Recipe: cheesy baked potatoes

Many people probably do their potatoes this way, but just in case there is one soul out there that hasn't tried them like this, please do try, it is a tasty change to baked potato with the usual topping just plonked on top...and not much extra effort. I hadn't done them like this for years until the other night. It's odd how old favourites seem to slip from your mind and then leap into your memory again for no apparent reason!

You will need

• baking potatoes


• Approx half a cereal bowl full of grated cheese for every 2 potatoes.


• Approx 1 chopped onion ( cooked ) for every 2 potatoes ( you can have them raw but I like to cook them )


• cooked bacon chopped into bits


• freshly ground pepper


• handful extra of grated cheese for topping.

Method:

1. Bake your potatoes until the jackets are crispy, you don't want to do them in the microwave as the skins will be too soft and may tear.


2. When potatoes are thoroughly cooked and crispy, take out of oven. Leave oven on. Cut potatoes in two, and scoop inners out into a bowl. Mash.


3. Now add cheese, bacon, onions and pepper to the mash. Give it a good mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.


4. Put mixture back into halves/skins, dividing mixture equally. They will look like little boats. You can leave the mash bumpy and fluffy on top or squish down with a fork and make a pattern, whatever takes your fancy


5. sprinkle the extra cheese on top.


6. Put back in the oven to bring up to temperature and until it begins to brown a little. ( unless you absolutely can't wait, in which case, scoff right away!

There are so many variations on this theme. If you are health conscious they go nicely with a green side salad.

Enjoy,

Doxie :o)

Recycle Alert!

I was cutting up some packaging from a couple of blinds this afternoon and the crafter angel on my shoulder pointed out another use for it which saved it going in the bin.

• cut into sections, this makes several rectangular tubes
• make a cardboard base and lid, although for a gift that may not be necessary.
• Put a personalised printed card/label either on/in the box
• ta-da! Ready-made fairly sturdy packaging for crafts you are going to sell or give away.

I thought this might be particularly useful for smallish fabric crafts...it would make them less squishy. Sister Jean might have a harder time guessing what was in her birthday present if it was packaged this way. :o)

I would say though, be careful it is not sharp. Mine wasn't but I know some similar packaging I have cut up in the past has been.

Doxie ( who doesn't actually have a sister Jean, hey ho )

Yay! When mistakes go good!

I had this bright idea of putting a table in the kitchen, tucked away in the corner for "Screecher Creature's" bird cage to sit on. I thought the remaining bit of space in front of his cage would double up as a counter top for a little bit of storage.

After the struggle of putting it together ( it was quite heavy, and yes I declined the offer of Mr Doxie helping me because I couldn't wait a single minute to get it into place and see what it looked like ). My excitement ( yes groan, I take pleasure in the simplest of things ) quickly turned to disappointment when I found that in my girly incompetence I had got my measurements wrong ( but in my defence I did measure the table at MIL's AFTER it had been dismantled ).


Feeling rather deflated at the thought of having to dismantle it again, I shoved it in the opposite corner whilst I regained the strength ( imagine dramatic mopping of brow ) and incentive to pull it apart...and then "yippee!" I realised by accident I had somehow shoved it in the the perfect spot. If anyone had suggested I put it where it now was I would have said

"No way there is no room..."

but there IS room, and it is perfection!

I now have a cosy little nook to...

• sit down and do crafts
• eat breakfast, lunch and supper
• read
• use the computer
• write
  

If I want I can fit ( squeeze ) 3 around the table or just leave it tucked in the corner for one or two. Last night Mr Doxie and I shared a late night supper and a glass of wine in what I think I will call "The Nook" . With my little checked tablecloth I felt like we were in a romantic bistro somewhere...next time I shall put a candle and flowers on the table!

I love it when mistakes go good!

"Over and out. Doxie reporting from The Nook! "

Celebrating Celandine

Don’t you just love a carpet of Celandine? It has been very rampant and obvious in the woodlands around here this year. Also in the garden environment. Okay I know some people view it as a pesky weed, but it is sooooo beautiful, a real herald of Spring. I say enjoy it whilst it flowers and then rip it up with great abandon after. Here is a picture just in case you can’t get out to enjoy it.

Marvellous Monday

The start of a new and exciting week. I am planning on making this "Spring Clean Week". The weather is certainly being compliant, sunny, fresh and warm enough to throw all the windows open.

I have turned the bedroom inside out this morning. The only bad bit was getting the make-up marks off the window sill. Luckily for me we have our storage sorted really well in there. Most of it was custom made (by the talented Mr Doxie) with ease of access in mind...so it is just a case of dragging stuff out, hoovering behind and putting bits back. To my absolute delight I found no evidence of spiders or moths so I guess that means my maintenance routines through the year are working well. Apart from the window sill I only have 4 flat surfaces in there, all are in constant use so nothing really gets the chance to sit and stay for long, they just needed a quick dust, wax and polish. Later in the week I shall take the curtains down, give them a launder and "voila" it will be finished in there.

Gardening starting in earnest

Look at what Mr Doxie treated me to...aren't they wonderful...I love the idea of making the functional and possibly boring beautiful. I know I will be the only one using them seeing as they are covered in girly flowers, but I don’t care because I love them! We took advantage of the super weather we had last week and the gardening really started in earnest.

During the Winter the garden is a disgrace and only the very brave would venture out there… but come the Summer time it is transformed and we use it most days. If it is warm enough then we have breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner out there. I think of the garden as an extension to the dining room, except we get to redecorate every year! This year the theme is my favourite, the traditional English cottage garden. Okay we don’t live in a cottage but it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the same beauty when we are outside. The seeds above are a small selection of what will be going in this year.

Seeing as it was so dry last week I decided it was a good time to attack the Spiraea which was long over due. The amount of deadwood was amazing…anyway being a true crafter I just could not bring myself to throw away some of the very straight sticks…I have wild ideas of thatching bird boxes ( in my own unique style, eek that’ll be interesting ), or making some nice dangly tree art… we shall see. I have cut some shorter sticks too and tied them in bundles. Hopefully that way they look useful and nobody will think they are rubbish and chuck them in the next green recycling load. Any ideas for what else I could use them for? Answers on a postcard or alternatively leave a comment below. :o)

...and just to whet your appetite if you haven't put any seeds in yet, here are a few french marigold seeds waiting to be covered by a nice layer of compost. They were put in about a fortnight ago and are up already...as are my sunflower seeds and some of the cornflowers. I'll post pics soon.

I am rather slow with my veggie seeds , so they will be next on the list.

It sounds as if next weekend is going to be cold and wet which is a pain just as we are getting used to working outdoors again. Anyway I live in hope...

I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the first few signs of Spring.

Doxie

Celebrating Celandine

Don’t you just love a carpet of Celandine? It has been very rampant and obvious in the woodlands around here this year. Also in the garden environment. Okay I know some people view it as a pesky weed, but it is sooooo beautiful, a real herald of Spring. I say enjoy it whilst it flowers and then rip it up with great abandon after. Here is a picture just in case you can’t get out to enjoy it.