Learning to drive

I was just looking back to my post from last year Time for a change . BOY!  Was I eager to get my lessons started, but didn't have the means then.

I started in November just gone, so have nearly 3 months under my belt, I've had 16 lessons with my instructor. She is brilliant, I recommend her highly!  I feel very relaxed with her.  http://www.jaynessom.co.uk/

Last Saturday I bought my first little car, a black KA, and I love her! She is called Betty, an old girl at 14 years. She has done 65,000 miles, and runs really well. I Can't believe how much the insurance is though!!

  I'm now at a level where I'm ready to go out with my hubby at weekends to practise, and that is exactly what I have done. I totalled up 7 hours this past week, so has really brought me on, it's very tiring though. I'm still finding roundabouts a bit tricky, and traffic lights at crossroads. I find some manoeuvres are a bit difficult, but my reversing/parallel parking is getting better. Practise is the key, this is the hardest most challenging thing I've EVER done. I wonder when I will be ready to take my test? I suppose you just 'know'? I SO SO want to pass first time, hope my nerves don't get the better of me!

I'm dreaming of my freedom in the months to come, and that is keeping me going!

Here she is... Black Betty. Not bad for an old banger hey?

A bit of T cut, spit and polish and came up lovely!

' What's for dessert Mum? '

Well today it is Victoria sponge very distastefully decorated with icing sugar, coconut, glace cherries and silver balls with a few sprinkles for good measure. I know this will appeal to the 4 year old :)

This is my first Bake since Christmas, I think mince pies were my last offering.. I have been refraining from baking to give everyone's waistlines a chance to return to normal. Eldest son is always the one to say ''what's for dessert mum? Even though he Say's he's following a fairly strict high protein diet, as he's trying to bulk up muscle, being a rugby player. He complains if I don't make cakes and if I do, because he is the greediest child  of the 3,and would eat 3/4 of it if could! He is a bottomless pit, whose hunger is never satisfied...

  So a treat for my brood today then. ( I do secretly get withdrawals from baking too ;) )

This is so simple to make and it suprises me that so many people can epicly fail.  I've been watching the Sports relief bake off and find myself shouting at the screen in frustration at the way the contestants make sponges, 'You HAVE to add some liquid be it milk or water or you will have dry cake! '
  Henry-son 2, say's' you should go on there mum'. I would if were expert at baking bread but sadly I'm not, Tis one thing I want to perfect.

Anyway here is my way of making Victoria sponge: All in one method- Referenced from Delia.

6oz SF flour
1 tsp baking powder
6oz butter or stork
6oz Cater sugar
Tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
4 floz milk
Set Oven to gas 3 160 c
Grease and line 2  X 6 inch sandwich tins with greaseproof paper

Sift the flour and baking powder from a height  into a large mixing bowl.

Add all of the other ingredients, and whisk on highest setting for 1 minute, or longer if by hand.

Spoon out equally into the sandwich tins and bake for approx 30 mins until slightly golden and firm to the touch.


You can fill with  Jam ,buttercream, whipped cream, whatever you fancy, and same for your topping.

My friend  was asking people on FB  the other day, Is it dessert? Pudding, Afters? What's your preference?

My take on Coronation Chicken.

This is one of my favourite ways to eat leftover chicken. There are so many versions of this, but this is my own adaptation. I'm not a fan with raisins in it :( Use your imagination and add the things you like. Brilliant for Lo Carbers!

Good uses are:

Nice lunch with a crisp green salad, or or in a warm baguette/ Tortilla wrap/Sandwich filler.

Also good as a jacket potato topping.


Incorporated into a  cold buffet,  on Bruschetta, Vol au vent filler.



You can vary ingredients used, as to what you may have in fridge/cupboard.

You will need :

Cold chicken/turkey
1/2 onion fried
Mayonnaise/Natural yogurt/Greek yogurt/Creme Fraiche-whatever you have that may need using up.
Mild curry powder
Fresh coriander
Teaspoon Bringal pickle or mango chutney.
Few chopped nuts, walnuts and unsalted toasted cashews are good. *leave out if you don't like*

Mix all of the above,  with the nuts and fresh coriander.

YUM!!

✯That child on Christmas Eve ✯

I can remember way back to when I was a little girl, the excitement I  felt on  Christmas Eve. My grandparents would arrive in the morning, and the preparations in the kitchen would begin, my grandad was an amazing cook, and his talents were passed down to my mother, then to me, I was always standing on a stool watching and helping. When I was a teenager he taught me how to make proper Indian curries, He grew up in India so really knew his stuff.

I really miss those times.  I try very hard to keep up the traditions for my own family, my daughter loves being involved in the kitchen, ~ it's her turn for the stool now, and she really is getting the hang of handling pastry, she's only 4! We made our Christmas biscuits yesterday, and son number 2 helped too. They got creative with the icing too! The tree is now adorned.

Decorating the tree

Today I have made my ham which I make the same way every year, it's to die for! Recipe from last year HERE

Studding the ham with cloves

I also made a massive batch of cheese straws, and definitely won't be having dinner tonight as have been picking at these all afternoon .

I always cook my turkey on Christmas  Eve too, but am out for lunch tomorrow for a change, so will make the most of a relaxing Christmas day. My boys will be back to me on boxing day, and I will be making a roast rib of beef dinner, YUM!

So I'm all done ,baking complete, presents wrapped, hampers made.

The chutney and jams were made in October. The truffles were made yesterday ~ a  Delia recipe and were really simple, but messy. I have hot hands which didn't help! You have to work speedily!

My daughter took most of these photos, she's always at the ready with my camera phone when I'm mucky!

My lovely Royal Doulton Santa came out of hiding today, this belonged to my father, I inherited it when he passed away, Sadie keeps gazing at it in wonder, he is rather Jolly isn't he?

My daughter is begging me to put her bed as can't contain her excitement.....

Oh how I wish to be that child on Christmas Eve again...

Time for me to have a large glass of wine and enjoy the smells wafting through the house. First watch Raymond Briggs Snowman with Sadie before she goes to bed. Am muchly looking forward to watching BBC adaptation of  Great Expectations., and Alistair Simm version of Scrooge, and Capras It's a Wonderful life for the Zilliionth time!


Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. XXXX

Best brownies and Mince pies!

I can't remember if I've blogged these brownies before, anyway if not here they are again. They are so delicious (I really don't have a sweet tooth but love these!) and very economical as you don't need to spend a fortune on bars of chocolate with 75% or more of cocoa solids. I just use normal; supermarket cocoa. Children will enjoy getting involved in the making of these.

Thanks Dee for the recipe.

You will need:

150 g/5oz unsalted butter
255 g/9oz sugar
80g/3oz cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
75 g /2 1/2 oz plain flour
Cup of nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts. Optional.


Preheat oven to gas 3, 160 C, 325 F. Grease and line a square dish, approx 9 x 9  inches  with baking parchment.

Melt butter in a bowl in the microwave, or in a pan over a medium heat, add the sugar, and then the cocoa powder , stir until all the lumps are gone.
Add the vanilla, salt and eggs and stir well. Gently fold in the flour until just combined, don't over mix, then stir in the nuts if using.

 Pour into  your dish.


Bake for 50 mins-to an hour, or until the top feels set, insert a skewer, it should be moist and squidgy in the middle.

Cool in the tin, and cut into squares. Tastes divine!

I also made another batch of mince pies today, shop bought are NOT the same... They don't last long in my house, my husband and kids love them, not a fan myself. This recipe is brilliant, but you MUST add some cold water or milk to bind the pastry together, or it is more like biscuit. Whoever devised this recipe must have made an error in not stating this in the ingredients.

Link here

Happy baking!

Chicken Pox remedy

 My little girl has the dreaded  chicken pox. It came out last Friday and she had been in agony for 2 full days when it peaked. Unfortunately it started in her lady bits, and has been worse there than anywhere else on her body.

 Calamine is useless. My mum  picked this stuff up from Boots, it was expensive at nearly £10, but  my goodness the difference in the relief it gave her was incredible, and she is no longer walking around like Douglas Bader!

 Thought I would share, as anyone reading could pass on if they no of anyone with a child suffering.

I didn't think C pox  was common at this time of year, but my daughters teacher said it always rears it's ugly head at Xmas time. I popped up to the school to pick up Sadie's cards yesterday and there were 10 children absent from her class alone!

 I'm so glad she will be all better in time for Father Christmas's arrival :)

Birthday week!

 I turned 29 again on Tuesday, I wonder how long I can keep this up?

 What a lovely week I've had so far.  The perfect start on Monday evening was Sadie's Nativity concert, she was an angel, it was gorgeous, and I cried as always, it's been a while, as my boys are 14 and 16 now. Lordy, how I'm going to treasure these times as they won't be happening again, until I'm a granny, I'm in no rush for that!

Christmas angel

Nativity

I spent most of my birthday preparing party food for the evening, which took 3 times as long as it should as my cooker is on the blink. :( How I need a range type) Hint hint!

 Drinks were had on Tuesday eve, with my husband and kids, my mum and my brother and his girlfriend, I have been suffering ever since,  I went to bed at midnight, Ben went at 5am! He should never get the guitar out! I've had the most awful hangover since, and  have no idea why, bad batch of wine maybe? I didn't mix my drinks or even drink that much more than usual quota? Maybe I'm coming down with something? PLEASE not just before Xmas, I was ill last year and it ruins the festivities :(

Gratefully received Pressies this year:

Husband ~perfume
Mum~more perfume
Boys~ Love lettered blocks, and a great tin for storage containing shortbread( A marked improvement on last years sieve)
Gorgeous bunch of  lilies form brother and girlfriend.
My friend J bought me a beautiful perfume bottle.
K and P a Lotto ticket, which unfortunately I didn't win!

I have been painting a large oil  portrait for a friend ,of herself nude, which had it's unveiling on Wednesday night over a couple of glasses of wine, she was well pleased, which I was relieved about!

Ben took a couple of days off work so we could get on with finishing  Xmas shopping etc, and we went for a  nice Chinese lunch yesterday.

We are celebrating again tomorrow night with friends,  which means copious amounts of booze and good music . I am cooking Chilli the day before, as will taste better, as it matures overnight, with home made garlic bread, and coleslaw and  rice.  Dessert  will be Tarte Tatin, followed by a nice cheeseboard.

To solve my problem with not being able to cook enough stuff in my oven ,  I have bought a small rotisserie, which will be a godsend over the Xmas period, especially when I'm doing a roast, as can cook a joint and potatoes in that which will free up cooker for other stuff.

Must say I'm glad that I'm going out for for Xmas lunch this year, will be great not having to cook all day! ~My Mum's treating us, then we can come home have some nice cheeses, drinks and relax.

I'm loving all the decorations this year, I can never stop buying them, I LOVE them! I am especially pleased with my dresser which is displaying some lovely Christmas stuff, some of it very old, inherited from my grandmother. The ruby red Poinsettia just looks stunning!  I'm loving cosy evenings in, candles lit, fairy lights twinkling fairy lights....

Decorating the tree

The snug

All we need now is lots of snow, complete with cheesy Michael Buble Christmas album...sigh....

Hope your all enjoying your Christmas preparations! xx