getting ready...

Not much to report on today as it was a day at home having a bake-a-thon in readiness for the Wimbledon Tea which I am doing for Mum and Dad and Di and Rob tomorrow when they come up to watch the men's final which has turned out to be a less than trilling prospect - Federer v Cilic - not the game we would have hoped for.  So with temperatures at a million degrees or thereabouts I chained myself to the kitchen.  I am in awe and total wonder-ment as to how Louise Rance provided such an exquisite afternoon tea here almost a year ago catering for about 40 people - I am catering for 6 and am struggling.

I started by getting the table partially laid and I have to admit it is lovely to get out my cake plates and cake knife and all the lovely bits and pieces that make up an afternoon tea.

Armed with my list I started to tick off all the things I planned to provide.  We would have the statutory welcoming glass (or two) of Pimms - check! and there would be strawberries because mum had sold her kidney off on the internet to get some here as they are sooooo out of season - check! and I had managed to locate and purchase some half decent pork pies - check!  John was despatched up to my friend Tanya in the village for some of her lovely eggs and my bakers dozen included one where she wants me to photograph the contents because it could just be large, could be a double yolker or could be an egg within an egg!

I didn't think I would have time to make the scones in the morning - shame as they are always best fresh but opted for a Paul Holywood recipe for light and fluffy scones which was pretty complicated and included the addition of yoghurt but I thought he ought to know how to make a fluffy scone - apparently he doesn't as these turned out to be more like stones than scones (Dad's verdict and sadly also mine).

I did make some pastry - which is rare and actually easy - don't know why I buy frozen really other than convenience and out of the bowels of the fridge found some cheese, onion and apple and made a very passable flan type thing - in fact my taster in chief was so impressed I thought he was going to tell me not to offer it up for general consumption.

All the fillings for the sandwiches have been prepared - the bread remains reasonably fresh and I have a plan in place for tomorrow.  Mum and Dad will come up after brunch and Di and Rob will come for the tennis.

I was officially hot and bothered by the end of the day so John and I had a late night swim and went to bed with a refreshing chill on our skins - it didn't last long and I had a fitful night's sleep with lots of 'stuff' running through my head.