Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

It's cold, it's white, IT'S BLLOOOMMING MARVELOUS.

There are sNoW many things to be excited about when it comes to winter!

SKI-ING
I am fairly new to the art of ski-ing and having been on 2 ski trips in my life I am hooked. We are already booked for 2011 and I have my helmet, gloves and salapets all out of The Grandparents loft already.

A bit pre-emptive you might say however this year has seen the worst/best levels of snow that I can ever remember. And I've lived in Aberdeenshire- we know about the cold! So having already had 2 days snowed in last week and a half day this week to make sure we got home alright I have had to wear the aforementioned ski gear.

The more it snows the closer to my ski holiday I feel. I am out of annual leave and have been for some months now. . . ROLL ON JANUARY. This is one annual leave deprived lady! I am also desperate to see how much I can improve on 2010's mad skills. The following may be some what intimidating for the lesser skier . . . my speed and agility are very impressive:

  http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=272898517826

I am not sure if this link will work but you should see a video of a fantastic skier- this would be me!

DRIVING
We have also recently become a Volvo owning and driving family. Ideal weather you might think- Volvo, Sweden, Snow perfectly safe driving conditions. Perfect conditions (or not depending on your confidence at snow driving) I am not going to be driving Viego (the Volvo, yes we name our cars- or rather I do The Husband has vito rights). Although he (the car not The Husband) comes packed with numerous safety features but I'd rather walk to the train station to attempt to get to work, than feel Vieg's slip sliding away under neath us. Something he only does when the traction control is disengaged. . . Yes we are still learning how to work our new toy.

Apparently in heavy snow it needs to be disengaged otherwise its like car skating on tarmac. Something Husband can vouch for. He is definitely far braver than I - happy(ish) to drive. Well happier now we know about the traction control thing.

SNOW ANGELS/MEN/SLEDGING
I met up with an old friend at a pub the night the snow started.* And have to say had a lot much to drink. So when Husband picked me up, having already slid the car around the roundabout (this was before we knew about the traction control thing), he was not a happy bunny.

So to appease his drunken and excitable wife he came out for a walk with me in the snow. I was keen that we were the first ones out in the snow and that we were. I think its the sound of our boots creaking in the fresh snow and seeing these perfect foot prints on a blank canvas. Making snow angels, building a snow man and generally behaving like children in the snow at 1am in the morning. I think this is the only reason I survived the hangover that nearly hit on the Saturday morning.

*If ever there was an opening to a novel that is probably mine!!

 Geoff

 Angelic

Drunken Culprit

PHOTOGRAPHY

I don't think I need to say anything more that check out my pictures:

All available for a fee :o)

 

Cupcake'tastic

I've decided that this years Christmas presents are going to be of the home made variety. Specifically the cupcake variety.

This has come about as a result of getting the best possible recipe book for cupcakes. Usually my baking suffers from a bit of dryness, however the end result of these have been light and moist and delicious "bites of heaven"* The plan is to make 4 per family: 1 chocolate, 1 red velvet, 1 lemon and 1 vanilla.

This process hasn't been without its teething troubles. On my first batch of Red Velvet cupcakes I had in my enthusiasm burst in on them while they were trying to rise in the oven. I clearly caught them unawares and they reacted with a severe bout of shyness and promptly collapsed. The icing sugar wasn't any better- like white soup. I've never experienced cupcake collapse before and I've been quite traumatised by it so have been testing and practising like you wouldn't believe to make sure its avoided at all costs.

So according to my calculations I have about 100 cakes to make- there is room to keep some as moral boosters for the guys who are having to work the Christmas/New Year shift. . . fingers crossed I am up to the test of mass baking!!

I have persisted and tested each of the 4 flavours and hopefully I'll be as successful with the mass baking as I was with this little batch

* a direct quote from one of my work colleagues.