Happy Mother's Day

To my wonderful Mum

Mum you’re very special – have a great day

 

Mum, Dad, baby brother & me – June 1968

MummyHen X

Off to the Tower

DaddyHen and I had been meaning to go and see the poppies (Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red) at the tower for a few months – we finally made it today.  A dull and overcast day – with the threat of rain at any moment but somehow we managed to stay dry.

Beautiful sea of red in the moat, it goes on and on 

 

cascades down the walls and over the walk ways;

 

a really poignant display. 

 

The poppies are lovely – we bought one in memory of DaddyHens GreatGrand Father Alfred Dewberry 

I’d not been to visit the tower since 1977 and DaddyHen since early 1970s and at £22 each for an adult I don’t think we’ll be going again anytime soon. I have to say that there were plenty of people who had paid.

The ancient and modern

 

 How did you spend your Saturday?

MummyHen X

 

Bear Birthday Cakes

SonnyHens GF loves pandas so with her birthday fast approaching I researched making her a panda cake.  I am not very artistic or imaginative  - so if I can see what some else has done then that's a great help -  really don't know what I would have done before Pinterest or Google - I get many ideas from the web. 

 

My cake recipe is my reliable Vicky sponge with added milk but only a splash.  As the cake was going to be 4 layers I used 10 eggs, 500g butter, caster sugar, 170g plain flour and 500g SR flour, 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste and about 6-8 table spoons of milk

Seedless raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream in between each layer and a crumb coat of buttercream on the outside

 

 

Then the white fondant, black for the Panda face and a pink bow

 

 

 

Panda chocolate cupcakes were decorated with fondant. 

 

 

 

She had a lovely day and the cake when down well 

 

A week later a request for another bear cake - this time in chocolate - thank goodness for the wonders of the web.  20cms Vicky sponge with cupcake ears and nose, raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream filling.  Covered with chocolate and vanilla buttercream - note to self: don't use melted chocolate chips for chocolate buttercream, as mine didn't melt properly and little bits of chocolate kept blocking the piping nozzle. 

 

 

 

 

and then 'fur' thank goodness for a grass piping nozzle.  A little black chocolate buttercream for the eyes, nose and mouth. 

 

 

What have you made recently?

 

MummyHen X

Wedding Anniversary

A perfect day with my DaddyHen.

MummyHen X

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all dads everywhere.  Sadly, my father is no longer with us but the memories are so special.

Open Sesame

This is what I saw

I sorted, counted, totted up and 

1p	443	£   4.43
2p	319	£   6.38
5p	280	£  14.00
10p	166	£  16.60
20p	126	£  25.20
50p	22	£  11.00
£1	25	£  25.00
£2	156	£ 312.00
£5	90	£ 450.00
£10	4	£  40.00
		£904.61

Actually I am a tad disappointed as I was hoping for four figures – in the last few weeks I have not spent money to have the change to add to the tin, or to receive a £2 coin or £5 note.

The money will be taken to the bank, changed into notes put it back into the tin, the tin will be resealed and we will start collecting again until beginning of December next year. Need some inspiration have a look over here.

Must go as I have cakes that are in need of a marzipan blanket.

* Open Sesame

MummyHen X

Two busy weeks

Spent five days in Holland week before last; planning for 2014; it came as no surprise that some of the projects that had been planned won’t start as the business made a huge loss and some that started during past few months will stop.  It’s a disappointment but that happens with innovation; if the business isn’t making money then we are one of the first in the firing line for cuts.

On a lighter note; I had no trouble taking this Christmas cake with me on the plane – I was glad when I got the office with it;  It was a little cumbersome carrying it around. It went down really well - not a glitter ball was left.

My flight on the Monday was delayed due to technical issues which very sadly meant I didn't get to the Rijksmuseum and then even more annoying its not open late; all the museums close at 5pm every day.  I was hopeful that on the Thursday they would be open till 8pm and we could get to see some lovely artwork – I am sure there will be a next time.

This last week was spent catching up – stupid hours have been worked but hopefully that’s it now for this year – no time for any me time.

Today, DaddyHen and I went to Borough Market at London Bridge; it was packed, we think its lost its charm - its way too touristy

Some delicious looking food - we resisted.  The only things we bought were a ham hock, some mushrooms and a pawpaw.  My mum and I used to have pawpaw for breakfast when we lived in Africa - yum yum with lime juice and a sprinkling of sugar. 

We didn't spend long - ahhh why do people just stop dead in front of you for no reason. Too many people for out liking - back on the train to Kent.

Tomorrow is the opening of my sealed tin – can’t wait…

MummyHen X

Gifts, awards and cakes

Busy busy at work – but then as we near year end there is always heaps to do.  I received a lovely box of expensive chocolates – to be honest I would have preferred something else I’m not really a chocy person; don’t get me wrong I really enjoy a chocolate desert but not into eating chocolates – boy I sound ungrateful – I’m not; they have been put in the Christmas box and I’m sure we will all enjoy them at Christmas, That was on Tuesday then on Friday I received a recognition award – formal company recognition award from one of the General Managers – Dinner for Two.  I’m really pleased.  I do work hard (DH says too hard), I get paid well so receiving this is lovely.

Question is now where do we go – no value has been mentioned - I need to ask as I don’t want to be extravagant but on the other hand don’t want to spend £50 and for them to say ah you could have spent £100.  I was told to choose a ‘nice’ restaurant – what does that mean?!

A colleague knows that I always make Christmas cakes and recommended Nigel Slaters Christmas cake – not tried that one before – it came out looking really good; I had trouble getting ground almonds; perhaps there's a shortage both Mr T and Mr S had none, DH ground some for me - I had whole almonds in the cupboard.

I will be away in Holland all this coming week – and I decided to take a Christmas Cake with me 

it sounded like a good idea at the time but carrying a cake in hand luggage – umm maybe not such a great idea; I did check with the airline and the airport and both said it was ok.

MummyHen X

We will remember

We will remember all the fallen of all wars – bygone and recent

We particularly remember Alfred William Dewberry killed at the battle of Battle of Arras 10^th April 1917 aged 34.

Alfred and his wife Georgina and baby Alfred taken in Jersey in 1908.

MummyHen X

Christmas cake

Yeahh – I set myself a target to get my Christmas cake made this week – well I sort of archived it. The fruit has been soaking for a few weeks

One huge 12” square cake which will be cut into four smaller cakes - I had to split the mixture into two bowls as my mixer couldn't cope the amount of mixture

One 8” round; I thought I had two 8” round deep tins umm I'm sure did but I didn't so couldn't make the two at the same time as I had planned. 

We are out all day Sunday so the second it will have to wait until Monday.

Looking back I seem to be behind this year – my cakes were all made by this time last year.

MummyHen X

Hooking for Kitties

Having seen Amanda @ crafty in the med appeal for stray and abandoned cats in Spain - we have two here in the coop . Humphrey 

and Sheene

I just had to pick up my hook. Having got my crochet mojo back a few weeks ago – I started to crochet this blanket;

I saw it on Little Tin Birds blog another great blog if you've not come across Heather before – the colours are muted but really beautiful.  I didn't have an owner in mind so perhaps it can be sold to raise some funds.

I will finish these pin cushions and send them to Spain to help the strays cats.

MummyHen X

Hello – it’s me

I am here.  After a short sabbatical from blogging I am back – perhaps not as refreshed as I’d like but back none the less am back.

Work is still ‘the tiger in the room’ and I am trying to tame it – but it’s difficult. Part of my strategy to reduce the number of hours I work [my contract says 35 but reality is near 60] is to set goals each week for none work activities and stick to them.  We went to see Captain Philips a couple of weeks ago on a Friday afternoon – I had said I would finish work at noon and NOT check email or log back on to work until 8am on Monday – it was VERY difficult but I did manage to stick to it.  I am still waking in the early hours with work on my mind and finding it increasingly difficult not to go into my home office and login.

Money saving is going well – a few wobbles in the last few months but nothing that a months or so of being extra thrifty won’t solve. We have finished paying the community charge so that’s an extra £175 for the next 5 months that can towards credit cards; the final payment on the car loan will be made in a few week then we will be loan free – wooohooo – another £430 for snowballing.

My tin for the Sealed Pot Challenge is still sealed and weighing over 8.5kgs I am really hoping that there will be more than £1,000 in it when its opened on 1^st December – getting excited about it. 

 

Fruit for the Christmas cake has been soaking for a few weeks and I am hoping to that I will be able to make the cake this week.

My mum had her 82nd birthday at the beginning of last month and we spent a lovely day with her and Betty - I made a lovely PoppySeed and Lemon cake; it was really yummy.

 

SonnyHen has started to play rugby again after not playing for a season.  This means that Saturdays revolve around where he’s playing; we all travel together so arrive a good few hours before kick-off which gives DaddyHen and I time to go for a long walk.  Last week we gathered sweet chestnuts (note to self don't gather them without gloves - I still have tiny tiny splinters from the spines in my fingers).  This week there were hips and these purple berries

 

I think they are sloes but not sure - if you know then let me know. 

MummyHen X

Bettys Party

We had such a lovely time at my Aunts family birthday party on Saturday; family party because on Sunday she had another party for church friends and then today is her actual day.

We only tend to get together, as an extended family, at major events the last one was my mother’s 80^th a couple of years ago prior to that it was my father’s funeral. 

We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant in called Moorings; very reasonably priced good food in large portions.  Mum seemed to enjoy her ice cream sundae. 

Back to Mums house for tea, cookies and cake.

 

MummyHen X

Cookie Central

I am still here!!

These are my iced cookies – am actually really pleased with them; given I’ve not attempted anything like this before.  Lets hope everyone enjoys them

 

 Daisy - she enjoys her garden

 Cross - represents her faith (not sure what happened the icing its a little blotchy)

 

Artist palette - her love of painting

 

Elephants - many years of living in India

 

Sorry for the poor photos but I did take these very late last night as I boxed everything up to go to the party.

MummyHen X

Cookies

I mentioned in my last post that it was Aunties birthday in a few weeks and I would be making cookies – not something I have done before but after researching the web I found some inspiration – boy are there some very talented cookie makers out there.  I decided I would give it a go – I can bake and have iced cakes before so why not cookies.

I made a test batch yesterday and my chief tasters – DaddyHen and SonnyHen both asked if there were any more; NO.

During the week I had decided on the shapes – each having a special meaning to my aunt;

So today I made over 100 cookies, recipe from here the only thing I did different was to put the dough in the fridge as when I first tried it was far too sticky and the cookies became misshaped moving from the work top to the baking sheet.  For some reason on one batch I got the timings in the oven wrong it should have been 7 mins but for some reason the flowers and some of the crosses got a little too brown; if I get time I will remake these but once they are iced it won’t show and they aren’t burnt just brown. These are now in the freezer awaiting icing – now that’s going to be the tricky bit.

I have approx. another 40 cookies to make – they can wait until next weekend.

I’m really happy with the elephants (Auntie lived in India for over 30 years) as I searched for a suitable cutter – nothing really jumped out but then I stumbled on this delightful elephant herd – I really liked the shape and the design but I couldn’t find the cutter in the UK and was not going to pay for it to be shipped from the states and I really don’t have the time to wait.  So I made the cutter – I printed out the shape and made a cardboard template and then used a strip of aluminium and bent it around the cardboard template into shape;

I used flat screw driver to bend against for the right angle corners, an old battery to get the bend in the trunk; it took a good few hours to make but I really enjoyed it.

 

MummyHen X

A weigh day – Day 8 - 12

I have not had the time to give you an update

I lost 9lbs in the first week – am really pleased

Monday I decided that I would try a green vegetable only juice; water, chard, cucumber, pear. 

Umm – it isn’t my favourite – it was very pulpy; I don’t have a juicer and I think with the blender the pulp doesn’t blend.  So for Tuesday I strained the juice though a clean J-Cloth it was much better, it’s still isn’t my favourite drink.  Tuesday lunch I was back to my old strawberry with coconut - yummy

Dinner: DaddyHen has made some lovely dinners – sole stacks (layers of sole fillets) with crushed Jersey Royals, capers and caper berries

 

Duck with fondant potatoes with cherries

 

Exercise: Managed a couple of time –but really to need to focus on the exercise 

Work has been very busy; was informed Monday that with immediate effect all budgets would be hit with a 10% reduction, the impact has been that some contractors have been given notice (which I just hate doing), some investment will now been postponed or scaled back.  Hopefully, 2014 budgets won’t be too hard hit as we have some exciting innovative IT projects planned. 

My Mums sister is going to have a landmark birthday in three weeks; I will be making a cake and some cookies.  I have been doing some research into cake and cookie design icing options etc.  I’m no expert but will give it ago – the designs will have meaning to auntie.  I soaked the fruit for the cake this week and made the cake this afternoon – its smells lovely, the holes on the top will be filled with cake that I'll cut off the bottom to make if sit flat. Will be experimenting with cookies tomorrow.

 

MummyHen X