Summer Hols - Day 2

Well Day 2 of the hols brought rain and sunshine. 

I baked... using my new fancy pants sillicone bread baker 

You weigh out the ingredients in it

You mix the ingredients in it. 

You fasten it and prove in it. 

When doubled in size you just whack it straight in the oven as it is! 

Out came a Viking boat shaped loaf which was utterly crunchy on the outside and soft as down on the inside. Completely delicious and gone in the blink of an eye!! 

I just tried this recipe out of the little booklet 

I also introduced Jill to Beryl. Jill was another of my birthday presents off the HG. Another loaf was made! 

Jill and Beryl showing the dough who the boss is! 

There's a little bit of this one left! 

I then went in the garden to move plants into different pots. The photo is poor. But this is my beginning to that stunning border I showed you yesterday!! The poor bunny isn't faring well. My bush is too mature I think ( WHO SNIGGERED AT THE BACK??!!) so I will start afresh with a baby one! 

 And there's actually a Delphi flower that the slugs didn't get!! 

Like I said...it's a start!! 

I made a start on a new thing to make 

You will have to wait and see .... it might just end up like something from a horror film! 

I made homemade cheese stuffed burgers for tea and marinated some stewing beef in curry spices for a Friday night fakeaway. Back tomorrow for news of Day 3. 

Lots of love from

Rachel *actually nipped in to work again to do some illicit photocopying* Radiostar xx 

Summer Hols - Day 1

 Hello folks :-)
Thank you for all your comments on my last posts - I've now been able to read them and reply! All I needed was time. Now I've broken up, I've got some!
It's actually Day 2 now, but I'll try to blog about it tomorrow! I've much planned. Woke at 6. Made the HG lunch and packed him off to work. I've already been in blogland for thirty minutes and I've big plans for today - I'll do show n tell tomorrow!

So what did I do on my first day of freedom?
Well, I went to work!!

I had a little bit of illicit photocopying to do. I had to move out of my old class into my new one - it didn't take long, as I'd downsized a lot of my files last year when I left Y6! I'd emails to trawl through and action. There were quite a few of us in work, and I was nice to have a lazy coffee break at about 10.30am with everyone without being called upon for First Aid and the end of playtime bell! I will just need to pop in on Friday morning to help the School Bursar fill in a Lottery Bid application for a new outside classroom.

When I got home, I bottomed the lounge. Skirtings, carpet edges, light fittings, fireplace and put a few bits n bobs away here and there. Made pork chops, mash n veg for tea. Ate one of the chocolates I got from school.

I was so lucky to be given lots of gifts by the children and their parents. It makes you feel really appreciated. A little embarrassed and humble though, because it's not why I do my job. My favourite gifts are always the handmade cards and gifts. Though one family, who I know has absolutely nothing, had bought me a little diary and some chocolate with money they don't have to spare. It made me so teary. I thanked the Mum and said I didn't expect anything at all but it was so lovely of her. She told me that she was so grateful for the way I've helped her child this year, that she couldn't thank me enough and that she was thrilled to bits, that I was moving up with the class next year. That little conversation was the best gift ever. I do this job, in order to try and make a difference. When that happens, it's magic.

Here are a few quotes from my cards...
" thank you for making me smile everyday"
"Thank you for all your help"
" You have been fun and interesting"
" thank you a lot for all your hard work "
" your grate" ( made me chuckle!!!!! )

Right, it's 7.25am and I need to make a start on today. I've so much to share though!! I'll leave you with a few photos of stuff ....

This was one of the gardens at castle Howard. It's what I'm trying for. It'd be PERFECT in my garden.... However...

LOOK AT WHAT THE BLOODY SLUGS/SNAILS DID OVERNIGHT to my starter purple delphinium border. War has been started. I went all out with slug pellets I'm afraid. 

I don't know what this one is but the flowers are just beautiful. 

One of the poshest potties I've ever seen! 

...and a hilarious snippet of conversation I overheard between some of my favourite characters in my class.

We were on a minibus on a little trip out with this group. They were talking about all sorts.

Child 1: ( pointing out the window ) Hey look, there's the old people centre. My Gran's in there. ( retirement home )
Child 2:( chirpily )  I've got two grandads. My mum's dad and my mum's dad's dad.
Child 3: ( sadly ) I had two grandads but I've only got one now.
Child 2: How? How can you have two then just have one?
Child 3: ( matter of fact ) One died.
Child 2: Oh.
Me to child 2. It's always nicer to say 'I'm sorry to hear that'  than 'Oh'
Child 2: I'm sorry to hear that Child 3.
Child 3: It's ok, he was old. You get old. You die. It happens.
Child 4: ( Piping up from the back seat ) Hey child 2, you haven't actually got two Grandads.
Child 2: ( angrily ) YES I HAVE
Child 4: No, you've actually got a Grandad - that's your Mum's Dad, but your Mum's Dad's Dad is really your Great Grandad.
Child 2: ( thinks )
Me: Well done Child 4, that's correct.
Child 2: Wait Child 4, you are right! He really is a great grandad - he always buys me ice cream!!!!!!!


 7.37am now!!

Back tomorrow, lots of love from

Rachel *fun and interesting* Radiostar xxx

Will this term ever end??

Hello folks, 

I've had an AMAZING week- one of the BEST days of my whole life- watching my  daughter Graduate-  topped off with a wonderful weekend away in York. The first child free break we've ever taken! The boy is 18 and although he was left with a full freezer and an emergency £20 note, I was still a bit fretful!! How people can go away without their children is beyond me! I'm not being Judgey Mcjudge here, just my opinion! 

I'll be back with photos galore! Just got the small matter of another two sodding days at school to get through! 

I've also got ALL of your blogs to catch up and comment on. That's my bedtime reading tonight sorted! 

Bye for now 

Love from 

Rachel *Spent £10 in the old fashioned sweet shop in Skipton on Sunday!!!!* Radiostar xx

Party Rings

What a fluffing mess! Biscuit dough, chilled, not bad to roll, cut and bake. 

The icing.

What a fluffing mess I made!! It's now 11.22pm and I've only just cleaned up! 

I was too ashamed to take a photo of the mess! 

My top tip would be to 

BUY THE BLOODY PARTY RINGS!! 

My next tip would be to cover the worktop with cling film when icing. Normally I do...but not tonight! Why?? It's Monday - my tired day- I made a meat n potato pie for tea - suet pastry, filling cooked yesterday, served with petit pois 

and I've faffed about with these chuffing biscuits for my class! 

They were promised, that if they won the Attendance Cup three weeks in a row ( awarded to the class with pupils in school on time ) , I would bake for them. Again! I'm such a soft touch! 

Hope they like em.

The first two I did. It all went rapidly downhill after this!! 

 70 bloody biscuits. There's about 20 uniced ones left. Might leave them bare and freeze them to make crumble for banoffi pie or something! I'm now over tired. 

 I'm off to bed!! 

Na night 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * up to my new eyebrows in icing sugar* Radiostar xxx 

As requested...

TWO posts in one day, you lucky people! 

Well someone kindly commented and asked for before And after shots! 

Here are my eyebrows before...

And after...

I am trying to grow my eyebrows! Sounds daft, but years of over plucking left them very straggly. Since days of yellow my hair and eyebrows and lashes have been thinner and stragglier. Not so of my legs and nethers- that's for a whole other post! If you look closely you can also see the scars from the January bout of Shingles! Good job beauty is not skin deep! 

I've also been through some wonderful countryside today and bought some gorgeous material

for my first makes on my new machine. I've also been looking at how to use my overlocker. It looks very complicated but I'm sure I'll be whizzing away on it with ease. The dress I'm wearing needs the straps shortening and so they will be the first project! 

I'm going to bake with my new cutters - photos will be tomorrow's post and I'll have lovely line dried bedding to climb into tonight. I made a discovery...no wonder I've been having night sweats.... Not my 'age' but the fact I've still got my AUTUMN quilt on! It's just airing on the line before being packed away and the 4.5tog will be on the bed tonight! 

The knitting has slowly stopped! But the HG bought me a new pattern book so I need to finish at least one before I start another! 

Off to crank Beryl up! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *just enjoyed the Women's Final, can't wait for the Men's tomorrow * Radiostar  xx 

Amoff

to have my eyebrows brutally ripped off my face today by the very smiley Carla. You?

It's Friday once more!

Hey folks,
Thank you for all your commenting! I loves it! Pam, I took my quilt to work for show n tell! Everyone was in awe. The Head wants one!! 

It's end of term frantic madness at work. Everyone is running on empty. Everyone is busy. I think I am busy, I'm kinda just swanning through it, letting it stress me not. If it doesn't get done, I'm not arsed. That's where I'm at!
No one will spontaneously combust if I only do the three billion things on my four billion thing list. I'm enjoying end of term this year as a reprieve. Yes, three billion things done from a list of four billion IS a reprieve. After a decade of Year Six, I've been in the sizeably less stressful Year Five. However, I must have been really evil in a past life and need punishing as come September, I'm back int top class. So this time next year, you can easily trike the lists. BUT It is a one year only move, I've been promised. And I do love this class. Yesterday's gem was directed to the Class Teacher by one of our favourites.

Child: Hey, Teacher
Teacher: yes?
Child: Do you own a car?
Teacher: I do yes, why?
Child: Want to save £250 pound on your car insurance?
Teacher: yes, how?

Child: err I dunno!!!

This week, I've not even LOOKED at how my garden is growing. Due to the rain and my knackeredness when I've got home my new purples remain in their pots! 

My lavender is lush

Food growing...

I think I got my labels mixed up! 

Think the seedlings need thinning! 

There's a noisy bunch of magpies taken up residence in the garden. They sound like velociraptors! The sparrow teenagers are still a bit fluffy, but very noisy. The coaltits ( chickadees in Canada ) are still eating me out of house and sunflower seed! Another two weeks and I can sit and watch them to my heart's desire. 

I've just nicely got in and made the fatal error of sitting down in front of the tennis! Come on Murray! 

I've a busy week coming up with the Uni one's graduation ceremony on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it. 

Have a gorgeous weekend lovies x 

Love From 

Rachel * much to do* *but will watch the tennis first* Radiostar! 

Heatwave

 Good Morning lovelies,

I've not been posting as I've been suffering a little from heatstroke, brought about by being outside all afternoon Wednesday for Sport's Day. The heat is wiping me out. Also, I get awful prickly heat - much worse since my days of yellow.

Don't get me wrong, I adore being outside, I adore warm sunny days but when you've to go to work in blast furnace ovens, I mean classrooms full of 30 hot little bodies, it's torture. I wish it was the Summer Holidays already.  I long to just loll for a bit! Whine over. How terribly English of me, whingeing when it's hot. I never whinge about the cold though. Only if it's slippy!!

A few of you have asked for some soup recipes. 

Each one serves 1
Main gist of recipe 

Each one starts off by sautéing half an onion and a clove of garlic in a teaspoon of low fat olive spread or a few sprays of olive oil fry light. Leave all skins on, just scrub. 

Most of them have a small unpeeled diced potato in it

Then you add whichever veg it is. 

It's simmered in 250mls low sodium stock. Herbs and pepper to taste. 

Then cool slightly before blending. 

The chicken ones are made in exactly the same way except you then just add the 

shredded 2oz of cooked chicken breast into the middle of the dish. So it's very probably the exact same way you make your own soup! They were really tasty recipes! 

I don't want to get done for copy right, so here are some suggestions!! 
Veggie soup 
Carrot 1/2
Turnip 1/2
No garlic in this one
Then as above with potato  216 cals per portion

Spinach and Bean soup
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 red onion
2 big fistfuls of baby spinach
3oz tinned cannellini beans
No potato in this one 240Cals

Chicken and Bean/squash
1 celery stick
4oz fresh broad beans/1/4 butternut squash
As above and then add 2oz shredded cooked chicken breast before serving (no potato) 260 Cals/210 cals

Hope these are ok.

LOOK WHAT ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE YESTERDAY

It is absolutely exquisite. I was so touched that The very lovely and talented Pam , who, for no other reason except that's she is generous, gorgeous and giving, sent me this quilt. The swirly wirly  stitching on the back is mesmerisingly endless.  It's so cheery, colourful and charming. I love the red material the quilt is edged with. A sweet little card came with it, instructing me to enjoy!

I promise that I will! In fact, I've gone a little chilly ( still not 100% ) so it's warming my toes as I type!

THANK YOU PAM XXXX 

Finally, before I go check the jacket spuds are done for tea, I bought some new biscuit cutters today.

Aren't they gorgeous?! Can't wait to make some party rings! I also bought a few new purpley blue perennials , but the minute we got back from the garden centre, the heavens opened. Hence no pics. So at least they got a good soaking! The seeds I sowed last week, against all odds, have germinated. Not all, the shallots and the chillis are a bit shy but the radish and Cavelo Nero is romping away! Must put anti snail/slug measures in place!

So what was the loveliest thing to happen to you this weekend?

Lots of love from

Rachel *Quilt Happy* Radiostar xx