Number 12

Just a quickie today folks...

My youngest son Morgan had his long awaited fifth birthday on Saturday, he had been counting down for weeks, and I am thrilled to say he enjoyed every second. 

We had a lovely, all be it brief, morning with their daddy - who had to leave to go to  Ffos Las in Llanelli - and opened his mountainous pile of presents, then off to Grandma's for more unwrapping fun. 

It was then party time and crikey did they enjoy. Eight children from his school tuned up and enjoyed the delights of the soft play area (I must say I was a little jealous that I wasn't small enough to go in myself), pass the parcel and face painting too. 

My close friend Karol Gos was also there in his capacity a photographer to capture all the magic for Rob - I get the photo's back on Wednesday, and I can't wait! We then all went to the dinning area for a lovely hot buffet lunch, jelly and ice-cream and cake, of course. 

The party bags, gifts, and Heatherton mascot Freddy the Fox came out for cuddles. All in all I must say it was perfect - nothing could of been any better.

Morgan on the way home from his party - all tuck-erred out!

We ended the day in McDonald's - Morgan's choice, then home for cuddles, more cake and bedtime. 

I hope you have my photos - oh and in other news I lost 2lbs this week, so 17 in all :) I have also gone down a dress size to an 18 - go me and to top off a wonderful week Wales won the RBS Six Nations rugby tournament!

Back soon!

xxx

Number 8

Continuing form yesterday...

Morgan's birthday party is going to be lovely, but as it's on his actual birthday I have decided that afterwards we need to do something special too - so I have decided to take my boys down to the beach for fish and chips paddling and making sandcastles.

When I was a little girl we used to holiday in Tenby from Birmingham, and it still remains one of my favourite places even though now it's only 20 minutes away! Every time I go it rekindles my love of it - horse and carriage rides, Fecci's ice-cream, Bali Hai Cafe, The Esplanade, three beautiful beaches, lovely gift shops. It makes me happy just thinking about it! I even had the privilege of working in Tenby for a year which I can honestly say was one of the best experiences of my life, especially when I was on the early shifts and I was able to watch the sun come up over south beach and St Catherine's island. Absolutely beautiful.

Sunrise in the winter months on the Tenby  Esplanade

My brain is full of memories from here - and I love making new ones with my boys - I hope the weather will be sunny so we can have a lovely afternoon on Mo's birthday! Making birthday's special for my boys stems from my mum doing it for me - they were always so lovely. She also always made my birthday cake's, I always wanted to make them like she did, and now I do :) I hope my boys follow in our artistic tenancies and want to have the same traditions as I did. Family is so important!!

So I mentioned the other day that I was trying to combine everything (housework, good mum, diet, friends) well I can't report that I have managed to do it all yet. The diet is still going really well thankfully and I am still super determined but the cleaning is taking a back seat again. It frustrates me greatly as I sit on the sofa and want to get up and do it but, just, can't! I even make lists and gee myself up to do it, but alas I still can't. I put it down to the depression but gosh it's frustrating!! I wish I could wave a magic and and have everywhere spick and span. I think I need to adopt the attitude 'One Day At A Time' but it's easier said than done - I want it all done now! heehee. So I am going to set myself little challenges everyday in the hope that I can get back into it. Today for example I am going to do the kitchen counters and the kitchen table. Why don't you do it with me? I won't feel so alone then, LOL. Also if you are more organised than I or have more motivation there is a wonderful blog / facebook / etsy shop called Clean Mama and every day she gives you one thing to do to maintain a clean and tidy house - she's fab, so go check her out!.

I will also be starting to make the 3D components for Morgan's birthday cake this evening - I'm really excited to get started! Tomorrow is weigh day too so fingers crossed for a loss this week - I have been good, promise!

Right off I go to the kitchen...

:D

Number 7

Hi Y'all!

As I write to you I am currently being most of the seven dwarfs - I have a horrid cold! This will not stop me however from writing my fast becoming all consuming blog! I have so much to write about today I may stretch it to two posts! 

First thing to report - I hate being ill :( I am such a baby - I would love nothing more than to simply go to bed and be looked after until I'm better - unfortunately that doesn't happen in this house! I am dosing myself up and eating soup so hopefully I will be better soon! Today I searched on pinterest for remedy's and crikey I didn't realise there would be so many... whether they are old wives tales or not is yet to be told.

But it got me thinking about my dad. When I was younger and even when I had left home if I was ill he wasn't the cuddly type, but what he would do would be to make me stew and dumplings (with plenty of pepper) and a carrot cake (no frosting just gorgeous moist cakey goodness). I would instantly feel better after that! I want to share his recipe for stew with you as I think it is one we should all have and use as a cold remedy, tummy warmer or lovely winter evening meal. I wish he was here now - I could really eat some carrot cake and stew!

Dad's special Stew.

Ingredients - 

500g of diced braising steak or stewing steak

2 x beef OXO cubes

3 potatoes diced

2 carrots sliced

1/2 a swede diced

1 leek sliced

1 packet of dumpling mix (suet)

self raising flour for dusting

gravy granules

salt and pepper

(feel free to add any other veg you like)

Method - 

1. Trim the fat from the beef then place in a large saucepan. Cover with boiling water and crumble in the 2 OXO cubes, then stir well and season with plenty of black pepper.

2. Bring the meat to the boil, then turn heat down to a low simmer. Place the lid on but keep an eye on it - stir every 15 minutes and keep cooking until the meat is cooked through. This will be roughly 1.5 hours to 2 hours approximately.

3. Towards the end of cooking time for the beef, boil the vegetables and potatoes in a separate pan, and make the dumplings following the instructions on the packet (suet).

4. Once meat is finished cooking keep it bubbling gently and add the dumplings. Replace the lid and simmer for 10 minutes, turn and then simmer again for s further 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your dumplings.

5. Add the cooked vegetables to the stew.

6. Thicken the liquid to your taste using a table spoon at a time of gravy granules and stirring well.

Serve with fresh crusty bread and butter.

(I didn't say this recipe was completely healthy did I?!)

Now I could cheat and find you a lovely carrot cake recipe and pass it off as my dads - but I will be truthful... After the 5th or 6th time of him making it, I happened to be getting something out of his cupboard and noticed... a Betty Crocker Carrot Cake packet mix!! Heehee - I never did tell him I knew. But I tell you what - it's the best carrot cake I have ever had - EVER!

Next is the all consuming plan I have in my head for my youngest son's birthday cake. For those of you that don't know I had my own business for a year (after being a chef) doing occasion cakes, cupcakes, cake-pops and any other sweet treat. When my depression became too much though I was forced to stop - I did try to keep going but needed to get better desperately - I miss it terribly but whenever it is a family birthday I get to plough all my creativeness into a cake for them so again the cogs are turning.

Morgan is having a Bob The Builder party this year, but he loves all characters without really having a favourite. I have scowered the internet for images of his favourite characters to make sure I get all the details right, and have finally settled on a design - here is a sketch...

It's going to take me a little while to make the 3D characters, but the 2D ones should be quicker - but he is worth all my efforts! He's also poorly at the moment with a bad tummy bug and can't keep anything down :( I hate it when my boys are ill - I would rather be ill 365 days of the year that have them ill for 5 minutes! All fingers and toes are crossed that it will just be a 24 hour thing! Can't have the birthday boy poorly for next weekend! On his actual birthday we are having the party at a local attraction where they do all the work for you - this will be the first year ever that I haven't made the food and planned the party fun and games myself - but I tell you what, gosh it's so much less stressful. The reason for this, this year, is that my husband will be away in Llanelli for most of Morgan's birthday so to minimise the stress I opted for getting others to do it! Heatherton is an awesome place for little ones parties - having been there to many over the years with the other 2 boys, Morgan is going to love it, it has a 3 floor soft play area, giant board games, pass the parcel, face painting and then a lovely hot and cold buffet followed by jelly and ice-cream! What's not to love, and it's so much cheaper than when I do it myself, they even supply the filled party bags, themed tableware, decorations and invitations!

So I will leave it for now and continue this post next time - told you I had a lot to say didn't I?!

:) xx