Sharing the love on Monday

Hello to one and all, I am sharing some love with you all today on this cloudy but decidedly muggy Monday shout out blog-post. I thought for my Monday shouts today I'd take a bit of a different approach and instead of looking at individual blogs and waxing lyrical about them I'd share bits and bobs from different blogs that I love. I get so many of my DIY, craft, gift and arty ideas from pictures people post on their blogs and also from my Mecca of inspiration- Pinterest (feel free to follow me and my pins on Pinterest). I have linked the photos to the blog post they came from (or the actual blog for some of them), so if any make you feel the love click on them to see more!

Love this idea for a party!

LOVE these bangles!! Just ordered some shrinky plastic to make some of these!

I love this woman-her blog is fabulous!

Love this as a gift idea...maybe a teacher's gift?

I Love Macaroons!

Love this table setting!

Love this one too!

How can anyone not love Pie in a Jar!

Red velvet cupcake in a jar...love it!

Salted caramel sauce...what's not to love about that!

I love this cushion!

My new love...doodling!

Wow! I'd love some of these for dessert tonight!

mmmmmmmm I love Stromboli!

I love this list...I have kind of started to do my housework like this...hmmm I would love if I could stick to it!

Well that is but a small selection of the ideas I love from blogs I love.

What gets you feeling the love?

Hope you are having a love filled Monday wherever you may be. Thanks for stopping by.

xx P xx

Love this quote!

White chocolate and blueberry scones

This is one of my favourite recipes to make and quite a few people have asked for the recipe recently....so here it is. They are simple to make and taste delish!!!
Start with a simple scone recipe- I use Mary Berry's Best ever Scone recipe but any plain scone recipe you have would be fine.

The secret to a good scone is not to handle the mixture too much and to make the dough on the wet, sticky side.

450g plain flour
2 rounded tsp of baking powder
75g butter
50g caster sugar
2 large eggs
about 225mls of milk
1 punnet of blueberries
1 200g block of white chocolate chopped into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
In a bowl rub together with your finger tips the flour, baking powder and butter until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar.

 Beat the eggs together and add enough milk to make it up to 300mls (keep about 2Tbsp aside for glazing the scones)

 Gradually add the egg mixture until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. During this time I add the punnet of blueberries and chopped white chocolate to the mixture.

Turn the wet, sticky dough onto a well floured board and flatten out to about 1-2cm. I use the palm of my hand to do this as a rolling pin doesn't work so well on the sticky mixture.

Using a 5cm fluted cutter stamp out the scones and place them on to a tray covered with baking parchment.

Brush the top of each scone with the egg mixture you put aside before. Ensure you cover all the tops as anything that isn't given this egg wash stays white and not glossy and golden as they should be.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 mins until golden brown. When done transfer to a wire rack covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist.

They aren't the best looking, cook book style scones. They don't seem to rise as much with the added extras in them. But the proof is in the tasting and believe me these taste absolutely fantastic!

These should be eaten as fresh as possible they are gorgeous when they are still warm. If you make loads and don't use them all they can be frozen and reheated (from frozen) in a moderate oven for about 10 mins.

Well happy baking, would love to hear from anyone that has a go and makes these if yours rose or were they a bit flat like mine? Anyone have any scone making tricks they can share, I'd love to hear from you!!

xx P xx

Tiny gingerbread lady for my tiny coffee cup

Tiny gingerbread lady on a tiny espresso.

Well the time is 2:11 in the afternoon and I am yet to get out of my Jammies. They have now been re-classed as a lounging suit which I think makes me seem less lazy and more relaxed (well in my head anyway). O2 had a sleep over with my bestest godson last night so both boys have been lounging in their "lounge suits" all day too. Despite outward appearances we have been quite productive - I have made a big batch of Biscotti ready to be devoured with coffee this afternoon and the boys helped me to make gingerbread cookies;so the house is filled with delicious smells of biscuits and coffee brewing.

 For todays photo challenge- brief Tiny- I made some tiny little gingerbread couples. I put a wee slit in them so I could balance them on my coffee cup and have taken a pic of one of a gingerbread lady on my fav espresso cups that I found in a charity shop about a year ago (4 cups with matching saucers for £4, BARGAIN!) I think she fits the tiny brief very well.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Thursday and is ready for the Easter weekend celebrations. We have eggs ready for hunting and fish for tomorrow nights dinner...not sure what we'll do for Sunday lunch, something roasted no doubt.

xxPxx

tis the season to bake, bake, bake!!!

Well the Christmas season is mearly at an end, new years eve tomorrow. Am looking forward to lunch with the girls to celebrate the New Year as we have different plans for the evening. Lunch at Irmas-can't wait!

2010 saw so many changes for me one of the biggest being my new found love of baking! Pregnancy brain made me love it and even after Oly arrived the desire is still there. Weird as I used to loath baking- didn't mind the end result but all the beginning part AHHHHH! No longer though... I am a baking addict and the christmas season was a perfect excuse to indulge.

I made Osk's teacher's some cookies with lovely homemade jammy centres- and was able to use my new Martha Stewart gift boxes I ordered from the States (they have amazing stuff there!) Thank you Two Peas in a Bucket for your amazing products and great service!!! They all looked very festive!
Then Osk and I made a cookie Christmas tree- so easy and looked very professional- with glitter and "snow" sprinkled over it. I got the cutter set from Cox and Cox which has become my new fav site and I am slowly working my way through the catalogue and making a good dent in my bank account- everything is just so pretty!!! The tree made a great gift to take to Christmas mulled wine with friends and was quickly devoured by the kids.
Next was my "piped" icing cookies using the piping set I got for christmas. If I say so myself they looked quite good once I'd got the hang of it and I'm looking forward to using it again!

All this baking and other over induging has rather left me wanting (a slimmer waist line that is) so although I never do New Years resolutions I must get back into routine and get active again!!! No more school runs in the car! Getting out the Wii Fit in the hopes that may help a bit!!?? Not giving up on the baking though too much fun and far to many yummy results for that!

Christmas cookie tree

"Henna" iced belguim biscuits

I had lots of fun icing these icicle cookies

I finally finished painting the conservatory.

The wall paper samples worked a treat covering up the old light fitting marks!