Winter is here!

This has been a week of freezing, teeth clattering weather.
I guess I shouldn't really complain because even though this week has been cold we had the most perfect weather last week - a summer in the middle of winter.
The owners of our little restaurant came for an official visit yesterday.

This is Danè, the other owner Chis is more camera-shy.

When you live through the day to day happenings, recipes, baking and cooking you tend to forget that this is also a business with books and numbers and things that  must go to the auditors. So the place has been a-buzz with paper work, numbers and computer hours since last week Friday - I'm nursing a head/neck/shoulder-ache/spasm from sitting in front of our computer here in the shop. Note: the chair I'm using is actually a little wooden bedside table with a small cushion on top to brighten up the look - not intended for comfort or hours of sitting on. So last night; after spending most of the weekend to the wee hours in the shop in front of the computer; after the staff had all left and I was finishing up the last things, cleaning the last surfaces, packing away the last cups and saucers, I realised that this might be my favourite time of day in the shop: When all is dark outside, the multitude of little lamps are burning, Jamie Cullum or Frank Sinatra filling the sound waves and I've got the place to myself; finishing up and tidying the shop for the next day - this place has quite the atmosphere - it almost feels like home :)  (maybe I'm spending waaaaaaayyyyyyy too much time here?)

I attempted my very first preserve last week, I didn't want to make marmalade and I didn't want to make a jam, my idea was to preserve sliced oranges in a spicy, sweet syrup to use for desserts, for garnish with other desserts and to plonk on toast when we feel like it. I scoured over recipes for a couple of days, looking for just the right one, but all the recipes I could find was either for Marmalade or whole orange preserve - neither of what I wanted, but I got a good idea of what I DON'T want :)
So I bought 2 pockets of oranges and started the whole process of cutting and soaking for 24 hours, boiling and soaking again for another 12 hours, all the while hoping that it's going to come out the way I intended. Then I added sugar, whole cinnamon, whole star anise and a couple of cloves and boiled and skimmed and boiled and skimmed until the consistency was just right. And I think it came out just wonderfully! I already sold 7 bottles to customers, I poured the syrup over Vanilla ice-cream with a chocolate sauce and I made a Vanilla butter cake and orange preserve trifle to great success (I served it to my bosses yesterday and they enjoyed it thoroughly - yay!) Aaaaaand it takes such nice pictures! Have a look for yourself :)

 And that's it form me for now

Goodbye and good-day!