CREDIT CRUNCH RECIPES

A everyone has been feeling the pinch just lately, I have been going through my recipe books for cheap and cheerful recipes. I came across this one other day and I didn't have to buy any ingredients at all - they were all in my store cupboard!





BANANA BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING



For The Pudding:



125g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

125g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 banana, mashed

250ml milk

1tsp vanilla extract

85g butter melted


For The Topping:


100g soft brown sugar

2tbs golden syrup

150ml boiling water


Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve(I used a tin of Evaporated Milk)

Preheat oven 180'C. Gas Mark 4. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowel. Add caster sugar. Mix together beaten egg, mashed banana, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. Pour into a 1.25ml dish and place on a baking tray.



To make topping, mix brown sugar, syrup, and boiling water in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour slowly over pudding. Bake for 30-40mins until golden and firm in the centre. The pudding will separate with the butterscotch sauce at the bottom and a spongy topping.

Yummy - a great one for the kids.

IN PRAISE OF READIT SWAP IT

Having Seen The Thrift Book on quite a few blogs, I decided to buy a copy. Wow, I was impressed! There are lots of money saving tips some of which I already use and lots of new one's too. There are also lots of useful web addresses, one being the Read It Swap It site (you simply swap books with other readers).

I joined up on the Monday and put on 17 books, within 2 days all my books were wanted, some with 2 or 3 people wanting the same. The hard part was choosing who to swap with!

One word of warning though - be careful with the size and weight of each book. I've just posted 2 hard backs and the postage came to nearly £10! Definitely one for paper backs only!

WEDGWOOD V PINK

WEDGWOOD OR PINK -



































Yes, I know, it's an absolute crime to cover Wedgwood with this cosy (especially as my father's from Stoke-on-Trent). But I've wanted to make one of these for ages, and the colours do go well with my kitchen.

TROUBLE IN THE PARK

Hope now one minds if I have a moan today. I promise it won't happen again - honestly! However on the 2nd of the month my daughter was assaulted in our local park. As you can see its a rather beautiful place and has everything from a lovely pond with swans, standing stones and a play area for children of all ages. It is situated only a few yards from our house.

Last Friday a girl in the same school as my daughter dragged her to the floor and kicked and punched her and then spat all over her (ugh!). She wasn't particularly hurt and I thought it was just one of those scrapes that all kids of that age go through at least once in their lives. I wasn't too worried until I called into the school to mention it when they went back on the 6th.

Apparently the girl in question is known to have a lot of problems and it is thought that she is known to the police. She was sent to a special school that deals with these sort of things. However, and this is the unbelievable part, she clashed with another girl in this school and was sent back to mainstream school as they couldn't do anything with her! She is now housed in the 'Inclusion' centre at our local school, which is really the 'Exclusion Centre' to anyone with half a brain as it is a separate building, but they are not allowed to call it that as no child is allowed to be excluded from school (??!!). The school, by the way, were unable to help as the incident did not occur in school time. My daughter was worried she might bump into her again so the only thing I could do was contact the police. (I do not know the girls parents or where she lives).

The following weekend we took our daughter to a special police house which was set out just like a normal home and she had to give video evidence due to her age. The matter is now in the hands of the police.

What baffles me is the fact that this girl obviously has problems and needs help, yet everyone seems to have given up on her. In view of recent media coverage about vulnerable children being overlooked I thought maybe our system would have got a little better. After all, even though she is in no danger from anyone, she herself is a danger to other people - namely my daughter! I just hope that the police deal with the matter and that the girl is stopped from bullying any other children in the future.

I am beginning to wonder if school is a safe place to send our children. I feel like giving up my job and teaching my kids myself.

Am I being too dramatic or does any one else feel the same as me?

.......................................................................

Anyway, on a much lighter note, look what I have got. An absolutely huge piece of material for only 50p from the Cats Protection League. I was so pleased. I haven't a clue what to do with it yet, though I'm sure I will think of something. My Auntie does voluntary work at the CPL so I get to know all the bargains as soon as they arrive in the shop, but this has got to be the best bargain yet!

BAKE ME - I'M YOURS (CONTINUED...)

Day 2 was much better. The finished result wasn't too bad - not bad tasting either, even if I do say so myself. Bang goes the diet (again).

BAKE ME - I'M YOURS!

One of my Christmas presents from DH was this lovely book:

So this afternoon I set about making petal paste to model pink hearts for a recipe in the book. What a nightmare! First of all the paste wasn't stiff enough, so I added more icing sugar. Then it got stuck to the bowel, then my hands, the worktop, the rolling pin and then my hands again. I eventually managed to fashion one or two that could actually pass as hearts and they are now drying (hopefully).

Tomorrow I will bake the cakes and decorate them (this should be the easy part).

Next time I will buy ready made cake decorations!

MY FIRST SOCKS!!

I fancied a go at making socks. I have been knitting for years but for some reason I had always been put off with socks - I don't know why - so these were made on two needles and double knitting yarn (left over from my throw). They will probably make a good pair of bedsocks for someone!! I have now bought some specialised sock wool and started a 'proper' pair on a set of four needles. I will post a photo of the finished result when they are finished.