Chest Infection…

Yesterday I mentioned that I felt congested and put it down to the weather. I should have known better. When I opened my bedroom window last night before going to bed, the effort caused me to feel hot and prick with cold perspiration. I sat on my bed with my ceiling fan on for a while and fell asleep to the gentle noise it makes.

This morning I wakened at six and could feel the cold air on my face. I stayed like that for a while and then closed the window. I tested my breathing – that isn’t a thing, it’s seeing if I feel congested. I decided I wasn’t and looked through my emails, and listened to some radio. I fell asleep some time after noon and slept until 3pm. I felt cold and hot to touch, so I’ve started a course of antibiotics. I’m drinking lots and managed a smaller dinner than usual. I’ve opened window and turned the heating off to help reduce my temperature.

It’s a bit of a blow as I have a poetry performance on Tuesday and a medical later in the week. My head is spinning. I should feel better in a couple of days. I will ask my doctor for a course of steroids.

I have to stop minimising my lung’s problems. I need to act as soon as I feel congested so that I don’t get pneumonia. I’ve had that twice after I broke a rib a long time ago and it wasn’t nice at all. At least I feel in charge of my body now, which is definitely a good thing.

Check out the meme at the top of this post. It is very wise.

Instagram: @purbeckpoet

Dairy Free Apple Cake…

I thought I would share a simple, quick recipe which is lovely to eat in autumn due to the mix of spices and olive oil which give it a warmth. I’ve used cups as measure as I wrote it down when I lived in the States, equal to 4oz.

It makes a loaf of 9”x 5”.

• 1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tin
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. (100 g plus 10 g) granulated sugar, plus more for tin
• 2 sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious or Gala
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (100 g) (packed) brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour about 1 Tbsp. oil into a 9×5″ loaf tin and coat bottom and sides with fingertips. Sprinkle granulated sugar onto sides and bottom of pan to lightly coat.

Grate apples, peel and all, on the large holes of a box grater. Gather apples in a clean kitchen towel and wring out excess liquid. You want them as dry as possible when they go into the batter

Whisk cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and ginger in a medium bowl.

Transfer 1/4 tsp. spice mixture to a small bowl; set aside. Add flour and baking powder to remaining spice mixture and whisk to combine.

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl. Continue whisking vigorously until lightened in colour and thickened. Whisking with one hand and pouring with the other, slowly stream 1 cup oil into egg mixture until combined.

Gently fold flour mixture into whipped eggs with a flexible rubber spatula just until combined, taking care not to overmix.

Fluff up grated apples and scatter over batter. Gently fold to incorporate.

Transfer batter to prepared tin; smooth top. Add 2 tsp. granulated sugar to reserved spice mixture and mix to combine. Sprinkle spiced sugar evenly over top of batter.

Bake cake until deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean, 60–70 minutes. Let cake cool in tin. Run a butter knife or offset spatula along edge of cake to loosen and invert onto a plate.

Cake can be made 3 days ahead (the flavour gets slightly more intense each day). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.