cosy cobbler...

This is a recipe me and my friend found to test out some new bakers that were being produced at work. If I remember correctly I think we ate the whole thing that night but did bake another one for an office birthday party that was being held the next day so we could share our triumph. It is so delicious and really easy to make and light on the washing up too.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
2 tins of peach slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground cinnamon, nutmeg or a vanilla pod

1. Preheat the oven to 180° celcius, gas mark 4.
2. Melt the butter in a large oven proof baker.
3. Combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking powder and the salt in a bowl.
4. Add the milk, stirring just until dry ingredients have all been combined.
5. Pour the batter over the melted butter but do not stir.
6. Bring the remaining 1 cup of sugar, the peach slices and the lemon juice to the boil over a high heat while stirring constantly.
7. Remove from the heat and pour over the batter in the baker and again do not stir.
8. Sprinkle with cinnomon or nutmeg if desired. I tend to prefer nutmeg or even add some vanilla to the milk for a super luxurious taste.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

You can serve the cobbler warm or cool and I love to add a big scoop of vanilla icecream on top. Delicious.

resoled and ready for road...

I consider myself to be a pretty easy going person. I go about my day to day business with a smile on my face and I'm always pretty thankful for all the wonderful things around me but I am human and some little things do irritate me. One of these stems from my love of shoes and other peoples lack of love for their shoes.

I bought a pair of ankle boots on ebay last summer and it's fair to say I am a little in love with them. I wore them in Spain with cute summer dresses, at Christmas with tights and skirts, in Vietnam with shorts and vests and in Australia for work, weekends and every day in between.

A while back I noticed the heels were getting a little worn down so I took them to the cobblers. Yes people, this is where you take shoes that are in need of some TLC. There is no excuse for worn down heels and when it gets to the stage that you are walking on a nail that a long time ago used to be covered up, you really should be ashamed of yourself. The cobbler had a look and told me he could fix them easily and he said the sole was also a little worn so I told him to redo that too. Now I will admit that the cost of resoling the boots was more then I had paid for them on ebay and some might think that is crazy but I love these little boots and I don't plan on parting with them anytime soon. Plus when I had a look in the shops and online I didn't see anything that took my eye for a price I was willing to pay. Well I got them back and I have to say I was thrilled with the results. He had even gently brushed the suede so they looked all brand new.

The point I'm trying to make is if you have some shoes that you love, look after them. When the heels start to wear down, before they reach the stage of no return, take them to the cobblers. He will bring them straight back to life and you can make many more memories in your beloved footwear.