Sunday 19 June 2011

MMMMM MA's beef pie!!

Best served with creamy mash.

You will need:
Puff pastry
Stewing/braising beef (amount as much or as little as you want)
Beef stock (I use 3 oxo cubes and make it with about 290 mls of bolding water)
salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
1 onion(or more if your making a huge pie)
Red wine(as much as you like to flavour the gravy/sauce)
And some plain flour.

First of all marinate the meat in some salt and pepper, sprinkle on some worcestershire sauce and some wine.
Chop and fry the onion for around five mins.
Brown the meat in the same pan as the onion.

Once meat has been browned then sprinkle in some flour. (Enough to cover all the meat) Then stir it in.
It will then look like this................ very glupie looking.

















Then  and the Stock and let it thicken.  Whilst its thickening, if you want your pie to have a pastry base as well as top, start to roll out the pastry to the size of your dish.  Cook for around 15 -20 mins till it starts to turn golden.  I do this because i have cooked it straight with out cooking the base first and i find it doesn't always cook through.  any by now the sauce should be ready for you to add the wine.  Add as much as you like its to give the gravy a rich nice and flavour and its purely down to personal choice.


Then you just add the pie filling into your dish and top with some more puffy pastry.  Cook for a round half an hour on 180 degrees.

There you go MMMMMM MA's beef pie.

yum yum yum!!
Sorry for the not very professional finished pie, but it was rushed as i was juggling myself between the cooking and both my DD's and was hard work, but goes to show even when your busy with the children you can rustle up a good hearty home cooked meal quickly.
Enjoy!!let me know what you think.

The World of blogging

I never would of thought that i would get into blogging quite so much.  I love reading them and i love writing my blog.  Even though  at the minute im slacking with my post i do always take snap shots of my day so i can blog about them or what ever else etc.  My new favourite blogs are
www.Thetraintocrazy.com

www.made-by-rae.com

www.theadventuresofroryandjess.blogspot.com

Sewing is my new craze and i love it im off to look on Ebay for some more fabric!

Catching up again grrr

Its sooo annoying that i don't have time to blog.  Well anytime i do have spare I'm just taking it to chill out because im just constantly rushing around...

My sewing adventures had started to go well and i was making my first draft of a pair of pjs.  Then the sewing machine stopped working grrrrr and its taken up all my spare time trying to fix it.  Well its all sorted now so i can crack on with the sewing again now tomorrow.  I found some old patterns for baby clothes that i am going to give a go, which is lucky as one of the styles of top is very similar to what i want to make fro a tutorial i have seen on theadventresofroryandjess.blogspot.com but i just could not figure out the pattern.  It was a really good tutorial but i just couldn't figure the pattern this is mainly because my mind is constantly thinking about other things so im glad i  found my ready made pattern, as well as a few other patterns i wanted to try to.


This is one of my materials for DD1's pj's



Finally got zumba  on Xbox Kinect but again iv had no time to play it.  I squeezed in a quick go but DD1 kept running infront of the TV but it seems really good.  Now she's in bed i may have another go later if not rumba deaf kinect sports.


DD1, i thought had lost her one and only dummy, i new it was in the house but i just couldn't find it.  So instead of replacing it i thought we just wont talk about it or anything and she hasn't needed it at all.  Also her speech has come on even better than what it was, but i then found the dummy and have had to keep it hidden from her hahahahha!!!!

Went to TGI fridays last night for the first time and it was soooooo sooooo yummy!!!!  The starter me and OH shared was boneless wings and they were just so spicy and amazing, i will attempt to make them at home so watch this space.

Tonight i made a lovely beef and onion pie which i will post how i did it with pics so if any one wants to make it they can but be warned you will be addicted to the gravy!!!

Wednesday 15 June 2011

The rest of the day.....

just consisted on cleaning, boring same old cleaning.  I have restricted myself from cleaning every day and just do it every other day and tidy in-between.  As i was seriously obsessed and it started taking over my life!!! My Oh says he likes a nice clean tidy house but thinks i overly obsess!! Nothing exciting happened this evening apart from cutting my material for my make up bag project.  Watched apprentice water and which i absolutely love!!!  Also i think convinced oh to start blogging which will be good...he says he is going to start one tomorrow.  He has actually useful things to blog about i just ramble and talk junk!!!  That gets  me thinking i should blog about something useful but i have know idea what..............  Me and Oh also want to make an app we have the soft ware on the computer and i have a brilliant idea for an app just have to get oh butt in to gear because he is the commuter brains!!!!

Playing blogging catch up


Oh dear oh dear have not blogged for 3 days and have been desperate to find and hour or so to do some blogging, i never thought i would say this but i have missed logo which is good and it means I am actually trying to stick at something YAY!!!!!.  Well as you can see i changed the name of my blog it just felt more appropriate. Which means now i will have to edit my twitter account to match to!!!  I am loving twitter by the way though its sooo much better than face book think i need to make a transition from face book to twitter, which means i need to make my contacts switch to.  I have also taken up sewing as swell after being inspired by this blog theadventuresofroryandjess.blogspot.com a very good blog.  So all morning i have actually been fixing my machine,(twice might i add) and practicing my sewing as i haven't done it for years and i have to say after only a couple attempts I am getting better and more confident.  I just need to get some patterns made up now so i can start some projects.  I am going to do a separate page for my sewing stuff to keep a record and up date any who's interested.













Well Monday morning i had so many plans and none of them were achieved!!! I was so annoyed with my self.  I felt like i had a mini break down in the morning, but I am over it now and the less i think about it the better.  Any way the afternoon i thought me and my DD's  could walk up to our local Iceland to get a few bits and bobs for the day any way we walked up together and i carried DD 2 in her baby sling.  The walk was brill.  We saw  catipiller which strangely i haven't seen one for years.  DD1 was dead scared when i went to show and then wouldn't even consider walking past it and we had to cross the road hahaha!!  She was name all the colours of the cars on the way up, lucky for her most of them were blue, black, red and yellow the colours she can say!!! Any way we are in Iceland, which got a little stressful, not because i had DD1 walking with me swell as wearing DD2 and carrying a basket of shopping, mainly because of the other moron shoppers in there who don't look where they are going and are complete ignorant busy bodies.  Rant over got to the till to pay, put my card in the chip and pin machine only to realise i ad brought the wrong card with me!!!! ARRGGGHHH  i thought, luckily the bank was across the road so i said can i leave my shopping and run over there, so i did went back and paid. Really stress full because DD1 was really fed up by that point and want something to eat!!!  So note to self be more organised!!!

Sunday 12 June 2011

....And thats what Sundays are all about

Well a very wet sunday indeed!!! It has rained all day so you would think i would be stuck in the house oh nooooo!!  I offered to go to our local town centre to trade in a blackberry play book at our local CEX.  Due to trains not running today i had to take bus which was an hour round trip.  In the pouring rain may i add.  So i get to the store only to be told in the rudest possible manor that the will not trade in the blackberry playbook as it has an american plug even though i had an adaptor for it.  I could except that answer but i could not expect how it was given to me.  The women i spoke to talked to me like crap and just had the worlds worst attitude, so i just left the shop.  After speaking to my partner he informed me that other CEX stores have them in stock so there for must except products from the states, as the play book has not been released in the uk yet.  Also when the first Ipad came out we had one from the states and when we wanted to trade it in the excepted it no problem with an american plug!!!!  My feeling is she just could not be bothered doing her job and did not want to test it etc.  Her attitude really did stink!!!  So i sent CEX an email i will proberly only get some generated response and the stores a franchise but still the email form had the option for store complaints and any bad experience is damaging to their name so they should take some intreats.  I would like to point out over the years me and my partner have traded in a lot of things for other things in the store and use their service all the time and have got to say recently the store has been very good and help full until today.  I have had issues with the store before but in the last year i would say the service has been good up until today.  This woe has zero people skills and should not work in a face to face environment as she is just bringing the store down!!!.  I have used other CEX stores in uxbridge, Bristol, and Gloucester and never once had a problem for doing any store trade in or cash trade in.  Cardiff store has a major issue with cash trade in's.  The hardly ever do it however other stores just treat it like any other transaction.  In my opinion some of the staff are brilliant you can have a laugh and a joke with them whilst you are waiting and some including this women cant even raise a smile or a "how can i help" or even vary the tone of their voice when talking.  I think i would rather deal with a broken self service check out constantly stuck on "place item in the bag" then deal with women again  totally appalling.

......Anyway.  The rest of my sunday was a trip up to the local shops to get dinner then came home caught up with some emails did a bit of blogging and tweeting and had a chat on face book.  Bathed my lovely girls and made a roast turkey dinner which was sooo yummy tidied up once my darlings were asleep and the chowed down to some chocolate cake and cream as thats what sundays are all about.............................

Any advise

or tips on how to improve my blog and who to make it look more interesting as i have no idea on how to add things etc part from pictures and videos so please help

Videos



The Weekend......

.......And what a weekend it has been!!!!  So Saturday morning we had a bit of a lazy morning and got up around about an hour later than usual.  The weather for a change was lovely and sunny so i decided we will get ready grab a sandwich from the shop and take it to the park and eat it then play on the swings etc.  Well the morning just flew by my partner went of to work so i then had time to bath and dress the girls.  Did not go smoothly, the eldest one pooed in the bath and it was everywhere!!!!!! totally minging!!! So i had to clean it all up which majorly delayed the getting dressed process.  Any we eventually all got dressed and ready to leave.  So i put DD2 in her pram whilst i was doing this DD1 sees a little phone directory book and then decides she will not put it down and wants to take it with us, so i thought fine anything for a peaceful life.  So we all walked to the shop and i made one fatal  error which i no never to make again.  Along with a sandwiches i bought her a juice and she spotted it and wanted to carry it as wells the book!!! and of cause her little hands struggled with this but she was sooooo determined to hold them both and the little plastic lid from the juice.  Anyway they kept slipping and DD1 had her first major tantrum in her life, it took us half an hour to walk a normal 10 minute walk.....And she didn't cry she screamed all the way to the park.  I could tell people were looking and trying to act like they wasn't which i find funny because children tantruming is funny to look at i look when i see it its just life so i proudly walked through the town with my screaming 21month year old.  We got to the park and silence hit she gladly gave me the book she screamed for all the way and the juice and even her beloved dummy once she was sat on the swing.  The park quickly filled with the local pond life and their tribe of brats.   Slicked back hair, big earrings,tight cheap clothes and that was just the little ones never mind the parents..... Aw thats cruel i no but its just a fact.  Any way so we played then sat over with the nicer looking parents and had some sandwiches played a little more then walked around the shops and went home.  DD1 did really well at walking considering her age she's 21 months now.  Problems hit again whilst trying to get in to my apartment block.  I got the pram in took out the baby but then couldn't find my keys,  this is because i was distracted by two old ladies in the hall and had put them in my pocket, but of cause with a screaming baby and a tired DD1 it  was the last place i looked.  Any way eventually got into my apartment and forgot the state i left it in and my old school friend was coming over for a few glasses of wine and a catch up!!! So then i was on so massive cleaning spree which i got admit i even impressed myself and the house finally got its zen back.  Had a brilliant evening catching up with my friend brilliant!! My partner came home from a night out and got to say he was looking hot i am one lucky girl!!!!!

Friday 10 June 2011

Up and coming reviews

I think either tomorrow or sunday depending  on if i can get an appointment or not I am going to try out a the garra rufa fish pedicure.  Its the latest craze, its in every salon etc.etc.  I am going to review both the actually pedicure and the salon i have it in as well.  The salon I am hoping to go to also has a power plate in, which i have yet to try i would like to get a course i think its 6 sessions and it claims to help you lose a dress size!!! 10 mins is equal to an hour at the gym.  Obviously this needs to be combined with some sort of card but it all helps.  Talking of a cardio work out this weekend i will also be purchasing and reviewing Zumba work out for the xbox connect.  Apparently this is the top selling game out of all the games for all the consoles, so it has to impress.  So a weekend of reviewing i think will be in order for me.

Reviewing

As you readers will know if i gave any as i still have no follows of my blog booooooo!!! hahha. As i was saying as you readers will know im new to blogging and all things to do with blogs sooo i have been reading others to see what i can do to add extra content to my blog that doesn't revolve around me and my ooo so exciting life. So a popular trend amongst you experienced bloggers is reviewing so i think today i will set up a reviewing page and start reviewing products and things i like, things i use etc.. It might give you an insight to me an my life a little more.

Just trying out things

basically as you can probe tell i am new to blogging so just seeing what i can do and stuff on here to try and make the most of my blog.

This was on my trip to disney and it was the single most funniest thing ever.

Friday feeling......

Well it hasn't kicked in yet!!! This time last Friday I was going shopping for a dress to wear out followed by a day at the beach!! Today the weather is sunshine and showers which is so annoying coz it means no park for me and the girls. Also had two and half pieces of toast and I'm still starving. I seriously need to Kirb the hunger coz I feel horrible for eating it. I am also seriously lacking in energy which I guess is down to the rubbish diet. This week is just been a bad week can not wait to say good by to it and start a fresh next week. Any way this is a pic of me going for a night out last week.

Thursday 9 June 2011

Lamb casserole

My lamb casserole burnt I'm usually so good at cooking and it tasted so good up untill I turned the heat up and wonder into the bedroom to type some more blog.....just so gutted. Oh well no big who ha. :-(

soooo today!!

Has been a bad day really in terms of well most of my goals.  Missed breakfast too busy with the girls, had a jacket potato for lunch with salad good i guess and im making lamb casserole homed from scratch tonight. and its delish, but i binged on sone some bread whilst cooking it not good.  Well the house looks like a bomb gone off need to tidy and clean ASAP before my partner comes home opppsssiieee lol.  My eldest daughter did lots of walking today and only cried on the way back which was not very far ssoooo im really pleased for her and proud.

First post Ever and welcome.....

So your reading my blog.  So perhaps your in the same boat as me, feeling like you have lost your identity since having children. your no longer that fun loving 20 something with a personality your now just mum and you feel your sole purpose is bring up children and running a home.  Some people will criticise me for saying that and properly say well thats what being a parent is.  I feel being a parent has taken over my whole life i don't want to be just a mum, I want to be a friend, a women, a lover.  I want my own personality and a life outside of parenthood.  I love being a mum and wouldn't change it for anything.  I feel in order to be a good parent i need to have a separate part of me which is all about me .  As i feel i end up getting stuck in a rut and don't want to leave the house get obsessed over things like constantly cleaning and keep my house tidy to the point where it takes over my life.  I have no relationship with my partner and i know Im on the verge of loosing him if i don't change.  At the moment im existing.  Obviously i have a few times where i have a brill day or a good few hours etc. but i want my life to feel like that all the time i want a fun filled life.  I know you only get one life and i don't want to waste it and at the moment i feel like i am.  I totally feel like i have no motivation at all and if i start to get some i just use every excuse not to peruse anything.  I don't really no where to start or how to even change but i got to at least give it ago otherwise....whats the point....