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

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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

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

Autumn life...

 has been busy, a lot hApPy and a little sad...

I walked, I read, I gardened, I drank, I shopped. I laughed, 
 and
I  said goodbye to an old fRieNd...

On the road where I live is this little house

and even though I always admire the thatched roof

I think it looks even prettier with the autumn leaves behind it.

and in the autumn of her life was our lovely Mittens who  lived with us for 17 years.
She fell asleep on Tuesday
I am sure she is now chasing mice and birds in pussycat heaven.
we are sad that she has gone but happy that she was part of our family for so long.

the summer garden is losing some of it's beauty...

but some things are lasting well...

the owl and the pussycat

and so looking ahead...
I treated myself to a new cookbook (another one to adorn the shelves of the kitchen)
but it does look pretty...

There are some great recipes in there and so I might try out a few or I might not...
watch this space...

and...

lovely heartbruised daughter who was sad

is enjoying single life and smiling again...

Isn't it funny that when your children are happy you are happy too!!

I bought some new boots to keep me warm as the days get cooler

€18 - sure you couldn't leave them behind, could you?

and I can turn the cuffs down if I want a snuggly fleecy cosy look...

 I planted some bulbs in my pots so that when Spring arrives I will have some loveies in pots.

and just to remind you that it is 66 days until Christmas!

 Yippee love Christmas, how about you? 

Do you enjoy that special time of year?

*** finally a tip for you all that I read in a magazine ...

 when choosing a new lipstick

it should be as close as possible in colour

to your gums

hmmm...

the lady on the Estee Lauder counter

wasn't too impressed with me when I started pulling

 at my cheeks and gums pushing lipsticks inside them

trying to compare

needless to say I still haven't found the perfect shade!

Friday has arrived

and that means Green Day 18

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