I love baking. I prefer the decorating to the actual baking but it is very hard to get to the decorating stage if you don’t crack the eggs in the bowl if you know what I mean. At the beginning of November I made my Christmas cake. I am not loyal to one recipe. I … [Read more…]
So last night the elves (my husband and I) did the thing I had been dreading. We put my daughter’s ELC cottage kitchen together (http://www.elc.co.uk/Wooden-Cottage-Kitchen—Red/136819,default,pd.html#q=cottage%20kitchen). I had been worrying about it for a while. I could see us up until 4am Christmas Day morning doing it and, with a day of play and cooking to … [Read more…]
You know it’s Christmas on the farm when: You have the same conversation every year-should we buy a turkey from a shop or buy poults and rear our own? People ask you, in earnest, ‘do you still have to feed the cows/sheep/horses/pigs (delete as applicable) on Christmas Day? The farmer’s wife buys reindeer antlers for … [Read more…]
I will not get drunk. Last year, my brother-in-law brought champagne. We live with mother-in-law on the farm and he was visiting for the season. I decided to calm my ‘cooking-Christmas-dinner-nerves’ with a gin and tonic, then had another. It was Christmas after all. My husband then invited me to join his family in their … [Read more…]
Why is it when you try and have a clear out your child rediscovers their long lost toys? It first happened in the middle of November. A local charity was advertising for used soft toys so I sorted out a bin liner full that Boobaloo hadn’t looked at for at least a year. When my back was … [Read more…]
So yesterday we visited the East Lancashire Railway in Bury for one of their Santa Express trips. The day had been recommended by a friend and it didn’t disappoint. My two year old squealed with delight when she saw the station all lit up with Christmas lights and the steam train parked up in the … [Read more…]
Every year, the village of Culcheth near Warrington holds a Victorian Day at the end of November. It happened today and it is a lovely day for all of the family. Local business owners and their staff dress up in Victorian attire and it ends with a Santa procession, carol singing and the switch-on of … [Read more…]
So it’s December 1st on Sunday and I have dusted off Boo’s Advent calendar. I bought her one of those reusable wooden Advent calendars last year. It is cute but on reflection, I still buy a chocolate one to put into the reusable one. So as of Sunday there are 24 sleeps until the big man arrives. I … [Read more…]
We love making things with salt dough all year round, not just for Christmas, but as the season draws near, it is a cheap activity that all children will enjoy doing. All you need is salt, water and plain four. I have specified plain because once we only had self-raising flour and the decorations were … [Read more…]
So if you’ve read any of my previous posts, you will be aware we live on a farm (I suppose the name of my blog gives it away). Many people think this is some kind of idyll existence and, on many levels, it is. However there are drawbacks to rural, country living and one of … [Read more…]
