EF - glad everything going ok. We stayed at that hotel once too - when someone else was paying! Very nice views I remember, but maybe not if it continues pouring with rain!
Glad to hear there are other people who have bad parental yelling afternoons. It always makes me feel terrible, but once it starts it's so hard to get back to a good place. Rather remarkably Isabelle has been really pleasant over the last week or so - think we were all suffering from the lack of sleep - so we've been on a pretty even keel!
CC - mince pie pastry recipe:
200g plain flour
40g icing sugar
75g ground almonds
125g unsalted butter
1 egg
Combine all dry ingredients either in food processor, or rub butter in with fingers until like fine breadcrumbs, then slowly add egg until it comes together in a ball. Give it a squash together and then put in the fridge for about an hour. It's pretty well behaved pastry, but is quite short so you will need some extra flour to roll it out, and I usually do the rolling and let Isabelle help with the cutting. I use the scraps to roll out again but, like all pastry, it doesn't like too much handling, so again, probably best done by an adult! If I remember I keep a little bit of egg back for brushing the edges and tops, but otherwise I brush a bit of milk round the edges of the bottoms of the pies to help make a seal with the top. The recipe says to chill the pies again before putting them in the oven, but I don't. Cook at about 190 degrees C (fan oven) for 15-18 mins.
Right, my task for today is to get into the loft and see exactly what baby stuff is up there, and get it down! I also have lots of outgrown clothes to try and sort into relevant sizes and box up for E and the next baby - if it's a girl! What I really want to do is sit down with a cup of tea and read my book. Must be good, must be good!!
