Truly Scrumptious - It's Pancake Day!

And it's one of the ways I wooed or is it wowed by husband when I first met him.  I was living in a shared house in London and making pancakes (both sweet and savoury) for everyone in the house when he popped in to visit a friend.  He's never asked me to make them again so maybe not.

But for a while when we were houseparents in a boarding house, he did use to make them for everyone.  I think his record was 120 in a sitting!

So whether you want to make from scratch, buy a mix or even buy them ready made, there's no excuse not to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.  And of course, make sure you're well protected in an apron.  If you don't already have one then get one of ours here.  Choose from appliqued designs or personalise your own.  

They're perfect for Mother's Day gifts too.

And if you're going to have a go yourself, here's a simple recipe from BBC Good Food magazine.

You will need:

• 100g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 300ml milk
• oil or melted butter, for frying

Directions:
1. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon then break in the egg and pour in half the milk. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the flour to make a smooth thick batter. Beat thoroughly to remove any lumps, then stir in the rest of the milk.

2. Heat a little oil or butter in a medium frying pan, then tip off the excess into a bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan as you pour, until the batter thinly coats the base. Cook over a moderate heat for 30 seconds to one minute until golden brown on the underside. 

3. Flip over the pancake with a palette knife, and cook the other side until it is golden brown. Slide the pancake out of the pan on to a plate, heat a little more oil or butter and cook the remaining pancakes one at a time in the same way.

Happy flipping!

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Book worm - Soup for Every Day - 365 recipes!

We have a fussy dog - Tyler.  Well, I'm not convinced he's that fussy but my husband thinks he has a short life and should be fed well so he gets fresh chicken every week. And if he doesn't, he sulks!

Problem is that it leaves us with a carcass every time.  However, we came up with a solution - make our own chicken stock. This presented another question - what to do with it?  Answer - soup.  And thankfully my sister-in-law suggested a great book so I have lots of fresh ideas.

Just been making roasted pepper, sweetcorn and chilli soup which tasted absolutely delicious, so I thought I'd share the book suggestion.  I was lucky enough to get it for a fiver from Amazon but it doesn't seem to be that price at the moment although the Book People do it for roughly the same price and you can order it online.

And of course, I can't resist a tenuous link.  How can I make a link to one of my hats? Sweetcorn, of course.  

Do you have a favourite soup?  Let us know.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Let's Celebrate .... Burns' Night

We love an excuse to party and since we also love all things Scottish, Burns' Night provides the perfect opportunity.

When looking for inspiration for our new living room since moving, I happened upon these sumptuous cushions which I freely admit to coveting.  Produced by Voyage Maison, they are divine.

 Another great thing about moving is I get the chance to discover some new shops - one of them being Pethau Bychain in King St, Carmarthen..  Here you'll find an eclectic mix of lovely interiors, homeware and jewellery along with a great coffee shop, making a welcome respite from the chains found elsewhere.  And this is where I stumbled upon my cushions, as you can see here.

We always take the opportunity to celebrate so on the day we'll be donning our thistle hats (you can get one here), ....

.... and aprons, tucking into an enormous haggis, complete with neeps and tatties, and having a crack at Robert Burns' famous address to the haggis.  If you fancy a go, here are the first few lines.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, 

Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye worthy o' a grace

As lang's my arm.

Slàinte! (Cheers)

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Truly Scrumptious - Chococo, Swanage, Dorset

I've made regular pilgrimages to Chococo in Swanage over the years and miss it greatly now I've moved to Wales.  I know I can order online (and I do!) but it's not quite the same as browsing the chocs in all their sinful glory.

Now I don’t want you thinking that I’m deviating from my quest for things that will allow you lot to indulge in your creativity.  A workshop for example and here's one where you can pretend is educational (and we promise not to shatter the myth!) 

And if you'd like to have a go, but can't get down to Dorset, why not buy their book?  And don't forget you can always send us some of your efforts.  We're happy to review!

But if you can't get there go online and find something that will tickle your fancy (quite literally in the case of their chilli tickles - amazing chocs, with bite!)

One of my favourite selections has to be this box and although I know it's not the right season, surely this has to be the ultimate Advent calendar.  24 delicious choccies.  No kids allowed!

But worry not, February will soon be with us and I can hint heavily for something like this!

And we've got great hampers too.  You can see them here ....

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Boutique and Unique - Hambledon Gallery, Blandford Forum, Dorset

Another great reason to live in Blandford - Hambledon Gallery on Salisbury St.
Slightly off the beaten track this shop is a hidden nugget of retail treasures.  

They have two floors full of beautiful things: women's and children's clothes, toys, glass, china, toiletries, table linen and quilts.  And if you really insist I suppose any of their products would make perfect gifts too!

The upper level is devoted to beautiful designer women's clothing.  Labels include Great Plains, John Smedley, Masai Ali Capellino and Johnstons Cashmere.

Downstairs in the toy shop, we love their traditional and wooden toys.  It is a veritable treasure trove for little people.  Labels include Charlie & Lola, Olive & Moss, Trunki suitcases and the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

There is something to cater for home makers too.  Vintage inspired baking utensils, paper party pieces, glassware, picnic essentials and gardening implements too.

    

And their stylish window displays are sure to tempt you in - at any time of year.

All images (c) the Hambledon Gallery

     

Surf's Up - take an online class. What about cake decorating?

If you were inspired by our last blog, perhaps you should have a go yourself.  And you can do it all  from the comfort of your own home by taking online classes.

If you want to get a handle on designing handbag cakes, complete with divots and pleats or genuine looking zippers, rivets and buckles from sugar paste you could try Elisa Strauss.

Or perhaps sugar flowers are your thing.  No, these are not real flowers!

Then Nicholas Lodge is your man.  He'll soon have you crafting tulips, anemones and peonies.

But then again, you may prefer characters showcasing someone's career or hobby.  

Then Anne Heap runs an online class just for you.   You'll learn how to colour and work with gum paste, model human figures and position them, as well as accessorising their hair and clothes.

So what are you waiting for?  And of course, if the worst comes to the worst, you can at least console yourself with some cake!

Do let us know how you get on if you decide to have a go and of course post your photos of the finished article.  We'd love to see them.

Surf's Up - Nelly Pepper: Interiors and Kitchenware.

If, like me, you like vibrant and quirky this website might be just what you're looking for.

With products are as bright as their website there are a number of 'departments' including Kitchen, Home, Accessories, Kids, Gifts and Jewellery you can browse through.

Nelly Pepper was conceived by Jane Kelly and Zoe Friskney who were fed up with having to scour the internet looking for kitchenware that offered quirky, modern and unique quality products.