I think its working

Well, I think the lightbox is having an effect. Normally Saturday is the day when I feel at my worst - lethargic, can't get going and feel like I just want to sleep all day. Usually have a 'muzzy head' and generally can't be arsed. Today I have been full of energy

After a long soak in the bath last night, with face masks and such like, I had a reasonable night's sleep. Woke up today, straight 'up and at 'em' and haven't stopped since. Cleaned the fish tank out and reinstated the tank into James' room where it really belongs. Then went off to finish tidying up the devastation from this week.

James room is now finished, my office is all sorted, I've hung all my paintings (the ones I've done and the Mackenzie Thorpe's that I have had bought for me, or bought myself), James has pinched a total of 3 of my own canvases for his room as well! Everywhere upstairs is clean and tidy. Yay.

Today has also been a cooking day. Bacon butties for breakfast, homemade pancakes for lunch (with hot lemon and ginger syrup that I made for mine...zingy and dead easy to make - takes about 3 minutes!). Made beef in red wine for tea, with rice for James, and mashed potatoes with saffron, nutmeg, parmesan and a little chilli (which was nice - needed a bit more chilli though). Homemade cheesecakes for dessert (recipe below for you mum - and the blip pic is the step by step!!!!).

I've even found time to email a couple of friends, reply to the 'letter of advice' from the council about our smoke emissions and clarify what we can burn in our chiminea (apparently, it is OK to emit smoke from a chimney, even in a smoke control area, as long as the smoke is from an authorised fuel. So I am going to stop worrying now, as both the coal and the firelighters we have purchased are on our local council's approved list. So our complaining neighbour can complain as much as he bloody well likes - we are now definitely not doing anything wrong. Haha! In fact, he's actually done us a favour - because the fuel is extremely slow burning and burns hot, with very little, if any, smoke. So its costing us less to run, the summerhouse is almost too warm and we aren't polluting. So, THANKS Mr Complaining man. Saved us money as well !!! :-p )


Cheesecake recipe (my brother's recipe originally - this is for you mum)

Ingredients
* packet of chocolate chip cookies
* butter (not margarine or low fat / omega 3 type spreads)
* Standard tub of Marscapone cheese (about 175/200g) OR Philadelphia cream cheese.
* small tub of Soured Cream
* Small tub of double cream
* Sugar (caster - either white, or golden if you want to add some colour to the topping)
* decorations - e.g. crushed flake, mini eggs, chocolate sprinkles, marshmallows


Method - Base

Take 2 choc chip cookies and put them to one side.
Put the rest in a plastic bag and beat the living daylights out of them until they form crumbs (some chunks will remain because of the choc chips)
Melt 2 ounces of butter and then mix this with the choc chip crumbs to form the biscuit base. Either place in individual dishes or in a 7 inch round baking tin.
Press down with fork and ensure the base is evenly spread. Put in the fridge to set.

Method - topping

Put the Marscapone / Philly cheese in a bowl and beat to soften (use a wooden spoon).
At two tablespoons (2 ounces) of sugar and beat into the cheese until well mixed.
Add the soured cream and mix until you have a fairly glossy, but still relatively thick creamy mix.
In a separate clean, cold bowl, whisk the double cream until it is stiff. If you want to add a bit more sweetness, add a tablespoon of caster sugar and whisk again. The cream should be stiff so that it 'firms up' the cheese mix.
Spoon the whipped cream into the cheese mix and carefully fold in with a metal spoon.

Layer the cheese mix onto the biscuit base and add toppings as required.

To finish.
Take the 2 choc chip cookies that you set aside. Use the to clean the whipped cream that is left on the whisks and the bowl and then eat them with a cup of tea.

Then do the washing up.


Have a great night everyone.