I started this blog nearly three years ago when I was still getting used to calling myself Mrs C. At the time Little Miss C hadn't even been thought about and therefore there was certainly no aspiration to be a "Mummy Blogger". Times have changed though and several people recently have referred to this blog as a "Mummy Blog". I still don't think of it like that myself, instead it is just about me and my life, of which LMC is obviously a huge part. Over the last year I have heard several tales of downsides to being a mummy blogger, especially on the competitive side. ... read more
Be-Ro Victoria Sponge
For years my late Gran told me to get myself a copy of the Be-Ro cookbook and last year I finally did - I just wish I'd done so sooner. This book has in every standard baking recipe you could ever need which is pretty impressive when you bear in mind it only costs £1.50 a copy! Unfortunately this Victoria Sponge never made it to its intended recipient as an ill Little Miss C had to take priority. There was one bit I had to disagree with though; Step 5: When cool, fill with jam or cream. Or??? Surely that should read "and"! ... read more
The 1950s Housewife
We've had a house full of sick people this last week so there's not been much to blog about (or much time to do so - my washing machine has never been busier!) We're not quite at the end yet, but I'm hoping we're not far off. Someone today sent me a link to this article in the Daily Mail: My (very slimming) week as a 50s housewife. I'm not normally a Mail reader, but this did make an interesting read over a cuppa. I'm trying to track down the Good Housekeeping book that they mention though and when I have a bit more mental capacity and time it'd be ... read more
Clothkits Sunhat
The Clothkits catalogue can be a dangerous place, especially when you have a little girl who seems to like girly stuff as much as Little Miss C does. Today's sunshine made me even more determined to spend some time with my sewing machine to ensure that she actually had a sunhat and amazingly I actually did make the time to do so! I bought the kit for this hat a while back, along with a matching sundress kit which is next on my to do list. I think it's turned out really well, especially since I managed to do all the sewing just in the time that Little Miss C had her ... read more
Simple Chocolate Cake
Looking back I am amazed that I haven't blogged about what has to be the world's simplest chocolate cake before. This recipe came to me from my Gran and there's one for making a plain sponge (of which there is a similar recipe in Hugh F-W's River Cottage Family Cookbook). The weight of two eggs in self-raising flour The weight of two eggs in sugar The weight of two eggs in margarine Two eggs Cocoa (I usually use 2-3 tablespoons of Green and Blacks' Cocoa) A splash of milk Sieve together the flour and cocoa. Cream together the sugar and margarine in a bowl. Beat the ... read more
New shoes
Not much time for words right now, but Happy Mothers' Day! ... read more
At Risk – Patricia Cornwall
I love Patricia Cornwall's Scarpetta series and when looking for something to cheer myself up in a charity shop the other day I was rather pleased to find a copy of one of her newer books; At Risk. As I curled up in bed with it I was initially a tad puzzled as to why someone had written a summary of some of the characters inside the front over. It soon became apparent though as I have never met such a woolly set of characters in my life. This book just didn't gel together at all. The characters were all over the place, the plot didn't hold together at all and to be honest I found ... read more
Sunny Sunday
Yesterday was one of those days that was just perfect for being outside. Lucky really as that's what I did pretty much all day. Down at our local nature reserve we had a day's hedge laying tuition where a group of volunteers were learning how to lay a hedge, and practicing on one of our ones on the site. Meanwhile a regular monthly working party was also taking place, along with a willow weaving workshop. Workers always need feeding though - so that was my role. Tea and cake breaks for the workers, plus a BBQ lunch for everyone involved. It was all hard work, and boy did I ache ... read more
Chewy Molasses Cookies
When going to antenatal yoga classes locally one of the things I particularly enjoyed the tea and cake after the class, and the opportunity to meet other mums to be. This theme has continued with the baby yoga classes that I now take LMC to and Laura who runs the classes is certainly excellent when it comes to baking. She's shared a few of her recipes on the Yoga Hall's webpage and I finally got round to trying one of them myself last week: chewy molasses cookies. These are incredibly easy to make, good for you, and yummy too - what more can you ask for in cookies! ... read more
First home brew success
It all started about 18 months ago when I was lucky enough to "win" some bits of home brew kit on Freecycle. What I didn't realise at the times was that I was two weeks pregnant at the time, so it's taken us a while to get round to our first proper batch of home brew. I admit that it did start as a kit, but I'm not feeling too guilty about that. I'll leave it to Mr C to provide words on his blog at some point (and I will let you know when he does) but I can provide picture evidence and I'm also pleased to report back that it tastes delicious and no sign of ... read more