Di's Broadcast to the nation!

My daughter had to produce a podcast for part of her Uni course - and I was roped in! I thought you might like a laugh!! Thank goodness my kitchen looks OK as I look a wreck - and I had made an effort at that!! (although trimming my own fringe minutes before filming might not have been the best idea!!). I only did it on the proviso that she photoshop me to look like Audrey Tatou. And "one of your fruits a day" has become another one of my sayings that gets repeated in mocking tones on a regular basis! We did film a complete meal, but the podcast had only to be 2 minutes, so you only see the pudding.

It was really hard to do - and as you will see, Delia and Nigella can rest easy - they certainly have no competition. x

PS My now almost completed wombled and credit crunched kitchen features many of the beautiful gifts that have been bestowed upon me by my equally beautiful "blends" (bloggy friends). Don't they look fab! xx

Mohair Distraction

Just before I put the sewing machine away for Christmas, I turned this luscious vintage mohair scarf bought on my charity shop jaunt with Deb for 99p .....

...into this very designer looking cushion cover for the conservetory.
I did try to wear it Deb, but it was too itchy on my neck!

Family Photographs

I'm supposed to be cleaning the house and finishing off the Christmas Preparations - but I keep getting sidetracked! This morning I stumbled across a box of old family photo's -allow me to share some.

This photograph reminds my sister of the day that mentally scarred her for life - as she STILL "mithers" on about it to this day. We were at our Grandma's house, sat on the wall of her Rose Garden. The dressing up box consisted of only 2 flouncy net underskirts. Playing at "weddings" and being the oldest, and the bride, I decided I needed BOTH underskirts - leaving her to be a bridesmaid in just her duffle coat.

This photograph was taken on a Sunday afternoon stroll through Millhouses Park in Sheffield. It features me - 18months old, my Mum and Dad, both about 21 years old! and my baby brother. I can honestly say that my hubby and I have NEVER been for a walk with the kids in a suit and pearls. Standards have obviously slipped!
I remember the day that this photograph was taken very clearly. I was 5 years old and sat with my brother and my lovely Mama's (mums mum) waiting for Mum to bring home our new baby sister. She had been in hospital for a week and was being brought home in an ambulance - no complication, its just the way the NHS did it in those days.
What a happy family photo! We are on holiday in Blackpool and I'm not happy at all am I!!!
And I often wonder what could have possibly been said in the few seconds that you get between shots in a photo booth to change our faces!
Little brother took no time at all to grow bigger than me! We often looked like twins when we were little - especially as we were dressed in matching homeknitted cardigans!

Another Time

I'm at the stage with my preparations for Christmas where I panic. I do the same every year, I get SUPER organised, and then decide something major - that I know I don't have time for, but I go ahead and try and fit it in anyway! Yesterday, I was laying a new kitchen floor, and today I decided to have a huge sort out of a few drawers. However, I'm so glad I did. I found this.

My Grandad had once been an employee of the Fitzwilliam estate. When he died, we found this amongst some of his belongings. I'm glad I saved it.

As I crank up the heating to keep us cosy, and set about wrapping all the presents and stuff the freezer with food, I am reminded that times would have been very different when Grandiwad (my name for him) received his Christmas letter from his employer back in 1944.

My kitchen this week

Just reporting back that "Herman" cake turned out delicious - so if you are lucky enough to be given a portion of "starter", then give it a go. I dutifuly gave some portions away, but kept one to make another cake in another 10 days time.

The young man has a Christmas job at a local supermarket. He's on fruit and veg, and at the end of his shift marks down the prices. He made me laugh when in his break, he sent me a text that simply said "Cucumbers 2p" - that's my boy!
So I popped in and bought a job lot before I picked him up, and the grandparents will have a home made jar of Cucumber Pickle in their hampers for Christmas.

The only thing that matters at Christmas

Is there anybody out there who can get past the first 3 lines without blubbing with tears and snot and everything!!!! All these ladies have husbands out in Afghanistan.

I heard this for the first time this morning driving to work. My colleagues didn't know what to say when I walked in, and when I tried to explain that I had listened to a song that broke my heart - they looked at each other and still didn't know what to say to me!!

If you forget some ones card, if you buy Aldi mince pies instead of baking your own, if any minor point threatens to ruin your Christmas - just think on.xxxxx

Welbeck Stables

On Saturday, we zipped to the craft and food fair at Welbeck. We didn't have enough time to do it justice, so next year we will definately make sure that we spend a full day here. We only managed to pop into Hope and Elvis (which was looking soooooo tidy!!) to book another course and say hi to Louise, Deb and Debs daughter. Hubby remarked that he could tell why I loved it there. We also managed to sample the finest steak and ale stew with duck fat roast potatoes and take home some gorgeous Stichelton cheese.

I had read that the owner of Welbeck was opening one of the very large Stable blocks, so we took the opportunity to have a nosey in.

The stable blocks are truly awesome buildings.
Stepping inside the stables was eerie. It feels like they were stopped being used a long time ago, and nothing has happened with them since.

The textures inside on the walls and floors were interesting.




The estate is riddled with tunnels built by one of the previous earls. I believe that this one was built so that guests could walk from the house to the stables without getting wet. They didn't even have to get wet riding either as the duke built an indoor riding school too.
We marvelled at the wealth that these Dukes and Earls must have had, and the fun they must have had showing off.