Thursday, May 31, 2012

For Shirley...

I popped over to Shirley's blog this morning, to see what she was up to in her part of the world to find she has some baby blackbirds nesting in the arch in her garden. Shirley has always encouraged me with my designing and drawing so I thought I would draw a little design for her...this is what came to mind after my bloggy visit!


When I told hubby what and why I had been drawing, he told me I should do one of an arch with a garden at the side...so here it is


I wonder if it looks anything like Shirley's real garden? lol!


I have some curry pork pies to make this arvo and then I hope to do some stitching!
Bye For Now

Lisa

Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Chocolate Brownies and Bolognese Pancake Filling

Here is the recipe for Chocolate Brownies as promised...

125g chopped Butter
185g Dark chocolate chopped
1 cup castor sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Pecans ( I used Almonds)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease deep 19cm square cake pan, line base with baking paper.

2. Place butter and chocolate in small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Stir in sugar and extract, then eggs, sifted flour and nuts. Pour mixture into pan.

3. Bake about 30 minutes or until set...cool in brownie pan. Dust with icing sugar.

Also, hubby did ask whether I put his Pancakes with Bolognese Filling on my blog and as it was really nice I thought I would include it also...
I will just give the recipe for the Bolognese Filling as Pancakes recipes can easily be found in cookbooks

Bolognese Pancake Filling

Ikg Beef Mince
1 large onion diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 bacon rashers chopped
1 tspn minced garlic
1 large tin chopped tomatoes
140 g tomato paste
2 tablespoons Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil, fry onions, garlic and chopped bacon. 
2. Add mince and brown. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, salt and pepper(to taste)  and carrot.
3. Simmer until the sauce reduces and has thickened.
4. Spoon mixture on pancake and roll up.
5. Place some tasty cheese on top and place under grill until cheese melts.
I hope you enjoy this recipe...I think that the bacon and carrot add a really nice flavour!


Lisa
Posted by Picasa

Pinterest...

Thank you for all those ladies who left a comment on my previous post...my stitches seem to look the same now without a hoop as they did when I was using a hoop! I even managed to get another SKoW block finished yesterday.


But the main reason for my post today is Pinterest. I haven't spent alot of time on Pinterest and thought that it was an online pinboard for people to dispay photo's of their own work and their own photo's! I have since discovered that I have not only one or two photos from this blog on Pinterest, but dozens of my photo's! No one has asked my permission at all. I am flattered that you like my photo's, but can I just ask you...please do not take photo's from this blog with my permission!

Bye For Now!

Lisa


Posted by Picasa

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Do You use a Hoop??

Another strip on my Some Kind of Wonderful quilt today. These blocks should have been done in March and April...but I am getting close to being caught up! All the fabrics that I have used so far are just a mix from my stash and are all my favourites...some I have hated cutting into!



As I had to do quite a bit of speed stitching to catch up, I decided to ditch my embroidery hoop that I have always used and try back stitching without one. It sure is a lot quicker and the fabric didn't pucker, which was the problem when I first began to do hand embroidery.

Do you use a hoop for your hand embroidery work?
Would love to hear your thoughts on hoops!

Lisa

Posted by Picasa

Saturday, May 26, 2012

SKoW and Brownie Slice

This morning I had plans on putting something in the slow cooker for tonight tea, but hubby told me he was going to cook tonight...no arguments from me! Lol! So on the menu tonight is Pancakes with Bolognese filling...it's smelling pretty good too!



I did feel a bit guilty for getting off cooking tonights tea, so I made some brownie slice. The recipe is from Womens Weekly Baking Day book. I did make it a couple of weeks ago, but it disappeared before I had to to take a pic. It is supposed to have a sour cream icing, but I decided to just give it a dusting of icing sugar. If anyone would like the recipe let me know and I can share on another post!



Very pleased to have another strip to add to my Some Kind Of Wonderful quilt and pleased how it's coming together. I have completed January and February blocks now....hope to do some more tomorrow!




a few more blocks on my sewing desk ready to go!
Best go check to see how much mess hubby has made!Lol!
Lisa

Posted by Picasa

Friday, May 25, 2012

In the slow cooker and sewing...

I popped over to Chooky's blog this morning to find she had a recipe for a Mild Curry Chicken made in the Slow Cooker and as I had nothing planned for tonights tea I thought I would give it a go. It really smells yum too! If you head over there you will find this recipe plus read the comments for other recipes and ideas.Vicki mentioned that the McCormicks Chicken, Bacon & Potato Bake is really nice...which I also plan to make sometime.

 

I don't have any Slow Cooker recipes to share, but I always cook my roast chicken and pork in the slow cooker. I sprinkle McCormicks Season all on the top and use egg rings so the fat drains away when cooking. I ususally cook a  no 15 chook on low for about 6-7 hours. I took the lazy way out when I purchased this chook (in pic) as it already came stuffed/seasoned. When I do  my own stuffing, I make my own breadcrumbs, add chopped onion, salt, pepper and fresh Thyme.Thyme would have to be the herb I use most in the kitchen and I add it to sausage rolls and garlic butter.(It really adds a lovely flavour to garlic bread)

On the sewing side of things, I have been stitching like mad to catch up to the other girls in the Stitch-a-long group...I am months behind!


But I have not given up!

'Best Friends' is one of my favourites!

I have 6 blocks completed 

And another 7 blocks with blanket stitch done, but I still need to do the backstitch on these. I am going to put in a big weekend and hope to complete these and hopefully piece some together.

Enjoy your weekend...I hope you find some time for sewing too!

Lisa

  
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A Big Thank you!


Firstly I would like to thank all my blogging friends who commented on my post yesterday...my son also wants to give his thanks for all your get well wishes...it really means alot to us both!

Last night I sat down and hand quilted the front stitchery for my Note Book Cover....and this morning I finished it off. I am so pleased how it turned out. The pattern for this is in Cinderberry Stitches Cotton Floss Book






I really do love the effect the hand quilting gives around the stitchery!

Now to continue on with my Some Kind of Wonderful blocks...I have also been doing some stitching for that but will share next time!
Lisa

Posted by Picasa

Monday, May 21, 2012

Most of you who read my blog know that my son has had an osteocondroma (benine bone tumour) on his upper and underside of his left arm. We discovered his bone tumour when he was only 7 (now 15) and had 6 monthly checks with MRI's, Xrays and CT's over the years to keep check on the growth. It was decided last month that it needed to be removed as it was stretching a major artery and putting pressure on nerves. All was booked for surgery on the 18th (last Friday) I feel I have aged 10 years the last few weeks with stress and worrying...and the feeling when the doctors finally tell you after 3 1/2 hours that the surgery went well really is undescribable! Master 15 has quite a few staples in his arm, which we have to go back to have removed in a couple of weeks. So now it's time for the recovery, no knocks or bumps, which for an active 15 year old is going to be difficult!


I had good intentions of doing lots of SKofW stitching whilst I was in hospital, but I think I unpicked more than I stitched. But after arriving home and having a good night sleep I managed to get some quilting done on one of Nal Lymer's stitcheries, which will eventually become a cover for a notebook.

So I hope to be back soon with some finished stitching to share!

Lisa



Posted by Picasa

Friday, May 11, 2012

I Love My Sewing Room...

Especially now I have given it a good clean! Of late it was the dumping ground for all my ironing, but now after a clean up I am ready for some serious sewing!

The sun was shining this arvo just before we got a shower of rain...it is now freezing outside...best to stay indoors!  

I have started back on my Some Kind of Wonderful (Anni Downs)...I am way behind!
 

Now to get back to it!!

Enjoy your weekend!
Lisa
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies


Here is the recipe for the White Chocolate Macadamia cookies that I had made from my previous blog post. I wasn't able to purchase any Macadamia's from my local Supermarket, and just used some Almonds that I already had in my cupboard. It is a very simple recipe and tastes scrummy...


1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
125g butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
180g white choc bits
3/4 cup roasted macadamias chopped coarsley

1. Preheat oven to 200 c. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.

2. Sift flour, soda and sugars into large bowl. Stir in butter, extract and egg, then chocolate and nuts.

3. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture, 5cm apart on trays.

4. Bake cookie about 10 minutes. Cool on trays.

Enjoy!
Lisa
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, May 6, 2012

A new cookbook...

Yesterday, hubby and I headed up to Launceston for the day to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. It was lovely to stroll around the shops without having a long list of things to buy like we usually do when we head to the city. One of my best finds for the day was this cooking book 'Womens Weekly Baking Day' as it says on the front cover...A delicious mixture of nostalgic and modern recipes for cakes, biscuits and buns, along with retro kitchen craft. Of course this HAD to come home with me!  

 
Inside the front cover...every page is illustrated beautifully!

One of the craft projects inside the recipe book is how to make a jug cover from a purchased crochet doiley

An apron from a tea towel


Besides having craft projects, it also has the yummiest recipes! Can you tell I really love my new book! Lol!
Today I made from the book some White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Our local supermarket didn't have any Macadamia, so I just used Almonds. But they were still Delicious!

And todays lunch Pumpkin Soup (not from the book but just a recipe I have been making for years with Potato ,Pumpkin, Carrot, Onion and pkt Cream chicken soup, salt and pepper) and Fresh Bread from the Bread Machine.
I also purchased another cookbook, but will save that one for another post.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Lisa
PS If anyone would like the recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia cookies, just let me know and I will include the recipe on another post. 
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Monte Carlo biscuits

Do you love cookbooks? I do! I am getting quite a collection of them. On my days off I have been enjoying some baking and trying out some new recipes. Today I made some Monte Carlo's from one of my favourite cooking books, The Australian Womens Weekly Cooking School. I have a long list of recipes that I would like to make from this one.
 

Hubby just tried one and gave them the thumbs up! And Miss 10 says they are delish!

The recipe is...
180g butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups SR flour
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 raspberry jam

Vienna Cream Icing...
60g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200 o C (180 fan forced) Grease oven trays and line with baking paper.
2. Beat butter, extract and sugar in small bowl with electic mixer until just combined, beat in egg. Stir in sifted flours, soda and coconut, in two batches.
3. Roll 2 teaspoons of mixture into ovals (i just did balls)place on trays about 5 cm apart. Flatten slightly with the back of the fork to roughen surface.
4. Bake biscuits about 7 minutes.
5. Meanwhile make Vienna Cream.
6. Transfer biscuits to wire rack to cool. sandwich biscuits with Vienna cream and jam.

Vienna Cream...Beat butter, extract and sifted icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until fluffy, beat in milk.

Enjoy your week!
Lisa
Posted by Picasa