L.T. Marshall's Blog, page 22

Book 8 Free for 5 days!!

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My Creative Unicorn Journal

So this little book went live a week ago but as I only just received my author copy today, I just had to share it.

I am so proud of how this has turned out and just needed to show it off to fellow unicorn lovers. Initially I designed it for myself, being a fan of the wreck it journal idea, but way too anal to literally ruin a book in the ways it asks you to do. I bought one for my daughter and she too had issue with ripping pages, smearing them on pavements etc. Too much of a perfectionist like her mother. So I made an alternate. No ripping, ruining of any sort, but instead you fill this book with your creative genius and colour…art, doodles, writing , quotes and keep it as a shining example as to how arty you really are.

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To get your very own copy , you can just click this and go right to Amazon.

https://getbook.at/WreckColourUnicorns

Chinese Pork and Mushroom with Fried Rice

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One of our favorite dishes to buy from our local Chinese is this. So often in fact that it really starts to cost a pretty penny. So today I decided to give it a go myself, seeing as we had all the bare necessities in my freezer and cupboards.
This is how I did it, after reading a few recipes and winging it. I didn’t have every ingredient from any I found so I used what I had and decided to share.

We used a small pork joint

Made a marinade as follows
In a bowl combine –

1 tbsp five-spice powder1 tsp fish sauce2 tbsp each dark soy sauce, brown sugar, honey1 tsp dark vinegar1 garlic clove, crushed1 tbsp sesame oilSalt for seasoning

I sliced up the raw pork, coated and left in the marinade, mixing thoroughly for around an hour.

After that I diced one small onion and threw a quarter of that and the entire contents of the marinade bowl in the slow cooker and left it until the pork was cooked completely. I covered it with foil before putting the lid on so I lost no moisture. It can vary on your slow cooker.

I took out the pork and sliced up into bite size chunks and left in a bowl. I poured the onion and left over sauce in a jug with 100ml boiling water, one chicken stock cube, 1 tsp soy sauce and left it aside.

The Pork and mushroom dish.

While cooking this I put on my white rice to cook.

6 large mushrooms chopped up. A quarter of an onion chopped1 garlic clove chopped

Sesame oil and normal vegetable oil (make around a tbsp worth for frying)

Throw the ingredients into a pan or wok and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add the pork, fry until the Chinese sauce infuses with the other ingredients then pour in the jug of sauce and cook down for a couple minutes. If you want a thicker sauce use cornflour mixed with a little hot water added to thicken the sauce. Add as much as needed.

Once your rice is cooked, drain and rinse and leave aside.

In a pan with veg oil, throw in one whisked egg and scramble it quickly, throw in –

Half of an onion diced,1 tbsp defrosted peas, 2 tsp Soy sauce and 1/4 tsp sugar. Salt to season.

Fry up until the peas are done, pushing around the whole time, then add the cooked rice, mix well and take off the heat.

Serve together.

I am not a great cook or any kind of chef but this was really tasty and the family all had seconds.

Leanne’s Easy Peasy Lemon Cake

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So here is another recipe for you all.

My son and I like to bake cakes and experiment often and this is one of those outcomes. Now before you start, I would advise you to pre-whisk your egg whites (you know like a proper baker would do) if you want a fluffier risen cake, but as 1 – my mixer blew up a couple months ago ( I swear I did nothing) and 2 – I am lazy and it gives me shoulder ache( well, it does). I just dumped all my ingredients in, wet first, dry second and hoped for the best. That’s where the ‘easy peasy’ comes in.
See – GENIUS!
The result is it doesn’t rise as much as most cakes, but then again it is a small amount of batter so it’s not too bad. It still tastes great (and edible) and my kids wolfed it down.

I particularly like it too, and with a cup of tea and my knitting. I was a happy chappy.

You will need –

A child…… optional but in my case I use my son as slave labour for all the icky things I do not want to do. Like grease baking tins, or cutting circular grease paper. Also dishes.

For the cake –

250g Butter
250g Self Raising Flour (I like to call this the lazy persons flour)
250g White Sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 large tablespoons of sprinkles if you want to be as cool as us and pretend it’s a party in a cake. We chose pastels as you know, chic and cute all in one.
Some lemon curd (in a jar from our local Tesco, cos I am good like that) or you can be posh and make it yourself but you may need to find someone who can actually cook to advise you on the how.

Method (don’t laugh) –

Okay may I remind you as previously mentioned – Lazy. Broken mixer. No baking skills.

Toss your butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk like your life depends on it. (You can shake your ass and fit in some swats about now)
Add your eggs (not separated, whisked and floofy like a pro. Please!)
Whisk once again, I hear it builds wrist muscles and you want to be working off the cake you will inhale when it is ready.
Add your lemon yumminess (the essence, not an actual lemon, I am not that posh.)
Now chuck in your flour gradually (that would be small amounts at a time), whisking as you go (I know, it’s total sacrilege that I didn’t even sift it for goodness sake.)
Don’t over mix your flour as someone intelligent told me that’s bad for cakes and will mess with your flour. Believe the cook, don’t listen to me……it just works better that way.
You have a thick gloopy and somewhat tasty batter once it is all incorporated (oooh long word.) I may or may not have eaten some….a lot. Licked spoons, and bowls and left my face in the state most toddlers learning to eat soup for the first time do.
Chuck in one of your tablespoons (party in a cake) sprinkles and stir in. We need that added pizzazz.
Now get your two greased (by the slave child I keep in the dark for such tasks) baking tins. Divide the mixture between them and slam the crap out of them onto your surface to level them out. (or maybe just spread it gently like most would do.) I opt for slamming as you can really emotionally work through all those daily grievances in such a healthy way.
You know the ‘why can’t he put the loo seat down!!!’
Put it on the top(ish) rack of your preheated(don’t make me laugh) oven. I am going to say gas mark 4.5 as I really didn’t turn it all the way and then remembered ten minutes in and turned it all the way to 5 (rebel)
Now a timer would be advisable but as I live dangerously and like to time things by intuition and fire alarms I suggest you check it after 20 minutes (unless it looks like it may be on fire) . Poke it with some sharp pointy tool to see if it is cooked to the bottom. Clean if it is…. ashy and black if it’s over cooked.
Take out and leave to cool.
While basking in the knowledge you just gave Nigella a run for her money and should be opening your own bakery, I would like to share the icing recipe.

Icing (it tastes good even if it was made by my hands)

In a rather lovely little bowl. All by myself as the child ran off by this point.
Chuck the following in it. (add some extravagant dramatic tosses for effect)

100g room temp butter (fancy schmancy)
200g Icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon essence
1 tablespoon milk
Now whisk like you want your shoulder to dislocate and it’s all so creamy and yummy. It’s foolproof, trust me. I know.

Take your cake (now cooled and remembering to remove grease proof paper from base – don’t ask or I will have flashbacks)
Spread a layer of lemon curd on one of the cakes. Thickness depends on how much you want to use but we tend to spread it about the same as we put on toast. Except if you ask Chloe, don’t use Chloe’s measurements as she uses a jar over 4 slices on a good day.
Plop the other cake on top (we are going for edible and not fancy)
Spread your buttery lemony icing all over the top, and the sides and plate, floor, hair, hands, face……sorry. Just the cake will do (Right, Zack??? He came back to help and I am now eye rolling with a cloth in hand and contemplating needing more icing)
While the icing is still ‘moist’ (I know you hate that word) chuck on your other tablespoon of sprinkles. Like a wizard throwing pixie dust into an assailants eyes.
Aim for the cake though and not as Zack does which is mostly on the floor. (Might need more of those too then)
Now your masterpiece is complete and you have to take the quickest non styled picture in history before your kids start eating it with their hands ( I raise feral offspring. Blame their father for leaving me unattended in their developmental years for this thing called a job)

I suggest slicing it up, like normal humans do.

Enjoy!!!

End of the week update

First week back to school for the kiddlywinks and I am exhausted. I gave myself a week or so to recover and get back into a routine before starting the next book and at this rate I may need an extra week. I feel as though I have been reversed over by a truck and then some.

Who knew a school holiday would get me so out of whack and out of shape.

So far this past few days I have been catching up with chores, errands and knitting (supposedly a relaxing hobby). I managed to pop a lot of listings on my Etsy store this past couple of weeks, before I go into my cave for the next book and do not see sunshine for a month. I may have been speed knitting for this exact reason, although I have a few more designs I want to get done before I move to Halloween themed.
Eeeek. I LOVE Halloween.
I have a lot of bright cuddlies to keep me company though, while locked away in my writing cage and wanted to share the one I finished today. He just makes me smile.

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Isn’t he adorable?

You can get the free pattern right here by clicking this!!!

I also list all free patterns on this handy page in case you ever cannot find a blog post – Patterns!

I guess I will be posting some yummies over the next week too as I have a couple of baking recipes I want to try out and love nothing more than to share with you. If you like sweet treats I have a page for my shared recipes here – Recipes!

For those impatiently waiting, the next book I have on my ‘to write’ list is – Alexi’s View. The POV book to accompany Carrero 7-9. We shall start on it very, very soon. I promise.

Don’t forget to mosey on over the Facebook page for updates .

Peace out xxx

Free Buddy Bear Knitting Pattern

So my children finally went back to school today. Woohooo. Summer is officially over and that means I can soon get my writing schedule back on track and start on the next book.

Meanwhile, I am getting back into a routine, so I am giving myself a few more days of knitting some toys as we ease back into school runs, work schedules and empty houses.
I have added a lot of patterns to my Etsy this past week or so and here is another freebie offering from Rachel and I. We make a great collab team and this bear will soon have a follow on pattern for an outfit (or a few) So keep checking back to my Free Patterns Page if you do not follow my blog.

If you don’t want to miss a free pattern then subscribe and you will get an email anytime I post a blog.

This little cutie is a joint effort yet again with the lovely and super talented Rachel from ‘The Daily Rachel’. Watch her blog for any outfits she may design on her own for Buddy!
We worked him out together and she got the task of knitting him up for the pattern (my effort will follow when I knit him up in rainbow wool). She tweaked where she felt was needed and added her own spin to his styling.

Don’t forget I also have a wool, fabric and thread group on Facebook where you can share all sorts of fiber related crafts and get patterns from fellow users. 
Join here!!! It’s called Wool, Thread ‘N’ Fabric Addicts!
I sell my designs on Etsy  if anyone wants to browse or buy my other designs. I aim to add a new one frequently.

FREE Printable download here –

Buddy Bear Knitting PatternDownload



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Granddads Chewy Chocolate Krispy

A great treat for everyone.

I have been meaning to share this recipe for a while and only just got around to it.

My granddad was one of the best cooks ever. He loved food, cooking and baking and he was always in the kitchen when you went to visit. Some of my most loved recipes originated with him , passed down through my mum and onto her kids. I have so many fond memories of helping him in the kitchen or visiting their home and breathing in the best smells as you walked in the door.

My granddad was creative, artistic and very laid back. I think I inherited a lot of his genes and now I would love nothing more than to pass on one of our family favourites (we still have this at every family get together and party)

Chewy Chocolate Krispy



You will need.

Rice Krispies (enough to fill a round baking tin to a level surface.)
6 heaped tablespoons (be generous)- Cadburys hot chocolate powder (the type that you make with milk)
Syrup – 2 Tablespoons
Butter – 6 ounces -It has to be a butter that chills firm, like stork baking butter.

Method

Firstly pour Rice Krispies into your baking tin and level the surface. This is the best way to get an exact measurement. If you want to use something bigger than a cake tin then double the ingredients above accordingly.

Pour the Rice Krispies into a bowl that can handle heat.

Now butter your cake tin and stick it in the fridge.

In a small pot put your syrup, butter and hot choc powder and turn the heat to high. Using a wooden spoon stir as it heats.

It should come to a bubbling boil quickly, with the mixed ingredients resembling a thick shiny sauce.

Turn off the heat and immediately pour into your Rice Krispies . Mix fast until well mixed and immediately pour into your cake tin. Work fast as it cools quick.

With a metal spoon, use the back of the spoon to smooth it out and push down into the tin. Running the spoon over the surface will make it flatten. Be firm as you want to compress it all to be able to slice it later.

Stick in the fridge until its fully cold and very firm. Normally I leave ours for an hour.

Cut into slices and eat.

Chewy and sweet and an all time fave with the kids.

You can also substitute the Rice Krispies with muesli or add nuts and other ingredients as you go. Experiment.

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Free Knitting Pattern of Nellaphant

A dear friend of mine, Rachel, asked me a week or so back to design her a knitting pattern for an elephant. She is obsessed with them, so as she does so much for me, I decided to take the challenge on. I got her to send me some google images of elephant toys she liked to give me an idea of what she wanted and set to work.

As I am swamped right now I decided to write her one blind – by that I mean I designed it on paper, wrote a rough pattern and pre-warned her she might need to tweak little bits that I had written up badly or in error. I used other designs I had previously made to steal body parts and came up with a Frankenstein of sorts. Luckily it turned out well.

Rachel took on the challenge of then knitting up my pattern, pen in hand to alter as she went and the result is so cute we just had to share.
Show her some love by visiting her blog post and thanking her for Nella right here CLICK ME, also check out her mermaid that she knitted from another of my patterns as a tester.

Rachel of course tweaked the odd detail to perfect Nella and we are so happy to share our collaboration pattern with you for free. It deserves the love of fellow Ellie lovers.

I sell my designs on Etsy but this one was such a joint effort I feel it deserves to be shared with the world. I will be working on the mini version soon, but enjoy this one in the meantime.

I also have a wool, fabric and thread group on Facebook where you can share all sorts of fiber related crafts and get patterns from fellow users.
Join here!!! It’s called Wool, Thread ‘N’ Fabric Addicts!

FREE Printable download here –

Nellaphant Knitting PatternDownload



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The Carrero Mag , Issue 3 is Live!!

Carrero Magazine Issue 3

The Carrero magazine is a fantastic accompaniment to to The Carrero Series by L.T. Marshall.

Issue 3 is now live on Amazon.

http://getbook.at/CarreroMag3

Issue 1 saw us catching up with Jake & Emma.
Issue 2 was all about Arrick & Sophie.
Now in this 3rd issue, we catch up with Alexi & Camilla, with a bonus excerpt that will leave you open mouthed and wanting more.

These magazines are a great addition for those readers who are addicted to the series and miss their favourite characters.

You will need to have read books 7-9 in The Carrero Series for this magazine to be of any value.
#clubcarrero #thecarreroseries #PictPublishing

The Carrero Mag , Issue 3 is Live!!

Carrero Magazine Issue 3