Progress

Haven't shown you a picture of Trudie for a while, so I thought you'd like to see how she's coming on. Back and one front finished (well apart from an inch of the front). I love the way it's going, such lovely swingy yarn - I want to knit more with this! It winds up beautifully, feels so luxurious and is, I think, quite a bargain considering you're getting 100g of pure hand-dyed silk. And I personally know the people who dye this stuff, and believe me, they are every bit as lovely as their yarn!

But I am feeling a bit ill at the moment. Startitis is very bad. Quite the most severe case I have EVER had. And that's saying something. You see, I ordered this book and oh dear oh dear oh me. It is wonderful, there are probably only 3 things in it that I don't want to knit. (What is with that lace peignoir thing?). I have the yarn in the stashbasket for many of the projects and can feel myself slipping under the cover of the book just to check on my tensions.... And just incase you too might be tempted, The Book Depository offer free delivery to anywhere in the world.

There really is no hope for me.

I have absolutely no will power.

I am a bad, bad woman.

(No, I am a good, good woman with a slight yarn, book and casting on problem.)

Saturday Pudding - and a cake

Following your suggestions, I decided to amalgamate a few ideas. I loved the idea of yours Marianne though, make a big rice pudding so I could knit! Sadly I'm the only one who likes it. No, I love it. Really love it. To the point of being greedy! This pudding is adapted from one of Phil Vickery's recipes - Crunchie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. It's a lemon cheesecake, with chunks of Crunchie in - you chop up a crunchie into chunks, coat each chunk in melted chocolate and then mix them into the cheesecake mixture. Topped with chocolate strawberries.

I can hardly wait until pudding time tonight. I licked the bowl and let me tell you, it's bloody good stuff. Calories? Yes, quite a few, but hey, why not eh? You've got to eat something to survive haven't you. Can't fade away. Must build up my strength for the Wii Fit!

Made another cake too. Similar I know to the last one I showed you, but it was easier to make a job lot of yellow roses. Fancy being married for 50 years. Blimey, if I ever get that far, I will need a very big medal!


Enjoy your Saturday everyone. I'm off to work up an appetite for pudding!

Ideas please!

Eldest son and husband are all out at a football tournament tomorrow. Yippee!!!! So I've got the day to myself. Any requests for Saturday pudding? Anything you fancy looking at? I've just been to Sainsbury's so my cupboards are all bulging with goodies waiting for the perfect recipe. (But with the disasters that seem to accompany every Saturday pudding, it may not be the perfect result!)

Swap package

Love my Postie! Ages ago Lucy Locket persuaded me to go in for her mini quilt swap. I was a bit wary, thinking that a mini quilt was suitable for a single bed not a double! I'm so glad I got persuaded though, as I got my package today from Lucy herself. There is the most wonderful card, full of all things baking orientated and 3 pressies all wrapped up in cupcake paper. It took a great deal of self-restraint not to rip these open straight away, but to look for the camera first.


I have been sent a beautiful brooch, a very useful notebook to keep in the kitchen - Lucy how did you know that I never ever ever have a piece of paper to hand in the kitchen? And then there's my quilt.

It's me! Did you get that I was shouting and squealing very loudly then? I just adore my little quilt. It's going to hang up in my kitchen. Thank-you so very much Lucy. It is perfect! (Hope you'll be doing one of these swaps next year!)

Exercise

Those of you who know me know that I don't do exercise. I hate it - always have. The PE teacher at school knew that I was a lost cause and often used to let me sit out, sit inside or generally do anything except attempt (and always fail) to hit the tennis ball, get the netball in the net, climb the ropes etc etc. I just hated it! I even joined the Red Cross just so I could get out of Sports Day and man the First Aid post instead!


I once went on some lessons to learn golf - 10 lessons of 2 hours each. And at the end, I still couldn't hit the ball. Never saw the point of golf anyway - why hit a tiny ball with a thin stick, walk miles to find it and then hit the darn thing again?


No, me and exercise just don't hit it off!


But then we got one of these. A Wii Fit . And you know what? It's fantastic!

I must point out that those beautiful legs are not mine! I wish!


This is my eldest skiing on it. I'm not too good at skiing, but love the jogging, hula-hooping and steps exercises. I'm apparently a 'Yoga Master' too and am now able to touch my toes for the first time in years!

It weighs you every day and tells you how much you need to lose (or gain - ha, ha, ha) according to what you tell it. I said I wanted to lose 2lb in 2 weeks, thinking that was quite achievable. I have exercised on it every day for an hour, cut right down on the chocolate and biscuits and eaten loads of fruit.

And you know what? I've put on 2 lb.

Bugger this exercise lark, I'm going to eat what I want and revert to being a couch potato from now on!

Saturday pudding

Oops, sorry, but due to very high stress levels at the Stashbasket, I forgot to take a picture of our pudding. Yesterday was not a good day.

But the sherry trifle was very delicious and I ate it all up. (Well, I didn't eat all of it, I had help from Mr Stressy himself.)