Lucy In La La Land

 Too much to do a so little time.  Is this a familiar story for you too?  My little brain is choc full of busyness.  I have housework, work work and then all of the things I like to do going on.  This is Day Two of a weeks holiday.  I do love holidays of the stay at home variety.  I am trying to take stock of all the UFO's around these parts...not of the extra terrestrial kind.  Of the compulsive 'crafter' Unfinished Object kind.  The above skeins are some of my hand spun.  I am trying to complete a project by November the 10th.  That is the day of our Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing Guild's Annual Exhibition.  As usual I am way behind and unorganised.  I blame my kids!

 With the help of a willing teenager I got the skeins rolled into balls ready to be crocheted into 'The Solar System'.  If I finish this project it really will be a miracle.  I have three planets completed, today I will try to work on the Sun and the Moon while the 'boys' all go off to the Cinema to watch the new Bond Movie.  I was invited but I struggle to sit still in the Cinema!
               Already this morning I have 'Chicken and Noodle Soup' in the slow pot and some bread rolls rising.  I have also finished a UFO.  Yep me!  Finished something.  Ok it was only another scarf but it has been in progress since time began!  It is finished.  I made it with Aran thickness yarn on a 7mm hook so it worked up fairly quickly.  I just used a simple dc rib (sc for USA).  There is no excuse for it being on the hook for twelve months.  It is a chunky scarf.  I think it may be my 'dog walking scarf'.  I don't like hats and this is big enough to wrap around my face and ears.

 Here is my willing yet serious model.

 Very chunky scarf eh?  The temperature has really dropped around here and I am sure it is the same for many of you, the requests come pouring in for 'Winter Woollies' that are needed as of yesterday.  My partner wants a hat.  He works nights so freezes in the Winter.  I have told him he can have a hat for next year!  He is very fussy about hats, I don't think I need the pressure!  I do have an entire 'Solar System' to create don't ya know!  If you have any ideas or links to a quick and simple 'Beanie Hat' though I would appreciate it.  I was thinking something knitted on circulars.   Euan has requested another pair of  Ninja Gloves.  I will see what I can do to meet this request asap.  If you are 'cute' and 'ginger' you jump to the top of the queue round these parts.
                Talking of cute and ginger, I just have to share this funny prank I played.  We are excited about Halloween.  Dutifully eating our way through gallons of 'Pumpkin' soup, walking around the house in plastic fangs and talking about costumes.  Last night Euan asked me to practice his face paints.  He wanted 'Blood and scars'.  I told him that is what I was doing.  I gave him a cute little red nose and whiskers instead.  When he went to look in the mirror he was horrified that I had turned him into the 'cutest Halloween Mousie'.  There was no way he was going to let me photograph that!

 I am making the most of Seasonal Squash.  This is a little Acorn Squash that has been scooped out, stuffed with cheese, tomato, breadcrumbs and herbs.  Baked in the oven it makes a delicious meal.  Looks pretty too.   We have the Halloween Pumpkins to carve at some point today.  Euan has designed a 'Sponge Bob' Pumpkin.  It looks a little ambitious to carve to me.  Pumpkin Carving is hard work.  I do not like scooping out big pumpkins either. . . yuk it is all cold and wet and slimy.  Bleurghh.

             I have a very naughty picture to share with you.  Why is it that the naughty stuff to eat tastes so good?  

Ginger and Treacle Tray Bake  from Mary Berry's Baking Bible.  You have to eat 'Ginger Cake' at this time of year don't you?  Ginger Cake of the treacliest, squidgiest variety is best for Halloween and Bonfire Night.  You could do much worse than make one of these.  It is one of those miraculous cakes that actually improves the longer you can manage to keep it.  By golly it was good.  I will be stammering my excuses to the Weight Watchers lady on Thursday though won't I?
               Now here's for the most 'La La Landish' part of this blog post.  Euan likes to cook with me.  He has said many times that when he is a man he wants a family business cooking with me.  We watch cookery shows together on TV.  He really likes 'The Hairy Bikers' and he enjoyed 'The Great British Bake Off'.  One night a couple of weeks ago he said 'You should go on 'The Great British Bake Off' Mom'.  I said 'Oh no Euan, far too stressful and I am not good enough'.   He said 'Please I would be so proud, I would record every time you were on TV and watch it at Nan and Granddads'.  I explained again that I would not be good on the show as the technical challenges are really tough, outta my league.  He left it for an hour and then said 'But Mom I would worship you if you went on that show'.  I slept on it!  I decided in a fit of madness to apply for the show!  The opportunity to impress my son in a major way was all too much for me to resist.  (Homer Simpson Style).  'Act in haste repent a leisure' they say.  Now I have e-mailed my application off I am panic stricken, knowing my luck I will get picked for the show!!!   I have invested my Blog Challenge 'Blackberry Bread and Butter Pudding' winnings in some new baking books.  Euan invested his winnings in a stack of 'The A Team' dvds'.  The 'Treacle and Ginger Tray Bake' was a first practice Baking Session.  The cake tasted great but even with care and attention my icing and decorating skills are dreadful.  Euan and I role played the Judges of the show I was Mary Berry and he was Paul Hollywood.

   
I have met Mary Berry before when I was 13 years old.  I got through to the Regional Finals of Junior Cook Of The Year.  I was on TV on our local news for a matter of seconds.  Euan is sure Mary will remember me from thrity years ago and it will stand me in good stead.  This kid has faith in me!