Today I had a fantastic cup cake!

ok, so I can now see the appeal of cup cakes.


Today was a leaving lunch for one of our team who is off to have a baby. We will miss her. 


She brought in the most amazing cup cakes. Now I have always seen cup cakes as overpriced, over sweet and sickly affairs. Today I had a nice one. Here it is the one that changed me. 

It was light and fluffy and with a lovely whipped topping that was both sweet and light and yummy, with a nice delicate sponge. 

I picked a quite plain one but there were more fancy ones as well. 

They are so cute! 

little romper suits, prams and caterpillars, how cute! 

I am converted! 

I may have to make some myself. 

We had some other lovely home made treats. 

EW, make some lovely rich chocolate brownies. they were goey and lovely!

She is a wizz in the kitchen and a great cook.  

My scones went down well and there were some lovely cheese paniers 

So it was a sad and happy day, sad because we are saying goodbye for a while and happy because 1 we had some nice treats and 2, she is leaving to have a baby! 

Other than that it was a normal Monday. 

The sky was great but I was to busy to take any photo's. 

I had a lunch break, but that was filled with eating lots of lovely home made treats and chatting about babies.

Scones part 2 and a bang on the head!

Well today was kind of a follow on from yesterday...(I know that days tend to do that) In that The posts are connected. This morning was coffee, Toast and the Archer's. It is my perfect way to start the day. Despite LSP feeling under the weather we still went to B& Q in search of a new toilet handle. 

Now does anyone go into B&Q and come out with 1 thing?

We dont! the purple bag contains the part. +2 bags of gravel, 2 batteries, 1 soup dispenser and 2 toothbrush holders. 

We went home to do the DIY. I however had a bit of a calamity. I remembered to put the sack truck into the car to take the bag of gravel. It was the laws of physics that surprised me. 

Ok it seemed so simple. Place the bag on the sack truck. simple. 

Truck at an angle.

Drop bag on truck

Truck stands upright

Hits me on the forehead. 

Ouch. 

The truck and head will go another day. 

LSP was concerned and highly amused all at the same time. (think person standing on rake)

later this afternoon. I turned my attention to the scones. 

After yesterday's disaster, I turned to a trusted friend, who makes fabulous scones for a tried and trusted recipe. 

Batch 1 ready for the oven

Batch 1 cooked. a bit dry 

Batch 2 better! I added an extra flz of milk and topped them with parmasan 

This is the monster one for LSP's lunch tomorrow. 

All tinned and ready to go for the morning. 

One of our team is leaving to have a baby, so we are having a little buffet! 

I know there will be cupcakes, Brownies and some cheese scones! 

Today I did some playing with my camera. 

It has been only used for snapping for recent months. 

So here we go with an Arty shot. 

Hope you all had a fab weekend. 

xxx

Today I made Cheese Biscuits, They were supposed to be Cheese Scones!

That would be a scone fail!

I will try again tomorrow! Today started off well, we took YD to work this morning then had breakfast out. 

I had the strawberry and yoghurt granola with a capaccino 

lush breakfast. 

a bit of light shopping and then home. 

The dogs had some bones to chew on....

This afternoon I turned my attention to the dinning room cabinet. I love it, its my favourite piece of furniture in the house. It was our wedding present, we asked for vouchers and this is what we bought. We have had it 5 years now and I love it. it gives me so much pleasure and it is stuffed full of lovely things. 

a lovely variety of napkins, place mats, napkin rings and table cloths. 

and nice shiny cutlery. 

In the Sales we treated ourselves to some new glasses. 

We now have matching glasses for 6 people that is not Crystal (it has its place) we now have red wine glasses and white wine glasses, I feel so grown up. 

We had a lovely Christmas present of some amazing tea, with a teapot and cups. So I have cleared a shelf for them. 

How amazing is that!!

the teapot has pride of place in the cabinet.

The frost is hitting the garden and the colour is going. 

My Geraniums are finally being effected by the frost. 

So today was going so well, if you read this weeks posts you would know that I was planning to go to a party tonight! that was before LSP started to feel unwell. so we have shelved our Party plans and have our feet up in front of the sofa. I am watching "Take me out" Its nice no brainer TV an a laugh. 

my nice calm day tomorrow has also been scuppered by the toilet handle breaking. 

So its off to B&Q in the morning and a bit of DIY from LSP, (who has already sorted out a temporary solution) 

Well , I am off to put the kettle on and have a nice cup of tea and a biscuit 

(chocolate not cheese) 

happy weekend x 

Friday the 13th

I awoke to a cold and frosty morning. The grass was crisp underfoot and there was a mist, Do you know it almost felt like winter. 

I was so in awe of the cold weather I missed one bus then had to run for the next 2. I thought oo maybe its the start of a bad day as it is Friday the 13th...

I figured that I was going to be in for a busy and stressful day at work and instead I had a nice day!!! I actually cannot remember the last time I thought that was a nice day at work. It was not to busy, I was able to be productive and we had a few laughs as well. 

The day included, a quick blast of Mel and Kim's respectable, a wonderful eclectic brunch which included lots of brioche and chocolate cake with sausages and egg mayo. (not all eaten at once) A whole bag of apples that no one opened. A special highlight was when I felt my friends baby's foot as it was pressing against the inside of her pregnant belly it was beautiful. 

After work we were off to Aldi, just a little shop today. So I start picking up the fruit and veggies and LSP goes off up the middle. As soon as I turn the corner from loading up from the first aisle I can see LSP and I think to myself oh no what have you picked up now. 

It is usually practical and today it was a new back doormat. Its just the Randomness of Aldi...Then it was a gift for OD and ODBF. We bought them a little something some new gym bags that we took round with some fish and chips for tea. 

They have made a lovely home together, and OD is very stylish 

Now we are home. 

With full tummies, (no washing up) the shopping is put away I am now on the sofa, with some magazines and blogs to catch up on. only a party to go to on Saturday so the weekend will be pottering around. 

No Disasters this Friday the 13th. 

As the month is nearly half over I will have a look at my challenges, I have not started to gather photo's or started on my monthly make! 

Hope you all have a good weekend.x 

Its got to be perfect.....

Now, this tea party business has thrown me into a bit of a spin.

Now, I can cook and I can bake but I have not done a lot of fine baking...I make a mean carrot cake and can bake one for 20 people. I can make a nice fruit cake. I can make big sponges and chocolate cakes....I have made wedding and christening cakes. I also make nice tiffin and flapjacks and profiteroles.

Yes I am a rustic queen

I can happily cater for a hungry bunch of 20 but a delicate tea for 4?

now cup cakes will not be on the menu. I like a nice fairy cake but a tower of icing with bits of sugar on top is not for me.

I might make some éclairs as I am good with choux pastry.

and there will have to be scones.... Now I found myself looking through different scone recipe's to try and find the perfect one. I am fussy when it comes to scones as I do not like to taste the raising agent yet still like a light scone...I think that there are lots of experiments in the offing.....

the savories....a nice egg bridge roll, cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches.

then some delicate cakes and pastries. ....

One of our team is leaving next week to have a baby (pregnancy seems to be catching) so we are having a little lunch for her on Monday. So on Sunday I will be rolling up my sleeves and practising some cake making to share with the team.....

This weekend will not be to busy although we have a Party to go to on Saturday night!!!

Yay a party, it does not happen often, a chance to put on some make up and put on some heels should be nice.  Only 1 more day of work left then its the weekend. Yay.

a new dress that made me smile!

Today I bought a lovely dress.

It was £20 in the sale at Monsoon! 

It is lovely and a bargain and although LSP thinks I look like a school teacher!!!! I love it. 

I could do with losing a few inches as it is a bit tight, I can wear it unbuttoned and it looks fine as it has an underdress, but I do need to lose my cheese board (I have eaten a lot of cheese and its gone straight to my tummy) 

We have a day at the races planned so it might be handy for that (I happen to have a handbag and hat that will go well) 

it is in a lovely vintage style so will do nicely for tea parties and vintage events.  

last night I chose 3 of my friends to be the first recipients for 1st tea party, its not till next month so I have lots of time to prepare and decide upon what I am going to serve. 

I am also planning my 2nd....to include lots more of my friends......

i am looking forward to it. last year we did a bbq in the summer. I was not 100% happy with it as I spend so much time fussing about the food, I do not have chance to spend as much time with my pals. 

Tea parties are much more civilised. 

Party Planning.

I was lucky enough to have been given some lovely books for Christmas. I have enjoyed looking at this one. 

It is a fab little book.

By Angel Adoree

 check out her website here

It has exquisite illustrations

it has imaginative food ideas. 

as well as other ideas.

the recipe's look nice. 

So I am planning some tea parties.....

I am going to go the whole hog, bunting, china, teacups, cakes, finger sandwiches, nice warm scones....

I am going to invite some ladies round to join me.....

Oh yes there will be photo's......