Beamish Open Air Museum

During half term we took a visit up to Beamish Open Air museum. We had prebooked the tickets back in January and booked into a Premier inn for the night before, we felt we had got a right bargain all in £29 for the hotel & £21 for the tickets into Beamish.

We had a great day and more than worth the trip further up North. I can imagine that going in warmer weather would have its advantages as believe me it was freezing!

Its a soup kinda day!

My favourite winter warmer soup at the minute is Butternut Squash & Yellow Pepper. So easy to make and the smell and taste is out of this world.

How to:- Makes enough for 2 adults depending on how thick you like your soup (I like it thick).

Cut 1 yellow pepper into strips about 2 cm thick, lay on the bottom of a shallow oven proof dish.

Cut a squash in half and take out all the seeds, (dry & roast feed to birds). Make slits into the flesh of the squash to speed up the roasting process.

Lay the squash on top of the peppers.

Place thin slices of butter onto the squash and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Cut a vegetable stock cube up until it turns into a fine powder and sprinkle over the squash, you might not need to use all of it.

Place in oven for 45 - 1hr depending on if the sqaush becomes soft enough to scoop out.

Place scooped out squash and pepper in to a processor and blitz. Add some boiling water to make the soup into the consistency you require.


Voila Butternut Squash & Yellow Pepper soup.

Enjoy

RIP (Room in Progress)

The decision was made just before Xmas to decorate the Dining room, it was spurred on by the new gorgeous light I bought a few weeks earlier. The flying ducks I bought in the sale last January. All that is left to do is:- new floor, new curtains (in progress), dresser needs painting, 1950s kitchen cabinet to be painted! And the list goes on!!!!

Freebie!

Me & my sister paid a visit to Welbeck Garden centre, just outside Worksop last week. And at the end of the tills there were two trolleys full of diaries & calenders, a man who worked at the garden centre said they were all going free. Well lets just say I did not need to be told twice. Sarah Ravens diary went straight into the bag! Thank you very much!

My Dad's birthday!

On Saturday it was my Dad's 65th birthday, an important one I think, it's the one where he retires in June, a big thing for a man who runs his own business!

We made the decision to go out the Monday previous, luckily one of his favourite nip and pop restaurants was ok reservation wise, Prezzo is great for food and always child friendly. We had a great meal and the company as ever was great. We topped off a great meal with Fancie cupcakes, as ever they were gorgeous.

Family treasures!

Following on from my last post about loosing my Grandad, here are just a few of the treasures that I have been able to have. First of all is my Nan's edition of Pride & Prejudice, it was given to my Nan in 1943!

This is just one of many water decanters that my Nan & Grandad had.

A group of random silver spoons.

In a blur!

Little dear opening her presents on Christmas morning!

Lunch at my Ma & Pa's!

Trip to Clumber Park on Monday, to help clear away the cobwebs!

The festive period, well in fact all of December have just passed in a blur. I seemed to be so busy with NOTHS orders when the snow hit us, that by the 6th December I decided to suspend my shop as working, sewing, packaging and get supplies back in stock was all too much. I know I made the right decision as I did feel I might have to let people down.

New Year has of cause bought upon me new energy, my plans for me Just Original, home and family are endless. A little at a time though. My Nan gave us some money for Christmas so we have joined the National Trust, hence the trip to Cumber Park twice this week. Many other destinations are on the visit list too. Getting fitter by walking will also be a added bonus. My personal plan though is to read more, so for the last 2 nights I have gone to bed early and read a chapter of my Kirsty Homemade Home book. For Just Original the plan is to find some more wholesale customers, and to start preparing Christmas stock now.

On a more personal note my Grandad died just before Christmas. He died just the way he would of wanted though, in his own home, instant and with all of his dignity still intact. My mum is having the not to pleasant task of clearing out a house that my grandparents have lived in for 55 years and they are hoarders. I will show you on my next blog the treasures that I have been able to have.