Sewing, Soup & Comfort

Hello folks, it's been a while hasn't it? Things have been trotting along in my life. A little bit of sewing, some cooking, visiting with friends and other things I have now forgotten.
So the weather is still freezing and it limits me to what I can do. This is because my body stiffens up and I can't spend much time in my craft room due this. I am working on getting a heater for the times that I do work in there. 
I made a quick mug rug for a work colleague of my youngest daughter and I like the scraps of colour. I have a few more of these simple little projects waiting to be finished too, just a matter of time.

 I have also been working on a baby quilt for a girl one of my daughters works with. She requested one made in gender neutral colours and I was happy to oblige her as I love making bright, modern quilts. It's completed up to the quilting stage and I am not waiting for the 'boost' of energy so I can quilt it. I will post a pic when it is done.

The following picture which is not the best is the first hat I ever made. It was for the little person in the family and although I made a few mistakes I am quite pleased that I worked out how to make this. I have never had confidence to do it previously and as Jacob's mum asked me nicely I had to oblige. Of course whilst Master Jacob was happy to try it on he was not keen on keeping it on.

Recently I had my cooking hat on and managed to produce some edible, tasty food. First up was some Cheese and Bacon Muffins. They turned out great, and with a slash of butter it was real comfort food. Speaking of comfort food, nothing says comfort quite like a pot of soup. I have loved soup since a child as my mum could make the yummiest pots of soup. I loved her tomato vegetable soup with plump barley and lots of tomato goodness. I have included the recipe at the bottom of page.

This soup was my version of Minestrone Soup. Now the last time I made this soup, or a version of it was when I was in first year high school (year 8). It wasn't great from memory. We had to cook it in those dreadful, scary pressure cookers and I was quite concerned because prior to the making of this soup, our teacher sat us down to watch a film (yes it was a film in those days, and not video) regarding the dangers of the pressure cooker should it be left on too long and the first aid required to deal with said explosion. No pressure of course-ha ha I think I made a joke there. 

Anyway this time I used the our trusty slow cooker. The beauty of the slow cooker is you just throw everything you want into the bowl, whack the lid on, choose the heat setting and off it goes producing a most delicious meal in 5-6 hours. The soup was very good. The Bloke even liked my cooking and gave me a compliment, which is rare, so I was a happy cooker. In out family if we make a large lot of food we send word out to those no longer living at home and they arrive the next day to grab some for their lunches.I love that I made something worthwhile and that others enjoyed. 
Since becoming immobile I have not contributed much to the family, but this way I was able too. I intend to do more cooking in the future. I have also included this recipe at the bottom of my page.

In other cooking news my eldest daughter is known as a cheesecake queen and created this lovely raspberry cheesecake to the delight of us all. Beautiful creamy, tart, and sweet slice of heaven. I am a big fan of cheesecake, most especially hers. Do you like cheesecake and if so what is your favourite?

Minestrone Soup (Jan's way)

Onion x 2 chopped-fried with bacon
Celery x 2-3 stalks chopped
Carrot x 3 chopped
Spuds x 2 chopped
Sweet potato -half of medium one chopped ( I add this for a taste of sweet)
Diced Tomatoes x 2 tins
Tomato paste small tub
Shell pasta about 2 cups (add this approx. 1/2 to 1 hour prior to serving)
Bacon rashers x 4 chopped-fried with spud
Salt & pepper
Garlic
Vegetable or beef stock- I used 4 heaped teaspoons of veggie stock in two litres of water
1 can Four bean mix ( rinsed, drained first)

Place into large crock pot-Mine is an oval 5 litre pot, I think. Turn it on low or high for 4-6 hrs
Serve with finely chopped parsley and grated cheese on top with crusty garlic or herb bread. 

Cheese & Bacon Muffins

• Cooking Time:45 minutes
• Makes:10 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 rashers rindless bacon, diced
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 - 1 cup milk
• 50g butter, melted
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chives or parsley, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup Tasty Natural Cheese, grated

Method:

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 190C.
2. 2
   Pan-fry bacon. Or to microwave bacon, place between paper towels on HIGH (100%) for 1 - 2 minutes.
3. 3
   Beat eggs in a bowl adding milk, butter, cayenne pepper and chives or parsley.
4. 4
   Into a separate bowl, sift flour, add bacon and cheese. Stir in egg mixture and mix until combined. Spoon mixture into a 10-holed, 1/2-cup non-stick muffin pans.
5. 5
   Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

[Recipe from Taste.com.au]

Well folks hope you enjoyed the read today. If you try the recipes let me know how you went.

Ciao

One step forward two steps backward

I wrote a post on Saturday but I wasn't able to post it and well...time for a new one I think. Not much happening here for me. I am in a bit of a dark patch at the moment. Well I have been there for a while to be truthful. I lack the motivation and inspiration to colour my days. I feel like my mind is closing up little by little. I have no answers. No solutions. Nor do I expect others to have them. I recently put up a Facebook status looking for some positive, supportive words, some connection with my friends and acquaintances. I was pleasantly overwhelmed at the response. People from all walks of life from countries all over the world responded to my plea. I was so very humbled.
Such wisdom I would never have known had it not been for the medium that is the internet.
On the home front things have been in high flux of late. High levels of stress are no good for you and we are all doing it tougher than normal. Most of it is of course my health. Or lack of good health.


Yep, I have had a major setback. Don't know what else to call it.
I have been highly anxious and feeling out of control. Well to be honest I have not felt in control for a long time. It's an odd feeling. Being an adult with five grown children, married for some twenty eight years (this November) and yet feeling like a child waiting for instructions to go about my day.
It may surprise some who read this blog that some days when the bloke gets home from work and asks me what I did today I answer nothing. Yep nothing! I went to the loo, I ate, yeah I ate, went on the computer nearly all day. But nothing productive.

Sure I have the occasional day when I momentarily get some get up and go and manage to sew a few blocks or even cut and piece a small quilt. That is why I am enjoying sewing at the moment now my daughter is expecting her first baby. The quilts and blankets are small and can be finished quickly. The following two pictures show the small quilts I have done. There is plenty more in the pipework. Add to that the decorations for the wedding which will take place not quite two months after the birth and it adds up to some high energy times ahead.

This purple pom pom is our first effort to produce the decorations for the wedding. As some long term readers might remember we are creating this lovely wedding on a budget. One place where we can save some money is the decorations. I have seen similar tissue paper pom poms sell for $20 a pop. I found a YouTube tutorial and of we went. My daughter made this one and it was easy peasy. We are going to buy more tissue paper, in a range of colours and make them in different sizes.  

So there we have it. A brief account of what I am up to.

I am still alive, still struggling and hoping for some inner strength. I know it's there, but I need heaps of it and sooner than later.

Take care,

Finishes, farewells and Family

The above photo shows the eight placemats that my eldest daughter ordered. She is a lucky girl, to have a mum like me. Well actually I am much luckier to have a kid like her for that matter.

We have been moved things around in the house recently. My sewing area in now situated in the lounge room. Yep, I get to share my crafty space with the television,and when my friends come to visit they can sit in comfort.

Talking about friends, yesterday saw me chatting with three of my closest friends. When we get together it is non-stop talking. I am usually left worn out, but very, very happy. They are a bunch of funny, intelligent, respectful women. I have know them for quite a few years and over time we have shared many of life's ups and downs. The sad news is that very soon, way to soon of these women is moving away. Her husband has accepted a new job in a coastal town, some 12 hours from here. She will be missed. A lot. Sue, is one of those people who has a good word to say about everyone. She has a real go get 'em approach to life. She and her husband Jeff, have three of the most delightful daughters who we have had the pleasure of seeing grow from tiny babies to little school girls.

When she leaves there will be a real gap in my life. I do intend to visit her at some stage down the track though.

She is not a big emailer so will need to work out another way of regular communicating.

I am off to the city tomorrow for my follow up appointment with the BIPAP machine. It is also the time when the hiring of said machine stops and I am required to purchase my own. A mere $5000 will do it. I shouldn't moan as I know without it I would be in serious trouble, but recently it seems that money has been flying out the window.

Just remembered that I had not shown the quilt I made for my niece Kellie. I Had made a lovely lap quilt for her mother and when Kellie saw it she took a liking to it, so needless to say that was my cue to get busy. She loved it, and she even had a little cry, that made me cry then.
I better stop this post now, as I have plenty to do in preparation for the trip-you know clean clothes, cameras, food, buy dog food supplies.
Till next time,

Coffee, weddings, babies, sewing and...

Here I am again. I will be putting a few pictures up today and that is because I finally mastered the skill of importing them from my iPhone and iPad to the computer. Thanks to the help of my youngest daughter who wrote step-by-step instructions for me and it worked.

First of all this picture shows what I do on a typical Sunday morning. Of course there is the totally necessary cup of coffee. And none of that instant stuff for me, I just can't drink it now. I love a good tasting coffee, made by a coffee machine. Yes I am one of those so called coffee snobs. Much to my delight my eldest daughter who is pregnant (gee love the sound of that) sold me her beaut machine so we can now make it whenever we like. Unfortunately I do not have a Barista's degree and so must wait for those clever family members who do now how to use it. Also whilst drinking the coffee I am happy to be reading the Sunday Times newspaper. Ah...bliss.

Lovely decorative idea I might pinch

This is just one of the ideas we are looking at for the wedding cake for Amy & Brads wedding. The theme for the wedding is purple and white.  And before you say oh no to the purple, it will incorporate all shades of that hue.
The crazy thing is that Amy and I are making this cake ourselves. Yep, Amy is a great baker and decorator and I am going to be her assistant.
Of course we will be trialling it first, well just a small one to see if we are any good, or if we will need to call on the services of someone much more cake clever. The wedding is being carried out on a small budget and we really can not justify spending $800 on a cake for one day. This wedding is going to be simple, elegant and fun. I am so excited.

We are also attempting to make the bouquets ourselves. I would love fresh flowers everywhere but the cost prohibits this. We live remotely and so everything we need is trucked in and of course costs much more than other places. I am thinking that the brides bouquet may consist of real flowers though. What do you think?

This is some of the sewing I have done recently. I made two small aprons for my great niece and her step sister. I wanted to see if I could do this little project and I could so now I will make some much bigger ones.

This is the first of eight place mats that I am making for Amy. I just wish I hadn't made the quilt lines so close, makes more work for me. :)
Don't get me wrong, I love quilting but with my lack of energy still, I am unable to finish these as quick as I would like. I also need to make some more for my own table.

And finally, these are just some of the fabrics I will be using to make the new baby stuff. That is a pram quilt, cot quilt, bassinet quilt, floor play quilt, ah...oh and a couple of toys. Yes I will have so many more reasons to sew now. My hope is that I can get it done before the child turns sixteen.
I am slow, but once I'm into it, I am in a frenzy.

Now I did have other pictures to show but blogger has lost them some how so maybe that's my cue to stop the show and tell and post this blog before it becomes any longer.

I hope you find something of interest here. I know when I peruse the blogs I do I love seeing snippets of the lifestyle my blogger buddy lives.

Anyway where ever you are take care and be happy if possible,

Till next time,