Day 89 - March 30th

Today we decorated our Easter tree. Its a tradition we started when the children were small. Its just some artificial forsythia branches set in a glass vase with gravel which we decorate with little china eggs, bunnies and chicks. It's usually on display for a week or so over Easter. The little decorations tiny - about half an inch high.

Day 88 - March 29th (Good Friday)

Today I baked a few cakes for the weekend. I added some mini eggs and rabbit toppers .

Day 87 - March 28th

Provisions for the Easter break have been bought and it wouldn't be Easter without Cadburys Creme Eggs. Yummmmmmy!

Day 86 - March 27th

Even though the majority of the snow has now gone, small piles remain like this snowy topping on this seed head.

Day 85 - March 26th

The weekend snow is disappearing but it is still bitterly cold. On the side of the playhouse there are long icicles. they remind me of the fake icicles that you see at Christmas hung on the side of wooden cabins at Christmas Markets, etc.

Day 84 - March 25th

I treated Christopher to a trip to our favourite bakery today for lunch. We bought this cute Easter mallow cake.

Day 83 - March 24th

Millie enjoyed a walk in the snow this morning. In places it was quite deep (by our standards) as you can see by her legs in this photo. Lets hope it doesn't hang around too long.

Day 82 - March 23rd

Christopher finished Uni for Easter yesterday so today we drove up to Nottingham to collect him. We weren't expecting this type of weather at this time of year. Thankfully most of the journey is on the motorway and these were clear. In a few places the outside lane was snowy and unusable but the gritters and snowploughs were out and we managed to get there and back in good time. 

Day 81 - March 22nd

During a  quick walk round the garden today I noticed this bush in blossom. 

Day 80 - March 21st

I found Tux this afternoon sat on the windowsill in my bedroom watching the bricklayers on the building site.

Day 79 - March 20th

I found some more bananas in the fruit bowl that desperately needed using up so I baked a banana loaf with a recipe found on the Internet. Yummy spread with butter.

Day 78 - March 19th

This morning I finished off a scrapbook layout that I started a week or so ago. Very pink and girly!

Day 77 - March 18th

What a foggy start to the day for Millie and I on our morning walk.

Day 76 - March 17th

Lara had more Rainforest homework this weekend. She had to make a collage so out came the PVA glue and old magazines and she created. She added a few silhouettes of animals printed from the Internet too.

Day 75 - March 16th

We woke to a cold frosty morning today. Even the water droplets on the washing line had frozen

Day 74 - March 15th (Red Nose Day)

Today is the 25th Red Nose Day for Comic Relief. Steven and Lara's school both allowed the children to go to school in Mufti (their own clothes) providing they wore something red. They topped off their outfits with a red nose.

Whilst the children were at school, I made some cup cakes to mark the occasion complete with Red Nose decorations. Something to tuck into tonight whilst we watch Comic Relief – Funny for Money on the television.

Day 73 - March 14th

After it snowed on and off for most of the day yesterday, we woke this morning to a heavy frost. Who'd have thought there's just 2 weeks until Easter and we are having this type of wintry weather.

Day 72 - March 13th

I managed to sneak up on this Robin this afternoon. He was having a feast on a coconut that my Mum or Dad had left out for the birds. He was enjoying his feed so much that he wasn't too bothered about me taking his photo.

Day 71 - March 12th

More signs of spring in the garden - bright yellow Crocuses.

Day 70 - March 11th

One of the gifts I received yesterday for Mothering Sunday was this gorgeous bouquet of flowers from Steven. They're beautiful. Love the glittery rose.

Day 69 - March 10th (Mothering Sunday)

Today in the UK we celebrate Mothering Sunday. I was spoilt with some lovely presents and cards and as a special treat Steven and Lara (with Wayne's help) cooked Sunday lunch. It was nice to have someone cook for me for a change and tasted all the better for it.

Day 68 - March 9th

Spring is certainly on its way. Daisies are starting to appear amongst the rapidly growing grass.

Day 67 - March 8th

Today I made Date Krispies. There used to be a lady in the village who made these every time there was a Church or Women's Institute Bake Sale and my Mum and I always used to buy some. Eventually we plucked up the courage to ask her for the recipe so we could make some ourselves and she kindly passed on the details. They are like a posh Rice Krispie Cake with the addition of chopped dates and cherries. I don;t really like dates but in this recipe you wouldn't even know you were eating them. They are delicious.

In case anyone fancies a go at making some here's the recipe:

Ingredients

4 oz margarine
3 oz caster sugar
6 oz chopped block dates
1 oz chopped cherries
4 cups of rice krispies

Method

1.   Melt margarine and sugar and add the chopped dates.

2.   Simmer gently until soft, add the cherries and the krispies, spread on greased tray and smooth out.

3.   Cover with melted chocolate, leave in tin to set and cut into fingers or squares when cold.

Day 66 - March 7th

Nasty wet day today. It's been raining most of the day. A good excuse to stay indoors.

Day 65 - March 6th

This morning I decided to dust off the slow cooker and make a beer and brown ale stew for tonight. 8 hours later and we had a delicious meal.

Day 64 - March 5th

Lara's Jaguar is finally finished. She's finished the spots and added his eyes and nose. I think he looks quite good and she's please with him. She just has a factual back board to make now and then she's done.

Day 63 - March 4th

Last year I didn't do much reading. This year I'm trying to put that right and have dived into the huge pile of unread books I have. 

Day 62 - March 3rd

Work on Lara's rainforest project continued today. The jaguar has now had a coat of paint. I know it looks a bit like a giraffe BUT once it has some brown paint added to those spots hopefully it will take on more of a jaguar appearance.

Day 61 - March 2nd

Wayne and Lara took Millie for a walk this morning and so Wayne took the photo of the day. Lara found this 'little' stick in one of the fields and decided it was worthy of a photo.

Day 60 - March 1st

Baking again today. There were a few bananas in the fruit bowl that were well past their best so I made some Banana Muffins.

Day 59 - February 28th

Today Lara played hockey for her form in their Inter-Form Hockey Tournament. Here form won. She was really chuffed and I snapped this photo of her on my phone as we were leaving the school. I had hoped to get a photo of her actually playing but didn't manage to.