Lest we forget

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance

Drumroll please.....

Well the draw for the set of lampwork beads was certainly lots of fun and an interesting event which involved all of the Monkey troop.

In first Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Mansfield my two gorgeous Pilgrim geese they had a waddle over to where the names were folded up and...........

Errrrmm NO THANK YOU we are geese and don't do menial tasks around the garden HUMPH!! They were having none of it.

OK so then Lottie Floppy Dog decided that she would have a little sniff around and see what she could do to help as you can probably see she only has one eye and is blind in the other. Oh and if thats not handicapped enough she happens to be deaf as well. Needless to say a name still didn't get drawn out.

OK so who else do we know who could help us out..... ah here come Rita and Bob the Speckled Sussex

They said sorry you can cluck off, we aren't coming over there - no way, not with a terrier in the garden

OK then who do we know who are super nosey, super greedy and can't bear to miss a thing? Thats right..........we had better call in the Two Fat Ladies surely they will do the honours. Coooooeeeeeey, Charity and Hope where are you?

Here we are

Now lets have a look....

There ya go Dad

And the winner is......... ta daaaa

Congratulations.

Now if you would just get in touch with your address I will pop the said beadies in the post to you.

Sunny Sunday

Ahhhhhh a relaxing sunny Sunday afternoon at The Monkey House. This is Jeffy Cat fast asleep and dreaming of who knows what. :O)

Argggghhhh

Oh I'm so fed up. I'm in on my own and have just got have a moan to someone and unfortunately for you dear reader you got the short straw.

I have just attempted to make a lovely lampwork cabochon for one of my ring designs and got to the very last tiny bit and the blimmin bead release has broken. I started again because I liked the colours and pattern so much, just got to the end of the second one and once more the bead release broke. Grrrrrr!!!!!!! I'm so cross. That's it I've stamped my feet, turned the torch off, turned the kiln off and have thrown my bananas out of my tree.

Humph!

WIN THESE BEADS

Here we have a set of 7 lampwork round beads, handmade by me in ivory and black glass wrapped generously in 99% pure silver - yummy.

So....... if you would like to be in with a chance of winning them all you have to do is leave a comment and I will draw names out of the hat on 21st September 2009. Simples!

Oh Bugga

Well in trying to change the http of my blog I have managed to make myself unavailable via links to the lovely, lovely people who follow it.

Why am I so stupid!!!

The only thing I have managed to do is follow myself - why am I not surprised!?

If any of you lovely people have managed to find me here - I'm so sorry for messing it up and thank you for finding me again.

Monkeys favourite recipe.

Well now firstly, sorry I have been away for a while, busy, busy, busy......no excuse I know so once again, I'm sorry.

Anyway to make it up to you I thought I would share my most favourite recipe ever - not bananas - although you understand I DO love bananas :O)

Here it is: It's an Angela Nilsen recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine and it really is the best ever Chocolate Brownie in the world as voted for by the Monkey Troop. Did you know that a group of Monkeys is also known as a cartload?

The bonus is it's lower in calories than 'normal' brownies recipes sooooo......that means you can pile on the double cream or ice cream - yummy.

INGREDIENTS

85g dark chocolate , 70% cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces (I used Green & Blacks)
85g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g golden caster sugar
50g light muscovado sugar
½ tsp coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 egg
100g mayonnaise (I used Hellman's)

METHOD
1.
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour enough water into a small pan to one-third fill it. Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Put the chopped chocolate into a large bowl that will fit snugly over the pan without touching the water. Sit the pan over the water (still off the heat) and leave the chocolate to melt slowly for a few mins, stirring occasionally until it has melted evenly. Remove the bowl from the pan, then let the chocolate cool slightly.

2.
Meanwhile, lightly oil and base-line a 19cm square cake tin that is 5cm deep. Combine the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda. Using a wooden spoon, stir both the sugars into the cooled chocolate with the coffee, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir in 1 tbsp warm water. Break and beat in the egg, then stir in the mayonnaise just until smooth and glossy. Sift over the flour and cocoa mix, then gently fold in with a spatula without overmixing.

3.
Pour the mixture into the tin, then gently and evenly spread it into the corners. Bake for 30 mins. When a skewer is inserted into the middle, it should come out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If cooked too long, the mix will dry out; not long enough and it can sink. Leave in the tin until completely cold, then loosen the sides with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto a board, peel off the lining paper and cut into 12 squares.

Nutrition per serving: 191 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 23g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 1g, salt 0.28 g

PLEASE NOTE - the nutrition detailed above is not for a Monkey sized portion - that would be far higher in 'nutrition'

Now off you go and make some - you won't regret it. :O) :O) :O)

Have a great bank holiday weekend.