A quiet day at home alone

That was yesterday to a tee. The FH went out early, the FGs went to school and I had the whole day until 3pm to do whatever needed doing. I did the early morning chores - got the helpful machines working (the dishwasher and the washing machine) and then started baking. Three kinds of cake (malt loaf, ginger cake and chocolate brownies) and three kinds of biscuits (oat biscuits, choc chip and cherry, and custard biscuits) followed and the house smelled wonderful! Some of the produce has been eaten already, some is in the tins in the kitchen for the week and the rest is in the freezer for later. I tried to make enough for two weeks as I am so busy next week that there won't be a chance to bake, I am afraid.

I do like making the things that I know that the family love, but I also like to try out new things. The YFG has an annoying habit of not liking something today that she loved last week - it is so frustrating! Thank goodness that the EFG and FH don't have that tendency. I have subscribed to two recipe websites which are sending out a cookie recipe a day between now and Christmas so that I have lots of new ones to try. Last year, the teachers at school all got cookies from the FGs so they may get new and exciting ones this year! Depends on how adventurous I feel...

Our turkey is really beginning to look like a turkey - he has a long red neck and is beginning (poor thing!) to look quite ugly. I still don't think that he will be Christmas Dinner, and we have a joint of beef lined up for that anyway, so he'll be reprieved into the New Year - possibly until Easter. Obviously turkeys are more slow growing than the chickens we have got, which are quite aggressive in their rate of growth. I'm just not sure how the turkey will be feeling when all his mates have been dispatched - he may get lonely.

The delightful little boy of four who has recently moved in next door is teaching the YFG a few words of Portuguese - and she is thrilled. She walks to school with him and his mum on fine days, and we all go in our car together on wet ones. A good example of neighbourly co-operation, I thought. He likes to come and play with her on Saturday afternoons - they sit together on the sofa and play on their DSs, or bounce on the trampoline and she is just like a mother hen with a precious chick.

The weather is cold today but there is no snow here, although some is forecast for tomorrow morning. It has been a bright, sunny day which has been glorious in the sunshine although very cold - about 3degrees C when we went out to gymnastics this morning at 9.30am. It had risen to 7 by the time we came out at lunchtime. Still makes me want to snuggle in with a blanket and not do anything. Shame, as I have more uniforms to wash and hang to dry, and tea to cook before I can sit down this evening. I think that pizza may be on the menu tonight as it is quite popular for a Saturday night here, although a hot pudding might go down well too! Tomorrow is a real winter warmer - beef casserole with dumplings.