'supporting each other through really tough times'

7_week_wonder

Evening all,

Gosh it sounds like everyone is having a lovely productive day.

Hugs to Meme and Possession.

Kezlou your pictures are lovely. We finally got round to putting our Christmas decorations up so if some kind soul could send me idiot-proof instructions on how to add pictures I'll post some pictures of the Nativity set/Noah's ark.

SDG I am drooling at the thought of your gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon icing: is there any chance you could post the recipe?

I'm just off to get some tomato and chorizo pasta sauce on the go, then I've explained to OH that he is on pasta cooking duty whilst I have bath:)

Frugalista

Softstuff wrote: »

I made some asian-flavoured pulled pork today. What an easy, cheap recipe with a multitude of uses. I'll be making that repeatedly. I'll be making some steamed buns containing that with hoisin sauce tomorrow I think.

Any chance of the recipe, pretty please .

kidcat

nuttyp- let your insurance company handle it, it will be less hassle especially if the other party are ambivalent.
Its the sign of how busy everywhere is I think, people are racing about frantically. Hope you are all ok.

I wandered out to collect the snow machine today, got home and got cold feet. Then took the kids to the park to meet the reindeer and it was so busy we left without seeing them, I just knew I would lose DS8 in there and wasnt going to take the chances, so we popped to the garden centre who also have reindeer visiting today, was much quieter there and the kids got to have a good look and stroke the beautiful creatures peacefully.
Then as we rounded the corner we discovered a carriage set up with a snow machine going over it, kids jumped in for a picture and were so excited playing in it, I am so glad I bought the machine now.

Realised I needed some jars for the gifts so I then wandered the kids over to Ikea, Santa was in the restaurant, no queues and free, so kids managed to pop into a quick visit. Both were thrilled and then were very well behaved all around whilst we bought our few bits, reward of ice cream as we left.

Kids were both well behaved and am so glad I ventured out with them, am hoping to do a few similar things this week after school and when they break up so that they can really enjoy the run up - think it will distract them too.

SDG31000

7 week wonder I basically made it up as I went along as I could only find muffin recipes or ones containing veg oil instead of butter (One of the ladies at Knit and Natter is allergic to nickel and it is in the oil due to how it is processed), but I will give it a shot and fingers crossed it turns out
Gingerbread cupcakes- makes 24 muffin sized cakes

12oz butter/marg
9oz soft dark brown sugar or similar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons black treacle
6 eggs
12oz self raising flour
2 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 level teapsoon ground cloves
good grating of nutmeg about 1/2-1 teaspoon I think
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4 and put liners into Cream together the butter, sugar, golden syrup and black treacle. Beat in the eggs one at time. Sift together the dry ingredients and fold into the butter mix. Divide between the tins and bake for 12-15 minutes. Mine were quite flat, but I'm not sure if that will happen to yours.
Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins and then remove and cool on a wire rack.
For the icing, cream together butter + 2x icing sugar and cinnamon. Add in the cinnamon a bit at a time until it tastes how you like. I used rather a lot, but I love cinnamon with a passion. Top with glitter or gold balls or mini gingerbread men
I'm thinking about adding some ground cardamon to the next batch, but that's because I love that too.

Hope that makes some sense. xxx

Popperwell

Hugs to all who need them. That's how I feel NuttyP regarding Mum too. I suspect if I could have Mum here for five minutes it would never be enough. I should include my dad too because he was special too. Do I accept him not being here because it is so long ago or is it that special bond between Mother and son? I don't know...

Well, remarkably I have received some Christmas cards...so though only a few I have some.:)

Still some tidying up to do...and a meal to cook. Bit of a down day but hopefully it will pass, Sundays are nostalgic because it is the day we listened to the radio a lot and music I call really easy listening and that is the day of the week Mum passed away too.

Oh Well, I did manage a little company last night which was nice three hours(well almost)in the musical presence of Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies...and the concert just as I arrived and ended in time for the last bus home...

Remember when I said how dead Darlington was when I came out of the Rememberance Carol Service last week? Same problem in Bishop Auckland last night, no one around much at all and even the warm and inviting pubs were lucky if they had a couple of people and the takeaways were empty...the money just isn't about. I can only see it getting worse...

katieowl_2

Evening toughies.

Been trying to tidy up a bit today :eek: I don't know where all this stuff that is everywhere has come from, but it sure doesn't want to fit back in the cupboards!

Made a bit more Xmas stock for the market, but tomorrow is my main baking day. OH has been unnaturally helpful LOL!

We had a nice dinner, I cooked something from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem, chicken thighs with fennel and pernod, it also has slices of tangerine and fennel seeds in. Very, very tasty! I had the pernod in anyway, as it's in one of my market recipes, other than that it was quite cheap, and we often pick up YS fennel, because it's a 'weird' veg in these parts! I intend to work my way from cover to cover of this book. Nom Nom Nom.

There's nothing on TV again... all these blooming channels and not one thing I'm interested in. OH has control of the remote anyway, so it's bound to be something torturous that he finally settles on... I'm only sitting in here 'cos the fire is on and it's warm snuggled up with my goggies.

Kate

kidcat

7ww - You will need to use a hosting site, like photobucket, imageshack, or similar, you upload the picture onto the host and then copy the direct link it gives, paste here and hey presto the picture should appear.

7_week_wonder

Fantastic SDG - thanks for the recipe.. I definitely feel a little experiment coming once I've finished work for Christmas (Tuesday evening - the count down has started!)

KatieOwl - I'm getting the Jerusalem book from my mum for Christmas and am really looking forward to trying out the recipes.

I made some of Twinks hobnobs this afternoon: I added some dried cranberries and some chocolate drops and they were rather nom-licious!

Kidcat - thanks, I'll give it a go!

Uniscots97

Evening everyone, had some bad news on friday. My job finishes up this coming friday. I can't believe it. Pretty upset.

kidcat

Oh unix how awful ((hugs))