Age concern!

Awww...I went to visit my mum in hospital and she amazing. After her fall a couple of weeks ago, she has been in hospital and has been moved from pillar to post - 7 times in all! She has been diagnosed with 'Vascular Dementia' and often can't remember things and gets confused. She had an amazing memory for dates and places and things.

Her face is still very bruised - although now turning yellow but she had 2 'panda' eyes which have now gradually improved.
She can still manage to smile despite her misfortune and who would know that she is going to be 96 in May?!

There are no flowers allowed in the ward - something that helps people cheer up but I do understand the reasons for the ban. It was so hard to see my dear old mum so helpless. She has always been such a strong character. Her mother died giving birth to her and you might say that she is a 'born survivor'! She won't be returning to her warden based flat. It is now for my 2 sisters and I to go view care homes once we get the ok from the Social Services! Whilst there, I set her hair and gave her a pedicure whilst my sister gave her a manicure. She certainly needed it and it made her feel so much better.

If you have space for one more name on your prayer list, please say one for my mum. I would really appreciate it.

Mama Mia!

The new year has not brought much needed relief of stress related incidents. From Monday after Christmas, I came down with a chest infection and am about recovering from sleepness nights coughing.

Then my dear old mum, who is going to be 96 in May, had a fall at home and the poor thing was laying on the floor of her bedroom when the carer arrived. Her head was bleeding and she was not in a good way. She was taken to hospital and has been checked over and is now the owner of 2 very black eyes - from hitting the side of her head, along with a fractured cheek bone.

Here we are, photo taken in December, when I went to visit her at home.
She is such an 'Iron Lady' - always pulling back to recover from falls she has had in the past year and I am very proud of her. She is now recovering in hospital and I am wondering if she will get to see her home again due to the decisions that may have to be made to give her a more secure future.

The snow has melted here and I am disappointed that I didn't get my share! I know, I know. There has been rather a lot this month and some of you are sick of it but for me, I'm not - yet.

In the meantime, I shall keep myself cozy warm and keep watching the programmes I have recorded and not managed to watch over Christmas.

Stay warm and toots for now.

Let It Snow!

Snow fell here just before Christmas and I managed to get some photos before it all melted away. One of my grandsons - Cameron having fun in the snow at church on Sunday after Christmas.


I even managed to make a small snowman in my garden but it was dark by the time I finished and this photo isn't a good one.

As he melted the following day, his skeletal image looked quite spooky.

I found this poem which I thought was cute. Enjoy.

I'm off to keep warm with a hot chocolate. Toots for now.

On The 5th Day Of Christmas!

I did more baking this year than any other year that I remember and I really enjoyed it. One of my traditional bakes is a chocolate and nut ring that is a recipe I have been using for many years.

Have fun. Toots for now and thank you for calling by and taking the time to read my blog.

...and a good time was had by all!

I find it hard to believe that I have only posted 3 posts in December but that meant I was super busy getting ready for Christmas. I have done soo much baking this year and enjoyed testing and tasting new recipes.



Photo shoots with my grandchildren in August meant I was ahead with ideas for my Christmas cards this year!






I was the lucky one....having visited all of our daughters for Christmas, we got to have 3 Christmases!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I will definately be going on a diet in the New Year!

Feeding the 5000!

Well it certainly felt like I have fed the 5000! Last week I spent most of it, preparing, shopping, cooking and serving a roast turkey - and all the trimmings to the ladies at our church.....all 35 who had signed up! There were 25 who turned up on Thursday on a wet and windy evening which, unfortunately kept the rest away. I bagged up little packages of shortbread fingers in cellophane baggies and tied each with a ribbon to give as gifts.

A fun time was had by all and there's been no let up since and - just like Santa, I have a list and I am checking it twice! Phew!

This is a link to a cool Santa site that personalises a message to your child - or even an adult. This one is for one of my granddaughters - Eden.

PNP > A message from Santa Claus Portable North-Pole

Here's hoping you are all coping with your preparations for Christmas. Don't forget the Martha Stewart website for some great ideas. http://www.marthastewart.com/

Toots for now,

Stir Up Sunday!

Welcome to December. For me, it's the month that conjures up so many memories of when I was a child, gives me a warm and cozy feeling and brings ideas to awaken all of my senses.

Stir-up Sunday fell on 22nd November this year. However, I made my Christmas Puddings the next day! There is a lovely recipe in the latest issue of 'delicious' which was an old 'Great Granny's Christmas Puddings' of a lady who was featured. I haven't made my puddings for some years and as I am feeling particularly nostalgic and a little more organised this year, I decided to do so.

It's not too late if you would like to make them. The mixture made 7 different sizes - finishing with a small one to taste!

Great Granny's Christmas Puddings

Dry ingredients -

300g fresh white breadcrumbs
100g self raising flour
1 teasp mixed spice
1 teasp ground cinnamon
1/2 whole nutmeg, very finely grated
350g raisins
100g mixed peel
50g flaked almonds
250g suet
225g demerara sugar
225g sultanas
225g currants
2 carrots, peeled and very finely grated
2 cooking apples, peeled and very finely grated

Wet ingredients -

Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small wine glass of brandy
2 tbsp black treacle
4eggs, lightly beaten.

First, I gathered all of the dry ingredients...

... grated the spices...

Measured the fruits and placed them into a very large bowl.

Adding the suet, flaked almonds and sugar...

Then I grated the zest of the orange and lemon...

... squeezed the juices and added them to the mixture.

In went the grated carrots...

...and grated apples.

I beat the eggs lightly and stirred into the mixture...

...along with the treacle......and the brandy....by which time the smells were intoxicating!

...and no....*grins*...I don't drink alcohol - I just use it for a preservative in cooking.
Now for the fun bit. Tradition has it, that you stir with a wooden spoon from East to West, giving the mixture a thorough stirring.

Then cover with a damp tea towel and leave overnight for the flavours to infuse.

Next day, spoon mixture into pudding basins...

...cover with a piece of greaseproof paper...

...then a layer of foil on top of that...
...and tie with a piece of string to secure the wrappings - leaving a loop to lift the scalding basin out without burning yourself.
Steam each pudding (depending on the size basin you use), for about 6 hours.

This is a small pudding - reserved for tasting! Yum!

Place a clean piece of greaseproof paper over the basin and another sheet of foil. It keeps it fresh until Christmas....or whenever you choose to eat it. Steam each pudding again for about 2 hours. Happy eating.

I did change the ingredients myself slightly. For instance, I used wholemeal breadcrumbs and not white. I omitted the mixed peel and added an extra amount of fruit and the packet of beef suet is 200 gms, which is all I put in. The proof of the pudding was in the eating and it was very moist, fruity and delicious. I don't think I shall be buying any more store bought puddings.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.