Choc Brownies & Chutney

For Ben's birthday i took a leaf out of Mrs Bun's cook book, thanks honey. And made him some yummy chocolate and marshmallow brownies. I did try and do cupcake ones but they all turned out to be a little flat lol much like the ones on the cake stand. Tasted yum though even if i do say so myself :)


We've just finished Molly's second week at school and her first week of full time hours, more about that at the end of this post. It's going well, she's loving it.
Ben had a row of cards and there seemed to be a bit of a theme to them, we all know him so well lol can you spot what it is?

That's it! farming, the cupcake's got him this fab red tractor one with a crop of carrots and i choose the Stanley dog because we'd love to have one of them if we owned a house with some land.

On to some presents and the farmer and allotment theme continues with how to store you produce, keeping poultry and rabbits on scraps (i just thought it looked interesting hehe!) and a fab paper pot maker from the cupcakes for all those baby seedlings.

Ben has taken to this growing larch like a duck to water and we've had a wonderful crop of tomato's, so thinking of ideas on what to make with them all, i found this book for him too. And last week he made this little lot. Red tomato chutney anyone? We'll be eating it for years now lol I'm only joking Mr cupcakes, i love that you've grown and made this yourself, it tastes lovely.

If you fancy having a go yourself here is the recipe, i think if you click on it becomes clearer. If not the book is called The basic basics jams, preserves and chutneys handbook by Marguerite Patten. Good old Amazon, although i could send loads on there if i let myself. So many fabulous books but hey that's what wish lists are for right! lol

I must warn you all though, just one thing about making chutney. Yes that's it the smell yuk! cooking vinegar isn't the nicest smell in the world and i was even smelling it when i was out lol and asking my friends can you smell that? they must of thought i was going crazy lol

Thankfully the lovely Claire at Elfie & Me came my rescue with this yummy scented homemade soy lavender candle, thanks honey. It's done the trick and the plug in freshener has cleared the air until the next lot of chutney and pickling making takes place. The lovely Claire is doing a demonstration of candle making at the young woman's WI I've started going to, it's held in Daisy's playgroup hall and yes I must admit I'm a little bit of a Helen Mirren and my good friend Ali is Julie Walters lol we sat and did lots of giggling when told that we could get someone in to talk about their hanker chief collection LOL I think things like candle making, cake testing and wine and coffee drinking is more along the lines of what we'd like to see. And we're all fighting for the buns in front of the bosoms pose in the calender hehe! (i do think i should get to do that pose, after all I am miss cupcakes. wink wink!).

(cute toadstool keyring available on Claire's website Made In Pixieland, shameless plugging for ones friend I know, but hey she'd do the same for me.)

I had to just share these 2 photo's with you because I am so happy that I've completed this order. And this is only 1378 of it the other 1000 is sailing it's way to South Africa. For the last few months as well as moving house, I've been painting like a crazy woman, praying that I don't end up with a repetitive strain injury and fitting in customer orders and stock for fairs I've been too. Argh!

There are cute stars big and small, hearts primitive and country and maple leafs (sorry you can't see them) but they are very small and fiddle. Plus loads of packs of pegs (not photoed). Don't they all make you think of Christmas? argh! i said the C word lol

Anyway now it's all done i can get on and work on my own Christmas range, god i said it again lol and if anyone wants Mollycupakes stock be it trade, gift or treat please feel free to email me for price lists or just order though the website because normal service has resumed. I'm very much looking forward to getting stuck in to my next big thing.

Now miss Molly has been at big school for 2 weeks now, just finishing her first full time week this Friday and this is one of the things she's learnt already lol how to use the computer. Yes Mummies one as well. I've never really let her go on it before only to see things I've opened like blogs and to talk to my Mum and Dad on Skype. And now I'm so surprised and proud of how she's able to work it be herself. Getting on to the Cbeebies website and watching trap door and the Muppet's on you tube. Mr Cupcakes is very proud and says like father like daughter, he's a fabulous computer programmer and thinks that she'll be teaching him a thing or two very soon lol

This new time apart from one another has made the cupcakes closer and they've played more when together. Daisy even asks is it time to get Molly yet on her days off of playgroup. I do have to say that straight after this photo was taken they fort like cat and dog lol so things really are just like normal LOL

The house is so quite when they're both away from me, I've found myself talking to the cats more not that they listen. Just give me the odd look every now and then, thinking "whats she going on about now, I'm trying to sleep" lol

Well it's the start of another week tomorrow and I've a few more boxes that need emptying, had a trip to Ikea today and got what i thought would be a fab storage unit for Mollycupcakes stock. But oh bum why does everything in Ikea look so good there and to big when you get it home. Now i have to rethink my whole storage arrangement's again argh! I just wanted white shelves to put my pink boxes on. Silly old me forgot about the flaming step that runs along the inside of the conservatory wall. Now it just looks like a big white thing sticking out in the room, oh sigh! i just want to be sorted in my work space. There is fabulous light for painting but no storage, maybe once I've got all the other crap out of there it will look better.

If any of you know of someone that wants to buy a 100 or so beanie Eeyore's please let me know. (don't ask! lol)

Have a good week.

Hugs,

x