Lamb, Apricot And Sausagemeat Brochette

Last Nights Dinner

Tomatoes, salad leaves, onions, red pepper and herbs all from the garden plus some fresh pasta and some brochettes with lamb, apricot, and sausagemeat spiced with herbs.

                                                                            

Yummy!

Pillowcase Swap Number Two

 Delicious Vintage Style Pillowcases.

The second blue pillowcase is in the same range of fabrics by Sevenberry Japan and is equally as delicious. I used the same tutorial as in the earlier post and found it much easier second time around. Do try it.
NB. Must make a note to myself to get the iron out!

The Underground Restaurant

There is an exciting movement in England for underground restaurants, or supperclubs. These small dining rooms are set up by foodies in their own homes and are advertised to a select few who then book for a particular date after seeing the menu. There is a small charge for the meal - it is rarely profit making and the charge just covers the cost of the ingredients and the drinks. It is only on the day of the dinner that the address is given although a general area of London is established at the outset, eg., 'Kilburn'. This subterfuge is to keep from the authorities the addresses that they take place, as they are generally illegal - having no license to produce food or alcohol.

I love this idea after a lifetime of cooking for up to ten and now usually the table hosts only four to six a day. I find cooking in smaller quantities quite difficult and just love it when I have ten again for dinner. I am not a particularly good cook yet really enjoy the challenge. Hence I am contemplating joining the movement ... I just need a bit of encouragement and the fairies to come in and clean up my house! Meanwhile I have decided to partake of a few of these dinners myself, which may well make me realize that I am really not up to this particular challenge. I am sure that I shall enjoy the food anyway.

This Weeks Food Porn.

The best (and first) of these underground restaurants was set up by the elusive 'Ms Marmite Lover' and she appears to be an amazing host - and an amazing character. Here is an unusual event held in her own home, with amazing scenes ... it looks such fun and I just so want to be at the next one! See here:

http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/2010/03/underground-farmers-craft-market-in.html

Pillowcase For Pillowcase Swap

Pillowcase For A Pillowcase Swap.

I found some really pretty retro fabric in the Sevenberry Japan range in my local quilting shop this morning and decided to make a pillowcase for a pillowcase swap. The red and pink prints really compliment each other and I found some pretty spotted braiding to go with it. They give a real vintage look to the pillowcase.

I have never made a pillowcase before, and although I guess it is a very easy project I was still unsure of how to go about it. I found a little tutorial here and after an hour or so this was the result.

I now plan to embellish it with a little patchwork and appliqued design, but haven't yet got round to that bit. I shall post a finished picture when I have completed the project. I do hope my swap partner will like it. I think I shall be visiting Creative Quilting again tomorrow and make her a blue one too! It is so pretty!

Makes Me Happy Monday

What makes me happy Monday?

Beautiful Magnolia Grandiflora outside my door

Stunning blue flowers captured on holiday 

Chickens

Soft fruits in the markets

Lovely grand-daughter

An orchid from a friend

Flowering garlic in the garden

My favourite building (The Russian Cathedral in Nice, France)

Happy cat

What makes you happy Monday?

Paella

Last Nights Dinner

Paella

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Garlic clove

1 Chopped onion

Paella rice

1 Red pepper

2 Chopped tomatoes

Half bottle white wine

Handful large prawns

Handful small prawns

Handful mussels

Half pound or 400 grams chicken fillets

Half pound or 400 grams white fish

Small chorizo sausage

1 Stock cube

Handful of peas

Saffron strands

Method:

Fry chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil

Add paella rice and fry for a few minutes

Add chopped chicken and fry until lightly browned

Add chorizo at this point and fry a little to release the oils

Put saffron and stock cube in a mug and cover with boiling water

Pour a little wine into the paella and stir

Add the wine in small amounts until reduced

Now add the stock cube mixture and saffron through a sieve to leave saffron strands behind

When the rice is cooked add the peas and the white cubed fish

Put the chopped tomato and prawns and mussels into the pan and warm through for a few more minutes

Decorate with chopped herbs and serve

This was only my second attempt at Paella and it turned out really well. Do try it.

Paper Plates And Napkins

I came across these lovely paper plates and napkins  in London. They are by the designer Kate Spain. Isn't it beautiful - and no washing up!  Beats some boring white stuff  I had recently at a party. She also designs some beautiful fabric lines - one I particularly like is called 'Verna' in wonderful earth colours from the Moda range. I am working on a project with this at the moment ... more later.

Smart Car

Is this what will become of my car?

Garden Scene

I would love my garden to look like this scene from a 'Gant' advertisement. It really looks like you could just lie there and forget everything ... the cooking ... the laundry ... the shopping ... the family!  Unfortunately mine bears little resemblance ...

Just dreaming!

Mint Tea Refresher

Mint Tea

There is nothing as refreshing as an early morning cup of mint tea. Take a handful of mint from the garden (I grown mine in a hanging basket outside the door), put it in a glass with some boiling water, a spoonful of honey and a slice of lemon and start the day refreshed.

'The Mead Tea Gardens' An Enchanting Historical Site

'The Mead Tea Gardens'

This is a wonderful nostalgic (historical) site that I stumbled upon by accident (Isn't the Internet a truly wonderful thing?). It kept me spellbound for ages and I so wanted to share it with you. Do take a peek. I so want to go there now!

The eight pink cherries at their peak in the 1980s. Planted in September 1937
by Evelyn on buying the Mead with its Tea Gardens, five acre market garden and cottages.
Another seven were planted around the new Tea Garden when Evelyn had the pavilion moved,
in 1947, from the house garden down to its 'Wind in the Willows' setting beside St. Catherine's Brook.

  

 http://www.themeadteagardens.co.uk/

Spanish Omelette

Yummy Spanish Omelette 

This is a vegetarian family favourite. It is very quickly made, taking only ten to fifteen minutes and is a very tasty snack or a main meal with the addition of a salad.

Ingredients:

2 cooked and thickly sliced potatoes

Half a chopped onion

1 sliced tomato

Handful of grated cheese

3 beaten eggs

Handful of cooked peas

Method:

Fry chopped onion and sliced potatoes in a little olive oil

Add beaten eggs and peas

Put sliced tomato and grated cheese on top

Cook for five minutes

Place in oven for further five minutes to brown.

Recycled Newspaper Pots

Seedling Or Seed Pots From Newspaper

For these pots you will need a glass with fairly straight sides.
You will also need some newspaper.

Fold the paper in half lengthwise.
With the folded edge in the centre of the glass roll the glass up fairly tightly.

Now fold the rough  edges of the paper into the end of the glass neatly and then remove the glass carefully from the rolled up paper. You should now have a ragged bottomed pot.

 

It is now advisable to turn the pot up the right way, replace the glass inside the pot and pat it down firmly to establish a good solid bottomed pot. Now plant as usual, stand in tray to water as the paper will obviously get a little soggy over time. (I place all pots closely together as this gives an added strength until ready for planting out.)  Plants when established can go directly into the soil as they are and the newspaper will disintegrate without any problems.

 Voila!

Raspberry And Pomegranate Verrine

Raspberry and Pomegranate Verrine

Again some tiny verrines to tempt your sweet tooth. Just whizz together a cup of raspberries, two spoonfuls of pomegranate seeds, and two tablespoons of creme fraiche for a quick dessert. Decorate with some summer fruit and a bit of mint from the garden.

Yummy!

Hibiscus

Hibiscus

This lovely plant is giving me such joy in the conservatory that I wanted to share it with you. I also wanted to practice my photography!

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Charity Climb for 'Compassion'

A young friend, a photographer and journalist, is just about to set off for a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.  Kilimanjaro contains an example of almost every eco-system on earth - glacier, snow-fields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle - all found along the climb. It is obviously going to be a gruelling expedition. The climb is 19,995 feet and the aim is to raise money for the charity 'Compassion', which is a child centred charity that aims to release children from poverty. See Peter Wilson's  information here:

http://peteraswilson.jimdo.com/

It is also possible to contribute to the charity or just to follow the climb and leave comments here:

 www.newcastle2kili.blogspot.com.

We wish him well!

Stained Glass Panels

I have two beautiful stained glass panels done by the artist Susanne Parker. The first was a wedding present and depicts me and my husband in our wedding outfits - mine dusky pink and his a blue suit. My hair looks much more interesting than in real life and he has much less hair nowadays! These panels are hanging in my conservatory and recently look so lovely while catching the sunlight - we do not often get this much sun - and they are truly a delightful scene that I felt I must share with you.

 'Wedding Day' by Susanne Parker

The second panel was a commission and is even more stunning. It is a round panel with a myriad of colours depicting flamingoes in striking green reeds. Isn't it lovely?

'Flamingoes' by Susanne Parker

This panel looks even more beautiful in the sunlight. Unfortunately, it is raining today in London so you cannot see the sunlight glinting through the colours!

To contact the artist email susanneparker@ntlworld.com

Plumbago

Plumbago

Oh what a beautiful gift ... I am so very lucky and it is not even my birthday! All my friends have been so very generous and I really do not deserve all these kind people saying 'thank you'. This lovely plant, one of my favourites, is to enhance my otherwise poorly flourishing conservatory. Hopefully it will eventually reach the supports about six feet above her pretty head. (It is now only about 3-4 feet tall!)  It now lives in a lovely pale blue pot that originally belonged to our Grandmother who died at the ripe old age of ninety six.

Thank you so much dear Anne and Chris xx

Makes Me Happy Monday

What Makes Me Happy Monday?

A beautiful quilt in Lila Tueller fabrics in lovely shades of green, pink and lilac. This has pride of place on my favourite comfy chair.

 Lovely beds of mixed herbs growing by the kitchen door all ready to flavour the food.

 

Vegetables growing in my raised beds and doing well regardless of the drought.

A glorious piece of hand-made pottery on which to serve our dinner.

Even more thank you flowers ... I am so lucky!

Scraps Of Fabric Quilts

Quilters - Save all those tiny pieces and see just what you can make.

I wish there was a better close up. I found this inspiration over at Angie's Quilts and along with other stuff on her blog have decided on a reappraisal - I usually throw the tiny scraps away if they are too small for applique - I won't be doing that any more. See her tutorial here. Thanks Angie! Sorry for the poor pics!

Flower Gift

 A Thank You Present

Lovely gift of yellow and blue flowers delivered yesterday from a friend. Thank you!!

Bunting

Bunting

Very easily made bunting. This is double sided, cut with pinking shears, and the size of each pennant is nine inches long by five inches wide at the top. This one is ten metres long but could be any length depending upon available material and ribbon for the binding and ties.

To make bunting you will need a strip of fabric only nine inches wide - try to coordinate the colours,  and each triangle is then cut on the zig zag leaving the remaining zig zag strip for other triangles. Two pieces are then sewn together back to back, and the edges trimmed with pinking shears (can be cut with these anyway).

See the cutting plan here:

A Crazy Quilt

 Crazy Quilting

I found this lovely crazy quilt on a recent trip to New Zealand. Crazy quilts were a Victorian art and are rarely seen or made nowadays. This one is a fairly modern example and has inspired me to try to teach myself the method. I feel that it could be quite beautiful when made with more modern fabrics and more vibrant colours. What do you think?