A cake, a candle and cosy comforts...

 Now, I'm not a fan of the month of November
it's cold, it's dark and it's dreary
but here are some of the things that I am enjoying this month
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Baking

Irish Tea Cake

I have been baking a lot more now that the weather has turned cooler

This is a great recipe and goes a long way-

Half pint of cold tea

1 lb dried mixed fruit

8oz demerara sugar

4oz chopped walnuts

4oz glacé cherries, rinced, dried and quartered

1 large egg beaten together with 2 tablespoons of milk

1 lb self raising flour

Prepare the fruit by soaking overnight with the sugar in the cold tea.

Next day, 

stir in all remaining ingredients

 spread into a well greased roasting tin approx 11" x 9"

Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven (150 degrees fan)

for approx one hour 10 mins or until golden brown and springy to the touch

I usually cover the top with foil (but that is probably my oven)

Cool on a wire tray

cut, spread with butter and enjoy.

I ♥ fruit in my pretty pink bowl

having a little taste of the mixture before popping it into the oven

and best of all eating it with lots of "real butter"

and cups of hot comforting tea!

Y U M M Y

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

 hydrangeas

the last of the flowering plants in the garden

any day now they will be hit by heavy frost and turn black

so

I have taken some into the house

so that I can continue to enjoy them for another while at least

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 berries, berries and even more berries

The garden is full of them and they are so pretty...

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Warm fires at night

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

a glass of red 

or 2

or 3

or maybe even...

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 cosy clothes

I bought this snuggly snood

 to keep my neck warm during the cold weather

it goes perfectly with my cream coat...

♥♥♥♥♥♥

candlelight

I have been super duper organised this week and started a little bit of Christmas shopping 

I bought this Max Benjamin candle to put into Mum's Christmas stocking 

Max Benjamin Candle

but 

I was very very bold

because on Saturday night 

I removed it from the box just to have a 
tiny sniff you understand and before I knew it I had it lit and the smell was beautiful
oopsie

will have to buy her another one now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

and it's getting a lot like Christmas here

with the shops starting their seasonal displays

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Another award

this time The Beautiful Blogger award

from my friend Jill

Jill has a great blog Chillin with Jill and is  a lovely blogging friend,

pop over to visit her and you won't be disappointed.

I have to pass this award on and so it goes to

 Marcia from A Little Shop around the Corner

Daphne from Ivy, Phyllis and Me

Karen from My Little Home and Garden

Val from Val's Alentejo

Ayu from White and Roses
Natasha from Made by Natalia

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Good News- the painting is finished at last...

Mr. Raindrops and his assistant

Mr(will help -if I really have to) Teenager Raindrops completed the lounge,

 went on to do the hall, stairs and landing

and thankfully it is all done now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

{Green Day 21}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

Out and about...

 I have been having a lazy few days,
the weather has been dull and rainy
and all I wanted to do was snuggle up
 in front of the fire with cups of tea
but
I did go out on a few walks
and here are a few photos from my week.. 

This is the road I live on,

just around the next bend is

Home Sweet Home

a lovely tree lined avenue...

some tiny falabellas, aren't they so cute?

The autumn colours are just wonderful
someone said it's because of all the rainfall we had during the year

so I'm guessing next year will be the same!

  

♥♥♥
Beauty and Fashion

comparing myself to a horse,,.

I passed this little guy one day and do you know what...
I think that his hair is in better condition than mine!!

and  seriously when I look at him I think I have more hairs on my chin than he does!

hmmm time to get the tweezers out!

I bought this navy poncho in Tesco for €18.50  

it will be lovely and snuggly for the cold days ahead

 looks great with denims and nice wearing it at home while lazing on the sofa!

They also have it in a camel colour

and I am very very tempted...

♥♥♥
 House and Home
This week I'm enjoying...
mugs of hot chocolate and marshmallows

I usually buy a bunch of flowers for the house when doing my grocery shopping

and while I normally choose lilies
these caught my eye, as they are so bright and colourful and would lift anyones mood!

and my new orchid plant Miyako named after a lovely blogging friend from Japan
I bought this beauty for €5 in B&Q

♥♥♥
Well at the moment my house is upside down and inside out

Mr. Raindrops decided to paint the lounge last Sunday

still talking about it on Monday

planning it all Tuesday

deciding what he needed to buy Wednesday

bought the paint Thursday,

 rested Friday
and low and behold the painting began on Saturday

He keeps telling me that these things cannot be rushed,

obviously not

it hasn't been painted in 6 years...

Is it all men or just mine?

{Green Day 20}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

Autumn Lovlies & Green Day 19...

Here in Raindrops land the weather has been foggy, damp and miserable

but we did have a blue sky on Sunday
Happy days

♥ In the Kitchen...

baked some cakes but they were demolished very quickly by the 3 men in this house

 I could bake everyday and it still wouldn't be enough to feed them!

I made a coffee and walnut loaf (my favourite)

 and

out of the same mix

I made a chocolate and orange loaf and a zingy zangy

lemon loaf

easy peasy lemon squeezy!

To make 2 loaves you need the following ingredients
4 eggs, 8oz caster sugar,  8oz soft butter, 16oz self raising flour,
 add about 4 half egg shells of milk and just beat the lot together, voila!
 If I want lemon cake I add grated lemon rind  and substitute some of the milk with lemon juice
for coffee cake I add some coffee essence
 for basic light fruit cake, grated orange zest  and some of the juice and a packet of mixed dried fruit,
Orange and chocolate chip - add orange rind and a packet of chocolate chips.

All baked in a loaf tin at 160 fan oven for approx 35 minutes.
This mix can be used for buns too

I love baking,

measuring out the ingredients

putting the mix into the tins and popping  them into the oven

the wonderful aroma that fills the house

but

after I have baked my kitchen always resembles a war zone

 and the washing up, oh dear, oh dear oh dear!

*** is it just me or are you a messy cook too?

Because I ♥ cakes I needed a stand to display them on

so I bought this one for €18 in Dunnes Stores

it is so pretty with or without cakes!

I bought a mug to match for when I am having my cuppa €3

and the cutest little delph spoon - 75c ♥

 

♥ Home & Garden...

The orchid I got during the Summer is thriving

and I think that for €8 it was certainly good value!

" 

Ordered one of my very  favourite dvds from Amazon - Captain Correlli's Mandoin

brilliant  soundtrack, scenery, love story and Mr. Cage comes across as very manly and a bit of a hunk.

Not a huge fan of his in anything else but in this he just hits the spot.

What's your favourite curl up on the sofa movie?

♥ Where I live

photos from my walk with Mr. Raindrops yesterday

♥ and finally an Award...

Thank you to the lovely Natasha who has given me The Versatile Blogger award

I really appreciate this award, thank you Natasha.
Natasha has a wonderful blog Made by Natalie visit her and drool !!
I will pass the award on next week as this post is so long
 and I'm sure you have read enough of my ramblings at this stage!!!

 Green Day 19

Well it's Friday and so it is Green Day

The usual rules apply...
Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do
Raindrops and Daisies