8oz caster sugar

with 8oz best butter, 4 beautifully fresh eggs (my boss has the hens), 8oz sifted SR flour with 1 lg tsp baking powder, coffee essence and some chopped walnuts go to make a very yummy coffee & walnut cake for Beryl's Birthday at work tomorrow - I have also made a lemon drizzle cake and some Rocky Road. B is 66 (shhhhhh) tomorrow but still quite a bit younger than me. (Oh by the way we take it in turns to provide cakes for birthdays at work - the young ones seem to buy them from the WI cake stall but us oldies still slave over a hot stove!!! After today I think the young ones have the right idea.)

I have enjoyed a busy day off today, instead of Monday, and apart from baking, which I don't do very often due to children leaving home yonks ago and most grandchildren living in all corners of the globe, except ours and waistlines etc, I have done essential household jobs and helped Mr. T with hedge cutting and clearing up.

It has been a lovely bright Autumn day and I had hoped to visit a Nature Reserve not too far away but it got late so I had a quick turn down the canal towpath. Said hello to CJ (cob swan) who was ever hopeful of some titbits, which I forgot to bring him. I have one or two nice shots of CJ but thought as I had spent most of the day in the kitchen the sugar should win the day.

Got to go and ice the C&W cake and tidy up the kitchen, which looks like a bomb has hit it!