My messy garden

A few months ago, the winds has damaged my garden and because of in the middle of the winter so We didn't have time to do any clearing up. Last Sunday, we managed to cleared all of and we spend a lot of our energies and time to do the hard work. I bought the saw from pound shop and I did some cutting after work for one day and the next day I was sick from the cold.

Finally, because of the weather was so nice we had done it last weekend. The summer finally arrived here at last. We have been waiting for it since the end of March.

cover the whole gardenI need more plants and flowers to glow in my garden. We also need to re-plant the grass as well as it dies. 

bits by bits

Finally all cleared

My favourite carrot cake

I have to say that before I never think I could make any carrot cake. I was watching Mary Berry's programe has in inspired me. I love the carrot cake and Mary Berry's carrot cake was the first one that I made and I was very happy about it. I wasn't like the banana in her cake though so I did some researched on google about it and it has came out with the one that I love it.

I printed the recipes but as I need to keep it as my reference and I knew where to look for as my blog is my bookshelf. The recipe is very easy to make.
Here is my carrot cake recipe.

Yummy Scrummy Carrot Cake

Ingredients
1. 175g  light muscovado sugar
2. 175ml sunflower oil
3. 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4. 140g grated carrots
5. 100g raisins
6. grated zest of 1 large orange
7. 175g self-raising flour
8. 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
9. 1 tsp ground cinnamond
10. half of tsp grated nutmeg ( I used the ready one from the jar as I never see the real nutmeg|)

for the frosting
1. 175g icing sugar
2. 1 and half to 2 tbsp orange juice.


1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this it to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put east strip crossways, covering the base and side of the tin, with a double layer in the base.

2. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.

3. Mix the flour, bicarbonated of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. light mix all the ingredients- when everything is evenly amalgagamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then  turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on th a wire rack.

5. Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smoth- you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on  a serving plated and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in a diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

I have to say a big thank  you to the person who has gives all of us to be able to share this wonderful carrot cake..

It has been very long time since my last post!

Before the end of the year 2012, I was preparing to go away as I was so excited to leave London for a while. We were heading to Athens for our holiday from 26th December and then driving to the north of Greece and will end up at Corfu as our distination for the new year.
The planed has been interrupted my the muggers in Acropolish with made me scared of for life. I never expected to get such an experienced in the bad way. I have been so many places but never think the people will do any harm to you. I lost everythings all my belongs example my iphone 4, my bag, my passport (this is the most important thing for me), the whole bag they took it. I couldn't flight with them as they were 3 men.
This was the part of my new year life has gone up side down. I will write more details in my next blog.
I will catch up soon. take care everyone and stay safe.

Questions and answers

my garden

 

Where do you live?

I grew up in the countryside in Thailand, which has the rice field, buffalos, cows and the farmers of course.

Now I live in Southwark area in south London.

Earliest London memory?

one summer we had a lot of sunflowers.

I first moved to London in March 2006 after 6 years in Birmingham. I would say I prefer London than Birmingham because everything so convenient here. I can get on the bus to Oxford circus or China town in 30 minutes. I had a lot of friends from Thailand who live in London.

First thing you do when you get home?

Go to bathroom and cook something to eat and check my email.

What do you collect?

close up with my finger.

I love Shoes and clothes. I get bored easily so I need new clothes and I just need more shoes to wear which depend on the weather.

Favourite shops?

Any charity shops as you don’t have to expect when you will see when you get there. You would find designer stuffs in there in a very cheap price.

Recently, I bought Paul smiths jacket for only £ 3.99 and a pairs of Hudson jeans for £ 1 (reduced).

For fruits and Vegetable, I like to go to East street market in Camberwell road. The market sells a lot of cheap thing. I always buy an oranges for example £1 I would get 10 oranges. 1 kilo of pak choi would cost me about £ 2.49. I love the market atmosphere.

Best meal?

My cooking is the best.

Which building would you like to live in?

The Shard because of the building is too high I would wake up with the sunrise beyond or even sunset on the clear sky I would watch the sky above me.

What would you do as mayor for the day?

No cars day, I think it would be nice if we don’t have to worry about traffic jam.

Ever had a run in with a police?

No

Best advice you’ve been given?

My father says: “ be yourself and respect the other”

What animal would you like to be?

A bird so I could fly.

When was the last time you went to the theatre?

I went to see Rock of all ages it was fun night out

Where do you go for a nightcap?

I prefer staying in.

Have you been on holiday recently?

I went to South of France for a week and I was fun.
my dream I would like to go to Argentina one day. 

Morning frost

It’s getting colder at night and my tomato is dying. I felt sorry for it. I bought some plants inside today for example the lychee, papaya and mango. In a week time I will bring 4 pots of the chillies plant inside. I have to let the tomato die of the frost weather. Oh! Well winter is just round the corner. I have to keep my plants survive from the winter.

Next year hopefully the weather will be better than this year.

Visit my old friends

My Lovely boss

Steph is a funny women

my neighbour as well as work colleague

the boss of the boss

On September 28^th, I had a chance to go back to Birmingham. It has been 7 years since I left.

me and Jo

I went back because of my old boss she has invited me to her retirement party at work. I used to work with her for 7 years at The University of Birmingham in the library. I love it over there as I had so many colleagues around me. It was like I was a baby in the group as I was a tiny girl for them.

My old boss she is lovely and very hard working women. I think she was very proud of me that I had done a good work for my future. I do expect that she is my boss and she was the one who has helped me to get the job. I would say that (in my culture) we had to respect the boss and the older one.

Julia, Sue, Marry and Robert

Anyway, I went there on Friday afternoon by train. I arrived at Birmingham about 12.08 and by the time I get to the party was about 1.00pm. Janet was doing her goodbye speech and there were too many people in the staff common room. I couldn’t even see her at all.  

Brian and I

I gave Janet a hugged when I saw her. I think she was very happy to see me at the party.

I also have seen a lot of my old colleagues and we had a chatted but only a few minutes to each friend as there were too many people wanted to talk to me. Some of my old colleagues was very surprised to see me and kept asking me about my life since I left my work at Birmingham university library. I told them about what has I been in the past 7 years.

It was 2.30 and it was a time for me to leave them to go back to London. I was thinking this is a chapter of my life. I wouldn’t for get them at all. They are still being my friends and my boss. I was very grateful to know them. I would definitely go back to visit them again in the future but I wouldn’t tell when.

I was lovely to see all of you guys. Love you all.

Back to work

I went back to work for the first day after a month off. I knew that all of my colleagues are missing me while I was away. We had alot of conversations to catch up about it. It was nice to be back at work.
At the moment we are getting alot of student and also books. I heard that all PHD student just finished their study and they returned all the books to us. We had tone of books to put back on the shelf.
From Monday next week, I will be getting very busy as all new and old student starting. I am looking forward to it though.