penny pinching pudding

my husband and i love dessert.  we HAVE to have dessert on a friday night, saturday night and sunday night.  just have to.  it's not the weekend without dessert.  however as we need to be a tad more budget conscious at the moment {i am on unpaid maternity leave} i thought i should make more of an effort to make dessert myself every now and then instead of just buying ben & jerry's and the likes.

so i leafed through my considerable collection of cookbooks in search of something that didn't require tons of butter, eggs and/or good quality chocolate as those things add up too.  i made this banana butterscotch pudding which was SO good.  and SO easy.  and pretty cheap considering it's made mainly from store cupboard ingredients.  and it's a good way to use up a lonely over ripe banana that's hanging around.  i also choose to believe that being made with banana, it counts as one of my five-a-day.

this is one of those puddings that sort of splits into a sticky sponge and syrupy sauce when you bake it.  and it is rib-stickingly good but it is physically impossible to eat a large portion {that's saying something, coming from us} so we managed to get six helpings out of this and stretched it over three nights.  budget friendly and tummy friendly.  win win.

do you have any budget friendly desserts you want to share?

9/52

a portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2013

// 9/52 this little person looks just like her daddy.  i love looking at the two of them together: two peas in a pod.

my friend told me that 10 months was a very significant development time for her little one and it seems to be true for this one too.  every day she is mastering something new.  we've gone from taking two wobbly steps to always wanting to try walking and now managing five or so shaky steps on her own before landing on her bum.  and this morning she was successfully feeding herself with a spoon, loading it by dipping it into her porridge and then eating it with a look of "how clever am i, mum?" on her face.  food is very important to her, after all.  and the babbling.  oh the babbling.  that is probably my favourite thing.  i love listening to her cute little voice making new sounds and mimicking what she hears.

i loved the suggestions some of you posted last week for ideas of what to do with all of these portraits.  i think i may well be embarking on more than one project with them when the year is through.

the power of pointing

this little person has recently mastered the point.  that little baby finger loves nothing better than to point at stuff.  and she has learned that she can point at something she wants and sometimes get it.  so she has discovered the true power of the point.  the only trouble is, she gets pretty annoyed when she points at something i won't let her have.  right now she thinks that pointing should immediately produce results, every time.

however, it is a very adorable point.  my favourite point she does is when either of us get her out of bed and onto our laps, she points at her stuffed peter rabbit {or peter bunny as we call him}.  she gives him a quick cuddle, throws him on the floor and then points at pru {the bunny i made for her}.  again, quick cuddle and throw to the floor.  she then leans right over to look at the pair of them on the floor and yep, you guessed it, points at them for me to retrieve.  i haven't yet tired of this little game as it's pretty darn cute.

this & that

  

blogging is so often about only sharing the good bits of your life and in many respects i don't think that's a bad thing as i'm all for focusing on the positive.  however, i do think it is nice to give a little insight from time to time into the less than perfect part of our reality.  like when i told you about our dilapidated house.  so although i was tempted not to post pictures of sunday's cake this week, i decided why not?  yes, it is sunken.  yes it is a tad on the damp side.  yes, most of the raspberries and chocolate chips sunk to the bottom.  yes, it serves to illustrate the lesson i learnt this weekend: i'm really not so competent a baker that i can wing it, mess with a recipe and always come out with perfect results.  but while this cake doesn't look especially pretty, it does taste good and that's what really matters after all.

glimpses of our weekend:

// 1. sunday's cake: looked so promising before it went in the oven
// 2. sunday's cake less than successful cake: sunken, squidgy and not very cakey.
// 3. husband can usually be found outside, building a garage on any given weekend.
// 4. i've said it before, but check out those eyelashes!
// 5. it seems Ava has developed a taste for stuffed animal
// 6. this little person leaves trails of strewn toys in her wake

this little person... took her first steps

 

// this was from a few weeks ago.  please excuse the poor quality video!  //

we had a big day in this little house yesterday; although Ava has been pushing around her walker for a few weeks now {see video above for one of her first attempts}, yesterday she took her first unaided steps.  TWO WHOLE STEPS!!!

i've said it before and i'll say it again: they grow up SO FAST!  and every new skill mastered is so bitter sweet for me.  this little person seems so determined to do everything early too.  i realise that i don't have long at all now before she is literally running around the house.

so i didn't get her first steps on camera but i did get some photos of her busy in her nursery yesterday.  she is not the sort of baby to just sit, she must be busy busy busy at all times.  love that busy baby.

08/52

a portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2013

// 8/52 this little person is so much fun but is changing WAY TOO FAST.  slow down little one, mummy can't keep up!!

even though we are only eight weeks into this project i have started trying to think of what i might do with all of the photos when i finish.  it would be nice to print them and do something with them.

any ideas?

better skin plan

// i have just spent half an hour trawling through my computer folders searching for a photo of a fruit salad that i took but have annoyingly lost it.  you'll have to make do with a photo of orange juice for now. //

one thing i miss about being pregnant {apart from people just being sooo nice to you} is the amazing glowing clear skin.  my skin isn't bad now as such but it is feeling the toll of cold weather and central heating.  not to mention my tendency to drink far too much tea and not nearly enough water.  and when i say tea, i mean strong english breakfast tea, very milky and quite sweet.

although i suspect hormones were 95% responsible for the amazing skin i had when i was pregnant, i am attempting to get that healthy skin glow back.  without fake tan or getting pregnant again, that is, and by mimicking my pregnancy diet {but not the eating vast quantities of chocolate part}.

when i was pregnant my only craving was cold fruit.  had to be super duper fridge cold and had to be available in abundance.  i'm sure i ate my {considerable} body weight in fruit most days.  and i was thirsty all the time.  sooo thirsty.  so i downed several pints of water each day.  therefore my plan is to up my fruit and vegetable intake, up my water intake, and swap a couple of my usual cups of tea each day for some kind of fruit juice, herbal tea or green tea {my favourite is lemon and ginger}.  i'm not going to cut out anything else lest this starts to feel too much like a diet and i am allergic to diets.  i'm hoping that making these changes will result in better skin.  i read somewhere that increasing the amount of beta-carotene containing fruits and vegetables {like pumpkin, spinach, peaches and kale - think oranges or dark greens} by two portions each day you can actually see a visible "glow" in your skin due to the pigments in the fruit and veg. we'll see.  and if not, i'll hopefully just feel generally healthier.

*important note: the baking of and consumption of sunday's cake will in no way be impeded*

this & that

 

hurrah the sun's out!!! i keep getting over excited at this short spell of sunshine we're having and thinking it is spring already.  then i realise it is still far too cold for sitting outside at cafes, not wearing a coat and suchlike.  it's still prrrrettty cold.

there's something about the first signs of spring that makes me want to get organised.  i feel like doing a big spring clean and sorting the house out top to bottom, finding a place for everything and throwing out a load of stuff.  mainly i day dream about being more organised; i peruse pinterest and find excellent ideas for organising your home.  and then i never quite seem to get around to it.  this time last year my nesting instinct had kicked in in a BIG way and i cleaned and decluttered like never before.  this year, with my little on-the-go companion who is more of a de-organiser {did i just invent a new word?} i don't hold much hope for this messy little house.

so seeing as so far no reorganising has been going on, the action it seems has centred around the three B's: baking, books and babies:

//1. & 2. i seem to have been baking a lot with almonds lately.  not entirely sure why.  my husband requested a cherry bakewell tart as his birthday cake {i know, not really a cake.  i had grand plans to really go to town with some icing and maybe even cake bunting until i heard his request.  oh well.}.  and sunday's cake was in fact sunday's cupcakes, again with the almonds.

// 3. i finally finished Daniel Deronda, which i really enjoyed but i wanted something to read next that would be a really quick read, a real page turner.  i certainly found it in this book: Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child.  it is the antithesis of Daniel Deronda.  as you can see i have a pretty eclectic taste in books, i'll read pretty much anything so long as someone i know tells me it is good.  this one of those don't-wanna-put-it-down-even-though-i-should-have-been-asleep-hours-ago books.  i have never read any of Lee Child's books before but i already have a second lined up.  sometimes when it has taken me forever to plough through a book i seem to want to make up for lost time by devouring a couple of quick reads.

// 4., 5. & 6. Ava and my best friend's son having a tea party.  love watching those two play!

this little crafter... gets it from her mother

// the bird and sun can be tucked away behind the glittery hills - love it! //

 

// like a paper doll but better! //

// those teeny tiny buttons on the shoes just kill me they're so cute //

i love crafts.  i don't have much time for them these days, but goodness me do i love a little craft project.  and i owe this to my mother - uber crafter extraordinaire.  my mum has art in her blood i think. cut her and she might bleed paint, pinking shears and felt.  she is just one of those fabulous creative types and we were always doing something fun and arty together when i was a kid.  and she has an entire cupboard dedicated to housing all manner of art and craft supplies at her place.

now that she has a grandchild she has spent many an hour making beautiful things for my little one.  she's even very obliging and will whizz up things like beanbag covers and play mats on request.  not to mention the crochet blanket which was supposed to be my project and that she and my nan finished without so much as a single chain or a slip stitch from me {i made one paltry square which was of such inferior quality it could not be incorporated into our granny square blanket}.

so here we have her latest accomplishment: a tactile book for Ava.  isn't it amazing??  Ava loves it, although i have to keep my eagle eye on her when playing with it as she wants to eat the doll's clothes but i love that this book will keep her{and me!} amused as she grows.  Ava is so lucky her nan loves crafts!

happy friday everyone, have a crafty weekend ;)

happy valentine's day to you all!

//  really upset these socks don't fit Ava - perfect valentine's day socks! //

on this day of love, i thought i would share the love by taking a moment to thank everyone who reads this humble little blog.  although i have not been blogging for long, i have been overwhelmed by how kind the comments have been and i am very grateful to anyone who has taken the time to stop by and check in to see what we have been up to in this little house.

in a short time of blogging i have already begun to forge friendships with fellow bloggers and non blogging readers with similar interests, people from all over the globe.  although this here internet can be the source of the distasteful, the despicable and the downright evil at times, it can also be a source of mutual support, friendship, comfort and inspiration and i think it is pretty wonderful for that.

so YOU THERE, reading this, i'm talking to you and sending you a virtual hug to say thanks for stopping by!

and i'm going to go now as i think i may be on the brink {or already over the brink} of getting too gushy...

7/52

a portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2013

// 7/52 apparently yoghurt makes and excellent hair styling product

i love my messy little eater.   yes, it takes me forever to clean up after every meal and yes, despite covering Ava with a sleeved bib and a tea towel over her legs she still manages to get food stains all over her clothes {and often mine}; but watching her have fun with her food and seeing what an amazing appetite and adventurous palette she has makes it all worth while.

pancake day!

happy shrove tuesday - or more importantly, PANCAKE DAY - everyone!

i am celebrating by devouring an oven puffed pancake {heart shaped because, well it's valentines day soon and why not?} for my lunch.  i got the recipe from the rockstar diaries blog ages ago and have somehow never got round to making it.  it is fantastically easy so i fear i see many an oven puffed pancake in my future.  i love pancakes in every guise: the thick north american kind with maple syrup and bacon, the thin delicate french crepes, savoury fillings, sweet toppings; you name a pancake, i'll eat it.  so i am pleased to have added another one to my repertoire.  i can't wait until next year when i can get Ava to help make pancakes with me.

i am eating it as i type this.  it's kind of like a sweet yorkshire pudding and that's no bad thing in my book.  it's really rather good.

what kind of pancakes are you having today?

this & that

 

a few glimpses of the happenings in and around this little house recently:

// 1. 2. & 3. we've been celebrating my husband's birthday over the weekend by ordering in thai food and drinking champagne with my parents on saturday night and then we had our first family dinner out together last night.  we've been out to eat with Ava before but it is usually lunch and this is the first time she has sat and eaten dinner with us.  she had a wail of a time eating spicy {mildly spicy, that is} chicken, watching the waiting staff and bopping to the loud music and we had a great time chatting and laughing at Ava.  although we handed her a couple of spoons loaded with sweet potato, she happily sat there feeding herself chicken and pitta bread and yet again i was thankful for baby led weaning and the double benefits of having her joining in and being part of the meal and also being able to eat my own food at the same time.

// 4. there's no sunday's cake this week as there was a saturday pavlova and there will be a monday's {birthday} cake instead but i did manage to get a shot of a very small part of our thai food before hunger took over and i ditched my camera.

// 5. went shopping with the intention of buying birthday presents for my husband.  bought him a couple things but somehow managed to pick up a scarf for myself too.  strange how that happens.

// 6. yes, that's right, i wrapped hubby's presents in newspaper.  i think the addition of string makes for some manly gift wrap.  plus i'm saving pennies and helping the planet a smidgen by recycling. win win.  {i even managed to wrap one present in an article on architect Oscar Niemeyer whose work we admired in Brazil, so it is an interesting read too!}

valentine baking

i don't usually post on a weekend, but it's wet miserable outside so why not?  and add to that the astounding fact that Ava went down for her nap without any trouble despite my neighbours having their concrete driveway drilled up.  MIRACLE.

so what better use of a damp saturday afternoon than to bake one of my all time favourite desserts for my valentine?  behold, the dark chocolate and morello cherry pavlova!  isn't she a beauty?  and what says "i love you" more than cherries and chocolate?  i'm sure i don't know.  ok, so it is just as much a valentine treat for me as it is for the hubby, but who cares.

i don't usually post recipes but in case you want to make this for your beloved {or yourself} i thought i would tell you just how easy it is.  this is my own recipe, adapted from a nigella recipe {i think i improved it, but don't tell nigella i said that}.  to the uninitiated, a chocolate meringue might look fancy and tricky but it is not.  there is just one trick to ensure the success of this pavlova by creating a crisp meringue exterior and chewy chocolatey marshmallowy centre: when the meringue is cooked, turn off the oven and open the oven door a little and leave it like that until it is completely cool.  i know it is hard to restrain yourself from diving right in, but it is worth the wait.

so to make this beauty yourself you will need:

// for the chocolate meringue

6 egg whites
300g or 1 1/3 cup caster sugar
50g chopped dark chocolate {green & black's for preference, but must be good quality high % cocoa}
3 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved
1 tsp balsamic vinegar {trust me}

// for the top of the pavlova

300ml + 200 ml double cream
1 jar of morello cherries in syrup {you could probably use tinned too}
100g dark chocolate, chopped {same stipulation as above}

// make the meringue

1. preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and with an electric whisk beat the egg whites until they are stiff and shiny and peaks are forming
2. beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until all the sugar is combined and the meringue is stiff and glossy
3. sprinkle over the cocoa powder, chopped chocolate and vinegar and fold in with a metal spoon {that bit is important} until combined
4. tip onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment
5. spread into a circle or rectangle {or heart!} shape, whichever you prefer but make sure it isn't too flat as it will sink a little when it cools after cooking
6. put in the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 150 degrees celsius
7. cook for an hour and then turn off the oven and open the door and wait {around an hour}
8. slide off of the baking parchment onto a plate

// make the chocolate drizzle

1. finely chop the 100g of dark chocolate
2. heat the 200ml of double cream in a pan over a medium heat until just beginning to boil and then pour over the chocolate.
3. leave to stand for 5 minutes then stir to combine

// finish the pavlova

1. with an electric whisk {or by hand if you fancy a workout} whisk the 300ml of cream until thick and just starting to form peaks but be careful not to over whip
2. pile the cream onto the meringue
3. drain the cherries and scatter over the whipped cream
4. drizzle over the chocolate sauce

// devour greedily

romantic reads

i was planning a valentine's day gift guide but let's be honest, it's all pretty cliché.   i am a big fan of the home-made card or gift or something free but thoughtful, like having a bubble bath and glass of wine waiting for me.  or just spending plain old quality time with my hubby.  to me that's romance.

however, when i was thinking of valentine gifts, one idea that kept cropping up was a good book which stirs up feelings of passion or romance.  not trashy romantic fiction along the lines of mills & boon i hasten to add {although one of my recommendations in particular is less than literary!}.  so i thought, why not recommend some romantic reads?  above are five books, all of which i have read {two of which i have read twice} and enjoyed and which have been enjoyed by all friends who have borrowed them.

// 1. the bronze horseman by paullina simons: one that i have read twice.  this tale of love against all odds set amidst the siege of Leningrad was as educational as it was romantic for me {i know next to nothing of history unfortunately}. i found the insight into every day life in communist Russia during the war fascinating.  and the lead male character is pretty close to perfection in my mind.  so so good.

// 2. pride & prejudice by jane austen: the other that has been twice - possibly thrice - read.  you can't beat a bit of austen for some restrained romance.  but oh, mr darcy's speech!  gets me every time.

// 3. frenchman's creek by daphne du maurier: my copy is a dog-eared 1960s penguin edition with a fabulous vintage cover.  i picked this up in my local second hand book shop, excited to find a du maurier i hadn't already read and i was not disappointed.  love, pirates, scandal; delivers on all fronts.

// 4. twilight by stephanie meyer: guilty pleasure alert!  yes, i am a grown woman and should know better, but i loved being taken back to that time of teenage angst and being achingly in love.

// 5. here at the end of the world we learn to dance by lloyd jones: this spans both the globe and considerable years but much of it centres around the passion and heat of the tango in Argentina.  made me want to hop on a plane to Buenos Aires and take some lessons. 

can you recommend any romantic reads?

happy friday!

what's black, white and red all over?

jumper asda, jeans primark {they don't sell online, but topshop do very similar}, shoes florence & fred {not in stock any more but new look have similar}, scarf house of fraser

... me apparently.

so my mum came over and said "cute outfit, why don't we photograph it" and i said "ok" so we dashed outside, having only 10 minutes before i needed to give Ava her lunch {she's got my cranky-when-hungry genes so you cannot, i repeat, cannot be late with meals}.

we learnt two things from this brief shoot: firstly that shooting near noon does not give good light to your photography and creates pesky harsh shadows and bleached out faces {see} and secondly that i really need to pay more attention to people's poses in their outfit shots.

at any rate, when i'm not wearing a layered dress + cardigan combo type outfit, i am generally to be found in skinny jeans and ballet pumps.  that is if i am outside of the house.  inside is another matter and invariably involves pjs, leggings or sweats, but shhhh don't tell anyone, i am keen to keep up the illusion of looking half decent at all times...