Christmas Tree Cupcake

Joining in with Rhonda's On My Mind. 

I was out last night to a Ladies only craft fair with my good friend Sharon. It was a charity fund raising event that you paid £3 to get it and that got your entrance to the craft stalls, a glass of wine or orange and a cupcake. There was various craft stalls and I went with the focus of getting some Christmas gifts so.............. I bought myself a scarf and some party lite candles ha-ha!  As you know from my blog I am currently slimming after stopping smoking almost 2 years ago ( 2 years on the 28 th of December)  so why oh why did I enter a raffle to win a HUGE cupcake decorated as a tree?? Why?? I have always since a young child adored Butter Icing and to this day I can't get enough of it. So of course that would mean I would win it!  I may have a gain at Slimming next week...............  Ho Ho Ho

My Christmas Cupcake Tree!!

Even the green icing has some gold shine painted on it. So pretty

Mike doing his Shopping channel hand/ruler demonstration.

Almost December!

Last post of November should be about December! Something I have done for many many years now if fill our own Advent Calendar. I bought it when Kelly was about 3 out of Baxter's. I thought the chocolate ones where crap so invested in a pretty cloth one. What I love about it is buying decent chocolates for it. I am not a huge chocolate fan but if I am having a bit I want it to taste nice. This year I got them chocolate Santa's and Snowmen out of Johnston's of Elgin.  

All set out ready to go

Love this Calendar! 

Up and ready for morning!

So tonight I came back from Slimming ( lost 1/2 pound) got the Calendar out the cupboard ( always make sure it never goes away with the Christmas Decorations otherwise its not out in time). Sat at the kitchen and filled it up. I love it! The kids ain't bothered about it and would be happy enough with the tacky cardboard ones but for me........it signifies that Christmas is coming and I adore it! Tis the season to be Jolly!

Simply M&S.....Simply deliciousness!

Got to Love Markies ( M&S, aka Marks and Spencer). Their food has always been fantastic. A few years back my biggest treat was to end a day shopping in Aberdeen or Inverness with a visit to Markies for a few ace things for supper. Now we have a Food M&S in town but I still think of it as a treat even though I go more often!. My treat now is when I have no kids and Mike and I can enjoy a meal deal. Well it was till I thought about  it. You got your main, side, pudding and wine for £10 BUT I don't like wine and the last bottle is still in the fridge and will soon make its way into the cupboard. ANWAYS tonight we have no kids as one is at McD's with her mates and the other is at his Nan's. So the treat was a delicious meal.




 Chicken breasts wrapped in Parma Ham, stuffed with Cheddar and Gruyère cheeses and green beans, with Red Cabbage, Vegetable Selection, Potato Gratin and I had a few M&S Potato Croquets! BUT  the Pudding is one of my most favourite puddings ever! Panna Cotta

The Chicken was so moist and CHEESE! Oh I adore cheese

Love red cabbage and beetroot, both seem to always brighten a plate.

OH HEAVEN in a dish! I spend ages eating it to savour every mouthful.

I think I may have a gain at Slimming this week haha

Twig Lights

Having always fancied a vase of twig lights and having seen a few of my friends with them I decided it was time I treated myself. The plan was to get some that I could have out all year. Uh Huh! I screwed that up. I just can't help myself. Mine most defiantly have the winter/ Christmas / festive  feel to them. I just hope in January I can make them look less festive. I did start off with good intentions by buying the Blue silk flowers to tie in with the blue in the room ( Sofa and Rug) then it all went wrong when I bought the snow covered frosted cone filled twigs ha ha. Also the new vase I bought out of TK Max is not making itself look spring like with its red and gold look! I am terrible. What can I say! I love Christmas! Ho HoHo 

How am I going to make this look good in Spring/Summer??

SEE I added blue!!!

I just cant help it! I love bling, glitter and anything festive!

I just can't see this vase with Daffodils in it in the spring? Maybe red tulips haha

Slow Cooking again....

I so so so want to have some success with my Slow Cooker! I have tried a dozen or so recipes so far and maybe 3 or so I loved, 3 I liked, 6 were just OK. I seem to have the ability with the slow cooker to make everything taste the same. I was at 1 st using the little packets of Schwartz powder mixes thinking that would be good but they seem to give off the same kinda aroma. I have done some roasts in it, Roast Beef and Roast Gammon. They were ace just impossible to carve as they fell to bits. So today I am making a brand new slimming world recipe from scratch! Fingers crossed it will be good! It is however using an ingredient I have never ever used or bought!( see last Photo)

Slow Cooker recipe of the Day is .................Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Casserole

Looking good so far and its just on!

I have never ever used this before! 

Fingers Crossed it tasty

Cauliflower Cheese Soup!

This is another new recipe out my little Slimming world cook book. We had it at a taster night last week and it was delicious but I did think that maybe eating a whole bowl would be a bit much for me. Anyways, I made the soup and it was very quick and easy to make so thought I would share it.

The recipes in this book are very easy to follow

Browning the onions with Smoked Paprika gives a wonderful colour.

All in! Takes about 10 mins! So fast

Goes a lovely colour once its blended.

Creamy thick and tastes EXACTLY like Cauliflower cheese.

Please Sir can I have some more??

There are 3 Slimming world recipes that my family and myself could now never live without. They occur at least once a month each. I thought they deserved a wee blog.




Chicken Fried Rice! WOW what a Friday night hit this is! Its so so simple to make. I buy the little packs of prawn crackers and the kids ( and myself and Mike) love to scoop it up and eat it that way. If I have time some chips is a treat with it too. I prefer it now to the Chinese one! This is most defiantly a 10/10 recipe.

Diet Coke Gammon ( as its called in this house). Lovely Sunday roast meal this is. I normally serve it with the usual roast trimmings. I have done it in the Slow Cooker and though it worked it fell to bits when carving. Another 10/10 and very easy.

Finally, Balsamic Glazed Chicken. This one is just yum and I serve it with what's shown with. Potato Slices with a shaking of Paprika on them and some frozen veg. The smell is awful when you have to reduce the vinegar but the taste is to die for once the chicken is cooked. This is 11/10!