Droplets

Hello, hello and good morning.

The kids have an inset day today or is it a baker day? 'oh' I dunno they have another day off school so I'm hiding out the back still in my jim jam's sifting through (some of) the couple of hundred or so pictures I took over the past couple of days.

Apart from being freezing, it's a good place to hide!

Anyhow, we went away for a long weekend. Nothing planned, totally last minute - like roughly twenty 'ish' hours notice - don't you just love last minute? And we all had a thoroughly enjoyable time.


Even the eldest Boo who grumbled quite strongly.

I put a ban on all technology for the weekend - not including mum though, hence my post on Saturday!

Now I'd like to share/post some of our long weekend pictures with you, but.............!

There is always a but.

Even though I do have in my possession the couple of (cough, cough) hundred pictures I took (as mentioned earlier) safely transferred onto the computer - don't worry, I'm not going to publish them all.

I do however have a little problem........well a big one really.


You see Mr Boo rushed off to work in the early hours of this morning with his laptop and all my pictures, so I only have half a story - 'Phew' I can hear some of you sigh in relief! - And will not emerge until later in the week.

So even though I would like to say to you 'Hello - we've been away, wanna see where we stayed at such short notice?' I can't!


But I can give you a sneaky peek and explain that all of these pictures were taken where we stayed and that every morning I would get up, pull my wellies on - still in pj's - wrap up in a thick cardie and wander around the garden with my camera.

{can you see the farmhouse?}

Have a wonderful day and even more so if your little ones have gone back to school today - you can sigh now......and get stuck in with the clutter.


That will be me tomorrow, but for today we snuggle in our pj's because tomorrow is the first day of March and for me........officially Spring - whoo hoo!

xXx

Last

The last weekend in February and almost the end of Spring half term.

Sunshine and showers, spectacular views, hiking across muddy fields in wellies (more of that next week) and 'the most' amazing sunsets.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend too?

xXx

Homespun Peanut Butter Cups

We are big fans of peanut butter here at Tabiboo HQ - especially if it's covered/contains chocolate.

Mmmmmmmmmm.....peanut butter and chocolate - yum!

And out of all the 'off the shelf' products out there Reese's is our all time favourite.

From creamy peanut butter exported from the states to their signature peanut butter cups - more mmmmmmmmm and yum, yum, yum!

Now I'd like to say I've recently discovered a recipe that allows me to make these myself - peanut butter cups that is, but I've actually been making them for years - with the help of Nigella.


Not a personal buddy of mine - unfortunately, but thanks to this recipe found in her book 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' I can whip up my own - homespun as she puts it - batch of peanut butter cups as and when I like.

And I like.......a lot.

No cooking - only when melting the chocolate and that's not really cooking - and absolutely no fuss. Just how I like my cooking.


I have over the years though stopped making these in a tin as I've found trying to cut them up into squares once set frustratingly impossible and assembling them into cupcake cases are equally tricky. So I've resorted to using these rather cute silicone chocolate cases that a very dear friend of mine sent me.

Not only does it make assembling very very easy, but they set super fast - within an hour I would say.

Just enough time to clear the decks and do the washing and drying up before grabbing a couple to accompany a bottom parking and foot putting up session.

~ Delicious ~

Beats waiting around for a whole afternoon checking and re checking to see if the chocolate has set.....yet!

The only downside though is that most of my friends have started taking a liking to my homespun goodies - hence the bag all ready packed and waiting to go!!

Have a cosy day - it's raining with us today!

Happy baking.

xXx

Pretties

Is the sun shining with you today? It is with us and it's beeeeeautiful.

Such a great feeling, a great vibe - a spot of sunshine makes allllll the difference don't you think?




I'm sure you've probably answered that one many times before - sorry for asking, but it does for me.....anyhow.


It lifts the spirits, revitalises the soul and makes me feel all 'Sound of Music' - like bursting into song and skipping around like a six year old that has the ability to well, skip......everywhere.

We've already had a walk down to the seafront this morning - stocked up on weekly essentials - met up with friends, passing along the way.

{all those ruffles remind me of the Can Can}

That's one great thing about living in a tiny town - you always bump into someone when out and about.

You kind of know everyone and everyone kind of knows you.


It has it's disadvantages too though, especially when you're in a hurry. It's impossible not to stop and have a chat.

That's probably why I witter on so much in this little space of mine. That and the need for some 'grownup' conversation every now and again if you know what I mean?


Anyhoo, the girls are all dressed up playing weddings and the eldest is on a mission to empty the dishwasher in record speed - in trade for a little computer time - and I feel like I'm chatting for the sake of chatting.


So it just leaves me to tootle off into the garden and enjoy some of those rays and have a potter around the flower beds, for rain is forecasted tomorrow.

I hope you like my pretties? They are from this bloom I pictured last week.

Have a wonderful day.

xXx

Balancing

Half term is like Marmite - either you love it or hate it.

Not getting up at stupid o'clock to make lunches, jostle little ones out of their slumber, politely encouraging them to get up for the umpteenth time 'get dressed, have breakfast and maybe (possibly) even have a wash or at least brush your teeth and hair - plllllllllease'

Rush, rush, rush.

The phrase 'old fishwife' and 'mum sounds like one' springs to mind on a school term weekday!

Nag, nag, nag.

Though come 9.15 when all are where they are suppose to be, you are left with six pure hours of stillness. Home to a peaceful house full of nothing, but quiet and mooching. Ahhhhhhhh - I do like to mooch.

Silence, calm and tranquility.

Though the knock on effect - due to my early start - is that I'm always cream crackered come 10.30.

But.................!

In half term you can get up when you like and stay in your jim jam's until way past lunch, maybe not even getting dressed at all. Though a wash at some point would be a good thing, just to avoid wrinkled noses.

We can play and potter or maybe just do nothing, slobbing around all day if the fancy takes us.

Though the downside of that is you could be faced with a house full of little ones all fueled up and bored! Mum, mum, mumming - I'm hungry, what can I do, can I call so and so to come round and play, mum, mum, muuuuuuum.............I'm soooooooo bored!

Struggling to find something to do that will entertain your little ones - desperately arranging play dates.

Hey, ho you can't have it all.

Did I mention the not getting up and slobbing around in your jim jam's till noon?

I have to admit to preferring the latter, just the good bits mind you like no early rises, not getting dressed, not nagging - most important - slobbing if we wish and most definitely, absolutely no fishwives.

My guys are not too bad, we/they always find something to do.

They have their fights and little tit for tats like most siblings - tale telling I simple cannot abide - but normally they play OK'ish' and find things to amuse themselves.

Plus failing all that I could always suggest - like my mother before me - that maybe they would like to go clean their rooms 'or' help mum do something equally boring like.......polish the brass! Like I have any (tut) but it works every time.

It's amazing - when given the choice - how quickly a 'I'm bored' turns into a disappearing act with non resurface until hunger hits in.


So here's to slobbing - and balancing - with my little ones this half term. Please don't fly by too quickly.

Have a wonderful day and an adventurous week.

Which one do you prefer? Term or half term.

xXx

ps. If you're wondering about my 'weird' choice in pictures today wellllll, I opened my new bars of shampoo and conditioner this morning and just loved the colour combination so decided to have a little play with other colours I love. Makes all complete and utter sense really. N xxx

In Brief

Thank goodness it's (almost) the weekend.

With friends coming to stay this weekend and a house that looks like a bomb has hit it I think my yesterday chilled out state of mind and body has packed its bags 'vamoosed' disappeared and gone and left me and the building.


So I will have to love you and leave you today with some random pictures I've taken over the past couple of weeks. Pictures I could fit no words to.

With much to do (and plan) and a pit of a house to try and look reasonable. Just the norm - beds to change, children to vacate, bathroom to clean (yuk) things to vacuum......blah, blah, blah!


Anyhow, have a great weekend - I know ours will be. It's just the pre clean and tidying I find boring.

xXx

ps. Flic - no special effort, but it really is a pit. See you Saturday.

Sunny Side Up

It's far too nice to be sat in front of the computer today.

The sun is shining, the garden is calling and I'm feeling mighty chilled out.

How's the weather with you?

Have a great day.

xXx

French Fancies

I was rather naughty last week and ordered - on a whim - some rather fanciful french patisserie goodies.

~ Macarons ~

Now I know the new wave is all about the macaron or macaroon - however you pronounce/say it - and although I'm not one to usually follow the crowd (I do like to be a bit individual) I have been spying more and more these tempting, decorative, pretty little confectionery treats adorning the best of the best in blog town.

Curiosity won out at the end of the day, but where to buy?

Not around these parts I'm afraid.

So I Googled - as you do - and found that I could order online.

All delivered beautifully and promptly in a rather gorgeous little golden box with gold ribbon and pull draws.

So what do they taste like?

If you've never tried a macaron before that is.

Welllll - I would have to say a bit like a mini chewy meringue, not cakey at all and all with their own distinct flavour and filled with scrummy ganache.

Delicious.

I think my favourite has to be lemon - so far.

And just in case the little people discovered my rather expensive delicious whim I hid them very, very well.


Mr Boo and I may not do lovey, dovey Valentine's day, but we do know how to have a spot of tea and cake.

Not something I would order or dine on every single week, but my curiosity is satisfied - and so is my sweet tooth.


However saying that I did discover on my favourite cooking programme on Monday 'how' to make macarons so who knows, if I can master how to make these tasty little morsels then maybe I will be dining on them for my elevenses every single day.

Have a good one.

xXx