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???)