AHa ha ha, we are a funny pair, I would give my right arm for a piece fruitcake jean.

A

I hate poser gyms I just joined my local council gym called fusion I think it's not too expensive and I don't think it will be a poser gym (well I hope not)

AGluten abend meine freunde. :-)

Thankyou Suzanne and nanny for the card cake pictures, they're all lovely. I love the golf/cards combo Suzanne, very clever. Did you use cutters for your card suits nanny? I haven't been able to find any the size I want, I bought some in ystrad but they're a little smaller than I'd have liked. Are your cards edible? I'm thinking maybe I should give mine another chance. They just looked naff last time tho.

Bratwurst were my favourite Kathy, you should try them nanny, the Germans know about good sausages. If you can't bring yourself to, try a frikkadella, delicious. And chips with Mayo and paprika, Sarah will probably have a fit but they're so moreish. :-)

Suzanne I buy good sausages cos I know I shouldn't be feeding my kids intestines and sweepings up but one of my favourites is tesco value chipolatas, probably only 0.1% meat but I love them!

I've never joined a gym, it was a form of torture in the army, I would never go to one voluntarily or for fun! If I did I'd never go and wonder why I was still fat. I'm the type of person who buys Elemis face cream, puts it on once every month or so and wonders why I haven't got the baby soft, wrinkle free, skin of a 20 year old!

AGuten abend meine freunde maisie.

Nope you won't convince me Kathy, maisie or jean, don't know what it is about them, well yes I do, it's what they are made from I guess, and besides my lovely brother told me once when I was 6, the big round grisly things you find in them were, bulls eyes, which I believed, mind your he also told me ( just to get me to shut up) was we all have a thousand words to say in our lifetime, I was young and obviously very impressionable, but I believed him and didn't spk for days.

Maisie, I made them myself, I bought some edible prints from Ystrad shop, the size I wanted, then cut some modelling paste to the same size, let them dry then stuck the prints on top, all very easy honestly.

AI know, gotta be different roxy. Oooooo, hate prawns too, probably more than bangers, the coldness, or the wetness, hate them.

I like prawns but prefer them cooked, I hate turkish delight  and curry.

AIt has to be chocolate covered turkiss delight, like Frys, don't mind a nice curry, like a Balti though.

I have just got in the bath after having to get out of it last week as it was leaking. After it being fixed twice this week and all being sorted and the shower being used a couple of times a day and it not leaking, I get in the bath and hear dripping again. It is now leaking from a completely different place, it is leaking from the overflow fitting now so will only leak if you get a bath. All I wanted today was a bit of peace and quiet and people have hassled me all day, I give up .

AOh dear roxy, Sarah is the same, she came here from work to have a shower, they fitted a new one yesterday, only still isnt working, so they think its an electrical fault, been like this for 2 weeks.

Must be a new year thing Nanny everyone I speak to has something that's broken. At least I can use the shower though we couldn't last week as the leak was from the plug hole and trap.

Bahaha! you lot I have muchly missed 

Mr T thanks you all, he is mending but very very slowly due to his other health issues. It doesnt help that he is a stubborn git so keeps trying to do things and making himself worse! 

Awww Puppy is such a terrible time waster  she is ten weeks old and yes chezza she is a pug/beagle mix 

I should have been making cakey bits today but instead was rolling around the rug with Betty 

Who mentioned exercise?  I have had so much rubbish these past few months that i have ballooned! So I went out this week and got myself an ab circle pro, weights and some fat binders haha! I may do a before and after shot!

Lastly........Nanny I do love a sausage! 

ATidds, welcome back.

I love your pup, a good walk with him will sort you out.

Nooooooooo, not you too? Is there anyone out there that won't eat sausages?

AI love him already tidds!

Roxy, sorry to hear about your bath. It's a pain when a problem won't go away x

Been watching more pretty witty cake videos. Saw the buttercream queens and now want to try piping flowers with buttercream for valentines cupcakes. Need to practice though.

I don't like bacon butties, but I like bacon in my soups and stews in small amounts. There is a fruit in the Philippines called Durian. It is vile. It smells vile and tastes even worse. Someone gave me Durian candy once, I nearly threw up. It's like marmite, you either love it or hate it, but without the horrid smell. I was told to flee if I ever got near a Durian market stall- the smell is so overpowering it makes people gag (those who don't like it anyway). Now Asian mangoes (not the green stuff you get in Tesco, the lovely yellow ones) on the other hand- gimme.

Roxy, I finished the toddler and teddy cake. I 'speed watch'- I keep fast forwarding!! It's the first thing I watched because I am making a cake and the toddler shape was relevant to my cake. I won't be using her metal piping armature technique though, hubby has plans for my armature. Besides my cake is a lot smaller and I don't think it needs that much reinforcement. Might watch the chicken one next. Then I want to watch the flower ones, then watch them again while making the same flowers.

Hi Tiddy, sounds like Betty will be keeping you busy. I looked at the ab circle pro last year but got a foldable exercise bike instead. I've not done it for a few weeks need to get back to it, I was good over xmas though which makes a change.

Petitecat I still haven't got back to the toddler video yet but have already watched the new flower tutorial. I am planning to try some in the next few days hopefully. I don't have all the stuff needed but am going to try and make do with what I have.

What cake are you making?

Roxy, I'm making 3d standing marshmallow man- the giant in the movie ghostbusters, except mine will be about 13" tall.

Right, must off to bed. Way past my bedtime, though I don't know why I bother with a bedtime. It takes me ages to drop off to sleep, I just can't switch off grr.

Anyhoo, night night folks!

ANanny I only eat quorn sausages if that counts as they aren't real lol Only knew that tiddy as been looking at dogs for hubby's birthday next month and that was a cross bred that kept coming up lol The marshmallow man cake sounds fab can't wait to see pics Petitecat

That sounds like its going to be awesome Petitecat can't wait to see it, have you started it already or just planning at the minute? Night hope you get some sleep.

This is an ab circle pro Chezza, I read loads of reviews saying it is really uncomfortable on your knees.

AThat thing looks quite dangerous I would prob end up falling off it, fell of a Swiss ball when pregnant with my daughter

AYou have been a chatty bunch, back to normality now so not as much time to catch up on here as busy, busy, busy.

I'm going off memory as read the thread last night but was too tired to reply so apologies if I miss anyone now.

Maisie your granda is so sweet and the iPad breaking is definitely an emergency, loved your example of the washing machine and iPad scenario that just shows how important it is. Hope you're keeping well.

Nanny hope you have a good trip, I'l bet you're so excited. I never did Germany at school so can't help with any words, we did Spanish instead.

Talking of sausages I eat them but I'm not a massive fan I can take them or leave them, I'd rather have bacon anyday.

Roxy I'm the same we always take tea bags, coffee and sugar on holiday with us, I know you can buy them when you get there but they're so expensive and they don't much room up in the suitcase so don't mind taking them. Also sorry to hear about your leaking shower hope it gets sorted soon.

Tiddy Happy Belated Birthday, love your new apron and your new puppy. Glad hubby is healing well.

Petite sorry to hear about your friend, that is such a shame. I'm looking forward to both your cakes, the marshmallow man one sounds very interesting.

Kathy hope the back isn't too bad, take it nice and easy although I know that's easier said than done.

Cheryl hope you're ok too.

Jo wow sounds like you've had a time off it other Christmas. Fingers crossed that's it for the year for you now. I loved your picture of the ship, it looks so large. That happened to one near us a good few years ago we had a family trip one night to look at it, it wasn't as big as that one though. Looking forward to seeing all your cakes.

Morning all 

It raining on and off here to Chezza and has just said on the radio we have the first storm weather of the year coming from the Atlantic with up to 100 mph winds.

Hope your induction at the gym goes well today.

Hi Loubee hope your well. 

Morning all - got totally soaked just getting out of my car and going to the office.  Probably because I'm creeping like a snail.  Thanks for asking Loubee but my back seems to have taken a step backwards today.  Somebody said it's because I dropped the ibuprofen yesterday.  Anyway, had to take some this morning just to get me out of the house!  So annoying.  There's so much I want to do indoors - the tree came down on Sunday but all the bits of glitter and tiny bits of sellotape that just get stuck to things are annoying me.  My son does nothing - absolutely nothing - and my husband poor thing is working so late at the moment but he does so much anyway I can't moan at him.  I tried to guilt my son but just got a grunt.  I suppose because he pays me rent he probably thinks that's it.  I think the way I'm feeling today, he will probably not like what I have to say to him tonight!  Might have a spare room going......!!   Aaarrgh - back pain just invades everything you do   Sorry to all those of you with real pain - I just have a low threshhold I think.  That's the "me" time over with!

Barbara - I want to make my own sausages this year mainly because I want to know what goes into them.  On my new Kenwood Chef, you can get an attachment for making them.  I think it's about £50 or so.  My husband loves sausages so much - and my daughter - and he is the one urging me to try to get one.  We used to call my daughter Sophie sausage when she was small!  She, on the other hand, hates, abhores, detests fat - yet she will eat sausages.  She said it's a texture "thing".  I think personally that German sausages are better than our supermarket offerings and we regularly buy bratwurst - especially if we are doing a barbecue.  But my sister on the other hand detests sausages in the same way my daughter detests fat.  When she was young she used to say that sausages make her "brain go funny"!  Of course we all laughed.  However, when I got married and started to learn to cook (had never been allowed near a cooker until I was married at 25!) I found that when I cooked pork I used to get severe headaches.  Over the years that has increased to full blown migraines.  I do love roast pork but I have to leave the house or go upstairs or keep out of the kitchen until it's done.  That's the only way I can cope with it.  So maybe it wasn't so much the sausages that affected her but more to do with the pork.

Barbara - I got those mats - thought I would tell you.  I had been looking for something like that for ages - since I saw the Dawn Butler tutorial on Pretty Witty for a toolbox cake.  I have a long term plan to do that for my husband's 60th next year as he has a full blown set of Snap On tools from his previous life as a motor technician.  I tried to get texture mats in the past but when they came, they weren't what I was looking for - so I have a box of (almost) useless impression mats now.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Kathy

AHi Kathy, that's something to think about, as mine is a premier KW chef.

Small world, John used to be a mechanic, many yrs ago. However his knees are shot to pieces, comes from kneeling on cold hard floors he said.

Hi Kathy you poor thing like having a bad back isn't bad enough you get soaked in the rain. If you don't want to take so many tablets why don't you try ibuprofen gel, that's what I've been using in my back as I don't like to be taking tablets all the time. It does help.

I've never heard of pork causing headaches or migraines before, strange how certain things effect different people.

I have the sausage maker for my mixer though it's not a  KW , I have thought about making my own sausages before but would like a recipe that has been tried and tested rather than just pick a random one online. I like the idea that you can make the different flavours to suit everyone.

Hi Nanny you all sorted for you trip to Berlin now?

AYep, roxy, more or less, travelling light though. Only taking cabin bag.