Yummy, yummy in my tummy

We had a lovely Christmas, really relaxed and full of good food, snuggling in front of the fire and playing games. Everyone loved there handmade gifts and it was the best Christmas I have had since I was 7 years old!. We went to the in laws and my mums on Christmas eve and swapped gifts, our little nephew who is nearly one had a velvet Santa suit on and he looked so adorable in it.

After boxing day I had a quick tidy up and discovered a book I had borrowed from the library ages ago and not read!, the hummingbird bakery book has some very tasty looking cupcakes and other naughty delights in it, so I couldn't help myself.....

Mmmm lemony snicketts topped with rainbow snowballs and lemony icing - well that's what I called them, I think in the book they are lemon cupcakes!! they are truly scrumptious, so full of calories but v. moreish. I also baked some vanilla cupcakes which went down a treat - so well I haven't got a photo of those. I substituted milk for rice milk and butter for dairy free marg and they worked fine.


Whilst the oven was nice and hot I made two loaves of wholemeal bread and some roasted butternut squash and sweet potato, this has a sprinkle of cumin, some fennel seeds, salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic and is a delight.

Talking of delights look at these fellows we got from Tom's sister, how very cute, our boiled eggs tasted great in them....

she carried on the chicken theme with these cock a doodle ishious tins, plus other chicken related items which are now at home on the dresser.

Every night this week we have put the boys in bed and got cuddled up ready to watch a DVD we got for Christmas and every night we have fallen asleep, woken up around 2 am, not much heat coming off the coals, dribble wet cheeks and shivering, in a daze promising ourselves we will definitely watch it tomorrow - what has happened to the all nighters we used to pull!!!

Have a happy new year folks, this year has been a great one for us and we hope next year will be even better xxx

its beginning to look a lot like christmas ...

Christmas comes but once a year, but how fast does that time come around, its like time has been fast forwarded, this year I have been more organised than ever before and am looking forward to it. Its been fab making and crafting for others and having met some really lovely friends this year in our home ed group it has made it more magical.this is a little wall hanging that's above my fireplace, hand embroidered with bells hanging off the bottom...
a little sequined bird just ready to sing a lark....

and a mischievous pixie girl who my partner says is secretly me!!

Our fireplace decorated with candles and pine cone and the boys made stars out of twigs, bound them together and put glitter on them, our stockings that I made, which hopefully will be filled with goodies

we like to get one new decoration each year, whether its handmade or bought and his year I was pleased to go out with the ladies from the victory baptist church at Blackpool ( I go to a knitting club with them) to Barton Grange-Wow what a place, the layouts were amazing, I really wish I took the camera, fantastic creative sets for different countries, I found this extravagant bird in the India section, he's lovely and after Christmas he will be going in the tree in my little ones bedroom, to join the other birds and monkeys that live in it.

Here's our pond on our first snow day, the boys came and woke me up saying it had double snowed!, they were so excited and I was too, we got up, got dressed and went out in it, I fed the birds and melted a bit of the pond for our frogs and newts and then went out front for ....

snowman building, Brrrr it was cold but so worth it, its all melting now :(

Happy holidays to everyone, hopes all your dreams come true and smile and rejoice in the lovely friends and family we have and remember those who have gone from this world but watch over us daily - thank you Dad xxxxxx