Contemplation and celebration in this week's Heyday Friday newsletter
Reflecting on something that happened, sharing something I made, loving something I watched and appreciating someone's adventures in your newsletter this week
Before we begin, I just want to say a huge thank for your generous response to my subscriber message last week. I really am enormously grateful to those of you who signed up to be paid subscribers and support the work I do here at Heydays. What a lovely lot you are!
Something happened a few days ago in one of my favourite happy places that prompted the thoughts I share in week’s blog.
The place was the glorious ladies pond on Hampstead Heath
but what happened there made me initially angry, then sad and disappointed. Find out what it was, and why, in spite of it, I’m still determinedly optimistic, by CLICKING HERE
It was American Swimmer Dara Torres who, after competing in the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 45, said these
WORDS OF WISDOM
but you’ll find they’re also surprisingly pertinent to THIS WEEK’S BLOG
John and Sparks (that’s not a typo) are two Heydayers who love the water too. Tho’ they prefer to be on it, rather than in it.
Read their its-never-too-late-to-have-adventures story HERE
It was the Jewish New Year last weekend, a time when it’s traditional for us to bake honey cake to wish each other a sweet new year. I’ve tried various recipes over the years, but keep coming back to this one because it’s so reliably moist, foolproof and utterly delicious. It comes from a website called BUILDING FEASTS which is hosted by Hannah who’s a friend of mine (that’s not why I’m recommending it, honest!), and which is packed with equally scrummy, easy-to-follow recipes.
HONEY CAKE
This amount will make two loaf cakes, or one large round one.
Preheat the oven to 180C, 360F
Grease and line the cake tin/s
In a large bowl whisk together 440g (3 1/2 cups) plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice
In another large bowl mix together 250 ml ( 1 cup) vegetable oil, 175g (1/2 cup) honey, 175g (1/2 cup) golden syrup, 300g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar, 100g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 180ml (3/4 cup) orange juice and then add 250ml (1 cup) freshly brewed coffee (or strong tea)
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, mixing with a strong whisk or wooden spoon and combine until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Put the cake(s) on a baking sheet in the oven and bake loaf tins for 40-45 minutes, or the bigger cake for 55-65 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed. As the batter is liquidy it may take extra time, depending on your oven.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
While the cake is cooling, mix together the 60g (1/2 cup) icing sugar, sifted, 1 tbsp honey and 1-3 tsp hot water depending on how thin you want it. When the cake is still warm, trickle, spoon or brush the glaze over the cake.
The great thing about honey cake (other than how yummy it is) is that it keeps really well for several days wrapped up in an airtight container.
THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN…..WATCHING
Oh my goodness but I LOVE Sort Your Life Out!
Back for its third series, this is a makeover show where families drowning in clutter are rescued by a team of experts led by presenter and DIY/crafting goddess Stacey Solomon (that’s her in green in the pic). There’s master carpenter Rob (right), cleaning wiz Iwan (left) and organiser par-excellence Dilly. Together the foursome take on the challenge of transforming one family’s chaotic home over the course of just one week.
So far, so fairly run-of-the-mill, you might say. But SYLO has a couple of secret weapons when it comes to compulsive watching. The first is Stacey herself. If you can find another presenter more brim full of joyously contagious enthusiasm, and beguiling warmth and humour, I’d like to know who they are. Combine that with kindness, empathy and sensitivity (there are emotional moments aplenty in every episode, and often tear-jerking stories behind the accumulation of items) and you have the irresistible beating heart of the show.
Then there’s the show-stopper element of each episode when every one of the family’s enormous collection of possessions is laid out on the floor of a vast warehouse. It’s a sight that’s never less than soberingly staggering.
They’re then tasked with discarding at least half over the course of two demanding days, physically and emotionally, and putting the unwanted items in piles to donate, sell or recycle, with the help of Stacey on one day and Dilly the next. Meanwhile the rest of the team go about cleaning and restoring their house to newly organised and redecorated order. The result is revealed to the family, with predictably emotional reactions, just seven days after they first opened their door to the team.
I’m wrung out and exhausted after every episode, but, like all the best makeover shows - and this is definitely one of them - elated and amazed at the transformation its possible to achieve.
You can watch the first two episodes of series 3 of SORT YOUR LIFE OUT (they’re only released weekly), and all of series 1 and 2 on BBC iPlayer
And see the trailer for series 3 HERE
I’m not sure this
FRIDAY FUNNY
would impress Stacy and the team, but I like it!
I’m feeling a strange urge to tidy something up now. But I might just have a cuppa and a slice of honey cake first.
Have a lovely week and see you next time.