On a lighter note, I had a lovely surprise last week when I received a parcel containing the Halloween giveaway that I'd won from my friend Tammy's Carry it Forward Giveaway which included:
24 Bat large baking cases for cupcakes and 100 witch hat mini baking cases,
two flat fabric quarters and one rolled Jack O Lantern fabric quarter
a bat cookie cutter, and a pack of edible candy eyeballs for making spooky desserts.
and a box of cute wooden characters for colouring in
Grandson Leo is already helping me with some Autumnal and Halloween decorations
and is going to LOVE helping me bake the cakes (as well as eating them of course) So thank you very much Tammy at My Journey for this lovely giveaway which I plan to carry forward at the beginning of December for the Christmas season.
Talking of cakes, I must just show you my favourite Chocolate spice cake that I made recently for a family gathering. It came from my very dog-eared Be-ro Cook book which I've had for nearly 40 years and simply couldn't be without. It really is gorgeous.
Enjoy!
Have a great weekend and I'll be back again very soon
What a great parcel full of exciting things, it looks like you will be very busy1 I too have a very old Bero cookbook- well actually I have a few copies from over the years- and I too love their recipes. It's definitely my go to cookbook whenever I want to bake- Saying that I have never made the spicy chocolate cake- maybe I should give it a try:)
ReplyDeleteI've got loads of cookbooks but like you I always find what I want in my trusty Be-ro.
DeleteAnd I forgot to say- poor you with your virus- I hope you feel better soon:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda
DeleteSorry to hear about the virus and hope you feel better soon. (I had missed you blogging this last week or two).
ReplyDeleteThe spicy chocolate cake sounds different and the illustration from your Be-Ro recipe book (and the photo of the one you made - even better) makes it look a tempting one to try although I would keep the cinnamon and leave out the cloves.
Thanks Linda, I missed my blogging too. Today I've woken up feeling more like my old self so will try and do some catching up.
DeletePatricia, my husband and I (!) BOTH had the same experience the only time we had the flu jab. Working in the NHS we felt obliged to have it though neither of us had had fu before. We have never been so ill! And our GP and both my Practice Nurse friends told me you can't get flu from a flu jab. Well, too coincidental for me, I'm afarid. I will never have it again for sure! Hopeyou are over it now. Lx
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynne. Sorry you had the same experience but quite nice to know it wasn't just me. It's only when you talk to others you realise that this occurs quite often. No I won't be having it again x
DeleteGreen Man and I were both invited to have flu jabs this year, he because of a previous stroke and me because I'm now the right age. He declined his as he had suffered similarly to you last year, I had mine and I was fine. I think I was lucky, I also think that some people just throw up an allergy or something, and others have definite flu-like symptoms. I'm sorry to hear that you felt so bad, and really hope that you are now well on the mend.
ReplyDeleteJoy x x
Thank you Joy. As you say some people are possibly allergic to the vaccine. Learnt my lesson though! x
DeleteSorry to hear you've been poorly, the same thing happened to my Mum and Boss a few years ago so I don't think you got the real facts. There is nothing worse than being ill, it's so frustrating and such a waste of time. I hope you feel better very soon, your goodies in the post certainly came at the right time to cheer you, the cake cases do look fun and there is nothing better than the old cook books, the recipes taste the best.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth. I'm very rarely ill and it was such a knock back too. Catching up with blogging now. Because I took my cake to a party we didn't get to see much of it, so another one in the pipeline - very soon x
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what the nurse/doctor says, I think some people do develop a mild form of flu after the jab. My son has his MMR final jab and got a rash and felt unwell. German measles was confirmed. He then went on to have it twice more within 6 weeks. The medics were perplexed but each time, said it was German measles! DB is due to have his flu and shingles jab in a couple of weeks. Hope he will be okay.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame you got sick from something that was meant to keep you well, love the sound of your chocolate cake.
ReplyDeleteOh how annoying - the same thing happened to my dad last year and now he refuses to have one again, much to his GP's disapproval! (He's 81. - says he has enough to contend with!) Hope you are back to full strength soon. Love your Halloween & Autumn decs, and that cake looks yummy too. My mum has a similarly dog-eared Bero book too which is more than 50 years old & still going strong!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend,
Xx
Oh, dear hope you are feeling better now! I've heard one or two people say that they have felt ill after their flu jab. What a lovely parcel of goodies you received so seasonal and colourful- they must have lifted your spirits. Like you I have an old BeRo book and use it quite often:)
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better now, I've never had a flu jab and plan to keep it that way! Love your Halloween package, those fat quarters are gorgeous colours. I have several old Bero books the oldest from the 1930s and the recipes in them are excellent. The chocolate cake looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that the flu jab had such an awful effect on you. It is a difficult decision to make and I expect that in future you will not want to partake in the scheme. I have had the jab several times with no ill effects but would be put off if I ended up feeling like you did.
ReplyDeleteOh no...I'm sorry you got sick after getting your flu jab. That's awful to get sick with the very thing you are trying to prevent. :-(
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon.
Sorry to hear you have been feeling ill after the flu jab, that always puts me off having it. Your cake looks delicious too.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
Oh Patricia , sorry yo hear you're not feeling well. My mum had the same last year , after having the flu jab, she got ill, so she decided not to take it anymore....My experience as a nurse is that lots of people get the flu after having the jab...Hope you will feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteLove your Halloween present, and your cake looks delicious...
Take care..hugs
Erna x
I'm so glad you liked everything! I hope your grandson enjoys his craft.
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry about you getting sick after the jab, My Doctor told me 2 years in a row that it would do nothing and I got sick both times, I don't get the jab an longer!
That cake looks delicious!!!
Much love,
Tammy
Sorry you came down with the flu. It sounds like you and your grandson are going to have lots of fun crafting and decorating together. The cake really looks yummy, too!
ReplyDeleteOh so sorry that you have had flue - hope you are beginning to feel a little better. I too have a Bero book that belonged to my mum - will have to look that cake up - it looks scrummy.
ReplyDeleteSorry you have been so unwell Patricia. I had the flu jab last year and had a horrible bout of flu a couple of months later. I think the flu jab does make some people unwell, certainly my mum and dad always feel poorly a few days after it. I havent had it this year, I dont think I will bother.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling better now, that's such a swizz to get the very thing you're being immunised against!
ReplyDeleteSorry to read that you had such a bad reaction to the flu vaccination. You will think twice about it next year.
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks delicious. I should bake it. I like the addition of cinnamon to chocolate. Sometimes I add a small amount of instant coffee to a chocolate cake. I think it tastes good.
Hope you are much better now.
Betty ox
Hope the storm is not affecting you!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you have been unwell Patricia, I've heard that sometimes this can happen after jabs. Well done on winning the goodies how lucky to have won them. The cake looks tasty I might have a go at making it today if we don't loose our power due to bad weather. Have a good week. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI am definatly making this cake.. it looks and sounds devine and i am sure tastes so too.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you are not well Patricia.. I dont trust those flu jabs.
I had one in feb.. and was ill for a couple of weeks. I dont want one ever again.
take care.
congratulations on your lovely giveaway.. lots of lovely things.
sending you big hugs.. stay warm.
hope you didnt get affected with the storm.
love val x x x x x
Sorry to hear you had a reaction to the flu jab, Patricia. As an asthmatic who has been hospitalised with a bad chest infection before now, I've been having flu jabs for several years with no ill-effects other than a slightly sore arm, so I think you've been very unlucky. Poor you, I do hope you feel fine again now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cake recipe which sounds delicious. The old recipes are so often the best. As for your great give-away - have fun. :-)
Dear Patricia, I think you won't trust these flu jab after you had such bad reaction. I've never had flu jabs, because as I have a cold every autumn, I was said it's dangerous to have any jab. I hope you're better soon. Thank you for recipe, it looks very tasty but I don't know what peels you put in the cake.
ReplyDeleteYou poor thing, I hope you're feeling better. I never trust vaccines and when I arrived in France from England with my then 7 year-old daughter, she couldn't get into school because she hadn't been inoculated against TB. They regarded me as a monster Mum, obviously. I then had to fight so that she wouldn't get the shot against hepatitis and I was horrified later when I heard about all the side-effects. Do get better soon ! xx
ReplyDeleteGet well soon! It makes you wonder whether it's worth having these jabs! xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful parcel from Tammy, I hope the buns were delicious? The spiced choc cake sounds very tasty too!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling much better now Patricia. So many lovely goodies and I love the look of your chocolate cake.
ReplyDeleteoh I just can't stand to be sick. No fun at all. I hope you are all better now and ready to tackle some more fun autumn activities. I love the name of your blog...my nana used to say that all the time.
ReplyDelete