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Tuesday 27 July 2010

Moving to Pastures New

I have wrestled with this site for some time now. As a blog it was fine, but I wanted a website that was a destination point for all of my web based shenanigans and unfortunately this was never going to be it!

I tried, I really did to follow Hilary Haptree' s blogging tips, but it was no use. They did not make any sense in the pea sized part of my brain reserved for computer jargon.

Then I happened upon a free website hosting service which I thought I would give a try (quite reservedly at first as it wouldn't be the first time I had tried to use a 'template' website to no avail).

But Lo and Behold! It is ruddy fantastic! I know have everything I could possibly want (for the time being) under one banner at my shiny new website.

I have absolutely no idea how to import this blog into my new blog so I am here to tell all my lovely shiny followers that you can continue to follow me at www.grannyruth.webs.com were you can find out how to shop, tweet, facebook and blog with Granny Ruth! You can even sign up and become a member and be emailed with updates! It's so exciting! What are you waiting for?

I'm off over there now....

Who wants to join me?

Tuesday 8 June 2010

The Postie brought a Present....

I have been growing my own for many years now, so much so I pride my self with being the instigator of many of my friends new found passion for growing their own too. I used to have an allotment until we moved to our current house and I couldn't keep up with the overgrown garden and the allotment too. The one thing I always grow is tomatoes. Love them. Love the smell of the plants. But not this year. I have been so busy, I just never got around to planting those little seeds. This made me sad.

But...........

I was just sitting down for a cup of tea around eleven o'clock when the familiar rattle of the letter box went. Look what the postie brought me!


The lovely Sarah of Noah's Ark Crafts has been growing hundreds of tomato plants with the seeds she got from BBC Dig In Campaign and has very generously been sharing her well grown bounty with her twitter friends. She sent me a very expertly packaged parcel containing six tomato plants, and nestled in between them, I also found a bonus couple of what looks like pepper plants, and another teeny weeny tomato. They have now been potted up and are resting their very weary roots in a tray of water.

I am now very much looking forward to lots of lovely tomatoes this summer with great thanks to Sarah and her generosity!

Friday 12 March 2010

Folksy Friday

A lot of my lovely Folksy friends do a 'Folksy Friday' which if you've had your head under a stone for the last couple of years is the day we show off a few of our favourite Folksy items usually with a theme.

I have been itching to take part in the Folksy Friday tradition but there is soooooo much lovely stuff I like and I couldn't think of a theme, until last night when I saw a lovely listing by Birdcage Creative and then I knew! So, after my giveaway last week here is my first Folksy Friday with a lovely spring daffodil theme.











From Top

Spring Daffodil Necklace £11 by Birdcage Creative
Daffodil Earrings £8.50 by Wychbury
Free Machine Embroidered Daffodil Cushion £35 by Maxemilia
Yellow Roses - Original Watercolour Painting £155 by Dick & Franny
Daff-Oh-Dilly £1.50 by Hannah Madden
Spring Daffodils £22 by Fleurs De Perles
Fine Silver Daffodil £45 by Willow Wire Creations

Monday 8 March 2010

Slave Bread


Today my slaves... er... I mean my children decided they wanted to do some cooking, so instead of the usual fairy cakes I thought bread would be a whole lot more useful, and considerably more interactive!

The recipe we used was from 'The Ultimate Cooking Book by Jane Bull (pub DK), so is very simple to use but with little fuss could be jazzed up with herbs or olives or sun dried tomatoes. This is a fab childrens cookery book, and as my daughter is now 8, she can do everything in here with very little help (interference) from an adult.


750g 1 1/2 lb strong white bread flour
450ml 3/4 pint warm water
1 tspn salt
2 tblspn oil
7g (1 sachet) easy blend yeast
1 egg (optional) to glaze.

makes 8 large or 10 smaller rolls.



1. Put all the ingredients except the egg in a large bowl and mix them together.

2. Sprinkle the worktop with flour and take the mixture out of the bowl.

3. To knead, press your fist hard into the dough, then turn it and do it again.

4. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be stretchy, not sticky.

5. Divide the dough into smaller pieces or pull off chunks to plat with.

6. Choose a design, try making faces!

7. Set the oven to 220 degrees C/ Gas Mark 7

8. Place rolls on a greased baking tray making sure you place the shapes as far away from each other as possible.

9. Cover the tray loosely with clingfilm and leave it in a warm place. Leave it until it's double it's size, approx 30 minutes.

10. Brush the bread with beaten egg and decorate with nuts, seeds and dried fruit if desired.

11. Bake for 10-20 mins. The smaller shapes will cook quicker, so take them out sooner.


The kids had so much fun making these, the squidgy dough making part was great, and then their artistic side was won over by fashioning bread rolls into all sorts of shapes. We had hedgehogs, ladybirds and even a cat! Funny faces and wiggly worms too! And I have to say, it was so tasty, I might have to force them to make some more!

And the winner is.....

Firstly I would like to say thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. It really exceeded my expectations, and I loved reading about every one's favourite flowers! It has given me food for thought, a lot of ideas, and you never know maybe one day you could purchase a felty version of your favourite flowers!

So last night before I went to bed (couldn't help it, too excited to sleep (sad but true)), I very scientifically picked a winner at random! I wrote every one's names on a bit of paper, tore it into strips and folded, put them all in my magic name calling pot (plant pot), shook them up, closed my eyes and picked........

Sarah of Noah's Ark Crafts! Well done to you!

I will be contacting Sarah today but thank you again to all who entered!

Wow!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! I have been really overawed by how many people entered. I never expected to have so many new followers, so thanks to you all for the follow, and as it is quite late I'm going to bed and I will announce the winner tomorrow!

Monday 1 March 2010

Spring is Sprung!


Hello everybody! I've been very busy this past month (as always) and not had time to blog or sit and mooch on the internet, so as it is today officially SPRING, and St Davids Day I thought I would have a little competition to celebrate, and what better prize that my new daffodil brooch which I finished at the weekend!

These brooches will soon be available in my Folksy Shop and make great spring gifts. Mothers Day, Easter alternatives to chocolate, and just a lovely treat to cheer yourself up after the grey winter months!

To win one of your very own, all you need to do is (if you haven't already) click to follow my blog, tweet about this competition, and leave a comment below telling me what your favourite flower is, and why! You never know, one day it might even be immortalised in felt! The competition ends on Sunday 7th March at 12pm. Good luck!