{Cookies Galore!}

I love recipes! Especially baking ones. So when I saw this little blog train asking for volunteers I thought why not! So me and some lovely ladies are gonna share some cookie recipes, check out Lois' blog for a full list of all the ladies taking part– perfect for this time of year. Make a batch as gifts, or take them into work or school to spread a little Christmas cheer.


My recipe comes from this fantastic book by Nigella Lawson – Nigella Christmas. Its full of yummy recipes and gorgeous photos. With great ideas for over the holiday season (or any other time!)
I bought this book last Christmas and baked these cookies – they went down so well, over the Christmas period I baked 3 batches!

The recipe states you can make 24 biscuits – but I must make mine a little smaller because I end up with tons – which is a good thing!

Ingredients
250g soft butter
150g Caster Sugar (I use Vanilla Sugar!)
40g Cocoa Powder
300g Plain Flour
½ Teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 170c/gas mark 3. Line your baking trays – I use non stick grease proof paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together, once combined add in the cocoa powder and mix. Then add the flour, bicarb and baking powder.
I use a electric mixer to get most of combined. It will look a bit dry – almost like breadcrumbs. Once like this use your hands to combine into a dough.
As the mixture is quite sticky, I wear latex gloves to pull of small parts of the dough (size of a walnut) roll in my hands, then squish out on the baking tray.
Bake them for about 10-12 minutes – they will feel soft to touch when you take them out.
Leave to cool – then you can ice and decorate.

Icing Ingredients
2 x 15ml tablespoons of cocoa
175g Icing sugar
60ml of boiling water, from kettle
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on a low heat and whisk until all combined. Leave the icing to cool for about 10 minutes.
Spoon the icing onto the biscuits – I lay out a length of baking paper and spread the cookies out on this. I ice and decorate on this. Put the icing on about 6-8 biscuits then put sprinkles on otherwise icing can go too hard.
Ta-da! (Sorry for the dodgy pics - camera still sick!)
That’s it, they really are yummy!
Now go check out Marg’s blog for some more yumminess!!
I can’t wait to bake some of these other yummy recipes!
Lx

{Christmas Cards!}

So the other weekend I sat down and began making my Christmas cards. By the time the weekend was over 50 cards were made! Pretty Impressive me thinks!!

First I stamped out the images onto kraft cardstock. I had 4 different christmas tree stamps, from an old hero arts set - so for each 12 x 12 I stamped one image in black stazon.

Then I added some stickles embellishment - I used 4 different colours and just added dots or filled in the pattern. Then cut the images out, and outlined the edges in black pen.

Stamped Merry Christmas on the cards and outlined the card in black pen.
Stamped a greeting insideFoam padded the Christmas tree topper on. The tied ribbon round the edges. The ribbon I bought from Ribbon Mad.Plus I have lots of images and ribbon left over to make some larger cards for the parents/grandparents etc!!

So have you made or bought your cards yet?? I must admit I'm amazed I'm so far ahead!! Let me know! Very excited as JYC starts tomorrow - anyone else playing along this year?

Also check back later here for some fun, of the baking kind!

And thanks so much for the lovely comments left on my last post! {{{hugs}}}}

Lx

{A year ago…}

A year ago I was sick. I’d spent a whole week in bed with a headache . I then spent 4 days in hospital having MRI and CT scans and a lumbar puncher. I was diagnosed with intracranial hypertension – which is a build of pressure in your head. In my case it caused headaches and caused my optic nerve to swell which affected my vision.

I no longer suffer with the symptoms but there is a chance I could get ill again.

I remember being scared. Scared of losing my sight, of never feeling well again and scared that things would get worse.

They didn’t, I was diagnosed quickly and was able to start medication. I am still under observation but things look positive.

I never thought a year ago I would be where I am now.

I am happy, carrying my first child and no longer feel unwell (with those symptoms at least)

This year has been crazy but it amazes me to look back now at where I was and to be so thankful for where I am now.


This reflecting back inspired me to put together this layout! I reallt pleased with the way it came together!
Have a lovely weekend bloggers! x

{Doing Something Nice..}

This blogging for scrapbookers class has really opened up my blogging world. The result has meant my google readers is now huge!!! I found lots of lovely blogs and people,

One of these lovely people, Meghann, has given me a little blog award! So in the spirit of playing along with the blogging world I thought I would take part!

The rules of the award - list 5 random facts about me and link to 5 other blogs.

My 5 Random Facts!

1) I'm a big tea junkie but during my early pregnancy I could not drink a single cup!! as it made me feel sick. I am now finally able to drink a cup of tea yay! Decaf though I may add.

2) I love my iPhone - especially all the apps you can download. My current fave game on the iPhone is Bewjewelled2 which links the scores to my facebook page! It is very addictive but I just cannot beat my mum's scores!!

3) I'm enjoying being pregnant. There are times when I find it hard and times when I'm scared but overall i'm happy and looking forward to the future

4) I love crime drama - Poirot, Miss Marple, Midsummer Murders, CSI, NCIS - though my love of these is a bit strange as I'm also quite squeamish!!

5) I love to flick through food magazines and cook books. I have a shelf full of cook books!! and have even asked Santa for some more!

The blogs I'm giving this award to are Sally, Chey, Sarah, Anne and Claire. These are all recent blog finds for me!!

Thanks so much for stopping by - I promise to be back soon with some creative pursuits! I have a few things in the pipeline - including a few little blog hops with some lovely ladies!!

And it's almost that time again - Journal you Christmas woohoo!!

Lx

{Completed Projects!}

Over the weekend I managed to get a few things that needed doing.

One being the layout in the previous post - it was an idea banging around in my head for a while.

I also needed to make a couple of birthday cards - which I quite pleased with the end results. I find now that people 'expect' handmade cards! Sometimes I find it a chore but I really enjoyed these ones! Which reminds me - must make a start on the Christmas cards too!! They were very quick to put together and all made up out of my scrap bag!Plus I finished by blanket for baby. I can now relax as I have completed at least one handmade item for baby!! Though I am now starting on a second, different blanket for baby! LOL! I got the pattern from Ravelry, its a knitting and crochet forum and is full of patterns - some are free and some are at a cost. This one was free, if you search for Triamsu Blanket. You have to register to the site - but it's free to join. There are so many wonderful patterns out there. I made this using bamboo yarn - which means its a little thicker but has a nice warmth to it. Its only small but I think will be perfect for the pram or car seat - just as an extra layer.

I still have a long list of projects I'd like to complete - but I shall not stress about them and just enjoy making them! One of them is a Merry Christmas Banner. I've sorted out supplies for it and I think I will be able to make it out of left of Christmas paper from last year!

See ya later blogland! x

{Getting all Crafty}

Phew, i have had a busy couple of days - work, hospital appointments and general life really!

Now I've been doing this 12 days workshop run by the copy and paste girls - and I have been having a lot of fun! And inspired by these daily classes I made turned this...

into this....into this...Which will be going on my Christmas tree this year! I loves it! And the bonus - so does K. Even though he did think I was bit crazy sitting there wrapping bits of ribbon around card! (apologies for crappy pictures!!)

Thanks to these girls I have a nice long list of things I want to make and do now!!

In other creative news my crochet blanket for baby is coming along slowly!! Painfully slow in fact - must crochet quicker....so I can start the next one! lol!

I'll be back soon with more fun! Promise!

TFL! xx

{I am Lucky}

Not lucky in the sense of I just won a million pounds!! But that would be nice, but I think I'm lucky in the sense of life.

Isn't weird to think that we so often scrapbook the big events - the birthdays, the night outs, the day trips or holidays but I know I very often forget to scrap the smaller things. The little moments, the taste of real life to be recorded and remembered for years to come. The more interesting parts of life sometimes get forgotten in trying to scrap all the other things which go on. I hope this is something which in the future when baby comes is something I will be able to do as well. To not just journal this is baby at 2 months old! but to show the how's or the why's of the photo as well.

This is what got me thinking about me and my life right now. Take this picture.

As much as I know this is me and Him out in the park, looking at this picture makes me think much more things. Which is why it just had to be scrapped- even though it's just normal snap shot - nothing special, no big event it makes me think of happy times. (edited to say this layout is inspired by a layout by Shimelle Laine - but I can't seem to find a picture of it online! Sorry!!).The journalling reads:

I am lucky

Its days like these which which make me reflect and remember all the reasons why I am lucky.

This day was nothing special or extravagant. A walk in the park, a slice of cake at a cafe and watching x factor on the TV. This day was just full of normality. This is why I am lucky - to have days like this with you.

Where we can enjoy each other company, where we can find happiness in the little things like holding hands or eating dinner together. I hope that when our family expands we can still find time for each other and be able to enjoy the normality of life like we did this day.

We don't always need the big adventures but can be content with the little things life throws our way. I am lucky.

Thanks for looking!! xx

{Today I...}

Made this, inspired by Shimelle's class. Also the kraft frame totally inspired by SJ!Made these...
Which turned into these, after a coat of clear embossing powder. All from a bit of inspo from the 12 days girls! Also Baked these.And that's all pretty much (apart from cooking a roast, doing some washing and catching up with x factor and strictly from yesterday!)ar

{The sunshine makes me smile}

{When meals go wrong...}

Now I am not a bad cook - i'm not a great cook either, I'm just an OK cook. I can follow a recipe, I can make things up and dinner is usually a nice meal.

However I discovered last night something about me - I think I may be a cooking perfectionist! Not the kind of masterchef perfectionist - but more the I want everyone to enjoy there meal kind of perfectionist. If you understand me.

Last night I cooked a meal which was quick and I really enjoyed. K not so much. I wasn't the actual taste of the food, but the smell while it had been cooking had not really agreed with him. Bless him he did eat a fair portion of it but he did not ENJOY it. This upset me. Now I'm not sure if this pregnancy hormones causing me to over sensitive or just my in built make up that makes me feel this way.

K was not complaining, did not make himself anything else or refuse to eat it. But the fact that I knew he had not enjoyed his meal made me annoyed with myself. Like I said this is not an often occurrence, usually my cooking is OK to Good on a sliding scale! Anyone else like this? It's like I have this little desire inside me to ensure that I look after people and by knowing that I have not succeeded it makes me feel not good enough!

I have also had another recent cooking meltdown - (this was I think I can link directly to being pregnant) It was a few days before we moved and the whole place was in boxes. I was cooking and well, I managed to ruin RICE!! I mean we have a rice cooker - how can I ruin rice?? This caused me to have a slight tantrum (yes I think this is the right word!) and K was fine, told me not to worry, he'd go get some chips or something from round the corner. But for me this was not good enough, and that very point in time, this was the very worst thing that could ever happen (please tell me other people have had moments like this?!) This then turned into tears and eventually after I had calmed down I kinda realised that it's not actually the end of the world! Makes me laugh now to think of it.

I like to cook, and I like people to enjoy there food - I think that's the bottom line. Sometimes things go wrong, but hey there is always another meal to make!!

Also apologies for no photos to go with the story, our camera is sick!! So i shall be calling Canon this morning and our little point and shoot - batteries dead! Need to buy some new rechargeable (they seem to have disappeared in the move!)

Other news: We now have a second wardrobe up and almost functional (missing door handles), i ordered some new thickers and some Christmas papers which arrived (yum!), my crocheted blanket for the baby is not moving very quickly!, my 12 days class started - great idea yesterday just gotta get my thinking cap on and it is the weekend tomorrow which means - fireworks, boxing, x factor, wardrobe sorting, food shopping and maybe some relaxing.

{5 little things I'm loving right now!}

It is currently 5th November and this is what I am loving right now.

1. Being pregnant and feeling baby kick and move about on a daily basis. It is sucha weird sensation but also makes me smile.

2. Living in the new flat. We have so much more space and it feels so much like home, which makes me happy.

3. Red cups at Starbucks which means Gingerbread latte. I love this time of year.

4. Ben and jerrys ice cream, eaten straight from the tub! Currently my fave is half baked- which is chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownies and cookie dough!! Yummy

5. Our v+ box. We used to only have freeview but in the new place we were able to get connected! I love being able to record programmes and catch up at my own time!

So that's my positivity note for the day!!

Lx

{The story of Me and Him}

I think this may be one story I have yet to actually scrapbook. I mean I've scrapbooked our birthdays, days out, how much I love him, how he make me happy and how I feel about us. But I don't think I have actually scrapped how we became an US.

This picture was taken about a month into our relationship. We first met on the 2nd August 2001 in a bar and we met through mutual friends. I have know my friends H and A since I was 11, we met through a church youth group many moons ago. Prior to the date of meeting - H and A had started dating (they are still together now too and were all still friends!) and well A had this friend, K, which he went to School with. K and A had stayed friends since school, they lived round the corner from each other and knew each others families. So A brought out his friend K for a night out. And this is where it all began....

When I first saw K I remember thinking he was good looking, and had a real presence about him. I was automatically drawn to his friendly and outgoing nature. I think the first words we said to each other (except the usual Hi How are yous?) went a little something like this:

K: Would you like a drink?

L: Sure, Tequila please!

Classy, I know! but hey I was young. At this point in my life I was 17 nearly 18, I had never had a real relationship but I had finally stopped worrying about all that and was enjoying being single. I think this is what took me by surprise - I wasn't looking for it but it found me.

The night then proceeded to a club known locally as 'the schoolkid', now I won't go into all the drunken details of the this. Let's skip right to the end of night and K gave me life home. Again we'll gloss over these details and go straight to part were we agreed to meet up again tomorrow. K came and picked me up from work that night. I remember being at work and feeling so excited at the prospect of seeing him again - you know the butterflies in your tummy, can't eat kinda feelings. We sat in his car and talked. I was very happy.

The next day I went away camping for a week we spoke while I was away and I was so looking forward to seeing him again. When I came home from my break he came round to my house. He turned up at 7.50pm! (Early I may add, he was due at 8pm!) He met my parents and brought me a single white rose. Right there and then I remember having a huge grin on my face and already thinking I was lucky.

The next week we spent a lot of time together, then off K flew to New York for his cousins wedding. While he was away I had my 18th birthday. The sweetest thing, he called me from America on my birthday on the night of my party just to wish me a happy birthday. When he came back, he had brought me a few gifts. But the one thing he got me which has stuck around all this time is....

This number plate. We had only been 'together' for a few weeks but I think this was a good omen...

Of course there are other stories but these can be told another day...

I really am glad that we met all those years ago. Of course there have been bad times, tough times and times we have cried- but there have also been funny times, happy times and I something for sure I would not have it any other way.

And I actually managed to scrap this story this evening as well. See i'm keeping up with my blogging goals already. I really love this layout and i'm really glad I was able to get this story in our albums.

So that's me blogland for this evening at least. Off to have a think about the next blog prompt!

Lx

{to blog...}

....or not to blog? That is the question! Well i think I'm more in the to blog group than the other! Hmm!?

Well as you may be able to guess Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers kicked off yesterday, and thankfully it eases us in gently! I'm loving the format of the class already, offering different options depending on what is going on in our world right now!

Today I had no chance of sorting out a layout this evening (as we are flatblack heaven today!!) Yesterdays prompt is all about how and why we blog. This is a question I have asked myself before, as sometimes I do think it's a bit weird!! But I am loving the approach to blogging Shimelle is teaching us. How to use a blog to record our memories that we may not have a chance to scrapbook right now!! But still want to record the memories right now! I had never looked at blogging in a way before I must admit. I mainly find blogging a way to share new layouts or stuff and also a way to keep up to date with my online friends. I think blogging it a great way to find inspiration and share inspiration, but it can also be a way to comment on my daily life. Now i know my daily life may not be of interest to all readers but I now see that me recording these things here will be something to look back on. Be able to see what was happening in my life right at that point.

Yesterdays prompt also included us saying out loud our 'blogging goals!' And since reading the prompt I have reassessed mine. My blogging goals include:

• to use my blog as more effective scrapping tool. To record things as they happen, big or small.
• to try and blog at least once a week (i know this may be tough!) Even if it is just a mini weekly round up. I think when Baby comes this will also be useful to look back and remember the little things with Baby.
• to try (VERY) hard to do something creative once a week. Whether its a layout, or even as small as planning a layout and writing the jounalling taking the picture and posting on the blog!
• And I will not get stressed out if these goals do not work out! Being a Women we are allowed to change our minds!

I think that's it. I haven't had a chance to look at my other classmates posts but good luck to you all!

In other daily news! (see it's working already!) Over the weekend I managed a little baking! Which pleased K!

I bought this new cupcake cookbook which has some real interesting recipes. I tried out the Jam Doughnut Cupcakes. Very tasty!

I also whipped up a Victoria Sponge. YUM!!
OK must dash now. As previously mentioned we are putting together a new wardrobe this evening. Well I'm not, my sister, brother in law and Kevin are.

Lx