Chicken, Arrowroot and Gingerbread Muffins

Q: What do you get when you combine, chicken, arrowroot and gingerbread muffins?
A: A very eventful Saturday!

I wasn’t meant to blog again today – My Daring Bakers took care of that (and besides I have way too much housework to do). But some of today's events were too good to forget!

First of all this lady arrived....

with this little guy....

and this one.....

In fact, we are now the proud owners of a mother hen and eight little chicks! (Names anyone?)

Then, while I was playing the domestic goddess and baking gingerbread muffins this little guy did this!!!!!!!!!!

Boy did he enjoy himself.

What's the matter mummy?

I just concentrated on my baking for 3 SECS and that's what happened!

Well, at least I had gingerbread muffins to console me.

Gingerbread Muffins

250g plain flour

½ teaspoon bicarb of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder1

½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg

50g dark muscovado sugar

50g light muscovado sugar

150ml full-fat milk

¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil

4 tablespoons golden syrup

4 tablespoons black treacle.

Preheat oven to 200c.

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin papers.Combine the flour, bicarb, baking powder & spices in a large bowl. Whisk the egg in a large measuring jug then add the sugars, breaking up any large lumps. Add the milk and vinegar then measure in the oil with a tablespoon. Use the same oily spoon to add the syrup & treacle so they don’t stick to it. Whisk the mixture to combine and add to the flour mix. Stir until mixed but still fairly lumpy. Spoon into muffin papers & bake for about 20 minutes until the tops are dry.

(I made half the mixture to produce 6 muffins)

I found a Strawberry!

Daddy, you know that wee flowerbed you have in the corner of the garden....

and you know the strawberry bush you have in the corner of it?

Well, guess what I found on it this morning......... a STRAWBERRY!!!!

You know how much I like strawberries!

And then mummy came running so I shoved it all in!

What?! Me?! Eating?!

But don't worry Daddy I left one for you. xoxo

Everytime 'we' unpack the shopping, Jacob manages to find a new toy in amongst it. One week there was the tomato, last week it was toilet roll .....


and now this week it's nappies.


There was biting...

wrestling....

rolling.....

and lifting...

....and it was all so much fun!! (Oh, and we had a little builder's bum too!!)

Snapping Clothes Pegs

Q: How does a busy Mum trying to make dinner entertain her 1 year old?

A: Let him pull apart all the clothes pegs one by one!

First, take it by the two prongs....

get a tight grip.....

pull hard.....

harder....

snap!!! Mission accomplished.

Now start again....

This occupied Jacob for an amzing 25mins!

The Chocolate Thief

I am a member of Hotel Chocolate's Tasting Club which means that every so often I get a relatively expensive box of fine chocolates. I tend to keep them tucked away out of sight ("Out of sight, out of mind.") However, that little 1-year-old monkey that I have tootling about the house spotted the box today and he knew that the contents were worth getting his hands on. So I watched as he pulled the box out of is hidey-hole, and wrestled with it until he had it open....

Decisions, decisions.

I've just been rumbled.

Is this a look of guilt or what?

Oh well, at least he has good taste in chocolate!
P.S. The sweets were blueberry and white chocolate in case you're wondering about the colour!

Happy Birthday Monkey

I just can't believe that this little guy is now this:

And that a whole year has passed. We've done a lot of reminiscing over the past few days.

You're a precious wee man and it's been a brilliant year.

(Despite following Jacob round yesterday with a camera trying to capture the perfect photo of him on his 1st birthday I have only one photo worth showing! I know this should have been posted on his birthday (yesterday) but events just ran away with me. )

Summertime

has finally arrived! It's just as if someone has flicked a switch from winter to summer. Last week was cold and wet but the glorious weather we have waited months for is finally here and that means....

Sunglasses...

Sunhats....

and Sunloungers.