Self-Confidence

 



 

Great Times

Finally there was a (slight) break forecast in the horrible weather yesterday so Paul and I decided to take advantage of it and took two of our black labs to the beach (I only have a 4 seater car and not boot so taking all three was out of the question!).

The forecast was for a slight chance of rain all day but I did start to wonder if we'd been a bit ambitious when it rained the whole way to Filey. However we timed it perfectly. We got there at low tide and the sun even came out!

Millie and Holly absolutely loved it and tore around after the toy, each other and plenty of other dogs too. We walked the full length of Filey brigg and then had a Paul adventure with a bit of rock climbing. The pups surprised me with how agile they were navigating boulders, especially as Holly is a short arse and Millie is commonly referred to as 'fat bum' in our house.

After thoroughly wearing out the hounds (and ourselves) we headed back towards home, stopping of course for a traditional fish n chips in the car just as it started pouring again.

Altogether, a wonderful day!

 

Happy Christmas

I think this one picture sums up today...

Now where's that cheese board?



 

 

Cranberry and Ginger Relish

Today I made one of my favourite Christmas recipes. Now I'm not one for copying recipes to my blog as I prefer to link back to the original recipe online, however despite my best efforts I can not find this one anywhere on the web. It's a recipe I cut from a newspaper about 5 years ago so I'm not even able to credit the original writer (sorry). However it's simple and delicious and I really recommend it. You can make it a few days in advance and chill it in a sealed jar.

I adjust the below recipe to make about double and make sure to have a cinnamon stick in each jar for the flavour to infuse over the next couple of days before we eat it with our turkey dinner (yum)!

Ingredients:

300 g Fresh Cranberries

100 ml Water

100 g caster sugar

4 Pieces stem ginger in syrup finely cut into matchsticks

1/2 tsp Ground ginger

1 Cinnamon stick

Directions:

Put the cranberries and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the cranberries begin to pop.

Add the sugar, ginger and cinnamon. Give the mixture a stir to help the sugar dissolve. Cook over a high heat for another 4-5 minutes until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze

Transfer the relish to a bowl and allow to cool. If making ahead, spoon into a sterilised jar while still warm and seal tightly

So what are you waiting for? Go and stock up on some cranberries and get cooking ... you won't regret it!



 

Granny Square Blanket

I'm very pleased to announce that after several months I've finally finished my granny square blanket! I'd never crocheted before starting but I'd been wanting to do something like this for some time and took the opportunity to get a good start on it when I had some unexpected surgery at the end of July. I wrote about my progress at the start of October but since then I seemed to have been stalling a bit with the final stage.

The border, whilst being one of the easiest elements, was also one of the most tedious in that I could crochet for ages and hardly see any change. However I kept at it, not really knowing how much border to add until I finally got to the point where I felt that more would actually be less.

I would love to be able to tell you more detail about the amount of yarn and where I got the pattern but I can't find the YouTube video that got me going, plus I used so many balls of yarn that I stopped counting (mainly so I wouldn't know how much it cost in the end). The yarn I was using has now been discontinued but I have some left so I'm working on a couple of cushion covers based on that pattern to go with the blanket.

I never imagined when I started that it would end up this huge or that I would make quite such a good job of it (even if I do say so myself!). I'm really proud of how it has turned out and it's lovely and warm, just ready in time for these cold winter nights.



 

A Perfect Moment

This week has been simply amazing. I've seen some great entertainment, travelled to London for a few days and spent some wonderful time with friends. So many great memories, but one in particular that will stay in my mind forever....

On Tuesday at the very spot where Paul and I first met, he knelt down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so excited and completely taken by surprise but didn't hesitate to say 'yes!!' It was such a perfect moment ....I don't think either of us have stopped smiling since!

Lost my way again!

Just as I get into a great rhythm of regular blogging I managed to completely fall out of it again and lose my way. Between a couple of rubbish head colds and a ridiculous amount of work I just haven't got back into it. But today I hope to turn the corner again and make sure I make time to write. I have an amazing weekend ahead of me... firstly I started today with a gorgeous but very icy run with a friend, then this evening I'm going to go and see Jimmy Carr live at the Grand Opera House followed by a curry and some drinks.

Finally tomorrow I'm at a charity dinner at lunchtime at an amazing venue then in the evening we're hoping to go and see the Buffalo Skinners - an awesome folk band in town before their singer goes back to America for Christmas with his family.

I hope to take some photos through the weekend and hopefully will take some time to write about it along with some of the other stuff that goes on in my head ;) Fingers crossed this will be the start of me writing regularly again.