This Rocks!

How I Came to Write an Apostolic Letter to Non-Christians in Esquire - Shane Claiborne - God's Polit

Click onto the above link and follow through to the article. It's really worth a read.

Autumn Vegetable

The veg growing this year wasn't too great. The potatoes grew successfully but I wasn't impressed with the flavour. The tomatoes failed. The yellow courgettes were good. Peas were a limited success as were some of the herbs and flowers.
For autumn I planted Jack O' Lantern pumpkin and butternut squash. Neither of these grew but 2 huge marrow-like plants did grow. At first I decided they were marrows and made chutney with the first which worked well but then the other one started turning orange...so I am unsure what this was but made lots of soup with it and served it as a roast vegetable too along with carrots...roasted with honey drizzled on top which worked well too.
Whatever it was, it was nice!

Grandma & Grandpa

We loved having Grandma and Grandpa to stay for a few days.

Mike's dad helped at the new house a lot, including making the oak stand for the washbasin in the bathroom that I had planned in my head but didn't have the skills to make!

Janet pottered about with me and Martha ...we walked into town a few times, had lunch out with Becky and the kids, went to Ikea and stuffed the car full of unexpected things and the nice Ikea men had to close my boot with string for us to get home (two wall cabinets from the bargain corner were just too good to miss) Mike's face was a picture when I drove up to the house..and not in a good way!!

We carved a pumpkin, made soup and cupcakes, caught up with news and Martha had lots of cuddles and attention.

Pie & Peas at D&C's

Every year Mike's aunt and uncle host a family get together. His aunt (above) is the 'Queen of Meat & Potato Pie' and we all look forward to eating it every year.

We have mulled wine, catch-up conversations, go outside for sparklers and fireworks, line the kids up for a photograph with varying success, dip into chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows, the men play with trains and we go home tired and happy.

It's becoming a lovely tradition and one of my favourite nights of the year.

Reece

Miriam

Naomi

Alice with Esther

Martha with Mike

Nick and Becky

All the kids

Halloween

Martha dressed up as a cat for Halloween and we went to Cradle Club where there were pumpkins, bats, skeletons.
Good fun for the mums ...the babies were oblivious!

First Foods

At 5 months I felt I couldn't hold off weaning any longer. Martha was giving me grudging looks every time I ate anything and she was so interested in everything being prepared that we started on the baby rice and porridge.

Needless to say she has taken to everything and eaten all sorts of things. She progressed from rice & porridge to veggies by accident...with me serving her mashed veg from my plate and then spooning soup from my bowl for her.

It wasn't really planned, just happened and so far has been plain sailing and we're all enjoying this new stage.

First Concert

We took Martha to her first concert! It was the Fisher's Tale Chill Out Evening to raise funds for Project Aid (charity to help provide cows, bikes etc where needed) ....she cried at first as it was too loud and she was tired so then we sat in the foyer with her where we could still hear and she slept through the rest of it! All proceeds from the coffee and cakes were for the charity.
I had fun making cupcakes for it and Fisher's Tale cookies.

The cupcake recipe I got from the internet but it wasn't that great - the cakes were too heavy so I've modified it a little since.
3 eggs
5oz butter
3oz caster sugar
3oz icing sugar
6oz SR flour
1 tsp vanilla

First I whisked the eggs with an electric whisk this time, then added all the other ingredients and whisked again until light and creamy. Bake at 180/350 for 18/20 mins. Cool before icing. Makes 12 cakes.
I'd really like to find a recipe with 2 eggs for cupcakes so my search will continue.

Jewellery Making

A few of us had a jewellery evening at church which was good fun. I haven't made jewellery in years and thoroughly enjoyed making it again...plus much more fun as a group with chatting, coffee and cakes.

Three Years!

We celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary...sadly all 3 of us had colds and bugs on the day so we didn't enjoy it as much as we hoped. Mike did bring me some buttery-lemon asters which cheered me up a lot!
We plan still to have a meal when we are a bit more organised with things.


Time has flown since our wedding day ... it was such a special day for us and we love to re-live it every year.

Outside Carver Church in Windermere

Our lovely guests

The sail on the lake before dinner

Lizzy comes to stay

(Auntie) Lizzy came to visit again. As ever Lizzy and I spent the first day in Leamington having lunch at Zizzi's and spending far too long in the Oxfam bookshop.

The next day we all had a good walk around town and stopped in at the Cake Kingdom.
So delicious!

Happy Birthday Dad

It hardly seems a year since we were in the Lake District to celebrate my dad's big birthday.
I was struggling with all day pregnancy sickness and trying to cook for the crowd whilst hiding the fact that I was newly pregnant!
This year for his birthday Martha sent my Dad this fab book - Olivia - it's so funny! So hopefully they will come and visit soon and he can read it to her.

You can never have too many hats....

Martha - 5 months - where has the time gone?!

Back to Wales

We went back to Wales with Mike's family, the same place as our weekend away and the same house.
The town was quieter this visit as the schools were back which was lovely.
We pottered, I walked on the beach in the early mornings, we did some train things, had lovely meals, the men cycled and walked...Esther and I pram-pushed. It was a lovely break.

Visitors

My cousin and his wife stopped by for a cuppa on their way to their holiday. They were travelling from Scotland to the south coast so it was very nice for them to take the time to see us. Martha loved having them to play with her and give cuddles.

Come back and see us soon K&L xx

Flowers...

We were given these beautiful asters - they seem to be around for such a short time here and they are so cheery.



Another discovery that I find cheering are Sarah Smith cleaning cloths - what a good idea - pretty dusters, now that does help with the housework. It really does!

Tiffin

Friends Mark and Jan came to visit and I made some scones and some cranberry and pecan tiffin courtesy of Attic24's blog.
It was very yummy!
I've since made it for taking on holiday and am making it again this weekend - doesn't last long!
Such an easy recipe and no baking involved.

Ali visit

My good friend Ali came up to stay at her mum's new house so I went over to see her with my mum too. She took some photos of Martha with my mum - really cute ones! It was lovely to catch up with them all - Ali, the kids, her parents, see their new house and her sister Lisa too. We had tea and cake and the afternoon flew by.

August Visit

My parents came to stay for a visit and helped us lots with feeds and cuddles for Martha and also watched her while we chose tiles and bathroom and kitchen stuff for the new house - this was super-useful as it look a l-o-n-g time.
We had a few little trips too...into Kenilworth for coffee and walking around, to St Nicholas Park in Warwick where we watched the boat races on a sunny day and we also had a BBQ on a warm evening before they travelled home again.

Tomato Tart

This is an adaption from a Delia recipe...I think from her Vegetarian cookbook. I've been making it for a few months now and it's easy - cheaty really as it uses bought pastry. If I keep a roll of puff pastry in the freezer then I can throw this together anytime.

Ingredients...
One roll of puff pastry
2 small tubs of goats cheese ( or use one and use with grated cheddar cheese)
a clove of garlic chopped finely
Thyme if you have it or chives or other if you have them in the garden
Fresh tomatoes (we get given ours from our neighbour as all our tomatoes failed due to blight this year - all 4 gro-bags and 2 hanging baskets - oh and a huge tub...all wasted - I was very upset! so I think our neighbour feels sorry for us)

Lay out the pastry on a large baking sheet - 10" by 12" and then run a knife around the edge of it to mark the pastry - about a centimetre in from the edge
Mix the goats cheese with the garlic and add thyme and salt and pepper - spoon the mixture onto the pastry
Cut the tomatoes and lay over the top of the cheese mix
(if using, add the grated cheddar on top)
Place in the oven at 160/180 for around 30 minutes.
Keep a watch on it though.

Hey presto, easy dinner....serve it with a salad and bread and you're done!

Visitors

My friend Kirstie came over with her family to meet Martha. We worked together for a few years (both Scots working amongst the English!) but I hadn't seen her for ages since her kids were little.
They are all doing great and her kids were delightful.
It was a lovely day and another old work colleague popped in to surprise her too which was lovely. We have all since escaped that line of work and none of us miss it one little bit!

7th Birthday

Our niece celebrated her 7th Birthday while we were in Wales...it has been a fast year. She got her Nintendo DS lite (pink of course) and was thrilled and we had dinner all together and yummy cake.

A Special Birthday

My mum celebrates a milestone birthday today (I think every birthday should be classed as a milestone birthday really)

Happy Birthday Mum and Granny!
We are very thankful for you.

Barmouth

We gatecrashed a family holiday in Wales. Mike's parents had booked 2 separate weeks at this house by the sea. Hopefully we are going for the whole 2nd week but we decided to go for the weekend with the first group. The weather was great and the water was warm for paddling and some went swimming. The town was a bit busy as it is school holiday time but hopefully when we go back it will be much quieter.

Mike with his brother Andy.


Alice has her first ice lolly with Grandma.

We stayed in one of these houses overlooking the beach. It was great to sit in the bay window in the early mornings when nobody was about and look out at a few people wandering alone or with dogs on the beach as the mists rose and the sun began to shine.