Chickens, Crochet, Creating and Cow Parsley

Hi guys :) 

 Have you had a nice week?

Mine has been mixed, I started it fighting with the washing line, as it was so ridiculously windy!!!

I kept getting slapped in the face! haha :)

Trying to make a break for it!

I went on a bus trip with some of the knit and natter group to a place called Royal Quays Outlet centre, i didn't have a penny to spend but it was enjoyable all the same, a lovely friend treated me to a few Latte's.

I felt awfully sick on the bus though :( I'm not great on buses, i get travel sick very quickly!

I finished my friends' shawl, terrible photo, i know, but i'd already given it to her before i noticed this picture was rubbish, haha :) 

We have oodles of cow parsley growing next to our back fence, so I've been going a bit wild! I have about 3 jam jars full in the living room

I found a very pretty teapot for £1.50!

And a little drying rack for 50p! When my herbs grow i'm going to use it to hang herbs from to dry :)

I attempted to make a tea cozy for the teapot - A disaster!

Can you tell what it is supposed to be? :D 

I sketched a chicken to hang on the hallway door

I attempted more embroidery, this time handkerchiefs.

The top right is The Bearded Wonders' (My hubby)with the ugly little penguin (he's obsessed) it is truly terrible but he wanted a penguin so that is what i made! He says it is cute but i don't believe a word he says.

The top left pink and bottom white are mine. The flowers aren't my work (i flaming wish!) i just added the monogram

Another that is mine, i'm starting to wish i had done a better S now, I'll probably change it eventually

The pictures look pretty weird, but the only way i could get the embroidery to show up properly was to scan them!

I bought leeks on Monday. They have sat under the counter until today when i remembered i wanted to make leek and potato soup. I went to chop them and discovered that they had gone brown on the inside! Yuck! :( So i improvised and made mixed veg soup and added a handful of rice to bulk it out instead.

I also attempted Irish soda bread.... but (in my usual fashion) i hadn't read the recipe right and added a WHOLE TABLESPOON of baking soda! Yuck yuck yuck! One (small, thankfully) taste and it went straight in the bin! 

Never again!

I hope that you will read this and take lesson from it- always read the recipe! Twice! Haha :D 

Banana Bread Recipe and Kitten Spam

Hi guys! :) 

Today i'm being super organised and writing down my Banana Bread recipe :)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

1 1/2 cup plain flour

2-3 overripe bananas

1/2 cup caster or brown sugar (according to preference)

1/3 cup of butter
1 egg

Golden syrup (Optional)

1tsp Baking powder (Optional)

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Preheat oven to 160 (fan) Gas mark 3

Mash your bananas until super soft and almost looking like a puree

Soften butter at room temperature if you are super organised (or like me, you can pop it in the microwave for 10-20 secs) 

Cream the butter and sugar together (For those new to baking; stir until well combined and fluffy looking) 

Add your bananas
Stir in the egg until well combined

Sift in the flour and baking powder (Note: please always remember to do this, banana bread is pretty heavy so the sifting just adds a little extra lightness)

At this point you can add just a squeeze of golden syrup and stir

Line a loaf tin with baking parchment

Dollop in your mixture

Pop in the oven for 1 hour

Drool over delicious smells emanating from said oven

Resist the temptation to open the oven door (You lose the heat and it doesn't bake properly)

When it looks like the picture below, remove from the oven and test by sliding a knife into the middle (It should come out clean; if not pop it back in for 10 more minutes)

Add another drizzle of golden syrup over the top

Slice whilst it is still warm.

Eat and enjoy lavishly spread with butter or on its own with a cuppa

Exclaim loudly (for anyone who will listen) at how clever you are ;)

I finally get to bake again thanks to a wonderfully kind lady from my knit and natter group, who donated this wonderful mini oven! Thank you! <3 

Now, onto more adorable matters

Look at me human! Don't you know who i am?

 Enjoying the sunshine

Ghost Cat- An artwork
She was playing with her new ball and was having way too much fun to  pose for a pretty photo

An adorable chicken we saw on our walk to town yesterday

An equally adorable goat, also on the way to town

Finally got a day sunny and windy enough to hang out the washing! Thank goodness! Downside is; i got slapped in the face whilst i was trying to hang it!lol :)