Dusting off the cobwebs

It seems like an age since I've updated this blog but it's been a busy few months!

Since t'wedding day in October, I've been adjusting to life as a newlywed. Which, for me, basically meant talking about our wedding in the past tense, sporting some new jewellery and trying a new name on for size.

Then of course there was Christmas which was lovely as we got to spend time with family and friends and also indulge in the full and jam packed food pyramid. (Spoiler alert: I ate all round me, paté, cheese, various meats, candycanes, chocolate coins.. Nothing was safe!)

Source: DeviantArt - jessijones

We also kicked off 2014 with a new family member! My niece Fia was born in January and it's safe to say we're all besotted with her. Babies bring such excitement into a home, especially when it's the first grandchild on my side. Mothercare didn't know what had hit it!

February brought my sister-in-law's fabulous 40th birthday, which was filled with family, bubbly, memory filled photos, balloons and not one, not two, but THREE delicious cakes. (All of which I sampled - ahem!)

Source: Grabzon.com

I noticed that all these exciting and happy times had a common ingredient.

The involvement of friends and family.

Let's face it, good news is wonderful and as human beings, we love to share our good news so others can share in the joy. The fact that I could text, sending direct messages on social media, call and email all those I hold dear made all of these experiences even more special. It also made me reflect on how lucky I am to have that support network to chat to in good times and bad. As the Beatles once sang "I get by with a little help from my friends", and I'm sure I'm not the only one who does. 

Lisa Bakes: Gnarly witches fingers

After I'd made the Spooky Pumpkin and walnut bread, I still had lots of pumpkin and baking supplies. So I decided to try my hand at some more baking.

All in all I made three batches and found that speed when moulding the fingers into shape was key. The first batch expanded the most, whereas the next two batches came out much better as I hadn't handled them as much. Mr. Ree and a few friends were more than happy to provide some quality control.

I'd also made pumpkin and cinnamon cookies which were really yummy. Nothing beats a fresh squidgy cookie!

We went out to a Halloween party last night and brought both cookies along with us. They seemed to go down well and it wasn't long before they started disappearing! (Which is the best compliment in my book!) If you'd like to try making your own witch finger biscuits, I've attached the recipe below. Happy baking! :)

The fruits of my labour!

Gnarly Witches Fingers

Ingredients

• 225g (8 oz) butter, softened
• 125g (4 1/2 oz) icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 350g (12 oz) plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 100g (4 oz) whole almonds

Method

1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer. Then gradually add the flour, baking powder and salt, continually beating; chill for 20 to 30 minutes. (The longer the better really!)
2. Preheat oven to 160C. 
3. Lightly grease baking trays.
4. Remove dough from fridge in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of greaseproof paper. Use the paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped biscuit. Press one almond into one end of each biscuit to give the appearance of a long fingernail. 
5. Squeeze biscuit near the tip and again near the centre of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped biscuits on the baking trays.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the biscuits are slightly golden in colour, 20 to 25 minutes.

Late Late Toy Show excitement!

You would be forgiven if you didn't recognise me as it's been far too long since I've updated my blog. But I am here, and to say I'm excited is a fricking understatement!

If your childhood was anything like mine, the run up to Christmas wasn't complete without the Late Late Toy Show. For anyone outside of Ireland, it's basically a show all about this year's most popular toys which children have played with and then review to the host Ryan Tubridy. Without fail, at least one toy doesn't work on cue, one child always gets a bit dazed when pedalling out during the bikes/tractors/scooters parade and the host has to rock a Christmas sweater.

Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Toy Show

Christmas cheese tree eh? Nom!

When I was a child I was always so excited about putting the tree up, the earlier the better in my eyes! However now that I'm an adult, I've decided that the official 'Putting up the tree' date will now fall on whatever day the Late Late Toy Show airs. Tonight, is that night folks.

After work I've got a list of groceries to get for the feast. One of my lovely aunts gave me a recipe for homemade Chex Mix, so I'm going to try make that this evening. Each year I put together a cheeseboard and make mulled wine too which is always fun!

Mmm... Mulled Wine!

I'm even wearing a colourful knitted jumper in anticipation for the big event. I, for one, can't wait to release my inner child! Roll on 9.30pm! 

Shopping Madness!

I am channeling 'Old Mother Hubbard' as of late, so decided that grocery shopping must be done! Usually I have someone with me for grocery shopping, but today I was on my own-io so just rolled with it. And then the stress began! It's only when it's broken down into little pieces that I realised how much is involved with something as basic as going to buy food!Perhaps I hit the shop on a busy day or just when the trolley enthusiasts were out, but I'll relay my story anyway.

OK, bags in the car first of all, I never have enough freezer bags yet the house is falling down with 'Bags for Life' of all shapes and sizes as I never remember to bring one with me. Forget bags for life, I have bags for a lifetime, which I may just pass onto my kids (chances are the house will still be falling down with them!)

I don't know about you, but I can never remember which shop trollies take €1 or €2 coins, nine times out of ten I'm left hanging around outside like a vagrant waiting to exchange the right coin for the fistful of change I usually have! (And I almost always end up with a 'wonkey donkey' trolley that has one crazed wheel!)

I'm a big believer in lists, if I didn't write lists then things wouldn't get done! So I always write a list, otherwise I'd probably come out with only half of what I need and something random like a foot spa!
Also, I've noticed a definite increase in, what can only be described as 'Trolley Warriors'. Seriously though, these people are the kind that probably don't use their indicators in their cars. They are a law unto themselves up and down the aisles. Almost had a head on collision with one of them, open your eyes peeps!

I've also noticed more 'Squeezers', now I'll holds my hands up, I do squeeze food like bread, fruit, veg etc to check for freshness. But a new breed has come to the forefront, come forth the 'Sniffers'! I'm pretty sure one woman was attempting to inhale a lemon she was sniffing that hard, is this a new thing? Have I missed a newsletter?

Food Sniffers - Coming soon to a store near you!

 So after all the shopping is in the trolley, off to the cashier I trot. Which leads to what can only be described as the 'Cashier Mambo'. It's a bit like changing lanes on the motorway, one seems to be moving, then the moment you join it comes to a standstill.

When I experience shopping like this I can completely understand why online shopping has taken off. Yet when you've a friend or significant other with you, you can laugh off all these mad moments. Shopping is definitely a 'team sport', so make sure you've chosen a decent team member, or at least someone with lots of €1 and €2 coins!

Deep breaths!

Yesterday I wrote about having a daily treat, something small, doesn't have to cost a lot. Well, today I decided to get a pack of Maynards Sours (om nom nom!) I figured I'd veg in front of the TV, having a slurpy mange to myself.

I went down to the kitchen to feed the dog, at the regular time, schedule is key etc. The moment I walked in, I knew something was up. There was something in the air, something that I could sense.

GUILT!

The dog was in his bed and was looking sheepishly up at me. I checked his bed, he was lying on top of a bag of sweets, not the sour jellies. "Phew!" I thought, but then another thought slapped me right in the face...

You left them in the same place, and he got one of the bags!


I rushed to the spot where I had left them, no sweeties. Checked his bed, checked the floor, checked all the rooms downstairs. Then the stairs itself.

Niente.

Surely I would have heard him snacking upstairs? Better safe than sorry, I investigated all the rooms, no sour jellies, not even a granule of sugar.

A new thought struck, if I was a dog and I'd eaten something and wanted to hide the evidence, where would I put it? Think like a dog, walk a mile in someone else's footprints (paw prints?!) So off I went thinking to myself "Think like a dog", I went straight out to the garden, and there it was, or wasn't!

Oh it was a sweetie massacre! Not only had he eaten each and every one of the sweets, but he had shredded the bag too to cover his tracks.

Don't let that goofy expression fool you, he's a food thief!

I could practically taste them, but I was just too late. I marched back inside muttering to myself, think Joe Pesci's character in Home Alone and you're about there. Oh and the dog knew he was in the doghouse, metaphorically. We don't actually have a dog house for him, he sleeps inside, spoiled dog. And this is the thanks I get? Hmph.

At least he has good taste in sweets, the bugger!

Mmm... Mulled Wine!

This Friday night, the Late Late Toy Show is on. For the past few weeks I have been squirreling away goodies of all sorts for the 'Big Event'. Yesterday a thought struck me, Why not make mulled wine?


I have the spices, oranges, cinnamon... But alas no wine!

Cue a quick trip to the local supermarket, and now the idea has snowballed. Not only will there be mulled wine, but gingerbread cookies, mince pies and now... A cheeseboard! Who knows, it could be a new tradition in our household?