Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

In my absence...

...I've been busy!!

I have been baking, planting and crocheting like a good 'un!

I have planted various herbs in pots on my kitchen windowsill. Chives, basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, coriander, plus lavender and various salad leaves. I also have chili peppers and bell peppers growing, and starting to flower, woohoo!!

On the baking side, I have made some more banana bread, some more normal bread, some soups, some pies and the odd quiche.

On the crocheting side is where I have been busiest though!

First, I finished my blanket...


I won tickets to 'Sewing for Pleasure', (in a competition run on a website I am a big fan of - www.makeitandmendit.com. a fantastic fair with hundreds of stalls full of fabric, wool, paper crafts, sewing machines, craft books, more fabric, beads, jewellery findings, sewing bags, more paper crafts... Very much fun. Well, while there, I bought some blank cards (for later projects) 10 balls of yarn for £10 (bargain!) and some other bits and pieces. After I finished my blanket, I wanted to use my new wool for something, but couldn't really face starting another 48 hours of blanket making! So I decided on...


A new bag!
Lined and everything!

Obviously there are no close-ups of my stitching, because I'm still not very good, but I'm quite pleased with the bag all the same. The bag was finished within a week, so, seeing as I was on a roll I wanted another project quick! And I found this on ravelry - http://goodknits.com/blog/mary-jane-slippers/. And from that, I managed to make these...

I didn't make them for anyone in particular, just to see if I could. But after I'd made one, Hairy Face asked to have them. He wore the one I had made until I finished its pair, at which point he popped that one on too! Excellent!

So that's all from me for now, hope you like!

Peggy xx


Sunday, 30 January 2011

Productive Sunday

As the title suggests, I've got some stuff done today!

My intention was to get in some sewing machine practice, crocheting, cooking and rearranging my bedroom... Well 3 out of 4 isn't bad!

Yesterday I did all the boring food shopping. But on my travels I may have accidentally popped in to the wool shop and bought 7 balls of various colours. Oops. However, it did mean I could get a bit further along with my blanket.




Today I went out with my Dad, went to Congleton, then Leek then home via Buxton. Lovely scenery on the drive.
















When I came home, I was in the mood for doing, so I rearranged my bedroom. I used to do this quite a lot when I was younger - every year or so I would move all the furniture round. Well, I did the same in my lounge a couple of months ago, and had been plotting what to do in the boudoir, and finally got round to doing it. I must say, its rather lovely. I don't have a photo because I have started (but not finished) the decorating, so it doesn't look as good as it could... One day I'll get it done!

Then, I went on a bit of a cooking mission. I had a wee bit of spare pastry from hairy-face's pie, so thought I'd make a quiche, a proper one this time! So I did that. Then, seeing as I was on a roll, I also made lasagne, cranberry and chocolate chip cereal bars, apple and banana bread (it's good Hedgehog!) and shepherd's pie. I have taken a photo, but unfortunately some of the bread and quiche have already gone... Things don't last too long in our house! Still, it's all tasty-gorgeous, which is the main thing! And, it means for at least the next 2 nights when get in from work I don't have to do cooking! I can just eat eat eat! One of my favourite things to do!


All in all, rather pleased. Now it's time to get ready for work and ready for bed!

Toodles!

Peg xxx

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Stitching and cooking, not in equal measure

I've had a sewing machine for about 5 years. Saturday was the first time it has been turned on in those years. Admittedly for a good portion of that time, I had misplaced the foot pedal... I have moved house 3 times since acquiring the machine, and seemingly only took parts of it with me. I searched ALL the boxes I hadn't unpacked and it wasn't there. So I checked the ONE box I knew it wasn't in, and lo, it was there. So, I asked my aunty (who my sister will attest is an amazing woman, an incredible role model who could build a log cabin from scratch and then furnish it for you) to give me a sewing lesson. And she obliged. So, Sunday, and my Aunty came, ready for my lesson. I set up the machine (after 10 minutes trying to find the illusive foot pedal - I'd put it somewhere safe after I found it, and subsequently lost it again), read through the instructions and settled at the table, ready to thread the machine. But no! No bobbin. I had EVERYTHING needed except that. My bobbins were in fact in storage - one of the few things I hadn't removed from my Dad's house during my various moves, and he had put it into storage while having his house renovated. Curses. So, we went on a bobbin hunt. Tesco, no joy. Rymans, no joy. TJ Huges, no joy. Aldi - full sewing machine - possibly a little OTT just for a 20p bobbin. So, trek back up to my aunty's house (a good 15 minute drive from me). But finally, bobbin joy.From then on, the lesson was productive, informative and enjoyable. And now, I just need to practice getting a straight line, then I can feather my cap some more! And with perfect timing, my lovely hairy-faced man bought me this....


Happy days! Lots of lovely projects to get stuck in to!

I think it might have been a thank you for the meat and veg pie I made for him the other day. My first attempt at pie... I'm hoping to be more home-focused... Making my home nice, cooking more, crafting more, that sort of thing!

I know the heart is a bit twee, but I had spare pastry... Incidentally, I hate making pastry. I'm pleased that I can, and because I know I can, I think its reasonable for me to buy ready-made stuff from now on. Is this acceptable?!

I haven't done any more crafting since my last post, but I have been cooking a lot. In addition to my pie I have made 2 lots of banana bread (a hairy-face favourite), cannelloni, and what I like to call 'pasta-quiche' (something I keep insisting my sister make, because it is yum-scrum).

Cook pasta and leave to one side
Chop onion, mushrooms, peppers, bacon, chicken (or whatever you would normally put in a quiche), and cook until soft
Beat 3 eggs together with a dash of milk and some salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a greased quiche dish
Cover with some grated cheese
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes

Serve hot or cold, it sits well in old tummy tumkins. Mmm-mm!

This week I have been working the late shift, so my evenings are painfully cut short. It makes me grumpy. I'd much rather finish work at 4 and have hours and hours to while away on crafts and cooking and lovely things. Stupid work getting in my way. Ah well, back on 8-4s in a week and a half... Roll on February 7th! I'll be much more productive then!

Anyway, that's all for now.

Toodles

Peg*

xxx