Recipe :: Buns...

...or fairy cakes, or whatever it is you call them where you're from. Definitely not cupcakes, though. One of my pet peeves is people referring to fairy cakes as cupcakes.  I know I am probably being unreasonable(?), but to me cupcakes are bigger than fairy cakes and have over-the-top icing.  I think Nigella started it - I'd never heard of a cupcake until I got 'How to be a Domestic Goddess'.

#2 has, for a few days now, been begging to make buns (by which he means he wants to eat cake mixture and lick icing off a spoon). With both children at home today (the teachers are on strike) it seemed like a good way to spend an hour and provide a pudding for tea tonight.

I don't think you need me to tell you how to make fairy cakes, but I made a 1 egg mixture* out of which I got 9 small cakes.

They have been beautifully decorated, as you can see, but mine's the one with the coconut, happily untainted by sticky fingers.

* Recipe...


2 oz softened butter
2 oz caster sugar
2 oz self-raising flour
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder


Put all ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Spoon into cake cases and bake 15-20 mins at 200°C.

The Edge

Why is it that we rarely visit the things on our doorsteps? Or is that just me? Today, for the first time, we went to Alderley Edge. No, not the village full of footballers, fake tan and 4-wheel drives*, the woods.

It's a place of strange, twisted trees...

moss so green it was almost luminous...

exposed tree roots (which used to fascinate me as a child - I can only assume that I was easily amused)...

stepping stones...

and a magnificent view...

This photograph was taken by my #1

It's also home to some wells, several interesting looking stones and rocks, a druids circle and a devil's grave, but unfortunately I didn't see or photograph any of that stuff. Maybe next time.


* allegedly. Apologies if you are from Alderley edge and have/are none of those things!  

Wood

Photo from Nkuku website

It's our wedding anniversary today. The traditional symbol for 5 years is wood and I was given one of these wooden hearts. Thinking we weren't doing anniversary presents, I didn't get him anything. Oops!  

Off the hook :: a ribbon trim for a cushion

Actually, according to Ravelry, this came off the hook in February, but I've only just got around to sewing it onto a cushion cover.

It looks right at home next to the doily cushion, I think.

I love these crochet braids and doilies on cushions. I think they look surprisingly fresh and  modern given that doilies have such an old fashioned image.  

Hook :: 2mm

Yarn :: Patons 100% cotton 4-ply in lilac

Pattern :: Braid 1: Ribbon from 'Kyuuto! Lacy Crochet'. First blogged about this book here.

Weekend crafting

This weekend I sewed some car shapes onto a pillowcase...

  

started some embroidery using the template supplied with issue 2 of 'Mollie Makes'...

and made the felt flower that came with the same magazine...

What crafting did you get up to this weekend?


Edited to add: the car shapes on the pillowcase are made of (washable) felt. The shapes are copied from the duvet cover which is made with fabric from Ikea. I cut the felt with small dressmaking scissors and then stuck the shapes on with bondaweb. But someone managed to pick them off, hence the sewing.

Camping highlights... and a broken arm

Ha ha! Yes the camping trip did have some highlights!  We only had one day of rain for one thing. Not bad when camping in the UK.

We had a lovely view of Caer Caradoc.

We had reinforcements in the way of Grandparents with a camper van. Which meant we had access to a fridge. Which meant we could keep the wine cold.

We had a lovely day out to Acton Scott Farm (cheeky sandwich stealing chickens notwithstanding).

There were donkeys and shire horses, geese and ducks, calves and piglets. 

We flew kites, threw balls and frisbees and played endless games of dominos and swingball.

We had a day out at Ironbridge, visiting Enginuity and Blists Hill.  There are so many other things to see and do there that I think we'll need to go back.

And at night I got to snuggle up under a homemade blanket with one or other of my babies whilst they went to sleep.

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Yesterday my little girl fell in the playground and fractured her arm. So today I am playing nurse maid as she seems to be in a fair bit of pain still.  I'm having to be a mediator too as #2 is not happy about the amount of attention a broken arm brings. Such is life.

Camping - top tips

Forget tin-openers, the most important piece of camping kitchen equipment is the stove top coffee maker. After sharing an air-bed that has sprung a slow puncture with your 3 year old son, who has no sense of personal space, you will be glad of it.  

Take lots of games. The children probably won't play with them, but you will. Especially the swingball.

Invent lots of games that involve running/jumping/rolling from one end of the field to the other. Tiring the children out is the only way to get 'em to sleep before dark.

The children will insist that they are happy to stay on the camping field all day, every day. Do not think you know better and drag them along to some local place of interest. It will only end in tears.

If you are foolish enough to ignore this last piece of advice, do try to avoid picnic areas that are terrorised by a gang of chickens led by a ridiculously vain and strutting cockerel. A chicken brazenly jumping onto the picnic table and attempting to snatch a cheese sandwich out of the hand of your 3 year old is only going to cause more tears. And a, hopefully short-lived, chicken phobia.

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