Step by Step Double Chocolate brownies.

Tomorrow, one of our team is leaving to go on maternity leave. So we are having a lovely bring and share lunch. 

I made chocolate Brownies. 

Here is my recipe. 

Most important is the chocolate

 

ok so the ingredients are. 

14 oz rich dark chocolate (70%)

4oz Butter

4oz caster sugar

3 eggs

8 oz flour

6 oz white chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract.

preheat the oven to 180 c and line an 8x12 tin with baking parchment

Melt the chocolate in a bowl above a saucepan of water, once the chocolate is nearly melted add the butter to the chocolate and melt until the chocolate and butter is smooth. 

In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with the vanilla extract. 

Add the chocolate to the beaten egg, ensure that the chocolate is not too hot or you will end up with chocolate scrambled egg. 

fold in the flour, then the white chocolate chunks and spread into your pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 

cut into chunks while still warm.

I have made it into 28 bite size chunks as it is to share with 20 hungry adults, for afternoon tea I would trim the edges and make into about 12 pieces. 

good enough to eat. 

A nice day

Saturday was a nice day,
LSP was not feeling to well, so instead of trudging round the big supermarket, I nipped into town to pick up some bits and pieces.

I went into the charity shops and found nothing ! well that is not strictly true....I did see a set of 6 vintage pressed glass, sorbet dishes for £10. I looked and convinced myself we did not have room for them. (by the time I had finished the shopping I realised I did have somewhere to keep them. oh well. It was not meant to be.

I went into one of our little shops that is stuffed with lovelyness.

2 candle holders, another little heart and some wooden naughts and crosses for LSP's wooden toy collection.

Then onto the deli.

mmm, Stockmans oatcakes (the best) Cornish Yarg Cheese, reeses cups and some pork scratchings and licorice. 

I love oatcakes, so much nicer and more filling than a cracker. 

What better to wash it all down with than...

followed by reading 

 A lovely way to spend the afternoon. 

Time to say goodbye.

I had some sad news today. A friend at work is looking after someone who is dying. She is an old lady who has lived a full life and now she has decided its enough, she is tired and is slipping away, she has days left. It is sad but happy, she ready to go and my friend is making sure she gets to go how she wants, at home in her own bed.  

Death is a funny thing. 

Sometimes we know its going to happen and sometimes it takes us by surprise. 

It happens to us all. at some point or other. 

It reminds me that life is precious and we need to make the most of our lives. It does not mean we have to become headonists because living life to the full is not just about the pursuit of pleasure. Life is not measured by who you are but by what you have done. 

I have lots and lots of happy memories. My life with my partner. our children as they have grown up. I try and do my best at work, to do a good job. I work in public service so am not working to make lots of money. I work in public service because I believe in what public service does. my friends are very important to me, although I do not get to spend enough time with them.

I am very lucky. I have a good life. I wish that more of my family were still alive to share it with me, but I cannot change that. Their time had come. 

just as it is now Mary's time to go, 

Sorry for the melancholy post, I do think that it is important to reflect and think about what we have and what is important to us. Before its to late.

There are no teenagers here anymore.

Today is youngest daughter's. Birthday, She is 20,

I am in denial.

There is a pile of present's in the corner of the room.

They are here as she is in London. ! This is the first birthday she has spent away from us.

She has had a wonderful Birthday weekend, going to gigs and galleries and exhibitions. (oh to be 20)

She is returning later today and we are going out for a family meal. We have chosen some fab pressies for her and some of them are themed. (cannot tell you in case she reads this on the train home).

I am still in Denial.

It snowed here today, I remember one of her birthday's where we went to Cadbury world, and when we came out it was snowing large golfball size snowflakes.

I am still in Denial.

Most of my friends are being very fertile and producing babies left, right and centre....

Our babies are now 20 and 22......

I keep telling people that our eldest is 21,  she will be 23 in a few weeks time ..... that's how deep my denial runs..It is not concious that I am getting it wrong....

Well Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

I've been tagged.

The very lovely mother of Purl, over at flora and purl. has tagged me!

The Rules..
1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 things about yourself
3. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
5. Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged

ok so 11 things about me. 

1, I am closer to 40 than 30 and I am fine with that. 

2, I love my family. 

3, I have lots of tea towels.

4, For my down time I watch CSI, Criminal minds and soap opera's. 

5, We have 2 dogs

6, I love taking photographs.

7, my favourite brunch is Bacon, Mushroom and Spinach. 

8, I love listening to radio 4 on the weekends and radio 1 in the week.

9, My parents, Grandparents and godparents are all dead. 

10, I have carpel tunnel syndrome in both my wrists that gets in the way of my crafting. 

11, I am 1/16 Welsh

My Questions from Mother of Purl are 

1. Your favourite pizza topping. 

Anchovies, Artichokes, Black olives and Caper's

2. Your happiest childhood memory

Day trips to Weymouth, with my mum, sister, grandmother and the rest of the village.

3. What you think of when you smell vanilla

Cake and baking

4. When was the last time you had hiccups and how did you cure them?

Cant remember when but the ultimate cure is for someone to offer you money when you hiccup again eg I will give you £1 the next time you hiccup. You then stop Hiccuping. (works well with kids)

5. What you're currently reading

"Why be happy when you can be normal" by Jeanette Winterson.

6. Inny or outie?

Inny

7. Your biggest fear

Bad things happening to our children.

8. Your favourite song and why

I don't have 1 I have loads of favourites. One of my favourites is " we have all the time in the world" it was the last song at our wedding. 

9. Something you regret

falling asleep at 9pm last night and missing Stella on the TV.

10. Your favourite item of clothing

my wedding dress, it is and will be the most expensive dress I will every buy. I felt beautiful and special and amazing.

11. Somebody you admire and why
My partner, whom I adore and is an inspiration to me.

Who to Tag?????

 Jan @ Stand and Stare

Rosie @corners of my mind

misshaitch @ cupcakes, nailart and gardening

Marina @ evelyn may

Ann@ forever young

What I would like to know.

1. your favourite place

2. your most extravagant purchase.

3. chips or jacket potato

4. your best holiday

5. have you broken a bone? if yes how?

6. town or country

7. the last time you laughed and why

8. the last time you cried and why

9. paint of wallpaper

10. Cats or dogs

11. when you are older will you have cosmetic surgery? 

good luck. 

1 extra day.

 For those of us who work full time, the 29th February is a bit of a swizz.

every 4 years I work an extra day, for no extra pay and no extra leave, Just an extra day slotted into my year that I work for free! I know this year we have an extra bank holiday because of the queen (thank you m'am) But why not have the other ones as a bank holiday? one lovely extra bank holiday once every 4 years.

A nice extra day to spend doing fun things/family things/relaxing things (non work things)

Do you think we could start a movement???

Today was an odd day, One good thing was it reminded me of how much I like the people I work with.

This week is only half over but I am tired and grumpy and looking forward to the weekend.

Sunday is YD birthday and we are going to have a nice meal out together....bliss. I love family time.

I have not done anything photographically interesting for a while.

Here are some random's from my collection. That make me happy. x

Techofuddled

Ok, So I am 36 years old and relatively techno savvy

However I am still confused by the remote control for the TV.

Tonight yet again I had to hand the remote to LSP so we could watch a video. This involves 2 remote controls both with far to many buttons on them. I just find myself staring at it blankly and thinking ok where is the one button in the 36 that I actually need.......

I have a new smart phone which LSP bought me for Valentines day and I can easily take photo's, look at twitter, surf the internet, do my facebook. etc. That is all very easy. I can even look at google sky map and see what planet is next to the moon, I can use latitude to see where LSP is at any given time. (fab) I can play games and do all sorts of things. I just have not mastered successfully making a phone call. I keep trying but still get something wrong. usually not putting it down. and leaving odd voicemail messages.

I am resisting a kindle, I have no desire for an i-pad or an A-pad. I love my laptop. It is my most used toy and i know what most of the buttons do.