Happy New Year!

I've been a bit of a slacker with blogging lately. Life has been quite busy and I've really lacked much motivation to be honest. But it's a New Year so what better time to try and find some get up and go! (not that I have much today thanks to endless fireworks at midnight but I digress)

So first of all I hope that Christmas and New Year was kind, happy and full of all you wanted, and that 2013 brings everything you want!

I am not really one for resolutions. I am not the best at keeping them! But this year I am hoping to be a bit better at all the things I want to be: better with budgetting, better with home cooking, more productive on the making front.

I'd also like to be better at sharing things. I take lots of pictures (where would I be without my FB SII phone??) so I intend to share these more often. I can also easily blog from my phone and I'm not sure why I don't!  Initially I wanted to share a picture a day with you all, but I know that won't happen. Life gets in the way. So instead I will just share more often and I'm happy with that.

On the home front I am lucky to possess lots of cook books which I often sit and flick through but rarely cook from. I need to change that, otherwise why do I have them? This morning reading through a Nigella book I came across this recipe for Sunshine Soup. It is basically a simple pepper and sweetcorn soup but it looks filling and comforting especially when you look out of the window and see all the grey skies and rain we've had recently. I don't have any peppers in my fridge but I do have sweetcorn and a bag full if spuds. So I am inspired to make sweetcorn and potato soup for tea, with a hint of chilli to spice it up.

I hope you have a lovely day with your families and for those who are working I hope its a peaceful one.

Til next time.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas is coming!

Now that Caoimhe is at school nursery I'm looking forward to all the Christmassy things she'll be doing. They are currently practising for the nativity play (it's top secret and she won't tell me anything about it other than that she will be singing something!) and I can't wait to watch her with her friends from nursery and reception..... Surely one of the nicest things about being a parent is watching your kids take part in a school event. And yes, I am definitely going to cry!

The children have also been preparing for the school fair later this week, and we were asked to make some things for the school to sell, namely a cracker with a small gift inside and a 'jumble jar'. Of course the children are supposed to make them themselves but obviously 4yr olds will need some help. Caoimhe helped me to collect the things together for the jumble jar, some bobbles, key rings, sweets and obviously there had to be some crafty things in there too, so I added some glitter and some gold and silver pens. I decorated the top with some Christmas wrapping paper and ribbon. We will make the cracker this week and I'm sure Caoimhe will enjoy helping me to decorate it.

The Christmassy prep didn't end there. There has been an afternoon baking with grandma, making Christmas cakes, and Violet the elf has come to stay too... I'm sure there will be more about her visit in future posts.

I'm linking up with Wendy for  Handmade Monday as usual so don't forget to go and have a look at all the other blogs linked up there.

Til next time!

Happy Birthday Flop!

I can't believe it but on Sunday my little girl was 4! Not sure where the time has gone, it seems literally yesterday when I had the biggest shock of my life looking (very disbelievingly) at two pink lines on a little white stick. But here we are and that little shock is now 4 years old!
She has grown into a loving, generous, funny, bright little girl and I am very proud to be her mum.

I wasn't able to make her birthday cake this year, so we had a Haribo cake with lots of candles. Instead we started our family day with home made Herman breakfast muffins (apple and raisin) and the first sit down family breakfast we have shared in a long time thanks to that horrible work place! It was lovely.

On the crafting front I've been a bit of a slacker recently! But I have a few things planned including, of course, family Christmas cards which I'm hoping to make a start in soon. I'll be getting the yarn out soon, too, as well as thinking about some home made gifts for Christmas. Just as soon as I find a few more hours in the day!

I'm linking up with Wendy over on  Handmade Harbour for Handmade Monday so have a wander over. There are some lovely blogs there and I'll definitely be visiting and hoping for a bit of inspiration :)
Til next time!

Wordless Wednesday - Hello Son!

Baking day!

I hope all you mummies (and daddies!) enjoyed the half term holidays with your littlies. What did you get up to? It can be a nightmare organising childcare if you work never mind trying to find things to keep them entertained. So the fact that I am able to work weekends does come in useful. I guess I should think myself lucky for that.

Himself had a week off too, and it was so nice to be able to spend time together as a family. We had several days out planned and even though the weather wasn't great, it didn't really spoil anything.

As well as the trip to the museum, soft play (I was more shattered than the kids on that one, chasing round after a fearless Teaghan!) and a very poorly considered trip to the Trafford Centre (really, in half term, what were we thinking!) we had some fun at home with a couple of jars of mincemeat.

If you thought that mince pies were all you could make with mincemeat then do yourself a favour and let your imagination run. It is actually quite versatile, as I have found over the last few years. By far the favourite use of it has been to add a few generous tablespoons to pancake mix to make christmassy pancakes, delicious with vanilla cream or ice cream. If you're keen to try this (and please do, you won't be disappointed!) then might I suggest using a thick American style recipe for the pancakes and not thin pancakes. Although the mincement would make a lively filling if warmed a little rolled up in flippy pancakes as Caoimhe calls them. Mmm might have to try they. Watch this space!

This year I attempted my first lattice mince pie,  which Himself declared as delicious. But easily the biggest hit was when I introduced mincemeat to Herman. Ok you know me well enough by now so I bet you saw that coming didn't you!

For the benefit of my good friend Sharon (you can find her fab blog Chasing Art  here ) here's the recipe.

To 1cup of Herman starter add 2 cups of plain flour, 1cup of sugar, 2heaped teaspoons baking powder, sprinkle of salt, generous teaspoon of mixed spice, 2 eggs and 2/3 cup of oil.

When all are combined, and as with all muffin batter don't go mad beating it, a few lumps are not only acceptable but necessary in my experience!, add the mincemeat. You can add as much as you want according to your taste. I started with 4 very generous tablespoons, although did add slightly more for the second batch. After mixing in you can add a chopped apple, which I have found to be a necessary addition to all my Herman cakes so far.

The batter will make 12 muffins or 2 1lb loaves. Or a mixture of the 2. Bake at 200c for 25 min for the muffins and 35-40 for the loaves. You may need to cover the loaves towards the end of cooking as they may burn.

As it's Monday don't forget to get yourself over to Wendy's blog for  handmade Monday and I hope you all have a fab week.

Til next time!

Missing in Action

It's been too many weeks since my last blog post. This working only weekends malarky is definitely having a negative effect as I just don't seem to have time to blog at the mo. I don't have the energy when I come home from work and now I do the nursery run 5 times a week as well as all the other things I try to fit in time just seems to disappear. I am in awe of mums with small kids who get everything done. How do you do it??!

I have had a little time to make over the last couple of weeks. We have made Herman (of course!) blueberry and apple muffins, I've made a couple of cards and Caoimhe carved an ace pumpkin with her Auntie. We also got a papier mache pumpkin and Caoimhe enjoyed painting that with Grandma, as well as going to Ashton library with daddy to make a lantern for Diwali. There was a disappointing turn out for the latter apparently. Much a shame as we will lose these services if we are not careful. Our local library service holds a fair few events for children and we do try to go. Obviously it's not easy especially when you have to squeeze so many things in but lots of these events are free and lots of fun for the kids too. It would be a huge loss if they stopped offering them. At least I think so!

As it's Monday I'd like to give a huge shoutout to Wendy at Handmade Harbour for the weekly bloghop. I've not been able to read many blogs recently but really hope to remedy that as I feel I've been missing out!

Also I'd like to mention ATCs with attitude, a challenge blog for tiny pieces of art that are very addictive!

That's all for now! Am blogging from my phone today and this will be my 3rd attempt at publishing so wish me luck!

Til next time!

ps the links seem to have appeared at the bottom of my post today and I can't put it right! But here they are:

 Handmade Harbour  handmade harbour  ATCs with Attitude