No excuses...

So I have been a bit rubbish at keeping this up, in my defence it has been incredibly busy at work, and by the time I get home, walk the dog, feed the dog, make myself some dinner, I only want to introduce my butt to the sofa and stay there until it's time to go to bed!

Last weekend I had Cara and we had a brilliant time, she was dropped off on Wednesday night, and I took her back Sunday. She is such a cutie, I was tucking her in on Thursday night, and I said "I love you" - she said in her gorgeous baby voice " I love you too" and I could feel my heart in my throat,and my eyes well up that usually only happens when Bambi's mother dies or I watch the WSPA advert. Friday I took her into the office to meet everyone, Moyna met us for lunch and then I took Cara on a boat trip around the bay (£5 and she fell asleep within two seconds) I had Sky plused loose women and a repeat of Great Food Live, and sat down with Cara to watch them (by now I had had enough of Lazytown and Balamory and don't get me started on "In the night garden") anyway we watched GFL, when there was a close up of Jeni Barnett Cara piped up "pretty lady cooking" I was really impressed, then we watched loose women Jane Macdonald was doing a number and Cara said "pretty lady singing" she is so smart, although she has never called me "pretty lady" so we'll have to have words. Moyna came over on Saturday and we went to the beach and took a picnic of course I hadn't checked and the tide was in so there was no sand, Cara wasn't keen on the pebbles so after making a picnic and specially buying a bucket and spade and driving all the way there...we didn't stay long!

I'm supposed to be cleaning right now, got out the Mr Sheen and the Dyson but so far all I have done is drink two cups of espresso, watch all the Stephen Fry stuff I recorded from BBC 4 last night and type this.......have to clean the girls are coming over later, we are going to the Barley Mow tonight for dinner, and a walk down memory lane, it was an old haunt back when we were all Young Farmers eons ago......I have a feeling it won't be the same.

So that's it I am warming up my polishing arm....damn Barefoot Contessa is on I'll just get another cuppa and watch that first.........

Keep smiling
Marmite Girl xx

The day I was Frank Spencer!!!

It started yesterday when I thought....Oooo the sun is out I'll wear my sandals, got to my Mum & Dad's ready to make the dinner, and they were sitting outside so I went to go up the step, the front of my sandal caught the lip of the step and down I went like a wounded gazelle.....or a stunned hippopotamus as my Brother said nice huh?? Cut hand and knee! Then I made a drink with ice for everyone, didn't notice that I had dropped an ice cube, so when I went back into the kitchen with it's tiled floor slipped over on the ice cube! Bugger this I though and took off said sandals and walked around bare foot, then as I closed the fridge door, managed to get my toe under the door and scraped off all the skin......"For God's sake" I said to my Sister-in-Law, "don't let me pick up Cara today". I thought oh well it all happens in threes I'll be fine now..........famous last words, Dad and Steve came back from the pub, I dished up a delicious dinner, and then my Dad said that looks nice - what happened to the starter, it was in the oven I had forgotten about it! Anyway we had the main for starter and the starter for main course, I had taken up some of the muffins I cooked on Saturday for dessert, my Brother reckoned it wasn't a real dessert, that muffins were for a cup of coffee and a snack at 4pm, so I chucked two muffins in a bowl and poured cream over them and said "They are now!"

Got home and decided to dye my hair....see I know I should have stopped myself after the day so far, but I though what else can go wrong, well I had half dyed my hair when the dye bottle jumped out of my hand, hit the basin, bounced off the toilet lid and splattered all down the lemon wall (which now needs re-painting) After this incident I moulded my backside to the sofa and refused to move until bed-time.

I think I slept it off, today has been OK, the muffins were extremely well received by my work buddies (note to self next time make double raspberry and white chocolate to banana nut) Greg has now taken to requests, next time can you make old fashioned butterfly cakes or anything with hundreds and thousands, muffins apparently are too healthy!

Right I'm off to water the plants.
Keep smiling
Marmite Girl xx

Essay, schmessay - muffins rule!!!

OK so I was too excited to do my NVQ assignment, I got my magic bullet through the post yesterday so I had to try it out didn't I? So popped off shopping this morning and by lunch had whipped up 20 banana & walnut muffins and 20 white chocolate & raspberry. That should please my work mates who keep moaning at me because I'm always on a diet (I know usually failed) I haven't been taking in goodies. I used to bake all the time, shortbread, muffins, cakes etc and take the stuff into work, but the thing is if it's there I eat it, so I kind of stopped. This time though I feel so sick from licking out the bowls, I don't think I'll fancy the muffins! I did however remember just how much I really love baking. Have washed it all out now so I can make pesto for tea later.

Right now I really am going to my essay on mentoring! Want to finish it before I listen to Jeni on LBC! Well maybe a cup of coffee and one of those white chocolate and raspberry muffins first.....oh come on I had better test them to make sure they are OK!!!

Keep smiling
Marmite Girl xx

Why put off til tomorrow ...bla bla bla

Had a great weekend, had a cleaning frenzy, I was like a woman possessed did the whole house, changed all the beds...OK it was only because my Brother, Sister-in-Law and Cara were coming over, but I still did it. Had a lovely evening Saturday, my Brother (who is a bit "chefy") made a fabulous dinner which included a whole wheel of Camembert cooked until melted, ripped open and then we just dunked in crusty bread. We had a perfect rare steak, with asparagus drizzled in lemon oil (well drowned in lemon oil - the same lemon oil that cost me £8 from the food fair that I've since seen it in Tesco for £1.99) and a potato gratin which would have been potato and celeriac if the guy in Tesco knew what celeriac was!! Sunday as the weather was lovely we took the Cara and Ruby to the beach and I'm not sure which one of them had the best time, but they both ended up soaking wet and covered in sand. We ended a lovely weekend with the traditional family roast at my folks house, where I stood in the glass lean to, over 4 gas rings and the oven on full sweating like a glass blowers ass! Sorry but it was WAY passed "slightly glowing" still the dinner was lovely.

Well the diet didn't start Monday ....well it did and it was over by Wednesday, I can't help it I'm a foodie! The NVQ assignment still isn't done, the grass isn't cut, the ironing pile looks like the leaning tower of Pisa and all the dust I cleaned up on Saturday is back but to be honest it has been incredibly busy at work and I haven't been getting home until 7pm most nights, by the time I've walked the dog, and made something for tea it's almost bed time.

I did decide to have a really early night on Tuesday so went to bed, went straight to sleep, then was woken at 1am by the dog making heaving noises, I dived out of bed but too late she had been sick all over the bed covers, I picked her up and started to run downstairs to put her out, and wouldn't you know it, another heave and it was all down the stairs, I know I shouldn't let the dog sleep on the bed, but she always has, and I love it. Anyway upshot of my early night was I went to bed at 2.30am after stripping the bed, and cleaning the stairs!

Looking forward to a relaxing weekend but I really do have to do my NVQ assignment on mentoring if nothing else.

Have fun, you deserve it!
Marmite Girl xx

p.s Apols to Jeni B for mentioning Tesco but we don't have any local shops left!