MY FAVOURITE CUPCAKE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

4OZ (100G) Soft margarine

4oz (100g) Caster Sugar

2 eggs

4oz (100g) Self Raising Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

FOR THE ICING

8oz (225g) Icing Sugar, sifted

2-3 tbs Warm water

Sugar Decorations

Pre-heat oven to 200'c/400'F/Gas 6. Place about 18 paper cases in bun tins.

Measure all ingredients and place in a large mixing bowl and beat well for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Half fill the paper cases with the mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20mins until the cakes are well risen and golden brown. Lift the cakes out of the bun tins and cool on a wire rack.

Place the icing sugar in a bowl and blend in warm water until you have a fairly stiff icing. Spoon over the cakes and decorate with the sugar decorations. Leave to set.

GRANNY SQUARES!!

I can't believe I have actually taught myself to crochet - well, kind of. I have been meaning to do it for years, bur have always been baffled by it for some reason. I even hold the crochet hook like a knitting needle for a start. No matter how hard I look at the diagram in the 'how to' books, it just does not feel comfortable when I hold the hook like that!

Anyway, my first two attempts. Neither are particularly good, especially the first, but I can see a little bit of potential. Well you know what they say - practice makes perfect. I think I need to do quite a lot of it.

Now, what was the next thing? Oh yes! Crochet flowers...............................

MEET SVETLANA!

This is Svetlana - a rather red faced one due to the fact that I did not have any pale pink felt in my stash. She is the largest doll in a set of matryoshka dolls featured in the current addition of 'Let's Knit' magazine. Her two sisters are named Tatyana and Ivana who may be accompanying her soon!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

175g Self Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

75g Softened Unsalted Butter

75g Brown sugar

75g Caster Sugar

1tbs Vanilla Essence

1 Egg

125g Chocolate Chips

Stir together the flour and salt. Do not sift. Beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugars and vanilla and stir them in until combined. Add the beaten egg, mixing well. Stir in the flour mixture. Stop the instant it has been incorporated. Stir in the Chocolate Chips until they are distributed evenly. Form the dough into a log, wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oven t0 180'C (350'F/gas mark 4) and grease baking sheets.

Cut the dough into thin rounds, place on baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.

ONLY _ PEOPLE IN THE WORLD CAN READ THIS - CAN YOU?

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs rpsoet it. OLNY RSEPOT IF YOU CAN RAED TIHS. CNAHGE THE NMUERBR AT TOP TGOHUH, "ONLY __ PEOPLE IN THE WORLD CAN READ THIS...CAN YOU? " Go up a nmuber if you can raed it...lte's see how hgih we can get!

NATURAL CLEANERS

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
Mix 2 heaped tablespoons bicarbonate of soda with 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Store in an airtight container.

CREAM CLEANER
Make a paste from bicarbonate of soda and water.

CHROME CLEANER
Apply white vinegar and salt to a cloth, rub over item to be cleaned, rinse, and buff with soft cloth.

TILE CLEANER
Use a slice of cut lemon to apply salt to the tiles.

JOSE-MARY'S VALENTINE GIFTS

Now I know that Jose-Mary has received her Valentine's Swap Goodies, I can now show you what I made for her.

There were two Valentine Table Favours similar to the one photographed here (I forgot to photo this one!), a Valentine's knitted doll, a beaded heart hanging, a Valentine cushion and a bar of Green and Black chocolate.

I then wrapped each item in tissue paper, enclosed some heart confetti and ribbon and then wrapped them all in heart pattened paper.

I hope she liked everything!