The local fruit trees are just coming into season, but I'd never noticed the cherries before. I picked exactly one cup's worth too, on a whim, and that's exactly what I needed for a recipe I found later that afternoon. 

I have never baked (or indeed, tasted) cherry scones with fresh fruit before, but these are YUMMY. The dough was really wet, which made rolling it out and using a cutter impossible, but I 'blobbed it' on a baking tray and they came out pretty well. 

Ooh look, it's time for afternoon snack. 

​Lou x

Lockdown Wellbeing:

Productivity: See above
Make myself happy: Enjoyed having a coffee in the garden with my brother this afternoon. 
Made someone else smile: I delivered a chococlate cake to my very pregnant friend. 

Something possessed me and I couldn't turn the oven off. I've just kept going since Sundays major charity bake, it seems!!

The rolls are linseed and oat (for tea), the buns are almond sponge with cherries for decoration (reminds me of my grandma), and the carrot cake is egg free - vegan, actually - as my baby can't eat egg. No photo of that, it doesn't look very interesting at all, I was running out of time to make lunch by this point!

So there's my productivity ticked off for today...
For myself... I participated in a weekly quiz my mum friends and I do, and I won, even with the theme of TV! I don't watch much soni wasnt hopeful, but yay!
And to make someone else smile, Rox and I played for ages with the Paw Patrol sit-on car we have, making the lights flash, the sounds blare, and riding on top. Love her laugh!!

Lou x

I promised you photos!

My kind friends and family helped me to raise £175 for this worthy cause. It was exhausting and delivering them all in Bristol took some time, but I really enjoyed it. I have a feeling my home baking business 280 Bakes will be back this year! 

Thank you again to all who donated xxx

Lou x

The recipe was massive, so I batched up half of them and posted them to a friend's parents who needed a hug in the post. Hopefully they arrived in one piece!

Productivity - boom!
Making someone smile - I walked the neighbour's dog because he's sick.
Something for me - I sat down and read a huge chunk of my current book, Freakonomics. 

Lou x

I found an old cookie recipe book and am baking with renewed enthusiasm! These are camomile tea cookies, and soooooo tasty. 

At least, I think they're camomile flavoured. I took a punt on the teabags type, they smelled about right but weren't labelled... 

Either way they taste amazing!

Lou x

Recipe here:

And, hey, they are delicious. They're a sweet bun containing icing sugar, desicated coconut, and two eggs. Sorry baby, another one you can't nibble, Miss Egg Allergic! 

I could eat the whole batch. I won't. I shouldn't.

Productivity today: See above!!!
Thing to make me happy: I started season 3 of This Is Us. Love it.
Something to make someone smile: Rox was introduced to bubbles today, we went through two tubes with a giant wand, fun!

Lou x

Productive activity - check! And they were so yummy and easy to make - recipe here. 

Something for myself - I painted my toenails. Glam or what.

Something to make someone smile - Played Big Bang Theory Monopoly with El Husbandio, and he won. Twice. I didn't do it on purpose but he loves to win!!

Lou x

Following my appendicitis, my family and I are isolating to shield me for two weeks, so lockdown just got riiiiipe! Our dog has been packed off on holidays round the corner as we three are confined to the house and garden. It's been six days and it has been ok so far, to be honest. But then one often doesn't feel like doing much when feeling rough. This coming week will be more of a test, I think.

Today, to make someone smile: I made yoghurt cranberry muffins for my husband's breakfast tomorrow. 

Today, for me: I did my first exercise since my hospitalization, and felt great for it, energised.

Today, to be productive, I cleared out my recipe books and put together two charity bags of clothes for when lockdown ends. 

Stay well,

Lou x