Thursday 31 October 2013

Reasons To Be Cheerful...... Kitchens and seasons.

I was prompted to write a post as I had read one by my neice over at the syders and thought it was a nice idea. I have a few things to be cheerful about this week.
First my much wanted kitchen is starting to take shape. Its hard to be cheerful as well as the whole house is chaos while my kitchen gets done, but I can put up with it.


I am very grateful that I have a husband who can do this work, so saving a huge amount of money. I can't wait to have it all done and be tidy again, but it will be worth the wait.

I am also looking forward to next month as I am going to be a godmother again! The last time was when I was around 13 years old and that was for my niece. This time it is my best friend Sue's daughters daughter lol and I am so pleased to have been asked.  Sue is a friend but I have always thought of her and her girls as family. It is a great honour to be a god parent and I have and will take it very seriously in the future.

Last thing is the season. I am not a fan of hot weather and I love the autumn and winter, I love to be warm and cozy. I love to see the beautiful colours of the leaves and the crisp air on a autumn morning. I could not imagine what it would be like not to have the seasons we have in the UK. For me when the temps drop it makes me very cheerful lol. I know snow is a pain but you can't beat being cheerful when the first snow fall comes, it always makes me happy . Everywhere looks so white and clean.




So I hope you have some lovely reasons this week I know I do.






Tuesday 29 October 2013

New Kitchen part two

So the kitchen is progressing but a little slowly . The problem is my hubbie is working alone and I can't do anything at all to help. He has some cupboards up on one side and I have put my things in just temp for now. I looked at all the  stuff and wonder how I ever got it in the old kitchen. We have been held up a little this week, and for the next two days I have a new hot water boiler going in.
I am very excited but I have to admit to being fed up with the amount of dust and lack of kitchen equipment. Who ever thought you would miss a sink and tap so bad lol.

It also did not help this week as we had some bad storms in the south east UK and our power was out for over 11 hours. Not at all fun ! I normally have a gas hob so if the power is out I can at least make tea or some soup. So no gas no hot drink or food, boy did I miss my cup of tea! On the plus size it proved the new fridge was working well as none of my food de frosted at all .
So watch this space as I hope by next week to show you even more progress.

New units but still needing doors!

New fridge

Goodbye old water heater

Simple Cake Recipe

Today I thought I would kind of carry on with my cake theme. I have shared some of my decorating tips, and now I am passing on my favourite cake recipe. Its so easy to cook and comes out fab every time.

Ingredients
2  1/2 cups of self raising flour
2  1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup of milk

Method
Put all the things into a bowl and either mix with your mixer or by hand. There is no messing so it is dead easy. Don't over work it !
I just grease and dust with flour my tin or you can line with paper.

This amount will make either two 9 inch cakes or 24 cup cakes.
cook on around 150 for about 1 -1 1/2 hr fir bigger cake and 20 mins for cupcakes but test and make sure your knife comes out clean.

You can leave it like this or add fruit as you want, it always comes out fab.




These are just a couple of cakes I have made with this same cake recipe. I would love to see what you make so please share

Monday 28 October 2013

Sunset




This is a picture if where I live. It was taken by my son Matthew late one summer day. I think the whole picture is so beautiful with the boats, water and lights. Burnham is a mix of the river and countryside , and I really enjoy living here. All my life I wanted to live in the countryside so when I had the chance I jumped on it.  I always feel a great sense of relief when I've been away from Burnham and come home.  I count my blessings and consider myself lucky indeed.



Saturday 26 October 2013

Must you call everything Pat?

I'm a younger child . My older brother is 10 years my senior and it must have been a shock when I arrived. I think the age gap always affected our relationship and we were not close. Then when I was seven I got the sister I'd dreamt about!
My brother met Pat and boy was I happy. She was so pretty and had beautiful clothes , I was totally amazed by her. She was kind and would play and let me do her hair.

I was 10 when they got married and I was so happy.

Pat and Tony's wedding I am the short one !!

 Over the years I had a few pets a bird called ......Pat , a tortoise called ....... pat and a rabbit called Pat. My mum joked that if I carried on I would run out of things to name Pat.
She was always great with me and quickly became my best friend. Later on when my niece Emma arrived I was in seventh heaven. I had always been the baby and now at last I wasn't . I loved her from the first time I went to see her in hospital, and was amazed at all her hair and tiny hands. I had not been around any babies so I was in wonder of this tiny little girl.

Pat had what today would seem old fashioned silver cross pram. It was beautiful in green with a cream inside. Now it would see huge but in those days it was the style and fashion of the day. I loved to see Emma dressed in her best clothes sitting in her pram with matching quilt. The best day for me was when Pat allowed me to take her out alone. I was given the safe talk before leaving and then we set off. I can say for a 12/13 year old I was proud as punch pushing her up the street.

Not long after Emma's brother Sam arrived a dear cute little boy, and my 14 year old self was so happy spending time with them. I would pester my dad to take me to their house so I could sleep over. I must have been there most weekends and school holidays. As they got older we would have so much fun all going out to the park or shops.

Sam and Emma 

We had so many adventure I still smile when I think about it.
Once we went up to a London to a market. We go on the old fashioned London red bus and put the stroller in the space they provided. We sat down with the kids and was chatting about what we had bought and how much fun we had. Suddenly as we went around a corner the stroller fell out and shot off the bus. The bus would not let us off until the next stop. We jumped down babies and bags in our arms, chasing down the road for the stroller. Lucky for us it landed safe and we were able to get in and get back on another bus.

It would take a book to write down everything I did with Pat and I have a huge amount of happy memories which I keep locked in my heart.
Sadly she passed away far to early and when she had so many good things to live for.
She did leave behind a beautiful daughter and sons Sam, Tom, Tony,Ben and Dan .
Gone but not forgotten my angel my Pat!


Wednesday 23 October 2013

Oral B Pro Expert Premium Gum protection toothpaste review

So I was lucky enough to be given a tube of Oral B tooth paste. I suffer with gum problems and have had a few issues in the past. I cant use toothpaste that is too strong as it makes my mouth sore. So having a chance to try it out was great.

Oral-B who are running a Love Your Gums campaign to educate about the importance of healthy gums. Many people don’t know that most people will get gum health issues at some point in their lives and it’s the biggest cause of tooth loss. For women especially during pregnancy, paying attention to gum health is important as research shows that more than 1 in 2 women will develop gum problems during pregnancy such as swollen, bleeding gums. By looking after yours, you promote better overall health and a winning smile.



So I have been using it for a couple of weeks and I am very pleased with it. Nice and thick so you do not lose half from your brush, before it even gets to your mouth. It tastes nice and not too hot which I hate. I do think I am seeing an improvement in my gums and they are looking nice and pink. I will carry on using it and I may report back at a later time to say how I am getting on,

So I am doing this review as part of the Brit mums Love your gums challenge
http://www.britmums.com/2013/09/oralbloveyourgums-challenge

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Tutorial ... simple decorating part 2

So to follow up on my little tutorial on how to cover your Christmas cake , I thought I would try and share a couple of ideas for decorating your cake. As I said before you can either cover in fondant or rough ice in royal icing to get that snow effect.

1. The snowflake

You can buy these fab little cutters which normal come in a set of three different size. I got mine on ebay really cheaply but they can be bought in lots of place.

Snowflake cutters

Roll out your fondant making sure you keep it moving or it will stick. You can dust your work top with powdered sugar or I prefer corn starch as its not so sticky. I don't like it to thin and don't have your fondant too thick as you will not get a clean cut. Press your cutter down and give it a little shift to make sure its cut out ok. You can cut out all different sizes and then you will be ready to put them on your cake. You just need a little water and a paint brush. Do not put too much water on the back as it will make your fondant too wet. Then just stick on as you like. You can even buy food safe glitter if you want more glitz. I made little cakes last year as gifts and they went down very well. 

Little white on white Christmas cakes
Same idea but white on red

Very easy and simple and so quick but they look good.

2. Singing choir boy

This was an idea from a friend ages ago but I thought it was way beyond me. However, having gave it a go it really was fun to make. This one is a bit more work but if you are up for that lets get on !

Ok so we start with the boy's neck ruffle. Its very easy to make from either fondant or I used a product called flower paste or gum paste. Once again you can buy from e bay or you can buy it from cake decorating stores. This sets hard so holds its shape very well, it tastes ok too. If its to hard to get then just use fondant but your ruffle may not hold its form as good.

This is the one I  use but there
are lots around.


So get your self a little ball of the paste or fondant and roll it around until its smooth. It doesn't take long and the smooth you get it the easier it will be to roll out.





Then roll out flat and use a small round cutter to cut out two circles . You then can use a tooth pick or a small paint brush for the next step. Put your tooth pick on the edge or your circle and roll, don't press too hard but keep rolling all around the edge. This will give you a nice frill effect.





Do this on both circles then taking a tiny amount of water stick them together and set to one side. If you want
your two layers to lift up a little try putting tiny bits of foam in between the two layers . You can also just pinch the top layer to make folds.



Now we can make our little choir boy. So you will need fondant again but in red this time. You can use the gum paste if you want but fondant will do. You can buy ready coloured  or colour yourself. I would say its easier with red or black to buy ready made as they are hard colours to make.


Take a small about  Id say a bit about the size of an apple but you can decided how big., and roll till smooth and into a ball. Same as the neck frills. Once its into a ball you can roll a bit at the top to form a pear shape. Make the top flat but don't worry too much. Damp the top and lift your ruffle on. Push down a little in the middle to make a dip.



Make a small ball of fondant for his head. You can make a mouth with the end of your paint brush so it looks like his mouth is open and singing. Damp the top and put the head on.




You can add hair by cutting a little strip and cut into it will scissors. Use a little water and stick it on. Make little bits rolled to add more hair on top .You can add a tiny ball for his nose and little balls for his ears.


When your fondant is dry you can use a food colour pen to just dot in eyes to finish his face off.
So moving onto to his arms. Make two little balls of white. If you use tiny scissors make a little cut then pat the edges so it looks like a thumb, make two.
Then roll out two red sausages not too big. Cut the end so its neat and using water stick the hand onto the arm.




Push down a tiny bit can to make it a little flatter. Wet the back and stick onto the body of your boy. Bent them in so they almost meet.


The song book was just a little bit of fondant which I pinched to make the fold and then brush with tiny amount of water and add into his hands.
This is my finished one.

 I think it would look great to make three and then do the snow effect icing and stand them on top. 
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and you love the cute little boy. Please say if you need anything else explained and I would love to see what you make.

Saturday 19 October 2013

Tutorial for a simple Christmas Cake part One

I not saying I am an expert but I have had a bit of cake decorating practise, so I thought I would share with you.

1. Cover your Cake!

Ok so if its a Christmas cake you will need to cover in marzipan first. You would start by brushing the surface of the cake with apricot jam. One that is really cheap is the best as you need it to be smooth. If it does have bits then run it through a sieve first to get rid of them.

Cake bushed with jam



Set the cake to one side and grab your marzipan. If you are going to use roll out fondant which can be bought in any store these days, you can use any marzipan. If you are going to use royal icing (only attempt this if you are brave or more experienced ) do not use the golden type. This contains oil which can effect your icing colour. Try to keep your marzipan fairly thick and even as you will get a better result .Grab your cake and check there are no little dips or fruit fall as its called. If there is take a little marzipan and fill in the holes. You can also do this around the bottom of the cake if you need it . Put a little icing sugar or corn starch on your hands and smooth the top . Gently work your hands down the sides of the cake but stop before the bottom. Cut off most of the spare marzipan but don't go in too close at first. Then you can start to smooth your sides. If you are getting any folds gently lift or tent the marzipan then smooth. If you take your time it works really it does. once this is done you can cut close to the cake.
Then set the cake to one side in a box or keep it covered for about 24 hrs this allows the marzipan to dry.
If you was making a sponge or Madeira you would not need to put marzipan on first.

Marzipan on cake


If you have made any cake other than fruit you would need to do a couple of different steps.
Start by splitting your cake into two or get your two parts ready for your filling. It could be butter cream or really any filling that you would like. With butter cream you would then go over the surface of the cake but not too heavy and get as smooth as you can. I am not going to lie this is a skill that takes time but it does get easier. It does not have to be perfect really as you are going to cover the cake in fondant. Once you have put this first coat on chill in the fridge for about an hour to set the butter .



Ok so next step cover your cake in fondant. This is easy to buy in any store these days and you can also make your own if you enjoy doing that. There are lots of recipes on the net but I can find one if anyone is really interested. Put icing sugar or corn starch on your work top and open your fondant. Make sure you have plenty as its better to have a nice thick layer rather than thin. You will have to knead it for a little while until it is smooth and soft and ready to use. You can roughly measure your cake with your rolling pin or with a tape measure to get an idea of how much you need. Try to roll out even and keep moving and checking you have powdered sugar under or it will stick. When measuring always add a few inches to allow you to smooth and fit to the cake.
When it is the right size you need to move to the cake. Now every one has their own way to do this. I like to either put it over my rolling pin or get my arms under and lift like that. You will find your own way and this is another reason for not making too thin.
Once its on get a little powder sugar on your hands and start  smoothing the cake and about 1 inch down from the top. Cut off most of the spare fondant but remember not too close to the cake. If you have a item called a smoother then that would be great. Its a really simple little tool  which is not expensive to buy and really useful. If you don't have one use your hands but make sure you remove any rings first.

Then like the marzipan you work down the cake in the same way. Be careful with this layer as it will be seen and it is so easy to mark ( I know I have done it many times ) and catch. If you do not feel happy with the look of your fondant you could make up some stiff royal icing and put on in peaks like snow, covers up everything .

Sorry could only find a picture of my round cake,
but square would look the same

Cover again and leave over night before we move onto tutorial two,  Decorating your cake.

Friday 18 October 2013

Kitchen Adventure part One

Ok at long last the event is taking place. Yes folks I am getting my long awaiting and dreamt for kitchen. I took on the last owners kitchen when we bought the house in 1998, and we always planned to change it. However lack or money or time or both meant that until now it just has not happened. I have had little to no DIY in the last few years and to be honest I had got used to my run down home.

My hubbie took early retirement last November and I expected the kitchen adventure to start straight away, but fate had other plans. So here we are almost a year later and at long long last work has started. I am lucky that my hub is pretty handy and knows one end of hammer from the other, so he is doing all the fitting.
If you read my blog you know I love to bake so I wanted a really clean and simple kitchen with tons of cupboard space.

My heart went toward the country shaker type but in the end I went for a sleek cream high gloss. I added oak work surface, black American fridge and black and silver range. To finish we are having an oak floor right through the whole ground floor which I think will tie in with the work top. The rest of the ground floor is going to be cream with two walls in a cream paper with a very gentle glitter effect. I am hoping to get new sofa's in a soft brown and if money allows a new dining table in oak to match the floor.

I am really excited to be able to be proud of my home again and not die a death when someone comes to visit lol. At the moment it is a total mess with all my things in boxes, it takes ages to find anything. I took 30 mins the other day to find my baking flour ! I can stand the mess oh yes I can because it will be so worth it.
So this is a picture of the kitchen and the mess and as we add more I will share with you.








Thursday 17 October 2013

is there "Junk" in your life?

Now I thought this was a very thought provoking statement, simply because it could mean so much.
It could be physical junk or mental junk or even people junk.
I don't think I am alone in saying that like most people I have a heck of a lot of physical junk. It never amazes me more to see how much "stuff" we keep. I am a crafter so I keep things in hopes of another use for them. I used to keep all the Christmas card because I was going to use them for ...... or birthday card ..... Did I? no is the answer lol.

I keep saying we should get up in loft and have a mass clear out but we never seem to get around to it. I am not sure I have been to the back of my loft for years.
I know if you do have a clear out you always  feel much better and feel like you have achieved something.

Personally I don't have any people in my life I need to clear out and for that I am very grateful. However I do have hangups that have been set in my mind for year. This mental junk is much harder to get rid of as I have had it for so much of my life. I think my total life all 55 years have been focused on my weight. I'm too fat too thin ..... the list goes on. I guess i am always going to have to work on this and I am not sure I ever will clear out this mental junk.

So as we enter the winter months I think the junk and can wait where it is sitting ..... I will get you in the spring!



Tuesday 15 October 2013

I'm Thankful For......

Today I thought I would steal something from my friends in Canada and The United States, and that is Thanksgiving. I have always thought it was a lovely idea to spend time together as a family, and more important share what you were thankful for. I do wish we shared this holiday in the UK.

So I am having a one woman UK Thanksgiving lol.

I am thankful for my family..... I have been married for 34 years to Kevin. We met and married very young and lucky enough we grew up together which is wonderful . He has always worked very hard to make a good life for us and I am sure I don't tell him enough that I am very thankful for that.

Kevin and I on our wedding day


 I also have two lovely children Matthew and Natalie.  I am so happy that they have grown into such great adults and I am so very proud of all they do

Matthew and Natalie when they were younger
. I hope they feel we have been good parents and that we can always be close. I also have a great niece (my only one) and 10 yes I said 10 nephews. We don't see much of each other but I hope they would know they can call on us if they need us.

Nephew Sam and Niece Emma

I am also very thankful to live where I live. Most of my life I lived in a big town and dreamed of living in a rural area. I got that chance 15 yrs ago . Although rural it is also a fantastic sailing town so has a very pretty river . I am also so pleased to get back home no matter where I go.

Sun set in Burnham


View across the fields


And even though I could go on my last thankful I am grateful for friends . My best friend Sue and I have known each other for over 20 years. Sadly we don't live close anymore but we do keep in touch and see each other when we can, I also love her children and in turn their children.
I have to be thankful for new friends and proving its never too late to make them. I have got to know a lovely couple called Joanie and Nigel. They are both great fun and I really hope we can spend more time with them in the future. Joanie and I often go out for lunch and we always have a good time.

Afternoon tea with Joanie


So I hope you enjoyed my things I'm thankful for and I would love you to share yours.

Monday 14 October 2013

Motivational Monday

Motivational Monday for me this week is my daughter Natalie. Both of us have suffered over the years from weight issues.  It reminded me of times when she was younger as they were discussing on T.V today , as to if parents should tell their child they are fat. There was also a really unpleasant woman who said that behind every fat child is a fat parent. I am sorry but that is not always true! Yes in my case I have ( still have) weight issues but I did not make my child overweight. My son and daughter were raised the same way eating the same food. She had weight issues and Matthew did not! In my own case I had weight issues, my parents and brother did not??

I would try to help Natalie but never told her she was fat to her face, I wouldn't make my child feel bad by doing that. Over the years Natalie's weight went up when she stopped dancing and no matter what she tried the weight went up and up. I was worried for her health and also she had so much she wanted to do, and it was holding her back. She has a fab voice and her weight held her back from this also from really getting on with her career.

Natalie at a friends wedding last year



So last year she took the big decision to have a gastric bypass operation. It was expensive but she felt she had no choice as everything else had failed. The end of last year the operation was done and now to date she has lost 12st  (168 pounds)! She looks totally wonderful and the confidence it has given her is huge. She decided to become a nurse and against all odd got into nursing school. She would never have been able to do that when she was bigger.


Natalie today.


I am so very proud of her and even though I loved her before I think she looks so beautiful now. I think her singing will be even better and also think she will make the best nurse ever. I only hope I could copy her and loss lots of weight as well.
Well done Natalie you are my motivation for Monday. xxx