A doing day

Today was a day to get things done. I intended to work most of today but the weather got in the way, so I work tomorrow and today I tried to do those things that have been hanging around.
First I went to aquacise with Dawn, it was pretty full on. Then I ...

Put Rimu door knobs on the hall cupboard doors. (Saved from when I redecorated Eli's bedroom)

Then I made a pile of crystalised orange peel. Yummy in Xmas fruit mince and hot cross buns. I don't approve of all the imported fruit and veges we have. We can grow our own, we should be supporting NZ growers. So I only every buy oranges when the NZ ones are in the shops. My mother gave me $10 for my birthday specifically for NZ oranges as she knows I love them. So when eating them I kept all the peel in the freezer and today I preserved them.

It is not quite spring and so fruit has not yet come on but we have run out of berry jams. I had some blackcurrants in the freezer, so I pulled them out and made 7 pots of yummy jam.

I then pulled down the Roman Blinds that I had made for our room as they were mouldy and yucky (that is what not having double glazing will give you). So I painted these wood mouldings as the new curtain rails will go on these and then they will be screwed to the walls. I undercoated, then I did two top coats. By the time I go to bed tonight I will have the new curtain rails up.

I completely dismantled the blinds and kept all the bits for some time when I decide to make others.

In amongst all that I did the usual - two loads of washing out on the line and in, mopped the floors, dealt with the kids, did dinner and lit the hot tub............ off for a soak now.

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A finish and a WIP

All embroidered and embellished

On Tuesday I spent the day in the company of Jane Van Keulen - textile artist, and lots of other ladies. Jane comes to Kaiapoi twice a month and takes a day of stitching.

This was the first time I had juggled my work schedule to attend and I managed to finish a dove for the xmas tree and start a pig.

The back of the dove

The dove I first covered in white silk. This was then satin stitched around all the edge to hold it onto the pattern last. Then the embellishing starting. Silver thread is couched, sequins and beads attached and a little bit of stitching.

Both these projects are patterned and designed by Jane and the fabrics and threads are dyed by her. I loved having time out during the day to stitch and chat.

I do not need to start any other new projects but all of Jane's work just inspired me so much, I want to do a million things!!

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The start of my pig stitchery

Baking with the boys - Rice bubble cake

A wee while ago I blogged about baking with the boys and how I am teaching them to follow a recipe. I had set the target of each of them baking once a week to help to make sweet things for their school lunches, but it is working much better at once a fortnight.

Stirring the rice bubbles together

In the fridge ready for school lunches

Tonight was Eli's baking time. I had told Rachel at church that this recipe only takes 5 minutes to do. Well it took 7 and that was with Eli doing it.

We had a very busy day with Father's Day. A Fantastic service at church where all the men had a paintball competition with a big bulls eye out the front of the church. Then we spent most of the afternoon at Freeman's in Lyttleton listening to live Jazz - a favourite thing to do.

When we got home Eli still had to do his baking, he put it off this afternoon. So Aaron is on the XBox, Jakob is relaxing in a bubble bath and Eli baked. I think Eli likes baking as he really likes licking the bowls and pots!!

Scraping out the bowl

 Rice Bubble cake  (I originally got the recipe off my friend Delwyn years ago, but it is around everywhere)

8 Cups of rice bubbles

7oz butter

8 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons honey (we use Dirk's Kaiapoi honey)

Put the rice bubbles in a big bowl. Put all the other ingredients in a pot on low on the stove. Let it melt and the sugar dissolve, turn it up a fraction until bubbling. Stir every 30 seconds and watch it bubble and turn golden brown.

Pour mixture into rice bubble and mix really well. Tip into a lined tin (I use an old fashioned sponge roll tin but if your tin is square it will just make the biscuit a bit thicker at the end). Press it really really hard into the tin (TIP - dampen the ends of your fingers before doing this and then it wont stick to you). Cut immediately and put in fridge to set (30 minutes). Store in the fridge and enjoy.

I also have a version of this that is dairy free so good for allergies as no dairy, egg, gluten

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Another Upcycled Merino Boys Top

Yes I have been in my finishing mode again. I cut this jumper out for Jakob about 3 weeks ago. I thought that if I cut it out then I would get it done. But it still languished in my sewing corner.

He had picked the colours about 2 months ago!! He went through my stash of Op Shop Merino jersey's. I then had to sift out which ones would not garner enough material to remake a top. Just like Eli's jersey I used an old Top Kids magazine pattern.

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Showing off the coloured facings

Belgium Biscuits - the fast and easy way

Our whole family love Belgium biscuits but they take so long to make. Rolling out, cutting, baking, sticking back together ......

So I tackle it a different way and make it in a slice tin. Just as yummy but four times as fast to do.

I use the Edmonds recipe but double it. This will then make a slice in a sponge roll tin. (this has already been doubled)

First cream the butter and sugar well, then add the eggs one at a time. Sift the dry ingredients into this and mix until the crumbs are sticking together and looking chunky - like this

Press just over half the mixture into a baking paper lined tray (I use an old fashioned sponge roll tin)

Soften the jam in the microwave with a good squirt of lemon juice. This should make it runny enough to just pour on and have it easy to move around the slice. If you don't do that the jam is very hard to spread on the biscuit base. Traditionally the jam is raspberry jam - but we ran out of the homemade stuff months ago. What I do still have in the cupboard is blackcurrant jam and that makes a gorgeous tasting slice. Use what jam you like. Pour the rest of the biscuit crumble onto the jam.

Smooth out the crumble and press gently. You want it setting together but not so hard that the jam oozes up through this layer. Bake at 180C for approx 20-25 minutes. Until slightly golden and looking cooked all over.

It is important to add a runny icing as soon as you take it out of the oven. I then sprinkle a packet of jelly crystals on top - just because this is how I have always made it. But you could do hundreds and thousands. Or nothing at all. Once cooled but not cold, cut into slices. 

Belgium slice
250G butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
4 C plain flour
2tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
2tsp ground ginger
2tsp mixed spice

3/4 cup of jam and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Pink icing made how you like to make icing.
Packet of blackberry jelly (optional)

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Zakka Style

 A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a challenge from The Make Cafe in Christchurch. You purchased a 1/2 metre of linen and they added a couple of off cuts and sent them in a package. You were then meant to make an item "Zakka Style". (there are lots of craft books with the Zakka name and it looks like smaller items using bits and pieces you have around. A lot of the use the base of linen)

Now this coincided nicely with two baby showers booked on my calendar. Two of my quilting buddies and good friends, are having babies and I wanted to give something made by me. Both are set up for children as this is not their first so my idea was to make something for the Mum. I will pop a couple of little gifts inside.

In order to fit the Dresden Plate design I made these ended up being very large!!!

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I always link with Crazy Mum Quilts for finish it up friday.
Also posting this with Lil Pip Designs on her Spring has sprung week. I feel new babies certainly give you that spring feeling. I feel the need for some photos of little lambs!!!

More Christmas Presents

Well I was inspired by a blogger I follow ____________ (please you NZ bloggers tell me who it is. I have spent the night going through everyone's blogs looking for the right blog to reference) and have done a little ceramic painting.

This blogger had some features of her gorgeous painted mugs in the NZ House and Garden magazine too. So I have been collecting white plates, cups etc and last night before the rugby I started to tackle the project. Mine are a lot more "primitive art" but I am thrilled with them and I know the kids will too when they get a personalised cup and bowl for Xmas.

As instructed I found the pens in Spotlight in NZ. Only $9.95 each. But you do need to shake the packet and make sure you can hear the ball bearing clattering in the pen, if not then that pen has dried up.

The porcelaine pens

A lot of bowls to do

A pile of cups to finish

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The Madness of Spring

I am blaming this all on spring. A spring that has sprung about 4 weeks early. All the daffodils are coming out. I picked a bunch of traditional yellow ones and lovely creamy jonquils to add that gorgeous scent. I put them by Aaron's bed as they are his favourite flower (after the poppy - but the sensible poppies realise it is not yet spring and only one is out).

All this madness has extended to my stubborn, obdurate, immovable, mulish (I had to look up synonyms in word to find all these) husband. Or you could put it in a positive frame - persevering, committed and resolute.

Yes we had AGREED - I stress that word - that when our new Canadian Cedar Hot Tub arrived that we would not attempt to put it together but would pay someone. We had the someone lined up. I cam home from soccer this morning to find him very unhappy (and that is putting it mildly) as he had been attempting to erect this hot tub himself!!! Hmmmmmmmmmmm.. It kept falling apart etc. So two hours later with the help of me and the boys the hot tub sides are up.

The half completed hot tub

Now what does this mean? It means that Aaron missed the Opera. Yes this is the New Zealand Opera that came to Christchurch. He has really wanted to go and booked for himself. And he missed it!! Why - because he wanted to get the hot tub up. And he had Really Really wanted to see it.

The bits still left to do.

Well we are going out to dinner tonight. His obstinacy has saved us quite a bit of $$$$ (and we are all pooped.) so we will treat ourselves with a little of that saved cash.

As we have only a half finished hot tub I am going to go and have a relaxing bath. Whew I feel I deserve it.

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3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Devine Chocolate Mousse

This recipe takes all of 5 minutes to make. It is my favourite chocolate mousse as it is quite creamy and smooth. This is not a dark chocolate flavour.

I have no idea where the recipe came from as I have been making it since I was 17 and have never had a written recipe.

Chocolate Mousse
150g of dark chocolate - I used 70% cocoa solids
200ml whipping cream
3 eggs.

Melt the chocolate (if doing it in the microwave you can put a wee knob of butter in and it will stop the chocolate getting overcooked).

While chocolate is melting use a bowl to whip the egg WHITES to stiff peaks. Once chocolate is melted add the egg YOLKs to the chocolate and stir well. Then add 3 tablespoons of the egg whites and mix to soften the chocolate. Add the rest of the egg whites and carefully fold them in. Use the egg white bowl to put the cream in and whip the cream. Add this to the chocolate mixture and fold carefully.

Put into pretty glasses and refridgerate for four hours or more (will keep in the fridge for up to four days and be lovely).

3 ingredients

enjoy it.

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This is how we roll....

With piles of paint. Anyone who follows my blog will know that when Aaron goes away - I paint. This time though he knew about it as we have had plasterers in all week. - yay for having our EQC claim paid out.

Rolling , rolling, rolling

The plasterers finally finished on Friday at 1pm.

So that was when I started.
2pm Friday - Sand, prep, gap fill etc all the lounge, kitchen and laundry. Paint the undercoat sealer.
Decide that I was just too tired to continue on and start with the colour (as did not finish until 9.30pm)
Saturday morning - start painting the colour. Finish at 2pm Saturday. Whew!!

mmmm chocolate mousse

I amazed myself as in among that I still made a good healthy dinner on Friday where normally I would resort to takeaways when doing painting. Then this morning after the big rugby club finals day, I decided that I was going to paint the hallway too - it too has been plastered but is a big mission as there are 8 doors and door frame in our hall - aaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh - lots of brush work and edges.

To make me feel better I made some chocolate mousse as a reward for when a layer of painting was done.

The hall so far today has taken four hours and all I have done is prep and undercoat. Eli was very keen to help me and so I put him on the end of a roller. Though I was very quickly abandoned as the company of his brother (who was on the Xbox) was apparently far more interesting (and he told me his arms were tired!).

I am not looking forward to continuing on... but it will happen. Because all the other things have to happen too - school lunches, lots of washing, making beds .................

I had to pop this photo in as part of the EQC work we have fixes to do in the bathroom, cracked floor etc. So we were in Mitre 10 looking at new showers etc and Aaron had to try out this bath - When I took a photo I was advised that it was not to be on my blog - but I am not always known to follow advice.

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All my own design

I have been working on this quilt since 2010.

Well to be honest I parked it since May 2011. When I last blogged about it - here.

I started it when I went to an amazing day in CHCH that was with Leanne Beasley and Rosalie Quinlan. The most fabulous day in the world. Leanne taught how to put a quilt together, how to design it, layout etc.

Rosalie taught hand applique - in a method that has not pins and is so easy.

I got inspired when I got home and started this. There is a lot of embroidery all designed by me, heaps of blocks in miniature (finished block size 4.5") and a lot of applique, also designed by me - in fact the entire quilt is a Karen Schulz original.

I parked and did not finish as there were two blocks to stitch. But finally I realised that this needed to be finished and so I decided not to do any stitching but just assemble it. So I sewed it together, put on the border with flying geese just in the bottom left corner. I am loving it. I pinned it out last night and now it is ready to quilt. Hmm there is so many other things going on in this quilt that I think I may just have to be stitch in the ditch. Hopefully I will not park it too long but actually get on with quilting it.

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