This Coffee Cake Recipe (Made With Real Coffee & Coffee Icing/Frosting) Came From An English Recipe As I Could Not Find One In The US, I Feel That Something Got Lost In The Translation But Have Not Worked It Out Yet. I Made Sure I Double Checked Every Measurement/Weight and Oven Temperatures On Conversion Websites, The Only Thing I can Think Of Is That The Self Raising Flour In The UK is Different From The Self Rising Flour In The US (the jury is still out on that one). The Problem Was That The Cake Just Did Not Rise As It Should.
Anyway I Did Say That I would Post My failures As Well As My Successes So Here It Is:

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And A Shot With Slices Missing: [IMG]http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b451/Ellefoxie/My%20Cooking%20and%20Baking/003-3.jpg[/IMG]

Tastes Ok, We Had It Served With Some Whipped Cream!

A Visit from St. Nicholas
by Clement Clark Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Today's Cookie Making.
Tried a New Recipe Today For Snickerdoodles ........ It Is All Peachy Keen's Fault She Made Some and Got Me To Thinking That I should Try These As I Have Never Had One. So Here Is My Effort......

Firstly Some Oatmeal & Raisin Cookies (Rocky Likes These)Then A Close Up Of The Snickerdoodles.
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Another Close-Up and Then The Full Effect lol
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Are You Feeling A Little Peckish Now?

Forgot To Say That Rocky Helped Me With The Snickerdoodles .... I Just Love A Man In The Kitchen ..........

"I Made Myself A Snowman, As Perfect As Can Be,
I Thought I'd Keep It As A Pet, So I Let It Sleep With Me,
I Made It Some Pyjamas, And A Pillow For It's Head,
Last Night The Bastard Vanished,
And Pissed The Fucking Bed" !

The BEST Thing That Can Happen To A Spider ....... I Hate Them!

A quick'ish' look into my days:

Hypothyroidism, the chronic condition of an under-active thyroid, affects millions of Americans. It's most commonly caused by chronic autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto's disease, and can result in a variety of symptoms, including: weight gain (caused by a reduction in metabolism), water retention, depression, muscle pain, increased cholesterol, fatigue, mental "fog" and more. Not only does hypothyroidism typically result in weight gain, but its symptoms and complexities make losing weight even more difficult.
Individuals with autoimmune thyroiditis have a harder time losing weight after their hormone levels are normalized. Experts aren't sure why this is the case, but there are several theories including a change in the metabolic “set point”, insulin resistance, and changes in brain chemistry.

Managing symptoms will help you feel your best when living with hypothyroidism. In conjunction with the treatment plan outlined by your doctor, a healthy diet and regular exercise can also help.

You CAN lose weight with hypothyroidism, BUT:
You may NOT lose weight at the same rate you did before.
You may NOT lose weight at the same rate as someone else.
You may NOT get back to the size you were.

Be realistic about your goals and objectives and realize that being a certain weight or size is not always the best goal when living with hypothyroidism. Having more energy and reducing feelings of fatigue and depression are usually more important to your quality of life.

Make time for healthy eating and regular exercise. Commit to prepare food, exercise and take care of you. Put yourself on your to-do list each day.

Be optimistic and acknowledge the positive changes you have made—no matter how small. Journal about the highs and lows of the journey as an outlet for frustration and as a way to look back at your progress when the going gets tough.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes small steps to get from where you are to where you want to be. The Aesop fable of the tortoise and the hare is a good illustration and reference. You can win the race if you stay focused and take slow, steady steps to get there. Do the best you can. Take a step further each day, pick yourself up when you stumble, and keep your eyes on the goal.

Reduce your use of stimulants. When trying to fight fatigue, stimulants like caffeine may be a way of life. Hypothyroidism makes the adrenal glands susceptible to overwork and burnout. The adrenal glands can only take so much stimulation before they begin to under-function. Weaning off of stimulants, including coffee, soda and tea, can help the adrenal system heal and recharge.

Decrease the amount of carbohydrates you eat. The SparkPeople plan recommends a range of 45-60% carbohydrates for its members. However, research shows that individuals with hypothyroidism are more successful when eating slightly less—about 45-50% of total calories coming from carbs. Limiting your intake to the low end of your SparkPeople range (about 50% carbs) will help you accomplish this. At 50% carbs, your diet will probably result in about 30% protein and 20% fat.

Choose more complex carbs. Enjoy plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, wheat germ). These foods are nutritionally superior to their refined counterparts.

Limit sugary (simple carbohydrate) foods such as pies, cakes, cookies, candy, soda, ice cream and chips. These foods stimulate high insulin production.

Avoid eating carbohydrates by themselves for meals or snacks. Be sure to include a protein source at the same time. Protein is digested more slowly, helping slow down the release of insulin.
Increase your fiber intake to 30-40 grams per day. People with hypothyroidism often experience sluggish digestion and constipation. A high-fiber diet can help move things along so to speak, while increasing satiety so that you never feel hungry. Be sure to slowly increase your fiber over time. To meet this goal, you may also need a fiber supplement such as Metamucil.

Drink 8-12 cups of water every day. Metabolism requires water, so not drinking enough will hurt your weight loss potential as well. When increasing your fiber intake 30-40 grams, water is even more important. Drink additional water to compensate for perspiration from exercise and hot weather.
Exercise & Other Considerations
Hypothyroidism does cause weight gain—typically 10-20 pounds. Gaining more than 20 pounds can usually be attributed to fatigue that limits your activity, not to the disorder itself. When you feel fatigued, you don’t feel like exercising. This can lead to a vicious cycle since not exercising can result in greater fatigue and so on and so on. Physical activity and exercise are keys to weight control and to decreasing the affects of fatigue.
Get regular aerobic exercise. Individuals with hypothyroidism can have low levels of serotonin, the brain chemical involved in appetite control, depression, and sleep regulation. Just thirty minutes of aerobic (cardio) exercise, five times per week can help increase serotonin levels to decrease these symptoms.

Reduce the stress in your life. Stress causes many people to make unwise food choices and overeat. Reactions to stress are controlled by the adrenal glands, which are overworked and under-functioning in hypothyroid patients. Stress also increases cortisol levels, increasing hunger and affecting insulin levels. Reducing stress is an often overlooked factor in weight loss.

Practice deep breathing. Many times the increased weight and lack of physical fitness causes those with hypothyroidism to pant for air, taking shallow, short breaths. Deep breathing exercises can help you take in more oxygen and release more carbon dioxide with each breath and can help with weight loss, stress reduction, and relaxation.
Hypothyroidism is a life-long condition. With careful management, people with thyroid disease can live healthy, normal lives. The best way to take control of your thyroid health is to work with your medical provider to develop a treatment plan that includes nutrition, exercise, and stress relief.

I must say that STRESS is a bastard with this condition - If I get any STRESS I try and take myself out of the situation because it just makes me ill (and it is not nice).

So Before Anyone starts saying ' Your fat go and exercise' Take a walk in my or someone else's shoes that has this condition, and then wonder what it is like to be a 'normal' person. It is not easy to lose weight when you have an under-active Thyroid!......

I have put this in a blog because I am fed up with ARSEHOLES!
ARSEHOLES can now go fuck themselves!... I am better than you!

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A Candle Lit For The Ones Who Will Always Be Remembered!

My Nice Clean Oven - All Ready for my next batch of baking........

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This has got to be my bestest Banana bread with Raisins and Chopped Pecans in it ........ Rocky gave it a thumbs up

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I think this is one of the Best Christmas Songs around.......