The Kitchen Calls...

Oh yes it does, to everyone in our family! But this title is also the name of my friend Sherri B's new blog, which she's set up especially to host a recipe competition. You probably know Sherri as the owner of that great washing line in Washington State, or at least that's how I think of her on her regular blog Little House in Paradise. But as well as hanging out the laundry, thrifting and keeping chickens, Sherri also cooks, and has decided to offer this prize for her recipe competition: Ohh, yummy!
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Sherri has kindly agreed to include people without blogs in her competition - email your recipe and photo to her - and so this first entry comes from my very own Son 1.

Very Traditional British Spotted Dick

A pudding for 4-6 people

225g/half pound of self-raising flour
quarter teaspoon salt
75g/3oz/ shredded suet (you can buy vegetarian, or even substitute butter or margerine)
75g/3oz sugar
100175g/ 6oz currants (but we used raisins)
150ml/quarter pint milk (or milk and water mixed)
caster sugar for dusting

In a bowl, sieve the flour and salt together and stir in the sugar, suet and currants. Mix to a soft consistency with the liquid. Shape on a floured board into a roll. Have ready a large saucepan of boiling water and a floured cloth. Wrap the suet pastry in a well-greased piece of greaseproof paper, then in the cloth, tying both the ends with string but leaving enough room for the pudding to expand during cooking.
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Lower the pudding into the boiling water and allow to simmer gently for one and a half hours - top up with more boiling water if necessary, but do not let the water go off the simmer.
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Unwrap carefully and serve in slices with a sprinkling of sugar and a white sauce or vanilla custard.
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Angela tells me this cooks very quickly in a microwave, but we don't have one!
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Do enjoy both the recipe and the competition, which I think is going to be great. I think Son 2 will be going for Treacle Tart, not to be outdone on the traditional pudding stakes...