Slow and Sew

Finally I have a cold enough day to light the fire. 

A fire at night is lovely, but there's nothing like that smell of your dinner slowly cooking on top of the fireplace all day!

 Lamb and Lentil soup / stew 

The latest quilting bee is another Quilt Around the World. 

We each make a starter block and send it on to the next person, who adds to it and send it on to the next etc, etc. 

There are 24 recipients so I should end up with 24 blocks of a similar theme.

Here is my Lone Star starter block. 

Biartch of a thing to put together but what a great result!

t X

Project update (and moan)

You may think I've been idling the days away preparing for the packers to sweep all our worldly goods into boxes while I wave around looking ethereal without a care in the world.

Let me tell you;
a) sorting out kids toys is a right royal pain in my a*se. Trying to hide the culled ones is an even bigger pain!

b) We still have 10 days of living in this house to go. A myriad of decisions as to whether to throw away the packet food now or wait just in case I need it to make some dish???

c) This office sewing area is still a nightmare that needs urgent attention. Of course, I am in denial and hope it will all miraculously be organized by the 15th (without me having to do it, of course).

I've been getting some practice in on Big Bernie (the Bernina).

 Taggie

Cushion Cover

Play quilt

Quite industrious if I say so myself! Bernie and I are slowly getting the hang of each other, as you can see.

Teacher's gifts

I'm half way through. Still got the Rocky Road to cut up and bag, Peanut Butter, White Choc and Sea Salt Biccies to make and one more Fabric basket to make.

Now we're off to see Santa!!!

Back to School/Kinder - Blogtoberfest Day 10

God, it's hard yakka on the first day back after the holidays! Kids and self to get organized and out the door, lunches to make, Charlie did the usual and slept in, so had to wake him up just after 8 and shovel food in, arguments with Dom about getting dressed before the telly goes on and taking thine own crap upstairs, not leaving it for Mummy to do later. And all while my significant other slumbers in bed! The Joy! You can imagine my mood by 8.40! Very tweezer-lipped!!

But I've been having some lovely lie-ins and some very lazy days. The boys and I had a very relaxing holiday on the whole.

But it's kind of nice to back into the old routine again. Less time to sit about and eat!

Kids are eating their dinner now and soon will be in bed. I plan to take a nice long bath and sew the binding (finally) on Charlie's new quilt.

Went into the city today to Cake Deco to get prepared for the Cake Pops I'm making for Charlie and his buddy Lou's Kew Traffic School party on Thursday.

 I'm making them fairly simple - you can get some pretty amazing results if you know how, but this is my first time. Will post numerous photos, post party.

Happy Monday ! X

The Old Red, White and Blue

If you have been taking any notice whatsoever of my little progress bars on the side, you will have seen that one of the quilts has recently seen some action!

For the last couple of days of my in-laws stay, I've been making new curtains for Charlie's room.
Yes, we live in a rental.
Yes, it may be a waste of money to make new curtains you may never use again.
But the old ones were;
a) the shittiest faded salmon pink color you can imagine
b) come summer they may as well be open as are virtually see thorough. I need something better to con him that it's night time!
c) they were on rods and the gap had been sewn too narrow and they wouldn't slide. Tiebacks do my head in.
d) until we leave these isles and return to The Homeland, I refuse to live with any more "other people's crap" than I have to. I have been doing this for 11 long years of rental properties in 8 countries. The pink Austrian blinds in the lounge are bad enough!

Anyhoo...I have had this project on the back burner for a while and thought it the perfect time to complete one of the infamous WIP's that I have vowed to wipe out by 2012.

I'd like to say I'll get it done tomorrow but I'm dreaming.

Biggie Smalls has a 7th birthday on Friday and I have to knock out 2 dozen iced and sprinkled cupcakes (school), and ice cream party cake and party food (family, little friends party, Friday Night), Beyblade cake (Sunday, Laserstrike party) .

Plus go to the gym and Costco tomorrow.
They all have to be home made according to his lordship, as "your things taste perfect, Mum"
How can I argue with such wanton bias?!

Baking Day at Casa Los Williams

In the oven as we speak are...

Raspberry and White Chocolate Friands

125g Raspberries (frozen are fine)
185g melted Butter
6 egg whites (or 4 eggs if you cant be bothered)
100g Almond meal
.5 cup Plain Flour
1.5 cup Icing Sugar Mixture
100g White Choc Chips

Crush the raspberries then mix everything together.
Pour into greased friand or muffin tins.
Bake for 25mins at 180 degrees.
Stand for 5 mins before cooling on wore rack then sut with icing sugar when cool.

Chocolate Muffins

1.75 cups Plain Flour
1 cup Sugar
.5 cup Cocoa
2 tsp Baking Powder
.25 tsp Baking Soda
.25 tsp Salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
.5 cup melted Butter
.5 cup Chocolate Chips

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
Bake in greased or lined muffin tins at 180 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
Cool on wire rack and ice if desired.

Hope you're having a happy day wherever you are!

Talofa lava!

We've just returned from a 10 day family holiday in Samoa. 

We attended a friends wedding and had an all round fabulous time. I ate more fish than I thought possible, mostly Oka, but also lots of with Samoan Chop Suey and Taro cooked in coconut cream..Palusami. The food was delicious, the temperature in the high twenties to thirties, and the people, lovely.

Too many Pina Coladas have expanded my waistline, however. Back to the gym today and it was hard yakka!

Now I need to make a gift for the lovely couple who made us so welcome. Thank God the hols are nearly upon us and I can get down 'n dirty in the sewing room for a bit. I'm thinking of a quilt but am having a mental block with ideas. Any suggestions?!

Thermomix love...

I have a Thermomix.

When some people hear that, a curiously mocking grin lurks around their mouths (thinking, I suspect, "suburban housewife, too much time, too much money"). When some people hear, they look at me as if to say WTF is that?! It is a talking point, that's for sure.

Well it's a whizz bang, in your face, beautifully masterminded little bundle of awesomeness as far as I'm concerned! I LOVE it. I use it every day.

Knackers to your bloody store bought pesto, mayo, hollandaise sauce, salad dressing, jam, custard.....I make them all and they taste like proper! I'd never made any of those things from scratch before (because, quite frankly, they sounded like too much of a Bucking Fitch to be contemplated.)

No more caster or icing sugar for me! I mill my own. I could even mill whole wheat into flour. (but truly cannot be bothered going that far!) I made a cake in it last night for school lunches. It was mixed and in the oven in 5 minutes.

I hate kneading stuff. All that crapola about feeling the love in the dough... I hate the stuff sticking to my fingers!! Bread dough, including kneading, 2 minutes. Pasta dough, including kneading, 3 minutes.

Anyhoo....one of my faves is


Mushroom and Prawn Quinoa Risotto. Here's the recipe with or without TM.

Grate 50g Parmesan ((10 secs on Speed 9) - set aside

Chop 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves garlic ( 3 secs speed 7)

Add 25g Olive Oil, saute (2 mins, Speed 1, MC off)

add 1/4 cup of Arborio Rice and 3/4 cup Quinoa (whole cup of either if you prefer) and 100g Verjuice (or White Wine) Saute 2 mins (100 degrees, Reverse Speed 2)

Add  200g Swiss brown (or any) Mushrooms
*Add 2.5 cups Chicken Stock to Thermomix and cook 17mins 100 degrees, reverse Speed 1)


**heat 2.5 cups of Chicken Stock in microwave or saucepan till nearly boiling, add a half cup at a time to risotto, stirring constantly till absorbed.

Add 20 Frozen Raw Prawns in the last 2 mins of cooking. 1 min for Fresh/Thawed.

Season with Salt and Pepper, add the parmesan, rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

I add a bit of Goats Cheese into the serving dish at resting time, just dotting it into the top of the risotto. Also stir in Basil or Spinach leaves in the 5 mins resting time. Whatever you like really.

Pretty healthy, especially as it's mostly Quinoa, and delicioso!

x

progress report...

dress  - pass

dishes - fail

Goat's Cheese is the new Chocolate!

I made a Chorizo and Vegetable Lasagne last night. I had it for dinner and again for lunch today. My god, it was divine! (If I may say so myself)

I have henceforth decided that Goat's Cheese is my new Chocolate. It's zesty earthy taste sends shivers into my tastebuds. 

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I hate tea, and I LOVE Goat's Cheese. 

I most definitely would dance for it!

Recipe here, if you're innerested... You can easily leave out the Chorizo if you want.

Chorizo and Vegetable Lasagne

1 onion

1 tsp Garlic

1 (large) bottle Passata

Salt and pepper

1 pkt Philadelphia Light

1 small Goat's Cheese

Milk

Pesto

Thinly sliced Chorizo Sausage (as good as you can get)

Thinly sliced Pumpkin, Zucchini, Eggplant

Lasagne sheets - Fresh or Dried

Sweat the onion and garlic then add 3/4 of the bottle of Passata and cook for 5 minutes or so. Season well.

Process the Philly and Goats cheese, then add milk 'til it is a saucy consistency.

Layer the Lasagne - tomato sauce first, lasagne, pumpkin, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, tom sauce, zucchini, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, tom sauce, eggplant, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, chorizo, GC sauce, pesto, rest of Tom sauce - add the last 1/4 of the bottle to the top. 

Make sure it's nice and saucy or it will dry out.

Cook at 180 degrees for about 30 or 40 minutes.

maaaaa!

Lazy Sundays

My Man got up at a most inhospitable time to hit a little white ball around on the grass so the boys and I thought we'd make a bit of a thing of our Sunday Breakfast.

Pancakes are my specialty - I say this unashamedly - I have been making them since I was about 7 as they are my Dad's favourite and I've pretty much perfected them, according to my family! I used to be a strict Lemon and Sugar girl but have been swayed by the gorgeousness that is Golden Syrup. Dom's taste see-saws between GS and Honey. Charlie and the Man favour Maple Syrup. They are not the most healthy breakfast I've ever eaten but, good lord, they taste sensational!!

We are coffee drinkers. I try to like tea but I just don't get it. I like the dainty little cups I see in T2 and I just adore teapots but they would be purely ornamental. 

We bought this glorious ensemble a couple of years ago and it was well worth every dollar as I get a skinny latte every morning without having to fork out $3.00 or more for Boiled Essence of Saddled Leather. And the littlies do love a baby-cino with compulsory marshmallows on the side (it's quite embarrassing in the cafes when there are none forthcoming...!)

CBeebies is on the box, we're all still in our jamies, so I've been getting on with the next block in the Around the World Quilting Bee series. I love it so much I want to keep it all to myself!

Finished the birthday Coin Quilt on friday night. She loved it, and the Elmo cake (Elmo at 18, I ask you?!!)

Birthday party on Monday for out friend Charlie B. Robots are the flavour de jour so I whipped up a Charlie Bot for him.

Busy weeks are all the better with a lazy Sunday attached!