oven! So you really only need a little in each. Cook until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For mine this was only about 8 minutes, but this very much depends on the size of the vessel your cooking in. Remove from oven and allow to cool. For the Sabayon, you need to put a pot of water with about 5 centimeters of water on to boil. Take a large metal bowl that will sit comfortably on the top of your pot and whilst your water is heating, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until smooth. When you’ve got your water simmering nicely, place your metal bowl over the top and start whisking (you’ll give your arms a workout on this recipe!). Make sure to continually turn your bowl or you may find that your egg mixture starts to cook to the bottom of the bowl. When your egg mixture is foamy and has thickened, add a quarter of your lemon juice and continue whisking until your mixture thickens up again. Repeat 3 times until you have used all of your lemon juice. Continue whisking until the egg mix is light and thick. You’ll know it’s done when your mix starts to ribbon when you lift your whisk out of the batter (it leaves a ribbon on the top of your mix that takes a little time to disappear). Turn off the heat and add your butter a piece at a time, mixing in well after each piece. Your mix will be a little less thick, but don’t panic it will set in the fridge. Pour your lemon sabayon over your now cool sponge. Place in the fridge and allow to set for at least 4 hours (over night is preferred). I brûlée the top of my Sabayon for a little extra colour. You can do this with either a kitchen blowtorch or your grill (but make sure that your sabayon container can handle being under a grill!) It colours quickly so keep an careful eye on it. Serve with your favourite berries et voila! You have a decadent but very light Spring dessert!

We’re nearing the end of a long, long weekend here in Lausanne. Thursday was Ascension day and my husbands employer gave them Friday off as well. Meaning that I’ve had a playmate for four days!

Thursday consisted of sleeping in, discovering it was sunny outside and heading to the lakeside for about 6 hours of coffee, lunch and languid lazing about- resulting in much relaxation and quite a fabulously uneven case of sunburn!

To end the day I made a batch of Lemon Sabayon over a layer of gluten free sponge for a dinner at my lovely friend Jo’s on Friday night (it needs time to set).

For dinner, Jo made us a decadently delicious meal consisting of an apero then a raspberry, walnut, roquefort and apple salad and spicy chicken roasted with beans wrapped in prosciutto. It was delicious. We had a fabulous evening with much laughter, fabulous food and great company.

I contributed to dessert and took individual portions of the Sabayon to dinner in Weck glasses, served with fresh raspberries. I put the one in the photo together with the remaining sabayon and sponge. We ate it last night, but by this stage the sponge was getting a little dry. So I’d recommend polishing it off quicker than we did!

But without further ado, here is the recipe I used to create these little pots of creamy citron!

Little pots of Lemon Sabayon and Gluten Free Vanilla Sponge

(Makes 6 -8 depending on the size)

Lemon Sabayon Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, cold
  • 2 large egg yolks, cold
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of lemon juice
  • 170 grams of cold unsalted butter chopped into 6 pieces 

Gluten free Vanilla Sponge Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 65 grams of Schar Mix Patisserie C
  • 65 grams of vanilla sugar (I keep my white sugar with a couple of vanilla beans I have used previously to infuse the sugar with the light scent and flavour of the vanilla)

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. To make the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Then carefully fold in the flour mix doing your best not to stir too much so as to keep as much air in the batter as possible.

I then put a small amount of batter into each Weck glass as they’re oven proof. You may want to cook the batter in a cake tin and then cut them to size if you’re assembling them in pretty tea cups! I’d be devastated if I’d destroyed one of mine. Remember that the batter almost doubles in size in the oven! So you really only need a little in each.

Cook until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For mine this was only about 8 minutes, but this very much depends on the size of the vessel your cooking in.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the Sabayon, you need to put a pot of water with about 5 centimeters of water on to boil. Take a large metal bowl that will sit comfortably on the top of your pot and whilst your water is heating, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until smooth.

When you’ve got your water simmering nicely, place your metal bowl over the top and start whisking (you’ll give your arms a workout on this recipe!). Make sure to continually turn your bowl or you may find that your egg mixture starts to cook to the bottom of the bowl.

When your egg mixture is foamy and has thickened, add a quarter of your lemon juice and continue whisking until your mixture thickens up again. Repeat 3 times until you have used all of your lemon juice.

Continue whisking until the egg mix is light and thick. You’ll know it’s done when your mix starts to ribbon when you lift your whisk out of the batter (it leaves a ribbon on the top of your mix that takes a little time to disappear).

Turn off the heat and add your butter a piece at a time, mixing in well after each piece. Your mix will be a little less thick, but don’t panic it will set in the fridge.

Pour your lemon sabayon over your now cool sponge. Place in the fridge and allow to set for at least 4 hours (over night is preferred).

I brûlée the top of my Sabayon for a little extra colour. You can do this with either a kitchen blowtorch or your grill (but make sure that your sabayon container can handle being under a grill!) It colours quickly so keep an careful eye on it.

Serve with your favourite berries et voila! You have a decadent but very light Spring dessert!

Permalink

Ramblings: I’m currently living in a snow dome.

Currently my life seems to be doing the ‘snow dome dance’. Parts of it are locked down and stable, but everything else is flying about with reckless abandon whilst we try to wait patiently and see where the pieces land.

 I shan’t go into details and bore you all. Suffice to say everything’s contained. The really important stuff is still in place and strong, but everything else that could be in the air… is. 

We’re confident that the clouds on the horizon have platinum linings. But uncertainty is always destabilising.

We’ve been in this situation a number of times before. All it takes is patience as we wait for the pieces to settle to the ground, to assess the resulting new circumstances, adjust accordingly, and then hold on tight as life jettisons off at speed. It’s always been somewhere interesting, challenging and exciting.

I just have to be patient.

I’m hopeless at being patient.

Is your life ‘snow-globing’ too? Are you enjoying the ride?

Permalink