Recipe: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I’ve not made these little beauties in ages, but had some lemons left over & you know what they say: when life gives you lemons, make lemon poppyseed muffins! (or grab the vodka!)

Recipe: Gingerbread Christmas Tree Decorations

I made cookie tree decorations last year, but can’t find that recipe (are we getting a firm idea of my organisational skills yet?) so I raided my numerous recipe books and found this one:

Time for a catch up…

So, I’m back, after a ridiculously busy end-of-term: 4 nativities, 3 school plays, 2 office moves and a mildly fun staff par-ty (sing to the tune of ’12 days of Christmas’). All I want to do right now is sleep til the New Year!

I’ve also realised, writing a post everyday is a little unrealistic, so I’ll reduce & combine them, and stop inundating you with mundane ramblings (like this one!). Another reason being: my lovely little computer is still having hissy-fits, so it is taking ages to write a single post, may as well combine them all into weekly posts.

Back to something that may be of interest: I’ve finished two of those chairs I was updating and I love them! The third is still waiting & will go with my dressing table (another bargain buy). I’ll have to put better photos up soon.

I got a brilliant steal in a local charity shop the other week: a huge mirror for over my fireplace for £20 – bargain!! A friend came round today to secure it to the wall – I don’t want to know how many years bad luck I’d have if that thing fell

I’ve also painted some charity shop frames & mirrors for my ‘NOLA eclectic’ hallway, so that’s coming along, too. I’m going to put a gallery update up on those sometime after Christmas (hopefully)

Not much too say on the recipe front. I’ve not been 100% the last few weeks, so my appetite has been zero and I haven’t been able to taste much anyway – rubbish! Not exactly incentive to get in the kitchen 😦 I have just baked some biscuits for tree decorations though. I’m icing & hanging them (on the tree, not as some sort of punishment – they’re not that bad!) tomorrow, so I’ll add them to the gallery update & put the gingerbread recipe up soon.

I’ve also got a jambalaya recipe and a red beans & rice recipe to go up. I can’t taste much at the moment, but turns out Cajun-Creole food has just enough spice to get through my thick skull 🙂

If I can’t get back online tomorrow…

Happy Holidays xxx

 

 

Recipe: Banana Cinnamon Pancakes

The perfect lazy morning breakfast…

I love these pancakes – they always turn out perfect.

You can use the base mix (omit the cinnamon & banana) for plain pancakes or add any flavour combo you want. My other favourite is crispy pancetta, nom nom nom 🙂

I love it when a (business) plan comes together

Has to be the original! Sorry Mr Neeson

Well, almost…

I have started writing a business plan, which, as it turns out, is quite good fun!

I’m not suggesting that it will be a good business plan – one that will have investors dropping to their knees begging to give us shedloads of cash – but it’s helping me get my ideas straight.

I’ve been wanting to open my own coffee shop/restaurant/bar for a while now, but it’s only by writing up this plan that I realised how many ideas & visions I already have for this place.

I could honestly give you a guided tour of it in my imagination – although the layout has adjusted slightly each time I see a new location come up for rent!

It’s interesting finally writing everything down in one place.

Up til now, I have just had this nice little daydream of me & my friends working (happily!) away in this lovely cosy little shop.

It started off as a coffee shop selling tonnes of different cakes (I really like baking, what can I say). Then, after I came back from the states, it turned into almost a diner with so much comfort food! Now I’m adding a bar to my little daydream, I’m not delving into what that says about my subconscious – too scary!. I’ll just reckon it’s because I want a local like the bars in NOLA, and if I have to start a business to get one, then that’s what I’ll do!

If I’m sensible (don’t joke, it sometimes happens), I’ll do this in 3 stages:

1. Small scale coffee/lunch spot, focusing on take-out & delivery
2. Upscale for more seating
3. Extend hours, get a license & start serving up hurricanes & hand-grenades (the cocktails, obviously!) to the unsuspecting locals.

Will all, or any, of this come to fruition? I really hope so.

Now all I have to do is finish a very convincing business plan & finance the whole shindig – or win the lottery, whichever comes first 😉

Wish me luck x

Recipe: Welsh Cakes

So… Friday’s are recipe days. Just in time for a weekend in the kitchen 🙂

And firmly on my list of top ten treats are…WELSH CAKES!!!

There is an amazing little shop down Cardiff Bay called Fabulous Welshcakes (no need to explain what they sell) which is a must-visit for anyone in the area.

But… if you want to be able to make these whenever you want, read on…