Advent day 1.5 - Cat decorating

While the others decorate the tree, hatchling no6 decorates the cat. She is so miffed his ears twitch and won't hold baubles in.

Advent day1 -Tree decorating

A cookie a day 5 - Smartie cookies and toffifee thumb prints

Dancing hatchlings

Sunday saw the hatchlings conclude their dancing for 2016.

It was a lovely afternoon spent watching them perform and receive their awards.

I am so proud of you hatchlings. 

Even you hatchling no5. Who insisted you did not want to dance... and then danced the whole way through in the audience.

A cookie a day 4: Chocolate chip shortbread

A cookie a day 3: Chewy Gingersnaps

A cookie a day 2: Moon pies

While bbc good food and others might call these whoopie pies; they are in fact moon pies when filled with marshmallow. 

And these gnache filled whoopie pies.

An indulgent Friday night cookie treat.

Quick, simple and hatchling approved.

Yummy!

Cookie a day 1 - Snickerdoodles

I am searching for new cookies. It isn't that I don't like our tried and tested recipes. It is just that there are so many I have never attempted.

So, I am using the run up to the holidays to try out as many new recipes as I can. Starting with snickerdoodles.

Light, buttery and spread easily, if you are not careful - like me.

They taste like the fresh cinnamon donuts at the fair.

Yummy!

This pretty old town

Nutella gnache

After making pudding thatwe can't eat for weeks we needed a sturdy consolation prize.

A triple chocolate chip, chocolate sour cream cake with nutella gnache went down well.

Stir up Sunday! Times three!

So, this year we are doing Christmas pudding in a big way. 

We have a traditional christmas pudding with dried fruit and brandy,

A figgy pudding, 

And a guiness and whiskey pudding.

They smell so good. 

Now, our wait to try them begins.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1229274/Expert-guide-secret-perfect-Christmas-pudding-recipe.html

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4857/guinness-pudding-with-whisky-cream

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851637/figgy-christmas-pudding

High tides and lightening

This was over and hour before high tide and the sea was looking quite full.

As though someone flicked a light switch to winter, yesterday was almost comtinual hail, snow and thinderstorms.

Lightening caused a lot of problems two years ago, and yesterday was no different. Even our local police station have been hit and are notifying everyone that their phones and internet are damaged.

I like winter though. 

Warm and cozy in our cottage by the sea.

Listening to the hailliboys on the windows.

We are blessed.

Newest character - Mog

Some kitty is getting the hang of living in this house.

A football morning

Hatchling no7 is on the move

Writing letters to Santa

Part of today's school work is writing letters to Santa.

Thankfully, the hatchlings have achievable goals.

A bottle of kethcup? 

Love this hatchling, I do.

Oragami stars made by hatchlings

Hatchling no4 quote for the day

Being good feels like too heavy boots

So I have to kick them off

Bonfire night 😊

Hatchling no7

You are a hurrican of a girl;

Remeber to breath every once in a while;

do not drown in your own storm.

You are as unpredictable as you are beautiful;

Wild in search of peace;

Unforgettable and difficult to avoid falling in love with.

Getting ready for bonfire night

Sensitivity

When you are deeply sensitive, love is ecstasy. Music is godlike. Heart ache is a wide, somatic wound. Visual natural beauty is jewel - drenched wild bliss. Tension and conflict are muscle tightening and toxic, to very centre of each cell.

Halloween break

With a break in the term schedule, 

The hatchlings had friends around

For chocolate making

And fudge

And games.

We did our pumpkins

An owl

A face

And a bat; this year.

Candy apples

And then off to the disco.

Happy hatchlings make 2 weeks fly by.