Shenanigans and Chocolate Man Bites

My apologies again. I have been baking (and eating) lovely things, but keep forgetting to write about them. There has been a significant birthday in the mix too which has kept me busy. I am now in a new decade - the celebrations were suitably fantastic, and I am most definitely enjoying my new number.

There has also been a fair amount of shenanigans from the amazing sons you will be pleased to hear. Most Some of these I simply cannot tell you about. Maybe one day I will write a book about them all. If truth be told, I may have to write several books. Most recently the boys' treat boxes have very suddenly been emptied. It wasn't me, regardless of what the mince pie maker might tell you. They have obviously stepped up their game and found my hiding place. And managed to secret the treats away without my noticing until now. Previously they have always been caught in the act for example by dropping the box on the way upstairs. Funny, very funny. There is a new hiding place now so we will see how long it takes for them to find it. In the meantime I thought it pertinent to use up the huge number of chocolate bars we had - hidden away in a treat box they know nothing about! You have to be one step ahead at all times and play it like a game. So much fun!

So, in trying to use up an unreasonable number of chocolate bars I created what has now been called 'Chocolate Man Bites' by captain cakeman - a friend who cheekily likes to ask for and eat my cakes. I threw these together mainly for amazing son number 2 to take on his church sleepover last night but unwittingly told the cocktail queen (who lives with captain cakeman) about them, who decided they needed to be sampled. I think I will be needing to replace my secret chocolate bar stash to make these again some time.

They are more than simple to make, but should come with a warning. The recipe sort of goes like this:

Melt about 500g milk chocolate over a low heat with 100g unsalted butter. Stir into this lots of chopped up chocolate bars - I used about 3 Mars Bars, 3 Twixes, 3 Crunchies and a big bag of Maltesers. Flatten into a deep tray that you have lined with cling film. Then melt about 200g milk chocolate (I used 100g milk chocolate and 100g Lindor balls) and pour over the top. Put into the fridge to set, then cut into small squares. I got about 25 pieces from mine. No photos, but captain cakeman did send me the shopping list he has just written and which made me chuckle:

Biscuit Brownie Fudge Bars

Amazing son number 2 is going away for the weekend on a camp with his friends from church. Excited is something of an understatement. Combined with the fact that it is his 10th birthday next week and excitement levels are high. So high that I am thinking of banning all sugary substances in his diet to maintain my sanity. I have however made a batch of very sugary treats for him to share with his friends while he is away. I won't be there to deal with the sugar overload. Apparently he will be allowed to play football at 8 o'clock in the morning on both days of the camp. This is a very good thing according to him. I can only admire the camp leaders - tire them out before breakfast. Genius. I hope it works. And that these biscuit/brownie/fudge bars don't cause too much mayhem. 

Biscuit Brownie Fudge Bars

• 350g bourbon biscuits bashed into crumbs
• 50g bourbon biscuits cut into chunks
• 120g melted butter
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 100g dark chocolate
• 200g milk chocolate
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 100g white chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 160c and line a baking tray with baking paper
2. Mix the melted butter and bourbon biscuits crumbs and press evenly into the baking tray
3. In a pan gently heat the condensed milk, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, stirring all the time until fully melted and combined
4. Pour the condensed milk/chocolate mixture over the biscuit base
5. Scatter the chocolate chips over this along with the chunks of bourbon biscuit and gently press in
6. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes
7. Remove from the oven and drizzle the melted white chocolate all over the top
8. Once cool, refrigerate overnight before cutting into pieces

Apt, Very Apt

ANOTHER day of dressing up for amazing son number 2 at school today. Can I just reiterate that I do cake not costumes. I can make pretty good cake but rubbish costumes. And again I left it until the day before to sort said costume. The theme for today was 'Super Heroes' for Red Nose Day. We just about pulled it off again as amazing son number 2 is so very cute. There was some compromise discussion as to what super hero he wanted to be a few days ago. We decided on 'Super Geek' with the catchphrase 'I know ALL the answers'. I had to laugh this morning. He wanted to dust his bedroom to earn pocket money and I said that he had to tidy away all the Lego and toys on the floor first. His reply? "Why do I need to tidy first, I'm not going to dust the floor?!" Hmmm. An answer for everything that one, truly.

'I know ALL the answers!'

No Guttersnipe

My favourite film of all time is My Fair Lady. I absolutely adore it. Admittedly, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Shrek come pretty high on my list so please don't think me too posh cultured. As a child I endured benefitted from regular elocution lessons so I have always felt something of an affinity with Eliza. Professor Higgins may not have been able to label me a "guttersnipe" to begin with but I'm sure even he would be impressed by my high standards regarding grammar and enunciation nowadays. I'm not even sure I like text speak/abbreviations in messages. I only use them as they do save time. I am going to have to lie down in a darkened room after receiving the most recent text message from amazing son number 1.

Professor Higgins may be needed if that is ever articulated out loud, believe me.

Wally

So amazing son number 2 is off to school in his Where's Wally costume. I've done my best, and still think I am better at cakes than costumes. But he is happy - mostly because he gets to wear skinny jeans to school and have hair product in his hair. I have to admit that he manages to look cool even when dressing up in costume. I think I might suggest the book character 'Gangsta Granny' next time.  I have a feeling he would even manage to pull that one off too.

Enough cheekiness!

#BFF becomes #BFW

#BFF is sadly no more. Amazing son number 1 is now out every Friday evening at a "yoof group". So #BFF has had to move to a Wednesday. Making it #BFW obviously.

Today we had pulled pork with spicy carrot salad, and BBQ sauce which was a combination of 2 different recipes (this one and this one) because I couldn't decide which one I preferred. Oh, and homemade hummus which I made up as I went along. Basically, chick peas, tahini, olive oil, yoghurt, garlic, salt and pepper. And I also made tortilla wraps to eat everything in. Because I felt like it and was obviously avoiding the housework or ironing. And we had cake - my version of St Clement's cupcakes as I have decided I really don't like buttercream icing. Definitely housework avoidance issues.

Everything was guzzled before I had time to remember to take a photograph. But it was tasty and the boys are all happy. Good job because we will be eating leftovers tomorrow.

I've also just finished putting together the outfit amazing son number 2 will be wearing to school tomorrow as part of Book Week. We compromised agreed on him going as Wally from the Where's Wally books as I thought it would be fairly straight forward to do. Who would have thought that finding a red and white striped top or hat would prove so problematic. Admittedly I only started looking today, and he is meant to be wearing it tomorrow. Will I ever learn? So the top is red and grey, and the hat definitely not red and white. I think I am better at cakes than costumes.

Big Trip

Please excuse the lack of posts recently. I've had the most fantastic August away with the amazing sons and the gorgeous husband. The headlines of the big trip (now that the jet lag is dealt with) have been:

Aunty CC and Jack-Jon
First off, the amazing sons and I flew to Eugene to see my twin sister and her family. What a great week we had seeing Toria, Mr Dave and Lady P. We ate a lot of ice cream, frequenting most of the various establishments nearby. The boys bought some baseball caps that go oh so nicely with their new trainers. I don't think sarcasm comes across in the written word as well as the spoken one does it. We went to a theme park and a Scandinavian food festival. And I got lost several times out running.

We got a bit damp on the log flume!

The Girls

Missing Flights and Missing Luggage in Vancouver

After a week in Eugene, the amazing sons and I flew to Vancouver to meet the gorgeous husband at the airport. Except we didn't. We did fly to Vancouver (albeit after some delay). But we didn't manage to meet the gorgeous husband there. Or retrieve my bag which went missing. So we flew on to Prince George to see the gorgeous husband's brother and his family without said husband or bag. We laughed a lot the next day once we were all reunited and after some sleep.

Prince George and More Chuis
It was good to see the gorgeous husband's brother and family for 6 days. We visited Barkerville, a former gold rush town and the cousins enjoyed panning for gold together. There were also trips to lakes, fishing, kayaking, swimming, tennis and much discussion as to why I had to pay for a glass of wine on my long haul flights despite the fact that I was the one travelling with the children. Apparently the gorgeous husband was offered copious amounts of different alcohol on his flight, seemingly from take-off to landing.

The cousins hunting for frogs.

The gorgeous husband took some amazing wildlife shots!

Lots of Chuis

Road Trip Through The Rockies
Then began our road trip though some of Canada. We drove to Jasper, then Banff before flying to Vancouver for a few days. Amazing. Breathtaking. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. Those are (I think) the 4 words we chose to describe all that we saw. Highlights would be the grizzly bears, the earl grey tea, the chocolate buffet, the oysters and all the scenery. And Tim Horton's, who we have probably kept in business for another year after all the coffee and doughnuts we ate there.

Me and my boys at Lake Louise.

More wildlife photos and my pedicured toes.

Doughnuts again!

Back to Eugene to Finish
The amazing sons and I then went back to Eugene for a few days while the gorgeous husband flew back to the UK. Undoubtedly with plenty of alcohol offered to him throughout the flight. We wanted to stay longer but were unable to change our flights. We made the most of the final part of our holiday by eating ice cream again. And I fell over on a run, which did mean I didn't get lost as I had to stop and go back. We also stocked up on Biscoff, which is the most amazing invention. I say we, but I fully intend to eat all of it single handedly.

It was simply a once in a lifetime family holiday, that has given us many wonderful memories. Shame it had to end.

Lake Louise

Dimpling....

Someone recently said that when I smile I am 'dimpling', on account of the very large dimples in my cheeks. I have yet to meet anyone** who has larger dimples than me, though I would love to do so. As a child I disliked them as they were so unusual. As an adult I have come to love them as they are so unique.  These are some of the things that have made me dimple today.....

1. Lunch with a wonderful friend in an Indian luncheon club.
2. The cat purring as he lay in a sun beam.
3. The gorgeous husband coming home early from work.
4. My fringe finally being trimmed.
5. Baking 'ricky toad' rock cakes for BFF.
6. The amazing sons happily playing with Lego.
7. The ping on my phone as friends messaged me over the day.

Little things that please me much.

** With the exception of Bebe, my late Grandmother. But mine are actually getting bigger as I get older, so I am pretty certain they will end up being even larger than hers! They are developing their own wrinkles too, but that is a whole other story.

Any Excuse For Cake

Amazing son number one left the house on Friday morning smelling rather fragrant. It seemed he decided to liberally douse himself in the gorgeous husband's aftershave. I do feel for anyone he had to sit next to on the bus or in the classroom. Whilst I love the smell of this particular fragrance there is a limit as to how much is acceptable when wearing it, and the amazing son number one has yet to understand this. Oh the joys of teenagers.

Following on from this, I intercepted amazing son number two trying to take money to school. In his shoes. The unusual gait gave it away. I think it is a good job I discovered this before we left the house to walk the mile to school. Blisters or holes in his socks would have been inevitable and rather unfortunate. I think he has also gone to school with Diprobase (remember this stuff?) in his hair. Don't ask me why. A good hair wash is definitely needed when he gets home.

To help cope with the SHENANIGANS I made cake. Obviously so that I could eat cake. But it was also to practise making a layer cake before a friend comes to make one with me on Sunday. Believe it or not I have never previously made a layer cake. Shocking I know. The cake is now no more. I didn't eat it all I hasten to add. I'm not telling how much I did eat, but it wasn't quite all of it. I might have to make more cake soon.

I followed Delia's all-in-one recipe which was pretty straightforward, especially using my KitchenAid. However, the frosting I made up as I went along. It was amazing, but I now have only a vague notion how to recreate it. I'm certain it involved various amounts of butter, dark chocolate, golden syrup, condensed milk, icing sugar and cocoa. I'm sure any quantities of those ingredients melted and mixed together will taste pretty delicious though.

Ricky Toad

The gorgeous husband recently bought me Dan Lepard's amazing baking book Short & Sweet. I'm not sure why I have waited so long to start using it but today I made 2 recipes - one savoury and one sweet. The amazing sons had a taste of the Blue Cheese and Oatmeal Biscuits and gave them their seal of approval.

 They have yet to know about the Rocky Road Rock Cakes I then whipped up. I might not tell and keep them all for me. Thanks to the predictive text on my iPhone Rocky Road is known as Ricky Toad in our house. This is a new take on an old favourite for me, and I LIKE IT! Now, to share or not to share?

You've Got To Be Impressed!

Amazing son number 2 has quite brilliantly outdone himself again in the SHENANIGANS department. Upon discovering a £5 note in his school bag I interrogated quizzed him about where it had come from. You probably need to understand that his piggy bank is (I think!) hidden away after he raided it and spent £10 on chocolate after sneaking up to the cafe at our gym when he was meant to be swimming.

So, it seems the £5 was actually the change from a £20 note. Apparently he took his old felt tips to school and sold them to another child for £20. TWENTY POUNDS FOR OLD FELT TIPS!!! This boy has a huge future in the business world.

Not so cleverly he then spent £15 of his newly found wealth on sweets when allowed to walk home from school by himself one day. However, I am very proud of the fact that he shared these sweets with his friends - he is a very generous child, much like the gorgeous husband.

He was also recently heard to mutter (after passing a shop buying gold) "cash for gold, I wonder if we have any gold at home". I'll be hiding wearing all my jewellery from now on then. Good job he is utterly charming and has a smile that makes your heart melt!

Didn't I Say Never Again?

So amazing son number 2 was 9 a few weeks ago and tomorrow we are taking him with some friends for a climbing wall party. Despite my previous misgivings about making more cake pops for the sons'  birthdays I couldn't resist. However, due to a broken hand (out of plaster, in a splint, still sore, but healing nicely, thanks for asking) I am somewhat limited in what I can do. So I did cheat a little and ordered a Lego ice cube mould. I used this to make Lego brick cake pops. I think he will be pleased.  Cake, Lego, chocolate combined - can't argue with that really.

Birthday Brownies

Amazing son number 2 turns 9 on Monday and is currently out socialising for the day. My plaster cast means the proper birthday cake (yes, I am thinking cake pops again despite my previous misgivings) is going to have to wait until his party at the end of the month. I can still mange to make brownies though, and asked amazing son number 1 if he wanted to make them with me for his brother's birthday. After our embarrassing little bus journey a few days ago I wasn't sure whether he would actually want to be seen with me in the kitchen, especially if I was wearing an apron! I am glad to say it's clearly OK to be seen with your mother if chocolate is involved. I might take to carrying some with me at all times to ensure I'm less embarrassing to him in future. Particularly on buses.

ssshhhh....more SHENANIGANS!

I thought it was a bit too quiet recently. It was making me a little uneasy. But I can now relax as I have uncovered the amazing sons' most recent bout of SHENANIGANS. What can I tell you? The abridged version is as follows:

• A new bottle of bubble bath practically used up in a single bath, but cunningly refilled with water so all appears as it should.
• A box of chocolate eclairs belonging to the gorgeous husband mysteriously missing from the kitchen.
• The same goes for a box of Thornton's fudge that was mine.
• Oh, and likewise for several chunky kit-kats, some large bars of cooking chocolate, a big bag of tortilla crisps and strangely the bran flakes kept on top of the fridge.
• And apples and oatcakes (the 'healthy' options in their packed lunches) stuffed in various places around the playroom and in various states of decay. Nice.
• Holes deliberately made in different articles of school uniform. Please don't ask me why.

Splendid. They are on top form aren't they! The weekend is going to be fun I'm sure. I have got a bottle of wine already chilling in the fridge I can assure you.

And, a question for you. As a parent of a now teenaged son, I would like to know if it is normal for them to follow you onto a bus and then proceed to sit as far away from you as possible? No, I wasn't dressed embarrassingly, or singing or dancing my way along the aisle to my seat, and just moments before we had been having a perfectly normal conversation (be advised that I do use the term 'conversation' loosely in this context). Odd. Or to be expected?

Catch Up

It's been unexpectedly quiet here recently. By that I obviously mean that there has been little in the way of SHENANIGANS from the amazing sons. And by that I clearly mean that there has been little in the way of DISCOVERING any SHENANIGANS as I'm sure there will have been some.

The gorgeous husband is recovering from a nasty sickness bug. He had the audacity to initially blame his illness on a pearl barley mushroom risotto I made. The cheek! I'm very glad he is starting to feel better because I am needing a little bit of help with a few things.

I've broken a bone in my hand. It's a long and silly story how that happened, and the initial plaster cast was ever so slightly over-dramatic. Thankfully I'm now wearing this:

No driving or (gulp) exercising for 3 weeks. I'm off to get a bus pass this morning. You've got to laugh.

Stuff and Junk

I've not written anything for a while as I've been pondering a few things.

This year has been teaching me that life is better when it is simple. Fewer demands, fewer distractions, fewer things. I'm still working on this but I know for sure that life is good and that those people who are meant to be around me are still there, although some of them are geographically further away than before.

In it all  I have been learning to "settle" and to be "available" to those who matter most - the gorgeous husband, the amazing sons and family. I have also had my eyes opened to the reality of true friends and friendships. Those people who can really know you, who you can share the ups and down of life with, and who stick by you in it all.

So life is very different at the end of 2011 from at the beginning. That is more than good. Priorities have shifted in many directions. I feel healthier and more blessed in every way. I'm not saying it's not challenging at times but anyone that truly knows me will know that I always rise to a challenge.

So my challenges for next year are simple though daunting, and at the core of them lies the need to continue with putting my family first. By the end of March I am going to have stopped working as part of this ongoing process. I don't do 'staying at home' but it seems I soon will be. In it all I am trusting God that He knows best, and that ultimately He works out everything for the good of those who love Him.

Happy New Year.

Two (or Three) Can Play At That Game!

I've just had to check my diary to reassure myself that I haven't mysteriously and rather carelessly 'lost' several days of December. The reason? It seems that the amazing sons' advent calendars are rather inept at telling me the correct date, or rather that the amazing sons are rather adept at trying to eat the chocolates ahead of schedule. I know most children have probably done this but you have to admire their audacity.  I truly believe the amazing sons are continuing to properly make progress in their attempts to stay one step ahead of me with their SHENANIGANS. You see, this year, they have had the genius idea of putting the wrappers back in the little pockets so it appears they have not been eaten. Except I know. I always now! And now I have done the same with the rest of the chocolates in their advent calendars. Oh yes, I have removed them (for safe-keeping!) and replaced the wrappers so all appears well. I wonder if either of them will come to me when they are next expecting an uneaten chocolate bar to complain! We'll have to wait and see. Funny, so very funny.

SHENANIGANS (or - Not So Whiter Than White)

I have just attempted to start washing the amazing sons' uniform from this week. I'm not sure there is much I am going to be able to do about 3 of amazing son number 2's polo shirts.

I kid you not - they really are as bad as the photos suggest. Except you can't see the holes that have mysteriously and inexplicably appeared on them in addition to the stains. He has only had these polo shirts since mid-September. 

And I am not even going to start thinking about the 3 pairs of trousers and tracksuit bottoms that I have had to sew holes up in. Holes that (again) mysteriously and inexplicably seemed to reappear the day after I had sewn them up. 

In other news I have also discovered that one of my secret hiding places for stocking presents for the amazing sons has been found. I had bought some unusual chocolate bars to wrap up to help Father Christmas. There were originally 6. There are now 4. Hmm........no prizes for guessing who is responsible.

My Cat Likes Cupcakes

Well, the cream cheese frosting on cupcakes to be more precise. Thankfully I didn't find this out as a result of him licking the frosting off my recent batch of baking. No. The gorgeous husband has been found out feeding it to the cat. I have hidden the bowl of frosting that is in the fridge for fear of it 'disappearing'. I have plans for that frosting. For once the amazing sons are not to blame for the SHENANIGANS in our house. It also explains why the cat is so keen on the gorgeous husband. 

Cake Crawl

We are not long back from a couple of days in London staying with the gorgeous husband's parents. They very kindly looked after the amazing sons on Saturday so that the gorgeous husband and I could spend the day in London.

My Our plan for the day mainly  involved eating cake. So we started in The Hummingbird Bakery in South Kensington. I LOVE their cookbooks but this is this the first time that I have visited and oh my, I am so glad we did. We shared a single black bottom cupcake -so restrained and so delicious! Definitely a recipe I will be trying at home.

From there we (predictably) made our way to Harrods to enable me to drool at the macarons in Laduree. I couldn't help it, I bought 3 of the little lovelies, but I did share them. Black Forest, Madagascan Chocolate and Salted Caramel. Please note the use of capital letters in writing their flavours, they are worthy of such deference.

Our final stop was for the gorgeous husband to find his favourite - Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Sadly the hotlight store seems to have disappeared from Harrods. This was not altogether a bad thing as it enabled us to burn a few calories walking to the nearest alternative. Apple cinnamon was the flavour of choice and certainly didn't disappoint. It was deemed "nearly as good as the original glazed". High praise indeed.