Back to my blogging.....

Well it's been a few months since I wrote on my blog, life seems to get in the way of everything just lately. I won the pumpkin competition at work (just for fun) it wasn't the biggest pumpkin in the world but hey! ho! it won, weighing in at around 9kg.

Haven't done much crafting lately as I have no craft room at the moment and all my craft stuff is still packed away.

Been doing a few cakes though, my favourite one was an allotment cake, I LOVED making this one and could have carried on forever...lol

The red bottle is meant to be a bottle of Pimms although it looks more like a bottle of ketchup.

Pumpkin competition

We're having a pumpkin growing competition at work, we've all started with a mammoth pumpkin seed. Some have had no luck at all, others have withered and died off but some are doing really well. The biggest so far is Ravis pumpkin (one of my chefs), I think mine is second at the moment. Come the end of the competition it will be pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin risotto and roast pumpkin for everyone....lol!

Here's a picture of the winner so far............we have until October to beat this one.

My first baby shower cake request......

My daughters friend is expecting her first baby any day now, poor girl is swelling up like a balloon so to make her feel better they had a baby shower for her. My daughter asked if I could make some fairy cakes or cupcakes as they are now known as. The picture was taken on my phone so it may not be the best, but here they are.....

Cake making again......

I was asked to make a large cake with "Happy New Year" on it," it's only August" I thought and it's not a fruit cake, turns out it's for a financial new year......quite a simple cake this time, the logo of the company is printed on a thin layer of sugar paste so it was very quick and easy to make, it just weighed a ton.

The two ugly sisters......

It's not letting me upload the pictures so I'll try again later. Ok, here they are now......

Back to my blog.......

Well it's been a long hot summer and a busy one at work. It's calmed down now and my life is getting back to normal, that means I get some time off to enjoy myself so I thought I'd start my day off with some crafting........oh! how good it feels to be back to my crafting.

I was hosting a Button Fairy swap on DC which should have finished at the end of July but due to my busy work schedule I never got to finish one of my fairies. I finally got her made today, here she is with her two sisters, you might think they look like the two ugly sisters...lol!

Harvest Time.......

Well all my hard work is beginning to pay off as I pick my fruit and veg in my allotment, If you're anything like me, broad beans would normally make you shiver and not with delight. I remember at school getting them dished up on my plate and my heart sinking to new depths, thinking "How am I going to eat them"? I once hid them under a mound of mashed potato thinking no-one would notice them, but hey ho! along came the scary dinner lady and lifted up the mash with a fork...........well you can guess the rest.

Anyway, I have successfully grown some broad beans this year and was determined to use them. I have made a dip with them, such a simple easy recipe, so I thought I would share it with you. It's a very healthy snack dish or starter and is delicious served with warm Pitta Bread or Flatbread. You will need:

300g Broad Beans, podded

1 Clove of garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Small buch of mint

1 Lemon - juice of

1 Tbsp Natural yoghurt

Pinch of salt

Cook the broad beans for 5 mins. then let them cool and take off the outer skin, leaving the bright green part of the bean. Put all ingredients (except the lemon)into a food processor. Whizz for a couple of minutes then mix in the lemon juice and check the seasoning.

Place into a bowl and drizzle with a little Olive oil and a sprig of mint.

Serve with warm Pitta bread or Flatbread, enjoy!