Forget Nut Cutlets.....

Set up by one of the country’s finest vegetarian chefs, Rachel Demuth’s cookery school has been spreading the word about vegetarian cuisine since 2001 and last year moved into purpose-built premises overlooking Bath Abbey. Situated in the elegant surrounding of a Georgian town house in North Parade Passage, Demuths has carved out a reputation for fine vegetarian dining, winning numerous awards, including most recently Best Vegetarian Restaurant by Gourmet Britain. And Rachel is coming to see us on May 2nd, 8pm, SV Village Hall. Interestingly enough, most of the students that pass through the cookery school are not veggies, so please bring all foodie friends.


May is also when we will vote on whether we agree with the WI's resolution for 2012:
namely:  "The NFWI calls on the Government to increase investment in the training, employment and retention of midwives in England and Wales to ensure services are adequately resourced and are able to
deliver a high standard of care."

White Chocolate & Raspberry Blondies

Heres Mel's prize winning twist on chocolate brownies- thanks for sharing Mel and congrats again!

Ingredients

• 150g white chocolate, broken up
• 200g unsalted butter, diced
• 3 large eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 200g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 150g fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Place the broken chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a pan of steaming water and melt gently, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat thoroughly until mousse-like in texture.
3. Whisk in the chocolate mixture.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder directly onto the mixture and fold in. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
5. Spoon into a prepared tin, spread evenly and level the surface. Scatter the fresh raspberries over the top.
6. Bake at 180ºC/350ºF for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out almost clean.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before cutting and removing. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

We Need Your Baking Skills Again Girls

We have been offered an opportunity to raise some much needed funds for our little ole WI. We've been asked to cater teas/coffees/cake etc at a local Salisbury Running Club event on the morning of Sunday 29 April at Langford Lake. We don't really need volunteers on the day as the committee have stepped up (unless you really want to? see Lyndsey) but we do need a lovely supply of goodies for the 200 runners, their families and 40 marshalls to buy. Wylye Women WI can keep all the proceeds! One or Two Hundred pounds in 2 hours would pay for three great speakers or a WOW Christmas party! And we are hoping to spread the word about our WI to more lovely ladies down the Wylye Valley.

So, please could you flick through your recipes and let Lyndsey know what you can provide. All donations will be gratefully received on Saturday 28th April, as we need to be there setting up by 8am on the Sunday. Thanks in advance for your support x

There is Such a Thing as Too Much Cake

I have just returned from The Wylye Women WI's third birthday party- and I feel a little bit sick!

As expected our members excelled themselves with their baked offerings. It was tough but I tasted every one - isnt it obligatory?! Our winner was Melanie Lee, with an amazing raspberry and white chocolate brownie- I am getting the recipe and will post it here asap. Mel was awarded with a prize kindly donated by Ali Brown, our local consultant for Pampered Chef.http://www.pamperedchef.biz/alibrown

We also had a Cupcake Decorating Masterclass with Juliet Hunt from Sweet Hearts http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Hearts-by-Juliet/178537612200522

So there'll be no excuse for shop bought offerings next time the kids' school has a bake sale!

Next month we have a real treat- we have invited Rachel and Helen from the Cookery School at award winning Demuths Vegetarian Restaurant in Bath who will create some delicious veggie dishes for us to taste.... We do love a foodie meeting! All welcome 8pm at SV Hall on Wed 2nd May.

Happy Birthday to Us!

The Wylye Women WI is 3 in April and that means birthday cake! (and a drop of fizz!)

We know many of you are dab hands at the stove and so April is when we don our pinnies and bring along some of our best baked goodies. We will eat hunks of gateaux, swap recipes and vote for our favourite - it'll be tough but we'll taste every one!

Please bring along a plate of your most requested recipe or always successful cake/tart/biscuits etc.  for a bake off taste test extravaganza. Please also bring along a copy of the recipe so we can share our baking wisdom.  There will be a prize for the entry judged to be most popular on the night.

If you are not a baker this is the time to pick up some foolproof recipes- bring a notebook and pen!

And kitchen diva or not, we will all benefit from a Cupcake Decorating Masterclass with Juliet Hunt from Sweet Hearts http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Hearts-by-Juliet/178537612200522

So there'll be no excuse for shop bought offerings next time the kids' school has a bake sale!

See you there!

March Meeting

Here is the result from our Bunting Workshop led by Gaynor from Millie Moon.  Our bunting will be proudly hung at WI events, high days and holidays - and a village fete near you! Worthy of the Queens own tea party, I'm sure you'll agree.

A Bunting We Will go

This Wednesday's event (8 pm: 7th March) will be led by Gaynor from Millie Moon in Frome, where these courses are extremly popular. In true eco-style this is a great opportunity to recycle any lovely cotton remnants you might have or be able to collect over the next few weeks.

We will be creating a Wylye Women WI Bunting that we can use at future events, high days and holidays. You will each make one pennant towards it, so please bring a good stash of cotton fabric (but not Velvet, Cord or thicker curtain fabrics please). The triangles measure 160cmx220cm. Willing sewers needed!

Once you have the skills you will be able to make your own at home. There will be bunting everywhere!

Please also bring along a sewing machine if you have one. If they can be set up to have white cotton and bobbins that would help, we will also need fabric scissors and pins and extension cables if you have. Thanks in advance.

March is also our AGM- This AGM is very important as we see our current President, Lyndsey and our Treasurer, Melissa, as well as several of the current committee step down from their roles after three years of service and an exciting new committee will be born!  So we need YOUR help now to keep this WI alive! If you think you might like to find out more, please mention it to the girls, have a chat over a cup of tea and find out that it really isn't a big ask. Committee meetings are usually held in member’s homes and are quite informal – so if you can ignore the dust, don’t mind sitting on the floor and enjoy a catch up with the girls (often with a glass of wine) you'll be very welcome!