Ugly cake

Awww! It's a cake only a mother could love really isn't it? We had an unopened tub of sour cream left over from something or other and I remembered that various cake recipes used it. This one is a cinnamon swirl, where you split the plain mixture in two and then add cinnamon and cocoa to one and swirl them together in the tin. The tin was where I went wrong, as I used a silicone loaf 'tin' which, it turns out, is just too flexible. As the cake cooked it swelled outwards producing this rather unnattractive shape. It also caught a little on the top when P decided to do his 'turn the oven up to full when Mummy's not looking' routine. Even with a generous shawl of icing it's not pretty- but it tastes great, and that's the main thing (or is that like saying 'good personality'?!). I definitely don't blame the recipe, which came from this booklet which I rediscovered recently, having saved it from a couple of years ago. Don't know why I haven't used it before- the recipes look wonderful, including one for honey and multigrain bread that may be tomorrow's bake. I'll probably use a metal loaf tin this time, though...

Survival strategies

One day we'll live in a really, really warm house. Just not at the moment unfortunately! While the boys of the family seem impervious to the cold, even in the arctic wastes of the kitchen, I never seem to get warm at the moment unless I'm in bed or in a bath. P's mittens, then, are only worn on sufferance if we're going out, while I spend my days cuddled up in Grandma Crochet blankets, drinking tea and, whenever possible, knitting. The Fairisle has a double deadline now- partly to provide an extra layer of warmth and partly because I want to be able to wear it this season before the baby bump gets too big. Keep warm, everyone.

Normal

The Christmas season definitely does its job with me. Just as it did with our ancestors, the season of light and feasting in the middle of the dark winter days always leaves me feeling rejuvenated and re-energised, ready for that shiny, untouched new year. That said, much as I love the red and the gold and the sparkles and rich food, I'm always keen to return to the normal and simple once the last presents are unwrapped and the final Christmas visits completed. Then it's just a rush to get 'thank you' cards sent before our January birthdays come around. As for New Year's resolutions, well I find a whole year a big prospect, especially given what ours has in store. I have a few things in mind, but prefer to take it one day, at a push one month, at a time. At the moment uppermost in my mind is: getting back into practising the piano, making bread again instead of buying it and looking out for Seville oranges coming into the shops so that this year I can join the family tradition of marmalade making for the first time.

The best laid plans of dogs...

...and men, and women! It seemed like a good idea a week ago to meet up with four friends, three dogs and possibly even a further two friends and a baby for a New Year's Day walk. We decided on Grizedale Forest Park and found our way there today with few problems save the ice-rink of a carpark. Our friends and the dogs fared less well unfortunately as an imaginative satnav sent them down a backroad that, with one cresting of a hill, turned into a toboggan run complete with car shaped toboggan. One call to the emergency services later and some advice from a policeman about how to get out of the situation safely and they decided to head for safer ground. The friends with baby were still frazzled from a less than restful night so decided on other plans. Which just left us to enjoy a slippery but very pretty walk. The end of the day saw us reunited with friends and dogs and enjoying a hearty pub meal, which can never be a bad way to end the day, even if it was just round the corner from us, rather than in the Lake District as planned.

Happy New Year

Our fortunes have definitely been mixed this year, but I think it's safe to say that good has always come out of the bad in the end. It seems somehow appropriate, therefore, that we spent the morning of this, the last day of what's been a tough year for many, getting our first glimpse of this little fella or gal. All being well July next year will mean another change for our family, only this time we had a bit more influence in making it happen. Happy New Year everyone!

Baby it's cold outside

We've had a great festive season. This included some time spent at the farm, which thanks to an impromptu blogging session you can now read about here. The festive weather continues and although there hasn't been any snow it's still very chilly. The pics, then, are to try and engender a cosy feeling. We found this pattern book when tidying up today- I made the men's sweater for him indoors a few years back (minus the bobbles!) and in pure wool it's a warm up and a workout in one to wear! Meanwhile, I'm back on the Fairisle again, having forgiven myself for the misread pattern debacle.

23rd of Advent

What with travelling to see friends and relatives, preparing food in advance and decorating the house, it's been a lovely, hectic few weeks. The last thing I expected was to feel sad at the little lull that's happened early this week: C being back at work, our usual pals having gone away for Christmas and nothing really much to do. It was twice the good news, then, when I got an unexpected call from an old friend, who is currently staying (as she described it) 'halfway to where you are compared to when I'm in London'. That's still five hours drive in some nasty weather, but she insisted that she wanted to take advantage of the fact and come and see us. Now that's friendship- all that travelling for an overnight stop!
It was tempting, with the sun shining, to try and go up to the Lakes. However, I've learned now that a few miles and a bit of altitude makes a lot of difference, especially in winter weather, so we stuck close to home and went back to Conishead Priory. The woods were magical in the frost-crusted snow, made more so by the decorated pine tree near the beach. It was covered in messages from whichever elves bring baubles and tinsel into the woods- presumably those who work at the Priory.
The shingle beach was transformed by its snowy blanket and the bay as still as I have ever seen it. Even with the wide selection of joyful dogs we met and a fascinated toddler it was icy tranquility. We rounded it off with lunch at the ever-wonderful Gillam's Tea Room before our intrepid explorer set off on her homeward journey.