'let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooooow'

The dump of snow we had last weekend wasn't as big as the previous years I've been here... but still, SO much fun!
Especially because it was Rach's first snow experience!!

Who knows, maybe we'll get a little more in the next couple of weeks. Its certainly cold enough!

Christmas in the sun...

Ahhhhh, to be home... the quick run down...I trooped back to Mo-town for a month in December to spend some time with the family and get some much needed sunshine.
Christmas was lovely...
amazing food.... Dad cooked traditional Maltese for Xmas lunch. Yum Yum!
and then we had tapas type bits at Mum's :)
Went to pay my Nunna a visit at her new home... she is very happy!
randomly went to a Gerbera farm with Mum and Eliza
spent New Years at Pyramid rock festival rock in Phillip Island. It was a 3 night camp out, loads of sunshine, loads of great people and amazing music
stood front row for the count down...
and then left the city behind to head back for snowy London...

is it really December already?

I can't believe it's December already... where did the year go?!
I have had a very busy few weeks.. run off my feet with the kids, baking, doing some extra work at the Raven and fighting off the cold that seems to sneak its way into my system as soon as it gets a little chilly outside.

fighting off my cold with a high consumption of alcohol seems to be my tactic this year... I wouldn't recommend it... although saying that, there is nothing like getting comfy in a pub with a pint and some great mates when it's freezing outside :)
I have recently started working in the kitchen at the Raven (above) on saturday's. The chef there Luca is brilliant and is letting me come in for 5 or so hours to pick his brain and to help him out with some baking.
I finished my recent cooking course last week... I finished off with a cheesecake and brandy snaps (which i forgot to take photos of) and the Raven has been a nice follow on from it. I'm really enjoying it :) Last week I made quince jelly... don't want to toot my own horn too much but it was lovely :)
Have had a few big nights out too with the gang... love those guys!
London's weather has been freakishly warm for November/December. I think this time last year it was almost starting to snow, whereas at the moment we're sitting on a nice 7 degrees. It's almost tropical ;) We have had a few very chilly days though, and some very foggy mornings...
All on the Nanny front is calm...almost! Effie and Elliot are hitting their terrible two's and I have to say it has been a real test on my patience. Deep breath! BUT they are also still SO cute and really starting to chat loads which is cool :)
This is Olive... Elliot's new little sister. She is beautiful.
and Effie and her new baby brother Charlie...
Both babies are healthy and keeping Mum's up all night!

I expect my next post will be just after Xmas and I will be in sunny Moe for it. 2 and a half weeks and I'll be jet setting off to spend a month at home. It will be my first Christmas home in 3 years... I can't wait :)
stay tuned...

Fishing!

Last weekend Sam's mate Charles organised for 14 of us to go fishing at a Trout farm out near the new forest.
We were so lucky with the amazing weather... not so lucky when it came to catching the actual fish!.... Rach caught a tree....
after totally failing in the morning we hit a local for a pub lunch... which was lovely :)
Phil's spirits were still high despite the lack of fish!
And then in the afternoon we caught four!! (we were expected to go home with MUCH more...but never mind!)
I caught the biggest ;)
then we took them back to Saskia's house in the New Forest and barbecued them... they were delish!

the longest birthday EVER!!

The first and MASSIVE birthday surprise was the arrival of Mel all the way from Australia. It was the start of a very big two weeks! we spent a solid 5 nights in our local (the Raven).. this was night one, my birthday, and I THINK from what I remember i drank about 10 jagerbombs, at least 6 tequila shots, a few glasses of wine, and then some.
...we had a good boogie!
By some amazing stroke of luck (or something) I was fine the next day! (I'm putting it down to the two pints of water I downed before going to bed at 4am)
And back to the pub...
The week after, after a few more drunken evenings in the raven, we wandered on down to Brighton for the weekend. We had amazing weather so spent the day on the 'beach'
and then decked ourselves out in 80's gear to head out for the night...
we had an absolute ball!
and then Mel jumped on a plane back home and I skipped across to Italy for the weekend (courtesy of Sam).
I think the photo says it all ;)
We were in Umbria, just near Todi and Sam took me for a stroll in an olive grove, eventually stopping and getting down on one knee.
After him making a bit of a speech about how wonderful I am, I accepted his proposal and I couldn't be happier.
It was just perfect.

:)

a little more baking!...

The pastry course is going really well! I have signed up for the follow up course which runs for another 5 weeks. Woop! Above is my super tasty Victoria sponge (tooting my own a bit i know!)
and this was a bakewell tart...
and my scones... that were a little odd shaped!

Birthday post!

Baking last night again.... bread rolls and a swiss roll!
The Swiss roll doesn't look amazing... but it tasted pretty damn good! (tooting my own horn a little here!)
22.... man I'm gettin old!