My plan for this holiday is No Chocolate!!!!
Hope you all have a lovely holiday whatever you do.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Cake with Eggs Added
As promised the recipe for the cake, it's from a book I've had since 1985. When the children were small the programme was on TV and I remember watching it and cooking lots of meals that they demonstrated.
Mincemeat Cake - Mrs Ward Warwickshire
75g margarine ( I use butter)
25g lard (I don't use this I add extra margarine or butter)
2 large eggs
125g soft brown sugar
325g mincemeat
190g self-raising flour
a little milk if necessary ( I sometimes use sherry, brandy or whatever I feel like adding)
My back has improved, thank you for your good wishes, especially Sharne, who emailed me as soon as she heard about it, she offered to help out in any way she could as she's on holiday. That was really so kind of her, Sharne is one of the busiest people I know, so it meant so much! I'm still not going to the gym, but I don't need much of an excuse not to go there! When I get the dog I'm going to give up the gym altogether, I think walking in the fresh air will be so much better for me. Beverley I think you could have been right, the idea of a pony troting around the living room made a dog seem much more appealing!
It's just as well my back improved, since Saturday I've spend an awful lot of time sitting in a car as a passenger and as driver, Saturday it was the ERTF AGM and conference, it's nice to go to these events it gives us a good chance to catch up with like minded people from the region. The venue was very impressive Girton College, Cambridge and a very interesting speaker. Then due to events at the AGM an extraordinary committee meeting was called, everything was resolved so all crisis over and things will continue running smoothly as usual but it did involve a round trip of 141 miles. I'm no longer on the committee, but three of us were invited to the meeting as we were the founders of ERTF. I'm looking forward to seeing how the group moves on and evolves, which reminds me I must amend my profile on here. Many things are changing at the moment the textile group I belong to The Material Girls is going through a change. A few members have decided that now is the time for them to move on, it will be interesting to see how the group changes, there are a few interesting things in the pipeline for us, we'll be exhibiting in a new venue for us later in the year and in 2013 we'll be exhibiting in Canada, I'm really excited about that. Who knows I might even get to Canada for a holiday, we do have some air miles saved what better way to use them?
Mum's house was finally settled two weeks ago, it all went through with no glitches. So far I've resisted going to have a look at the house. My brother has driven by, not so easy as the house is in a cul-de-sac. I did drive close by yesterday on my way home from the Material Girls meeting, but resisted all temptation.
Mincemeat Cake - Mrs Ward Warwickshire
75g margarine ( I use butter)
25g lard (I don't use this I add extra margarine or butter)
2 large eggs
125g soft brown sugar
325g mincemeat
190g self-raising flour
a little milk if necessary ( I sometimes use sherry, brandy or whatever I feel like adding)
- grease and line a 18cm round cake tin (sometimes I use loaf tins)
- cream fat and sugar then beat in eggs.
- stir in mincemeat and fold in flour. Mixture should be moist (this depends on who much liquid in the mincemeat) If necessary add the liquid.
- Bake in a moderate oven Gas mark 3, 325f, 160c for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to Gas mark 2, 300f,150c for about 1 1/4 hours until the top is firm and cake is shrinking slightly from the edge of the tin.
My back has improved, thank you for your good wishes, especially Sharne, who emailed me as soon as she heard about it, she offered to help out in any way she could as she's on holiday. That was really so kind of her, Sharne is one of the busiest people I know, so it meant so much! I'm still not going to the gym, but I don't need much of an excuse not to go there! When I get the dog I'm going to give up the gym altogether, I think walking in the fresh air will be so much better for me. Beverley I think you could have been right, the idea of a pony troting around the living room made a dog seem much more appealing!
It's just as well my back improved, since Saturday I've spend an awful lot of time sitting in a car as a passenger and as driver, Saturday it was the ERTF AGM and conference, it's nice to go to these events it gives us a good chance to catch up with like minded people from the region. The venue was very impressive Girton College, Cambridge and a very interesting speaker. Then due to events at the AGM an extraordinary committee meeting was called, everything was resolved so all crisis over and things will continue running smoothly as usual but it did involve a round trip of 141 miles. I'm no longer on the committee, but three of us were invited to the meeting as we were the founders of ERTF. I'm looking forward to seeing how the group moves on and evolves, which reminds me I must amend my profile on here. Many things are changing at the moment the textile group I belong to The Material Girls is going through a change. A few members have decided that now is the time for them to move on, it will be interesting to see how the group changes, there are a few interesting things in the pipeline for us, we'll be exhibiting in a new venue for us later in the year and in 2013 we'll be exhibiting in Canada, I'm really excited about that. Who knows I might even get to Canada for a holiday, we do have some air miles saved what better way to use them?
Mum's house was finally settled two weeks ago, it all went through with no glitches. So far I've resisted going to have a look at the house. My brother has driven by, not so easy as the house is in a cul-de-sac. I did drive close by yesterday on my way home from the Material Girls meeting, but resisted all temptation.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
It's been so long
....... I've looked at my calender to see what I've been up to since my last post! In fact it's been more like what I've had to cancel, I've had a bad back for just over three weeks now. According to my GP I've been lucky, previously getting over back episodes (if that's what they are called) in a week it's likely to take 8 weeks to recover completely. For the first week I had trouble sitting or standing for more than 5 minutes at a time and in fact I spent the first week totally uncomfortable. During these weeks I did finish reading a book that I started last year and started reading a book that Rachel gave me a few weeks ago. Dave says that since he's seen me reading 'One Day' every one seems to be reading it on his journey to and from work.
I've also knitted another baby cardigan, when I've got the buttons sewn on I'll put photos of both up here. Rachel's scrap quilt is finished with the binding on I'm really pleased with it and next time she comes home she can take it back with her. I've also spend far to much time watching day time tv and films. I had to cancel coffee with a friend twice and both Quilting groups I go to twice. Thankfully I can now get out and about again and life has started to look up, Thursday I went out with a friend for lunch at RHS Hyde Hall, that seemed to be a less risky option than the day out in London that we'd been planning for a time. I'm so glad we didn't book the theatre tickets that we'd talked about doing! Friday my lovely friend Sheila came to visit, we spent a nice afternoon chatting having lunch, and she gave me this selvage pin cushion that she'd made, how lucky am I? So it's not been all doom and gloom.
Our garden is going through a total re vamp the raised beds are now in position and some vegetable's have been planted. It's a small garden and we are trying to get the most out of it, at the moment it looks a total mess. As things always go the week my back went we had lots of things delivered for the garden, things are going slower than we planned but we will get there. Next weekend a skip is on it's way, then things should start to improve. A week or so ago the Camellia was looking fantastic! It still looks good even now. Thankfully the shrubs and plants that we moved from one side of the garden to the other seem to have taken and the clematis are starting to climb up the new trellis.
The other good news is Dave has agreed that we can get a puppy...... I'm not sure if I've blogged about this previously, but he'd said before "that if a dog moved in here he'd move out". With very little persuasion he's given in. We'll be looking to bring the new addition into the house in September as until then we have too much going on to devote enough time to a puppy. I'm thinking of a small dog maybe a Shih-tzu, any one out there got any tips on the breed we should think about? In an ideal world I'd like a Labrador, but they are too big for our house and garden.
Sorry this post seems to be going on a bit. But another couple of things to say.... Gina sorry I've not put the recipe on yet for the mincemeat cake I'll do that later this week. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. Must finish this post now before I get stuck in one position, keep moving is the thing to do!
Our garden is going through a total re vamp the raised beds are now in position and some vegetable's have been planted. It's a small garden and we are trying to get the most out of it, at the moment it looks a total mess. As things always go the week my back went we had lots of things delivered for the garden, things are going slower than we planned but we will get there. Next weekend a skip is on it's way, then things should start to improve. A week or so ago the Camellia was looking fantastic! It still looks good even now. Thankfully the shrubs and plants that we moved from one side of the garden to the other seem to have taken and the clematis are starting to climb up the new trellis.
The other good news is Dave has agreed that we can get a puppy...... I'm not sure if I've blogged about this previously, but he'd said before "that if a dog moved in here he'd move out". With very little persuasion he's given in. We'll be looking to bring the new addition into the house in September as until then we have too much going on to devote enough time to a puppy. I'm thinking of a small dog maybe a Shih-tzu, any one out there got any tips on the breed we should think about? In an ideal world I'd like a Labrador, but they are too big for our house and garden.
Sorry this post seems to be going on a bit. But another couple of things to say.... Gina sorry I've not put the recipe on yet for the mincemeat cake I'll do that later this week. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. Must finish this post now before I get stuck in one position, keep moving is the thing to do!
Monday, 7 March 2011
From Barbara to Baking
Things never go to plan, I woke up on Saturday with a bad headache, not a migraine thankfully. We had tickets for Saturday evening to see Barbara Dickson performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre. The plan had been to go to London early and go to the Tate Modern or just have a wander. Instead of an early start I took a couple of tablets and a doze a chill out afternoon and I felt better. We'd booked an early dinner at the Skylon restaurant, we had a lovely meal the table was by the window so the view was over the River Thames. I thought concert was great, Dave wasn't so keen but it was my choice, not the usual sort of gig we go to, I think our last one was Queen at Wembley, it would have been Barry Manilow if he'd turned up ( it's still a sore point with me). Anyway back to Barbara, she sang a whole range of songs from Bob Dylan, Celtic folk songs, and her more popular songs, including my favourite Caravans, boy that took me back.
Yesterday we had more drainage problems so we couldn't go out. I took the opportunity to do more in my sketchbook, it's time I stopped playing there and started doing some stitching! I also used up a couple of jars of mincemeat left over from Christmas in a cake for Dave. I must be coming down with something this is the second time I've baked cakes in the last couple of months! Maybe it's reading all these blogs with people baking and cooking I get this left out feeling, hope it stops soon........ I might start baking bread again and I don't want to do that, I can resist the cake, bread is another story.......
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| London Eye by night |
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| Mincemeat Fruit Cake |
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| Coloured using Koh i Noor on Tea bags |
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| Hearts coloured using Koh i Noor |
Friday, 4 March 2011
Foundlings
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| Drawn using Faber&Castell Artists Pens |
Today with a small group of ERTF members I went to see an exhibition in London at The Foundling Museum , "Threads of Feeling". We were lucky enough to be guided round by Janette Bright, a member of ERTF. Until I met Janette a few years ago I'd never heard of The Foundling Museum, I went along to a talk given by her at an Embroiderers Guild meeting. She gave an inspiring talk, relaying such sad but interesting stories, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. This was the first time I'd met Janette, she was so passionate about her subject, the textile work she does is often inspired by her research at the museum. Today as we were looking at the exhibition the group seemed to expand as other people there listened to Janette's talk. This is a big benefit of belonging to a group like ERTF, members are happy to share their expertise with other members and are so generous with their time. After a lunch of a scone, cream and jam and a catch up with friends it was on the train and home, I really should not have eaten the scone, I'll have to make up for it, I'll put in extra work at the gym????
Mum's house selling saga is still going on, contract's were exchanged today and complete on 31st March. I'll believe it when it happens! It has really put me off the idea of moving, I don't think I could stand the stress. I think I've said this before I have no real connection with the house I never lived there, it was where my Mum lived and my Dad died there. It will be all done before the garden starts needing attention hopefully. I wont miss going to the house, of course it's not the same for my brother, he lived there, so his feelings are different.
We have a few nice things planned for the weekend, tell you about it next week. Sitting here typing this there is a red glow in the sky, hope that means the weather is going to be good tomorrow. RED SKY AT NIGHT........
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Face Lift
Hope you like the new look blog. Diane told me about The Cutest Blog on the Block , I decided to give the blog a bit of a face lift for the spring. I may change it again, I'm not sure it's me, what do you think?
A few questions answered from yesterday, Gina, I cheated and bought the snowdrops already in bud, I remember doing this once before, where they went I've no idea! Worth another try I thought, fingers crossed they come up again next year. I've driven on a flat tyre too, if I had been driving and Dave wasn't there I probably would have driven home, got indoors and said " I think there's something wrong, a light came up on the dash, just up the road" He would never have known unless of course the engine had fallen out!!!!!
Sorry Diane if you thought I was having a breakdown, No not me, well not this week!!!! Standing beside the M25 is terrifying, really noisy and dirty, the mirrors were filthy, if I knew how to put a movie on here I could have shown you. I don't know if your fingers get cold I've never worn fingerless gloves before. I decided to knit them after the last trip to London I was taking photos and kept taking off my gloves, in the end I left off the gloves and it took hours to get any feeling back into my fingers so thought I'd give them a try!
A few questions answered from yesterday, Gina, I cheated and bought the snowdrops already in bud, I remember doing this once before, where they went I've no idea! Worth another try I thought, fingers crossed they come up again next year. I've driven on a flat tyre too, if I had been driving and Dave wasn't there I probably would have driven home, got indoors and said " I think there's something wrong, a light came up on the dash, just up the road" He would never have known unless of course the engine had fallen out!!!!!
Sorry Diane if you thought I was having a breakdown, No not me, well not this week!!!! Standing beside the M25 is terrifying, really noisy and dirty, the mirrors were filthy, if I knew how to put a movie on here I could have shown you. I don't know if your fingers get cold I've never worn fingerless gloves before. I decided to knit them after the last trip to London I was taking photos and kept taking off my gloves, in the end I left off the gloves and it took hours to get any feeling back into my fingers so thought I'd give them a try!
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Breakdown
The snow drops I planted a few weeks ago have become well established in the front garden and look as though they have been there for ever, with any luck next year they will have spread a bit.
The cardigan I knitted for Rachel as I suspected didn't fit it was more like a size 12 than a size 8, luckily it fitted Becky, she'd already said she liked it, I asked her to take a photo of her wearing it but.......
Last Friday my sister in law, Michelle and I went to Textile in Focus at Cottenham, we had a lovely time. I bought threads and bits and pieces I need for the projects I'm working on at the moment. Michelle has decided she'd like to have a go at felting after watching a demonstration, so she bought some wool tops.
Saturday Rachel and I went to 'Unravel' at Farnham, thanks to Yarn to Knit's generous prize. It was quite a day, Dave offered to drive us, then meet up and have lunch, I'm so glad he did! After spending and hour or so there and buying more yarn than I planned, sock wool for Rachel and me, and for Becky yarn for a scarf, we met Dave for a lovely lunch.
The weather was awful with a hail storm as we left Farmham, we were travelling on the M25 an alarm went of in the car, a light started flashing, engine malfunction. After standing on the hard shoulder for an hour, waiting for the AA(it was freezing, Rachel wore Dave's gloves to try and keep warm). We were towed off to a service station, the car was checked, it was safe to to drive home! No kicking down or accelerating hard, (my style of driving) good then that Dave drove. I took the car to the garage yesterday, it has the all clear, it was a connection to the throttle? Means nothing to me, things were easier when you drove the car until smoke came out of the engine, or the car stopped, all these alarms and lights flashing make life so complicated.
I have been doing a lot of work in my sketch books over the last few weeks so nothing to show at the moment. If I'm not stitching I knit, I've made a pair of fingerless gloves (pattern from Jacqueline) for next winter. I've started knitting another pair using some of the wool from Saturday, a girl can never have enough fingerless gloves!
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| Snow Drops |
Last Friday my sister in law, Michelle and I went to Textile in Focus at Cottenham, we had a lovely time. I bought threads and bits and pieces I need for the projects I'm working on at the moment. Michelle has decided she'd like to have a go at felting after watching a demonstration, so she bought some wool tops.
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| Rachel photographing the sheep at Unravel |
The weather was awful with a hail storm as we left Farmham, we were travelling on the M25 an alarm went of in the car, a light started flashing, engine malfunction. After standing on the hard shoulder for an hour, waiting for the AA(it was freezing, Rachel wore Dave's gloves to try and keep warm). We were towed off to a service station, the car was checked, it was safe to to drive home! No kicking down or accelerating hard, (my style of driving) good then that Dave drove. I took the car to the garage yesterday, it has the all clear, it was a connection to the throttle? Means nothing to me, things were easier when you drove the car until smoke came out of the engine, or the car stopped, all these alarms and lights flashing make life so complicated.
I have been doing a lot of work in my sketch books over the last few weeks so nothing to show at the moment. If I'm not stitching I knit, I've made a pair of fingerless gloves (pattern from Jacqueline) for next winter. I've started knitting another pair using some of the wool from Saturday, a girl can never have enough fingerless gloves!
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