The British Homemaker - One day at a time

The second guest post here is this gorgeous hand knitted cowl from the very talented Claire Annals… Click on the photo and hop over to Claires facebook page to see more yummy things! Debs

For the next 5 days I will be guest posting 5 of my favourite {but not conclusive} photos that were shared over on the Facebook wall of The British Homemaker ….Today we are kicking off with a recycled pillowcase that was cleverly made into a toddler dress with a gorgeous crochet top! If you would like to purchase this dress or any other items made by Jill, just click on either of her photos and it will take you to her online shop! Debs

The lovely Perry Perkins: If you don’t know Perry Perkins, you are seriously missing out! Read on for his intro.. Heyya peeps! So, first of all I'd like to thank Debs for the opportunity to be a guest blogger here on The British Homemaker! A quick bit about me: I'm a work-from-home dad, a freelance writer, and a passionate foodie. I'm a third-generation chef, and am trying to pass those skills on to a fourth generation (Okay, she's only 3, but where starting early!) Today we're gonna talk about a few tips I have for "Raising an International Gourmet" ( and maybe learning a few new things ourselves! ) I have gone through the following steps with children as young as five and, with a little flexibility and patience, it can be a lot of fun. Note: when it stops being fun, stop. You're not teaching at the Le Cordon Bleu, so tell your inner Iron Chef to lighten up! Forcing a kid to cook will only get you the opposite of what you're shooting for.....

This last week I’ve was challenged to sort out my craft room. You know when they say ‘don’t buy a car from a mechanic’ or ‘a house from a builder’? Well, dont expect someone who comes to sort out your clutter and storage solutions to have a sorted, workable craft room!   At the end of day 1 this is what my landing looks like:   What you don’t see is how none of the 4 doors on the landing cannot be got to, nor the stairs that go up to my room! The only route is from my craft room door and down the stairs!   A lot of this will not be going back in, a good portion of this is storage solutions which will go to some of my clients {trust me, when coming to storage solutions most often we only need look in our recycle bins to find what we are looking for} to save them £££’s on unnecessary spending!   So, more on this room in a day or two….if I survive!   Debs  p.s. It's that time again, folks....time for some awesome guest bloggers. Star...

Share this post : The first time I wandered onto this blog, my eye immediately fell on these words in the centre column: “It's surprising how many people (not just women) forget just how important that institute really is and place values in areas that ends up making their homes feel like the ball and chain...familiar?” Oh, yes, it’s familiar. It’s all too familiar. I’m a published author, and I’m also a speaker, teacher, editor, mentor … I spend a lot of time teaching writers how to write, how to promote, and how to find the very best within themselves. I’m a stay-at-home mom and do most of my work online, via the amazing and wonderful Internet, but I do leave home and attend conferences and workshops. I spend time talking with other adults (wow!) and when I come home, I’m usually full of the adrenaline that comes from like-minded people talking about things they love. ...

Share this post : Aspergers Points {Found on the internet that I thought you might find interesting} 1. Keep a sense of humour. Seek to enjoy, not to scream. 2. Celebrate your Aspie child's humour, creativity, and passion. 3. Remember that a child with Asperger's is still a child with thoughts and feelings, and that you are the adult this child looks to for support and guidance. 4. You do not have a standard child. You can view the issue as a disability. Or, you can view it as wonderful uniqueness. Or, you can view it as both. This "disability outlook" will help because it eliminates blame; sets reasonable expectations thereby minimizing anger; and points the way for parents/teachers to see themselves as "therapists" not victims. 5. Recognize ...

Share this post : INGREDIENTS 100g sultanas 75ml bourbon or dark rum 175g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda half teaspoon salt 125g unsalted butter,melted 150g sugar 2 large eggs 4 small, very ripe bananas (about 300g weighed without skin), mashed 60g chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin, buttered and floured or with a paper insert METHOD Put the sultanas and rum or bourbon in a smallish saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour if you can, or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3 and get started on the rest. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium-sized bowl and, using your hands or ...

Share this post : Blog time again!!   This time Debs has given me an opportunity to get on my favourite soapbox and grab an opportunity to spread awareness about autism. A little background;   my youngest son, Tom, was formally diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome when he was seven years old;  I say "formally" because I was 99.9% positive he was on the spectrum from an earlier age (round about 3 years).   My GP at that time refused to refer him for assessment despite several requests from myself to do so and eventually I registered with another GP practice and this was when he was referred in the first instance to a Paediatrician (the first waiting list) who then referred him to the Community Autism Team (a multi-disciplinary assessment unit) consisting of Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Educational Psychologis...

This is a traditional recipe from the USA (via Australian Women’s Weekly!). You will need to cook around 350g of pumpkin (steam for 30-40 mins). Note that I have weighed the “cups” quoted, and given an approximate UK equivalent… Ingredients For the pastry 1 cup (130ish g) plain flour ¼ cup (30ish g) self-raising flour 2 tbsp Cornflour 2 tbsp Icing Sugar 125g Butter, chopped 2 tbsp water (approx) (As a lazy alternative, us some pre-made pastry, such as Jus-Rol). Filling 2 eggs ¼ cup (30ish g) brown sugar 2 tbsp Maple Syrup 1 cup (280ish g) Cooked mashed Pumpkin 2/3 cup (180ml) evaporated milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon    ½ tsp ground nutmeg Pinch of allspice (or, grind 5 whole pimento in pestle and mortar) Method Sift the flours and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter. Add enough water to make the ingredients cling together. Press the dough into a ball and knead gently on a floured surface until smooth; cover in clingfilm and pop into the fr...

I know a few people who are going to receive one of these gorgeous sock monkeys this Christmas…if you want to order one (or more) please email me and I will put the very talented Sandra in touch with you…. Aren’t they just awesome? So come on you guys, get commenting and place your orders now before Sandra gets weighed down in orders, she already has a growing list!!

 By Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT     I often divide my work with clients into Guiding Principles and Practical Techniques. Both are necessary as each brings something different to the table. People naturally want in-the-moment practical techniques that really work. However, techniques alone are not enough as they lack the heart needed to guide them well. Principles provide the heart, but lack the teeth and specific direction that brings success. In this article we will examine just a few of the Guiding Principles that are addressed in my Parenting Mastery Groups. In the next article we will examine 12 Practical Techniques for parents. 1. Use “Love and Logic.” The basic Parenting with Love and Logic approach is simply this:     •    Take good care of yourself as a parent;     •    Give choices you can live with;     •    Let consequences do the teaching;     • ...

It doesn't take a major disaster to create a situation where a family plan would be beneficial. Disasters happen abruptly and frequently without warning. For example, when an earthquake strikes, the ground will suddenly tremble and shake - sometimes violently for as long as 60 to 90 seconds. Many people's "fight or flight" instinct will urge them to RUN! Studies prove that many people are killed or injured as they run out of their homes or offices where windows are breaking, bricks are falling, sidewalks are cracking and power lines are coming down. Developing a Family Disaster Plan will help you and your loved ones conquer the instinct to run by teaching you how to be safe and giving you a set of procedures to follow. First... If you have not already done so, organize your family into a council and find out what disasters, both natural and technological, could happen in your area. Share responsibilities and work together as a team. Second... Begin compil...

Share this post : “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “A wife and mother.” “No, really, what do you want to be when you grow up?” “A wife and mother, didn’t you hear me the first time?” “Seriously, a wife and mother? Why?” The above conversation happened several times over the course of my younger years before I got married and had children. I always knew I wanted to be a wife and mother and I have never wavered in my desire to be the best wife and mother. I had in my mind of being the perfect 50’s “super human” housewife, keeping the house spotless, husband and kids well fed every night with a homemade meal and life would be like those old black and white TV sitcoms. Of course I was wrong, completely wrong in my thinking and I am still trying to find a good balance between being a wife, mother, daughter, friend and wonder woman. Most...