More of Sunday

YEsterday ended up a rather full on and productive day! No idea how, DH was off doing a carving course so we were rather low on adult- child ratios.

We have watched a sciencey programme on iplayer ( I forget the name, but Dara O'Brien was hosting). Some of it was ignored, talked over or screamed through, but we did discuss how rain has usually been frozen before it falls and were interested in how blue food colouring could help highlight taste buds (some people have more than others, did you know that?). So we gave it a go. Not sure how many taste buds we saw but blue food colouring doesn't taste that great....

Physical contact. I was surprised at this one. Grumpy Flower wanted to calm down in 'her' sling, its been something she's really found helpful for calming down big strops where she'd normally run away from us all. Slight problem, Rainbow was asleep in it, on me. Princess steps in, offers her back and another sling, and hey presto, much calmer Flower. The power of the Sling is just fab (and amazingly patient Big Sister!).

Yesterday had a fair bit of unphotographed baking (sourdough loaves, raisin loaf, pizzas) but the raisin buns did get in shot. The girls really enjoy eating currant teacakes. But, like everything, bought ones have all kind of additives in. So, we have a freezer drawer full now, and I don't mind so much if Rainbow has some of these. I'm still a bit wary of the huge amounts of wheat we all could eat so easily (and the girls actively get us to buy) but homemade at least we're more aware of what goes into what we eat.

Rainbow asleep. He's so busy these days, and normally asleep on my back (major sling strop fail for back carry meant he went on my front!) and I don't often get a shot of all his lovely curls :-)

We also fit in watching ALL of the first Harry Potter film. Hagrid even uses a pouch sling right at the beginning, I had no idea slings were so mainstream! Princess struggles with any kind of mild peril, so it was a real achievement to get through the whole film (we read the book last week and struggled with scariness, but a bit of forwarning helped a little).

Playing out, playing in (though that happened more at Sue and Kevs I think!), rain, sunshine, a little bit of everything.

Anyway, we don't have days like this everyday, so when they do happen I like to have a note of it!

Expensive Fortnight

The van broke down. Quite an interesting day out really. We were heading to York when it happened, on the A1(M). Thankfully we weren't overtaking anything, and could just limp to the hard shoulder without getting hit (it just lost power). The motorway makes you a priority recovery for the AA, without having a baby and two smalls with you. The girls had spells of being anxious and scared, but it was fine in the end.

Mo picking up the van.

Picnic by the motorway, on the safe side of the crash barrier while we waited to be rescued.

Rescued. The AA van could sit 4 of us across the back comfortably. Wow!

The mechanic looked at the van when we got somewhere safe, but it wasn't fixable so Mo also got the job to take us to the garage of our choice. He needed a mandatory rest break, which was just perfect- Rainbow was just getting restless when he had to stop at Hartshead Moor. The girls needed a run around as well, so it just made more of an 'experience'.

Instead of our planned trip out, we had a consolation trip to Eureka instead. A nice walk home and (as we'd planned our day out properly) tea cooked by the oven on timer by the time we got home. Quite an adventure really!.

What was really lovely (no idea what is normal for these things) but the garage had our gearbox reconditioned, and we picked up the van before tea the next day- I expected it to take another day to have the gearbox done at least, let alone fitted and the van running again. The vans distinctive rattle has gone, and the gear changes are smooooooth with a new clutch too. Ah well, these things happen.

We've had the house roof looked at as well- we now know why the room is damp, and it'll be fixed when there's a long enough dry spell for Lee to mend it. It'll be good to get it fixed, but it'll cost.

We got the gas bill too, but least said about that the better.

These things come in threes, don't they? DH reckons living in a caravan was even cheaper than he thought at the time!

I'm learning to use stretchy fabrics. This is a first attempt. The sleeves are how Princess wanted at least!

All the children had fun in their den!

Princess cooked a fried egg and took a picture.

What are these big girls up to?!

Last weeks Victoria Sponge (Flower helped)

A weeks sourdough bread. FLower helped with a bit of stirring, but bread is a bit boring these days. It takes a few days to rise in the colder weather, so I started it Monday afternoon and it wasn't baked until Wednesday morning.

Big sister still likes to sling her brother. He's a bit wriggly and bouncy these days, so not for long.

Flower greasing the cake tins for todays sponge cake. She is modelling her new hat- her design, a bit like a Victorian mob cap I believe (only in crochet, bamboo yarn)

Licking the spatula is an important job.

We don't always use our own carved spoons- today I used one we bought from Sharif at Spoonfest last year. Its a lovely spoon, great for scraping lots of mix out of the bowl (after this pic of course!).

Todays cake?- I suppose I'd better get a picture!

A month of photos

Enough about how rough I've felt (feeling better now!) here's the photos that have been sat on the camera.

fun in the sun- clothes not compulsory!



a trip out in York

 

Home made frozen peanut butter chocolate yoghurt and homemade quick chocolate sauce- yum...

Eczema-friendly raw cocoa butter and shea butter moisturiser bars

chocolate eggs made by Big One

Boat with anchor made by Big One. Playing with food does not mean it gets eaten!

sourdough white bread

butter delivery system!

Dressing up at Skipton Museum

Crochet blanket

I've been on the mend-a whole week without puking! Soooo,I've been feeling like getting on with my crochet squares. I've even got a little fed up of doing simple squares, but wanted a simple blanket for my first blanket for me, and good practice before trying something for the bump.

Do you like my fancy crochet hook? Its wooden (Birch to be precise) and the brand is Brittany. I couldn't resist it in the yarn shop in Crosshills near Skipton. I look forward to the day when DH or I can just turn our own on our lathe, but for the time being (I'm feeling it'll be a few years before we can be that precise) I love this one!

I think the blanket is ok, very happy for first attempt without any real plan and left over yarn :-) and all done since christmas,while I've been feeling pretty rough.

I've learned about sewing up- that's why squares usually have the same colour edging!

Back to work Monday,so I'm glad its done now. I'll decide about an edging another time. My only worry is the whole 'staying awake all day' problem with going back to work, but lets try not to think about that.

The girls have had fun playing with Aunty Wendy- she even bakes with them both at the same time!

Festive Season Photos

Big One as Mary at her Nativity- Wellies essential for all the walking Mary had to do!

The Girls were so happy Santa had some of his mince pie ( made by Grandma) and warm  milk:

And left presents! Little One with some of her stocking presents-Big One was really into presents this year.



As mentioned in a previous post, Mother- In- Law gave me crochet things in a lovely homemade bag and scissor case:

First attempts at crochet- they might not look like much but its been interesting to learn so far, and even the girls can recognise the flowers as, well, flowers. I even figured out what I was doing wrong without help!

Thanks to Lucy at Attic24 for the pattern.



 

A quick picture of a gift I made to give: we have a Secret Santa thing at work, so I gave my first attempt at a spoontula- I prefer the spatula, but I just need more practice at a spoontula. The handle on the spatula works well, and I like the colours in the wood. I hope they liked them- I had a wobble at the last moment, so gave a jar of homemade mincemeat as well. The value of the gift is meant to be £10, so I feel my recipient got a bargain!

 The snow melted, but the ice stayed behind. the plastic bucket was ok, but the metal bucket split :(

The girls enjoyed playing with the watery bit in this one!

I've been able to get in the kitchen a bit over the last few days:

Some bread from The Handmade Loaf which is really called 'cucumber pickle juice rye loaf'! Well, we'd finished a jar of pickled cucumbers so I had to give it a try. The taste is much milder than a sourdough rye bread, and it rises more ( in this cold weather!) so I think its a pleasant change.

 DH normally makes the tortillas in this house- but we'd run out and he'd gone to try out his chainsaw on a tree that has fallen, so I had a go- no idea where he got the recipe from, he keeps it on his phone. Mostly slightly over-cooked, so not great as wraps but lovely dipped in home-made hummous. Again, something we had run out of, had the ingredients in so I had a go. This was from Delia's Complete Cookery Course (Vol 1-3), but next time I make it I'll omit the cooking liquid at the beginning, and only add a little if needed. I like my hummous scoop-able, and this came out too runny. Oh, and I use tinned chickpeas, much quicker when everyone's hungry!

Finally, some crackers, also from The Handmade Loaf . They puffed up a bit, so I guess I didn't stab them hard enough with a fork, but I'm happy they're edible for another first attempt.

We made some butter yesterday. We had a large tub of cream Grandma asked us to buy that didn't get used for Christmas.We don't usually use cream, and if we did  it would be for something that'd last a few days- not great for cream already passed its use by date.Anyway, lots of vigourous shaking later, it turned into butter and buttermilk. The buttermilk works fabulously in scones according to Delia's Complete How To Cook, and I left the butter unsalted. I'd share a pic but, as we finished the shaking at Grandma and Grandad's, the scones were made there ( and eaten up!) and we managed to forget to bring the butter home. We used some of the butter in the scones, and lovely on baked potatoes.
  One or two of us will go to get it later, so we can make our own batch of Delia buttermilk scones.