Thursday, 8 May 2014
Loo Roll Octopus
Urgh. The rain is back. So, stuck indoors, we made these octopus' today..... what is the plural of octopus?! Octopae?!
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Snapshots
Four day weeks are awesome. The long weekend made time for lots of activities. I had a rare day to myself (thanks Ru) which allowed me to head down to Exeter for a girly supper party, a coffee on my own, lunch with an old friend, clothes shopping where I actually got to try on some jeans and I listened to Radio 4 in the car instead of Old Macdonald! I know, pathetic, but it really felt like a treat! Ru played in a local cricket match while we sunbathed and ate cream tea on the boundary, we went to beach for some kite flying and crab hunting and we still had time for some slug out on the sofa at home. Why can't we have a Bank Holiday every week?!
 |
| Lentil |
 |
| broom broom |
 |
| mini shark? |
 |
| crab hunting |
 |
| these legs were made for dancin' |
 |
| Dunster Beach |
 |
| the famille |
 |
| Mo |
 |
| Howzat!! |
 |
| 3mins 45 secs. Not a moment less, not a moment more. |
 |
| Still looking for crabs..... at least Ru enjoyed the kite flying! |
 |
| colourful |
 |
| listening to the sea |
 |
| moooody |
 |
| piglets |
 |
| good old English summer |
Monday, 5 May 2014
Coconut and Lime Loaf
Here is a guilt-free (well, if you ignore the sugar...) cake to add to your sweet treat repetoire. I cannot pretend to understand the ins and outs of baking but I think it replaces fat with 0% greek yoghurt.... but whatever the secret is, it's a goodun'! It is taken from Lorraine Pascale's A Lighter Way to Bake....
Lime Sugar Syrup
- Ingredients
- 175g (6oz) plain flour
- 50g (2oz) desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp baking powder
- tiny pinch of salt
- 1 medium egg
- 200g (7oz) no-fat Greek yogurt
- 75g (3oz) soft light brown sugar
- zest and juice of 1 lime (wash in hot soapy water to get rid of the wax before using)
- seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Lime Sugar Syrup
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- zest and juice of 1 lime (washed and dried)
-Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C), 350F, gas mark 4 and line a 22cm x 10cm (81⁄2 in x 4in) loaf tin with baking parchment. I make sure that the paper overlaps a little bit, which makes it
much easier to remove the loaf from the tin once it is cooked.
much easier to remove the loaf from the tin once it is cooked.
-Toss the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat the egg lightly in a medium bowl, and then whisk in the yogurt, sugar, lime juice and zest and the vanilla seeds or extract. Mix the wet mixture into the dry ingredients to give a wet dropping consistency. It is important to do this with as few stirs as possible so the flour doesn’t get overworked, which would result in quite a tough loaf. Pour the mixture into the tin and spread and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
-Make the lime sugar syrup about 5 minutes before the loaf is baked. Put the sugar and lime juice in a small pan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then turn up the heat and let it bubble away for 30 seconds to 1 minute until syrupy. Remove from the heat, stir the lime zest in and set aside to infuse and thicken up a little more.
-Once the loaf is cooked, remove from the oven and brush with the lime sugar syrup. Leave the loaf to stand in the tin for a few minutes before lifting out and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy warm or cold.
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Snapshots
I cannot believe it is Tuesday. I have no idea why but time is definitely on fast forward at the moment...... last week we kicked about at home, ate some yummy food, saw friends.......mmmmmmmm .... it was a good one but is now a bit of a blur...... anyhooooooo here are some snapshots.
 |
| Bracket and Lenny. Buds. |
 |
| move Mum - I cant see Noddy... |
 |
| Ru very proud of these tulips |
 |
| lunch of the day. Avocado and lime on sourdough with fried egg and lashings of salt and pepper. |
 |
| sunny chaps and me |
 |
| Big Boy pants. Big step. |
 |
| whatch'u lookin' at? |
 |
| checking progress |
 |
| shadow |
 |
| cleanliness is close to.... |
 |
| Lenny insisted Mo was the superhero. MELT. |
 |
| welcome home swallows |
 |
| Lenny's tomatoes he planted |
Friday, 25 April 2014
Beautiful Bits and Bobs for the Bubs
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Professionals - Alice Cowen
Star Sign?
Leo
Favourite book?
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me - Maya Angelou, illustrations by Jean - Michel Basquiat
If you won the lottery what would you do 1st?
Buy tickets to glastonbury fest 2014 and buy my dream home!
Best Monday night supper?
Macaroni Cheese, peas and ketchup
Funniest film?
The Big Lebowski
Cannot live without?
Fingerless gloves and sunglasses
What does First Take Baby do?
First Take Baby takes all of the video clips and photos that you have taken over the first year of your baby’s life and consolidates it into an accessible short montage to music. Images and video that would have probably remained on hard drives and memory cards come to life in a short film which can be shared or gifted by friends and loved ones. A perfect Christening present, Mothers and Fathers day gift, or to send to Granny and Grandpa for them to show off their grand child!
How did you come up with the idea for First Take Baby?
My boyfriend angus did a video of our son Indigo and I thought it would make a good business.
Who actually edits the photos and clips into my film?
Angus
Where did Angus learn to edit?
His background is in film production so naturally he was the man for the job!
I am a bit nervous about sending my video clips and pictures to a stranger - should I be?
I totally understand the sensitivity regarding images of your children, we are therefore DBS checked. Remember you only send us images that you want to end up in the final video, once the video is complete we securely delete all of the files you sent us and you and only you decides who gets to see the video.
What about the music, is it licensed?
Absoulutely we have a Limited Manufacture Licence that covers it.
How long does it take to make my video?
This can depend on how much footage and how long you want the end product to be, but approximately 4 weeks
Will it appear on your website?
Only if you allow us to show it, otherwise it will be password protected.
How much does it cost?
Prices start from £250, again it depends on the amount of footage and intended length.
Can I get more than 1 memory stick with the final video on it?
You can have as many as you like!
To find out more about First Take Baby and see Alice and Angus' son Indigo's first year film visit their website - FIRST TAKE BABY
 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)