Create Bake Make

It is Friday Favourites time again and I would like to start this week off with a big thank you to everyone for getting involved each week. I have had a great response to this weekly feature and it is so much fun. The more the merrier, so please remember to share and get your friends involved too. Now, down to business with this weeks guest. Everyone, meet Lauren. Lauren, meet everyone. Lauren has a blog called Create Bake Make which is full of amazingly delicious recipes, if you are looking for some inspiration in the kitchen this week, go have a browse around and see what you can find. You can even check out lots of other bloggers recipes every Friday as Lauren is co-host to Fabulous Foodie Fridays where everyone, including myself, links up yummy kitchen goodies. Let’s learn a little bit more about Lauren and find out what her favourite things are this week.

Mornings

I’m an early bird, mornings are my favourite time of the day. I love being the only person in the house awake, I even look forward it. I spent this precious time mainly pottering around the house and trying to get organised for another chaotic day or writing. Often this is when I’m most creative and I take advantage of the peace and stillness and just let all the words spinning around my head just fall out.

I will usually edit photos and write blog posts as well in the mornings, and I schedule my social media updates for the day during this time as well. Recently I’ve discovered that if I turn the heater on at 5.30 am my boys will sleep in until 7am, giving me almost an extra hour of quiet time as well as giving them both the extra sleep they need.

We are very fortunate to have an incredible view of the sunrise from our downstairs living area, and most mornings you will find me outside taking photos of the spectacular sky.

Onesies

This one is a little frivolous, but is there anything cuter than a baby in a onesie? How about two babies (ok toddlers) in matching onesies? Yep, I’m one of those parents who dress their kids in the same clothes. I’m not going to apologise for it, instead I’m making the most of it while I can!

My Great Gran’s Recipe Book

Last year my Mum gave me this recipe book which belonged to my beloved Great Nan. One of my earliest memories is sitting on her kitchen table with my sister watching her cream butter and sugar together just with her hand. Her cooking and baking was basic but hearty and full of love. I’ve made quite a few of the recipes from this book, and just love seeing her handwritten notes scattered throughout the pages. It makes me feel as though she is right there with me, giving me advice along the way.

Katie the KitchenAid

Katie has been part of our family for just over four years. I bought her online, on a bit of an impulse, after discovering an amazing kitchen warehouse site that at the time had free shipping. I may or may not have snuck her into the house one afternoon and placed her proudly on the kitchen bench before my husband was home from work. My stealth moves paid off when it took him three weeks to notice her - I’m still not sure if that is a good thing? I’ve certainly given her a good workout over the years. She has made over 30 Fruit Cakes and countless batches of muffins, cakes and biscuits in her time.

Cooking with my boys

My sister and I grew up helping our Mum and Nan in the kitchen. We both have so many lovely and special memories of helping sieve ingredients, pouring milk and cracking eggs and of course licking the bowl! I cook and bake with my boys as often as possible and involve them as much as I practically can with a two and one year old. I just try not to think about the inevitable mess we end up with, thankfully they both love helping to clean up! I feel it’s really important for them to learn and appreciate where food comes from at an early age. I want them to know how food is made and what goes into it, so they can make smarter choices when they are older.

 

Thanks for sharing Lauren. You are lucky that those onesies are for your kids, I was a little concerned that you were going to list adult onesies as your favourite thing. If you cannot tell, they are not on my list. Oh, but my KitchenAid is too, mine is bright red and I love her to bits. It makes cooking, whether it is a family recipe passed down, with my girls or on my own, so much easier. I named my sewing machine, but not my KitchenAid, maybe I should. Any suggestions?

Be sure to say hello to Lauren over on her blog and then come back and share with us, what are your favourite things this week? Join us here, on Facebook or follow the conversation on Twitter with #myfridayfavourites.