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Muffins & Pizza

img_1006Our first batch of muffins were not as successful as we’d have liked so tonight we have tried a different recipe. The result is much better and Jessica couldn’t even wait for me to photograph them before snatching one. They’re chocolate crumble muffins so they are a bit messy to eat but they are very tasty.

But I want to use this post to finally share the pizza recipe that me and Jessica have been using in our bread maker. We’ve searched all over for a good one and this is the best we’ve found so far. Please share any improvements in the comments below and see if we can make it even better.

Makes a 12″ pizza:

3/4 cup Water (175ml)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 cups Bread flour (260g)
2 tsp Fast rise yeast
1 tbsp Seasoning (optional)

Whack the ingredients in the bread maker on the dough cycle and then use cornmeal to flour the surface when you roll out the dough. Cook for 20 – 30 mins at 220 deg. Celsius (200 Fan). So far we’ve only used garlic powder as the seasoning and can confirm that the dough would make good breadsticks as well.

Sam’s weigh in

Sitting SamAfter the slightly frantic trip up to Northland as well as Sam going off his food due to teething and having a cold I was thinking that this may be the first weigh in where Sam didn’t gain any weight… but Sam must have not wanted to disappoint his fans and is proud to be able to announce that he now weighs a very respectable 7.68 kg (16 lb 15 oz).

For Sam’s weigh in this morning we had to find our way to a new location as our usual Wednesday weigh in clinic has stopped – however the new place is much, much nicer and is part of a larger ‘Children’s centre’ which we will be sure to visit again soon.

Last day in Northland

Rich & JessToday was the last full day of our trip visiting the in-laws and so it was decided that we should go out somewhere nice for a good walk and a chance to enjoy each other’s company (while it was still available). We headed off to Shibden Hall park which has some lovely grounds, a large pond/dammed river as well as a very unimpressive waterfall thing that Rich found pretty disappointing. There was also the house (Shibden Hall itself I guess) that I really liked the look of… maybe in a few years time I’ll have a big rambling tudor esq type mansion like this one that I can have big parties at or just sit outside quietly by myself enjoying the scenery and a good book.

Rich and I have had a lovely time up in Northland – having Sam’s doting grandparents around really lifted the load and gave us a chance to have a bit more of a break than usual. Thanks so much for having us Rich’s Mum and Dad!

Cara & Nick get hitched!

The first danceOn a beautiful summers morning in Yorkshire Cara & Nick got married. Cara looked fantastic in her lovely dress with her hair up and all decorated with tiny flowers. Both her and Nick spent the day smiling and seemed over the moon to now be husband and wife.

Sadly Sam and I missed the service itself as Sam decided that just before it began he would start crying and not stop, so we ended up waiting outside as we didn’t want to disturb the service. Sam did eventually calm down and seemed to really enjoy the celebrations – he even tried to join in on the speeches after the wedding lunch!

Ah the lunch – some very yummy food was served to us including sausages and mash for the main course. After our 3 courses there was also tea and coffee and if we had eaten all our chocolate wedding favours there were still more sweets on the table! The decorations were beautiful, Cara had wanted an English tea type them so all the flowers were in little tea cups on the table and they looked great – I wish I had thought of that for my own wedding!

After we had all eaten far too much food there was a break before the evening reception started so Rich and I took Sam up into the hills for a good walk in the hopes of getting him to fall asleep. We didn’t haveRich ponders much luck with getting Sam off but we did see lots of pretty lambs and Rich even posed for some photos in his lovely ushering suit.

Thankfully we did manage to get Sam off to sleep and settled him down in the cot in our hotel room and then set off downstairs to join in the evening reception. Our hotel room was just above the reception so the baby monitor worked fine and we could keep a close ear on Sam the whole time. Even so we still felt the need to go up and check on him regularly during the evening as it just felt so strange leaving him up there.

During the course of the reception even more food was consumed (barbecue food was available as well as a very tempting chocolate fountain) but both Rich and I kept to soft drinks for the evening so we didn’t get up to too much mischief. I did get a little bit of dance floor action in but quickly got too embarrassed so I ended up back chatting to some of the other guests there. Eventually I headed back up to join Sam in our hotel room – that was after spending some time removing all the hairgrips that I had holding my hair up.

Thanks so much Cara and Nick for a wonderful day – we loved being with  you on this very special occasion.

Sam’s weigh in

Fuzzy SamSam is ecstatic to be able to inform you that his new weight is 7.44 kg (16 lb 6 oz).

Sam is also trialling this new hair-do, inspired by his father’s own hair style Sam hopes that it becomes the latest trend in the baby fashion world.

Parking it at Kesley again

Rich and Sam in a treeAfter a busy morning doing weekend chores Sam decided it was time to go out so we headed off to the lovely Kesley park again, excited to be able to show it off to Rich.

We dashed round quickly when we first arrived trying to find the cafe so that we could give Sam his mid afternoon bottle only to realise that the cafe seems to be in the process of being refitted… not to worry though as the sun was shining and there were plenty of picnic benches to sit at. After Sam got his milk he calmed down a little and allowed us to look round the park properly in a more leisurely fashion.

Sam with me on a swing

Our first stop was to the play ground that is just next to the picnic area/cafe where Sam had a go on the swings with both his dad and me. Sam also had a quick go on a little roundabout while sat on his dad’s lap but had to call it a day after that as there really isn’t that many rides that he is big enough for yet.

On our way round we saw a good few of the friendly squirrels that I had noticed some of on our first trip. These little furry guys seem so much tamer than usual and a few were very happy for Rich to get up close to take a few photos of them. There were also some of the young herons out on the lake as well as swans, curious geese, sleeping ducks and a handful of playful bright green parrots flying about our heads.

We looked wistfully at the little putting course and passed it by as we thought Sam wouldn’t get much enjoyment out of it yet. However, just being out on a sunny Saturday afternoon with my little family was very lovely – I’ll just have to learn a little patience and not wish Sam’s baby time away!

Cara comes shopping

Sam with aunty CaraTime seems to have really flown round here recently, somehow we are now only two weeks away from Cara’s wedding (see how surprised Sam is by this news!) and my not having anything that fit for the big day was starting to become quite a worry.

Thankfully though the future bride herself managed to spare Sam and I some of her time to take me out dress shopping, and after a good few hours of hunting we found a lovely dress that fits me and looks good! I’m very please with it and after the wedding I’ll probably try to get away with wearing it on all sorts of other occasions too… but maybe going out to the shops in it would be a little too much?

Sam was his usual well behaved self and got a few complements while out in the shops – Cara was also complemented on Sam and told her how much her son looked like her 🙂

Thanks so much for coming round Cara – very much appreciated!

A brand new getaway

Kesley park entranceSam and I decided that as the weather was so beautiful this morning that we should go out for an adventure and find a new park (which wasn’t called Morden Hall park) to explore. I had a quick look at our local council web pages and was again unable to find any useful or helpfully laid out information on it so I had to resort to doing a search on google maps. Well google maps certainly didn’t disappoint as it found me a couple of possibilities including a place called Kelsey park.

Kelsey park is just so lovely. I had no idea that there was such a beautiful park relatively close to where we live – if I had done then I think I would have probably spent the last few years going on to everyone that I know about how it is the best park ever – and I wouldn’t have been exaggerating.

Kesley park lake

When you first enter the park you think to yourself how lovely it is – but little do you realise what lies further down that path… a little out of sight from the entrance is a wooded path way which when we were there was next to some slightly flooded ground. The flooding is caused by some of the water from the river that they’ve dammed at a few points in the parks to create a lake for the wild birds that visit there. On the lake there are geese, ducks, swans, coots and even a number of herons who have a few nests there.

While walking round the park we also discovered some other animal life, one very tame and friendly cat (who perhaps belongs to the park keeper?) lots of squirrels and a good few pigeons and other non-water birds. Apart from the wildlife, beautifully tended green areas and flower beds there is also a great children’s playground, a putting course and cafe (which only open at the weekend). There are also events held through out the year which hopefully Sam and I will be able to join in at soon.

Morden Hall revisited

Katie playing pooh sticksIt’s starting to seem like I can’t stay away from Morden Hall park at the moment as today I yet again ended up visiting the lovely place. Rich was off out at funkle Nick’s stag do for the day and I was going to be at a bit of a loose end but luckily Thea and Katie were able to come round – hooray!

Thea took us all in the car (much nicer than trying to squeeze onto a busy tram) with Sam and Katie both in their car seats at the back having a great time. Katie kept Sam amused by drawing him lots of pictures so that when I looked back to check on him he had been covered in paper which he was happily playing with.

We started off by having a good look round the gardening centre and were tempted by a good few things there. By then it was time for Sam’s lunch so we invaded the cafe and I feed Sam while being fed some of my lunch by Thea.

Katie and Sam

Refreshed and happily full we went off for an explore of the park with Katie leading the way. We wandered quite a few paths that I hadn’t been on before and in our travels encountered one of the cutest little puppies ever which both Katie and Thea would have happily smuggled home.

After much exploring and a few games of pooh sticks (Katie took a little while to understand that you need to drop the sticks so that they float under the bridge and not away from it) we headed back to the cafe for Sam’s mid-afternoon bottle and some very yummy cream tea for the mums. Sam really enjoyed playing with his cousin (as you may be able to tell from the delighted expression on his face in this photo) and laughed like anything when Katie smiled at him.

Thanks so much for coming over to see us Thea and Katie we both really enjoyed our day with you and are already looking forward to the next time!

Roast dinner = yum!

This evening we were invited out to eat another delicious roast prepared by Steve followed by a very tasty pie for dessert which Matt had made. Sadly this is likely to be our last meal out round at Steve’s and Matt’s as they are being inconsiderate enough to want to move leaving Rich and I without our favourite free food place. However, I am quitely hoping that this may yet turn to our advantage as they are moving to different places this doubles up on our potential free meals!

Sam was very good while out with his mum and dad, he didn’t want his usual evening nap but apart from that was very well behaved and fell asleep quite obediently at 8.30pm in his buggy. Thanks for having us Steve and Matt and good luck with the move!