Friday 2 March 2012

Just A Little Sewing



 A Messy Post On Various Topics
And Just A Little Sewing


At last I have finished my little house for the swap. It is not perfect but is better than the other ones (six in total). This has made me decide that I am really not up to swapping in my current state of health. The stress is also not good for me!. So this little house is now winging its way to my swap partner - and to make up for the not so professional design and finish I have included a fat quarter of lovely fabric for her. Hope that it is acceptable!



A lovely teapot fabric from Wyndhams fabrics

I spent another evening alone (Mr Whizz Kid still away saving the world) and it enabled me to spend a bit of time sewing, which was nice, and then dinner alone, which is not nice. This was my dinner and it got me to thinking about veal.


Veal Production




Rose veal steak, grilled tomato, asparagus and hollandaise sauce,
Oh ... and a glass of Pinot Grigio.
'Hellebore' plate by Emma Bridgewater


We have not eaten veal in our house for years until recently when Marks and Spencer introduced a new form called 'rose veal'. This veal is reared in a different way according to strict welfare regulations and is probably no more cruel than any other meat product on the market. Below is an explanation from Gatcombe Farm in Devon, which produces this form of veal.



Rose Veal

 

High welfare or welfare friendly veal is also known as "Rose Veal" because of its pink rather than white colouring.. The calves are reared in small groups in social pens with deep bedding.
The calves have plenty of fresh air and natural light and ventilation. When they are young they live in their groups in big huts with an outdoor run, when they are older they live in open fronted straw bedded barns.
The calves have plenty of room to freely move about and exercise. never confined and fed a diet as natural as possible. The calves are given as much milk as they want, but they also get as much as they want of other feeds like straw for fibre to make sure their digestive system develops as it should.

I wonder if all you meat eaters out there know about this form of veal?  Apologies to all you vegetarians (this includes almost my entire family - only me, Mr Whizz Kid and The Devil Child actually eat meat!)


Guide to preparing grass fed beef.
Yes it is different.
Since we have amazing livestock farmers, here’s a guide to truly enjoy them.
Read more here: http://www.grassfedandhealthy.com/public/137.cfm
Cute enough to eat?


Cake Shop

I took these photos of a lovely cake shop window. The small shop is in the middle of a back street residential area in Surbiton and is owned by a very, very young girl who makes amazing cakes. It had this lovely window based on the Alice In Wonderland tea party. Sadly the window reflections rather spoiled the pics.







Sadly the shop was shut!

5 comments:

  1. well I think your little house is cute xx I am sure your partner will Too. Better to keep well and so the projects that make you happy xx

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  2. I'm sure the wee house will go down well, and extra sewing time is always a bonus! Shame the shop was shut, but your waistline may thank you ;o)

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  3. The house is so cute! Dinner looks delicious ... the Hellebore pattern is very pretty (the pattern of the wine glass looks familiar to me). I love a pretty table! I eat meat but try not to think about the it. I guess that's because my mother and grandmother were vegetarians. Oh, the cake shop looks delicious! Our local cake shop/bakery makes a key lime cupcake that is totally addictive! xx

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  4. Cake trumps meat of any description any day - we are still in the confines of eating what fussy kids like, so that'll be chicken and fish 9 times out of 10; can't remember having ever eaten veal since school dinners!

    PS you house is lovely, but you are right, swapping is kind of stressful at the best of times!

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  5. Another wonderful post. I love the little bags. Also have no reservations about eating veal, but glad to hear it is being farmed sympathetically. As for the cake shop, it is wonderfully bizarre!

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