Nigella, I am Not

We have lived in our small village for three years, and between babies and holidays have never had chance to enter the village show. This year I was determined that I would enter for the first time! I love cooking and baking, and thought it would be great fun. My parents moved to our village last year, and my mum (seriously good cook) had decided that she would enter several of the classes, amongst them the jam and lemon drizzle cake ones. Well, that threw down the gauntlet, and I decided I just had to enter! In my fit of enthusiasm I also decided to enter F in several of the kids classes too...

I'd already made Raspberry jam from our harvest of raspberries, and had whipped up a jar of Lemon Curd in response to hubby's requests for a jar for his toast! I spent most of the preceding day in a whirlwind of preparation, baking lemon drizzle cake and fairy cakes for F to decorate, cooking scones, quiche, stirring large pans of chutney and overseeing F's chocolate krispie cakes, miniature garden and fruit sculpture.

Well, clearly a day of standing in front of the cooker acting like Nigella was not good for me, and I ended up throwing out my SI joint. Very, very painful, and something which I suffered with through both of my pregnancies. I could hardly stand up. Oh dear. So I hobbled round the show, very painfully and VERY slowly to see how I had done. Yay! I won second prize for my Cheshire Cheese Scones, and also second prize for my Caramelised Onion Quiche, but best of all, I had won FIRST for my Spiced Apple Chutney!! This First prize also won me a Cup, for the best Chutney in the show. I am sooooo proud, that my first time show has earned me a first time CUP! F did brilliantly too, taking First for his Chocolate Krispie cakes, Third prize for his (delicious) Smartie Cookies and several Highly Commended prizes. My parents and hubby's gran came over for Supper after the show, and we (well, they, I am veggie) ate Gammon with my prize-winning Spiced Apple Chutney to celebrate!!

So, a week of being unable to sit at the computer, chiropractic sessions, ice, freezing spray, diclofenac, very strong painkillers and a wonderful hubby who has not allowed me to lift a finger (doing everything around the house (including washing EVERYTHING in the laundry basket, sorting out all the paperwork and hoovering everywhere!) and sorting all of my Bella Mama orders for me) and my sister coming over to do BM stockcheck for me, has allowed me to rest up and fix my back so I am ready for another week of running the house and business whilst hubby goes over to the States.

My back is almost back to normal, and I now need lots of pilates and yoga classes to keep my back in working order so I can keep on top of day-to-day household business and BM orders!