Anna of the Mutton Years

Anna, a middle age woman in England with a self-deprecating look at life, mostly. I am not one thing, I am many and so is my blog. It's a lucky dip when you read me. I am part cook, part struggling fashion forward thinker, part mother, part professional job holder, part chicken keeper, part shopper. I am not an expert on anything other than me and I'm a 'bitsa'. So is my blog, bitsa' this, bitsa' that. I'd love to have your comments on my bitsa' life. Please follow and share my story.

The One in Which Mr Him Dances

...and he wondered why his hips hurt the next morning!

The One in which Mr Him Sings

Join us in Brackley, a full 2 D experience. Unfortunately.

Vlogmas One 2018

Hello dear reader,

How are your festive preparations going? I have barely started but what I have started I can share with you in this vlogmas 1 video. Mr Him does star but at least he's not singing or dancing (which does happen in later vlogmases.) He is just wearing a questionable shirt. You know his loud taste in clothes! Miss 24 also stars.

Enjoy,

A UK Spa Break

Dear reader

Today I'm appealing to the voyeur in you as I take you to stay in a spa. So if you've ever wondered what a spa break in an old English house is like join me watching the video below. Mr Him does not appear so do not fear.

Mr Him enjoys a meal out in Uncoordinated Clothing

A Slice of English Life

Grab a coffee and a slice of English life

Simple Minds and the Grandslam Concert

My dear reader

Mr Him took me to see Simple Minds in the summer. Well, I saw them. He spent much of the time in a queue for gin for me. Still I had a great time. Enjoy the video of what I could film of KT Tunstall, Pretenders and Simple Minds.

Mr Him Foibles the Making of Sloe GIn

Dear Reader, Mr Him is a fallen man once again. A bit of ridiculousness has returned. A little bit of ridiculousness mind you. And this time I filmed it. Yes, I caught it on camera.

It goes like this. Mr Him was proud. He had foraged in the woods at great endurance and discomfort to himself. His bruised and battered person from thorns and berry juice returned home with sloes to make his sloe gin. He gathered his instruments and set to work. A demijohn, some gin, sloe berries, sugar and maple syrup.

He poured in the berries, he poured in the sugar (except he didn't), he got a funnel to ease in the pouring of sugar (except it didn't)....anyway I have told you enough.

Here is the video and beforehand you will see him taking me to a carwash to give me a date day, yes he's full of romantic ideas, getting me a coffee decorated with 'a splodge', followed by entertaining me with the making of sloe gin.

My Youtube playlists

Dear reader

Whilst Mr Him picks up the courage to resume his nonsense behaviours and defy my instruction to be sensible, you may like to grab a coffee, beer, wine or cocktail and join us on some endeavours.

Here is a playlist of our vacation in Tenerife staring Mr Him, Miss 23 and the Automotive Engineer.

Meanwhile I have seen that Christine asked me if i've thought of doing instagram stories. I smiled I tell you. I have been on instagram for a few years and yes I do stories most days. You will find me on instagram at mutton_style. if you catch it today you will see me having at home dental treatment from Miss 23, haha. Mr Him is on instagram in the guise of a ginger cat, Redrelaxercat.

Travel playlist

Here is a playlist of, well, just English life

and here is a playlist of shopping

and here is a playlist of outfits.

In theory each video will lead you to the next in the playlist you have selected. Yes, I have been busy.

Making of Rhubarb Gin

How I made Rhubarb Gin and Mr Him does a BBQ

See he's still being sensible. Maybe I should pour the gin down him! No. That would be a waste.

Rhubarb Gin but first a BBQ

Update and Vlog

Dear reader

Big news! I've started a Vlog.
Here it is. Very new. Get it whilst it's young.

Subscribe here......please

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCstgRTy7c1W69lkMlc53-Nw

You'll find a trip to the Garden centre, an opening of the M&S beauty box and a vlog of this week.

There are errors. It's a learning curve.

What else is happening? Mr Him is still being sensible. That's likely to change as the sun arrives and goes to his head.

I hope you dear readers are well. Do join my YouTube journey. See how I grow. It can only go upwards, believe me.

Remember that I also blog at https://www.muttonstyle.com/

Easter Chocolate Dessert

How was your Easter or Passover, if you celebrate? We had a quiet but pleasant Easter. It was five of us at our house for lunch.

we like our gravy! The puffy thing is a Yorkshire pudding. The meat is in a bowl top left waiting to be served

Often the weather is reasonably hot at Easter but this year it was chilly. I debated a bit with myself on what to wear and ultimately chose a simple formula that worked for looking slightly dressed up but warm whilst being casual enough for the kitchen preparations.

Mr Him cooked roast pork and trimmings and I made an apple and rhubarb crumble using ingredients from the freezer and cupboards so I was pleased with the economy.

Miss 23, made an Oreo dessert. She likes to make the video recipes that flash up on Facebook but I have linked a YouTube below for you. It was funny hearing Miss 23 say 'it looks like its meant to!' Don't we all feel that when it turns out right, haha.

This dessert was yummy and with the melted chocolate topping of dark chocolate it had a chocolate torte sort of flavour. You know, that rich bitterness. She will make it again. I'll make sure of that. Here's the recipe for your files. It is a video recipe.

This is an abridged version. If you wish to see the full post including outfit ideas pop over to here

Introducing the Continental Drift Linkup blog hop

Wecome to our Continental Drift linkup! The reason we decided to have a dabble at a link up was that we thought that there are so many genre of bloggers out there that we could learn from that we decided to gather a knowledge and lifestyle share in one place once a month. On the first of the month we will host the Continental Drift.

The concept for myself and my fellow hosts ( Bojana , Sydney Shop Girl ) is that we, the hosts, write a post about our life or life in general on our continent/Country/state over the past month and our favourite thing from the month. You as a linker can post on any family friendly topic that you like be it DIY, cooking, sewing, crafts, lifestyle, de-cluttering, RVing across Mexico or Alaska, moving house, fashion, style, beauty, make up. Your hosts to this linkup come from UK, Canada and Australia.

Well, I'm from the UK so it falls upon me to write on my life here. March has been the month when the cold war seems to have started once again. We are living a John Le Carre novel. The news every single day features the latest update on the poisoning of the former Russian spy and his daughter.

Now I am sure that you have not delved into my blog for the life and times of James Bond or George Smiley so let's quickly move on but I would be interested to know whether this is in your daily news.

Early March saw southern England, where I live, first see winter this year. Goodness knows why we are so out of sync but finally I was able to get into those warm jumpers and boots and kick that fluffy white stuff around a bit. Yes we had the arrival of the Beast from the East, and no, she is not the Beast from the East.

The Beast from the East was not the poisoning episode either ~~however apt.~~ It is the fond name we gave a snow storm that came from Siberia at the beginning of the month.

It was my perfect opportunity to carry a kettle outside, which of course has to be done!

March also sees Mothering Sunday in the UK or known more commonly now as Mother's Day. Yes we have to be different don't we! Now Mother's day brings me back to the beginning of this story, Zizzi, for wasn't it in Zizzi that John Le Carre re-visited started in March in the UK!

My oldest daugher decided to take me out to lunch for Mothers Day and booked the Zizzi Mother's Day special (goodness there could be bad taste jokes galore, but I will refrain.) One of my reader's the lovely Pouting Pensioner was quite horrified that I was in Zizzi a week after it's name was all over the news but then realised it was a chain of restaurants.

I also took my mother out for lunch so I am wrapping those two events as one for my favourite thing. It was special to be taken out by my daughter of course but equally special was taking my mother out. She has Neutropenia which is a non-existant immune system so as she says a cold could kill her in a week. She was very depressed after the diagnonsis and lived in bed. I organised social care once a day for her and that motivates her to get up and dressed and so on every day. So for her to enjoy a meal out and glass of wine is special.

Mother's Day in the UK is actually Mothering Sunday and 3 weeks before Easter. It is the day that apprentices and servants were allowed home to visit their mothers in centuries past. I understand that before that it was a day for visiting the 'Mother Church' but we are going back to the 16th century.

Now please do follow each of your hosts Bojana , Sydney Shop Girl and Mutton Style on at least one platform (Instagram, Twitter or blog)and comment on their blogs. It would be great if you could read and comment on the blog above yours in the link up. You might make a new friend.

Please do pop over to see how Bojana , Sydney Shop Girl have spent March on their continent.

Wecome to our Continental Drift linkup! The reason we are dabbling at a link up was that we thought that there are so many genre of bloggers out there that we could learn from that we decided to gather a knowledge and lifestyle share in one place once a month. On the first of the month we will host the Continental Drift.