Spring Greetings

Happy Easter!!

Don't eat too much choc ...

Victoria and Albert In Love

A couple of Sundays ago I watched a very interesting programme on BBC 1 about a new exhibition opening at the Queen's Gallery ... I don't know whether you saw it too?

Well, today I went to the Victoria and Albert: Art In Love exhibition with Mr Plum and my parents. Unfortunately, HRH was at home, so the State Rooms at Buck House were closed ... but we'll be going back (for my third visit!)

The exhibition was brilliant ... beautiful artwork and jewels given to each other, Victoria's drawings of her children and music specially arranged so that Victoria and Albert could duet together ....

I would definitely recommend this exhibition if you find yourself in London over the next couple of months. You can book tickets here

Another lovely Spring day in London

What a lovely day!

I took a days leave and met three friends to spend the morning at the Country Living Spring Fair ... so many lovely things to buy!! I was very restrained and got a lovely Babar picture, some edible glitter and some fab fairy cake cases!

After we were all shopped out - we headed to The Berkeley for their wonderful Pret A Portea ... they were still serving their Autumn/Winter 2009 collection - I will have to go back when they release the Spring/Summer 2010 collections!

Look at these lovely cakes ... with "congratulations" written in chocolate - what a lovely brother I have!

Don't these cakes look fab? And Sarah Ferguson was sitting a couple of tables away from us with one of her daughters! How exciting!!

Oh, what a shame I have to go back to work tomorrow ...

I'm a Pampered Chef - parts 2 & 3

Way back in December, my parents gave me some Pampered Chef goodies. Well - just before Christmas I tried out the cookie press, but then lost my baking mojo (thanks to Baby Plum, I think!) so I hadn't got around to trying out this ...

.... or these ....

until yesterday!!!

I need a bit more practice I think ... but good for a first go!

I'm back!

Hello!

I haven't been anywhere ... just too lethargic to think about blogging, or to do anything worth blogging about! I have just felt sooooooo tired the last few months and haven't done an awful lot except sleep (staying in bed until the afternoon at weekends - and for those who know me, will know how unusual this is!) or sit in front of the tv (watching Glee, Desperate Housewives and the Vampire Diaries ... and far too many soaps ... I even cried when Bradley died in Eastenders ... GET A GRIP MRS PLUM!!)

Don't worry - I have been keeping up with all your wonderful and interesting blogs ... and leaving the odd comment here and there ... and I am glad to say that for the first time in a long while - I feel like me again .... Victoria Plum has returned!!

So, with the return of the sunshine this lovely March weekend, me and Mr Plum have been getting up bright and early ... have taken delivery of a tumble drier (not particularly environmentally friendly, I know ... but I now have three weeks of dirty washing cleaned and dry ... and our little flat doesn't smell of a dirty laundry for once!

We headed out to have another look at prams ... we have narrowed it down to two favourites and will make our final decision when we head to the Baby Show in May.

Last night I even baked!!! I have not done a bit of baking since before Christmas and the constant nausea started ... I have a batch of cupcakes in the kitchen ready to ice ... more of that later!

We let the kitties out into the garden for the first time yesterday ... Pansy was the braver of the two and has been out and exploring ... poor little Twister - he has found the whole experience extremely traumatic and I'm not really sure what to do about it. He is very nervous and clinging to me all the time ... hopefully he will get a bit braver.

The picture at the top of the post is of my lovely tidy greenhouse! I haven't put any seeds in yet - and will leave that until next weekend. I spent this morning tidying what I should have tidied last October ... but never got around to it ... and then it got too cold/wet/snowy ... and I had no desire to be out there!

So here I am ... on a lovely sunny Sunday, enjoying catching up with things which have been ignored for so long!

Rightyho ... I'm off to put the kettle on and get my seed potatoes ready to chit!

Lovely surprises on a Monday morning in the office ...

I had that Monday morning feeling this morning .... the alarm went off at 7am and at 7.30am I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and into the shower....got a later than normal train and finally made it into work at 9.30am - oh well, only 30 minutes later than planned!

But I was greeted by a lovely surprise waiting for me on my desk ... my team had bought me a set of Cath Kidston knitting needles as a little pressie. It was so sweet of them, and nearly bought a tear to my eye (but not sure the chaps in the room could have coped with that much emotion first thing on a Monday!).

Thank you to all those who have left such lovely messages on my previous post!

A little bit of news ...

Me and Mr Plum are having a baby! This is the 12 week scan I had on Wednesday ... the day when it all became ... real.

Until Wednesday I felt sick and tired ... and overwhelmed and a little bit shocked (I don't know why! I just found it so hard to get my head around ...) and then I saw the little Baby Plum and everything changed!

So ... baby is due at the beginning of August - and I can't wait!

Shall we go to Metro-land?

Last night I went to a very interesting lecture at the London Transport Museum. The theme of the talk was Betjemen and Suburbia ... the main part of the talk was given by a museum curator - with poetry read by an old chap from the Betjemen Society.

I love the old transport posters - and it was great to have some of them put into the context of the expansion of the Metropolitan railway and the building of suburbia. There are a series of talks and I have got tickets booked for another one in February:

Home Comforts

The style of the new suburban interiors and the changing role of the housewife in the 1920s and 1930s. This talk focuses on the wives and mothers who found themselves in charge of their new homes, in Metroland - far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Emmanuelle will explore how homes changed dramatically after the First World War, through the boom in technology and labour saving devices, and in their decorative schemes. She will compare the sleek ideal 'moderne' interiors that featured in magazines and promotional material, with the ubiquitous reality of mock Jacobean sideboards and floral wallpapers. Drawing on women's magazines of the time she will also discuss the woman's role in the house, where she shopped and what she bought.

You can purchase tickets here

London is so much more bearable when I remember to do lovely things!

I will be visiting the Suburbia exhibition soon!

Hey Presto!

This morning Mr Plum headed off for his first lesson in magic! He will be heading to a strange, dark shop hidden away in the maze that is Charing Cross underpass (it is like something out of Harry Potter!) for three hours tuition in the art of magic tricks! The course will last for three Saturdays - he was very excited this morning!

I am enjoying a nice lie in with a cup of tea (Yorkshire) and a pile of toast and marmite! I haven't got anything planned for this morning, so will probably do a bit of housework before heading into town to meet up with Mr P and some friends for dinner.

I'm still feeling the "Christmas Bloat" and now that the snow has melted, I no longer have the excuse that it is too cold to go swimming, eat healthily etc! I have managed to bribe Mr P into going for an early morning swim tomorrow with the promise of a Wetherspoons brekkie ... we will also be plugging in the wii fit to burn off some Christmas calories!

What are you up to this weekend?

Essential Hats for Snowy Days

Here I am ... at home enjoying my first snow day ... watching tv shows and films which Mr Plum can't abide (Glee, Cranford Christmas Specials, An American In Paris) and finishing off a bit of knitting!

Here's my hat!

Isn't she lovely? (Apologies about the rubbish self portraits!!)

The pattern has a pom pom in a contrasting yarn - but I don't think I will bother with that ... maybe I will add a knitted flower instead? I'm not sure ...

This hat can be found in the lovely book by Kim Hargreaves "Thrown Together" and it suitable for a knitter with a little experience. The pattern was pretty simple and easy to follow ... I have managed to drop the odd stitch - but I don't think that it is too noticeable.

My next knitting project is going to be .... a (deep breath) cardigan! It will take me years, but I want to give it a go! I have chosen another pattern from Thrown Together ... have a look here and have my wool ready thanks to a work colleague who's girlfriend works in John Lewis and is happy to use her discount to fund my yarn habit!! It is such a pretty colour (Melody 173) ... just need to get practising my double moss stitch!!

Happy New Year!

Hello!

Happy New Year!

I hope that you have all enjoyed the festive season ... we had a very busy holiday split between Christmas with my in laws in the very snowy Lake District and a fab New Year with my parents!

We came back to London yesterday and have cleared away the Christmas decorations and are now getting ready to head back to work tomorrow .... but I thought I would quickly post and let you see some of the lovely books I got for Christmas this year!

I'm looking forward to making some delicious sweeties from the Hope and Greenwood recipe book (mmm mmmm), having a go at something vintage from the "A Stitch in Time" and making more Cath Kidston goodies!!

I found these lovely gift tags in a shop in Ambleside ... I just hope that I don't forget the I have them next Christmas!

Christmas Afternoon Tea!

I'm off for my (almost annual!) Christmas afternoon tea tomorrow after I have finished work ... I am VERY excited!

Secret Santa Swap!

Thank you Kelly and Victoria for organising their Secret Santa Swap!

Today Mr Plum went down to the local depot and collected my parcel from Lisa (thank you so much Lisa ... you didn't include the address of your blog, otherwise I would have thanked you personally!).

There is nothing better than brown paper parcels tied up with string .....

Look at these lovely goodies!!!

A lovely cake stand (perfect for showing off my cupcakes!), some yummy chocolate sprinkles to decorate my cupcakes, a kitty photo holder, cosy slippers, a make your own Christmas decoration kit, some satin cats for crafty things and some lovely notelets ....

I'm definitely a Pampered Chef ...

My parents came to visit at the weekend and brought me an early Christmas present (or three) which my Mum had got from a Pampered Chef party...

These fabby cookies were made using the Cookie Press ... it was a bit fiddly to begin with, but once I got going - there was no stopping me!!!

Handmade Christmas GIfts ...

I didn't think that I would be able to post about this until after Christmas ... but, on Saturday night we exchanged Christmas gifts with my family ... and my brother's girlfriend opened up her pressies while we were there. When she opened up my gift she immediately put it on ... and loved it! The funny thing was ... she didn't realised that I had knitted it myself!! I am really pleased at how it turned out ... and it looked absolutely fabulous on her! This was my first full size piece of knitting .... am going to have a go at a cardigan for myself next. You can find a link to this pattern (and a whole host of lovely vintage inspired knits) here

Christmas Pudding

Mr Plum treated me to a copy of Delia's "Happy Christmas" ... so this weekend I made a Christmas pudding. I have never made a pudding before, and to be honest am not a huge fan of Christmas pud as I find it so rich...but felt that I needed to add one to my repertoire!!

This weekend my parents came to visit for our traditional Christmas night out (we are spending Christmas with my inlaws this year) so saw my parents to exchange gifts and go out for a lovely dinner and drinks in London town! I also was given some fab baking goodies by my mum and dad (I will be blogging about those soon!). My Dad gave me one of his Christmas Puds to take up to The Lakes for Christmas .... so I will probably be saving my pud until next year!

How to make truffles which are better than Kirstie Allsop's!

A couple of days ago I posted about my truffles ... I then watched Kirstie Allsop making truffles and am proud to say that mine were so much better than hers!! Ha Ha ....

Anyway, I have been making truffles for the past couple of years ... and although I find it quite fiddly - it is getting easier. Trouble is - I eat too many of them!!

Here is my Dad's Truffle Recipe .... enjoy! The amounts are huge (chef quantities!) so you will need to scale down!

1 kg couverture

(chocolate ... in the past I have used good quality choc (Green & Blacks, Sainsburys own, proper Belgian couveture)

200g unsalted butter

1 pint double cream (350ml if using white choc)

50ml liqueur

Melt the couveture and butter over a bowl of hot water

Bring the cream to the boil and whisk onto the couveture and butter mixture

Add the liqueur and pour into a container to set. I put it in the freezer until I am ready to use.

Using a melon scooper, scoop out balls of chocolate, cover in melted chocolate (make sure that it is body temperature and not too hot) or roll in cocoa powder. The chocs will keep for a couple of weeks (in theory!!) if kept in the fridge.

Truffles!

I have made truffles for the past couple of Christmases ... they always make nice little pressies, I think. This year I have made white chocolate and chambourd and milk chocolate and amaretto. Delicious!

Are you watching .....

..... Kirstie's Homemade Christmas?

Snowmen!

When I was younger (and even now!) one of my favourite Christmas cartoons was Raymond Briggs' "The Snowman". I love it ... even if it does have a sad ending (and just thinking about it now brings a tear to my eye....)

So this evening, when I decided to ice my Christmas cakes, I decided to make ....

Snowmen!!!

A little bit rough 'n' ready ....

But rather fab looking I think ... and I hope that the people who will be getting them as little pressies will like them too!

The cakes were made using Delia's wonderful classic Christmas cake recipe (fed with plenty of home made sloe gin) and divided between six tin cans and cooked for about 3.5-4 hours! Mmmmm I love Christmas!!

Last year's Christmas Cake can been viewed here

How are your Christmas preparations going??