My other blog

Just incase you're interested, I am writing again on my thrifty blog (found in my profile). 

Time to save for Christmas! 

My posts will be mainly food related as we spend far too much on food each week. Lots of cheap recipes and baking!

Daisy's been busy with me in the kitchen all morning :)

Hope you can join me.

Mandy x

A rainy week in North Yorkshire

Sorry for my lack of posts. I had good intentions but life's so busy!

The first week of the holidays was spent in North Yorkshire. We had a wonderful time even though it rained everyday!

We celebrated Henry's 2nd birthday and had some lovely days out. 

I thought I'd share a few holiday snaps with you...

The caravan was lovely but so cold at night. We had the heating on at the end of July!

I made a birthday cake to take with us. Buying one would of been easier but obviously no good for Daisy. Daisy enjoyed icing it while we were there. The candle holders are vintage and we can add to them as he gets older...Henry loves trains!

This was our second visit to the wonderful World of James Herriot museum. So much to look at and do.

The sitting room... 

I love this room, the old toys, books and furniture. Such a sweet room to relax in.

Daisy has a vintage dolly cot but I haven't managed to find a wooden ironing board yet.

I love old prams.

Such a great place to visit. My eyes were everywhere in that kitchen! 

We finished our day out in Thirsk with fish and chips :)

I'll share another day out tomorrow.

Mandy x

Freezer sort out and recipe book reduction!

It's a home day today so I've got a little more time to get stuff done. So far I've emptied and rearranged my chest freezer in the garage (while a long leggy spider watched on and climbed onto the inside of the lid!) I'm planning a Saturday batch cooking session and needed to know what I've got so I know what needs using up. 

Another reason for the sort out is to make room for a meat order I'll be doing shortly from our village butcher. We don't eat meat everyday, but I much prefer to buy from a butcher than from the supermarket. It's worth spending a bit more for the quality. 

I've come across lots of bits and bobs that I can use up over the next few weeks too. 

My fridge freezer is mainly used for ice cream and lollies and leftovers that I've frozen. I've had a tidy up and made room for the individual meals I'll put in containers after my batch cooking. 

My next task after lunch is being ruthless with my cookbooks! I have so many and I just don't use them all. I tend to bake from my vintage cookbooks now, but cook meal recipes from the more modern ones (although the seventies retro ones are my favourites) so I'm challenging myself to get rid of half of them. Those will go off to the charity shop. 

I also have a box of recipes I've collected in various folders. That needs looking at but can wait for another day. 

I'll let you know how I get on!

Mandy x

More food pics!

This is for Hazel :)

Some food pictures...

A family favourite...treacle sponge and custard.

A simple can of tomato soup made a bit more exciting!

A Sunday morning treat!

Yummy Victoria sandwich  with fresh cream and strawberries.

Homemade leek and potato soup with Wensleydale and Spring onion scones.

Cheese, onion, pepper and tomato tart.

Finally...a lemon meringue pie.

That's it for today, but I'll try to get back to regular posts soon.

Mandy x

We're fine :)

Hi Jane and anyone else who's reading!

Everything's fine here thank you. 

I'm just being quiet at the moment, always busy but not feeling very chatty. 

I'm hoping to be back soon.

 You can always email me Jane, I'd love to hear from you xx

Mandy x

More food pictures!

As promised, more food photos...

I love porridge for breakfast (and syrup!)

Daisy made rock cakes.

Chocolate sponge.

I bake every few days...

Keeping it simple!

Then chocolate sponge and chocolate custard for pudding.

Little fairy cakes are just right for little hands at teatime:)

Homemade treacle tart and custard.

Another picture of stew and dumplings!

A little pudding I made with a vanilla traybake.

And finally...

Chocolate and almond traybake.

The next catch up will be my vintage finds...

Let me know if you'd like any of my recipes. 

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x 

Food pictures!

I've just been through my pictures and founds loads of photos of food! I did take those photos with the intention of posting them on my blog at that time...never mind. Here's a selection of what we've been making and eating over the last couple of months...

Homemade flapjacks and Rice Krispie cakes 

Beef stew and dumplings 

Dippy eggs and soldiers 

Baking day!

Decorated by Daisy :)

Treacle sponge and cream

Another baking day

Teatime treat plate

The children love jelly!

Daisy's lactofree pudding 

Making eggy bread 

Warming tomato soup

Lasagne going into the oven

And coming out again!

More salad for me

Teatime 

More stew and dumplings 

Lemon meringue pie 

Daisy's sausage rolls 

Lemon sponge, jam sponge and treacle sponge 

Homemade vegetable soup

More to follow...

Mandy x