Grasses Workshop

Jackie came along for the first time.She created a lovely picture..a bit of to-ing and fro-ing at times getting the water right--but that is completely normal   ,Grasses isn't the easiest subject I teach...acrylic paint does not work as easily as oils sometimes , so we had a few goes at getting the skies just how the students wanted....but as I explained to them--everything looks different if you are just patient and go on to  the next stage,what you thought wasn't quite correct is suddenly OK...getting students to leave their paintings alone can be the hardest part of the class!

Claire was painting for the first time and came along with Debbie and Ian who were also first timers..She found the background easier than the foreground grasses...

Josie used the metallic paint at the end to add some sparkles to her grass head and also added a lovely moon and some twinkly stars to her sky..her bunnies were just great too..all very mystical!

Ian seemed to find it quite easy..and just got on with each stage--he did go back and have a little fiddle with the sky and it did work out really well!

Debbie excelled herself when it came to the fine detail..she painted lovely delicate grasses..

We have had students bring all sorts of lovely things to eat and share in the workshops in the past--but this was a first--a huge tub of flying saucer sweets! I was very good and didn't have a single one...it was not easy--they are one of my all time favourite sweets! But between my sister Sharon, daughter Becki and me-we have lost 4 and 1/2 stones in just 9 weeks so do not want to jeopardise it!

Well done everyone--lovely results!

I'm writing my blog in the most beautiful setting...We are away at Court Coleman Manor in Bridgend  celebrating my birthday and our 13th wedding anniversary..we are having a lovely time...and you will have to excuse any spelling mistakes as a little bit of alcohol has been consumed!

We have a lovely room---The Blue 4 Poster Room...

the bed is soooo comfy!

Winter Wonderland Workshop

Anne managed to create a stunning 'mackerel' sky in her painting..and when we left to come home there was a beautiful mackerel sky outside too..its amazing what can be achieved with a limited palette of just 3 colours-blue,black and white

Anne's hubby Martin had an awful bad back bless him and was in a lot of pain by lunchtime...however he soldiered on and made a lovely job of his painting..Martin added some extra detail to his picture with a crack in the ice on the pond and his fence which went all the way up his path too--

I loved the sheen on Jackie's pond--it looked really cold and frosty..

Jaq is adding some reeds to the pond here--she chose to use the purple shades rather than the blues-it gives it quite a different feel..

Helen is adding the snow to her fence posts here....she told me that all her friends and family are well impressed with her paintings she has taken home so far..and think she is really talented-which of course she is!

Lovely results from you all--well done!

beautiful sky when we left the room..

Slimming World....Recipes

Me and my daughter Becki have been going to Slimming World since the middle of January, we are both doing well with a nice steady loss each week...I have done some lovely recipes lately and have been asked for them by friends and family--and when I took along a quiche to class the other week -everyone loved it!                                                                                           All are very easy to make...the quiche is as follows...      4  or 5 eggs, 1 tub of onion and chive low fat cottage cheese, 1 onion,chopped and fried in a little fry light.. some lean bacon (diced) or ham, mushrooms,tomato's, peppers or whatever veg you like!    Simply mix the eggs and cottage cheese together with a little milk touch of salt and pepper--I add chilli and garlic flakes at this stage too..put onions and dry fried bacon or ham if you are using it into the bottom of the flan dish, pour over the cottage cheese/eggs/milk mixture ,put some sliced tomato on top and cook in the middle of oven gas mark 4 for about  20-25 mins until golden....delicious warm or cold! The quiche is syn free and you can eat as much as you want! The small individual ones are made in small cake tins using a small piece of ham to line each one-just add a spoonful of the mixture on top of each piece and bake..

This whole cake is just 1/2 syn...its as light as a feather to eat and is scrummy! Separate 4 eggs, to the 4 yolks add 1 pack of low fat quark, 3 tablespoons sweetener ,1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and whisk together.. Whisk the egg whites with 1 tablespoon sweetener until very firm. Fold half the whites into the yolk mixture, then gently add the rest in. I used 2 sandwich tins but you can use a swiss roll tin... whatever you use -line it with grease-proof paper and spray with fri-light.
Divide the mixture between the tins and bake in centre of oven gas 4 for about 10-15 mins.. when lightly golden brown take from oven and remove the greaseproof straight away.leave to cool on rack..Then I mix 1/2 pack of quark with 1 tablespoon sweetener and spread onto the cake base..I use the frozen Forest fruits mix fruit from Aldi to put on top..tastes lovely and you could eat the whole thing for 1/2 syn..

But its good to share ;-)

Diet Coke  Chicken is another firm favourite in our house! It sounds pretty gross--but tastes bloody beautiful---So simple but tastes like you are being really naughty and having a Chinese takeaway!  Take 3/4 teaspoon of 5 spice powder

2 or 3 cloves of garlic-crushed

I cheat and use a tablespoon of this garlicky sauce I get from the local market on a Saturday instead..

1 Tablespoon of Worcester sauce

4 tablespoons of tomato ketchup or passata..

one can of diet coke..mix all of the above together in a jug.....

I always use this rice--quite expensive at £6 ish a kilo but it tastes lovely, takes longer to eat as its quite nutty and seems to fill you up for longer.... I use 1 mug full for the 2 of us--takes about 30-40 mins to cook..and there is always some left over-and its lovely cold..

While the rice is cooking  put 2 chopped up chicken breasts and one onion chopped into a frying pan to colour--then just add the rest of the ingredients from the jug..

 Simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens..

Enjoy! If you use passata instead of tomato ketchup its completely free of syns..

Many butchers make 'syn free' sausages -we have been lucky to find a nearby farm shop that does them--they are beautiful-very meaty and tasty-- they also do a very good rib eye steak that we have each week as a treat--

and no----we don't cut the fat off!!!  I save my syns up all week for this and my wine! And its so worth it!

Now to a couple of things we have tried and don't recommend---above is the 'smash' pizza....you use a mix of Smash dried mash potato and herbs to create the base-then use passata, low fat mozzarella, ham and onions for the topping...have to say its not the best thing we have ever done--wont be doing it  again!

This is another waste of money in my opinion--thought the flavoured coffees would be a nice treat and a change from the chocolate Options-- they are all pretty horrible--had to add sweetener to all of them in order to drink it--which I don't normally do..so unless you like really bitter coffee give it a miss!  I will add any more recipes I find and have tried --will maybe try the ginger and lemon chicken at the weekend--using low cal ginger beer if I can find some anywhere

Summer Day Workshop

 They came from far and wide to paint Summer Day--3 travelled from Derby, Anna came from Bristol and David came from nr Stockport with his wife-they made a weekend of it and stayed in the Dinham Hall Hotel-which was very good they told me this morning when they called by the market to see us! Davids wife had intended to go into town while David painted but she ended up staying and watching the workshop and she couldn't get over just how easy it was and how different all the paintings turned out!
We had a very easy-on workshop-everyone seemed to find it all quite simple to follow my instructions-- even the knife work on the waves didn't faze any of them! We had most of the picture finished before we stopped for lunch,,with just the foliage and poppies to add later--though some of the students added some pretty daisies too..all in all a great day, with great company!

Anna was amazed at how easy it was to complete the painting-she had quite a drive from Bristol to come and paint but she is coming back in April and June and I had a lovely message from her today saying how much she had enjoyed it and how it was worth the long drive! She used a mix of the browns and greens for the foliage and it did work very well...

First time for Christine who was bought along by her granddaughter Rhianna who has been before..Christine made a beautiful job of her painting--quite subtle...

Rhianna chose to just add daisies and left out the poppies---it worked just as well..the waves were just perfect too..

Liz has been down from Derby 3 times previous with daughter Diane..not long now til they get their artist brooches from me for doing 6 paintings! She loved how easy it was using the bush brush to create the grasses in the foreground!

Marianne was painting her 2nd picture-- good to see her looking so well--she had to cancel her previous booking because she had to have an op..

First time for Sharon..who came down from Derby with Diane and Liz..she seemed to find  it quite easy too...

Vanessa was bought the workshop as a present..she tackled it easily--hard to believe it was her first time!

David was also booked in as a present..

Another first timer,,Trina..again -no problems following my step by step instructions..

Diane adding the grasses to her painting--she has requested a painting for the future--I have promised to work on it and let her know when I'm happy with with it as a workshop subject...watch this space!

Wonderful results everyone..

Its amazing just how individual they all turn out!

Well done!

Lovely results!

Well done !

Well done both x