Quick tip!

If you’re trying to measure out syrup and finding it hard to do with any degree of accuracy, dip the spoon in oil and the syrup with run off it nicely!

 

Lactofree chocolate mud pie!

I’ve been working on a chocolate torte/cheesecake recipe using lactofree soft cheese. Am almost ready to post a recipe but have a few changes to make first. Keep an eye out though! If you can eat soya then google soft soya desserts to get some yummy results!

Very overdue post…

Sorry, I’m way overdue a decent post and this isn’t going to be it.  I’m flat out of energy, doing a million and one things and have just started an open university course.  I’m still quietly crafting away and hopefully I’ll summon up the energy for a real post soon.

Because I love him…

I made the boy cheese scones, with real cheese and real milk.  I also made myself some but with lactofree cheese and oat milk.  The best scone recipe I’ve every used was one I got when we made them in high school all those years ago so I’ve just added cheese and some parsley and mustard to give it a bit of oomph!

Cheese Scones

8 oz self raising flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp mustard

1 dessert spoon of dried parsley

5 oz grated cheese

1 1/2 oz butter

1/4 pint of milk

• Pre heat the oven to about 200C
• Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, mustard and parsley together.
• Rub in the butter to make breadcrumbs.
• Add half the cheese and enough milk to bind the mixture together.
• Put on a floured surface and roll out to about 2cm thick.
• Cut out your scones so they’re about 2 inches wide (it should make about 12)
• Put on a greased baking tray and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for about ten minutes.

Best served warm and fresh.  They freeze well.

A brilliant pattern and a venture into wool…

I’ve made a skirt!  Actually, I’ve made two recently – one from the fabric mentioned in a previous post and one from some fabric I bought last weekend:

The pattern was great – made entirely from measurements taken from your very own body.  The original pattern was featured in Sew Hip and I adapted it so it has a flat (ie non elasticated) front which suits me better.  Thanks Sew Hip!

I’ve also bought this book:

which is proving much better at teaching crochet than the internet was!  It’s also really well written – a nice and friendly tone

The sun might not be shining…

But sunflowers can still brighten your day!

I know I promised a completed dress within a week… Well, it’s completed but I really hate the photos of it… After much deliberation I’ve decided to post one anyway… Be gentle!

And ignore the socks!

In other sewing news I bought this dress:

I’m not sure the photo shows just how awful the style was but look at the fabric:

Isn’t it gorgeous!  I’m making it into a skirt which is so much more me than the dress I made ended up being…

I’ve also been playing with fymo:

And might post a tutorial for the rings if I get time over the weekend – they are really really simple but I love them!  And they go so well with the skirt fabric!

Finger puppets and watercress!

The dress is almost at the photographing stage!  It should have been completed ages ago but I’m being fussy about the finishing fit…  I promise photos will appear by the weekend.

Today’s Hands On session was finger puppet making, although mine were not technically finger puppets… I started off with an octopus and before I knew it there was a whole sea themed set of puppets!

I can’t take all the credit though!  Whilst the octopus and seahorse were all my creation, the fish was Lottie’s creation and the crab was a combined effort!

Sadly I don’t have a photo of all of the puppets made as there was also a brilliant red riding hood and an alien from toy story!

Next weekend I’m off to abakhan and wirral food festival so won’t be going to Hands On but will hopefully be stocking up on wonderful fabrics at a (hopefully) wonderful price!  The food festival is less interesting for me as I won’t be able to eat most of the food on offer but my dad will be selling his wirral watercress there and I think the boy will enjoy it.

Chosen

Having been paid I have now purchased and read Chosen by Jerry Ibbotson.

It’s a story of two worlds which co-exist, although not always so peacefully and intriguing characters whose journey you travel along.  Even those less important characters have been constructed in such a way that you really want to follow their lives.  There are also a good number of twists and turns which keep you on your toes.

I really enjoyed it but I’m no good at writing about books so I shall refer you to the reviews section on amazon for that!  But I shall reiterate that it has some lovely, gripping characters and it’s the kind of book that sparks an urge to write, or at the very least, create.

Sushi (again!)

This evening we made sushi.  I took some photos to show you how to make it but I’m having trouble with the memory card…

Sushi

Sushi rice
Rice wine vinegar
Fish/tofu/veggies
Seaweed
Bamboo mat

• Cook the sushi rice as per instructions.  Once cooked and cooled stir in 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.
• Lay one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat.
• Spoon rice onto the top quarter of the seaweed then layer the rice with fish/tofu/veggies.
• Roll the bamboo mat towards you, rolling the seaweed as you do so (photos would be helpful at this point!).
• Once you have a tube of sushi cut it into 6 to 8 pieces and serve with soy sauce or wasabi paste.

We used smoked salmon and prawns with soy sauce, very yummy.

Sushi is fun to make but as a warning, or disclaimer, it’s rather messy!!!