What I have loved this week! Week 44! #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week. I've had a nice one and have a few things that have made me smile, so of course I am linking up with Erika and Andrea to share what I have loved this week!

Becky's training!

Becky, my eldest had training at work this week and she wasn't happy at all. She's used to working permanent night shifts and wasn't looking forward to having to change things around. She had her Sunday night shift off but then had to go into work on Monday and Tuesday for six hours during the day. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be and she actually enjoyed it! She got to meet some new people who work on the opposite shift and the training wasn't too bad. The thing I have loved was having Becky home for three evenings on the trot. We watched TV, had a good chat and made some plans. It's also given Becky something to think about. Having a taste of working during the day again has made her wonder whether she might fancy a change in her life. She's been doing permanent nights for years and it is sometimes so hard for her, especially in the darker months.

Darker evenings!

The clocks changed in the early hours of Sunday morning and the dark nights are well and truly here. At this time of year I love it! It's nice to shut the curtains, put my Pjs on early and get cosy. When it's dark out I don't feel guilty about doing nothing like I do in the summer, now I feel like everything can wait until tomorrow. In a month or so the novelty will wear off and I will be wishing for more daylight!

The Glee Reboot!

Glee is coming back! The reboot has been announced and I am very excited. The original series was one of my favourite shows at one time. I'm curious to see who is going to return and how it will work. Two things have to happen. You can't have Glee without Sue Sylvester and the first episode needs to be called "The Cheerleader" in honour of Naya Rivera who played Santana just like the episode to honour Cory Monteith! I'm trying not to get too carried away thinking about it because reboots are not always great but I will give it a chance!

It's almost November!

My favourite month of the year. Things start gearing up for Christmas, it's my birthday and I have a lot of plans.

Halloween costumes!

I'm still laughing at my attempt to sort out a Halloween costume this week. A last minute thing is happening and it was decided that I need a Halloween costume. It has been a whole drama which I am going to write more about tomorrow in my Word of the Week.

One Born Every Minute!

Another thing I've been pleased to see this week is that One Born Every Minute is back on TV with a new series, seven years after it was axed. If you've never watched it, it's a British documentary series that takes you inside a busy maternity ward, following parents as they prepare to have their babies. There is all the emotions and I often find myself reaching for the tissues! There are happy tears and some really heart breaking stories. I think what makes it so interesting is that no two births are the same. You never quite know what's going to happen. It's nice to have it back on my TV.

What have you loved this week?

My November goals & plans!

I’m carrying on with my monthly goals and plans. Writing things down really gives me that little kick up the behind to actually get things done. I always feel more motivated when I have a list to look at instead of just thinking I should probably do that at some point. When it’s written down it feels more official, like I’ve made a little promise to myself.

I did pretty well with my goals in November and ticked a lot off my list. There was just one thing I never got around to doing and hopefully I can fit that before the month ends.

Make plans for my birthday - Yes! I have some great ones. Some with friends, some with family and some things just for me.

Make an apple crumble - Yes and a pie too!

Get back into a proper morning routine - Yes and it was easier than I though it would be. Going to bed earlier has really helped.

Work on my end of year blog post - Yes I got caught up with it.

Have a hot pumpkin spiced latte - Yes and it was so good. Hot drinks are so nice when it's cold out.

Light some candles - Yes! This one was easy. I think I have had one burning most days.

Make it through October without buying every seasonal food item I see - Almost! I did buy a few seasonal items but that was only because they were new and I wanted to see if I liked them.

Use the slow cooker at least once a week - Yes and I tried some new recipes. We got meals from Gousto and they were supposed to be cooked in the oven. I just threw everything in the slow cooker and it worked out well.

Start a new TV series - Yep, I started 2. I've almost finished The Gentleman off Netflix and I am halfway through Ted Lasso. That might be my favourite show of the year!

Have a pumpkin day - No but I have plans to over the next couple of days.

In November, I want to:

Have a great birthday!

This should be easy as I already have a few things planned. A night away with Stu and a family meal are what I am most looking forward to. I think you should always make a big fuss about birthdays, it's the one day of year just for you. I think my birthday is going to be a week long celebration which I am happy about.

Sort Christmas food!

I already have my Christmas grocery delivery booked. It's set to be delivered a couple of days before Christmas, so that's one less thing to worry about. Over the next month I want to get everything for the cupboards, chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol. Then I will start adding things to the online basket and make sure we have everything we need for the big day. Fresh food, all the veg for the Christmas dinner and anything else which takes our fancy.

Run the freezer down and get it defrosted!

I need to get this done before I go out shopping with my Dad for some of the Christmas food. Every year he takes me out shopping. We go to Home Bargains for a mooch around and get all the freezer food from Iceland (the frozen food shop). Now we need to use up everything inside of the freezer to create some space for all the goodies that I am going to buy. I think we are having New Year's Eve at home this year so I need to stock up on the party food too.

Try a couple of Christmas drinks from coffee shops!

I love all the seasonal drinks at this time of year. I'm hoping to get out and try a few Christmas drinks in November. Costa Coffee is my favourite at this time of year. I want a Black Forest Hot Chocolate and yule log in one sitting and the Terry's Chocolate Orange hot chocolate and muffin too. I also have my eye on the Candy Cane Mint Hot Chocolate from Greggs as well. Yum!

Deep clean and change the living room around!

I always want to and need to change the living room around this time of year to make room for the Christmas tree. I like to have a good deep clean too. Moving the furniture around makes it easier as I can get behind the sofa and cupboards. I think it's nice to put the decorations up in a sparkly clean room. I can't see much dusting getting done in December as the decorations take over.

Put up the Christmas tree and decorations!

We will put the decorations up the day after my birthday. My birthday falls on a weekend this year so it's perfect! It's a rule that we don't start celebrating Christmas until after my birthday. Once my birthday is out of the way, I'm ready to get the decorations out and make the house look all Christmassy. I don't think I need to buy any new decorations this year but it won't stop me buying some new things for the tree.

Watch lots of Marvel movies!

Avengers: Doomsday is being released in the cinemas in the middle of December and going to see it will be on my December list. This month I want to watch lots of Marvel films to get in the mood for it. Disney+ has been really helpful and has marked all the important films to watch so at least I know where to start.

Have a proper pamper evening!

I think I will need it towards the end of the month! November is going to be a busy one so I want to make sure I have some me time. My idea of a pamper evening is a nice soak in the bath while having a scroll through TikTok while I soak. I need lots of bubbles and a bath bomb of course. I want to dye my hair as it will need doing by then, do a facemask and paint my nails too.

Finish the present buying!

I'm getting there with the Christmas gift buying but I've still got a few more to buy. I do have things in mind, so at least I am not going in blind. Then I have the wrapping to do. Ugh! I hate wrapping presents so might get the girls to help.

Make a homemade soup that I've never made before!

It's soup weather and I want to try making something different this month. I love a good homemade soup when it's cold outside and it's a great way to use up vegetables that get thrown in the bin. I usually stick to the same recipes, so I'd like to try something new.

What do you have planned for November?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #79

Happy Wednesday! I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. It’s time for another round of the Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce gives us six questions, we share our answers and everyone links up! Simple!

1. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

I was trying to think of something exciting or dramatic but I have nothing. lol. The only time I've been getting goose bumps lately is on a morning when I get out of bed. Leaving the cosy, warm duvet behind is a struggle. I have been hitting the snooze buttle quite a few times each morning. My bed is lovely and warm but the rest of the house not so much! We've not been putting the heating on in the morning yet as none of us would want to ever get out of bed.

2. What does Halloween look like in your home and/or neighborhood these days? Do you participate?

Over the years Halloween has become a bigger thing here in England but just not where I live. I don't decorate the house anymore, the kids are older and fake cobwebs are not cool. We don't get many trick or treaters calling here as we're a bit out of town so it doesn't seem worth the effort. I've only noticed one house with Halloween decorations up so far and it looks fantastic. I think most people wait until a couple of days before to put their decorations up.

3. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia...your favorite seed on the list? What's something you like to make/eat that calls for one of these seeds in the recipe?

My fella puts chai seeds in smoothies and on yoghurt but I am not a fan. If I had to pick, sesame seeds are the only ones I eat. I like them on burger buns, bagels and prawn toast when we order a Chinese takeaway! Yum! The last recipe I remember having with sesame seeds was the sticky sesame beef mince stir fry. It was one of the meals delivered from Gousto a while back.

4. What's the most (or one of the most) 'fall photos' you've ever taken? Share it here. Just one.

It was so hard to share just one photo. I had pretty sunsets, carved pumpkins, rain on the windows and the girls dressed up for Halloween. I decided to go with this. A big box of apples picked straight from my dad’s trees. They are a sign that the seasons are changing. I always get apples from my dad. Just over the weekend I got a bag full and made and apple pie and a crumble.

5. Somehow we're rolling in to November next week. If your October were a chapter in a book, what would the title of this chapter be?

My title would be, October: The month that lasted five minutes! October flew over. It doesn't seem five minutes since we were at the start of the month and now we're almost at the end. Can time just slow down a little. Christmas will be here before we know it and then the new year!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I am writing this on Sunday afternoon and thinking about prawn toast from question 3. It has me craving a Chinese takeaway. We're not going to get one. No one wants to go out, they don't deliver and it's cold and it's really windy outside. Storm Boelo is supposed to ease off later tonight. It didn't really hit here in North Lincolnshire and I am thankful for that but people have been left without power, are flooded and there has been a lot of damage.

Easy pumpkin spice cake - Recipe!

I always get a feeling that I want to bake at this time of year. It's partly to warm the kitchen up and partly because the Great British Bake Off is back on TV. The Bake Off always makes me want to get in the kitchen and whip up something tasty and this is where this pumpkin spice cake comes in.

This pumpkin spice cake is soft and full of spices with the pumpkin adding a lovely texture without making the cake taste too much of pumpkin. If you've never baked with pumpkin before don't let it put you off, It really doesn't make your cake taste like a vegetable patch! If you like carrot cake you will probably like this! This cake looks like you've spent hours baking and really pushed the boat out but it is really simple to make!

Ingredients!

For the cake:

225g plain flour.

2 teaspoons baking powder.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

1/4 teaspoon salt.

175g brown sugar.

2 large eggs.

120ml vegetable oil.

200g pumpkin puree.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

2 tablespoons milk.

For the optional icing:

100g cream cheese.

50g icing sugar.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1 to 2 tablespoons milk if needed.

How to make!

Pop your oven on to preheat to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas Mark 4 and grab a round cake tin or a loaf tin. I used to grease mine but after having too many stubborn cakes refusing to leave the tin I use some baking paper to line it!

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. The flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Give everything a good stir so the spices are well mixed through the flour. This is where it should start to smell like Autumn. The pumpkin spice smell is one of my favourite smells at this time of year.

For your wet mixture, in a separate bowl add the brown sugar, eggs and vegetable oil. Mix them together until everything looks smooth. It doesn't need to be perfect so don't worry about getting the electric mixer out, you don't want to over mix it! Next you add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and give it another good mix. Add the milk and give it another quick stir.

Now slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. I usually do this with a couple of additions rather than tipping the whole bowl of flour in at once as it just seems too hard to give it a good mix. Stir until everything is mixed so you don't see any rouge bits of flour. I love this part because the mixture starts to look a lot like a proper cake batter!

Pour the batter straight into the tin you have already prepared and give the top a quick smooth over with the back of a spoon or spatula. Pop it into the oven and let it bake for around 30 to 35 minutes. Keep a close eye on it towards the end since every oven acts a bit differently. You will know it's done when it looks darker and has risen! Poke a skewer into the centre of the cake and if it is done it should come out nice and clean. As long as there isn't any wet batter you're good to get it out of the oven!

When you have got it out of the oven let it sit in the tin for about 10 minutes. After that, move it to a wire rack so it can cool all the way through. It's very tempting to sneak a slice when it's still warm but if you're planning on adding the icing you will have to wait!

Making the optional icing!

If you fancy making the cream cheese icing it couldn't be easier and it's worth it! Chuck your cream cheese, icing sugar and a splash of vanilla into a bowl and beat it together until it's nice and smooth. If it's a bit thick loosen it up with a splash of milk. You're aiming for it to be soft enough to spread without dragging the cake but not so runny that it just slides right off the edges!

Make sure your cake is fully cooled before you put the icing on. Dollop it on top and spread it about and don't stress about making it look perfect. I think homemade cakes are not meant to look perfect Then all that's left to do is cut yourself a slice and enjoy it with a cup of tea!

A few quick tips before you get baking!

Make sure you grab plain pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling! They look very similar on the supermarket shelf but he pie filling has extra sugar and spices that we don't want.

If you're stuck and can't find any pumpkin puree, it can be hard to find here in England, you can easily make your own. Roast or boil some chunks of pumpkin until they're soft and blitz them in the blender until completely smooth. Just remember to let it cool down before it goes anywhere near your batter!

Don't panic about the colour. This cake is going to look a lot darker than a normal sponge thanks to the brown sugar and the pumpkin. So if it looks a bit golden brown don't worry it isn't burnt, it's meant to look like that!

If you fancy making individual cupcakes, just spoon your batter into some cupcake cases and check on them after about 18 to 22 minutes. They'll cook a lot faster than one big whole cake.

Don't stress too much if you're missing a spice. Cinnamon is the important one here that gives it that proper cosy autumn smell and taste so as long as you've got that covered, you're good to go!

What cakes do you like to bake at this time of year?