Oh My Lord! It Finally Happened!

As regular readers will know I have been trying to master the Choc Chip Cookie.  The proper American style, crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle!  Ever taunted by Millie's Cookies and spurred on by the marvellous creations of a friend of ours!  She makes the greatest cupcakes ever, see photo for the ones we got to celebrate Farm Baby, but she is also queen of the cookie.  Grr!  PS see here AMAZING cupcakes here Aunt Tiffy's Bakery - was that a sneaky plug for a friends site and blog? You bet!!

But I refused to be beaten and after multiple - "well that tastes like a cookie but looks like a cake" (and visa versa) attempts - I finally succeeded!  The excitement in our house that day was of the jumping around type.  I have never been so happy to bake anything in my life!  There is nothing for it but to share the recipe and have everyone dancing around their kitchens too.  Share the joy....

Triple Choc Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 lb butter - room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 large eggs - room temperature

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2lb of chocolate chunks - use whatever chocolate type you wish, I used a mix of white, plain and milk.

Method
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More Amigurumi - Octopus

As you know I have been crocheting some bees to make a mobile for farm baby's nursery and as a result I have discovered the toy making style of Amigurumi.  The first thing I saw in this style on the internet when I went investigating was an octopus and I thought it was extremely cute.  I have since then been searching for  pattern that gave me an octopus that I really was happy with - I couldn't find one.  So I had a go at making my own pattern, and this little guy is what I came up with!  Don't ask me what I am going to do with the octopus now I have it and neither should you ask what I will do with all the little octopi that now fill our house. 

The colour isn't perfect - obviously but I think I am happy with the pattern now.  This is my first attempt at writing a pattern so I hope it makes sense.  Here it is....

Amigurumi Octopus

Work in continuous rounds of st unless otherwise indicated.  Mark the first stitch of each round as you go.

ch = chain stitch

st = single crochet stitch

hdc = half double crochet

dc = double crochet

Start with 2 ch

Rnd 1 = 6 st into 2nd chain from hook

Rnd 2 = 2 st into each st around - 12 st

Rnd 3 = [st in next st, 2 st in next st] 6 times - 18 st

Rnd 4 = [st in next 2 st, 2 st in next st] 6 times - 24 st

Rnd 5 = [st in next 3 st, 2 st in next st] 6 times - 30 st

Rnd 6 - 12 = st in each st around

Rnd 13 = [st in next 3 st, dec 1] 6 times - 24 st

Rnd 14 = [st in next st, dec 1] 6 times - 16 st

Rnd 15 = dec 8 times - 8 st

Stuff head.  Do not cut yarn.

Legs

With yarn still attached 

Row 1 = 20 ch

Row 2 = hdc into 2nd st from hook, dc into next 16 st, hdc into next st, st into last st.

Repeat the above on each of the remaining 7 st around base of the head.

Fasten off.

Using the tail of the thread weave into base and pull tight to seal.  Fasten again.

If you have a go please leave a message and let me know how it goes or any changes you made yourselves!  Or indeed if anything doesn't make sense and I shall try and clarify!!

Rebranding of the Recipe Site

Just to let you know that the recipe blog that goes with this site has had a face lift and is now completed.  The address is still the same and if you subscribe by any means that is all still the same.  I decided that it needed to have an identity of its own and be that bit more 'foodie' and I think that I have pulled it off.  Check it out from the badge in this post or at any other time from the same badge in the side bar of this blog!!

Nursery Decorating Part Two...

So the next step of the Nursery decorating was to add some farm animals to the walls. Now, I was uneasy about drawing directly onto the wall without any help, I didn't want to get it wrong and ruin the great paintwork underneath.

So I decided to draw the animals on paper first and use them as a kind of template when I start painting on the wall.  So far I have five animals drawn, I am not sure how many more there will be as I am painting them to fit around the furniture.

I have drawn the animals about 24 inches square, I think this is going to be a reasonable size on the walls without becoming 'scary giant animals'!

I will let you know how the painting goes and whether the template idea works at all!