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My Blog
How to make
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Bev: Posted on Friday, March 16, 2012 1:36 PM
What an exciting Friday I'm having!!! Just picked up the latest issue of Craftseller magazine and there is a fab article in it on page 25 all about my unique aprons. I have a smile from ear to ear.....Thank you.xx |
Aprons and Pinnies, Cupcakes, Press release and news, hearts, Lavender hearts, lavender pillows, dried lavender gifts, How to make, Calendar Girls, Pink products, Mother's day Gifts
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Bev: Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 3:39 PM
Are you looking for somewhere new to go for coffee or lunch? Then look no further...I have just spent a lovely morning drinking coffee, chatting with my friend and having a little fat free indulgent cake a Rivers Meet Craft Cafe, Methley Fantastic concept...lots of lovely ladies attending the knit and natter group..Take a look at their website for craft courses coming up or pay a visit to their Vintage Fair this Sunday. http://www.riversmeetcraftcafe.co.uk/cafe.htm
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Aprons and Pinnies, Food, Slimming World,slimming, Christmas, Cafes in West Yorkshire, Cupcakes, hearts, Bunting, How to make, Christmas cards
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Bev: Posted on Monday, February 06, 2012 12:42 PM
This month is all about food and love or is it just love of food??!! Love is in the Air February is the month of love with Valentine's Day on the 14th and it's also Leap Year. So if you have a beau in tow - now's the time to go for it girls! And if you need a little help why not treat yourself to this lovely cushion and position it just right to catch his eye! "Cuddle up to the Cook!" It could get HOT in the kitchen!!! Must-do this month! Red and pink and the colours of love and also Rhubarb! After living in Yorkshire for many years, last February we managed to do the"Rhubarb Tour" and thoroughly enjoyed it and wondered why it had taken us so long to get around to it. For those of you who don't know, the area around Wakefield and south of Leeds is known as the Rhubarb Triangle and this wonderful vegetable now has the EU's Protected Designation of Origin Status. So if you get chance, please do come to Wakefield for the Rhubarb Festival which takes place from the 24th to the 26th February. Take the Oldroyd and Sons Tour - if you are lucky you will get Janet who is a fantastic guide and you may have even seen her on Countryfile. Also visit the fabulous food stalls and cookery demos in the city centre. There's more to rhubarb than crumble! Right, my mouth is now watering, so I'm off to make a rhubarb dessert for tonight using some of my rhubarb and vanilla liqueur from the Customer of the month Wow!!! Another first for mrs madden makes! Thank you so much to the lovely Jennie for sending these fab photos across from the other end of the earth and for taking the time to model the apron in full view of all the tourists on the waterfront in Sydney! This month's prize voucher goes to Maggie who emailed the photos in..... "My sister in law, Jennie, loved her Mrs Madden Makes apron and has sent through some photos of it from Oz. Not everyday tourists get to see a random woman standing out front of Sydney Opera House with a cooking apron on" - Maggie So far this year we have had photos from New York and now Sydney...so where will we get to see next.....Antartica??? Do send your photos in as it's so nice to see where my aprons are living and you too could win a mrs madden makes voucher. Tip of the Month Next time you have a coffee, try having white sugar instead of brown in it..that is of course if you take sugar. Are you crazy? It's not normal! I can hear you saying... well the reason being, I spent a lovely Saturday with a friend on a coffee course the other week, and the lady running it told us that the molasses in the brown sugar can make the coffee taste quite bitter but the white sweetens it properly. Let me know how you get on. Lady Aga New stock of Aga aprons has arrived this week at Country Warmth in Norton near Malton, including this lovely "Lady AGA" cupcake apron. They are also stocking the "Do my buns look big in this?" Cupcake apron ...so pop along and say hello and get warm amongst the AGAs...just what you need with all the wintery weather. So that's all for now..hope to see you at some of my fairs , and do write in and let me know your news too and I'd love to see your photos. Please forward this onto anyone you think may like to read it and if you want to have it sent direct to your inbox each month then please sign up for my newsletter by following this link now. Best wishes and take care in this cold weather, Foodie Bev ©mrs madden makes 2012 |
Aprons and Pinnies, Newsletter Archive, Cupcakes, Recipes, Press release and news, Customer photos, hearts, Valentine's Day Gifts, Lavender hearts, lavender pillows, dried lavender gifts, How to make, Rhubarb, Customer of the month, Calendar Girls, Pink products
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Bev: Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 9:38 AM
If you are short of a recipe for Burns Night then why not try this one out. I did it a couple of years ago and it was fab! This is an extract from my 2009 Blog.... Well what do you do with a Haggis?
After searching and decluttering the freezer, I found not just one but two haggis! One normal and one vegetarian. We had bought them from a fantastic deli in the Bridge Of Allen near Stirling many moons ago!!! Need I say more. And what better opportunity to cook them but for Burns Night.
So I invited my friends around, her husband being a true Scot and started to think up ways of cooking it...them!!! In the end I went onto the internet to search for recipes. And I want to share this one with you as I think it was great...yes we had it last night. It's a recipe that was devised by Mary Contini of Valvona & Crolla fame...so here goes....please do try it..it's fab:
Ingredients:
1 haggis
1 jar of sweet pickled beetroot - drained
450gm/1lb of puff pastry
salt & pepper
1 egg beaten
Method:....very easy!!!
Roll out the pastry & cutit into 4 squares.
On each square lay a helping of haggis & several slices of beetroot
Season well
Fold over & sealthe edges with the beaten egg
Glaze with egg and bake in a hot oven until the pastry s golden brown...I used 200C for 35 mins..but pls keep checking
Let me know what you do to celebrate Burns Evening and if you have any favourite recipes. it would be great to know.
We had a jolly good evening and tried something new and different. made us feel good even in the dark days of January! |
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Bev: Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2012 3:58 PM
 Make your own Valentine Heart Kit Give someone you love a unique heart.
The kit comes complete with an 8" twiggy heart, fabric and instructions for you to make your own heart. All it needs is your creativity and a pair of scissors!
The fabrics will differ in each pack but will generally be a mixture of reds and pinks unless you require another colour combination. |
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Bev: Posted on Monday, October 24, 2011 3:28 PM
If you didn't get chance to read this article on Sunday you can follow this link. There are a lot of us out there with some very great talents...a nice way to shop for Christmas presents..... |
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Bev: Posted on Saturday, October 22, 2011 4:06 PM
I love this poster...it takes me back to my childhood when Mum got us to make all our presents for friends and aunties and Grans ....it's amazing what you can do with a small amount of money and actually produce something that is unique! I also love the bit where it says "Buy from independent shops"...I have started my christmas shopping at the fairs that I attend..there are going to be some lucky people out there this Christmas who are going to get some lovely presents that you can't find on the high street and that are well designed and expertly made! So go on......Show the banks who's boss!!!
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Bev: Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:35 PM
I'm hooked....now that the Great British Bake Off has finished, I'm into Celebrity Masterchef. But why is it on in the afternoon and not the evening???? If you don't want to miss it, tune in here to see the times of the programmes...only 6 contestants left... |
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Bev: Posted on Tuesday, September 06, 2011 3:45 PM
Welcome to September's newsletter. I hope that you all have had a wonderful summer and been to some exciting places, but dare I say it, we are now on the count down to Christmas! However, I'm hoping for an Indian Summer and putting off the Christmas To-Do list until next month We have lots of exciting news to share from new products, to recipes to Customer of the Month, even some handy hints and tips and where you can see me this month, so I hope you enjoy reading it. New Products Following the successful launch of my greeting cards at the Driffield Show, you are now able to buy them on line for the first time. You can buy them individually or save when you buy 6....take a look Taken from my original watercolours and left blank for your own messages, I'm sure you will find some that you like. The NEW "Andy" Bag, so called as it's very Handy Andy, comprises of cotton and cord and because of the length of it's re-inforced hessian webbing straps, can either be worn over the shoulder or carried in your hand. With the contrast cord or twill lining it becomes reversible for a change too! Very serviceable as it has a dark coloured lining and the body has also been strengthened for durability. Size:43cms x 28cms Ideal for taking on holiday, shopping at your local farm shop or just nice & fun to have handy at any time to brighten your day! New Stock arrives at AGA To celebrate the launch of the new AGA Total Control oven, Country Warmth in Norton near Malton commissioned some new aprons including some old favourites.....why not pop down and take a look. As these are bespoke for AGA you won't find them anywhere else! How to harvest your lavender Lavender can help the body and mind to relax and when used correctly it is a valuable little oil to have with you at all times, as it is antiseptic, antibiotic and antiviral. So if you have lavender in your garden, get picking! It's best to harvest it when it is in full flower as it holds it's scent the best and longest. Arm yourself with an apron with pockets - I use my favourite garden apron as it has lots - a ball of string, a pair of scissors or secateurs and a few paper carrier bags...read on Glut of tomatoes? Gosh, it doesn't seem five minutes since I last had to deal with a glut of tomatoes...so if you're like me and are looking for something really quick & easy to do with your little red darlings then you may find this recipejust the job..... for an added piz-zaz I've included a chopped red chilli this year...watch this space! Customer of the Month Isn't he a cutie?! I just couldn't resist this photo, so a big thank you to Rohan's Mum, Liz for sending it in. He's pictured here with his mrs madden makes celebration baby cushion. He looks so laid back and happy. Congratulations to Liz & Rohan, from West Yorkshire, who win this month's voucher towards any future purchases. In every monthly newsletter, I will be featuring a customer of the month. This will allow you to see how other customers are using our products. In addition, it will help you feel confident that you are going to get the service and attention you will need. If you have a photo that you want featured and want to be entered into next month's draw, please email it in before the end of September. Tip of the Month Want to save on seeds for 2012? Then this is the time of year to start collecting seed heads from your flowers that are finishing. These wonderful marigolds have been blooming all summer in my veg garden and they were from only a handful of seeds from last year's blooms. Pick them and place them in a brown paper bag. Tie the top loosely with string and put in a warm, ventilated dark room such as a linen cupboard. Within weeks you should have lots of seeds ready for next spring's sowing. Once dried you can store them in paper envelopes....don't forget to mark them with the name of your flower. You can also do it with the sunny happy cosmos... Meet me in September Friday 30th September Shelley Village Hall near Huddersfield 11am to 2pm in aid of MacMillan Have a wonderful September and keep those photos and emails coming as I love to hear from you Best wishes, ©Copyright 2011 |
Aprons and Pinnies, Newsletter Archive, Cupcakes, Recipes, Fairs, Press release and news, Customer photos, Lavender hearts, lavender pillows, dried lavender gifts, How to make, Customer of the month, shopping bags
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Bev: Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 5:23 PM
Back by popular demand, the article on how to harvest your lavender.  Well I feel so laid back and relaxed as I have just spent the past hour harvesting my lavender.It 's such a shame to do it in one way as the bees seem to be having a ball but if I leave it any longer then it will all have gone to seed.
How to harvest your lavender:
- It's best to harvest it when it is in full flower as it holds it's scent the best and longest.
- Arm yourself with an apron with pockets - I use my favourite garden apron as it has lots - a ball of string, a pair of scissors or secateurs and a few paper carrier bags. However any kind of paper bag will do.
- I put my ball of string into one pocket and my scissors in the other.
Cut into the lavender and try to get as long stalk as possible. Try not to cut into the dead wood as it will prevent it from flowering next year. - Tie a piece of string around a good bunch and then tie this to the handles of the bag, making sure the lavender is inside the bag of course. The seeds can then dry off and fall into the bag.
Keep doing this until the bag is full, about 4 to 5 bunches and then move onto the next bag.
Next tie the handles together with the string
Tie the bag to a hook or somehing similar in a dark, dry room such as an airing cupboard. I tend to use my airing cupbaord but also my cellar. It's lovely when you open the door and your linen smells of lavender. - Leave for a couple of months until it is really dry and the seeds fall off, then you are raring to go.
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