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Wednesday 27 March 2013

Hot Cross Buns

I decided really on a whim to make some hot cross buns this year for Easter. I had made some years ago but they hadn't been particularly successful. I thought well why not try again.This time I must say I am very pleased with the results. If you want to try yourself here's the recipe I used.   

Ingredients 














200 ml Milk
50 g Unsalted butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract.
2 tsp Dried yeast
100 g Caster sugar
500 g Strong white flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp  Mixed spice.
! tsp Cinnamon 
175 g Dried Fruit
1 Egg

2 tbsp Plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar

Method

Warm milk butter and vanilla extract in a pan or microwave just until butter has melted.

Then add yeast and a tablespoon of sugar and mix. Then cover and allow to ferment for 10 minutes.



Put the rest of the sugar flour and mixed spices and cinnamon in bowl stir together.

Add egg and yeasty milk


Mix thoroughly and then knead for 10 minutes. Then stretch out to form a rectangle and scatter over the fruit. 



Knead in the fruit then place in a bowl cover with cling film and place in a warm location and leave to prove for 2 hours.



Once the mixture has doubled in size remove from bowl knock back then divide dough into 10 or 12 pieces.

Shape into balls and  place on a baking sheet cover with cling film and then return to warm location to allow to prove for another 1-2 hours.

Pre heat oven to 220 C, 425 F or Gas Mark 5



Create flour paste by adding the plain flour sugar and water and mixing together.


Once buns have doubled in size coat with a egg glaze and then add a cross to the top of the bun with a piping bag.



Place in the oven and cook for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes and store for 2 days max in air tight container.



Lovely served warm with butter.

They look good and they taste yummy.

Saturday 23 March 2013

New Blog to Follow

My son has just begun his new blog its in its infancy so only one post so far but more will follow. You'll find there will be some fabulous art on show, this is just the beginning. If you are interested please go and take a look at  http://darksagarises.blogspot.co.uk/


His take on two of Batman's adversaries

Friday 22 March 2013

Following Blogs

Dear all who follow my blog. I have just been advised that soon Google intend to dispense with the facility all us blogger use to keep track of the blogs we follow and those who follow us. I really do not understand what this means or how this will affect blogging. I however have been advised to join Bloglovin to ensure at least I can follow all the blogs I currently follow.

So if anyone is following my blog you can still do so via Bloglovin or alternatively Hellocotton. I'd like to think some will consider still following me at one of these sites.

I really don't understand why Google are doing this and what are the implications for blogspot I hope this won't change too

Thursday 21 March 2013

Pages, pages, pages

I decided to have a go at the Scrapology scraplift challenge.I loved the idea of the layout I thought it was fab. My layout isn't exactly like the others I have seen, as they have used flowers which all look beautiful. 

My page is rather masculine, I've got cogs and wheels and looks of black and white. Well I am still going to summit it to the challenge as I like it and am pleased with the end result, what do you all think.

   
Just so close ups

The picture was taken in Plymouth at the ground breaking for the new energy from waste development and this would hardly have lent its self to flowers and ribbons would it.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Blog Candy Give Away

Well folks I thought as a pre- Easter treat I try a blog candy giveaway. I was feeling buoyed and full of goodwill following my Liebester Award.... ha ha.
Anyway here it is 
An assortment of bits including 12 x 12 card and paper borders charms etc.

To have a chance of winning this candy all you have to do is.


1 Follow this blog. (if you're not already a follower it doesn't take long)

2. Put a post on your blog about this candy giveaway and put a link to this blog.

3. Make a comment on this blog. Hopefully a nice one.

To qualify for a chance to win this candy follow blog and make necessary posts by  30th April  2013. A draw will take place and winner notified by May 3rd 2013.

Monday 11 March 2013

An Award...........wowee!

I would like to thank Pauline on http://mrsocraftyblog.blogspot.co.uk/  who has very kindly given me a Liebster award which is fab. Its always nice to know people read your blog and enjoy them. its also very nice to pass on the good will and have a chance to give recognition to others. Indeed, it is a condition of an award acceptance that you pass it on to five other blogs who have less than 200 followers who you regularly visit and that inspire you. It is designed to encourage others to visit comment and hopefully follow new blogs.  

So here are five of my favourite blogs that I regularly visit. They are fun, pretty, inspirational,informative and a very good read. 



So come along folks snag this award and display it on your blogs with pride and pass it on to others. Share the love. 

Sunday 10 March 2013

Berlin Scrapbooking

 Well I have at last begun to get my scrapbook pages sorted out for the trip I had in December to Berlin. Here are a couple of my favourite pages, since it was only Ken and me on the trip both feature my hubby. 


The first piccy above was taken in the Bundestag glass dome. It was an amazing place as it married both old and modern architecture so beautifully. The dome was designed by a British guy Norman Foster who of course also designed The Gherkin, London Hearst Tower, New York and the Millennium Bridge among many other amazing structures. It was amazing the way glass and mirrors had been used to give not only light but also heating for the building. The dome also gives a great vantage point from which to see across the whole of Berlin. 

In creating the page I tried to use greys silvers and greys to reflect the materials used for the building and the shiny reflective qualities.I also felt the use of the cogs lent themselves to the ideas of construction and the mechanical features of the dome. I'm rather pleased with the end result.


This picture was taken on the platform of the station at Alexanderplatz in the centre of Berlin. As you can see Ken looks really pleased with himself, well at this point he thought he was off to get his Curry-wurst but sadly he never got it as the place was closed. I like this page as its bright and I enjoyed using the stamps in conjunction with the differing papers.

I hope you like the pages I'm pleased with them but your comments are always appreciated. I also appreciate if anyone has any suggestions of places to look for different types of embellishment to use in scrapbooking. I am particularly interested in more masculine types of embellishments, as flowers seem to predominate and I'd like some different types of stuff I could use.  

Monday 4 March 2013

Farnborough Make It show

Had a great time this weekend at the 'Make it' show at Farnborough, even though by Sunday when ?I eventually went several of the stands had sold up and closed. I was also a little disappointing there were so few stalls selling scrapbooking stuff such a papers and embellishments, but since I'm into other crafts it wasn't really a problem.

Found a great stall with some fabulous stuff including kits for soap and pot pourri making, fabrics, ribbons, buttons etc, by the name of Creative Scents by Natura Leigh www.naturaleigh.co.uk.  I got some pot pourri and buttons which will no doubt appear in some future project. 

Creative Scents by Natura Leigh Stand 

Whilst there I also went along to the Stampin Up stand to pay a call on Fiona from Oakfields Crafts http://oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/  and her team. We , that is my hubby and I had a go at their make and take which was fun and though my hubby hasn't a crafting bone in his body I must say with the help of Fiona he made quite a good job of his card. Maybe I can get him mkaing his own cards in future.

Doesn't he look pleased with himself 
See below the cards we made can you spot which one my hubby made??