October Christmas Ornament

Time to check in with the Christmas Ornament SAL hosted by Silver Lotus.

Stitched in July (yes I like to be prepared), this ornament is one purloined by the HD3QBEM and destined to be sent to one of the grandchildren at Christmas.   She chooses and it will therefore remain a mystery to me who eventually receives but I certainly experienced this emotion when stitching and finishing this one.   Yes!!!! Satisfied and Joyful.

60 Weeks until ..... Number 9

This week's recipe is Fish Curry Bake

1 cup of long grain rice - rinsed and cooked
30g butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all these together and press into a greased oven proof dish

Spread one 375g can of well drained Tuna in Spring Water over the rice mixture.

40g butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 and  1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 heaped teaspoons mayonnaise

In a pan, melt the butter add the flour and curry powder.  Add the milk little by little stirring well to make a thick curry sauce.   Add the lemon juice and mayonnaise and mix very well.

Pour the curry sauce over the layered rice and tuna.
Cover with grated cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Bake 30 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius

Enjoy.   The HD3QBEM did!

Labour Day

Today is Labour Day and thus a public holiday in New Zealand.
And, fifty nine years ago my mother laboured and produced .... me!

And wasn't my Grandfather super proud.   As my Uncle reminded me (publicly on Facebook), there was great rejoicing in the clan to have a little girl arrive,  after my Grandmother produced six male children!
So today, the HD3QBEM and I are celebrating her cleverness ;-)

Back home again

We have just this afternoon arrived home from a brief visit to Napier for my nephew's wedding.   Five hours driving each way means both I and the HD3QBEM are rather weary.
The weather was fantastic - hot and sunny and perfectly suitable for an outdoors wedding.  Actually despite sunscreen I got a little burnt sitting in the sun waiting for the bride who was fashionably late!
The table markers were specially labelled bottles of wine.  Of course!   The reception was at a winery so what else.

The bride had chosen a colour scheme of black and white with touches of pink - even on the cake!

But yours truly wore black and white and blue!   And in this photo taken in the barrel room I can show off both my new dress and my kyphotic spine!

Tomorrow is Labour Day holiday here in New Zealand and I hope to get all items on my list of chores crossed off before going back to work on Tuesday.

60 Weeks Until ..... number 8

This week's new recipe is Moist Date and Almond Loaf.

I had reservations about this as it had no sugar in it but the end result is very delicious.

4 eggs
1 cup of fresh dates, pitted
1/4 cup of oil
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Add eggs, dates, oil, baking soda and vinegar to the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
Place the ground almonds in a bowl and then fold in the wet mixture until well combined.
Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and decorate with pine nuts
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Serve to your dependent (or independent) adult (or children) and bask in the praises heaped on your head!!

Chores, grocery shopping and workshop - all complete!

I rose early today as I was determined to get my car cleaned and to lay the sprinkler hose in my vegetable garden.   Knowing that both of these tasks would probably result in rain, so rendering them unnecessary, I nevertheless persisted and accomplished both before breakfast!   Then it was a quick trip to the grocery store before spending the afternoon at Embroiderers' Guild.
Today at Guild it was "Workshop Day" with each different table having a different project.   Most were for Christmas and featured jolly red Santas.

I chose to do the felt covered tape measure and had my first close encounter with the Colonial Knot.   We did not get along and parted company quite quickly, with me deciding to practise in the quiet of my own home.

Instead I decided on Lazy Daisy Stitch which went smoothly.   Once the decorated side was completed the two felt circles were whipped together, remembering to insert the tape measure at the crucial point.   The "pull" is a tassel of the same floss used for the embroidery and the whipped stitch join is covered with a fancy black braid which is oversewn on.  

All completed and perhaps unlikely to be replicated without some adjustments.   Instead of merely using an educated guess to sight the circle of flowers, I think using tailors chalk to actually draw the circle and space the flowers evenly would be better.   Also, more uniform way to stitch the leaves would be an improvement. I think some more of the small pearl beads, perhaps in a ring between the button and the flowers?   I have black felt, another tape measure, floss, pearl beds and am only lacking the impetus.

60 Weeks Until .... Number 7

This week's new recipe is Coffee Fudge Cake.    Just ask the HD3QBEM about this!  She who doesn't drink coffee (or tea for that matter) loves this cake.

Here's the recipe if you want to try some for yourself.

185g Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Dessertspoon Instant Coffee
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla essence
1 ½ packets of vanilla digestive biscuits = 380grams (Graham crackers for those in the States)

Crush the biscuits very very finely.
Melt the butter, sugar and instant coffee together.   Add the beaten egg and vanilla essence.
Blend well together and pour over the biscuit crumbs.
Press into a slice tin (20cm x 26 cm)and chill well in the refrigerator (at least 24 hours)
Ice with coffee icing when cold.

Best kept in the refrigerator but take note it doesn't last long in this house ;-)