Blessings for the New Year.

With the house quiet and the time nearing midnight, I set my space carefully. Although the noises of the DVD and murmur of guests chatting in a nearby room initially intruded, they too fell silent as the candles spluttered and flickered in the breeze and an air of reverence descended.

A lesson I have taken from 2009 was to listen to the voices. My Generation Dolls - the motherdolls I created during the Mothersong workshops needed to be involved - so I took them out carefully and placed them in a semi circle behind my birthing candle. This blood red candle had been a gift to welcome in Lilly as she was birthed - but things got a bit crazy and it remained unlit until tonight. It seems that it was the right choice, given my death/rebirthing experiences of 2009.

In turn I greeted in turn the spirits of my foremothers and welcomed the spirits of present and future women of my line. I asked for guidance and blessings from my motherline and gave thanks for my gifts and support I have had in the past.

With the Gaia cards I had been gifted, I lay them in the pattern my dear friend Karen had always placed cards. the coloured stones from Mothersong also demanded to be lain as influencers over certain positions.

Certainly no surprises from the cards and their meanings as I carefully looked at the influence each had over the other within the positions they lay. Without betraying the reading, I can look forward to a time of rebirth and appreciation of beauty.

I wrote some of the states, emotions and believes I have held onto which no longer serve me - onto a slip of paper. using the birthing candle flame, I set the alight, thanking them for protecting me and releasing them. On a separate sheet, I inscribed states I welcome in and set them alight.

I’ve not set my yearly theme or goals for 2010. With the reading I gained, I have a clearer idea of some of the things I will pursue.

Happy and prosperous new year everyone.

Urban Warriors

For Christmas - along with the usual water bombs and water pistols ( thats a different post all together) - the kids got Nurf guns... boy they have come along way..

Adrian has a revolving machine gun type, Morgan has one with a sight and lazer and Lillys has a pump action and all the sounds.. ( its bad for stealth though)

They sure can fly a long way as well.

So - with safety glasses on - it was on... the urban war. It ended in the hallway as a shoot em up. Lilly has a scary ability for accuracy - and no fear. She pops round the corner and shoots - and usually hits in a vital place. Where Morgan is very cautious and takes his time to aim before shooting...

With both teams loaded up with plenty of bullets - and no mercy for the poor photographer.. it was a great time - only wish I'd filmed it...

Annies Sausage Roll Recipe... revealed

due to public outcry and demand... here is my recipe.

just remembering this is a 'bit of this' and a 'bit of that' type deal......

I get about 500 g of sausage meat- it does about 3 trays of sausage rolls - about 6 - 7 sheets of puff pastry.
1 onion,
2 carrots
parsley and basil - fresh if poss
1 stock cube
EITHER 2 cups breadcrumbs OR 1 cup or potato flour or 1 cup self raising flour
2 eggs
big sqeeze of tomato sauce - or a tiny tin of tom paste
- beaten egg for glazing
rock salt for top

In big bowl put the sausage meat - put on thin rubber gloves ( and don't think kinky thoughts....) - finely grate in 1 onion, 2 carrots, chop up basil and parsley - a few handfuls of them - and crumble in 1 stock cube ( chicken is good) squish that about alot and give it a good mix.

crack in 2 eggs and squish it about

I used to put in 2 cups of toasted bread crumbs - but with Age gluten intolerant - I now put in a cup of potato flour - but you can put in a cup of self raising if you like - or the bread crumbs.

Squeeze in tomato sauce - or put a tiny tin of tomato paste in.

now give it your final squish!

I like to make small sausage rolls for parties - 1 mouthful type deal - so cut a sheet of puff pastry into three lengths and separate.

In the middle of line - plop in sausage roll mix so it is evenly distributed along in a line - about 1 cm high - maybe more.

stretch one side a little and pull over the top of the meat and then roll underneath. cut into 4 pieces and mark on top with a cut.

you can sprinkle rock salt on top - or glaze with brushed egg.

put in oven 170 till they are brown - about 10 mins

for gluten free - I have used the mountain bread wraps which are made from gluten free grains. they need to be wet slightly on both sides before putting the meat into them - and then glazed with a little oil.

it makes a crunchy crusty roll - but if faced with NO sausage rolls or these - Adrian prefers these anytime.