In response to questions....

@ MEA5798 The butterfly used on this card is cut out of patterned paper via a die from Marianne Design - i got mine from a local market stall but noticed the other day that The Scrapbook Shop has them in stock! :)@ Michelle - the scallop circle for this card was cut using the big scallop circle die from Sizzix :)@ Rennee Yep i really do have 5 kids LOL Sometimes feels like less, most of the time feels like more but hey i like being busy so im not complaining! LOL ;)

@ Lorna Congratulations on the birth of your little girl too - we both got one in the end, we arent just mums to boys anymore!! lol

@ Louise My bracelet is from a counter in Debenhams ( £12) :)@ 1LuckyMum I love Copic Pens but havent tried anything else so cant really say which are best. I do love my Copics though :) I will add a tutorial for the house box on to my list of 'to do's' :)Another regular question is about the recipes.... 'Where is the ingredients list?' ' Will you be posting how to make .....?' It works most weeks like this....

Monday - shopping list posted
Wednesday - step by step recipe and photos listed.

I have started to link both posts together but it takes time to go back through.

erm....im sure theres more and if you have any questions i havent yet answered give me a yell :)

Week 22 - Country Chicken Paella *shopping list*

Ooh ooh i can see a big shiney thing, im sure its called the sun......Lets hope its here to stay and this is the start of a lovely summer :)

Its not just BBQ season, how about basking in the sun, soaking up the rays and pretending your in the Spanish countryside. Crack open a bottle of wine, tear up some crusty bread and enjoy a little holiday in your own garden with our Chicken Paella :)

Ingredients
300g Long Grain Rice
3 Skinless chicken breasts
1 Onion
1 red pepper
2 Cloves of Garlic
230g Tomatoes (chopped)
175g Fine green beans
1 tsp Tumeric
1 tbsp Oil
1.2 ltrs Chicken Stock

to serve...

Flat leaf parsley
Lemon Wedges
Artisan bread (or any crusty/rustic loaf)

Banana Frog Blog Hop...

Welcome to the Banana Frog May Blog Hop!! Remember to hop all the way around the girls blogs because each blog is giving away a set of stamps of your choice! Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win!
Next hop on over to the lovely Audrey! :)

When youre at the Banana Frog blog why not enter the £100 giveaway - got to be in it to win it!! :) Last day for entries today - go for it girls!

Banana Frog spotlight...

Just taking a couple of mins to upload some projects ive recently made using Banana Frog stamps.

Card using Charming Prince and Fairytale Princess ranges...
Super Stars...
Funky Paisley...
As if you didnt know by now i love little birds and birdcages so i was thrilled when Bev launched these stamps recently!! :) (this is that tube of pencils from Poundland I promised i would cover!)

Bo Bunny Blog Hop!!

Welcome to our June Bo bunny blog hop!! :D
EDITED TO ADD - HERE IS A LINK TO THE TUTORIAL FOR THIS LITTLE SET OF DRAWERS :) Thanks for the requests and sorry i didnt pop a link up to start with, they were part of a set for a magazine project and they are perfect as unusual wedding favours! The papers used were Kitchen Spice ..... Allspice and cloves :)

Please hop from here on over to the wonderful Julianas blog - so talented, so clever and such a lovely lady too :)

Remember to hop all the way to the end to find out who our guest designer is this month on the Bo bunny blog and for your chance to win some Roughin It goodies!! :)

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake - week 21 :)

YUMM!!

Gather all your ingredients....hull the strawberries, sieve the flour and cocoa powder...
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 7 inch spring-form cake tin. Put the butter in a pan over a low heat and melt. Leave to cool.
Put the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk with an electric whisk until the mix is pale, doubled in volume and leaves a trail on its surface.
Remove from heat and continue whisking until cool. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Lightly fold in the melted butter. Pour into the tin and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin.

For the ice cream, put the strawberries in a pan with 100ml water, cover and bring to the boil. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until they are very soft. Purée the strawberries in a blender, then sieve to remove the pips. Stir in sugar to taste. Set aside to cool.Put the yolks and the 200g sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale. Add the cream and mascarpone, whisking until smooth. Fold in the strawberry purée. Pour the strawberry mix over the cold cake, put in the freezer and freeze for at least 12 hours.
To serve, run a hot palette knife around the edge of the cake and remove from the tin.
Serve and Enjoy - we found it easier to leave to melt a little before eating, it wasnt so painful on sensitive teeth! lol *ps... excuse the thumb print in the cake too - its flipping rock hard when youre trying to cut it!* lol

Today....

Today I have big plans and need to start making steps towards what I need to do.

Today I am appreciating my family and thinking how lucky we are to have each other. We have been through a lot and have come out of the other side and its time to appreciate it all.

Today I feel like the luckiest mummy in the world! *heart*

Today I am planning my trip to teach classes in Amsterdam at the end of June.

Today I am making a vision board for my trip to Brave Girl Camp next year....this is a dream for me and its a dream I will make come true.

Today is right now......and right now is feeling pretty darn good!

TODAY I AM BRAVE! Today I really do Believe everything is possible!
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Todays recipe will be posted tomorrow as i didnt realise it had to be frozen overnight otherwise i would have made it yesterday - my oops sorry! LOL ;)

Ack...

Forums are still being updated and now facebook isnt working for me either :( My usual 5am haunts are down - guess im going to have to sleep!! lol Hopefully things will get back to normal at some point today but for now im taking it as a hint to go back to bed now Evie has finished her feed :)Catch you later :) xxx

Week 21 - Strawberry Ice Cream Cake *shopping list*

What screams summer more than strawberries and ice cream - what better way to eat them than in a cake!! :)

Shopping List Sponge:
35g unsalted butter
3 large eggs
75g caster sugar
75g plain flour, sifted
30g cocoa powder, sifted

Ice cream:
6 large egg yolks
200g caster sugar
450g strawberries, hulled
400ml double cream, lightly whipped
250g mascarpone cheese

OK, I best get back to work! Im busy gutting the house top to bottom while dh looks after Evie :)

TWICE!! Once was more than enough.....

It is my little sisters birthday today so yesterday we went for cocktails and lunch at Old Orleans.....a Cosmo and a Purple Rain later we ordered something to eat. Sis went for the Southern Fried Chicken and i went for a mixed starter as my main meal as i wasnt that hungry and fancied picking at bits iykwim. It said it would have chicken pieces - yum, coconut prawns - double yum, dusted squid rings - its ok breathe Debbie youre fine with squid rings so can handle those, potato skins - yum and mini ribs - not keen but hey with the rest of the yummy food im sure i will not starve! :)

Lunch comes out and everything looks delicious

until

...i spot IT!!
Yep, theyre haunting me!! lol

Me and My Girl!

*sigh*......thats all for now, just a big, happy, heartfull of love :)

Feeling Blue....

I dont know what it is but the real soft baby blue is what im wearing at the minute! Im in love with this blue nailvarnish and love bracelet....erm and butterflies had to feature somewhere too didnt they! LOL
As soon as i saw this bracelet i had to have it. It has love inscribed on the little heart, the larger heart has love sentiments inscribed and the loose swirl heart moves over the top but lies flat :) Sigh - the simple things make me happy! xxx
Here is a recent project i made for the Bo Bunny blog using the Flower child range. I love how its so bright and full of flowers but yet looks cool with boy pictures too! You know i love bunting so i had to incorporate it and somehow that even looks cool on a boy page! Love Love Love this line!! :)I sat and played the other night, not an assignment, not a mag project, just played and thoroughly enjoyed it :) I did it for me and added words i live by, used a mix of manufacturers, lots of messing with the papers etc and i feel happy when i look at this layout :)
Arent these buttons just the cutest - handmade by Tessa Ann Designs. You know i love little birds so these were just perfect for that finishing touch :)
Have a fab day - im going to take Evie out for a walk today while the boys are at school and may visit some charity shops, ive missed my bargain hunting days and feel i need a spree!! :)

Chicken & Mozzarella Quesadillas step by step...

So simple, so quick, soooooooooo tasty!! :)

So, lets get going...gather all the ingredients as per shopping list...Dice everything finely...combine in a bowl...Heat up a large frying pan. Place one of the tortillas in the pan and top with some of the diced mix. Lay another tortilla on top and heat gently.Once the bottom tortilla is heated through, turn onto a plate and place back in the frying pan to warm through the other side. Heat until cheese is melted. Pop back on the plate, cut in quarters and keep warm until all 4 are made (or do like they did in my house and have a line of little people all waiting with their plates! Honestly i would swear you would think i never fed them!!) LOL