Cupcakes

There's something about cupcakes that always make me smile. I remember my first cupcake,I suppose every girl does!. It was a chocolate one, with shiny chocolate icing, a truly lovely deepest dark brown kind of icing that makes you go mmmm before its even in sniffing distance. Evere since they have seemed special, imbued with some magical quality guaranteed to raise a smile during even the darkest of days.

So I was rather pleased today to stumble on a new market stall in local town. There it was sprung from nowhere, opposite the plant stall and down from the bags.Sitting there, looking all lovely were homemade bundles of cupcake gorgeousness. Pink ones, brown ones, white ones all in lovely flavours strawberry, chocolate, vanilla. Yum. Brought a smile to my face straight away and of course a purchase had to be made.

Decisions decisions but the final selection was one Malibu & Lime and one Chocolate & Orange.

Malibu & Lime and Chocolate Orange cupcakes.

Lovely they were too. The Malibu & Lime, smelled delicious and it was a lovely coconut tinged sponge, with the dreamiest of butter cream toppings which hid a limey tang. The chocolate sponge was equally fantastic a lovely bittersweet sensation with orange icing laced with Cointreau for a little extra spicy punch. Scruffbag was very taken with both, but chocolate hound that she is her tail wagged at the first waft she caught on the breeze of that particular delight.

So on dark days or down days or even bad dog days, I would recommend a cupcake, maybe even two with a nice cup of tea. Or even on a good day, trust me the sun will shine brighter after a cupcake.

TTFN

XX

The Curious Incident of the Cows

"Meat is Murder" a classic tune and Morrissey had a profound effect on Country Girl who, as you know, is a dedicated follower of lentil chomping. Recently however Country Girl has come to question whether there are some animals that deserve a good roasting.

Pray why? I hear you cry - what could have happened to dear Country Girl to make such evil thoughts cross her innocent little fluffy mind. To explain dear friends I must explain the Curious Incident of the Cows.

Country Boy's father has an orchard which requires regular mowing and as he has not yet identified a suitably fun mowing method (he's thinking quad bike plus attachment - OMG quadruple the life insurance) the current method involves cows. Not his cows of course , borrowed cows from a local farming type. Last year Country Girl loved the cows, and the cows loved Country Girl and indeed I fully expected a fluffy, furry love in again this year. As you will see that little dream was to crash and burn.

I suppose to be fair I was warned, or rather not warned just given a vague hint by Pappa Country Boy. Something about, if the cows come after the dog let her off the lead and something about a stampede in Scotland of mad cows. Country girl had dim recollections of the details , yes it was Sunday lunch and yes sherry was involved.

And so it came to pass, last week Country Girl and thankfully as it transpires Country Boy wandering with Scruffbag across the orchard.

No cows it seemed,must be in the Little Orchard we thought. That it transpires is what they wanted us to think.

Country boy had wandered off to pick some plums , men and their plums what can I say. Leaving Country Girl to wander prosaically amongst the trees. (Country girl doesn't really wander prosaically, a little artistc licence here).

Then suddenly a ginger blur shot forward Scruffbag running like a greyhound on speed. (there's def some lurcher in her somehwere) pursued by a cow.

Country girl chortled (bad dog mummy.) But the chortling stopped when she glanced round to discover that the whole cow family of about 20 stroppy adolescents were stalking Scruffbag and by proxy country girl. Stalking i tell you, it was all quite sinister. They had a scary glint in their eyes and they were descending quicker and quicker in my direction. Country girl started to move quicker and quicker and so did the cows, holy heaven it was like some scene out of Benny Hill. Poor country girl relentlessly pursued.

It was at that point that a most un country girl like noise was expelled. A sort of shriek to Country Boy. It was all very Penelope Pitstop ("Hayulp, Hayulp"). Thankfully Country Boy sprung Superman like into action, waving and shouting at the cows to save his fair Princess Country Girl, who got quite doe eyed. Knight in shining rugby shirt those cows retreated sharpish to chomp some grass. (Yeah right and probably plot world domination I reckon).

"They're more frightened of you, just have to show them whose in charge" said Country Boy. The exchange after or rather ranting from Country girl was something like the following.

"More frightened off me? Where the *bleep* did he get that bunch from *bleeping bleep* psychos? That lot, should have *bleeping* ASBO's. They nearly killed my dog *bleeping bleeps*"

and then to the cows, yes the actual cows and yes I know they don't understand me.

"Stuff vegetarianism, you'se lot should be straight off to slaughter. I don't even eat you but I might make a *bleeping* exception *bleepers*" (Country Girl always goes more Manc in times of crisis so imagine accent acordingly)

And the cheek of them they mooed.

Country boy knew better than to laugh loudly but there was guffawing as I was escorted to the safety of the house. Humph reckon those devils have wire cutters and a plot to get through the leccy fence myself so don't reckon on safety for long.

The tale was duly recounted to Pappy and Mommy Country Boy who did what they always do in a crisis. You guessed it open the sherry.

PS. the photo is not of the actual cows, country girl didn't quite have the strength to photograph as she did her girly terror run.

So long Mika

Well its month end which means just one thing for Country girl, weigh in and measurement time. I have been on a diet you see, over the last six months and every month I report in my results to my weight loss group. This month I feel happy to report the results are most pleasing and I thought I'd share them with you too.

"Big Girls you are Beautiful" was the tune that inspired my weight loss the most annoying song in pop history ever (yes even more so that Timmy Mallett and his Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Hammer or whatever. Normally I like camp but in Mika's case I am happy to make an exception, him and his patronising pap warblings. For those of you who aren't aware (though I believe his annoying fluffiness has been spread worldwide) this is him below:



Well it was partly him anyway, the other factors were my mother with her constant "I'm not saying your fat" comments and the realisation that blonde Tracey wasn't actually being nice when she said "it must be so nice to be someone who doesn't care what they look like" She was in fact being a total cow but was too spineless to use the f word (as in fat) to my face.

Yes quite. Anyway back to me and my phemonenal weight loss which has made me very pleased inded. Scores on the doors as below people.

Total weight loss: 31 lbs (14 kilos) or as I see it 6 hulking great bags of potatoes!! Which begs the question where was I hiding it all, I know I wear cuddly jumpers but please!

Total inch loss as follows:

Chest 4 inches

Waist 7.5 inches

Hips 4.75 inches

Total inch loss 30.5 inches

I didn't feel that people were quite deserving of pics of my semi naked form (could induce nightmares) So have included my virtual weight loss model below to give you some idea of the body shape change:



It actually hasn't been as hard as I thought, just basically giving up alcohol, my three bags of crisps and chocolate habit and no more scoffing bloke sized portions of food (working with engineers should carry a health warning I swear!). Suppose it is as simple as Eat less, Exercise more.

For the first time in a long time I feel I look OK thanks very much. Long may it last!

Here's a link to Mika's song for anyone feeling brave (Country girl did warn you though remember!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdbBSnRxOmE