MORE THRIFTING....OR IS IT?

Have you ever lent anyone anything and not had it back. I have. A couple of years ago I lent someone ALL my Jean Greenhowe toy patterns and did not get them back. We have since lost contact with each other, so there is no chance of getting them back now. However I managed to buy all these toy patterns for only 10p each at our League of Friends stall at the hospital. I was very pleased and thought I had definitely got a bargain. But if I had got them back to begin with I wouldn't have had to buy them again would I?

EASTER MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

300g Plain Flour

1 tbs Cornflour

100g Caster Sugar

100g Sultanas

2 tbs Candied Peel

1 Egg, beaten

175ml Milk

6 tbs Sunflower Oil

100g Marzipan, finely grated

Zest of 1 Lemon

ICING:

200g Icing Sugar

2 tbs Lemon Juice

Yellow Food Colouring

36 Mini Eggs

Preheat oven to 200'c/Gas 6. Place 12 large muffin cases in muffin tray. Sift flour with baking powder and caster sugar, add sultanas and candied peel.

In a separate bowl combine egg, milk and oil then add marzipan and lemon zest. Combine with dry ingredients until just mixed together (do not over mix).

Divide mixture between the 12 muffin cases and bake for 20 mins. Allow to cool.

Sift icing sugar and add lemon juice and yellow food colouring to make icing. Use to decorate muffins and top with 3 mini eggs on each one.

HEART SWAP GIFTS

On Friday I received my Heart Swap Parcel from Alex at Pink Feather paradise.

I received these lovely items:

A Hand Made heart with beads (absolutely gorgeous).

A big red stuffed heart decoration.

A lovely quartz key ring (hand Made) in a little pouch (again, this is beautiful).

A mug decorated with hearts & 2 pairs of heart socks.

Silver heart braid.

2 Phone charms

Hair clips and bobbles

Cup cake paper chain papers (lovely!)

and.... A Thorntons chocolate shaped lolly!!

I couldn't believe there was so much in the parcel. Alex had obviously gone to a lot of trouble.

Thank you Alex for such wonderful gifts!!

HAND MADE CARD WITH ORIGAMI

My sister-in-law has recently been very ill. She suffers from Crohn's disease and has had part of her bowel taken away for the second time. She developed an infection after the operation and has only just recovered. In view of this she missed my daughters birthday at the beginning of March.

She makes all her own cards, including everyone's at Christmas time. She also made all her own Wedding Invitations, Order of Service and Menus for her own wedding (she is one of those people who have A-level art!).

This is the card she made for my daughter, which she received last week. I think it's fantastic. She has also folded a £20 note into the shape of a pig. Brilliant!

IRISH SODA BREAD

450g Plain White Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
400ml Buttermilk

Pre heat oven to 250'C

Sieve all the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre. Add the buttermilk. Using your hands, mix together until it forms a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and form into a round loaf shape. Cut a deep cross on the loaf and prick with a fork.

Bake for 15mins then turn down oven to 200'C for 30mins until cooked. To test if it is done, tap the loaf - if cooked it should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Soda bread is best eaten on the day it is made.

CHOCOLATE CHIP TRAYBAKE

Ingredients
250g Butter
250g Caster Sugar
4 eggs, beaten
250g Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
150g Plain Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 180'C and grease a 20x30cm roasting tin or cake tin. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Adds eggs a little at a time and add a tablespoon of flour if the mixture curdles.

Sift the remaining flour and cocoa and stir into the mixture. Add the chocolate chips. Spoon mixture into the tin and bake for approx. 30 minutes. Cool in the tin and cut into squares.

I'M A WINNER!

I was the lucky winner of Mrs L's monthly giveaway on her blog 21st Century Housewife. I won this wonderful pair of hand knit socks. They feel so soft and snugly and I just know they are going to be really cosy - thank you Mrs L.

If you have not visited Mrs L's blog before there are some wonderful hand knits that she makes and also some really nice recipes and photographs of nature. In fact her whole blog is centered around nature and living more in harmony with it. A really lovely blog.

ROLO TARTS

Ingredients
1pk Shortcrust Pastry
24 Rolos
24 White Chocolate Buttons

Preheat oven to 180'C. Grease 2 x 12 hole bun tins. Roll out pastry and cut out 24 round or square pastry shapes big enough to cover holes in bun tin. Put one Rolo in each tart. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then immediately put one large white chocolate button on top of each tart. Leave to cool slightly. Eat while warm.

MY CATH KIDSTON BAG

I recently bought the book Make by Cath kidston. It came with a blank bag that you could applique yourself, so at the weekend I cut stars from the pattern inside the book and decorated the bag with them. The fabric I used was left over from the curtains from my doll's house.

The bag is just the right size for holding my lunchbox and book that I take to work and it's nice and light to carry.

COLOUR SWAP GOODIES

I recently joined a Colour Swap with Jessica at Kid's Napping? I'm Scrapping. You had to send your partner craft items in a colour that they specified. My swap partner was Emma from Stitching Magpie, and this morning I received a beautiful pink parcel from her.

There were some really lovely items in the parcel including a hand made bunny (according to the kids it's name is Miffy, so this is what we have called her), a cupcake bath bomb, lots of ribbon and beads and some gorgeous fabric in various shades of pink. There was also 2 beautiful wooden pink hearts.

Thank you to Emma for the lovely gifts - I am so pleased with them. Also thank you to Jessica for organising the swap - I have really enjoyed it.

I'VE RECEIVED AN AWARD!

Thank you to Nana Grace at Nana Grace's Place for giving me the Sisterhood Award. I am so honoured to receive this award from her. Please check out her blog to view her lovely crafts.

The rules connected to the award are thus:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate at least 10 (11) blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.

I am passing the award over to the following people:

At Home With MelMel

21st Century Housewife

Jose-Mary

Stitching Magpie

Vintage Tea

Faerie Nuff

Tiny Treasures

La Stanza di Guiggiola

Kitschen Pink

Little Gems World

I have informed everyone about the above, but I am having problems reading MelMel's blog tonight. If you are reading this Mel, then you will know I have given you this award!!

VINTAGE TREASURES

As promised, here are the pictures of the things which my Aunt brought for me last night. There was a huge suitcase to sort through but I only wanted a few things. These have been in my Aunts loft for between 10 and 15 years since my Nan and Great Aunt died.

It started by my saying that I quite fancied taking up crochet and my aunt said she had some hooks that belonged to my Autie Gertie (yes, I said Gertie - my Nan's name was Florence Winifred - lovely old fashioned names!!) To get some idea of their era my nan was born in 1907 and my Aunt Gertie 1905, although some things are fairly new, such as the crochet hooks. I had an apron, a set of crochet hooks, a vintage pattern book complete with patterns for woolly knickers, an unfinished embroidered tea cosy, embroidered tray cloths , some filet crochet lace edging that my aunt made (no picture) and some old knitting patterns for doll clothes.

Next week my Aunt said she would bring some cookery books for me that go back to the war.

KIM'S BIRTHDAY

Monday 2nd March was Kim's birthday (she was 14). As it was a school day I said she could have some friends to sleep over at the weekend, so this is what she did last night. Not sure what time they went to sleep as I was asleep first! (My two are the two with the lighter hair).

She had some birthday money so she decided to buy a Wii Fit, which of course I had to have a go of! I'm still aching - but they are fantastic, well worth the money. This has nicely coincided with the fact that I started a diet last Tuesday. I'm not overweight but my BMI could do with lowering from 24 to about 22, which I hope to achieve in about 6-8 weeks.

The picture is of the girls after invading the kitchen and making ice cream soda! They stayed in their pyjamas until about 2pm, which is not normally allowed as I like them up and dressed straight away in the mornings, so this was a bit of a novelty.

My Auntie came this evening and let me sort through some craft items belonging to my Grandmother and my Great Aunt. I was told to take whatever I wanted, so tomorrow I will show you what I have got - lots of lovely vintage items!

Welsh Cakes

350g S.R. Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
175g Margerine
100g Currants
3/4 tsp Mixed Spice
1 Large Egg
about 2tbs Milk
Caster sugar to finish

Put flour and baking powder into a large bowl and rub in the margarine until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, currants and spice. Beat the egg with the milk, then add this to the mixture and mix to form a firm dough, adding more milk if required.

Roll out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 5mm and cut into rounds with a 3 inch (7.5cm) plain round cutter.

Heat oil in a griddle or heavy based frying pan and cook Welshcakes on a low heat for approx 3mins on each side until golden brown. Do not cook too fast as the centre will not be done.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Serve buttered. Best eaten on the day they were made.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

As it was St. David's Day on the 1st, I thought I would share this recipe, it's delicious:

2 Large Leeks
1 Onion
1 Large Potato
20z Butter or Margerine
1pt Hot Vegetable Stock
1/2 pt Milk
1/4pt Double or Whipping cream
1/4pt Natural Yoghurt
Salt and Pepper
Dash of Tobasco Sauce
2 tbs Chopped Chives

Wash and trim leeks and cut into rings. Finely chop onion. Peel and dice potato.

Cook onion and leeks in the butter or marg. until softened. Add potato and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 20mins. Add the milk. Blend soup in a liquidizer until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in cream, yogurt, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

This soup may be eaten hot or cold. If serving cold garnish with freshly chopped chives.