Happy Easter holidays!

Have you been having fun? We have been on Easter break for about five days. Rest was our priority as the last five weeks have been pretty full on at work and I am sure Justine worked very hard at school too:)

I always find time to cook tasty balanced meals though, no matter how tired I am. Justine has sometimes helped;) She loves mixing up various soaps in the bath (maybe she will be a chemist) and she extends her love of mixing in the kitchen!

I have also been crafting and watching my favourite movies again. I am reading The Hobbit (again!) and trying to make it last. 

Below, I am sharing some recipes with you and some ideas to make your everyday cooking easier. 

Pancakes 

These pancakes are easy to make, perfect for breakfast or snacking and they are practically foolproof. Here's how to make them:

Mix 150ml whole milk with one egg and 50g all-purpose flour. Add a dash of vanilla extract and beat well with a hand whisk. Last but not least, melt about half a Tbsp of butter and pour it in the mixture and beat again. Let this rest while you get the pan ready. A non-stick large frying pan is your buddy here. Heat it up on high until it's pretty hot then pour in a little bit of oil (about a tsp). Tilt the pan to coat it well with the oil. Reduce the heat to medium. Beat the batter before pouring each portion in the pan; there is enough for four big pancakes. Make sure there is a little oil in the pan before cooking each pancake and cook each of them for about one minute on the first side and 30 seconds on the other side. Spread with honey, Nutella or peanut butter or anything you want really!

Justine with the pizza we made

We made pizza a few times too. Making pizza at home is not as daunting as some might think. I followed Jamie Oliver's recipe; it always gives a great result. The crust is perfect and the topping leaves room for anything you might want to add or vary.

Me:)

Two of our colleagues left the college and we went out for a farewell dinner with them at the Indian Zest (by the riverside). The meal was lovely, the decor amazing yet simple and the staff very efficient. I took that picture just before going out. I am forty years old now, in case you were wondering about my age;)

Justine as Harry Potter for World Book Day

Justine dressed up as Harry for World Book Day:) and soon we will be going to Harry Potter world in Watford. We are both very excited!

My little caramel creme pots

These caramel creme pots are easy to put together. I will make sure to include the recipe soon. Below is the crochet basket I made for Justine to hold her Easter treats. I used chunky fabric yarn for it and basket stitch.

The card we made for one of our dearest friends

Feel free to ask me questions about the posts and its contents. Enjoy!

Let your creativity run free

Hi guys!
How are we all? It's feeling properly like winter here in the south east of England; one figure temperatures (in degrees Celsius of course;)) most of the day. When it's chilly outside, it often means that we spend more time indoors, which is perfect for cooking comfort food (I know that often comes with a shedload of calories!), baking, crafting or watching movies cuddled up in a soft blanket.
I have been doing all of the above. Lol. Let me show you some of the things we made, Justine and me. As the saying goes, a picture speaks louder than a thousand words. So, here goes...

Fish curry with okras (ladies fingers)

Justine helping with cake decorating

                                      Paper origami lanterns to replace the fairy light covers

Citrus notebook made with felt and hot glue

Bracelet made using a knitting doll (french knitting)

Kiana, Justine's doll wrapped up warmly in her newly knitted scarf

The felt owl now has a warm scarf too:)

Justine's homemade squishy and clay sundae

As you can see, we have been busy in a good way. Today Justine is at her daddy and I always miss her when she's away but I know she will have a great time. I will keep you posted on what's happening in our partof the world, so check in when you have a spare minute.

Autumn crafts

Hi there readers. What have you been up to lately? I have been crafting, working, spending time with friends. I have taken up knitting again after a long time of not doing any, only to find out that I am not very good at it;) So, to make up for it, I am watching lots of videos on YouTube or visiting websites that help people like me:)) I am getting slightly better... I learnt to "increase" in knitting and also to change colour. I never really managed that before. My little girl is mad about slime and squishies. Her idea of crafting is somewhat different from mine,lol.

My daughter is doing a project on Egypt at school and we made a mummy and sarcophagus for her to take in. They loved it and put it on display for parents' evening:)

I wish you all a festive Halloween! See you soon for another post.

What on earth...?

It's been cold and wet, it's been muggy and warm, at least too warm for the season...or has it? Maybe it's me having no recollection of the last eight winters.
Enough small talk! So things have been busy around here; Justine is in year 3 and eager to learn and demonstrate her independence, at work it's been hectic, as expected! All this left me very little time to write or for my other hobbies (you know I have plenty;)).
I have decided though that, for things to happen, I must make time. I was on my own this Saturday and thought I would only heat up a can of soup and eat it with the lovely little loaf I bought at the supermarket that afternoon. However, I changed my mind. Not entirely but I did spice up the dinner by making a delicious little stir fry of my own recipe. I will share it with you.
What shall I call it? "Bring on the heat stir fry"? Maybe that sounds too hot and some people will be put off by the name...let's not call it anything particular for the time being. Just try it when you can and let me know how you liked, or disliked, it.

You will need (meal for one):

A half bell pepper; red is best, cut in squares
5 salami slices, each cut in half (use chorizo slices if you have them)
2 small or 1 large chili pepper sliced lengthways
A handful of cherry tomatoes sliced in quarters, or 2 plum tomatoes sliced
A splash of soy sauce
A dash of oyster sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
One clove of garlic, minced

Fry all of the above in medium hot oil, starting with the garlic followed by peppers and then, a couple of minutes later, all the rest. Fry together, turning constantly to avoid burning the food, for about 3 minutes. Done.

If it takes your fancy, fry an egg in that same pan and eat it with the stir fry. The egg will taste of the mixture and this just takes the humble fried egg to a whole new level.

Grab yourself a crusty loaf, grill it and spread with luscious butter. Warm up some soup and eat the lot, together, dipping the pieces of bread in the soup and eating it as accompaniment to the stir fry.

Enjoy!

Starting this post with the breathtaking view of the valley that cusps the village of Slaidburn in Lancashire is, in my opinion, the best way in this particularly case. Justine and I spent 4 nights and 3 days at our friends' farm. It was very different from town life; lichens grow on dead branches and you can see wild rabbits hopping about. The night sky is clear and stars are visible, unlike in town where we live. The farm is isolated and it is perfect to just breathe fresh unpolluted air and really hear the sounds of nature. Of course, there were also some great pieces of machinery that one would expect to find on a farm; tractors, ATVs and giant mowers that get through the rushes easily...or, at least, that's the plan;)
The small village and nearby towns were interesting too, glowing with the pride of historical buildings and traditional shops. The lovely tea shops were also duly visited and tried:)
One cannot fail to appreciate the golden daffodils that grow on the roadside and on the numerous farms.

Justine in the blue tractor 

The golden daffodils 

Half-term break February 2017!

Hey what are you all up to? Justine and myself are having lazy days and late nights as we are both on half term break.
So far, we didn't venture out too much...it's cold outside; it has snowed in short bouts over the last two days. We simply visited our local garden centre for tea and cake and a bit of shopping and we went to Staines for more cake and tea before shopping at Waitrose. By the way, don't know if you have heard but it's highly probable that Waitrose Staines will close soon. What a shame! Don't you think? I like to shop there and it's so much more pleasant than the Kingston one. Anyway...enough ranting for one morning.lol
Let's move onto a better subject: food! My favourite!lol
Lately, I have managed to remember to capture some of my home cooked meals on camera so I can share it with you all. If ever you like something but are not sure how to make it, please don't hesitate to ask me by commenting on my blog.
So....let's see what we have got here....

Lasagna

And more....

Burgers

And yet more...

Banana cake

I now am the proud owner of a Sizzix Big Shot and I really like it. It works and there's no faffing about with it, it just works great. I waited till some dies were on offer and bought them. I made a few die cuts already but I only took the picture of one finished product: a card for my friend. 

A birthday wish...

I better go have my shower and get Justine ready to go to the shop before it closes. The shops close at 4pm on Sundays here (England). See ya;)

Happy new year everyone. 2017 is here. What are your resolutions for this year? Mine are to plan my supermarket trips better, save for things that matter and to always do my best in every situation. For now I have managed to catch 2 colds in 2 months. Lol.  Anyway, I wish all of you a great year 2017.

You can see Justine with one of her Christmas presents, her Barbie house.

I have also been baking a little...above is a baked custard pot. Easy and enjoyed by my daughter (and me.lol).

A hot chocolate with marshmallows and some soft gingerbread...very soothing;)