"heeeeeey good lookin' whatcha got cookin'?"

So today for Dinner I made a DELICIOUS chicken and leek pie mmmmmmmm. One day in work, one of the staff made it for us all and as soon as I tasted that, I was in heaven!!!! I just had to try and make it myself for Matthew and I. So I did and now it is definatley one of our favourite meals.
So I thought I would put up the recipe on here so that others can make this great big bowl of absolute deliciousness haha. So here goes..

Ingredients

• 4x Chicken Fillets
• 3x Large Leeks
• 1 Large tin of Sweetcorn
• 2 Tins of Mushroom Soup
• Just Roll Shortcrust Pastry (obviously you can make your own pastry but I'm too lazy)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 
• Cut the chicken into small pieces, fry in a large pan until it is white all the way through. 
• Chop the Leeks into small pieces and add them to the pan to lightly fry them. 
• Add the sweetcorn and again, lightly fry. 
• When the veg is lightly cooked add the tins of mushroom soup. Mix well and bring to the boil. 
• Pour into a pie dish. Sprinkle flour on the work surface and roll out the pastry. Place ontop of the filling and chop off any long sides. Pinch the sides together, put a very small cut in the middle and add decortaion with your left over pastry. 
• Crack an egg and whisk it up and brush all over the top of the pie. This will make it lovely golden brown. 
• Pop in the oven until golden brown and VOILA! BON APETIT!

I usually make broccoli and mash as a little side dish with my pie but you can do whatever you like. Hope you enjoy!!! 

 I love putting hearts in the middle. 

Here's one I made earlier ;)... How delicious!!

Happy Birthday Maffry!!

On the 10th of January we celebrated my Maffry's birthday yayy!!  He is now 27... saayy whattttt?!? When I first met Matthew he was only just 23 so that is just soooooo crazy that now he is celebrating his 27th birthday, where the heck have FOUR years gone?!

    This was when we had JUST started dating. Maff was 23 and I was only 17 WOWWWW!! 



With Maff's birthday always being sooo close to Christmas, I would say it's always pretty sucky for him. I never know what to get him as it's just been Christmas, and I would already buy him everything he wants, and it was always around him doing exams in uni so he would be stressed out preparing for them. So we usually just go for a cinema and a meal and get him a little gift (usually with him being there to chose it.)
So for his birthday this year, I wanted to make it really special for him. Matthew always spoils me soo much and treats me like such a princess it's about time I treat him the same.. (obviously not like a Princess haha.) So I decided I would take him away for a couple of days. I had it planned since the beginning of December. As I thought about what I should get him for his birthday, he just turned to me one day and said "Melissa, I want to go to Warhammer world." BINGO! 
For those that don't know, Warhammer is Games Workshop. It's tiny army figurines and you collect them, paint them and then play with other nerds haha. I LOVE Maff collecting them, he's actually BOSS at painting them and I love that he has a hobby and the fact that really he's the biggest Nerd known to man but a super secret one.
Anywho, back to business... So I booked 2 nights away for us at the premier inn in Nottingham and I was soooo excited about telling him. I had it all planned out and could just picture his face. He was asking me and my family every day where I was going to take him and it was just killing him that he didn't know. He did say it a few times but I would reply "Matthew, seriously you honestly think I would go to Warhammer World with you?! You'll have to go with your brother." He believed it too, because he know's I can't stand being in the Games Workshops. Matthew seriously gets his geek on when he's in there, talking to the workers about Space Marines and Dwarfs. I totally nod off haha. But my plan was going GREAT!! I was so proud of myself for not telling him. We travelled to Nottingham the day before his Birthday so the night before that I was making tickets (Warhammer World is free so we didn't get tickets.) All day he was playing on the playstation with my brothers and didn't come in the office ONCE and then just when I decide to make these tickets he walks right in there!! GUTTED! He pretended like he didn't see anything but I knew he did and then he just came out with it. He was still excited about it and I still made him tickets so that's good.

                            The tickets I had made for us that were MEANT to be a surprise. 


When we arrived at the hotel we were exhausted!! I fell asleep at about 8.30. It was really wierd being on our own again after living in a house of 7 people for a couple of months. But it was nice. We just chatted about everything and laughed loads! On his Birthday we had a delicious breakfast and then went on our way. Warhammer world was actually pretty good. I did think it would take all day but it was just this room with allllll the armies in there to look at, hand painted and a huge castle that was made and painted by the staff. That was pretty amazing. It reminded me of Hogwarts from Harry Potter so I was loving it.
After Maff had spent about an hour in the shop buying his paints and chatting with the workers- surprise surprise. We decided to go to the cinema's to see the new film, 12 Years a Slave. Okay, I encourage EVERYONE to see this film. IT. WAS. AMAZING. It was about a black freeman who was like a celebrity with the whites for playing the violin. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery. It was very sad, brutal but soooo real! I love learning about the black's in America so this was definatley my kind of film.  Maff loved it but he said he probably couldn't watch it again at how violent and real it was.

Birthday Kisses for my Birthday boy! hehe!

 Maff was in his element hahahaha!! Also, these are the figurines that Maff wants to paint only alot alot smaller. 

Alright, I have to admit that is pretty cool! This was handmade and painted by the workers. 

Amazing film!

After the movies we had a yummy TGI Friday's yayy!! Then back to the hotel and we had Shloer, Lindt Chocolates and had another early night... we are actually so old, we love having early nights haha. So the next day, we travelled home but we went by Liverpool. Maff finished off spending his birthday money. He bought 2 t-shirts, a shirt and a gorgeous new coat. He looks soo scrummy in it!! Then at night I had planned a surprise birthday meal at his favourite restaurant MEET. I had invited his family, my family and his best friends. He LOVED it!! He said he has had a perfect birthday and tonight totally topped it off being with everyone that he loves yayy!!

 In his new shirt and coat and his trainers I bought him for Christmas.. How hot is my hubby?! 

 Ready for his birthday meal.. 

Happy Birthday Maffry!!! 

That cake was delicious!! 

So glad everything worked out how I had planned and it was just perfect for my Maff. Now to start planning his next birthday trip away hmmmmm.... 

!!2014!! HaPpY NeW YeAr !!2014!!

It's a brand new year and I am soooooo excited for what this year will bring. Matthew and I have so much to look forward to and so many adventures I just know we will go on this year.
So as it's the start of the year, it's goal setting time. Every year I always set goals and they last for a month and then I just fall back into my old ways. But this year Matthew and I are both going to try super hard to keep the goals that we set as a family and our personal goals. So I thought I would write my goals on here so that any one reading can keep at me, making sure I'm completing all of the goals that I set because I am just useless. Sooo....
1. Finish reading the Book of Mormon. I have read it once already but I really want to finish it again. Sometimes I think I forget the feelings I have when I read the Book of Mormon, I feel at peace and I feel so close to my Father in Heaven and my Saviour- why would I not want that in my life?!
2. Attend the Temple ATLEAST once a month. This is a goal for both Matthew and I but it's one that is very important to me. Matthew and I live 40 minutes away from the Temple in Preston. That is nothing when members used to travel for 4 hours to get to the London Temple before Preston was built. I just love going to the Temple. Just walking through those doors I really feel like I'm home. Every trial that I'm facing in my life just leaves me for them few hours that I'm inside the Lords house, it's so peaceful and beautiful. So Matthew and I are really going to try and make an effort to go a lot this year because we definatley need the blessings.
3. STOP BITING MY NAILS!!! This is my goal every single year and I really can never seem to stick by it. For as long as I can remember I have always picked and bit my skin and bit my nails. It really is a horrible habit. So 2014 is going to be the year that I stop for sureeeeee.
4. Save some money. To be honest, Matthew and I are both pretty good savers. But we really don't want to be staying at my parents house for years. So at least by this Christmas, we are hoping we will save enough to have our own house again.
5. To be less selfish. I absolutely love being a wife. I have always dreamed of being a "desperate housewife" with the huge house, lovely neighbours, neighbourhood parties and staying in all day baking pies haha, but sometimes I can be quite selfish and often I will think of my own needs and my own problems over Matthew's. So my goal for this year is to show Matthew how much I love him by always thinking of him over myself. After all that's what marriage is all about, loving one another, making sacrifices and ALWAYS thinking of your partner over yourself.
6. To become closer to my Saviour. Last year I feel like I wasn't as close to my Saviour as what I could have been. Yes, I went to Church every Sunday and I would work really hard in every calling that I had but that was it. I wasn't reading my scriptures, saying my prayers or having family home evenings or going to the Temple as much as I wanted. I would only really do these things when I needed help from my Father in Heaven. Joseph Smith once said "one of the greatest sins a member of the church can make is the sin of ingratitude." I was being very ungrateful. I have been blessed so much and helped through so many trials but why would I be blessed any more when I only come to Heavenly Father when I really need something in my life? So 2014 is going to be different, I'm going to go back to my cheesy Mormon self (even though Matthew hates the cheese in Mormons haha) listening to EFY songs and church songs all the time, reading my scriptures and praying every day and, as a family, we are going to have family home evening every Monday. Then, I know for sure we will feel close to our Saviour.

So, 2014 is going to be a brand new start. This year is going to be OUR year.

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland..."

Today, my mum and me went Christmas shopping in Manchester to buy Presents for everyone from my mum and dad. We had such a lovely day and we got some lovely gifts for people that i'm sure they will love. It was so nice to spend some time with my mum shopping as all of our lives get soo busy during the year and yes, i'll go with her to run little errands or whatever but we spent the whole day today just chatting, laughing and of course what girls do best... SHOPPING.
We walked round all of the shops in Manchester and were sooooooo tired. One bad thing about shopping in Manc is that the shops are all sooooo far apart so you actually feel like you've walked up mount Everest by the time you've finished your shopping. But I've really missed Manchester so it feels really good to be home. I have to pretend I hate Manc to Matthew as he's a Scouser haha. But really I am a Manchester girl and always will be. I especially love Manchester at Christmas time, they have the most amazing Christmas markets like soooooo many stalls with cute things on. And it just looks soo Christmassey.
Whilst we were by Jack Wills we saw a few people with Cath Kidston bags and obviously, from reading my other posts you'll realise I am probably a little obssessed with that shop so I just HAD to know where it was. So we asked people and found it.... OH MY DAYSSSSSSS I wanted to cry!!!!! It was the most amazing Cath Kidston store I had EVER been into. It had THREE floors and had absolutley everything in it. So, my mum being the most amazing Mummy in the world bought me a pair of...... CATH KIDSTON WELLIES!!! as my Christmas present from her and my Dad arghhhhhhhh! They are sooooooo cuteeeee!!! But i'm not allowed them until Christmas day wahhhh, I can't wait to wear them, and don't worry then I'll put a picture on of them.
So after doing lots of shopping and spending all of my Dad's money shh don't tell him. We decided to have a yummy Nandos to finish off a wonderful day. We could not move. Our feet felt like we had huge rocks attatched to us and we were sooooo hungry by this time we could have actually eaten the whole of Nandos haha. I love spending time with my mum, I hope when we have children and they grow up that they will want to hang out with Maff and I and not be embarressed by us haha!.
Now it's off to do some Christmas wrapping.... seriously I should have been an elf!

Manchester at Christmas time. My family and I used to drive in to Manchester to see this Santa and all of the lights every year. Soo lovely and Christmassey.

The Cath Kidston store in Manchester... the most amazing one i've ever been in!

Frozzzeeeennnnn!

For my work I am a support worker. So I look after a 15 year old boy with cerebral palsy. We know the family really well as they are in our ward and so they let Maff come with me for my 10 hours a week job (yayyyy I only work 10 hours a week.) So for tonight's activity, Maff and I took Cam to see the new Disney film called Frozen... IT IS AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! Definatley up there with Tangled.
Frozen is about a royal family and the princess is born with powers to create snow and ice. When her and her sister were young, they were playing in the snow that she had made but had an accident and the Princess ended up blasting her powers on her younger sister causing her to have ice inside of her. Because of this the Princess was so worried that something like that might happen again as she couldn't control these powers, so she hid herself away in her bedroom. Her younger sister was so wild and crazy, she just wanted to play all the time, but the Princess would not come out of her room. Unfortunatley their parents were in an accident on a boat and died and so when the Princess was at the right age she HAD to open up the gates to the castle to the people and accept her crown. She did, she came out of her room for the first time in years, was face to face with her sister and accepted her crown. Her and her sister get into an argument as her (now princess) little sister could not understand why her older sister didn't want to hang out with her. So they get into a huge row, and when the (now queen) becomes angry or upset, she creates more snow. She made the town a disaster and nearly caused harm to so many people, so she ran away high up into the mountains and she sang the song "let it go" so obviously she was free to make as much snow as she wanted. It was amazing. She made a huge palace out of ice and she made herself the most gorgeous dress! I wont tell any more of the story, you'll have to watch it yourself because it really is amazing. The songs are so catchy and probably throughout the whole film I had the biggest grin on my face because I just loved it so much! Cam and Maff loved it too. Cam was so excited when all the songs came on. Due to Cam being in a wheel chair we had to sit right at the front which at first we felt like we were breaking our necks but it was actually amazing, being 3d things proper jumped out at you. Usually I hate 3d films, I just think that they are a waste of money because nothing is ever actually 3d and the glasses hurt my eyes. But Frozen in 3d... wow! I definatley recommend. Frozen is DEFINATLEY a must see!!! I really went to be the ice Princess now in her gorgeous ice dress and Ice palace ahhhh!

"The BEST time of the year... When Christmas comes to town"

Christmas is my absolute FAVOURITE time of year. I love all the lights, the Christmas decorations, the Christmas songs, Christmas dinners, parties, being with family and of course it's one of the only times of the year where everyone is focused on Christ and his birth.

Usually I'm wanting to put the tree up and sing carols in September but this year I decided to cool it and do it  all in December and not get all stressed over everything. I absolutley love Christmas films, all of them I could watch over and over again until Christmas day. The grinch I think is so amazing... "what if Christmas," he thought, "didn't come from a store... what if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." I love that quote from the film. Recently I went Christmas shopping, and it was soooo busy you wouldn't even believe. So many people stressing about what gifts they were going to by, stressing that the perfect gift would be sold out by now, it's like CHILL OUT... They really don't fully understand the TRUE meaning of Christmas. It's not about the expensive gifts, the designer clothes, money etc. Christmas is all about giving, families, friends, love, peace, joy and hope. I'm not going to lie, I have had to tell myself this a few times over the years so this year I have decided that I'm going to do it differently. I have so much to be grateful for and this time of year I get to spend all of my time with them things and really think about the birth of Christ and all that he has done for me. " May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift the Saviour." (President Thomas S. Monson.) So, instead of thinking of all the gifts that I want for MYSELF this year I am thinking of what ways I can have a more tender and caring heart for my Saviour.

On Sunday we had our ward's Christmas Nativity- IT WAS AMAZINGGGG!!! All the Primary Children were dressed up as Mary, Joseph, the wise men, Shepherds and Angels and sang so beautifully and reminded us all of the birth of Christ. I just loved it. It was soo cute and they brought such a lovely spirit to the ward. Afterwards (because we had finished early) everyone stayed in the hall and talked with one another, it was so lovely to see everyone getting along and so happy with each other, this is why I love Christmas! From the spirit that it brings, it makes everyone forget about troubles that they are having or how bad their year has been,  and makes them happy instead and look forward to the New Year ahead with their loved ones. So to finish off this blog post, to anyone that is reading.... MERRY CHRISTMAS.... I wish you so much joy, happiness and peace as you go through this beautiful season <3

We are off on another adventure!!

So recently, Matthew and I moved in with my parents... eeeeek!! I was sooooo nervous before moving in, I didnt want arguments between us all, or for my parents to treat me like a little girl again but we have been here for about a month now and it has been amazing.
Before we moved my job had me sleeping over and staying away from Matthew ALOT, even on Sundays. So Matthew found things very hard as he had just moved from Liverpool, studying in University (so being very busy) to Wales, where he was working from home, his phone lost signal allll the time, I was hardly there and obviously it was out in the country so it was VERY quiet. So he just found it super hard. Having no Uni grants anymore, building up your own buisness and just working 25 hours a week made us not have a lot of money and actually made us lose loads! So things were very stressful for the both of us, so one day we just came up with the idea that if things get really bad we can always move in with the parents, we did a pros and cons list and reallllyyy thought about ho it would be at my parents and obviously things got worse so we ended up moving in.
When we moved in, that weekend was just D.I.Y the whole weekend (well, Maff did everything haha....girls aint no good at that!) So we made the bedroom how we would like our own home to be. Really classy and modern. We love it. Maff worked so hard on it all cause he wanted it to be perfect for me awwwwww!! (how cute is my hubby????)

                      This is our gorgeous new bedroom that my Maff made perfect for us.. 

Maff loves hanging out with my brothers, they get on really well and my little sister loves us being around. She's currently waiting for her boyfriend who is serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so I think having adults around to talk to (other than the parents) is really good for her. She comes into our room every night and chats with us on the bed about everything really. Me and Char have always been the ones to play with dolls together and get in to so much trouble for being naughty and not tidying our room and I guess growing up I would never imagine Char waiting for a missionary cause she's always been naughty Char haha. So it's really nice to have adult conversations with her and hear about her life and how she's coping with her boyfriend away. She is absolutley amazing... I really don't think I could do what she's doing. She's growing up so much every single day, it's really nice to see.

                                 This is me and my Beaut little sister.... how gorgeous is she?! 

       My gorgeous Charly with her boyfriend who is serving a full time mission in Utah, Ogden. 




So, at the minute Maff is still working from home, buidling up his buisness, but he is doing sooooo well here! I'm very proud of him... I am currently working 10 hours a week, which I LOVE!!!! andddddd Maff gets to come with me for them shifts yayyyy, even better. I'm still a support worker but now I work with a young boy who has Cerebral Palsy. We know him and his family from church so we are very grateful for letting us work for them. But he is the most gorgeous boy in the world! We have grown to love him so much. He loves Matthew, as he's a scouser, he just laughs at Maff's accent the whole time haha it makes us laugh so much. This young boy is soo kind, and caring and loving and he has just the most sweetest spirit. You can tell that he loves his parents so much for everything they do with him.
Hopefully, Maff and I can save enough money up by next Christmas to be able to move out, and who knows maybe we'll have a little bambino ;)  Watch this space! <3