Bemused

Whenever we go to see Opa and Oma Nederland the girls are given far too many presents, clothes and spoiled rotten. But as we only go twice a year I guess they will just have to endure this :-)

Oma bought then some clothes at V&D. This is the wash label. Wash inside out with the same colours.


This is the t-shirt. Which same colours. Would that be the green, pink or the stripes on the back?


Any suggestions?

Fear

"When I am old I am going to have a dog"
"Is this wise? You are afraid of dogs."
"Not when I am a Mummy. Mummies aren't afraid of anything."

If only it were true. I am still afraid of the dark - retrieving things from the garden in the dark is only done with a good torch. I am still afraid of thunderstorms (I do think they are spectacular but scary). Ghost stories give me the chills and I certainly think birds are fearsome. Yes, birds. I have a fear of their flappy wings. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

I think mummies or in any case this mummy have plenty of things they are afraid of. But you must not let them know that. I think that is the big difference. If I ran to hide under the bed every time there was a storm where would we be?

I still don't like birds though.

Sunflowers

This what my sunflowers turned out to look like. Not too shabby considering the snail problems they've had.
They botanically minded among you may spot the sweetcorn. We had our first four cobs last night. I fear they may be the last as the weather here is useless. Wet and cold, I had to check the date to make sure it wasn't autumn.

Off

We are off to Holland for a few days. This was not planned. My in-laws were supposed to come over to the UK but my father-in-law has become ill. He is getting better but a trip to the UK would be a long old haul for him. I am not sure that two active under fives will be helpful for anyone's recovery but it is worth a go.

Hippos

"Mummy? How long do you think it took them to train the hippos to swim synchronsisated?"

Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread

FOR THE CAKE

• 175g unsalted butter
• 125g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 200g golden syrup
• 200g black treacle or molasses
• One-quarter teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• One and one-quarter teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 eggs
• 250ml milk
• 275g plain flour
• 40g cocoa
• 175g chocolate chips

FOR THE ICING

• 250g icing sugar
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 60ml ginger ale

Don't worry if you don't have golden syrup, runny honey works just as well. Also I used Lebkuchengewuerz (2 tbsp) instead of the spices.

I couldn't find chocolate chips, so I bought normal bars and with the help of two under fives and a rolling pin smashed them to pieces.


Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C and tear off a big piece of baking parchment to line the bottom and sides of a roasting pan of approximately 30 x 20 x 5 cm deep.

In a decent-sized saucepan, melt the butter along with the sugars, golden syrup, treacle or molasses, cloves, cinnamon and ground ginger. In a cup dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the water. Take the saucepan off the heat and beat in the eggs, milk and bicarb in its water. Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, pour into the lined tin and bake for about 45 minutes until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp underneath the set top and that's the way you want it.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the tin. Once cool, get on with the icing.

Sieve the icing sugar. In a heavy-based saucepan heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. Once the butter's melted, whisk in the icing sugar. Lift the chocolate gingerbread out of the tin and unwrap the paper. Pour over the icing just to cover the top and cut into fat slabs when set.

Do not leave unattended.


Rinse off children. Clean up kitchen.

Wolf whistle

I got whistled at! Yes, really. I checked there were no 19 year olds anywhere or other females. It was one of the bin men who had whistled. I almost had to ask if he was sure he meant me.

I realise that my feminist principles should be outraged. I should be worried that I was inappropriately dressed. Now, I have no principles and I was in standard "bring children to school" outfit. So for 15 mins I felt good. Then I started to worry: what if he was taking the mickey? What if it was just a dare from the others to see how I would react? On balance I decided to go for compliment.