Less than two weeks to go .....

Morning World ...

I have had a wonderful weekend.  I worked Saturday morning and was home by 1.30pm.  G and I went and did a bit of food shopping and came home for our afternoon/evening together.

Gordon baked an AMAZING moist chocolate cake, then I made a full winter veg soup and then together we made his favourite tea in the world - his Grandma Bet's Macaroni Cheese, it was such a fun afternoon.  When the Mac Cheese was ready, we sat down to eat and put part one of the XFactor on.  So first things first, recipe's .........

A Real Chocolate Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

150g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

250g Butter

200g caster sugar

5 Eggs, separated

100g cornflour

For the chocolate coating:

 

200ml double cream

200g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

25g Butter

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3.

 

2. Melt the chocolate in a microwave on a low heat or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until smooth. Set aside to cool.

 

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and 100g of caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one by one, mixing well with each addition.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add in the remaining sugar and whisk again until thick and glossy.

 

5. Pour the chocolate into the creamed butter mixture and mix in well.

 

6. Using a metal spoon fold in the whisked egg whites and the cornflour in two batches.

7. Transfer the cake mixture to a greased lined 20cm cake tin.

8. Bake for 40 minutes until the cake is set and cooked through.

9. Remove from oven and cool in the tin for 15 minutes then invert onto a serving plate. Allow to cool.

10. To make the chocolate coating, bring the double cream to the boil in a pan. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour over the double cream, mixing together well. Mix in the butter and spread the chocolate coating over the cake using a palette knife or spoon. Allow to cool, then serve.

This is a photo of Gordon's finished cake ready to eat .....

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Kelly's Easy Peasy Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

4 Carrotts

1 Turnip

1 Cabbage

1 Parsnip

1 Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

Vegetable Stock

Butter

Cream

Salt & Pepper

(Tip - at this time of year many supermarkets provide ready made 'Stew Packs' one of those with an additional cabbage will be perfect for this soup & very cost effective)

Method

Chop up all of the veg into small cubed pieces & put them into a deep large saucepan with the butter and the garlic (slice the garlic thinly)  Warm on a medium heat and keep stirring to ensure all the veg is coated in the butter - keep stirring and sweating the veg for aprox 10/15 mins, until the veg is softened.

Make aprox 1.5 pints of stock - vegetable, and add to the veg, stir through and ensure the stock covers all over the veg and allows the veg to boil.  Leave to simmer for 25 mins on a medium heat.

Once all boiled - mix or blende the soup and return to the pan.

Add a dash of cream & salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

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Granny Bet's Macaroni Cheese

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

6 ozs pasta - macaroni or penne

salt

3 pts boiling water

3/4 pt semi-skimmed milk

2 rounded tbsp plain flour

1 level tsp mustard powder

salt and pepper

6 ozs strong Cheddar cheese, grated

 

Optional Extras - not part of the original recipe

2-3 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into small pieces

2 large mushrooms, sliced

 

Method

Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan then add the salt and the pasta. Stir the pasta into the water and bring back to a fast boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run under cold water. Put the pasta to one side and make the cheese sauce.

 

Whilst the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon until golden. Then add the mushrooms and fry until cooked. Drain and set to one side.

 

Put the flour, mustard powder and salt and pepper into a saucepan. Add enough milk to make a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk gradually, ensuring that the sauce remain free of lumps. Put the pan on to the heat and bring to the boil stirring continuously. Once boiling reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and add about 4 ozs of the grated cheese, stir into the sauce.

Add the pasta and, if using, the bacon and mushroom mix, to the sauce and stir well to ensure all the pasta is covered with the lovely sauce. Pour into a pie dish and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar. Bake at 200C for about 20 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese on the top is nicely browned. Serve with a fresh green salad and some garlic bread.

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I have a small group of close friends now in Leeds, Lynz, Chloe & Meg.  When possible, we try & get together every other sunday, for some food, wine & a catch up - which has been entertained by XFactor in recent months.  In the very beginning we all chose and act who we thought would win, and had a friendly wager.  All 4 of us made it to the last 4! Lynz and her act Danyl went out last week, Stacey & I went out on Saturday night leaving Chloe with Olly and Meg with Joe to battle it out until Sunday! Meg was crowned the winner - Well done Meg!

On Sunday, my parents came over & I cooked a roast dinner, I served the veg soup as a starter, cooked, chicken, beef & lamb and all the trimmings and Gordon served up his lovely chocolate cake for dessert.  We shared a lovely bottle of red wine and it was most enjoyable.  My parents came armed with Birthday cards and presents for Gordon too! And some suitcases for us to borrow for our Honeymoon! Eek! How EXCITING!

Once we were all fed & watered, we got wrapped up and went into Leeds for a wander round the German Christmas Markets, and then went into the beer hall there for some entertainment, and was singing and clapping all afternoon.  I find lots of things overwhelming at the moment, I am so very happy & this will be an afternoon I remember always.

 Whilst at the markets - Lynz came and met us and we stayed out for a bit whilst my folks dropped G off at a friends and headed home.  My Granddad Webster is in hospital at the moment, so they were heading back to visit him.

Lynz and I came home, and I had plated her a dinner up and so she had a matching 3 courses that we had earlier in the day.

                                

Perfect end to a perfect day!

Christmas, Winter & final dates ....

With every day that I drive to work I think I should write my blog, as I am clearer, more awake & alive - by the time I am coming to re-write my mind, I have forgotten with the zest in which I enjoyed things at the time.

We had decided not to have a Christmas tree or decorations this year with everything going on, and being away for Christmas but the house looked so bare.  Christmas is such a lovely, pretty, magical time of year and I felt our house was missing out.  I bought a pot-plant Christmas tree :-) It is small but has brought us the littlest bit of Christmas to our home.

Yesterday I accompanied my friend Lynz to get her Christmas tree - which is considerably larger than mine. Several farm shops and a few millions spruces later - we found the perfect tree for her for this year.

Here is me with Lynz's tree just after we had worked out how we were going to get it home .....

After getting the tree we nipped to Lynz's parents and a certain Miss Roxy wanted to drive me home .....

I took a few shots (only using my phone camera) whilst on my way to work yesterday as it was really misty and wintery.  It is that sort of wintery now where the car is always dirty and you use lots of screen wash constantly, the cars are iced in the morning and the mist comes down in the evening.

Tonight is our final Saturday night on our own until we're married! Our final single person date :-) We have opted for a home cooked meal and some Saturday TV, with the candles lit and our phones off.  I am going to make Gordon's favourite meal - His Granny Bet's Macaroni Cheese ... :-)

Tomorrow my parents are coming over, I am going to make a lovely home made veg soup, a roast dinner (with Lamb, Chicken and Beef) and Gordon is currently making a lovely chocolate cake as we speak for dessert tomorrow.  We are then off to Leeds Christmas markets for a mooch about and a mulled wine.

So Miss Diary - I am signing off until Monday probably.

Kells xx

Happy Birthday Gordon

What a lovely day we had yesterday.  We were up at 8ish, so not late and G opened a few extra gifts from me (gloves, shirt, scarf & boxer shorts) and his card.  Whilst I made breakfast G played Xbox and completed Assassins Creed (???) which he was very pleased about!

I cooked bacon, hasbrowns and cheese on all butter muffins, with a lovely cup of Bettys Tea Rooms tea (which has nearly all gone now)

After breakfast the postman brought a card from G's Mum - S, which he was really pleased with :-)

We got showered and dressed and walked into Leeds.  G did some birthday shopping (mainly at GAME) and then we went to the German Christmas Markets for a sausage & some mulled wine/blonde beer. We had such a fun afternoon, and then went home.

In the evening a couple of G's friends called over at different times and we played Scene It - of which I was the Champion (all guess work I assure you) and then I made a lovely hot chilli for tea.

G is off again today - although I am off to work this evening.  He is having a lie in and I have just sorted the house back into a lovely state so we can chill out today.  He is playing football whilst I am at work and I believe we're both off to the Cinema with Lynz later.

It is 19 days until the wedding today and I can start to picture bits of it, like when I get to the bottom of the aisle and he looks round and sees me, when we're sat at the top table looking at our closest friends and family ....... <3

Right I am off to see if G would like some breakfast xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fun, fun, fun weekend ...

G had a fantastic weekend with his friends round to party.  Lots of alcohol was consumed and someone brought G some 'Jagermeister' which is wha the boys always drink on their nights out .... it IDIDNT agree with me, I spent Sunday feeling very poorly.  G, Alex, Catherine & Lynsey went out for carvery & I was most upset to have not made it.  Lots of karaoke was sang, and I have a couple of good videos of the boys singing. 

I finished the birthday cake off with some chocolate shavings and Catherine supplied some lovely candles - and this was the final photo before they were lit, and the cake was devoured (none was left)

I am going to clean the house now and get it looking beautiful.  Tomorrow is G's birthday & we're both off, so I want G to have a lovely relaxing day.  I have some surprise gifts being delivered today, so i can get them wrapped and hidden away.

I think tomorrow is going to be a lovely day ..... I wonder what Gordon will want to do, probably play on his xbox all day lol.

Have a lovely day

K x

Cakes .....

The finished cakes ....

Birthday Boy - Birthday Cake

G is having a few friends over tomorrow night for his birthday and I am today making him a cake :-) I have doubled the below recipe and made 24 fairy cakes out of the other half of the mixture so that the birthday cake doesnt get touched before tomorrow!!!

Ingredients
CAKE:

250g butter
150g white chocolate
440g caster sugar
250ml milk
225g plain flour
75g s/r flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs - lightly beaten

GANACHE:


125ml cream
300g white chocolate

Handy Hint


It can be difficult to judge if this cake is cooked but the crust of the cake should be thick and sugary will keep for a week but not very likely


Method


Preheat oven to moderate - would guess 180C/160C for fan (I used fan at 160C).

Grease the bottom & sides of DEEP 20cm round cake tin.


Put the chocolate, butter, sugar & milk in a pan and slowly heat (without boiling) until smooth - leave the mixture to cool which will take approx 15 mins.


Whisk the two flours into the chocolate mix, then add the eggs & vanilla. Then pour the mix into the cake tin.


Cover the tin with tin foil and bake for approx 1hr.


Remove the foil and leave the cake in the cake tin for 10mins before turning out onto wire rack to cool.


To make the ganache topping:


Bring the cream to the boil in pan then pour over the chocolate that you have already broken into small pieces.


Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted and then cover & pop in fridge for approx 30minutes - stirring occasionally - before spreading over cooled cake.

When did I ...

I often wish I could write this blog as I drive to work, this is when I ponder most & have some quite whitty, interesting conversations with myself.

Today I was thinking ... when did I switch to Radio 4?????????? When did I prefer nights in to nights out, when did I stop buying heels and start chosing flats, when did I begin to chose comfort over style, when was there always a coat in the boot of my car 'just in case' - when was I EVER this organised ..... Did I grow up without noticing?  What's next ..... and will I even see it happening, or will I wake up one day and be sat with a twin set and pearls on and a blue rinse in my hair?  How did I get here?

It seems G has gone through the same stages at the same time.  Maybe we did it to each other? Maybe it is Leeds ....? Lol ... i am happy with where I am, I just dont remember making any decisions to get here.

xxx

Soup Making Day ...

Morning world ... today I am going to make a cauliflower & broccoli soup.  I have looked on the WWW and found the following recipe that I can make with everything I have in ...

Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

This recipe comes from Isle of Skye in Scotland, which we visited on 2005. It is from the landlady, Mrs Macaskill, of a four star Bed and Breakfast called 'Sharveda' at Strathy Point on this island. It is very easy to make and very tasty. Quantities are your choice depending on the amount you require. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300 gm cauliflower florets

• 150 gm broccoli florets (half the amount of cauliflower). If you don't have broccoli, use cauliflower alone or add one other vegetable like potato.

• 1 onion, thickly sliced


• 2-3 cloves of garlic


• 1 tbs. butter


• Milk and water half and half, to thin the soup.


• A couple of tbs. cream (optional)


• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions


1. Heat butter in a pan and fry onion and garlic until golden brown.


2. Add vegetables and fry a little.


3. Add 1 cup of water and cook until soft.


4. Turn off the heat.


5. Add salt and pepper and liquidize in a blender, until almost creamy.


6. Adjust salt, pepper, add 1 cup of milk, and adjust amount of liquid (add more milk or water if required).


7. Serve hot, with a spoonful of cream in each bowl.

I will let you know how I get along ........ x

Wednesday again ....

I have done some holiday clothes shopping on line this morning, spruce up the bikini collection and a few frocks for the season to be jolly & partyful.

Yesterday I cooked a home made chilli & went to work after posting, and G and I settled down to more Cracker last night.  Now Christmas & the wedding are sorted, we're very relaxed & lovey at the moment, its lovely being in our house - I am very happy, the happiest I have ever been.

Rather excitingly I got a second Christmas card through the post today from Lynz - I adore getting post :-) It is so exciting.  I am off to Lynz's for tea this evening after work so find it funny that she had posted my card, but glad :-)

I am watching Jeremy Kyle whilst I write this .... exploitation of people who arent intelligent enought to even realise.   I feel sorry for them.

Yesterday I contacted work regarding matching any money I raise at the wedding for the Mark Gorry Foundation - should have an answer within 7 days so fingers crossed.  Still havent decided how I can get the message out there to my guests, as I want it to be subtle, I dont want to announce it in a speech or anything.  Hmmm i may review the 'Order of the Day' things I have done and see if there is a footnote space on there.

It is Gordon's party on Saturday, but I am working until 5.  I have said I will do some food, so I may cheat and buy nibbles as I wont have time to prep on the day, and I will bake him a birthday cake on Friday.  I am more looking forward to his actual birthday as we have the day off together and NO jobs to do, so we may go into town for lunch, take in a film and spend the early evening at the Christmas markets. 

We have decided to spend Christmas Eve with AJ & her husband Geoff, and their two girls Emma & Lauren, off to the cinema to see A Christmas Carol in 3D and then back to theres for some wine and a chinese.  I love spending time with the Kay's .... it reminds me of my family when Craig and I were little.  Only a few weeks now until Craig is home - yippeeeee. 

Right, I am going to do some domestic stuff and get on with my day.

K x

The Mark Gorry Foundation

A girl I worked with at O2 in Preston Brook - Leah, married 4 weeks ago to her long term boyfriend Mark.  I have kept tabs on her life since moving away via the medium of Facebook.

I was alerted to her wedding plans when photos of her and Mark were posted by their professional photographer a few weeks prior to the wedding, it was then I noted that Mark didnt look as I remember or how I'd seen in her other photographs.

As stories tend to, it unravelled over the days/weeks to come and I was saddened to learn that Mark had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and this has spread and grown and was now terminal.

They were married a few weeks ago, and Leah looked stunning - like the perfect bride from her photos, and the smiles on everyones faces masked perfectly the terrible sadness they must have all felt.

Mark passed away a few days ago, this has touched me deeply - I could never imagine my life without G in it, a future without him is unthinkable.  Instead of traditional favours for our wedding we have donated money to 4 different charities (Air Ambulance Shropshire, The Miscarriage Assoc, The British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research) - and I now intend on having a collection bucket on the bar at our wedding for The Mark Gorry Foundation - so everyone can tip their bits of change in as they buy a round.

http://www.themarkgorryfoundation.co.uk/

To Leah Gorry - nee Murphy - you & your families are in my thoughts. With much love.

xx

Under 4 weeks until the wedding!!

Yesterday marked the '4 weeks to go' date for the wedding, and today marks the first day of opening the Advent Calendars that Lynz bought us .... hee hee.

Bought and posted my last few Christmas cards yesterday, I am going to sort out our Tesco DVD rental list shortly, as we're now being sent things we have already seen.  I am also off to the supermarket to buy a few things for G's birthday soiree at the weekend, I am going to bake him a birthday cake - white chocolate of some sorts as it is his favourite. 

Work was mad busy last night as it is the end of the month, so plenty of people calling to pay their mortgage arrears as they've been paid.

We had an email from the registrar this morning confirming the songs for the wedding are fine, G doesnt know the song I am walking down the aisle too, I have kept this a surprise :-)

It is FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZING today, ground frost and frozen up cars, the start of proper winter, although it is quite a bright day.  This is the sort of day i would hope for the wedding, however I will not be hopeful, and will expect driving wind and rain - anything other than this will therefore be a bonus (and if i get driving wind and rain ... well what did I expect booking a wedding in December???)

Busy busy weekend ...

Well I worked a full day on Saturday and the company is still standing - :-) hurrah.  I then headed over to my friend Chloe's where we drank wine in our PJ's, put on face masks, used foot scrub and painted our nails.  Chloe did a lovely spread, chicken and salads - yummy.  It was lovely to relax and have a really good catch up.  G had 'the boys' round and there was lots of late night xbox playing and beer drunk I believe, althought the house was in ship shape upon my return this morning :-) xx

Today G and I went out Christmas shopping & have done it all, in one afternoon! Hurrah! We went to Christmas World and bought a few bits and bobs too.  We also bought ourselves the full 11 episodes of Cracker on DVD and put on episode one whilst I sat and wrapped all of the presents, with the last two fairy cakes and a well earned cup of tea.  So that is Christmas sorted, wrapped & ready for transporting to Warrington & Telford nearer the time, which is now less than 4 week away.

I am off to my friend Lynz's for some tea and Wii games this evening, I am just finishing up on the events in Cracker & Penhaligan's life before getting ready to leave.  Although I had some wine last night, I am back to the no-drinking again today.  I am feeling much much better today, still have a little cough but no where near what it has been like.  G is still not smoking, 2 full weeks of no smoking  -  I am so proud of him, he is doing so well.   Especially as we have lots of stuff going on at the moment.

I am wondering what to make tomorrow for tea, Hmmmm think I may make  S's macaroni cheese as it is G's absolute favourite meal.

Anyway, time to go and brush my hair and put my lippy on.  Enjoy your Sunday evening

xx

The BEST cheese on toast in the WORLD!

G makes the best cheese on toast in the world .... today I feel the worse I have all week, so treated myself to his comforting food.

Two pieces of white thick sliced bread (sooo bad for you but sooo tasty) and toast it lightly on one side under the grill. Butter the toasted side and cover in generously sliced mature cheddar, pop back under the grill (medium heat) until bubbling, slice and eat  - with a lovely hot mug of Betty's Tea Rooms Tea (which were a lovely gift from S ... but rapidly running out)

G is on a half day today, so I am looking forward to spending a few hours with him before work this evening just hope I am feeling a bit brighter by then.  I hate the 'common cold' I seem to only get one a year - but it is always so awful.  Last year I had it on Christmas day and sat dripping on S's couch feeling very sorry for myself and not being able to cuddle with baby J.  I am however grateful to have this cold today and hopefully I will be spared in 4 weeks when it is Christmas/wedding and the honeymoon I keep forgetting we have waiting for us at the end of it all. 

New Year staying at my brothers place in Majorca with my friends Amelia & Mike .. and a fancy dinner dance there at;

http://www.stayrestaurant.com/

Then 8 glorious, luxurious, pampering, relaxing nights crusing around the Caribbean ..... yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cruise Details

More Details

Anyway, day dream over ... I have clothes to wash .... :-)

K x

Little touches & Christmas time ....

On my Hen Do - 4 of my Bridesmaids bought me a few gifts - a pair of 'Mrs Spinks' knickers, a paid of 'I'm Marrying Gordon in the Morning' PJ's and a lovely photograph album with 'Kelly's Hen Do 31/10/09' on the front in little diamonte's.  So I had every photograph printed off and sent to me from everyones collections and filled my album with the best from each part of the day/night.

Some of the photos were lovely and I ordered extra copies.  When I had finished, I wrote thank you letters & cards to all of my 'hens' and sorted all the left over photos (around 200) and the additional ones I had ordered so that each of my guests had a few photos of themselves & their friends and a thank you note from me for making it so special.  I have just posted out the last few.  I absolutely love old fashioned post ... I adore getting personal things through the post - so I often send handwritten cards of thanks, love, just to say hello etc .... as I think you can't beat a personal touch or sentiment, to know that someone who cares, has thought about you.

My Christmas cards have been written, addressed and stamped for a few weeks now, just a few more days and I can post them too .... then the excitement of receiving Christmas cards starts - little notes from your friends and family from all across the land, small snippets of time with people you miss and wish you saw more often. 

I am very much a summer party girl, but I must admit that Christmas is by far and away my most favourite time of year.  I love being surrounded by my family.  My brother - C - who lives in Majorca is always home for a good few weeks, and this year he is bringing his lovely girlfriend 'F' up to the Wedding and for a few days after (before he goes off to meet her Mum .. hee hee)  So although a Christmas wedding wasnt our first choice, it is absolutely perfect and feels so right.

We have decided that due to our new kitten Bauer being a 100mph nightmare & that we have lots of things on our plate this year, we will not be embracing the traditional Christmas tree.  I do however think we will have some sort of garland on the fireplace - to remind us that it is Christmas :) hee hee.

I am very much looking forward to Christmas lunch with my busy family, I am very lucky to have both sets of Grandparents still healthy and happy, so Christmas lunch is a large affair, and settling down in the evening to an amazing buffet spread at S's in front of her open fire, in my slippers with the lovely baby J to play with.  Oooh I am so excittteeeeeeeeeeeeddd!!!!!

I think it is time for a cuppa & one last fairy cake .....

Have a lovely day ...

K x

Wedding Rhymes

Just found some of these traditional rhymes that are interesting!!

When To Marry

Marry when the year is new, always loving, always true,
When February Birds do mate, you may wed or dread your fate
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know,
Marry in April when you can, joy for maiden and for man,
Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day,
Marry when June roses blow, over land and sea you'll go,
They who in July do wed, must labour always for their bread,
Whoever wed in August be, many a change are sure to see,
Marry in September's shine, your living will be rich and fine,
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry,
If you wed in bleak November, only Joy will, remember,
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

Wedding Dress

Married in white, you have chosen alright.

Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in red, You will wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, you will always be true
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in pink, of you he'll think.

I am not giving anything away - but really .. GREEN???? :-|

Yummmmmm ....

G is out tonight at the German Christmas markets in Leeds with his work colleagues, so I made some mash to go with the very yummy casserole and am about to watch my wicked secret programme 'Gossip Girl' .... I still feel lousy, even more so now as I'm sleepy - so I am signing off to put my feet up, snuggle down with a brew & watch the TV before bedtime.

Sweet dreams all

K x

Ps - the cats worked out how to attack tinfoil this evening and I am a few fairy cakes down ... they are now back inside the (cold) oven for their own safety!! ... the cakes that is not the cats!!!

What a day .....

I feel sooo poorly today but I havent stopped!! I needed to return one of the younger bridesmaid dresses to Debenhams because I had one too many.  I paid the florist (at long last, seemingly my contact emails have been going into her 'spam' folder and she isnt sure why no one answers the phone ...???) for the wedding flowers, including the amendments :-) Result!

I have thrown some stewing steak, chopped & peeled carrots (about 4), 2 medium onions - diced, chopped some mushrooms, crushed two garlic cloves, 2 pints of water, 5 beef oxo cubes, a cup and a half of red wine and 2 teaspoons of paprika and some salt & pepper into my slow cooker and left it on low to cook my dinner for this evening.  G is off out tonight to the German Markets with his American work colleague to celebrate Thanks Giving! I never really understood Thanks Giving but after talking to a family friend about it, it makes more sense. So .. I am thankful for Gordon, my life in Leeds, our health and for the love and support of our families and friends.  I am also thankful for Beau and Bauer when they are being nice to each other :-)

I have also spent some time trawling the internet for information to help G's brother - M out after I received a very unwanted telephone call this morning and also much more fun - looking for a special gift for my Mum's Sister - AJ for being such a fabulous matron of honour :-) (Got my Mum a little something too for organising my hen do ... a little (kinky) witch on a broomstick charm for her bracelet that I bought her last year.

It is now 13.49 - I missed day 2 of my promised breakfast laptop dates to update my blog but I am catching up now.  I dont want to go into work today because I feel lousey but I am not one to be off sick.

I have about 40 mins to sit with a brew and a cake (oh which are much better icing wise today!!) before I head off for a shower and to don my work gear for the evening ahead. 

Anyway, going to indulge in some rubbish tv and make positive steps to getting myself to work on time.

Kells x

Kebab - disaster ...

Normally a very competent cook I am very disappointed by today's icing disaster and then followed up by a chicken disaster .... needless to say no one had home made chicken kebabs tonight ....... :-(  The reason is because I hadnt covered the chicken with climfilm and it had become hard and gross ... it didnt look entirely safe ....

I am going to tackle a cup of tea and a slightly gooey iced fairy cake before hunting for a decent steak casserole recipe for tomorrow's tea.

Maybe its feeling off colour that has caused the issues and I will be back to my grand cooking self tomorrow.

Fingers crossed ......

x

Home made chicken kebabs ...

When discussing what he wanted for dinner this week, he said he hadnt had a kebab for ages (to which I replied neither had I) and along came a debate about having a kebab for tea.

Rather than go to the take away for one, I decided to make my own ... which I will be serving up for tea tonight.

I have chopped two healthy living chicken breasts into bite size pieces and left in a bowl in the fridge over night with slices of fresh garlic, jerk seasoning and some chopped chillis (tip with chilli's ... get your fresh chilli's and crush up with a pestle and mortar, and then freeze as a paste, when making dishes that need some chillies adding, break some off and add them directly from the freezer)

I will fry the chicken up in a little oil, with a chopped medium onion and when cooked, serve on a naan bread with lettuce and tomato, and some mayonaise.

I will let you know how it goes down .....

K xx

Tuesday

I dont feel very well today, and G has gone to work with the sniffles too.  Inbetween a few loads of washing, and updating the blog I've made fairy cakes with silky vanilla butter frosting, as a treat for us this evening. 

I took the recipe from my favourite baking cook book - "Good Housekeeping - Great Baking" and thought I would share;

For the cakes;

2 cups (280g) of self raising flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup (200g) of butter

1 1/4 cups (240g) of sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup (240ml) of milk

1) Preheat oven to 180/gas mark 4

2) In medium bowl, stir together flour and salt

3) In large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (using a whisk is good here) Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (or you can beat the eggs together in a bowl and add the mixed egg mixture in stages) Add in vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and the milk alternatively until all in, start and end with flour. Beat until smooth, scraping the sides frequently with a spatula to keep hold of all of the mixture.

4) Spoon mixture into muffin cake cases and bake in the oven for about 30 mins (if fan assisted 20/22 mins should be sufficient)

Silky Vanilla Butter Frosting

1 cup (190g) of sugar

1/2 cup (70g) of all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups (320ml) of milk

1 cup (200g) of butter

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1) In saucepan stir together sugar and flour until evenly combined.  Gradually stir in milk until smooth.  Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring often until mixture thickens and boils. Reduce to low and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely.

2) In a large bowl beat softened butter until creamy, gradually beat in milk mixture and vanilla.

(I added a couple of drops of red food colouring to make it pink!)

So here are the ones I made today ...... (I may add that I havent made these before and being artistic isnt a strong point, so I am very sorry the topping has been kind of slopped on ... I need to work on my presentation ....)

I will make these again next week looking for a more of a buttercream topping I think, I dont think I made what I thought I was making, I wanted it to sit high and proud, stiff and swirly, but it slopped on like just plain icing sugar and water .... hmmmmm S - if you have any good fairy cake topping recipes, i'd be grateful as I think I need something more substantial in consistency ... oh dear ....

Updated at 14.44 - I can confirm both cakes & mis-happed topping tastes fabulous! Yay! Having a nice cup of tea and a cake before I go to work.

Introducing G ... my amazing fiance ....

Just to give you some background to G, he is a Business Analyst who works for a large power company on a big project.  He always looks hot when he leaves for work in his suit ;-)

He is very laid back, and very content with his life - surrounded in Leeds by some of his closest friends, just a couple of hours away from his family, and living in our house with me and the kitties.  Our nephew J (G's brother M's little boy) is about 18 mths old, and G adores him (its a mutual adoration) and so prefers the closeness of Leeds to his family, than when we were in Glasgow. G's Mum - S & her partner GB (it is all very confusing both our Mum's are called Susan, their sister's names both begin with J, G and his Mum's partner have the same name .... so I am struggling with the abreviations here!!) moved into their house Holly Grove & have been transforming the gardens ever since - we love to follow this when we visit, as changes are always obvious and impressive, the garden this Summer was simply stunning.  G is always at his happiest when watching his beloved Wolves play ... most unfortunate that they will be playing on our wedding day, and I'm not entirely sure the proceedings won't be altered suitably to fit ensuring at least snippets of the game are caught.

I am a very lucky lady & I'm very protective over our life.  I love cooking for G and making new things to impress him.  I go out to work about 4pm each day (having cooked dinner beforehand so it is ready) and G heats it through and serves it up for when I return home at 8.30.  We always eat together whilst we muddle over the day and what it has brought us. This is my favourite time of the day.

I'm looking forward to being Mrs Spinks & can't wait to call myself a 'wife' hee hee. 

Hen Doooooo

I was very lucky and my Mum organised my Hen Event, and it was all a big surprise for me.

It was all very 'me' and I was even luckier when 25 of my friends and relatives took time out to celebrate with me.

The Hen Do was on Sat 31st Oct 2009 - and so the evening part of the event was themed 'Kinky Witches' ....

During the day time we went to Thornton Hall Spa & Hotel for a day of massage, pedicure's, facials and a relaxing lunch, with swimming, hot tubs and the odd glass of wine in between.

Thornton Hall Spa & Hotel

Part of the hen party was MIL2B S and her sister J, my Mum - M - and her sister AJ, and some of my closest friends, ladies had travelled from Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Telford, Winsor, Nottingham and Warrington.  I was very overwhelmed by the amazing turn out and it was such an enjoyable day spending time with different people and catching up.

We were all to be dressed as Kinky Witches and down for dinner.  My outfit was organised by a few of my friends and was hilarious.  Over dinner I was asked to play a Mr & Mrs style game, answering questions about my fiance - if I got one wrong there was shots of vodka involved .... I didnt do too badly - and some of the questions were rigged for sure ;-) One I did get right is his favourite food ... his Grandmother's Macaroni Cheese .... S has been nice enought to post the recipe to her Kitchen site, so my future marriage is safe in the knowledge that I always have this to hand now.

After dinner a few of us went to a nearby club and danced with our broomsticks until (I) fell over .... :-)

I made it down for breakfast the next day and was recovered by the evening - not something i can say about G after his Stag Weekend in Belfast.

xx

S's Blogs ..

Hello ... I have managed to post links on the right hand side to my Mother-In-Law-To-Be's Blogs ... Holly Grove Kitchen and Holly Grove Garden. 

You can follow the progress of my wedding cake on there, also many more delicious recipes and gardeny things :-)

xxx

A bit about me ...

Hmmm Morning World ..... this is day one as life as a blogger :-)  Having become bored with Facebook and still can't quite work out Twitter, I thought I would follow my soon to be Mother-In-Law's - S's (or the Generous Gardener) lead and start a blog.  This could fall by the wayside in a number of days or be my next addiction.

So, anyway - I am 32 - I live in Leeds with my fiance - G - and our two cats - Beau and Bauer .... (I am watching Mariah Carey on Lorraine Kelly - she isn't all there ...? It's very painful to watch ...) I work part time as a Team Manager for a Collections dept of a bank, the rest of the day I am a housewifey and love nothing more than looking after my little family. 

Our wedding is 4 weeks and 6 days away .... 28th Dec 09 and we're getting very excited.  I will talk more about the wedding as we go on.  G & I met in Glasgow when we were both working there, and moved to Leeds together just over a year ago. 

This year has been quite a rough one, with the 'Credit Crunch' and various other personal trials and tribulations, but we're almost at the end and I couldnt think of a nicer way to cap it off by getting married and sodding off on a bloody lovely holiday :-)

I have some amazing friends & my life is very eventful, there is always a funny story or two and this is what I am hoping to capture here.  I used to have a My Space Blog years ago and had lots of lovely followers, but life got too busy & I stopped posting.  Now I intend on having 'Breakfast Blog Dates' with the laptop as I sit down to my morning tea and toast.

Apart from work, and cooking recipe's from S's blog (I will put some links somewhere on here to her blogs when I work out how) and relaxing with G & the kitties, I hate keeping fit and exercise (apart from walking) and I have an avid love of wine .... white, red, sparkling .... yummy! I am on a no-drinking through the week mission (today is Tuesday and happy so far lol) at the moment, especially as Christmas is round the corner, and there seems to be lots of drinking through Christmas.

Anyway, I am going to sign off, I am going to do individual posts on some of the charactors that will crop up regularly within my stories so they're not entirely strangers.

Have a lovely day!

K x