The Best Of British Blogging Challenge Winner!

You may remember Euan and I foraging for Blackberries to create a recipe for 'The Best Of British Blogging Challenge'.  Once the Blackberries were picked it was my job to find a recipe that would be synonymous with London.  There was a 'round up' of some fantastic recipes but to my surprise my humble 'Blackberry Bread and Butter Pudding' won!  Delighted to be sure and so is Euan as I promised him half of any winnings for his foraging work.
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'Rainbows' Preemie Project 10th October 2012 Update

I am very happy to be writing the 'Rainbows Preemie Project' update post this month.  So happy I am staying up a bit late to write it!  I will regret the late night in the morning but happy posts just have to be written.  I tweak the 'Rainbows page' throughout the month but write an update/progress report once a month.
          First I have a brand new 'Logo' designed by Euan.  My very own 'Preemie'.  Now he is a big fella and out growing everything really quickly.  He enjoyed designing this colourful logo and he felt it was a very important job.  I think it is rather perfect.
           I am also delighted to share the contents of a package that journeyed all the way across the pond from the USA.  Lacey who writes the blog Minaandme sent me a lovely parcel of 15 warm, little hats.

Five pink, five blue and five white.  I love them.  Lacey also popped a lovely note in the parcel and spoiled me with goodies.  Some gorgeous handmade soap and some pretty crocheted blue bird stitch markers.  Lacey and I have been 'Blog Buddies' for ages now.  Thank you Lacey you are a star!  xxx
              Lacey also recommended the pattern Teresa's Ten Minute Preemie Hat.  They take me about twenty minutes but it is a great little pattern.  Here are some of the hats I have been working on:

  I don't go anywhere without a ball of yarn and a crochet hook.  These work up very quickly and are great to make if I am waiting in the car for children have a spare five minutes.  I really want to start working on cardigans next.
             My Mom's friend Joan has also been busy this month and has kindly donated more items.  Joan's knitting is beautiful and there will be some happy Mom's dressing their babies in these beauties.  They really make me smile:

Don't you just love the little Pom pom and tassels?

The pink flower is very pretty too.  (Oh dear I did not realise collecting 'preemie' clothes would make me broody)!  I must banish these thoughts and wait patiently until I am a grandmother!  I can wait!!!

The little hats have matching teeny tiny cardigans...this cardigan is dinky.

This cardigan matched with the little pink hat is going to make somebodies 'little princess' as pretty as a picture.  It is also tiny and the knitting is fine and lacy.
             As you know I have two boys but I was desperate for 'girls'.  I tried very hard not to be disappointed.  I wasn't disappointed for long and soon got to name construction vehicles and parts of trains.  I can actually dribble a football too.  I rebel in an 'all male household' and try to buy 'pink' things and flowery things.  My partners Grandmother had four boys and was desperate for a girl.  Her fifth pregnancy blessed her with twins. . . boys!  I will stay happy with my two boys. . . twin boys would rock my world!  The dog is female and I also have the 'girls' up the garden to keep me happy!
              Healthy happy children are a blessing.  I know there are some 'Blog Buddies' that have some 'Rainbows' work in progress and I look forward to sharing more over the coming months.  I would be delighted to receive any items you wish to donate or I would love to share photographs of your 'work' if you choose to donate to a hospital local to you.  I am also grateful for any links to useful preemie patterns.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.  The Rainbows collection is growng really well.    XXX

The Crafty Cafe

I have had the perfect start to my Saturday.  I discovered a new 'Spinning' club has started in my home town.  It meets at 8.30am on the first Saturday of the Month in this beautiful little 'Crafty Cafe'.  8.30am is a little early for me on a Saturday.  I did not set my alarm and thought 'If I want to go badly enough I will be awake'.  I am rather pleased I made it, it was a great start to the day.  There were four other spinners and I enjoyed the chat and the spin for an hour.  The Crafty Cafe is a little hub of Crafty activity and runs many workshops.

It was a lovely light room to work in surrounded by pretty 'hand mades'.

I enjoyed the company of the other ladies, it is lovely to chat about spinning, fleece, fibre, knitting and crochet.  There were four 'spinning wheels' in total and I really like looking at other wheels.  My all male household just ain't that interested!  I will definitely be putting these dates in my diary, well worth getting out of bed for on a Saturday morning.  Housework will be on the back burner now as it has put me in a crafty mood for the rest of the day!  I have just cleaned the Chicken Coop though, gotta get your priorities right.  The ladies are very happy and love 'Coop Cleaning Day'.  They come and chatter away, bustling in and out, supervising my work and checking I come up to scratch.  I hope you are set for a good weekend.
XXX

Homemade 'Take Away Style' Doner Kebab

It looks nearly as bad  good as one you would buy from a Kebab shop.  Kebabs are a guilty secret for me.  I am ashamed to say I rather like um!  I try not to think about the origins of the meat and how it got from animal to it's large 'spit'.  I also try not to think about how long the large lump of lamb has sat in the shop going round and round.  I dare not think about the calories or Weight Watcher points . . .but now I think I may have found a perfectly acceptable compromise.  It is much lower in calories than a shop bought version and much kinder on the purse.  It was a hit with the boys too.  I substituted some of the ingredients using fresh garlic in large amounts and leaving out the onion.

It makes a juicy Lamb Meatloaf that you then slice as thinly as possible.

Lamb Doner Kebab – Serves 4  
Ingredients 1tsp dried oregano
½tsp dried Italian herbs
½tsp garlic powder
½tsp onion powder
¼tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp salt
½tsp black pepper
500g lean lamb mince
Instructions
Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F
In a large bowl, combine the dried oregano, dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper
Add the lamb mince and mix thoroughly for 2-3 minutes. Take out all of your aggression on the kebab mixture, punching and kneading until no air pockets remain and the kebab meat is extremely smooth
Shape the seasoned mince into a loaf and place on a baking tray
Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, turning the loaf half way through the cooking to ensure even browning
Once cooked, remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes
Slice the doner kebab as thinly as possible and serve with pitta, salad and sauces.

October - Trying To Start As I Mean To Go On!

I am trying to start October the way I mean to go on!  Gah!  It is a Monday and today was not a great deal better than last weeks Monday.  I shoot out of the door in the morning to take Euan and the dog to my parents.  I would be late for work if I took Euan to school.  His Dad works nights so he can't take him to school either.  Luckily my parents take him and I only work for three days a week, thank goodness!  I shoot out of the door and inevitably back in again for something forgotten.  I start my day chasing my tail and I end my day chasing my tail.  It is ridiculous.  At work I do not get proper breaks, I snatch five minutes.  It is not enough to come up for air.  I eat my lunch with nattering children and come home to nattering children!  Good job I like nattering children.  I try not to get stressed and ratty but I just can't help it sometimes when I have too much to do or more than three things at once.  Today it was not a 'School Book bag' full of letters it was 8 year old's homework.  We did not do it at the weekend because the teacher had a mix up and I did not know what we were supposed to be doing.

Bertha Benz

Task 1:  To research a famous inventor and write a Fact File.  Euan chose Karl Benz.  I actually think his wife Bertha was the more interesting character.  She took his car without consent...probably the first ever case of 'Twocking' and she drove herself and two of her sons for the first ever 'long distance journey'.  She drove 66 miles...where did she go?  Her Mother's house.  This proved to the world the reliability and potential of her hubbies cars.  Behind every great man there is an even greater woman...and all that!

Task 2:  Take three newspaper articles, estimate the amount of words for
each article, count the words for each article, find the difference between the estimate and the actual amount and round to the nearest ten!  Problem numero uno!  No Newspaper...fly to the shop for a news paper.  I read all my news online!  The poor boy was counting words with heavy eyes!   Homework completed and one boy fast asleep.
          I am still trying to get my house in order!  If you remember I started this de-cluttering malarkey in January.  I am still at it!  On Saturday I managed to clear out my Wardrobe.  I dug so far into the back of the wardrobe I nearly met Mr Tumnus in Narnia!  I gave a large bag of large sized clothes to the charity shop.

 There were large sized skeletons in my closet!  I am glad to be rid of them, I can tell ya!  I am losing weight and losing my knickers and trousers. . .but I do not want to spend money on clothes I am not going to be wearing for long. . luckily I found some nice pairs of pre pregnancy trousers in Narnia (baby is now 8yrs old)!  I have not worn these trousers for years.  Now they fit comfortably and they are non stretchy trousers.  My thrifty squirreling has paid off for once.
      I have also discovered Fly Lady on the net.  I am using Fly Lady to try and get my house in order.  It is early days yet, but I have a shiny sink!  I have used the kitchen timer tonight to clear two of my 'Hotspots' and de-clutter.  Fly Lady helps you to develop a routine as habit!  I shall see if it works for me!  Blessing my house and respecting myself!  Blah blah blah! Lol!

Have you ever come across Fly Lady and her concepts?  I think she may help me!
      Thank goodness for the Trusty Old Slow Pot again!  I had a delicious Chorizo, Butternut Squash and Bean Stew to come home to!

It really was rather good.  The ingredients and method were all a bit chuck it all in and run!
Ingredients
Serves six
Half a Butternut Squash Chopped into large chunks
Onion
a can of chick peas
a can of Borlotti beans
a can of tomatoes choppes
300g of Chorizo chopped
leftover sausages
Carrots
A couple of left over potatoes
A tablespoon of Paprika
A tablespoon of Apricot Jam

Method
Whack it all in the slowpot and leave it all day!  The result was a sweet, spicy stew, great for the colder weather and October the 1st.  We ate the stew with some bread rolls I made at work today to celebrate 'Harvest'.

Cute 'Snail Rolls' and 'Turtle Rolls' there were also Hedgehogs but they got munched!  This was a really fun activity with children and they loved it today, making bread dough and then the animals.  Euan felt upset eating his and I caught him kissing his 'Turtle' as he felt so guilty eating him!  I used a tutorial from Here.  I would recommend this activity if you find yourself with kids that need occupying!
XXX 

September 2012 Photo Collage

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