HAPPY HALLOWEEN, SAMHAIN

Yes im ignoring the door!

I'm afraid this year there's no Trick or Treating at my house, the older youths have spoilt it for the younger children this time. Last year some teenagers knocked on the door Trick or treating and were very rude, when i pulled them up on it they abused me and came back later and gave my door a good kicking, not to say this put me on edge all night last year and I'm not going through that again this time round... So, the lights are off, there's a homemade sign on my door and I'm not answering it, so if anyone knocks, I'm ignoring you!

Shame that!

On a lighter note, the Pumpkins are carved, the cake will be baked tomorrow and a DVD brought, the lights will be off, the Pumpkins lite and a glowing and Sage and i are going to enjoy a film together.. Those of you out there having fun, be safe!

Watch out all 'Ye poets

My son Sage is having some written work of his published within a book in January 2009, I'm so proud of him. The poem is about the Environment, and we have ordered our first book. I will post more nearer the time and of course a picture of the poem in the book.. Well done Sage, my wonderful author.

Pumpkin Cake

(Picture from Google)

Pumpkin Cake is almost like Carrot cake but a little more spicy and one of my favorites, ever since i made it last year out of the pulp left over from the Halloween carving that Sage and myself do at Halloween.. Normally i don't make anything with the flesh, as we both don't like Pumpkin, but i discovered this recipe in an Asda Magazine and thought i would give it a go, best thing i ever did, and i will therefore be making this again this year and now it will become a tradition within our family...

Heres the recipe for you in case your intreasted..

• 300g plain flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 125g butter
• 275g soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 300g pumpkin, pureed
• 75g currents
• 75g walnuts, crushed
• 3tbsp milk

For the icing

• 100g butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 2tbsp orange juicegrated
• zest of 1 orange

Pre heat the oven to 180C/ gas 4

Grease two cake tins and sift together the spices, flour, baking powder..

Beat the sugar and the butter together until light and fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time and beat adding 1tbsp of flour with the last egg.

fold in the remaining flour, pumpkin, currents and walnuts, and then pour into the cake tins and bake for about 40 minutes.

To make the icing beat the butter, icing sugar and orange juice together in a bowl until fluffy add some of the zest leaving some to decorate the cake after..

Use the cream to sandwich the cake together and use the rest to spread of top, adding the rest of the zest for decoration and enjoy..

Enjoy and please let me know, if like me, your not a fan of Pumpkin but love this cake...

Things i like and dislike

10 things i love

• My son
• Wildlife and Nature
• Winter/Yule
• Chocolate
• Country Cottages
• Scotland
• Rain hitting the windows, while I'm all snuggled up by a real log fire
• Watching the seasons change
• Having my feel tickled/massaged/scratched
• Christmas trees

10 things i dislike

• Drunken people
• Loud noisy neighbours/passersby
• Rudeness/Bad manners
• Being cold
• Being woken up at 4.30 in the morning by a cat jumping on my head
• Bad haircuts
• Chavs
• Dirty homes
• Hot sticky weather
• Spiders

Haha, would love to see this in my neighbourhood, would certainly put a smile on many a face! I'm really sorry but i don't know where i first got this picture from, its not my own work, so if any one knows where the credit should go please leave me a comment..

Fall/Autumn has finally arrived, i could smell Autumn in the air as i opened the back door last night, the smell of bonfires, although i don't think anyone had a fire going, theres still that smell that lingers within the crisp Autumnal night air.

Halloween here in the UK is not celebrated as big and as important as they do over the great pond in the US, unless you follow a Pagan Path here in the UK and then its not done with such style, although i am seeing it change, especially in the shops with all the Halloween goodies out there. However i have noticed that many of the US bloggers love to decorate a seasons alter which i think is a fantastic idea, one which is done within my family, although only at the Sabbats and festivals that we follow, on our Enchanted paths, but it has got me thinking and so i have decorated our little alter in Halloween/Fall/ Autumn theme, sorry no pictures, we don't own a digital camera (well, not until Yule anyways)..

The weather has been fantastic here, wall to wall sunshine for the past three or four days, but we all know that we will pay for it within the week, so, make the most of it...

Really want to get into the garden, but those great big stripey spiders have taken over and I'm going no where near them at the moment,nope, no way!!!! So, enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a wonderful Sunday...