Recipe

Here is the recipe incase you're in the mood for some festive baking!

Ingredients

150g Butter
60g Caster Sugar
60g Soft dark brown sugar
60g Golden syrup
360g Plain Flour
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1.5 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1) Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F. Line a baking tray
2) Melt butter with both types of sugar and golden syrup
3) Sieve flour, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl, then add melted mixture and mix together.
4) Knead the mixture for a few second until to comes together. add a little water if needed, but keep the sough soft, not sticky.
5) Flatten the dough into a round, 2cm thick, then wrap with cling film and put in the fridge for 30 mins.
6) Dust work surface and roll out dough. Stamp out shapes with a cookie cutter.
7) Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins or until golden. Remove from oven, cool on wire rack and ice them cool.
8) Icing - icing sugar and water to desired consistency (remember not very much water is needed at all)

Gingerbread

Just dug out the old Christmas cookie recipe from 2010...

Ready for hungry kiddies!

Ready for the oven

Preparing for the day

Hubby snoring beside me. Washing machine has done its load (set up with timer for early hours) and shirts are now in the tumble dryer. My lamp is on as I take some much needed reflection and prayer time in its dim glow before the kids stir. The quiet and peace is glorious. Such a blessing to start a day this way rather than being woken by the noise of kids and mayhem! I actually feel ON TOP of the day rather than feeling overcome by a rushed beginning.

So there is much to do today. Prayerfully Asher will go to school with no frets or tears (off yesterday with sickness) and life will carry on as normal at home. Soup and rice for dinner so that's nice and simple and I can focus my day on the kids and hopefully a library visit which will be a good walk up the hill! I should attempt to do some of those things I didn't get round to last week, like phone calls and some online shopping.

I praise and thank God for his constant Grace and mercy in providing what we do not deserve. I thank him for my dear husband beside me, my beautiful children next door, our warm home, our food and clothes. My breath this morning as I have awoken, to live and breathe another day in his presence. I want to always be in his light. I pray my mind is in tune with him today. James 4v8. I pray he will cherish and protect my kids, esp Asher who is away from me at school and is so nervous still. God give him courage today. Show me how to teach and guide them to know you more and learn to love you as I do. Help me direct their little hearts to want to please you and obey. Our theme this week is OBEDIENCE and we're searching for O's everywhere! I'm sure we'll find some at breakfast time this morning!!!

Time to go and get that sorted and get myself in the shower. God bless your day and may we bear fruit for him Col 1v10.

Remember November

Here we are again, months after the last post, wondering where the time went! Well we had a monsoon season here in England from May to July which was probably the most depressing summer on memory! Many days I would cry at the site of more rain and having to try and 'enjoy' the 'summer' months! The only saving grace was our trip to Canada which was just incredible and we enjoyed sunshine and quality time with friends and family.

Upon our return we were right back into the thick of it with Pete's shift patterns, Asher starting reception, and looking after a friend's 10 month old baby. Lots changed but it's been good to start some new routines.

I am learning a lot about 'letting go' as we adjust to Asher being at school. He has found the transition quite challenging and is still extremely sensitive about certain things. This has been quite a difficult change for me, as I worry and wonder about how he is doing. God is pushing me to trust in him when I cannot have the control myself. What a lesson for us as parents, to be able to let go and let God! For the last 4 years i've had that control of what he is doing, who he's with, how he feels, just knowing exactly what's going on. What a difference it is not to know for 6 hours of the day what he is feeling, whether he is coping or even enjoying himself, and I have 16 + years left of this!

So the rest of the week looks like this:

Today: Pete home at a reasonable time, hopefully in time to share yummy beef and vegetable stew and warm bread with us.

Tuesday: Library/park visit. Chicken and veg one pot (keeping the meals warm with the chilly weather)

Wednesday: MY BIRTHDAY! Meeting Mum and Sis in town for lunch and SHOPPING, Sausage casserole for dinner, followed by sisters class in the evening with my lovely ladies.

Thursday: Hanging out with friends and play date for the kids. Salmon stir fry for dinner.

Friday: Grandparents day at school, so excited for Asher! Cinema with friends for my birthday, Breaking dawn part 2!!! :)

Saturday: Hospital Visit to see my consultant. Taking the teen girls ice skating in the evening, can't wait!

Sunday: Memorial service and roast dinner at Mums (more birthday treats!)

Doesn't look too bad really, just got to try and fit in some exercise, EYFS planning, sunday school prep, finish the ecclesial rota, make some important phonecalls, cleaning, painting, and of course some time reading my book...speaking of which!