Christmas is fast approaching and in the interest of my sanity time, the usual handmade cards are out the door this year! No pieced paper tree or hand-stitched felt stockings but a picture of the girls stuck to the front - the interesting part was getting a picture:
The dog's off
Not happy...
lovely pic of the big one
can we all look please
this one is it I think, at least they are all there and smiling...
Growing plants from seed seems to have eluded me in the past. Despite the care and attention they get, my seeds just won't sprout. It seems however that my luck has changed - I think the girls are on to it! Above are the sunflowers the three year old planted with me and below are just one of each of the borlotti beans and pumpkins the one year old randomly threw to the wind:
Perhaps the secret is to be a little more random and free rather than precise. A friend said to me last week 'embrace the chaos children bring' - it appears my plants are appreciating the disorder that the grown-up members of the house need to resign themselves too!
These arrived yesterday in the post from the lovely and uber efficient Christine. I received 72 six-and-a-half inch nine-patch blocks...
And these are my favourites:
Excuse the blurry photo - I thought I'd share some progress on the quilt for the smallest - a different configuration of half square triangles to the first quilt but using the same fabrics - I have to get it done this week if I'm to have any hope of binding them both by Christmas! Binding is my least favourite part because it means I'm done, no more changes, no additions... no more fabric to include...
Any suggestions on mitering corners? I've not bound with mitered corners before and would love to learn how...
Last night involved bubbly, old friends over for dinner, laughter and story telling, more bubbly and this:
The perfect summer pav!
They are such a simple dessert to make with stunning results.
PAVLOVA
Preheat oven to 200C.
Separate eggs and weigh the whites. Reserve the yolks for mayonnaise or custard (or both!).
In a another bowl, weigh out the same quantity of sugar. For example, my nine egg whites weighed 290gms so I measured out 290gms of sugar to another bowl.
Beat the egg whites until peaks form then continue beating gradually adding the sugar one tablespoon full at a time. When all the sugar is incorporated, and the beaters are still running add one tablespoon of rose water (if you don't have any, just leave this out).
Spread on to baking paper lined trays. Put in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 160C. Bake for 30-35mins or until lightly browning on the outside - and I do mean lightly! Don't open the oven door - just turn it off and leave to cool in oven for a couple of hours.
Decorate with whipped cream and seasonal fruit between each layer and on top.
Another favourite in our house is winter pavlova - follow the same process as above but very gently fold in one cup of dark chocolate chips and one cup of chopped roasted hazelnuts instead of the rosewater. Decorate with whipped cream, raspberries and shaved chocolate.
As I was making a layered pav, I used three round trays and divided the mix in three but you could just use one, and bake for longer.
Was feeling a little seedy this morning from a couple of glasses of bubbly (give or take a few) last night when I was heading out the door at 7am for the farmers market. I walked past the front garden and the heady scent of roses greeted me - no better hangover cure. Here they are, picked and adorning my sideboard - the room is filled with an intoxicating perfume - what a way to start the weekend!
I hope your weekend is filled with friends, flowers and a little bubbly! xx
I love tea. And tea cups. I had this love instilled in me by my paternal grandmother from when I was a wee babe. She was Scottish and had a way of making tea that nobody I've ever met can replicate. It's about the ritual as much as the drink. About the belief that a cuppa will fix all the woes of the world.
So, it was with great delight that I unpacked a box given to me by my maternal grandmother. I can't tell you the gratitude I have for the gift. My Nana has given me six perfect tea cups to add to my collection. They are the complete 'crazy' tea set that she bought for my great-grandmother from the first ever pay cheque she ever received. The best unexpected present - thanks Nan!
What do you with excess oranges? My significant other brings me a box of oranges every three months - it's my 'reward' for him leaving me to battle the smalls for five days (yes, FIVE WHOLE DAYS with two small people who don't sleep) while he has a break away visiting his uncle (and FOUR WHOLE NIGHTS worth of sleep)... Ummm, flowers, chocolates, diamonds... No. Oranges. So I feel obliged to use them somehow. I've tried marmalade but all that peeling and cutting and overnight soaking is far too complex. So, what exactly does one do with a fifteen kilogram box of oranges???
Do you find you have lots of motivation to start new projects but find they quickly become not so interesting? I am known for the number of projects I have on the go at any given time and I am also know for almost never actually getting any of them finished. So, it was with great delight that I finished blocks for the reproduction nine-patch swap and got them posted yesterday. I've been on roll lately with this finishing business.
When I was pregnant with the big small (who is now three and a bit) I started to make a quilt in bright coloured half-square triangles. I got as far as making the squares of two triangles and there they sat in the craft room, and sat. Finally a month or so ago I decided to do something with them - this is the result:
It's still to be bound but...
And there's still enough squares to do another for the small small in a different configuration of triangles - the girls are getting these for Christmas so I had better get a wriggle on!
Here are some pics from a swap I am doing that the wonderful Christine has arranged. Thanks for organising this Christine. The swap blocks are all due to be posted now and I can't wait to get some back!!! Best I get off to the Post Office with this lot...
