Boxing Day pie

I feel about a stone heavier today after our Boxing Day pie!

A got the hairy bikers pie book for Christmas so I adapted the chicken and ham pie into leftover pie by using turkey and gammon. That's the beauty of pies, you don't have to stick to a recipe and can utilise what you have in. 

If I do say so myself it was an absolute winner! Here are some pictures. 

Merry Christmas to me!

Say hello to my gorgeous new sewing machine! 

I'm VERY happy with this, I've not used a sewing machine for ages but it turns out its like riding a bike.

Here's my first project, I made bunting, it's far from perfect but I'm going to keep practicing, I've given it as a present and I have 2 more orders in!

Christmas has arrived at our house

So it's that time of year again!! Christmas has always been a BIG family tradition for me and it's my favourite!!

I absolutely adore my Christmas tree.

I would say its a cross between traditional and Nordic and I collect individual ornaments for it every year. 

I'm off to buy a garland tomorrow too as we're having our beam fitted over the fireplace finally and I also have some vintage stockings to hang.

Here's a picture, I love the way you can see little Alice up to no good!

 

We have wallpaper finally

I never thought we would get the chimney breast flat enough to wallpaper after the stove fitter left such a horrific mess, but after a lot of blood, sweat and tears (blood and sweat my dads, tears from me) it's finally finished! 

I love a bit of chick lit!

I literally couldn't put this book down!

Yes it's cheesy, cliche and predictable but I loved it.

A romance novel with a twist, I highly recommend it and cannot believe it was a free kindle read I would pay full price for a story like this!! 

Meet my fur family

Bear is my 18 month old blue eyed lion head cross, we're not sure what he's crossed with but I think possibly a Dutch or a mini lop, either way he is totally gorgeous. He is one of the friendliest rabbits ever, he loves cuddles and he even kisses you! He's totally dopey and often runs into thinks as unfortunately he can't see to well!

Alice is my tiny netherland dwarf. We don't know how old she is as she came into the RSPCA as a stray. Alice was a very unhappy bunny but once she made friends with Bear she flourished. She is very demanding and stamps her feet if she doesn't get her own way, she loves human company and will follow me round the house but doesn't like being touched. Poor Alice has arthritis in her spine but she doesn't let it bother her and she runs around like a baby bunny! 

My bunnies live together, they should always have the company of another.

And they live in a 14 foot room, pet shop hutches are far to small. 

I rainbow caked!!

Never ever in a million years did I think I could produce such an amazing cake first time round!!

Well, sort of second time actually, if your trying this yourself DO NOT even bother using the cheap liquid food colourings you need to use the fancy gel ones, I learnt this this hard way and ended up making 12 sponges instead of 6.

A was very greafull though for his oddly coloured cake in his lunchbox for the next week!

I used a recipe from the BBC good food website however I changed the cream cheese icing to buttercream.

It's sooooooo easy! You basically make 3 lots of Victoria sponge in 6 colours, stack them up and cover it in buttercream. It really is as easy as it sounds! Such an easy make and it really does have the wow factor!!

Here are some piccys

Stacking up the layers 

Spreading the buttercream was the hardest bit

A HUGE slice of cake 

The finished product sliced