A year ago I set up Tea Club. A monthly gathering of women from my housing development loosely hanging around the premise of drinking tea and sharing cakes but more about company and conversation. London can be a lonely place.
With Deborah Montlake
When I first moved to London from a tiny village where everyone knew everyone I was nervous. I'd heard that in London no one spoke to each other, that people existed in their own bubbles and smiling at each other was frowned upon. Back then if you had told me I'd one day live on a London housing development which had it's own summer fete, Christmas carol gathering and which fought all its battles as one I wouldn't have believed you. And I definitely wouldn't have believed in community powerhouses like Deborah who has been integral to all the things that make me love living here.
I always bake my fail-safe for Tea Club, carrot cake with honey cream cheese icing. I've perfected it and its tasty so I can rustle one up fairly painlessly when the monthly event swings around. Other than this cake my baking tends to be a fail. So when Deborah told me she could teach me to make an easy pineapple upside down cake, a favourite of mine at school, I jumped at the chance.
It was a fairly idiot proof recipe and with Deborah's help it was in the oven in no time. The final item was delicious. Perhaps one to pull out from the repertoire more regularly.
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