Oh Fudge !!

Has anyone been following the programme called Sweets Made Simple, I am addicted to it and the ideas it gives you is marvellous.  Especially when you see how easy it is to make home made sweets.  I then went onto google and typed in How to Make Fudge and it come up with a video too so I went to Marks & Sparks in Upminster, Essex and got some essentials for making Vanilla Fudge which consists of Caster Sugar, Light Muscovado Sugar, Clotted Cream and Vanilla Extract which come to £15.  It was a bit dear, especially the Vanilla Extract at £3.50 but it goes a long way.

You simply measure and put it all into a saucepan on a low heat, stir with a wooden spoon till it's disolved. Then put the sugar theomometer in and wait till it reaches 116 c.  Then stir it whilst holding the saucepan into a bowl of cold water to stop the temperature rising anymore and it will start to thicken even more whilst stirring.  Here's a pic......

Then take the saucepan out of the water and keep beating it until it really really thickens up and starts to look grainy, then pull it all out onto a baking tray covered with parchment, flatten it out and then leave it alone.  I waited 20 minutes and then cut it with a sharp knife and this is what I got.....

Oh my goodness, it is divine.  We can't stop eating it.  It has such a buttery vanilla taste and I am going to make loads more.

My next addiction has been as per usual, my crochet.  I have done 75% of my latest blanket for a Christmas Present and I just love the way it's turning out.  I am so sad because I get so excited at the thought of being able to crochet all the way around it to finish it.  It is such a simple design and I do tend to keep within my comfort zone but whilst I am doing it, I am thinking up other projects.  The trouble is I get so annoyed that I don't have much time to do it.  If I'm lucky, I get maybe half hour before I go to work, half hour during my lunch break and then in the evening after walking the dog and doing the dinner, I get maybe two hours if I'm lucky.  If I could walk and crochet at the same time that would be good!

Here is the latest photo of the blanket.......

My acrylic yarn stash is huge now, Frank has bought me 16 balls in a week because he has found a really good yarn shop in Blackstock Road, London and he even showed the ladies a picture of my Primrose Afghan and my Tunisian Crochet Blanket and the ladies were really impressed.

When I get such good comments it inspires me to design more blankets and sell the patterns on my ravelry store....so watch this space for more.

I will finish with a photo of the ducks I fed the other morning on the way to work.  Some of them are the baby ducks that have got really big now and still got their baby feathers...

And here is a photo of Tammie not impressed with wearing her raincoat..

Canada Square or better known as Canary Wharf....

We went out at 07:20am today and got the train to see Frank's family for an early breakfast.  Frank then cut the grass at the front with an old push along lawn mower and then we headed off to Greenwich Park with Tammie.  It was so sunny but cool and really relaxing to just wander around the park.  Tammie chased a few squirrels and I told her off because we were in London and the squirrel's are tougher.....she didnt take no notice.

We then went to the McDonald's near the Cutty Sark and sat by the edge of The Thames right next to the entrance of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel which goes to Island Gardens.  It was quite busy while we ate our lunch and I took a few photo's and this one is of the small jetty where you can get a ferry along the Thames.......

I've even caught a photo of a pigeon in flight....didn't even notice that when I took the picture.

We then walked through the Foot Tunnel and the sad girl that I am, I counted 94 steps down in a spiral. We could have took the lift but wanted to count the steps.  We then walked through which was rather noisy with all the people and then got the widest lift ever up to the top.  We decided to make our way home after that and we got on the Docklands Light Railway at Island Gardens to Canary Wharf and I took a photo of the famous No.1 Canada Square which is the really tall building that has a light flashing at the top.   It's strange looking at it so close when I see it every single day walking the dog....here it is.

I haven't really walked around this area but in all honesty, it's very sterile and I feel like I have to be on my best behaviour.  It's not like the relaxed atmosphere at my work.  It's a very 'unrelaxed' feeling can only imagine what it's like on a week day here.  We didn't get home till around 13:45 and we were shattered, even Tammie is sleeping on the floor stretched out so she must be worn out.

As far as my hobbies go, I am making some Christmas Presents and slowly getting my mojo back. It's taking a long time to feel relaxed and for my nerves to calm.  I have been eating better and sleeping better and am looking forward to finding a new home for Frank, me and our animals.  I got out my grey blanket that I finished quite a long time ago and have put it over the back of the sofa as a throw.  I am really beginning to like the colour grey....

Oh well, going to go now and relax. Here is a photo of Tammie sitting on the wall near the Thames posing like a posh pup that she is......

Emma the Bunny

Frank found a new book in the library called Edward's Menagerie by Kerry Lord so we took it home to have a look at and I thought 'ok, i will give it a go' and ended up with the easiest of crochet project's going.  It's quick, simple and great for a present.....wanna see Emma the Bunny...

I am absolutely in love with it.  I have made Emma in a few hours for the past couple of evenings and what is good about it is the fact that you dont have to stuff all the parts. Just a few bits like her legs, her head and her tail.  I am still a novice with embroidery so the face features could be better but am not worried about that, experience will improve in time.

I haven't really done anything else, I started reading again but don't know how long it will last. I am hoping it will relax me at night but so far, it's not helping.  So, I just wait till I am so tired that I can't keep my eyes open and then before I know it, I nod off.  Well, till I have to get up a few times in the night. Hopefully that will improve too...

So, I am now off to watch a bit of boring television.  I will leave you with a photo I took on Saturday at work.  We had a BBQ and it went really well and as soon as Chef started the cooking of the burgers, we had a little visitor waiting patiently for his share........so cute!!

Short video of Greenwich Park etc

Hi,

Here is a video I forgot that I had taken of our visit last weekend to Lodon.  You can see Canary Wharf in the background.  After walking through the park we walked up a very very steep hill to get to The Observatory and you can see that on the video too.

It was a great visit and the weather was lovely.  We were so glad it wasn't humid like it has been and so glad we went last weekend and not this weekend.  Yesterday, (Saturday) was lovely and cool but sunny. Today it has been very windy, pouring with rain on and off and apparently we are going to get the back end of Hurricane Bertha.

On the crafting side I have started Christmas Presents, one of them is from my new book that Frank bought me a few weeks ago and here is the progress so far.....

I am hoping its going to fit a double bed, the pattern says 7 squares across but I think I am going to have to do at least ten...we will see.

I will finish for now and check to see if its loaded, if not, I will try again a bit later.

Maritime Museum, Greenwich Park and Flowers

Had a brilliant weekend and am just going to show some photo's for now because I've come home to an empty house of tears....