A brief post and hello from oban scotland

sUnday 25th june: having a fabouls time wether just right not too hot or cold. I have some amazing photographs of wildlife flowers etc. I alsoi have som with stunning views from 238 feet up which i walked not once but twice. I even manged to a little stiching. I catch you all when i get bacvk late wedn bee online blogger sunday monay.

flowers, stitching and on countdown to hoilday

Sunday 2oth June: My favourite flower is gerbera

Gerbera ( daisy like flower) So i was amazed in my local supermarket they had 4 in vases for £4 a bargin ,even better when i got to till they been reduced to £2:50 so i was well pleased now dead but got photographs when living




I am going to Oban Scotland i went last year and can not wait . i had no suitcases so brought one set from Argos on offer bright pink so should not loose them and they stand out in the crowd.
i taking some stitching with me small charts for coater and keyring to raise money for Charity .I taking my knitting and lots of books too.

See you all soon i bore you too death with all my pictures on return

busy baking day but dishwashwers paacked up

sat 19th June: Last Tuesday i could not sleep at all all my normal plans did not work reading watching TV crafting . I then decided to do some baking of muffins for my friend Clare and his partner these are chocolate hazelnut spread muffing anyone who try them so they wonderful. I also made bread and rolls with seeds they were nice too

I had the recipes was muffin magic by Susannah Blake

chocolate melt muffins

ingredients :100g toasted hazelnuts ( i use different nuts in the past)

200g of plain flour

1tsb of baking power

3tbsp of cocoa power i use green and blacks and a little goes a long away and gives it a good texture

150g caster sugar or 150 normal sugar sieve twice

1 egg beaten

200mls buttermilk I used gold top or similar (sainsbury taste the difference milk)is the best

2tbsp of normal milk

4 big tablespoon of nuttella or other chocolate and hazelnut spread( i use a lot more)

190.c/375f/ gas mark 5

makes 12 I normally multiply the above by four

method: combine the ground nuts with flour and baking powder. coca and sugar into a large bowl

in a separate bowl or jug combine the egg buttermilk and milk, then stir on the butter. pour into/onto dry ingredients and stir together until just combined then spoon small dollops of the mixture into muffin cases. using back of teaspoon ( I use normal spoon) make an slight indent into mixture and spoon in one teaspoon I use more .then top with remaining mixture until nuttela spread is cover / if desired top each one with whole hazelnuts. bake for 20 minute until risen and firm to the touch. leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack. If they last long enough i doubt the freeze very well in foil or airtight plastic contain.

please leave comments if you like them/ i don't like chocolate sweet stuff but even i like these had nothing but positive high praise for theses muffins.

here's good blog with some recipes http://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/

following the blueberry one I made raspberry one using reduced fresh raspberries they were amazing i adored them as love the bitter sweet texture.

I used the recipes below to make old Jamaica rum muffins the caburys chocolate bar also mincemeat muffins and I adapted the recipes with sugar alternative to make chocolate and cranberry muffins and rum and raisins muffins for diabetics.

some pictures above

This afternoon we have made some Mars Bar muffins ready to pop in the freezer for packed lunches. I bought a pack of 10 silicon moulds from Asda this afternoon in all different colours so I was dying to get started with my baking.
I have a basic muffin mix that I always stick to and I add different bits and bobs to the mix depending on what sort of muffins I am making.
The basic muffin recipe is:
300g self raising flour
150g sugar
1 medium egg
175mls milk
125 mls veg oil
Preheat the oven to 190 / gas mark 5
Sieve the flour, add the sugar.
Mix the egg, milk and oil together
Add the egg mix to the flour mix and mix it together.
Get rid of most of the lumps but don’t worry if its got a few left.
Add in whatever it is you are using to flavour the muffins… I used 2 chopped mars bars today but you can use practically anything. I often use those bags of frozen fruit that you can get from the supermarket (you don’t need to defrost it before using it). If you are adding fruit I would add about 150g – 200g.
Bake for about 20 minutes and when you get them out of the oven its nice to sprinkle some brown sugar on the top of the warm muffins.

my dishwaher has well and truly died so need a new one after my hoilday

hello all long time no post

monday14th june: i been very busy stitching ( honset) as well as baking muffinns for friends choclate nuttela one and one with old jamica rum choclate in them .

I done this cute hello kitty desgin did the frame myself well off to bake hopefully pictures in my blog shortly

d=Dolphins version four or five finshed

Saturday 29th May 2010: well to say i am glad to see the end of this project is a big understatement here is the long story behind the finshed piece.( she asked me for dolphin simple i thought)
Well for a small project this has probably been my most challenging to date and many problems and attempts along the way.No 1) it was free chart from Internet anchor thread choose by Katieno2 ) I decided to use evenwaeve Katie did not like the materialno3) switch to aida material it took three lots of unpicking before i realised it was chart so half done dolphin in the bin.Things could only get better???? I made katies mum buy a beginings kit of Internet i changed fabric to 16 count aida on roll now so wrongNo4) the chart was in colur blocks not by favourite so i misconted a few times so a bit of frogging.Then I did get on roll until it came to lettering it took 10 attempts to get astrophe right as no chart phew no more problems wrong again it took 4 attempts to get the letter o right. Must say i pleased with end results though. Going to make it to canvas wall hanging for katies bedroom door. I am taking a few days stitching break i have earned it i think and doing some knitting now. thanks for looking hope you like it Katie better had or there be big trouble.

very late post and few finshines

Thursday may 12th 2010: Sorry about my lack of post but i been on nights for while .Then i had birthday gifts to stitch for my friends little boy. I had to restart the dolphin for Katie she did not like the colour of material. I have kitted up the elephants from x-stitch gold that will be my long term project and just for me

This is dolphin wip its driving me mad i NEEDED to fin sh it soon i am getting grief from niece Katie already grrr 9 years old and hormones!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also had bargain in the last couple of weeks i had been after a small kitchen table but I like slightly different and not massed produced.I was over the moon when I found this table and three chairs in my local British heart foundation shop it was only £60 and two bonus its real solid wood and matches my cupboard exactly that was an amazing fluke. I think it make great stitching table too what do you think?

fold out great for stitching and eating

my stichimg bug is om overtime this is very unsual

Monday 26Th i am now doing a small design for my niece Katie she wants a dolphin . there a lot of fractional stitches so using handyed evenweve only my 3 time attempted on evenweve



this will be my next project just for me i love eleohants from cross stich gold