William & Kate

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

Our Easter Weekend

This weekend has been absolutely wonderful weather-wise, lets hope it continues for a good while - does anyone remember the summer of 1976 - I was working in the West End of London at my very first job then but that is another story for another day!

Good Friday we got up early and did the Tesco run - we were in the shop quite early to beat the crowds we were home and the shopping put away by ten!

I made some cup-cakes using this recipe and I cut the marzipan into tiny pieces, in fact it was what was left-over from the the previous cake.

I made some potato cakes made from left-over mash potato from the night-before and we had them with sausages and bake beans!

I read a lot of blogs that are being frugal, and save money and pass on tips so I thought I would show you some of my tips............

I use clothes pegs to close packets in the freezer and cupboards for packets of pasta and rice and biscuits

French Bread grated for breadcrumbs and freeze and these can be used from frozen

Because we live in a soft water area, I just use one tablet of soap powder so the box lasts me twice as long

I stand the washing up liquid upside down to get that last drop

and the shampoo bottle!

On Saturday Peter and Steph and children visited - Peter was roped in again to re-roof the shed, again!

Liam in the shade

Caitlin and mummy enjoying a book after playing with water

On Sunday Michael and Lizzie spent the day with us

Monday I completed a bit more stitching for Helen for the Bustle & Sew Magazine

Planted Petunias in the hanging basket

Sweet Williams in the tub

Sweet peas in the chimney

Waiting for the Lettuces to grow

Admiring the wallflowers

David and Jane popped round with a Clematis for me to put in my garden

Thank you. They joined us for a cuppa in the garden

Now back to work for three days and we do it all again next weekend

Hope the weather stays the same Robert and Anneka are coming then!

Well thats is for another year!

I would like to say thank you for all the Happy Birthday wishes on Friday.

I had a lunch with my friend Sue last Wednesday,

and Friday my friend Jane came to visit with a box of Cream Cakes,

so Friday afternoon we chatted and eat Cream Cake and drank tea.

These few flowers are a gift from my garden

Easter Cactus from Jane

And these arrived Friday afternoon from my son

Michael and Daught-in-Law Lizzie

Jane also gave me this book and a tin of biscuits

This morning I was welcomed by this lovely picture in a

email of my grandson Liam

Today is MY Birthday NOT yours!

........................to me!..........

When were at my Dads the other week, we watched Breakfast News (we’re not normally an early morning television watchers, but it was on while waiting for Dad to get ready for his hospital appointment.) and this group were on. They are Kitty, Daisy and Lewis and are a young group of siblings. If you like the Rock n Roll style of music, we recommend a listen. They specialise in using old analogue recording equipment.

We returned home after a long day and “googled” them and found they made Vinyl Records - yes good old vinyl records. I said to Alex that as I didn’t know what to buy him for his birthday, I would buy him one of their records.

This arrived yesterday on the EVE of MY Birthday! Mmmmmmmmmmm!

I knew it had to be Alex's birthday present

as this was the only thing we recently ordered from Amazon!

Such a very large box for such a small item...........

Alex didn’t know what to buy me, but there were a couple of craft books I wanted, but I will have to wait for them to be delivered!:-0

They look just the same...........

Eleven months ago I took this photograph, same road and approximately at the same time of day . This road we go down every morning, when the white Cherry Blossom is out that is all that can be seen and after twenty-one years it doesn't get any better than this!

Card Making

I have a motto "Make Much of Time" . It is actually an old sampler motto, but I have adopted it. This afternoon I decided to create some cards as I wanted to try and create something different! Not sure if these are different, I call them my Collage Cards.

They can now be found here

Simnel Cake

I'll to thee a Simnell bring'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to meI'll to thee a Simnell bring 'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to me circ17thCentury

Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday. Originally the Simnel Cake was made for Mother's Day by girls in service who were given the day off to visit their mothers. The name is believed to come from a brother (Simon) and sister (Nell) who wanted to make a cake for their mother. During the Middle Ages the custom developed of allowing people who had moved away to visit their home churches, and their mothers, on the fourth Sunday of the Christian festival of Lent. The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent which is a period of fasting and repentance culminating in a feast of seasonal and symbolic foods. This cake is now made for Easter. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; Judas is omitted. Marzipan Weight of 3 eggs in their shells Butter, Caster Sugar and Flour 1 lb dried mixed fruit 1 tsp ground cinnamon. 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Apricot jam (or any jam that happens to be open!) Line a 7 inch cake tin with parchment or greaseproof paper (like you would a Christmas cake). Divide the almond paste into three and take one portion and roll it to a round the size of the cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar and eggs till very pale in colour. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then add to the mixture. Fold in gently. Put half of the cake mixture into the tin, smooth and cover with the round of almond paste. Put the remaining cake mixture on the top of the marzipan smooth the surface carefully. Bake in a warm oven, 140°C (gas mark 1) for about 3 hours,test after about 2hours Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. When cold roll another third of almond paste, again to the size of the tin. Make the remaining almond paste equally into eleven balls. Once the cake is completely cold, remove from the tin and brush the top of the cake with jam and cover with the disc of almond paste. Place the eleven balls of paste onto a heat proof dish and grill till brown. Place the marzipan balls evenly around the edge of the cake.