The bake

In my last post, I mentioned I loved to bake with the flavour combination of blueberry and lemon to welcome spring. Well, the truth is, I also think lemon does just fine as a flavour on its own. For many years, I’d gotten into a habit of making lemon squares for our family Easter get-together. That get-together didn’t happen this year (just like it didn’t happen last year, either) thanks to the pandemic, but, as the holiday came and went, I realized there was no reason I couldn’t make some lemony treats anyway.

In the past, I’ve made lemon squares using various recipes I’ve found online or in magazines. But this time I used a recipe a friend sent me a little earlier this year. She’d mentioned that she’d been baking a lot of lemon squares during the pandemic, and I figured she must have a tried-and-true recipe if she kept making them. She sent it over to me in Word document. I made them for the first time this weekend, and they turned out great! Both the crust and filling were a wonderful texture and the flavour was tangy and not too sweet. I will be adding the recipe into my regular baking rotation.

The book

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but, when I do, my favourite books are those true stories that are stranger than fiction. I heard about The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale several months ago and have been eagerly awaiting its release. And now I’ve got my hands on a copy. This book centres around Alma Fielding, a woman in living with her husband, son, and a lodger in suburban London in the 1930s. When Alma and the others start to notice china, eggs, and other items start flying off the shelves and tables, Alma calls the newspaper because she knows the cops are going to help. After the story makes headlines, a ghost hunter arrives to investigate. This has all happened within the first couple of chapters. The book jacket says the ghost hunter uncovers the case is stranger than it seems. I mean, it seems pretty damn strange right now, doesn’t it? I cannot wait to see how it gets stranger. I love a good ghost story. Good thing I’ve got those lemon squares; I think I’ll need them and a cup of tea to provide some comfort as I read on.