50 Shades of Blue

You what ?

The who?

The Womans institute

I went.

I can hear you gasping.

Yes it's full of people who are older than me.

In fact I think I am the youngest.


I went to the woman's institute with my mother when I was seven I think it was a talk on birds.



I went to the on a trip to the New Forest as well I think .

And that is my only venture till now into the world of the woman's institute .

I joked  " I suppose we sing Jerusalem"

We sang a hymn it was  "`Jerusalem"

I rather like this hymn.

Yes there this cake.

NO doubt there are cliques but in the most friendly of ways.

There was a resolution to vote on for and it was to vote against genital mutilation.

Which I think it a rather good cause !

Who says the woman's Institute was out of touch !

There is a  "Fifty Shades of Blue " party where you wear blue .

I suspect I shouldn't go dressed as a giant smurf ....

Frugal Feet

This is a guest post from the lovely Emma who blogs over at Jumbly Mummy she has very kindy written a blog post for me . And the emphasis with it being the new year is being frugal. I love the idea of doing my own spa treatments and saving the pennies at the same time.

The image is a freedownlable image from freedigital

Frugal Feet

In the New Year many of us fancy a rest. A bit of me-time. Some luxurious pampering. But if, like me, you've spent the festive period eating 'luxury' mince pies and 'finest' Christmas Cake then your budget for 'luxurious' is probably a little stretched. But luxury pampering doesn't have to mean salons and spas and one of the best ways to refresh yourself at this time of year is an awesome home-pedicure that you can repeat as often as you like for a tenth of the price of a salon.

My recipe for frugal feet requires few basics but once you have them, a luxury pedicure is available whenever you need a bit of pampering. All you have to do is to find half an hour of me-time (which is easier said than done!)

Step 1. Soak.

Drape your favourite bath towel over your radiator to warm up. Pour yourself a washing up bowl of warm water filled with your favourite bubble bath, or, if you own a footspa fill it with water and add a teeny tiny drop of bubble bath so that the bubbles don't overflow! Find yourself a comfy chair, turn the lights low, play some mellow music and soak both feet for a good ten minutes. Before your feet start to shrivel(!) take them out and wrap them up in your warm towel.

Step 2. Scrub

Please the towel on the floor below your feet. Using a foot file, rub the dead skin from the heels and the toe pads. It looks icky, but it makes your feet feel like new.

Step 3. Minty Rub

Give your feet a really invigorating massage with a very simple minty moisturiser. The trick here to to buy a REALLY plain and incredibly cheap hand lotion or plain moisturising lotion and before you rub it in, sprinkle on two drops of Peppermint essential oil (you can buy this from most pharmacies). Trust me, a peppermint foot rub is one of the most tingly, refreshing feelings you can experience, made all the better if you can rope an unsuspecting family member into massaging your feet for you!

Step 4. Polish.

Remove any traces of polish using nail polish remover, push back the cuticles (with a wooden cuticle stick ideally) and apply a base coat to prevent your nails from staining. Apply one or two coats of your favourite polish and if you have one, finish it all off with a top coat.

Step 5. Relax!

Because your nail polish needs to dry fully before you go anywhere or do anything you have the perfect excuse to sit down and do absolutely nothing while your family pander to your every need.

Frosty Footsteps

Today was a 116 mile trip to see my son play rugby it was 0 that's cold I lose all function it the cold sometimes. I still have wonderment at how beautiful and breathtaking nature can be and while I was waiting for the pitch to defrost I took this picture. Nature has a continuing canvas , everything has a purpose and commands your attention.

Here was a cloudy day but I see beyond the clouds and look can you see the blue sky in the middle ?

I love quiet , I love solitude I love being with me , if I turn the corner will you be waiting for me ?

Times past of cabbages and kings and time for tea upon Edwardian splendor.

Silent Sunday

Frugal Shepherds Pie

• 
  
  Frugal times call for frugal measures and sometimes I don't know about you but with my shopping I 'm not always replenishing as soon as I run out. I like to make use of what I've got and I'm finding that I'm enjoying seeking out recipes and developing my own.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ingredients
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (optional)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 500g  beef mince
• 2 x 410g/14½oz tin baked beans
• 
  
• 100ml/14fl oz stock, made from stock cube (ideally beef but chicken or vegetable is fine)
  
  
• Ideally you would have around 2lbs pounds of potato for the mash but the other day I only had 2 medium potatoes and I didn't want to go out in the rain just to get some more so this recipe with show you you can adapt any recipe if you think about it.
  
  
  
  
  Method 
  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 c
  
  2. Whilst the oven is preheating heat a saucepan and add the oil. When this is hot fry the carrots and onions for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
  
  
  
  3.Add the mince and cook until it has all browned mix with a tin of beans. Transfer to a lidded overproof dish. Add a beef stock cube or even one of those packet mixes for a slow cooker etc.
  
  
  4. Cook in the oven for around 40 with the lid on.
  
  Now it it at this point you will be peeling albs of potatoes until the realisation you only have 2 potatoes. A quick tweet out offers some suggestions of adding mashed swede or mashed  carrot. I had no swede ( I know I've failed as a cook by not having an emergency swede on board)
  
  SO I added another can of baked beans after mashing what potatoes I did have and then spread it on top of my shepherds pie and cooked for a further 20 minutes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Then I grated some cheese and returned to the oven for 5 minutes . 
  
  
  

  
  
  I am submitting this recipe to #Creditcrunchmunch so pop over to Camillas  Fabfood4all blog and Helens blog FussfreeFlavours and take part and see what other recipes you find. Together we can all stretch those pennies !
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  I am entering this recipe into the 

  www.coopelectricalshop.co.uk competition .