Wow look what I found on my doorstep.

This parcel created super excitement at our house this morning. A big box was delivered and we could not understand why. The boys opened it and I had won a competition with NZ Gardener and Tui Garden products. Wow a real trug and excellent fertilizers for the garden. I am thrilled.

I link to these places.

A bit bonkers

Well last night we got home from another 8 days away camping. This time the weather was good and the swimming was great. Yay, I have had a summer holiday.

Anyway, we got home at 5.35pm and by 6.10pm I was baking. I felt bonkers!!! (hence the title) as there was washing all over the floor, unpacking to do, gardens to look at but no- I baked. All because before we left I forgot to put the bananas in the freezer for later use. So on the bench were five very brown bananas. Though once peeled they were just over ripe inside, where I had expected brown.

So I made a double batch banana cake that is yum! I used the Edmonds recipe but don't bake it as long as their baking time makes the cake come out a bit dry.

A few snapshots from today

I have been working on a few things, but often forgetting to take photos. Today both the boys had friends for a sleepover tonight.

I did some baking -Belgium slice.

Made some yummy club sandwiches for lunch.

I have been working on this. Using Taupe fabric from Asia I am making myself a new wallet. My old one is worn. I had cut out the stretched hexagons in order to take this hand stitching away on holiday. But while the boys were all swimming I started on this. I got the idea from Svetlana over at S.O.T.A.K. I had never seen the hexies stretched like that and immediately made two different template sizes and started on this long awaited project.

The boys made some huts on the deck

The younger ones did a bit of this

 

The older ones did a bit of this. Both lots of boys thought they should have done a bit more of the gaming. But hey!!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday and other links here

I declared today a sewing day

And then I promptly did everything but sew.

I changed the beds, did four loads of washing and hung it out, checked the chickens, gardened for an hour, did some grocery shopping, baked a cake, heated leftovers for dinner...... and then finally I sewed.

I did not attack any of my many many uncompleted projects. But I did start and FINISH a project. I made a pile of pillowcases for the pillows in the caravan.

Now this might seem like a daft sewing project but I like 100% cotton, crisp and cool pillowcase to lay my cheek on at night. The caravan gets the rejects - the old towels, the grotty old pillowcases etc and I was sick of yucky polycotton that does not stay cool at night.

I had a fat quarter of the cool retro car and caravan material, the boys immediately tried to commandeer those ones. Then I used another camping themed material.

The main body of the pillowcase was a queen sized valance I purchased from the Op Shop (Charity Shop) for $3. It is a really good brand and 100% cotton.
The total cost of each pillowcase ending out to be about $2.00 each. My kind of price!!

The retro car and caravan material

The other camping themed material

I link to these places.

Dairy Free Zucchini Cake

The boys are going to their grandparents tomorrow while I work. The grandparents are going to be very busy as they also have my other 1&3 year old nephew and niece with them.

So to try and be of some assistance I decided to have the boys take a cake. My nephew and niece have been very dairy intolerant and although they are getting better I still omit dairy when I can.

The zucchini's are starting to really produce so instead of using apples I used zucchini. My spiced apple cake recipe is here - just replace the grated apple with 3-4 grated normal size zucchini.

Needless to say it is not going to the grandparents in one piece as everyone here has already had a slice!!!

I link to these places

My favourite anytime snack

This is great for breakfast, gorgeous for morning tea, makes a good lunch and if you are peckish at three.... well....

Walk to the glasshouse, take a deep breath and smell the earthy growing scent. Look at the glorious produce, pick the biggest ripest beefsteak tomato that you can then walk back to the kitchen.

Toast a piece of wheatmeal or wholemeal fresh bread. Put a 1cm slice in the middle and use as much cracked pepper and salt as you like. Eat, Savour and Enjoy. (In my aim to be a bit healthier I did not use any butter on the toast and it is still awesomely delicious).

I link to these places.

Scrappy Triangle Cushions - Done

 Before Christmas I posted my slow but steady progress on some cushion covers. I had made heaps of scrappy triangles and it was time to use them.

Last night I got the chance to finish them. Aaron and his brother went for a run and then watched a movie, so I got stuck into getting the backing of the cushions and zips inserted etc. Poor wee Jakob had problems sleeping so in between tending to him these got slowly completed. I managed to pack my machine up at about 11.15pm. (We all ended up sleeping in this morning - it made me over an hour late for work - but that was my schedule not one set by my every forgiving boss - aka brother in law).

The quilting on the smaller cushion

I am pleased with these cushions - Jakob being awake still at 10.30pm took the small finished one back to his room. I think I will keep the big one for my bed as I am seriously into sitting up in bed reading, relaxing and drinking coffee in the morning.

The bigger cushion I quilted as diamonds. I prefer this.

So I still have triangles left to use AND I have created another project for myself as I think some of our big European pillows on our bed need nice quilted covers etc etc etc!!!

The back of the cushions.

I link to these places.

Dansey's Pass

Kyeburg diggings at Danseys Pass

 One of the day trips that we did was to go over the Danseys Pass and back. We left the campground (Danseys Pass Holiday Park) and headed into the blue yonder (or rather grey and misty yonder). Over the Pass we went in our two wheel drive vehicle only to find that it is a four wheel drive road only. But we made it OK. It is not a road for the fainthearted and we did consider going the long way back (172km via Oamaru) rather than do the road again. But going back was OK as the day had been dry so it was easier than when damp in the morning. 

The boys graffiti on the car

The New Hotel (rather old actually but newer than the ruins!

Ruins of an old hotel by the "new" hotel

An old mining hotel

 Once we got to Nasby the weather improved and we did an 8km walk along an old goldmining water race. We played Poo Sticks most of the way and I won!!!

Th goldmining water race

I link to these places

Lots of time to stitch

We have come home from 9 days in Central Otago on holiday over the New Year. Now that is one place where heat and sunshine are guaranteed right. Well you would be wrong. We did get some warm days and some sun but we also had a lot of rain. Which meant the river kept going up and then making it either too cold or too swift for swimming.

 So I got quite a lot of time to stitch. I have been working on these stitcheries which are some of the memory verses that the boys had to learn at school this year. I decided to stitch some of the ones that struck a cord with me and then turn them into a quilt. Not sure yet whether I will use the quilt for fundraising if the school has something that the kids need to raise money for, or whether to give it to the boys. As it is no where near finished it is not something I need to dwell on at the moment.

The boys and Aaron did a lot of this.

I link to these places.

Barry's Brilliant Beetroot

Today I have made my cousin-in-law beetroot recipe. It is so quick and easy and tastes yummy. I don't seem to be able to grow beetroot - I try every year and just don't get roots - sigh. So resorted to buying some. So beetroot with a roast vege and feta salad. (Yet another cousins recipe - Yes I have stacks of cousins which makes sense as my mother was from a family of 10!!).

Pickled Beetroot

Preparation time: more than 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 large beetroot

¾ cup water

1½ cups white vinegar or ¾ cup apple cider vinegar with ¾ cup malt vinigar

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ cinnamon stick

¼ teaspoon salt

Method

1. Wash beetroot thoroughly and cook in water until tender.

2. Cool and remove skin. (either by hand or use a knife)

3. Cut beetroot into slices or julienne strips.

4. Place all other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

5. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain.

6. Pack beetroot into hot sterilised jars and top up with vinegar mixture.

7. Seal and store in a cool place.

This can be eaten on the day you make it, unlike some recipes that are better if left to mature. So no bottling for me - straight into my tupperware drain and serve!!!

Happy holidays

Well we got away after a delayed start. Rained everyday, at some point, but that hasn't mattered as we have still has great swimming time and a really big walk so far. Gorgeous camping ground, very spacious sites and family orientated. Just waiting for a good day to go tyre tubing down the river