Inky catch up!

Thought i would share a couple of projects that ive made over the weekend. I love Home Sweet Home goodies and wanted to make a little something for when my kitchen is properly revamped...I used the Love Bandit line of papers and the Double Dot Cardstock (all from Bo Bunny) It is all mounted onto one of the Ikea 99p mirrors in black to add some depth and give me something to attach it to the wall to - it just makes it a little more than a pic stuck on the wall iykwim :)

I was looking through my older photographs and realised i havent really scrapped any Christmas pics for the last few years!! This one is from 2007, made with Tis The Season Bo Bunny papers and embellishments.

Think i may work on a few more today since im all geared up for the Christmas season now after watching Last Cake Standing on The Food Network last night - omg i have this idea for a topsy turvy fruit cake that is way beyond my capabilities.........i cant wait to give it a try, if nothing else i will have enough fruit cake to eat for the next year or so!! LOL

*if the link isnt working, type Portable North Pole message from Santa into google and it will find it* :)

Oh and if you have little ones check out this video message site from Santa - its well worth the few minutes it takes to set it all out *let me know if you get teary when he opens his naughty or nice book - i did but that might just be hormones!* LOL

Baking Frenzy and Bo Bunny blog hop winner!

I now realise why i was blessed with such a big family - its so that when i bake i dont have to eat everything by myself!! Do you know what size i would be right now if i had to eat all ive made today! First off was a huge batch of Leek and Potato cream soup, Victoria sponge cake, a tray of caramel chocolate shortbread, mint chocolate crisps - im never buying After Dinner Mints again thanks to a lovely lady on MSE for the recipe (so easy....smash up a roll of Extra Strong Mints and add it to a melted 200g bar of dark chocolate, turn out onto a baking sheet, spread thinly and let harden before smashing ...try not to eat all at once! Go on you know you want to at least try it....so easy and so delicious!)
Chocolate and mixed nut cookies...same cookies but rounded, flattened and covered with chocolate and vanilla sugar for the boys :)
If you would like the recipies for anything on my blog just drop me a line :)

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Bo Bunny black Friday blog hop!
It was so much fun and i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did :)

The winner of the goodies has been chosen by Random.org ..................

Here are your random numbers:

60

Timestamp: 2009-11-29 07:45:21 UTC

The winner is Tracey - congratulations and please can you email me your address so i can get your winnings out to you :)

Bo Bunny Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone visiting my blog - i know im not American but i certainly have a lot to be thankful for so im sending out wishes anyway :)
If you have hopped over here on your way around the bloghop you will need to know your next stop is at Ritas fabulous blog! *because of the time difference remember to check the blogs later as they may not be updated yet*
I made this little book with the new Love Bandit range of papers and embellishments. Its a little something to say thank you to our boys for filling my life more than i ever could have imagined, yes im busy, yes im sometimes looking at thinking WHOA how did that pile (papers/ironing!) get so big but i wouldnt have it any other way! Its only going to get better come April so i am thankful for what ive been given and im enjoying the ride!To enter a Bo Bunny giveaway here on my blog (remember to check in with the other blogs too and do the rounds on the blog hop as im sure there are other giveaways today!) please leave a comment below letting me know what youre thankful for :) You could be in with the chance of winning a whole host of goodies including stamp sets, chipboard embellishments, ribbons, rub ons and more!! :)

Oh and another thing - im thankful my oven is finally installed!! Watch out waistline im going to be experimenting with flavoury goodness!! LOL

One extreme to the other!!

Could today finish off better than it started please?

Yesterday i thought the cooker was being installed - wrong.

Today the cooker was being installed - right and wrong!!

It was delivered but the engineers said it couldnt be fitted as it needed a new cooker amp on the wall (im just not technical so excuse me if im saying the wrong thing here - by this point i was a bubbling wreck)!
Apparently they couldnt come out again to fit it until i pay for an electrician to fit the right socket, no electricians available this side of Christmas so they left saying they would be back NEXT THURSDAY so i had until then to sort it out!!Lots of frantic phonecalls and one knight in shining armour later (omg i even called him that to his face and almost kissed him as he walked through the door!) i was informed that they could have fit it this morning if only they had read the manual properly and read that all it really needed was a plug fitting! Grrr!!

Gas man is coming tomorrow to install it and its just focusing on using the end product thats keeping me going right now - well that and a hubby who wouldnt stop at anything today to help his hormonally distraught wife! *huge kisses*

So......here we are.....looking at a spanking brand new cooker......reading Ree Drummonds cookbook (this deserves a post of its own so i will be elaborating on this once ive absorbed it all!).....and eating take away pizza!! Yep...one extreme to the other! lol

Make your 5 a day more interesting!

These would make great presents and obviously the longer they are left to soak the more alcohol they will soak up and in turn the longer they are left before eating the more it will mature! :)
First of all soak your chosen dried or vacuum packed fruit overnight or so in your preferred alcohol....i used Grand Marnier for the prunes, Disaronno for the apricots and Dark rum for the dates.
Once they are soaked to your liking drain and either roll out (or cheat and buy the ready roll) marzipan...
Cut small squares and place one piece of fruit in the centre. Wrap up the sides and make sure there is no fruit showing through the marzipan, this way the chocolate wont actually touch the fruit itself (the alcohol may make the chocolate run before it sets)...
leave them to one side until they are all finished and ready to dip together...
This is the hard bit...let the chocolate set! Dont touch it, dont be tempted to try one (it wont stop at one!) ...
Once set, drizzle with white chocolate by holding a spoon high above the sweets and work backwards and forwards covering all the sweets at once...
Leave to set then remove from the paper and either dish up ready to serve or jar and give as very delicious pressies - you will be asked to make them again i promise!! :)
...erm this was one that i had to try, just so i could show you the insides you understand!! lol ;)
Mmmmmmm!!

Nigella winner and alcoholic fruit!!

The winner of the Nigella Christmas cookbook is .......

FIONA!!

Number 34, picked by my little one as Random.org is down for today! :)

Please email me your address Fiona and i will get the book sent out to you :)

I am so tired this weekend the only baking i have managed so far are soaking some apricots, prunes and dates in alcohol (Disaronno, Grand Marnier and Rum respectively) Tomorrow i will cover them with marzipan and dip in dark chocolate. Let them drip dry and harden ready to go into little boxes as gifts :D

Nigella Christmas Cookbook Giveaway!!

I love this woman! She makes everything seem so easy - ok not necessarily calorie free but heck we deserve treats dont we?!Ive had so many fab comments and requests for the recipies i use that i thought it would be nice to have a little giveaway to give someone their own copy of the Nigella Christmas cookbook - i promise, its like that old saying.......A cookbook is not just for Christmas, its for life!! You will use this more than just during the festive season!! :)

To enter just leave a comment on this post and i will draw a winner on Sunday night!
Im helping my little sis move home this weekend so you can leave one comment today, one tomorrow and one on sunday as i probably wont be updating again until announcing the winner - thats 3 chances of winning!! :) :)

Good Luck :)