Tweet Whilst browsing the card shops a few days ago, I spotted a very cute Easter chick card, which had a pull out tummy, in a sort of honeycomb effect. I almost bought it for one of my children, but realised that there wasn’t a correspondingly cute card, in a similar style, for my other […]
frugal
Happy Halloween! Headless Man Tutorial
Tweet I’m not usually a fan of Halloween (in the slightest, if truth be told) but this year we are taking our children to Lowther Castle and Gardens for their Haunted Halloween event. Amongst the plethora of spectacularly scary activities, such as falconry displays and snot making, ghost hunting and wicked witchcraft, there is the traditional […]
Plum, Blackberry and Hazelnut Loaf Cake
Tweet The second in my series of things to do with a plum glut is this fabulous Plum, Blackberry and Hazelnut Loaf Cake, which I have adapted from The Hairy Bikers’ Plum, Raspberry and Pistachio cake. To say it’s delicious is an understatement. “The Best Cake I’ve ever tasted!” – my dad (who doesn’t even like […]
Walking at Castle Crag – The Great Outdoors
Tweet I’ve just watched that video – the one that has, ironically, gone viral today, about how much we lose from our lives by being constantly attached to laptops, phones and tablets in the name of “social” media. And yes, blogging can be included in that too. We miss so much, and I am sure […]
April Fool’s Day Packed Lunch Joke
Tweet I’ve been racking my brains to think to think up a funny joke for the boys to mark April Fool’s Day tomorrow, but discounted so many because either they weren’t funny, or they wouldn’t be tricked. I didn’t want something that would mean I had to clear up, or that would make the children […]
Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday and A Recipe for Every Day
Tweet Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, a day for feasting on pancakes, laden with syrup, bacon, lemon, sugar, bananas, ice cream… whatever floats your boat. Although Pancake Day is a foodie festival the world over, the English name comes from the old English word Shrive which means “confess one’s sins”. It’s a day to ask for absolution, and […]
The MADS Blog Awards 2014
Tweet Imagine, if you will, my surprise at receiving a lovely email last week from a fellow blogger telling me that she had nominated me for an award in the highly acclaimed MADS Blog Awards (and to answer the question that you are no doubt thinking, which Mr kindly said out loud, no, it’s not because, I am mad… […]
Three Pound Challenge – Dining on a Shoestring
Tweet I’ve been hearing a lot about poverty lately. Only two days ago my local newspaper billboards proclaimed “Archbishop shocked at Cumbrian poverty” and according to their search malnutrition rates in my home county have more than doubled since 2009. Reading further, I found studies that show that half a million children live in families […]
Asparagus and Pea Soup – A Recipe From Leftovers
Tweet I was preparing tea last night, which was delicious in itself (pollack with spinach, new potatoes and poached egg, with mustard dressing, served with carrots and asparagus), when I couldn’t bring myself to chuck out the stems of asparagus. They have to have some use, yes? Oh yes indeedy! I give you Asparagus and pea […]
Living Frugally
Tweet I really need to start saving some money. Things have got so expensive lately (I don’t even blame the VAT rise, because things seemed to go up before that) and I would love to have a bit of a bumper in case of unexpected expenses, not to mention the holiday I need to pay […]