Things to make you cheery, on gloomy days ......
                                            

                           I'm finding it quite hard to be enthusiatic, and motivated, with all this cold, gloomy weather, takes a big effort to step outside my front door, as I go everywhere on foot as don't drive, it's not so much the cold, I hate the RAIN!!  So I have been baking a lot and I mean a lot!, as well as doing lots of crafts with my little girl, to keep her occupied, we especially liked making the paper lanterns, and the puppet theatre and finger puppets, with nanas help, why is the glue so crap with these sets? had to buy stronger stuff, even now there  body parts keep falling off :\

Can't wait for the spring, we have had a few teasing days where you can smell it in the air, I am itching to get out there and start tidying my garden, my lovely tulips are poking out from the soil in the big pot they are in, they were stunning last year, and brightened up the otherwise drab decking in the spring, Shame they don't carry on flowering through to May, as i'm getting married and would have loved them in my bouquet, but have decided on roses, peonies, and lots of gorgeous dark green foliage.

I need to brutally lop my Eucaylptus tree, its grown four times the size since we planted last spring, and is swaying all over the place, i have to keep tying it to the fence. I have lost lots of plants because of the harsh winter conditions we have had, still I managed to bring some in to the conservatory, in the autumn and they are doing well. Am looking foward to strolling round local gardening centre on Sundays in the spring, summer, growing some  tomatoes ( my man insists on this even, if he's not that good at it-we try try again!) and  I want to try peppers,this year, and lots of  fresh herbs again, yummy!

Well back to wedding plans, can't belive its only 11 weeks to go, lots of fine tuning now, but as my other half keeps reminding me 'the journey is all part of it! ' Ive been planning it for two years now! My main worry is trying to squeeze into my dress, yikes!!

Thing that have cheered me up this past fortnight:

Watching my eldest  son play his first school concert, he is learning to play bass guitar, he was a star! I was brimming with pride:)

Finding a lovely little lunchbox for madam,to take to playgroup,  she feels all grown up now,and  stays the whole session, which means 2 and half hours of blissful freedom, to do what I wish... We love Hello Kitty!

And a lovely orange windmill chosen by little S  at our garden centre. 

Lovely lillies,for my table, I prefer them when some are shut, they look more elegant, can't stand the fragrance though, reminds me of TCP!

Some proper cake tins, fed up with storing cake in old sweetie tins, and these mugs, I love animal prints, thought the colours are really bright and cheery!

My man has layed some stunning dark laminate flooring on top of our original floorboards, they were all oddly cut, broken and bumpy and kept chipping, and  old nails kept snagging all our socks! they looked so scruffy, they now look fab! still look like wood, so that has cheered me up! Still lots of projects to be getting on with though..never enough time..

As you can gather from my Blog page title, im a bit of a fan of the film The Wizard of Oz, have been ever since childhood, and adore Judy Garland... Well the other day I snapped this rainbow from my front door, and have been thinking about the film, and wanting to curl up with my daughter, get cosy on the couch, and watch for the first time, which is just what we did at the weekend...with breakfast im bed made by my lovely man, watching it with her me so emotional, i'm sooo sentimental! She didn't even flinch at the witch, the tin man, or the Lion, all of which sent me into a screamimg fit, hiding behind my grandparents couch, when I was little. She has now watched it about 6 times , and is singing 'We off to see the Wizard......Love it!

I got my little S some little shoes that are very similar to the Ruby slippers except they are pink and glittery, she loves them and thinks they are magical...When i was pregnant I bought a Dorothy doll from the US, its like Barbie, has the gingham dress etc, but I will save it for when she is older, I bought it for me really ;)

Anyway, my daughter is off to her Nanas for the afternoon, so I best get on with painting a commission i'm working on...

Talking of gloomy days, the sun is shining now!!

Happy days, there's no place home! Jenny xx

Coconut cake

Well, this is my first post, my friend says I should start a blog of my own so here I am, Have been enjoying lots of baking ,whilst my children are on half term, shame of it is, i'm on a diet, so only taste testing for me, when really I would love a big chunk! :( This cake is the most requested in my house, so I will share...

I always do this recipe as an all in one method, it never fails, and is always super moist!

Preheat Oven to gas 3 / 160 c

Grease and line with greaseproof paper 2x 7 inch cake tins

Put all the following into a large bowl:

6oz Self raising flour-sieved from a height

1 rounded tsp baking powder

6oz caster sugar

6oz butter-very soft room temp

1oz dessicated coconut

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3 floz water

Whisk on full power with electric whisk, or in a stand mixer for 1 minute

Divide the mixture between the two tins and spread evenly with spatula

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until springy to touch, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream filling:

3oz icing sugar

2oz butter, very soft room temp

drop vanilla essence

drop water

1 tsp dessicated coconut

Mix with a spoon until creamy and fluffy

When cake is cool spread one half with buttercream leaving a little to spread on top of the cake,

Spread the other half with stawberryor raspberry jam , then sandwhich cake together.

Spread remaining buttercream on top of the cake and sprinkle with toasted dessicated coconut and some glace cherries if your feeling really kitsch!