Addicted

My HG has declared that he could eat the full box! Turns out they are not that sickly. I have my own suspicions! 

Here's the magazine front 

Here's mine! 

The toffee layer was made with three bags of dairy toffee according to the recipe, next time I will only use two! Also I omitted the peanut butter from the top layer of chocolate which is why I think it cracked on cutting. But on the whole I'm impressed!! 

First day back at work was like we'd never had a week off! 

My class were doing their Big Write from before the holidays. I went to help my usual suspects. They were working on a leaflet, using publisher, to advertise the new community park they'd devised the week earlier on a planning sheet. One soul had had a difficult lesson during the planning and then was absent on the last Friday when the rest of the class worked on their designs. 

Me: what's wrong

Child: I don't know what to do

Me: let's have a look on your plan

Child: I'd rather you didn't. 

Me: come on, it'll help with this task

Child: ok, but be prepared to be disappointed!!!!!! 

Admittedly, there wasn't much to go on, but we cracked on regardless! I said 

Any work done is good and I'm never disappointed! I got beamed at! 

By 'eck it's cold this morning. Thermal knickers needed! Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's blog, I'll go reply in a bit xx 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *never disappointed* Radiostar xxx

Back to work today

With a heavy heart, an overly dramatic sigh, dragging of heels and a sulk on, it's back to work for me! 

Maybe the woman doth protest too much!!! I do like my job, I adore the children as well you know, I just like being at home more. However, the work bit pays for the craft bit and the bills bit etc so it's an 8am start today. 

I've just put the chocolate topping on a tray of Billionaire's Shortbread. Think Millionaire's Shortbread highly calorific? Well it's practically diet food compared to what I was making yesterday! 

It's a recipe from this month's Sainsbury's magazine. I don't normally buy it, but the glossy photo of the Billionaires Bars I think they call them coupled with the fact it was only a pound meant it went through the till with the rest of my shopping. 

I then went to Aldi for the few ingredients I didn't have in. 

Roses were not on the list, but my friend had brought me a sweet spray of carnations and I've only got big vases so I relaxed my no cut flowers in the house rule and got some Fairtrade roses for £3. 

I'll post a photo of the recipe and the finished product tomorrow as I can't slice it yet. 

But first you have a layer of chocolate melted with some peanut butter, should have been smooth - I already had crunchy in, so that's what I used. 

Next I made, for the first time, nougat, which topped the chocolate with some salted peanuts. 

Next you make a toffee layer. The easiest toffee layer I ever made. 

Melt toffees and cream 

 And this morning, it's had a final layer of melted chocolate added. 

I don't think this will be sickly AT ALL. 

The recipe says it makes 30 bars. My recipe will yield 60! 

At 30 bars, the recipe states that each one is nigh on 400 calories!!! 

I think essentially, I've made a Marathon! If there's any young uns reading - that's a Snickers. 

Yesterday's bread was made halfy halfy white flour with some wholemeal spelt flour. It's really really tasty. 

Here's a quick look at the poppy so far. It's really tricksy because the shades of purple are many and only slightly varied! 

I've done my best! The frame does make it easier. 

When it's done, it's going to be my favourite cushion! 

Right I've put off real life for long enough! I need to find my work bag/badge/shoes/keys etc etc!! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *really doesn't want to go* Radiostar xxx 

December 1st 2015

Helloooo now that NOvember is over I can ALMOST get my full Christmas on! See, it's my Dad's birthday on Friday and when we were little, full on Christmassing the house didn't start till about the 10th after my Dad's birthday cards came down. 

How was your last day of November? 

Here's a snapshot of my delightful 45 minute lunch 'hour' yesterday. 

I always come home at lunch for my

own sanity. I need a break from the cheeldren. Also I do jobs too. No rest for the wicked etc. 

So....

Came home, saw washer had 11 minutes left. Went for a wee, put towels away ( that Bloody Mr 18 was supposed to do ) came down, washer still on 11 minutes. Looked closer, couldn't work out what it was. 

Asked Bloody Miss 21( who had a day off from work ) - oh it's my mattress topper ( she said airily ) 

I said seethingly, 

Did you follow washing instructions because it's not spinning because it's too heavy and uneven in the washer - it told me so in the LED display . 

She shouts down,

I washed it on delicate and it's air dry . 

I yelled WHAT???? Air dry???? HAVE YOU SEEN THE WEATHER?? 

It was November storm heavily chucking it down weather. 

I continued my rant 

You wash quilt type things ON A BAKING HOT DAY IN THE SUMMER WHEN IT WILL AIR DRY AFTER A FEW HOURS HANGING OUTSIDE. WHERE/HOW DO YOU INTEND TO DRY IT???? 

She replied,  "The radiators."

I hit the roof! 

I'm like which bloody radiator is going to dry a ten ton dripping quilted mattress topper - fluffy on one side, it's 2" thick. I'm surprised it went in the washer. 

So I informed her she'd probably broken my washer, that she needed to bring a towel down to put on the floor next to the washer and start hand wringing it in to the washing up bowl. Then try to spin it again. 

She said 

( let's not forget this girl has a degree )

I didn't realise it'd get so wet.

Yes, I'll leave that with you a minute. 

Who knew that putting things in a washing machine would make them ever so slightly wet???

I told her to stick it in the dryer on a wool, bulky setting to get most of the water out and then put it on lounge radiator but to move the settee out BC I didn't want the back of it getting wet and that she better hope the steam didn't bring the wall paper off!! 

I got in from work to find her and her friend curled up on the sofa with hot chocolate. Topper on radiator. Sofa not moved out. This did not improve my mood. 

So I turfed them off and we shifted it forward. I felt the topper, it was sodden! I asked about the dryer - I put it in for about 15 minutes. DEAR LORD WHO IS THIS CHILD??? Surely not mine - mine would have more common sense! ( hmmm I'm sure I just had a flashback to my own mother saying the exact same thing to me ) 

I said but it's still so wet, she said but the heating has only just come on!!! So the sodden mattress topper has hung, on the freezing cold radiator, dripping litres of water onto the carpet for a good three hours . FFS. Why did she not click the heating on? ( prob worried she'd get nagged at lol ) 

I asked why had she washed it? 

It looked a bit grubby she said. 

Oh? GRUBBY AS OPPOSED TO THE FRIKKEN BOMBSITE OF A BEDROOM THAT I'VE ASKED YOU TO TIDY TO SHOW ME AND HER DAD THAT SHE RESPECTS US AND THE AMOUNT OF £££ AND HOURS WE PUT IN GIVING HER A GORGEOUS PLACE TO SLEEP?????

I swear to God I'm gonna miss her and will be desperate for her to come back home so I can shout at her, but New Zealand cannot come fast enough!!!!! 5 weeks roughly now. I bet the mattress topper might just be dry enough to go back on her bed then. Still, at least she knows now!  Grrrrr BLOODY KIDS! It was easier when they were toddlers! 

Anyway it's December. It's chucking it down...

But I have found my Advent Calendar

  The little Father Christmas, drops down the 

chimney, when you pull out 

a little ceramic stick everyday. They go in a little pot at the back. 

I've had him for approximately 100 years. I got him from Avon. It's the first sign of Christmas in my house. 

I'm just having some toasted baguette for breakfast. It's really tasty! 

Here's some photos of my efforts yesterday 

Cheese and bacon bread. Yum.

Bloomer and baguettes. Yum! 

I made it with half whole meal half white, so half good for me!! 

Right gotta love you and leave you now

Lots of love from

Rachel *off to work in the rain* Radiostar xx 

Aunty Olive's

Aunty Olive belongs to the HG's side. Sadly no longer with us now. She lived in Yorkshire and this recipe for her ginger biscuits never fails. 

I've given it to a few people who love it just as much. I'm not sure where the recipe originally came from. But we call them Aunty Olive's. 

I can't get to the original right now but here is a photo of it taken by one of my friends, who I sent a photocopy to. I love the old fashioned hand writing that generation had. 

A word mind, substituting the marg for butter doesn't work! The results are nowhere near as good! 

I always use stork! 

Incase the photos are not clear 

6oz SR Flour

4oz marg

3oz sugar ( I use caster ) ( but soft brown works too )

1tblspn golden syrup

1 tspn ground ginger

1/2tspn bicarbonate of soda

Mix flour, ginger n bicarb

Melt butter,sugar,syrup

Combine the two

Roll walnut sized pieces into balls

Flatten slightly on a lined tray

Leave space as they do spread 

Bake

Cool

EAT! 

Good for dunking! 

Makes loads!! 

They come out like this 

I finally have a mini ta daaah! 

A new pattern to make a Cornish pastyesque bootee! 

They are destined for my bosses' new baby granddaughter! Not perfect but still cute! 

I'm just off to reply to all my lovely commenters now X cheerio 

Love from 

Rachel *ready for half term* Radiostar xxx

Summer Hols - Day 2

Well Day 2 of the hols brought rain and sunshine. 

I baked... using my new fancy pants sillicone bread baker 

You weigh out the ingredients in it

You mix the ingredients in it. 

You fasten it and prove in it. 

When doubled in size you just whack it straight in the oven as it is! 

Out came a Viking boat shaped loaf which was utterly crunchy on the outside and soft as down on the inside. Completely delicious and gone in the blink of an eye!! 

I just tried this recipe out of the little booklet 

I also introduced Jill to Beryl. Jill was another of my birthday presents off the HG. Another loaf was made! 

Jill and Beryl showing the dough who the boss is! 

There's a little bit of this one left! 

I then went in the garden to move plants into different pots. The photo is poor. But this is my beginning to that stunning border I showed you yesterday!! The poor bunny isn't faring well. My bush is too mature I think ( WHO SNIGGERED AT THE BACK??!!) so I will start afresh with a baby one! 

 And there's actually a Delphi flower that the slugs didn't get!! 

Like I said...it's a start!! 

I made a start on a new thing to make 

You will have to wait and see .... it might just end up like something from a horror film! 

I made homemade cheese stuffed burgers for tea and marinated some stewing beef in curry spices for a Friday night fakeaway. Back tomorrow for news of Day 3. 

Lots of love from

Rachel *actually nipped in to work again to do some illicit photocopying* Radiostar xx 

Party Rings

What a fluffing mess! Biscuit dough, chilled, not bad to roll, cut and bake. 

The icing.

What a fluffing mess I made!! It's now 11.22pm and I've only just cleaned up! 

I was too ashamed to take a photo of the mess! 

My top tip would be to 

BUY THE BLOODY PARTY RINGS!! 

My next tip would be to cover the worktop with cling film when icing. Normally I do...but not tonight! Why?? It's Monday - my tired day- I made a meat n potato pie for tea - suet pastry, filling cooked yesterday, served with petit pois 

and I've faffed about with these chuffing biscuits for my class! 

They were promised, that if they won the Attendance Cup three weeks in a row ( awarded to the class with pupils in school on time ) , I would bake for them. Again! I'm such a soft touch! 

Hope they like em.

The first two I did. It all went rapidly downhill after this!! 

 70 bloody biscuits. There's about 20 uniced ones left. Might leave them bare and freeze them to make crumble for banoffi pie or something! I'm now over tired. 

 I'm off to bed!! 

Na night 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * up to my new eyebrows in icing sugar* Radiostar xxx 

Baking for the school fair

As usual I put my name down to man the cake stall, so I thought I'd best have something to contribute!

I saw these ont t'internet yonks ago ( I know, I said yonks ) and wanted to have a go!

First I took some flat bottomed ice cream cones. I wrapped them in foil, like the recipe said. A fiddly unnecessary task. Batch two I didn't bother and they didn't burn.

I filled them almost to the top with a basic vanilla sponge and baked them at about 170C fan for 18 ish minutes.  A word of caution, don't overcrowd the tray if you have a go because the middle ones took a bit longer to be fully cooked.

Once cold, I removed a disc and added a little strawberry jam, replaced the disc and using a wide nozzle attempted to pipe a Mr Whippy effect!

I used ordinary buttercream - but I bought some icing whitener off t'internet and it worked!! Added a few drops and it turned ice cream white! Sprinkles and a flake at a jaunty angle and voila! I was quite pleased with my first attempt! Waddya think bloggy chums?

I also made some plain vanilla fairy buns

and some whopper chocolate fudge monster butterfly cakes! Not very elegant but 'bloody good' apparently!

The weather was it's usual freezing self but it was a good fun evening event with lots of money being raised for school.

It's nearly 7.30am and I'm getting my wriggle into gear shortly as I've decided to rearrange my kitchen cupboards. I've that much baking paraphanalia, a good sort out is in order. I've a mountain of clean laundry to sort too. Socialising with friends on the cards and tea is already sorted! Cottage pie I made for yesterday's tea, but school fair BBQ burgers were scoffed instead! I'm going to bake tonight and tomorrow too. I have to take cake in for the staffroom - it's the law. I'm going to make ice cream cakes but will maybe change the flavours. I want to make some Ninjabread men and some Gingerdead men to use the new melts I got from, yes you guessed it, online.

Having a budget month next month, methinks the t'internet has taken enough of my wages!!

Bye for now.
Love
Rachel *cake-face* Radiostar xx

Cake with raspberries

My work chum's husband works in my favourite place in the world and lodges on a farm. The Farmer's wife gives him spare eggs to bring home and I get some too! They are, bar none, THE best eggs I've ever had. So pretty to look at too! 

They make the yellowest, creamiest scrambled egg on crumpets ever! 

I just made a basic all in one 3 egg/6oz flour, butter, sugar sponge.

For the filling, I spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on each half. I whipped some double cream with a few drops of my new raspberry essence and folded in some fresh raspberries. 

The top is simply some of the raspberry essence cream, with the extra berries. It is delicious- even if I say so myself! The cake is light and airy and soft. I blame the eggs! 

In other news.... I don't actually have any news! 

I have not started my next knit yet. I've not actually decided what to knit. What should I knit next?

Love from Rachel 'cake face' Radiostar xxx