PuMpKiN sOuP & cUpCaKeS fOr A sToRmY dAy

I don't know about you but chilly autumn days make me want to snuggle up indoors with hearty comfort food, especially as now is the perfect time for one of my favourite seasonal veg the pumpkin. So I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen yesterday whipping up some lovely warming pumpkin soup to eat with some homemade fresh honey bread for lunch today.

500g pumpkin, skinned and cubed

1 med onion

1 med potato

1tsp dried cumin

1 tsp dried coriander

150g spit red lentils

1.2l veg stock

2 tbsp sunflower oil

chop onions and fry in the oil until just soft, add the spices, chopped and skinned pumpkin, potato, lentils and veg stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 3o mins. When cooked blend with a hand blender or put in a food processor, return to pan to reheat and season to taste. yummy!

I also felt that some baking was on the agenda for today so whipped up a batch of cupcakes with pale pink icing. A bit extravagant when they are not for any particular occasion but as it's the last day of my week off work I thought what the hell. I had all the ingredients in the cupboard, and felt like something sweet and naughty. Not that I'll be eating them all though!

I found out today that I've also won a giveaway in blogland. It's a giveaway from Gill at The Vintage Gardener. Her lovely bunny Archie picked my name out of the trug so a big thank you to Gill, can't wait to receive my goodies.

I've had Halloween on my mind in the past few days. I'm a bit of a Halloween-aholic and love decorating the house for the spooky season. Carving pumpkins is a bit of a speciality of mine and each year I like to try something more artistic than the year before. I'm on the lookout for some new pumpkin carving templates so if you know of any good ones please let me know. I'm having the girls over on the 30th Oct for a witches tea party, fancy dress is a must, although I haven't decided on my costume just get, but there are some wicked wigs on e-bay.

I hope everyone is tucked up in the dry today out of this stormy weather, please help yourselves to a cake, and have a lovely weekend.

TTFN

Birthday Cupcakes

Firstly I'd like to say a big Happy Birthday to Mr Pixie, love you!!!

And these are the birthday cupcakes I made last night for him to take to work today. It's customary to take cakes in on your birthday where he works :o), so I made these vanilla sponge cupcakes with marbled milk and white choc topping. I did sample one last night and it was scrummy and I still have a little chocolate left in the fridge to snaffle :o).


Yesterday, I treated myself to Country Homes and Interiors magazine, as I couldn't resist the cover page which was of this house. Isn't it lovey? I just love all the little pumpkins darted around.

and that aga is to die for!!!

I just love the pine cupboard in the bathroom, If only I could win the lottery so we could move to a lovely country home like this. I mean we have the springers and the tractor, all we need now is the house and smallholding :o).

TTFN

Pixie xxx

Time for something sweet....

I haven't been out of the house at all today, and it's been lovely. Hubby took the dogs out this morning and has taken Woody for a walk tonight, so I've spent the whole day in my slogging about clothes, don't you just love old t-shirts and jogging bottoms? This afternoon I really fancied something sweet and there's no naughty stuff at all in the cupboards, believe me i checked twice :o(, and looking like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards I had no intention of venturing to the shop. So whats a girl to do???????

Well make some cupcakes of course and test out the piping bag kit that my SIL bought me last year.


This is the result. Six of the cupcakes are vanilla sponge and the others are chocolate, all with a pink butter cream icing.


scrummy, but all that icing is a bit sickly, but never fear, I have two bouncy springers waiting to help devour the icing.

Of course I couldn't even think about attempting to bake until puppy dog was like this! I can't get much done until he's in the land of nod.

And once he had woken up full of springy bouncing beans, whats a pup to do??? Well bite and hang on poor Woody's ears of course.

And then settle down to chew on his raw hide bone.

before going for another nap in his bed.

This bed is the cats old one and it was two big for him 2 weeks ago when we picked him up, now look at him, growing at the rate of knots.

I didn't get any sewing done today but I have started reading through the new CK ''Sew'' book, which I'm about to carry on with now.

I hope every ones having a good weekend, TTFN

Pixie xxx

The Wanderer returns...............

Hello,



It took me a while but I finally got a chance to get back onto my blog. Beltane camp was great. Apologies for the serious lack of pics, I kept forgetting to get my camera out of the tent, and the other pics I do have are of my friends looking rough so I have been forbidden to put them on my blog. Most of my trip was spent sat around chatting, singing, and drinking although not in excess this year. We went to a couple of events around the bell fire, one of which was a pagan marriage ceremony, which was followed by a fire labyrinth. The labyrinth was amazing it had died down alot before I got to take a photo. We laughed a lot and were really grubby and in need of a bath by the time Monday arrived, so it was nice to get home and get clean. I don't sleep very well at camp so I spent the following week feeling tired, in fact for the last two weeks I've felt tired, and trying to catch up on some sleep.

Last Sunday we had a lovely day out with friends in the Forest of Bere. We intended to have a BBQ but they don't allow them there anymore so we had a picnic and took the BBQ's over our friends later. We had great fun playing with an aerobie, which is like a Frisbee but fly's better, so we're on the look out for one now. As well as us, Woody was tuckered out the next day too, as he spent hours chasing after his ball.

Last night I went to a Ladies evening at a local school as my SIL was selling her cupcakes. Its the first time she's taken them anywhere to sell and they sold like.....well, hot cakes, I guess, lol. The stall looked great and she sold every last one. Check out her new cupcake blog here.

I purchased some pretty cards and wrapping paper from the Phoenix trading stall and some smellies from another lady. A local beauty salon were there as well doing manicures and threading, so we all decided to have our eyebrows threaded. I can recommend it, they look great and threading gives a better shape than waxing and it doesn't hurt anymore than waxing either. Best of all it only cost me £5.

I haven't made much of anything for a while, as I just haven't been in the right mood. Its pointless me trying to make stuff if my hearts just not in it. So today will be spent trying to find my mojo (i think thats the term) lol.

I have been up to something else too but I will put that in another post this week. Hope you are all well.

TTFN

Pixie xxx