It's not quite right....

How many times have you read a recipe through, gathered the ingredients, read through again and something doesn't sit quite right?
Yesterday K was very keen to bake. It had to be chocolate cake and it had to be just the right one, the cake of her dreams.
She decided upon this one. Brooklyn Blackout cake from the hummingbird Bakery.
The cake went well, very well and I would certainly make it again. BUT I'm not so sure about the chocolate custard filling. The recipe says to add 200g of cornflour to the cocoa, sugar, syrup and water mix and then to cook until very thick. We got to very, very thick almost immediately and I hadn't added all of the cornflour. It tastes just a little bit bland as if it needs a little something.....

We only used about 1/2 of the custard mix but the cake still went down really well both at home and at work where a lot of my 'testing" takes place. It looks good but, I think needs some more work. Watch this space....

It seems like quite a while since I last posted. Work seems to have got in the way. I still haven't decided about a colour scheme but no doubt it will all come together in the end.
I have been off work today. Well in the sense that I didn't leave the house at 8am. K has to provide cake for a sale at school this evening to help raise money for a connecting schools project. I'm sure most of you will understand that this means I have been baking......
Requests were made, but this is also an opportunity to try out something new......

I've attempted Martha Stewart's Hummingbird cupcakes with pineapple flowers and......

My own version of Nutella cakes with candied hazlenuts.....

Chocolate cake is always popular.....

And a grown up lemon sponge... just hope it all goes well and doesn't come back home!

Decisions, decisions.

As of last month, we have lived here for 13 years. When we first moved in we were a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place and, with two very small children we rattled around a bit. Quite quickly we got used to the space but not the very 1970's decor. For a long time we had to live with it, swirly carpets and all.
Then slowly, slowly we started to change things. We have done our best to keep the original features of what was a Victorian rectory. This wasn't easy as the family that were here before us had strived to remove all evidence of the Victorians and indeed those that followed. To be fair, the fashion at the time was to modernise whatever the cost. All of the bedroom fireplaces had been removed and it was only good luck and the determination of one builder that stopped the beautiful staircase frome being boxed in.
We reach 2011 with only two rooms left to tackle as things had been put on a back-burner a bit when I was having treatment. Feeling well now, I really want to get going again and perhaps get all the work finished over the next year or so.
The window people are booked to restore the sashes and we can finally take the last bits of secondary glazing to the tip. We'll even be able to open the windows in the lounge or perhaps I should say Drawing Room.
Our bedroom is the only other remaining room and I won't be sorry to see the pink blown vinyl wallpaper being stripped off and replaced. Interestingly this was the only room not painted in a shade of magnolia but it isn't good, not good at all.
So what about THE room? Let me show you what we have now. All suggestions are really welcome because I am well and truly stuck with this one... The room is big, about 17 x 17 feet with south and west facing windows. The shutters will be sorted so that they can actually be used and stripped to a warm pine colour.

I have just started stripping the fireplace which is yellow sandstone under the paint. (what possessed them to paint all the fireplaces I really don't know but  this is the last one to show its true colours). We will also take away the 70's style slate and open up the fireplace a bit. Either a stove or Spanish basket arrangement will be put in depending on what we find when excavations are started.....

The little scrap of paper was just peeking ot when I took a piece of paper off today...

The table has been moved to what will become the dining room but the piano will have to stay, it's just too big to move and although bought originally to take up a bit of space is now well used by no. one son.
Looking forward to your suggestions.

The Power of Water

Another favourite walk tok K and I to Gelt Wood today. It has been very wet here recently and as you can imagine the river is running high. Over the years visiting here I have been amazed by the way the water has carved out a course for itself through the valley.

Man too has spent some time here carving away at the sandstone in the old quarry...

We stopped at what has become a favourite spot for a rest, a picnic and in the summer at least a bit of a paddle. Can you spot the stolen / borrowed wellies?

We spotted this beautiful bracket fungus along the way...

Before heading home for a piece of almond pear tart.....

In Search of Spring.

Some of you have written about the signs of Spring and posted beautiful photos. Up here however things are a bit slower, more considered or perhaps still feeling the chill. I set out to see if i could find any evidence.... yes there are snowdrops in the garden and I should probably have photographed them but I wanted to be a bit more adventurous and so set off to Talkin Tarn . The walk around the Tarn is just over a mile and we used to go quite a bit when the children were small. A promise of icecream or hot chocolate usually made sure of a winge free excursion. Today though, I was on my own, no cafe stop needed. 

It was absolutely freezing and I was glad of my down jacket and hat as I met up with this fellow... his rather shy new wife refused to have her photo taken or perhaps it was the other way around...

There were signs though....

and this....

the council have taken over the upkeep of the Tarn and apart from starting to charge for parking, not much else seems to have been done. Perhaps it's too early to see what they have been up to but at least they've left the special seat that looks out over the choppy water...

And the old tree that fell down in the winter storms....

Time to head home and inject my own little bit of spring with some orange sponge...

Which, turned out like this....Spring blossoms.......

Out and About

Last weekend Y, K and I went off to watch a cycling race at Croft circuit where one of our friends was racing. The weather had turned out quite wll here so off we set with snacks for k and flapjacks for friend....
The nearer we got to the circuit the greyer it became and it was cold, ok freezing. The cyclists were warming up.... how hard that must be in grey February weather, all that is except for friend who had, probably quite sensibly decided that it was much too cold and grey to be riding around a wind swept airfield....

So after watching for a while we set off to look around Richmond......A very pretty market town in Yorkshire, mind you it was still very cold and grey as you can see here...

After poking around in all the vintage srores (read junk shops for some).. we headed home to make this for my dad. His very own sheep dog trial.....

It looks much more spectacular with the flaming fountain.....

Then yesterday I was given a fantabulous present.........

An enamel sign for my kitchen.

Cupper or Twizzler?

All of us women fall into one of these categories. I was always a committed cupper. Right from the moment when (far too young) I learned to fasten my bra. I remember it well the blue or pink gingham shining through my primary school shirt causing great excitement and embarrassment in equal measure.
What brings me back to all of this was a trip, yesterday to Glasgow, the big smoke and the mecca for all things shopping. The train was delayed as always giving time for this.......

Sugar magazine let me tell you has a lot to answer for...... It was declared that a new bra was required. A particular bra indeed. As this was unlikely to fit and, lets be truthful here I didn't want to spend precious Glasgow time in M & S we went to Lewis's. Eventually after much trying on and persuading the very nice but bossy assistant that at 13 you really don't want to wear a skin coloured anything never mind a Triumph, the deed was done and we had 2 beautiful bras in the bag. Then the problem started. Having been so successful I decided that I would like a new one too. I should have kept my mouth shut.....
I was measured, prodded, told how well I had done to "survive". I should have left.... I stayed!
Bra after bra was brought out. The woman was on a mission....
At one point I was told that I needed to watch my weight now that I was getting on..... Ok so I'm not in the first flush but I'M NOT THAT OLD! Anyway why oh why was she trying to stuff me into a 32 B when I haven't been that size since I was 11.
None of this was helped by the fact that twizzling is not the done thing in bra fitting stakes. I have no choice due to being unable to reach and fasten properly at the moment. (I am working on it honestly) and so said assistant was fastening each of these monstrosities for me.
I have a dread, a deep dread of the Triumph Doreen. The highlight of the "comfy" bra world..... If you are an aged granny perhaps. (Sorry all grannies). Not only that but it was the first bra I had to wear after my op last year and I wasn't going there again. The assistant got upset and said how good a bra it was...... Sorry but no. In the end we came away with 2 beautiful daughter bras. (Am I jealous? Yes!!!!). I am now the proud owner of a Triumph and wait for it because it gets better...... A Playtex  Fits so well. (They have given up on the phrase "cross your heart"... too twee). Ok so they fit and what can I say.... comfortable but the are HORRIBLE.
Anyway just as well we went to other places and could drink in this......

And this

And this

Lost Marbles

Do you remembermy last sleep-over post? sleepover whoopie
Well.... the experience has just been repeeated with a twist. No show without punch K rightly asserted that if big brother could have a sllp-over then she could too..... Ok I'm a bit loopy and I said yes.
There were only 5 of them this time (more managable less good friends so far).  Then the truth outs...... It will be a pamper party! Ok I can cope of course I can, I'm a big girl even if I do have certain OCD tendancies in the tidy stakes......
Now please don't worry I know of at least one mum who reads this blog..... I am NOT complaining, just puzzled.

We started out with a shared meal including said big brother and dad as well as myself and 5 girls.....

Big bro did most of the clearing and provided the cake......
The girls disappeared upstairs not to be seen again. We heard lots of giggling, laughing and whispering but no sight of them....
I went to bed and fell asleep to more of the same noises.
THEN this moring Y couldn't get into the bathroom. Light off, door locked... What was going on? I was asked / sent to investigate meaning dressing gowns and all the stuff you don't bother with when alone....
Yes the door was locked. Yes the light was off.... Was someone ill? Much knocking and K appeared.....
She had been sleeping there.... With 3 others as number 5 had gone to sleep too early and they wanted to ......... wait for this..... Talk. Threres's no accounting for girls.
Anyway I'm off to work leaving them all here. Maybe I truly have lost my marbles.......

Gingerbread Dreams

Left alone, with no-one "helping", it's amazing what you can get up to....

Streets of houses....

Herds of wild horses.....

Teeny ducks swimming away.........

Dare devil little men and women.....

All huddled together! 

Have a good day.

Where do you blog?

Penny over at http://pennyshenhouse.blogspot.com/ suggested that we should show everyone where we do our blogging, with us in situ so to speak. And so here I am a little late in the day having survived being at work, well just about anyway.




I think I look, how shall I put this? A bit crumpled and it might have been better to leave my glasses on. The trouble is that when I take them off it takes ages to find them again!
Today brought work, but also a surprise in the form of flowers.







There were others as well but I just love the way the Gerberas stand up like huge daisies. A smile in a flower. Hope you all had a good day, it's all up from here on in.

Getting Ready

It seems like ages since I've posted, in fact it was last weekend. Probably a long time in Blogland. But I've been getting ready...... Tomorrow is D day or should I say W day? I'm going back to work.....
It's all a bit wierd because with one thing and another over the last 16 months I've not been at work very much. When I was off at first I didn't like it one little bit. I missed my work, I missed all the people I work with and I missed being, well me...
But I think I've found a new me.... I like being at home. I like baking and pottering, well its better with two arms but all the same I have not missed work. not at all! Don't get me wrong though, I miss the people and my friends at the place called work just not the job. And so...... I am going back but to do less hours, yippee... a bit of both... some time at home and 3 days at work. I think it's called the work-life balance. Whatever, Hopefully it will last and I will not slide back in to doing everyday again... watch this space..
In the meantime I've had to get ready which has involved making lots of cake for various people....

The one above was for a friend's little girl and took a bit of working out as it had to be completely dairy free. It turned out ok though. can you spot the piece of knex holding the ribbons up?

The next was an adult girly one....... Possibly the roses need a bit more work...

And then of course I had the marmalade to do, I wouldn't want my dad to run out now would I?...
This weekend has been for much more mundane things like buying new work shoes and trousers . We have been given new tunics which is laughable really when we are supposed to be saving millions but there you go.
I'll post again after the big return. I'm only doing Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week so hopefully the balance will be right.

A Walk in the Park

Or not as the case may be......

The park actually gets flooded quite often as it is on the Eden flood plane  but I thought you might like to see some of the pictures that I took today.....

It is not nearly so bad today as it was during the "big flood" a few years ago when the river was actually running about 10 meters abobove the level today. As you can see though, that even today no-one was going to be driving along this road.....

That bit that looks like a weir is actually the water running off the road as the tide recedes. This part of the river is tidal although mostly you don't really notice, only when the river is very full from the water running off the Pennines.

Well at least the trees won't go thirsty!

Sleepover Whoopie

How far would your heart sink if no. one child announced a sleepover, in your house with 14 of them expected? Mmmm I know! Well let me tell you that my heart sank just as low. With hind site though it needn't have bothered.

I used the occaision to try out Whoopie pies. I hadn't made these before and an audience of teenagers was not to be missed.  They didn't look too promising prior to baking.....

I think they lasted about 5 minutes after they were baked and filled. Definitely a recipe to be repeated! Chocolate Whoopie with marshmallow filling. The actual "pie" is not too sweet which is just as well as the filling certainly is..

The evening was great. 14 teenagers in the house, playing poker of all things, as well as twister and playing the piano, extremely well!
They ate lots of food but that's ok as we had made lots. In fact we may be eating pasta bolognese for quite some time.
One of the highlights of the evening though, was when they asked if they could bake. Actually this had been on the cards for quite some time, baking "lessons" having been mentioned before. Everyone joined in and two lots of cupcakes were produced and decorated by said teenagers with very little input from me, including the washing up.

Icing was added using lots of sparkles and sprinkles. There's a little kid in them all yet! 

Most also had a go at piping shapes with the royal icing which was then left to dry where Suzy the cat had a great time overnight sampling it all......cue one sticky table in the morning.
I'm not sure exactly how much sleep happened during this sleepover but all helped to tidy up, have breakfast and were all gone by lunchtime. Roll on the next one.