My back garden

Just another addition to my earlier post, thought I would show off the bit of snow we have had here in Warrington, this is my back garden at present, hope it stays till Christmas, it would be nice if we had a white one this year.

Christmas Cakes

Well I've been at it again I have made some more cakes, two are orders from friends and one is a gift for my next door neighbour, still a bit rough round the edges but with more practice I will get better, these are my usual Victoria sponge cakes decorated in festive designs. The mince pies I had made didn't get a look in as my son has taken them to work, I have one jar left of the mince pie filling, so I think I will just make a few more. Well wrap up warm if you have to go out me, I am going back to the kitchen, then relaxing in front of the fire and TV. If I don't get chance to speak to you again have a great Christmas and New Year.

Home made Mince Pies

Well here I am again, baking is getting to be quite adictive. Here is another tantalising look at some more of my cooking, this time it is home made mince pies with home made brandy/rum soaked mince pie filling. Yum Yum, these will be going into work tomorrow for my friends.

Crochet Baby Shawl

In addition to my baking bonanza I have also been completing this baby shawl, it is crochet done in 4ply and it was a pattern I liked in one of my magazines. Two girls at work will be having babies in May next year so I thought I would make a gift for them. This is the first shawl and I will be making another one shortly in a different design.

Christmas decorated cake

Thought I would let you know on the addition to the baking fest I had at the weekend,I made a smaller cake and decided to decorate it for Christmas, here is the result. Enjoy (hopefully)

Update

I have been so busy lately what with studies for my HR course and in between doing some crochet and just lately I have spent a lot of time baking. This weekend I had a mamoth cooking session and I made some mince pies a coffee flavoured iced sponge cake and a plain sponge cake to take into work. I am planning to do some Christmas decorate cakes and was out at the weekend buying some bits and pieces. When I have finished my course next year I want to enrol at night school and learn how to ice cakes properly and also learn Sugarcraft, I am intending if I am able to make some pocket money from baking and selling my cakes. I am next March going to the NEC in Birmingham to a Craft Fair with some friends from work so I want to get some pennies into my craft fund. I thought I would share some photos for the cakes I have made. I am in the process of icing a sponge cake with Christmas decorations,I am not sure if I will have time to do a proper fruit cake as it does need some time to mature, but a good alternative I believe is the good old Victoria sponge cake (not everyone likes the fruit cake) so this makes a good alternative.



I am off now to do some crocheting as I am currently making a baby shawl,will share this with you when I have finished it.

Have a good week everyone.

Bye for now

Day out and stocking up

Well once again the weekend has flown by and we seem to cram so much into it. Saturday as usual we did the weekly shop, we were up and about at 7.30 so hit the shops at about 8.00 am and it was nice and quite. Got home and put everything away, had a little tidy up and then we had a trip out in the afternoon to a Farm Shop near Marbury Park, near Northwich, we had seen it on our travels and hubby had decided he wanted a gooseberry pie (guess what they are not in season yet I say)he wouldn't listen but we had a good mooch around and he had tea and scone.

Sunday we were up early again and decided that we would go to Abakhan Mill out near Flint in Wales, its a fantastic place to go if you are into any kind of craft and I had some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, on the way to the Mill there is an outdoor market called Greenfield so we stopped in there had a wander round got some really fresh veg and I spotted a stall that sold odds and ends and he was also selling packets of really nice fuzzy wool bought three packets Blue, Lilac and White. Then on to the Mill where we had breakfast and he told me to scarper and have a mooch. I can tell you I didn't need telling twice. Bought some more wool, as you can see from the picture I have quite a bit to add to my stash, I have all sorts of ideas buzzing around in my head. The day didn't end there though we carried on to Swallow Falls, had a cup of tea then on to Llandudno, where I found to other shops that sold wool and stuff (will have to remember them on the next trip. We went up to the ski slope on the Great Orm had another cup of tea then rounded off the trip pay taking the costs road around it and came ouot at Conway just by the castle what a great end to the day. We did a lot of miles and I wasn't expecting to cram so much in but the weather was good to us and a great day was had by both of us.

Well will have to go now to make tea but here is a picture of what I have bought.