Challenge Week 1 - Cooking

When Posie mentioned her 'Limp Bits' Challenge I thought it would be a great idea to join in.  If nothing else it would give me something else to blog about other than my Handstitch Quilt that everyone must be sick of seeing already!

I decided to make a cheesecake.  I have never made one before which is surprising because I really LOVE cheesecake.  A lot.  And in honour of the fact that this is an Olympic inspired challenge I thought I would make a Mars Bar Cheesecake using THIS recipe.  Why start with a 'regular' cheesecake?!

Mine does not look like the photo in the recipe.  Somehow I also managed to dirty every saucepan and jug in the house too.  I also used both the Kenwood Mix-Master and Food Processor.  I am STILL cleaning up!  I also think that the choc and  caramel sauce was overkill.  Next time (if there is a next time) I will put the Mars Bars in but leave out the sauces.

It does taste ok, so all was not lost.  The Mr likes it more than I do.  I think I will try a regular cheesecake next time; if I ever get the kitchen clean after this one!

For More Limp Bit Cooking, check out Posie's post here.

Next week's challenge is craft; I am training hard already with an idea brewing :)

Handstitched Class - Round 3

I predict you will all be sick of this quilt by the time I finish it as progress is slow even though this is the only project I am working on right now.  How did it get to be so busy?

The Storm at Sea blocks in the corner are foundation pieced.  I had never done that before so it was exciting to try something different.  I love the Kona solids together, so bright and happy!  I am working on the next round now, slowly, in between my day job and the children.

The early morning light is making the colours look very warm in that quilt.  It wasn't!!  The below photo is of Peppy the pony who wandered over for a look, he has frost settled in his mane.  That is how chilly it was!

Foundation Piecing

This round of my Handstitched quilt project has paper pieced corners.  The instructions were for English paper piecing, but I am behind with this project so I elected to do foundation piecing on the sewing machine. I have never done either of these methods before so it is still new to me.

I have some fabric here and some hexi papers ready to go so I will try English paper piecing soon, or soon-ish anyway!

I am still at least one round behind, but I now feel like I am making progress again on this quilt, and that feels good. I wasn't sure the scale of the Echo print in this fabric would work on the smaller blocks but I think it is looking nice, especially framed by the Kona solids.  Hopefully I have this round finished soon and I will be able to post a photo of my progress.

Silver Lining

Walking. 

Horses. 

Rain.
Rural Living.

Clearing sales.

Cleaning Up.

Studying.

Enjoying life.

Remembering all the good things around us as we put the events of the past few weeks behind us.  We have so much to be grateful for, even if I am behind on some things.

Slow Progress

Do  you ever get that feeling that things are moving much faster than you are, you can't quite keep up?  No?  Maybe it is just me...  I feel behind in everything; I will swim faster and catch up, but not today, and maybe not tomorrow either. 

I have had a cold that lasted a month.  I have had a bronchial chest infection.  I have travelled 1850 km in three days and been to a funeral.  Today I am throwing up.  Yup, the fun never ends here!

Still, if I look on the bright side there is good stuff going on.

I am behind in my handstitched class quilt, but I am loving it!  It is bright and happy and my wonky hand stitches are a splash of colour on a grey day.  I will catch up on the quilt somewhere in between writing 4 uni assignments and all will be well.

Tomorrow is a new day :)

edit: this is my 600th post!  Hurrah!!

Tillytom ~ Tilda Sash Skirt

I forgot to blog the wonderful Tillytom Tilda Sash Skirt I was lucky enough to test the pattern for awhile ago.  Yes, that is right, a pattern!  You can buy it and make as many of these simple and adorable skirts as you like yourself.

Possum loves hers and the pattern was well written making it a quick and enjoyable sewing experience so I love it as well.  The pattern is for size 1 to size 8 so it is good value if you have a little girl to sew for.

Happy Sewing!

Ginger Nut Biscuits

Yesterday I had a rare Susie Homemaker episode complete with nice dress, make up and an apron.  To give you an idea of how rare* this is Possum looked at my apron and then said 'wow, who gave you an apron?'.  I have owned it since before she was born!

These are great biscuits, everyone here gives them a big thumbs up and given it has been a long time since I posted a recipe I thought I would share it while I still had biscuits left to photograph.  These biscuits use less sugar and butter and a lot of baked biscuits so I like to pretend they are healthy (ha ha, maybe if I ate less of them...).

Ginger Nuts

2 cups plain flour

1 cup castor sugar

1/2 tsp bicarb

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

2 tsps ground ginger

100g butter

1 egg

1 tsp golden syrup

hot water as need to form dough

Sift flour, sugar, soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.  Rub in butter and mix in syrup and beaten egg.  Mix into a firm dough adding water as needed.  Roll into small balls and flatten very slightly with a fork.  Cook at 180 deg for approx 15 minutes.  Cool on tray before moving to rack.

*I do bake often enough, just not usually in a dress and apron.