Creper Roses

[SheherazadeSchadenfreude]

Here!

Oh crap dh has started making this years batch of Elderflower champagne. I fear mess and chaos

I am feeling very guilty because DD1 is back from her DofE camping trip today and a lot of the school "moms" are organising a welcome back committee with food, drink, banners etc. I can't go. Well, I could go, but it would take me over an hour to get there, longer to get back. The other parents are all local. DD1 won't be expecting me there, as this is a "surprise" but there won't be many parents who aren't there. I also have to get DD2 sorted to go back to school later today (DH will take her), and have a friend arriving tonight. I am also not feeling overly bright through lack of sleep as I seem to have something wrong with my stomach again, and have been in a lot of pain the last two nights. BUt it all just feels like excuses and crap mother syndrome...

MrsS second Rudy - not a crap mother at all.
You aren't local and it would take a huge chunk out of your day.

MrsS, they don't sound like crap excuses to me, either. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't do everything (otherwise known as delusional mum syndrome). Your Dd will know what you have on your plate - just make a big fuss when you do see her.

I have been baking with only partial success (more visitors coming soon). How could I spoil fruit scones by adding too much milk?

We're off to DGD's family birthday party at three. As all 3 grandchildren will be there I am hoping that the weather stays bright and they can go out in the garden.

Very impressed at the idea of a quilt from old t shirts, Crem. Also wondering how Rose is getting on.

I have made an almond and poppyseed cake.

I do feel guilty, because they weekly board, and although they moan like hell about it and never want to go back at the weekend, I know they enjoy it, because I have seen the FB messages to their friends. DD2 and her mates camped out on the school lawn this week, DD1 doesn't always come home at the weekend because they go hiking and camping, and she loves it. They both have a good group of friends and are doing well at school (OK, DD1 is a bit hit and miss as her grades are either A or F and nothing in between, but an A says that she can do it, yes? And an F that she hasn't done her homework or hasn't revised.

Your assessment of DDs sounds right to me, MrsS. I never had any trouble with Dd at school or uni - she was very motivated, but Ds was another kettle of fish ....

The almond and poppy cake sounds lovely - any chance of the recipe, please? I like recipes which are a little different.

Yes - shall I put the recipe on here? It is very easy and tastes divine. Unfortunately my oven is a bit crap, so it is slightly overdone, and cooked in 30 minutes instead of 50, but it is still delicious!

Bin the guilt, MrsS. You can't go. End of. Enjoy cake instead.

Cake sounds delish, MrsS and you have very good reasons to not be at the surprise party (which sounds a bit extra to me - don't they have anything better to do?) And your assessment of DD1 sounds spot-on. Who does she take after?

I have been snoozing in the sun and am off out with friends to visit local open gardens in the posh part of my manor!

Oh yes please MrsS....

Ooh, yes please, MrsS. It does sound lovely. I have an elderly widow friend coming a week tomorrow for five days and she is a super cook: it would be nice to surprise her with something out of the ordinary.

My Dd has a theory about SAHM (or at least the ones she knows) - she reckons that they are looking for things to fill their time, therefore they come up with things like the surprise party. She also thinks that loads of working mums do things out of guilt, so we really can't win, can we?

MrsS Texas…wow!
I love short trench coats…but really want to find one with a hood (Mumsy, I know)
Tilly debating whether the world is ready for the horror of me in shorts
Managed to get back to sleep briefly before having to get up for a stone setting this morning. Am in rather hot sensible gear, so need to cool off somehow…beautiful day, beautiful weather albeit for a sad occasion.
MrsS Mother I do not pinch cheeks…I have 3 nephews and 3 nieces who would probably run for their lives if I ever tried to kiss them. They seem to like the food though…

NU, I was thinking just that about the welcome back party!

Well, I am going to scare the locals with my footballers knees. At least they aren't milk bottle white any more!

MrsS I did bugger all when DS came back from DofE expedition except throw him and all his filthy kit in the the washing machine….You are not crap…you are prioritising.

Am obsessively following DD's flight on Flighttracker…they are just flying over the Med off the coast of Southern Italy. And the school tweeted from the airport a very up beat message as they were boarding. Guess that bodes well so far
I am sad and pathetic…the flight was a bit delayed and I couldn't get the thought out of my mind that it was DD who had caused the delay by saying something stupid and causing a security alert of something

Rudy you said it. I am truly on the edge.....

Rosebag :)
Ds dropped back to say bye to dp and has taken banana loaf with him.

I was thinking how much more freedom he had here than he would have had where we used to live. But I really must sorry his mobile phone out!

Meanwhile friend whose relationship ended is picking over the pieces with forensic detail and it's driving me a bit bats. I feel sorry for him, but don't see how all this picking over everything you/he said/did is helping. I guess it's part of the process.

Sorry for her (where did that him come from!)

Belatedly catching up with this thread - I'm glad to see those sandals fit in with the crepey vibe but I do share QQ's concerns that they might not be very flattering on me as I have huge calves, only exacerbated by running. And I have a band of visible muscle on the outside of each shin bone. Hideous. So if I did buy the sandals I might only be able to wear them with loose wide leg trousers. Except i don't have any of those .

Ooh Freudian slip bd

Rose I know that taut feeling when dd goes away, but I also know she gives me no thought whatsoever for the duration of her trip. Far too exciting.
Mrs S do give us the recipe. I'm now out of eggs after producing the chocolate damson cake( only 1/3 left following sil, Bil, and cousins visit.)

TAN! A TAN! What the heck is that then? I am still lilac legged and doughy. It is 10• and blowing a gale.
Bloody hate NI sometimes ......

Dd is dressed , makeup on, ready to go. Date is not til 7.30pm lolz

Dh is digging holes in the garden for
An apple tree
A geranium
An azalea
And a mystery yellow thing with scented petals.

S'all go. Leg is painful today after sleeping funny. Meh!

I thought that too Cremo but only met him briefly once so can't comment!

Here we have just had a rain shower......

Dp should be on his way to Dublim, and I guess ds will come home sometime

Almond and Poppyseed cake

Heat the oven to 170 degrees.

250g butter
250g marzipan
150g sugar
splosh of almond extract
splosh of vanilla extract (or can use the grated zest of a lemon)
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
1 oz poppy seeds (optional)

Chop the marzipan into cubes and warm in the microwave until soft. Put in food processor with the butter (softened) and sugar. Blitz it. Add the eggs one at a time, blitzing after each addition. Add almond and vanilla extracts, blitz again. Add flour, blitz again. Stir in poppy seeds Scrape into tin. (I use a ring mould, but no reason why you shouldn't use an 8 inch cake tin, in which case I would line the bottom.) Bake for around 50 minutes, but check after 30 (if you are using a round cake tin, it will take a bit longer). Will bounce back, like a sponge, if done, or test with a skewer. Leave in cake tin till cold, then turn out. Apply to face with a large cup of tea. Also makes a good pudding, served with fruit (berries work well, particularly raspberried and blueberries) and cream.

Tastes divine and makes the kitchen smell wonderful when it's baking.

If it breaks a bit when you are taking it out of the ring mould, you can shake icing sugar over it, to look pretty and hide the patchwork cake.