Friday 3 May 2024

What I have loved this week! Week 18. #FridayFavourites

Finally Friday! I feel like I have been so busy over the past week. I was out most of Monday and Tuesday so on Wednesday I was playing catch up with all of the house work, yesterday went in a blue and here we are heading into a long weekend. We have a bank holiday on Monday which only makes a difference to Ellie as she's off college, it's my fellas normal day off work and Becky works in care so bank holidays don't apply to her. 

Today I am linking up with Erika and Andrea and share some of my favourites from this past week.

What I loved this week

Humans!
When Humans was shown on TV I watched it or at least the first couple of seasons. I saw that the whole show was on Netflix so decided to rewatch. There is so much that I don't remember. Set in a time and place like our own but one where robotics technology has progressed to the point where robotic workers, Synths are commonplace and a must have gadget for any busy family. In the hope of transforming the way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished synth and discovers that sharing life with a machine has chilling, far reaching consequences.

A rainy Sunday!
For the last few months we have been going out most Sundays for lunch. We had planned to stay in on Sunday anyway but the rain made it feel so cosy. It chucked it down all day and it was nice to stay in, cook a roast dinner and stay in my pj's. 

Dresses!
A few weeks ago I got some new dresses and I love them. I am planning on going back to Primark and buying more in different colours. They seem to fit in all the right places and I can still get away with wearing leggings or jeans underneath if it isn't too warm.

Me dressed in my new dresses

On Tuesday it was a warm day, probably the warmest of the year so far and I wore the blue dress with 3/4 length leggings and my sandals. It was a real taste of summer!

I have always struggled with fake tan. I haven't the patience to put it on and let it develop over night, I want instant results and have tried plenty of instant tans in the past but they would end up patchy and streaky or be too light or dark. This one is perfect! It gives a natural glow, smells amazing, didn't rub off onto my clothes and most importantly doesn't look orange.

A new/old fridge!
We had fridge issues which I mentioned in my meal planning post. Ours had broke and instead of us buying a new one my brother brought a spare that he had. He does house removals so is the man to know when you need things like that. All it needed was a good clean and it was good to go. I didn't realise how broken our old fridge was until we got the new/2nd hand one. It's actually cold instead of just keeping things chilled. 

Alarm clocks!
Sleeping in was not one of my favourites but it made me realise that mobile phones and their alarm clocks are a good thing. On Wednesday morning Ellie woke me and told me that we had slept in, it was half past 8, the time she should have been getting to college. Oops. There was a power cut, I am assuming sometime after my fella left for work just after 6am but before 7am when Ellie's alarm was set. Her alarm clock is a plug in, digital one which just resets when there's a power cut. I will go back to setting my alarm on my phone, just in case, at least if the power goes off that will still work.

What have you loved over the past week?

Friday Favorites linky

Thursday 2 May 2024

365 Days Of Gratitude. In April I was grateful for..

April flew over! Seriously, where did it go? I am blaming the fact that Stu had a week off work and Ellie 2 weeks off college and the whole month has felt like a blur. We have had lots of family time and fun. It was a good month!

I have seen many people on social media list something every day that they are grateful for and thought I would join in and have on my private Facebook account every day and I thought I would share here too. I did this for the whole of last year couple of years and it has really made me realise that even on the bad day's I have something to be grateful for.

Grateful

Day 92 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for lighter nights! All day was grey and damp but it turned into such a lovely bright evening!

Day 93 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a fun night at the pubs quiz !

Day 94 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Asda sell washing lines. I have forgot to order one for over a week but have one coming tomorrow with the food shop!

Day 95 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Stu got some DIY jobs done around the house.

Day 96 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that the rain stopped this morning and we could have a nice day out! I didn't even have to wear a coat!!

Day 97 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a long soak in the bath after digging in the garden.

Lush bath bomb

Day 98 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a lazy afternoon catching up with last nights Wrestlemania!

Day 99 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I got to watch the 2nd part of Wrestlemania! I was not expecting to cry at the end. What a moment!

Day 100 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I figured out what was wrong with the washer thanks to Google, I thought it was broken. Turns out the child lock had been put on!

Day 101 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for the tumble dryer, all this rain is very annoying!

Day 102 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that the food shop arrived before my delivery slot! I hate waiting around for it.

Day 103 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a nice day with my girls.

Me and my girls

Day 104 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for the Grand National. Stu joined in with the sweepstake at work and his horse won! Hooray!

Day 105 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a free drink from the pub! I do love their loyalty card, it's such a good idea.

Day 106 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that we got a few bargains in Primark! Me a couple of dresses for the summer, Ellie some jeans, Becky a Shrek jumper and Stu some t-shirts! Most of the things were on sale!

Day 107 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for the heating! It has been so chilly today!

Day 108 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a new colour on my nails.

Day 109 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I managed to get a grocery delivery slot for tomorrow. I forgot all about it until a few hours ago.

Day 110 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for my dad making mine and Ellie's lunch.

Day 111 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a night in front of the TV. I am glad Britain's Got Talent is back.

Day 112 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a lovely lunch out!
Had prawn cocktail to start, honey glazed gammon and veg and then cheesecake for dessert!

Sunday lunch

Day 113 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Stu cooked our tea. I love a night off the cooking on a Monday when he's off work.

Day 114 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I had the sense to check outside the backdoor for my Gousto box. Yodel just dropped it there. They didn't bother knocking. Ugh! They're hopeless!

Day 115 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a fun night at the pub's bingo. It was a cheap evening with us all winning!

Day 116 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a lazy afternoon. I caught up on all the soaps, well mostly. I still have a few episodes of Eastenders to watch. I don't think I'll ever catch up with that. lol

Day 117 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Stu has finished his run of doing overtime at work. I am looking forward to him getting home at his normal time for the next month or so.

Day 118 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that my brother had a spare fridge to give us when ours stopped working properly! He is the man to know when you need things like that.

Day 119 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a Sunday at home. The rain kept us in but it was nice not to get dressed and do much.

Day 120 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I could help my dad out with a few things on the computer, well Stu did mostly but I was there for moral support. 

Day 121 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a day spent outside. Today was the perfect weather for me. Warm but not too hot, with a bit of a breeze.

What were you grateful for in April?

Wednesday 1 May 2024

Air Fryer Sausage Rolls - Recipe!

Sausage rolls are something that are always in my fridge. Either full size one's or mini one's. They are great to snack on, my girls call them thinking food. They stand looking in the fridge eating a sausage roll thinking about what they are going to eat for a proper meal. The simple sausage roll is a great thing! Perfect for eating on the go, the ultimate party food, great as part of an afternoon tea and they are so easy to make!!

Air Fryer Sausage Rolls

These Air Fryer Sausage Rolls can be made in the air fryer or oven with just 7 ingredients including pork sausages (which can be switched out for vegetarian sausages) encased in a quick shortcrust pastry.

Makes 12 portions 
Prep time: 15 minutes and Cook time 20 to25 minutes.

Ingredients
200g of plain flour.
100g of unsalted butter.
2 tablespoons of cold water.
6 sausages (any variety and vegetarian one's work too)
1 egg.
Sesame seeds (optional).
Flaky sea salt.

Equipment
A large mixing bowl.
An Air fryer.
A rolling pin.
A knife.

Sausage rolls

Method

Preheat your air fryer or oven to 200°C.

In the large mixing bowl rub the plain flour and unsalted butter together between your fingertips until a crumb consistency is achieved. 

Add in the cold water and mix everything together to form a smooth ball of dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle with a 5mm thickness. Trim the edges so that they are straight.

Beat the egg in a small dish or mug and set to one side.

Place one of the sausages onto the pastry, at the edge and at the bottom. Cut the pastry so that it is the same width as the sausage. Roll the sausage up in the pastry, allowing a little overlap, trimming and brushing a with little egg wash to seal it.

Cut the sausage roll in half lengthways, score the top lightly and put to one side. Repeat with the remaining sausages so that you end up with 12 sausage rolls.

To bake immediately brush the sausage rolls all over with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt if using. 

Place the sausage rolls in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes. They should be golden brown on top and the sausage cooked through.

If baking in the oven, preheat to 200c/180c fan and place all the sausage rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through. Allow the sausage rolls to cool slightly before serving.

Cooking Tips 

If you want to freeze the sausage rolls to bake as and when, pop them all into an airtight sandwich bag or Tupperware and pop in the freezer.

If cooking from frozen, do not preheat the air fryer. Place the sausage roll(s) straight in the basket and turn on to 200°c for 30 minutes. Again checking that the sausage is cooked through before serving.

This recipe from the Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes and information on the campaign over on the Fab Flour website.

Tuesday 30 April 2024

The joys of having older children.

My girls are 21 and 16 years old although if you were to ask their age they would say nearly 22 and 17. lol They always like to think they are older than they are. Parenting them has been a journey and it's never going to be over but I feel like we have all levelled up and entered a new stage of life.

My girls and I

I am really loving the age my girls are at the moment. There is a good balance of them needing me but being more independent at the same time. I have found so many joys while having older children. These are some of them.

There is no more rushing around on a morning for me. Becky works night shifts and is usually just getting into the house as I am getting out of bed at about 8am. Ellie gets herself up up now for college and wakes me up for a chat just before she leaves to get the bus. It's so nice not having that rush on a morning. Years ago it felt like I would never have mornings like this again but here we are.

The girls have realised that money doesn't grows on trees and has to be earned. Becky has stopped wasting money and is on a saving spree and even Ellie knows that if she wants money she has to help around the house. It is good that they now know about money, I remember years ago when Ellie had a tantrum about not being able to have a toy from a shop because it was overpriced for what it was. She now knows what things are worth, mostly and that is a good thing. There is also the perk of now that they have their own money they treat me to a chocolate bar or drink while we are out and gifts for special occasions. 

I don't like sharing my worries with my girls but they do pick up on things and are a great support. They have a different perspective and offer some fantastic advice, sometimes. Sometimes their advice is not so good like when they tell me just to go and shout at our neighbour when she's being a bit silly. 

I feel like I could leave my girls home alone for a weekend (I wouldn't) and they would be able to feed themselves, not just snacks and junk food but real meals. Becky is an expert at pasta dishes and Ellie can make quite a few chicken dishes. The perks of this is that they sometime make me food and it is brilliant. I still cook our evening meal each night but sometimes my girls make my lunch and what is even more of a treat is getting a cup of tea made for me. Cuppas always taste better when someone else makes them.

Ellie is my beauty guru! She loves make up and all beauty related things and has introduced me to loads of new products and if I fancy a change from my make up I root around her make up drawers and bags and find something new to try. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't use primer or setting spray and I would still be using a rubbish mascara. 

Often I see drama on the Facebook group for our local area and of course it's only half the story but having girls who know a lot of people locally has it's advantages. I always find out the gossip. hehehe Or they will find out half a story, tell me and my dad or brother who are good for gossip fill in the blanks. hehehe

I am not the I.T expert in our house anymore, especially when it comes to things like social media, streaming music and TV. My girls are quite clever and have pointed me in the right direction many times. If I want to know anything about TikTok, they are the one's I turn to.

As my girls get older they have become not just my offspring but also my friend. We share hobbies, interests, and experiences on a more equal footing. We can chat for hours about what's going on in the world, TV shows and music and have so many laughs together which I couldn't imagine years ago.

Parenting older children is not what I expected, it's much more fun and still full of heart warming moments. I am sure in a few years things will change again but for now I am really enjoying this part of my parenting journey.

What is your favourite thing about having older children?