Am I going mad?

A think I thought today was that maybe I am going a little crazy.

This morning I found myself in the shower merrily humming the tune to children's TV show Everything's Rosie.  this is not the first time recently either, Big Cook Little cook, Something Special, 3rd and Bird if it is on CBeebies I seem to know the theme tune!

Now I wouldn't mind  but we hardly have the TV on Miss D prefers stories and playing to sitting watching TV so we usually have music on for background noise. I am wondering if the BBC have magical mind powers so the music subliminally takes over your brain???

I think I need to get out more

WHY?

A think I thought today was how much money is wasted by the government

Ok I know this is not an original or unique thought but driving to work this morning I heard a news bulletin on Radio 2 which said

 

“a Cambridge researcher has found that viewers of Dr Who, who find the Daleks scary has nothing to do with the cries of “exterminate” but because they might become like them”

Errrrrrrr Hello? Was there the need for this piece of research to take place? Seriously?

How much did this very important rubbish piece of research cost? Would the money not be  better spent paying off some of the debt this country seems to be in?

No wonder the country is in the mess it is in! 

Shopaholic in the making?

A think I thought today was that maybe my friends are right

Since Sophie Kinsella first published “ The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic”  my friends have likened me to the main character Becky Bloomwood.   When the latest in the series of books was published “mini shopaholic” Laughing to themselves these friends said “that will be you!” “no no no” I protested.

Well  it seems the friends are right and I was wrong. 

Miss D loves to shop!!! She has very definite opinions about what she likes and dislikes and asks to go to the shops even naming her favourites (currently Asda and Mark Spencer). While going into town with Mr D to get a secret present for moi she said in the car “oooooo this is where I come with my mummy” While out as a family Miss D will ask to get a coffee in Costa “we go coffee in Costa mummy?”

I think I have created a monster! We don’t even go shopping that often as I try to avoid taking the buggy into the city centre although I admit we often pop to Costa for a coffee with friends but surely this is learning social skills?????

I used to laugh that the first numbers Miss D would learn would be Daddy’s PIN number  but I am now getting worried this is going to be true. I don’t think Mr D could handle two shopaholics in the family (well his bank account couldn't!).

As long as her tastes stay reasonable i.e. high street I think we can work with this although I think lessons in you can’t always get what you want are next on the agenda!  

I've finally Cracked it!

A think I thought today was that I love the sweet smell of success and today the smell has certainly been just that!

I had decided to make some chocolate nest cupcakes for the girls I work with for Easter, however my icing expertise was limited to various flavours of buttercream.  I love buttercream and with a bit of lemon, orange, lime, vanilla, mint it is extra yummy. I have however yet to master the chocolate flavour! Many disasters have befallen my chocolate icing attempts in the past and I had given up on making any form of chocolate topping,  that is until today!

After an extensive internet search I found a hummingbird bakery  recipe for chocolate buttercream! Having a sticky and battered copy of the hummingbird book at home I thought all my Christmases had come at once! I love hummingbird bakery recipes.  Apart from the sometimes excessive amounts of ingredients, I have yet to make a recipe that is not delicious. This recipe however was surprisingly simple.

So after a stressful day in work I headed off to the local supermarket to gather the missing stock cupboard ingredients ingredient! Dark chocolate! 

My car flew me home as fast as could be and much to the amusement of Mr and Miss D I breezed in the house, flung on my apron and said “lets bake!”  An unusual occurrence as I usually flop on the sofa declaring myself “knackered”

Baking done, I started on the icing, I was slightly worried about adding warm chocolate to butter icing but it worked. After some fast beating I had a glossy chocolately icing that looked (and tasted) delicious! Better still it was simple to make.  My nemesis has been beaten.

Chocolate icing is the new vanilla (well for now at least) anyhow just in  case there are any cupcakers out there like me who cannot produce a decent chocolate icing here is the recipe

350g dark chocolate

225g butter @ room temperature

2 tsp milk

I tsp vanilla essence

250g icing sugar

Melt the chocolate and leave to cool

Beat the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth

Add the melted chocolate and beat until the right consistency

*top tip* just keep beating it does thicken up!

Lightweight!

A think I thought today was that I am a lightweight!

Having gone out to a local restaurant for my bestest friends Exclusive (for this read small as in 3 of us!) hen do, I had a couple (and only a couple) of glasses of wine - it would have been rude not to after all. 

Therefore currently I feel 3 sheets to the wind having had half a bottle of vino! Cheap date Lightweight! LOL

I am thinking that amybe to increase my alcoholic consumption abilities I need to partake of the juice of the grape far more often.

Any takers to join me?

cheers

Makes Me Mad

A think I thought today was why do people without children insist on using the parent and child spaces?

This makes me mad! As I finished my weekly shop and walked back to the car today, we were nearly run over by a crazy loon in his Suzuki Swift. he had his wife in the front, granny in the back and an empty child seat! There were empty disabled spaces so if they had any disabilities between them they could have used one of those spaces but NO they use the parent and child space!

Well I couldn't help myself! "excuse me" I said " you do realise these spaces are for people with children?" Blank looks followed by " we have the car seat" "yes but no child"  I replied. The answer to this is too impolite to repeat but frankly Mr "We have a car seat" park somewhere else!!!!!! 

People like me with little ones need the extra space to open our doors so we don't bash other peoples cars, it is not the convenience of being close to the store that is necessary.  People who use the spaces  unnecessarily are selfish arrogant oafs (in my humble opinion!)

I think Mr supermarket needs to rethink parent parking and maybe issue some kind of sticker you can put in your car  - I know this costs money and man power to Police it but maybe it would help???? then again maybe I live in a little fantasy land of my own????