Domestic Days and lemon drizzle

I realise that I have been posting about the summer holidays a lot recently and whilst I am inclined to apologise, I also realise that it is not just me whose life is almost on hold during these 7 weeks as normal routines go out of the window.  Better weather does mean washing clothes is easier but then the house gets messier as the children are home (and our garden still isn't done!)

Amidst all the lovely days out and picnics there must also be the mundane domestic days although, whilst I do not relish cleaning and tidying, yesterday, I had a lovely domestic day.  It was a satisfying day of cleaning, clearing, sorting, cooking, baking and crafting; the kind of productive day that makes me wonder why life seems so hard sometimes as clearly those days are attainable.  But then, see, that's why those days are treasured, as they are so few and far between, at least in our household.

Here are a few images from my happy domestic day:

Last weekend we did some feet and hand painting in the garden which left me with a lot of pictures and reluctance to keep them all but guilt over chucking them the day after.  We had folded some hand and foot print ones to make Butterflies so I cut out the shapes created and decided to bring the butterflies to life a little.  I added a straw to create the caterpillar body and threaded some string through it so it could hang.  The children decorated them with sparkly bits stuck down with a glue stick and then threaded buttons and beads onto the hanging string to further pretty them up.  Michael was able to get involved and kept his concentration for longer than usual and the kids love the end result.

I made another Lemon drizzle cake but took pictures this time!  The ingredients are really easy to remember for this and it is my new go to quick cake along with the banana loaf.

225 g self raising flour

225g caster sugar

225g butter

4 eggs

2 lemons (one for the zest in cake, one for juice in drizzle)

Granulated sugar for drizzle

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Gradually add 4 eggs one at a time.

Sieve in the flour and fold.

Add zest of 1 lemon and mix well.

Pour into a grease proof paper lined loaf tin.

Cook for approx 45 mins of 180

Remove from oven once cooked (do the knife test of putting into cake and if it comes out clean it's cooked)

Juice one lemon and add sugar until you reached your preferred consistency.

poke holes through top of cake and pour on the drizzle which should crystallise almost immediately.

Serve and enjoy.

I made this without fully realising that Great British Bake off was starting last night and then it was cake night.  I sat eating cake and watched the new series with the hopefuls making sponge cakes and felt very proud of myself!  This was the desert to a lasagne that I also made last night which is in the bottom left hand corner picture.  

I even managed to fit in an hour of sewing in this domestic day of accomplishment and I am itching to share my make but I will wait until it is finished (however what started out as a cushion may turn into a quilt as I am enjoying it so much!)