Joining in with Mum's Virual Tea Party

Hello friends

Did you remember to turn your clocks back 1 hour this morning?

Nice to see so many visitors. Welcome and come and sit yourselves down. The storm hasn't reach our part of the England yet and the sun is shining, don't suppose it will be long though.
Would you like a cup of tea and how about some cake.

It was my daughters birthday earlier in the month but we waited for half term to have her friends round for a sleep over (last night). I made a chocolate cake. Wow it's amazing and so moist and light. My SIL gave me the recipe which I think she got of the BBC website. Anyway I will post the recipe at the bottom of this post with the link.
After making the cake I sandwiched them together with bought white buttercream and then smeared it all over the outside before putting on the fondant icing. Very sickly and sweet but the girls loved it. Hope you do too. (L is a huge 1 Direction fan)  I forgot to tell you that the crunchy bits in the butter icing are chocolate chips.

Do you like the flowers? M bought them for me because yesterday was also our 7th wedding anniversary. We celebrated by going to the local weatherspoons and had a lovely meal. The three girls had their own table next to ours and  unfortunately we had to pick up their tab too.  I'm off now to visit the others. See you all again soon.
Don't forget your recipes below and a big thank you to Mum for organising this tea party.

Carolx


http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6652/naughty-chocolate-fudge-cake

Ingredients

175g Self raising flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Bicarbonate soda
150g Caster sugar
2 Eggs Beaten
150 ml (1/4 pint) Sunflower oil
150 ml (1/4 pint) Semi skimmed milk
2 Tbsp Golden syrup


For the Coating and filling
75g Unsalted butter
175g Icing Sugar
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
Drop of Milk
Method

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tins.
Sieve the flour, cocoa and Bicarbonate of Soda into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.
Make a well in the centre and add the syrup, eggs, oil and milk. Beat well with electric whisk until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the two tins and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Remove from oven, leave to cool before turning out onto a cooling rack.
To make your butter icing, place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder then add enough milk to make the icing fluffy and spreadable.
If the cake has risen a little to high then use a serrated knife to even off the top, now sandwich the two cakes together with the butter icing and cover the sides and the top of the cake with more butter icing.

Twiddle Muff

Hello friends

Hope you are having a lovely day today. The sun is suppose to shine all day today, Yeah can get loads of washing dry outside.

Here's the Twiddle Muff I've been making for my mum for Christmas. You can buy them over the internet but at £38 I thought they were a bit expensive and there's not a lot to twiddle. This has not cost me anything to make because everything came out of my stash.
I got the basic pattern from here and then made up my own twiddles. I wanted to be visually appealing so I used lots of colour and different textures and dangly bits. My idea was that there would be too much to take in all at once so new discoveries would be made each time it was picked up.


I started off embroidering a small piece of fabric with a flower and then another piece with mum on it, stitched them together to form a pocket and then added some polystyrene beads, closed the
 pocket and stitched it in place. I'm not that good at embroidery and I think I should have used long and short stitch. I did try it by it was very untidy so I stuck to satin stitch.  I already had some crocheted flowers made up so added them. I made some felt hearts and embellished them with pretty buttons and bows then attached them to a pale green ribbon so that they would dangle and look pretty. I had more of this ribbon and decided to cut it into four strips and added some clear coloured beads. Now they can be plaited or the beads moved up and down into different positions. I've also added other dangly bits to provide visual interest as well.
Twiddle Muffs are suppose to give the dementia patients something to focus on, keep their fingers mobile and keep them calm. I don't know if it will help mum in anyway as she doesn't sit down long enough. Can only try. I did enjoy making the muff as it was something different.

Whilst I was doing the embroidery L was sat next to me watching and said the she would like to have a go too. I asked her if she minded waiting until I had finished my pieces and then she could have the small embroidery ring. She agreed and whilst waiting she selected a picture, traced it, enlarged it on the printer/photocopier and then transferred it onto a piece of white cotton I found for her and selected the right colour of thread (it had to be the right red) and this is the result. I used another piece of white cotton on the back to hide the stitching and trimmed off the excess. It's now ready to hang in her room with the rest of her 1Direction collection.
My next project is a Harry Potter scarf for my 11 year old nephew S. Unfortunately I had to buy the yarn because I didn't have the right colours in my stash.

My blanket (from my last post) goes to its new owners next weekend. I do hope they like it.

Best get on now whilst the sun is still shinning. I look forward to reading your comment soon.

Have a good week. Half term for us next week.

Carolx

Ta Da Moment

Hello friends

A warm welcome to my new followers, Suzanne from Tales from my craft room, Sarah B from Compostwoman and Rachel Flowers. Hope you enjoy my ramblings.

I have finally finished my comic strip hero blanket. I don't want to sound smug but I feel really proud of this project. It's taken a long time (since August) because I had to do some research on the computer and old Dandy and Beano annuals. Then work out the designs for the squares.  After working out how many stitches and how many rows I was going to do for the squares I could then work out the design on graph paper. 1 square equalled 1 stitch. It worked out when I did stocking stitch but not when I did moss stitch. I crochet round each square in white so that they wouldn't blend when stitched together and to make sure that they were all the same size. Next I placed them in an order where I tried not to get the same two colours together, especially the block ones and then stitched them together. Afterwards I crochet a large boarder around the edge (trebles) only using the colours I'd used for the squares except for the brown, I didn't have enough.  My last round of trebles were completed in black (will understand why further down the page) and the final round was done in treble shells and a slip stitch between each shell. I then made some fringe and attached it to three sides.

I bet you are wondering who the squares represent.
I'll tell you.Going from the top from left to right (top picture).
1 Mini the Minx (Beano)
2 Bully Beef (Dandy)
3 Desperate Dan (Dandy) there are buttons going down the red shirt,
4 Hell Boy (cartoon) there are two crochet circles to represent cut off devil horns,
5 Bash Street Teacher (Beano) there is a tassel on the black square to represent a mortar board, 6 Billy Whizz (Beano)
7 Winker Watson (Dandy)
8 Roger the Dodger (Dandy)
9 Scooby Doo (cartoon) dog collar, my favourite,
10 Spider Man 
11 Dennis the Menace
12 The Riddler from Batman
13 Flash (cartoon I think)
14 Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles - Rafael (cartoon)
15 Iron man (cartoon, I think)
16 Cat Woman
and last Gnasher, Dennis's dog, represented by the fringe and I crotched a bone to keep him quiet. Now you know why I didn't put it round the top, too risky hehehehe

I guess you might be wondering what I'm going to do with it now it's finished. Well, M has a nephew who will be 30 soon along with his girlfriend and nephew has a son who will be 11 soon and they're having a joint party at the beginning of November so we thought we would do a joint birthday present. The weather is getting cooler and they like super heroes so why not snuggle down under a nice warm blanket whilst watching them on the TV. I will include a quiz sheet to see if the can find the heroes and at Christmas if they haven't been able to find them all I will give them the answers. I do hope they'll like it. How much did it cost - about £8 for the materials and man hours - too many but I've enjoyed making it.
L wants me to do a Jacqueline Wilson one to represent all her books. That will take quite a while and will be an after Christmas challenge. My next challenge is to knit a twiddle muff for my mum for Christmas, I will post about that when it's completed.

It's been lovely to see you and I hope you will drop by again.

Carolx

Message from Foster Mummy

Hi Friends

I had a message from Foster Mummy, please see below.

"my blog has moved to: www.frugalmummy.blogspot.co.uk something horrid has happened and I can't access any of my old blog or the last four years' worth of blogs - aaargh!! This means I can't find my list of 400+ followers either, unless they have commented"

It must be so annoying.

See you all soon

Carolx

Craft Fair

Hel Friends

Nice to see you again.



My Table

Some people went to Yarndale, in Skipton, on Saturday.
I would have loved to have gone but I was at a craft fair instead. I had a stall and L was also given a small table. We were in a very large Scout hall that was filled with beautifully hand crafted items, but it was away from the town/village centre and didn't get as many visitors as we would have liked.  I sold one baby blanket to a dog lover and a card purse.


L's small table before the move to a larger one

L and her friend also L did very well. They make new jewellery from old and unwanted jewellery that has been donated or picked up from car boots.
 The girls started of on a small table and because a bigger stall holder hadn't turn up they moved over and spread out their stock. During the day they made named keyrings whilst the customer waited.  I feel so very proud of them. The girls have decided that they will do another stall at their school Christmas Fair later in the year. I'll won't be doing one; my stock just wouldn't be appropriate.

Today M and I would like to wish L a very happy 14th Birthday. I asked her what she would like for tea today. Small pizza and curly fries and a cupcake/muffin. So that's what we are having. At half term we are planning a sleepover with a couple of friends where she is planning to do a makeover for each other, then a meal out at Weatherspoons followed by dvd films in her room with snacks.

I'm off the River Wyre to see if I can collect some damsons. I'll let you know how I get on.

See you soon.

Carolx




1st Birthday

Hello friends

Today is my 1st Birthday, exactly one year ago today I wrote my first blog. I was unsure of what I was doing as this was all new to me and I think I still have a lot to learn about blogging.
Here are a few things I enjoy about blogging in no particular order, just as they come into my head.

I have made new friends here in the UK and around the globe.

 

I love reading your comments.

 

I love reading your blogs too, although I should leave comments more.

 

I have learned so much from you all from crafting to frugaling, gardening and decluttering and much more.

 

I have leant that I should take my camera out more because there is so much beauty around us.

 

I've enjoyed going on your outings an seeing places that I may never visit or revisiting places I've  been to in the past.

 

I want to keep blogging and reading for the time being because I enjoy your company.

 

I've had fun.



 



 

I'm afraid I haven't made a cake but I will be making one for L's birthday celebrations in a couple of weeks and I will share that with you, I'm sure she won't mind.

Enjoy the rest of the week  and the weekend.

Carolx



Sweet and Sour plus catch up

 

Hello friends

 

Looks like we're having a nice weekend, weather wise. What about yourselves?

I like Autumn with the leaves changing colour. I still love to kick through the crunch leaves but you have to be careful as you could be kicking something unpleasant as well.

This month is going so fast and soon it will be October and L's 14th birthday (more about that another day)

 

Last week we had one of L's friends over for tea and I only had one chicken breast so I cut it up into fine strips and made the following recipe (from Asda). I also used what veg I had plus extra.  Carrots, courgette, French beans, peppers and fresh pineapple from the freezer. I didn't do enough rice so we had a pudding. Apple and Strawberry (from the freezer) crumble and custard (sorry no picture).

Since getting this recipe Asda have updated it and use sweet chilli sauce instead of the ketchup and orange juice instead of the pineapple juice. Might give this version a try but I'm not too keen on chillies.

 

My S & S  Chicken

Sweet and sour Chicken 

·2 tbsp. light Soy Sauce

· 2 tbsp. tomato ketchup

· 2 tbsp cider vinegar

· 1 tbsp clear honey

·  75ml pineapple juice

· 4 level tsp of cornflour

· 2 tbsp sunflower oil

·  4 chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-size pieces

· 200g carrots, cut into short sticks

·  1 pepper, quartered, deseeded and cut into strips

·  2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

· 155g pack mangetout, sliced lengthways

· 300g fresh pineapple (weighed without skin and core), cut into bite-size pieces (or tinned)

· Rice, to serve

1. To make the sweet and sour sauce, mix the soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, honey, pineapple juice and cornflour until smooth. Add 50ml of water and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the chicken for 4 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Wipe out the wok with kitchen paper. Add the rest of the oil to the wok and stir-fry the prepared carrots, red pepper, spring onions and mangetout for about 3-4 minutes.

4. Return the chicken to the wok and add the pineapple. Stir-fry until hot.

5. Stir the sweet and sour sauce, add to the wok and cook, stirring, until it boils and thickens. Serve with rice.

 Sorry about the extra text in the recipe but I don't know how to get rid of it.


The answers to the knitted squares, from my last post are.
No1 = Scooby Do (his collar),
No2 = Dennis the Menace (from the Beano),
No3 =  Billy Whizz (again from the Beano) 
No4 = Flash (some superhero).
I have stitch all the squares together and I'm in the process of crocheting around it. When I've finished I will post a picture.

Yesterday morning Dad and I started on a six course about Dementia. It's run by the Community Intervention Team from Lancashire County Council and although yesterday was really a getting to know you and an introduction to dementia session I found it very useful. Dad's no so sure yet but has decided to continue. I feel that the more I know the better I can help dad with the caring of mum so that she can, hopefully, stay at home as long as possible. That's the theory anyway.

Next week I am preparing my baby knitting stall for a craft fair next Saturday. L and her friend also have a stall selling their jewellery.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend doing whatever you are doing.

Carolx