This has been my busiest week since the beginning of June and the “Platinum Jubilee” but I am not complaining as it makes a welcome change from the mundane jobs which I have to do just to keep the house running. However, fitting everything in when I have baking to do for customers doesn’t really happen as there are just not enough hours in the day. 🙁 As today is my only free day, I have already done a couple of jobs which have been neglected (or put on the back burner) but my plans for the rest of today are to get back to the website and some more behind the scenes jobs.
I still want to fit in making some Wagon Wheels and Snowballs as I really want to have a go at making my own marshmallow but I am leaving that till Friday – orders permitting – as I am having a day off tomorrow – a girlie day with my Mam, sister and daughters :). I can’t wait!!
My weekend was spent finishing off painting the garden fence on one side of the house and I think I have done a very good job. I just have the other side of the house to do but there is less fence to be painted so I am not too worried about that as it will get done eventually.
I decided a couple of weeks ago when I wasn’t so busy that I needed to find another income to help out more with the bills. My husband would like me to make use of the teaching assistant qualification which I studied for during lockdown 2020 but my problem is that the hours would not suit as I have three children to take to school and pick up again as there is no direct bus route from where we live to where they go to school at so driving them is the only option. If I did go to work in a school it would have to be with primary school children as the thought of being in a classroom with a whole load of teenagers fills me with dread. I have three of my own right now and believe me home schooling in lockdown was hard work so I respect any teachers of secondary school children. I know teaching your own children is harder than teaching other children but OMG never again if I can help it 🙂
Anyway I am starting another online course in proofreading??? with the plan being that I will find work as a proofreader online and working from home as I think this is the only job that I would like to do which would bring in more of an income. I think this blogging is rather like proofreading so I am sure I could manage to proofread for someone else. I won’t be giving Love-to-bake.uk up though as this is my main love and if anything the idea that I may find work elsewhere has pushed me harder to make my baking business better and busier. So onwards and upwards is what I say as I don’t want my life to be taken over with proofreading.
My husband seems to think that I could replace my daughter in her position (which I got for her) at a local cafe but I cannot see myself doing waitressing again. Oh, how I miss the Federation Brewery and my lovely job there?? I have even been looking at brewery jobs in the North East of England thinking I should apply for something but then my worry is that I have been out of the job for too long. Being a stay at home mother is hard and then when you decide to find a job again you feel like you have been sat on the shelf for too long. I think I need to take into account that I have been running my own business quite successfully for several years now and worked at all areas of it from production to marketing to book keeping and all areas in between. On top of that being a mother to four children and a wife is an added challenge but I feel I have stepped up to the mark.
I will let you know what happens in this area of my life but for now it is all about Love-to-bake.uk. My brain is buzzing with jobs I need to finish and get out of the way before I can start something else. There are lists in my diaries and work books for me to work through so I am going to spend most of today ticking off the jobs as I go so that tonight I can feel like I have accomplished something. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about dinner as my two eldest daughters have taken over that role brilliantly and make dinners for the whole family. Alright I might have to clean the kitchen up after them but the thought is there. 🙂
Back to the baking as that is what this blog is about. This week so far there has been Empire Biscuits for postal delivery, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes ordered for collection and Mini Broccoli Quiches – something savoury for a change :). The Empire Biscuits were posted and should arrive today – fingers crossed. There were spare of these biscuits which I think my husband had his eye on but then I sold them to a lovely customer but that is how the cookie or biscuit, in this case, crumbles.
The Lemon Meringue Cupcakes worked a treat but as I had too many cupcakes I decided to decorate some of them differently but still with a lemon theme as the sponge was lemon flavoured. I made a quick batch of buttercream and swirled it on the top of the cakes along with a swirl of lemon curd and a drizzle of white chocolate. Next time I make these there will be white chocolate chips in the sponge mix, as well as, lemon zest and juice. I made these Lemon & White Chocolate Cupcakes for my children to enjoy but actually sold them to a customer. I feel bad now and often say that my family get enough of my bakes to enjoy but really they haven’t been allowed to eat anything I have baked the last few days. Oh well, maybe I will bake them some cookies or something seeing as it is the summer holidays.
Talking of summer holidays, I am closing the webshop from the 10th August until the 30th August as we are going away for a while (not all of us to begin with though). As my eldest daughter has a job now for the summer she will be staying at home with my other daughter and my Mam will be staying with them to keep them in line. So our first holiday which is camping will only be for four of us and the first time that we will leave some of our children at home but they are getting older and making their own decisions. We are hoping to get away as a whole family and staying in a bed and breakfast or something so that we can visit my husband’s family in Scotland. Fingers crossed with this as I think it will be a lovely end to my husband’s holiday and a welcome break for him and myself from this house. 🙂 – and then it will be September and back to school for some of my children then off to college and pastures new for my eldest. I am so nervous for her but excited at the same time.
Oh dear, I have just wished away the summer holidays and I really didn’t mean to as I am enjoying my time off from the school runs. I love sitting at my desk in my little office space listening to my family helping themselves to snacks and drinks knowing that I am right here if they need me. They are very respectful of my office and seem to let me get on with what I need to do without any interruption. It is a very pleasant atmosphere to be working in and one I don’t want to change.
WOW, I have shared a lot in this post but nothing about the Mini Broccoli Quiches – that is a whole other blog post but I am going to write about my recipe for these – without sharing the actual recipe – as I have a lot going through my head about these quiches in particular what and why I made them as I did and changes that I would make to them so I need to get it all down in writing. I am off to write that post now ready to share another day. Something I have never done before – scheduled a post on my blog :).