Monday Manger

Ok so here is the second foodie post. This week I am sharing the food growing in the garden, everything seems to have exploded over the last few days!!

The Radishes

The potatoes

The tomatoes

The lettuce......

more lettuce.......

yet more lettuce filling spaces in the border.......

.....and even more lettuce!

Not only is it delious it looks great too! Thanks She and Al xx

Chili or pepper not sure which this is now!

We are running out of room its only a small garden!!!!! Luckily me and Deb are subletting half an allotment will share that next week. Hoping to see some baby courgettes when I go later in the week.

Oh and the recipe this week is Feta and sun dried tomato bread -

300ml water

450g strong white bread flour

2 tbsp olive oil

4 sun dried toms (50g ish), finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fast-acting yeast

100g feta cheese, broken in to small pieces

Put everything in the bucket, set on basic white, medium loaf size and medium crust. Easy peasy and tastes gorgeous.

Sorry if you don't have a bread maker but if you know a little about bread making I'm sure you can make it with out.

This mornings doodles of jars, not sure why! Think they will end up on cards as I have decided to start making them again. Not to sell just to give.

Off to pick some lettuce for lunch. Ciao for now!

B xxx

Watch the birdie

Hi guys!

How are you? I'm tired this week and am looking forward to the weekend, just hope the weather will be kind to us. Pls every one cross your finger.

As the lovely Pip has recieved her bday gift I can now share with you what I made for her. She loves green so thought this bag and vintage fabric combo would do prefectly!

I also made her this cute crocheted birdie which was a sort of prototype. Hope she doesn't mind me using her as a guinea pig if you know what I mean.

Ok so this week I have had a done some taste testing at the pub (the ostrich is amazing!), visited the school about Isaac starting in sept, baked some courgette and onion bread (actually Dan did that!), made new pen pots, coasters, birdies and have been getting some stock ready to be sold in a shop in Sheffield.

The shop is called A Crafty Crafting and I am renting a shelf there. It opens on Saturday and will be selling craft supplies and hand made gifts. You should definitely go and check it out if you are in the area. Heres a selection of what I have sent -

Thanks for popping by. See you soon,

B xxx

The very first Monday Manger!

Hiya! So I have decided to do the foody post then and plan to keep to it every Monday. The garlic and onion bread was amazing and the inlaws loved it! So much so they are thinking of getting a bread maker themselves, I can feel a bake off coming!

I have since made some feta and sundried tomato. Its absolutely delious and is about to be made into sarnies for todays picnic at the park. Yummy! I will share that recipe next week.

As it was fathers day yesterday and Dan had to work I thought it would be nice for the kids to make him something. We made lots of little shortbread biccies and that spelt out a special message just for him.

A great recipe to make with the kids as it is so simple and involves getting your hands dirty!

You will need-

75g Caster sugar

175g Butter

275g Plain flour

Mix flour and sugar

Rub butter into flour and sugar

Push together to form a dough

Roll out (kids might find it easier be to roll between two sheets of grease proof paper)

Cut out biscuits

Put on tray and bake @ gas 4 for about 10 minutes (depending on how big they are)

The recipe says it makes about 20 but I always end up with loads more. Oh and sometimes I add vanilla extract to.

Seeya Thurs,

B xxx

Oh what a lucky girl I am!

Ok so this week i'm gonna share some of the fantastic presents I received for my bday. I was so lucky to get so many lovely things.

Its very hard to choose but I think this is my fav, a giant button pincushion. Belinda said she'd been looking for that perfect gift and then she saw this.

My older brother Leon (the artist also known as LAKart) gave me this canvas plus another. I am commissioning him to do a pop arty family portrait. You know like one big square, split in to four, a drawing of each of us, one in each corner painted in four different colours..... I will share that with you when its finished. Just need to decide on colours. Am thinking Teal and Olive green to go with my plans for the dining room.

I also received 3 bags! Which is fab as you can never have to many. I'm sure when I told Dan he saw secretly rolling his eyes and thinking "more bags!" This ones from Lozzie my sister in law. (technically shes my other halves sister). I love it!

These oh so cute measuring spoons are from Pippa and Linds. Think some one may have been reading my blog. I have stacking measuring cup in the same design. They clubbed together and got me lots of lovely bits and bobs. Thanks girls, love them all x

Oh and the dress! I have been eyeing this up for months for my mums wedding. I just kept thinking i can't or rather I shouldn't. In the end I didn't have to as Dan and the boys got me it. Now all I need are some shoes.

My Inlaws (or outlaws as my friend likes to call hers) got me two books that have been on my wishlist for a while. The first is called Hand Job which isn't as rude as it sounds. its a book on hand type. Which is basically hand drawn lettering/font Remember bubble writng and doodling on school books?

The other is Print and Pattern by Bowie Style(check out the blog) which is a must have for any one who likes pattern. I could sit and look at it for hours! I know they will give me so much inspiration over the coming months and years.

Last week I made this for Emma and Chris's beautiful new baby daughter Florence. They are moving soon and Emma said they are thinking of basing her room decoration on my embroidery. Matching bunting may be?

This week I have been making a few gifts for a friend, wont say who in case she is reading. Well they are in the post so will have to share what I made her next week as don't want to spoil the surprise. Shhhh! "

I don't think I have mentioned that I got a bread maker for Christmas. It is fabulous, I don't buy bread any more and I know whats in it. This book was another bday pressie, yesterday I made blueberry cake. Today as I type I have some onion and garlic bread on the go. Thinking I might start a recipe sharing post every Monday. Might call it Monday Manger or Monday Munchies. What d'ya think?

Lastly this was breakfast!! Yes I had the cheddar's (two packets) too!!

See ya next week,

B xxx

My big lunch Birthday!

Sorry for not posting last week but I was busy organising a Big Lunch.

If you haven't heard of it, its a nationwide yearly event that is held on the first Sunday in June. The aim of the day is to get communities together and may be meet new people and make new friendships by encouraging street parties, picnic etc. Sounds nice doesn't it? Well when I read about it I thought what a great idea and as it just happened to fall on my Birthday I just had to arrange one.

So I asked at work (The Plough Inn, Littlethorpe - which is a lovely old village pub that serves excellent food well worth a visit if your in the area) if I could do it there. Then I set about organising who would bring what buffet food wise and everyone brought a small amount of meat for the bbq.

I also bagged a bouncy castle to keep the kids entertained, which it did very well. I'm only on there to look after my friends 2 year old - honest! I didn't do a head count but there were at least 80 people, loads of food (which was all eaten) and the weather was good. What more can you ask. Also had a little whip round for some local lads that are collecting for a skate park to be built in the village and that made just under £35. Everyone that attended has said what a fantastic time they had.

I had such a lovely birthday and received some excellent gifts, which I plan to share with you next time.

B xxx

P.s. Also did some camping in Matlock and went to see the monster trucks in the half term.

I am so chuffed with how the photos of the monster jam came out, not bad for a pretty bog standard digital camera hey? Will share more later. I bet your looking forward to that aren't you?!