51 Days of Summer: Week 6

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 36

Pretending this isn't alcohol free

Day 37

Cider is ready to be bottled

Day 38

Me and Dad are making Cherry Whisky

Day 39

Me and Mam made Caramel Nut Slices

Day 40

Working away on our Hovis jigsaw

Day 41

Dis peerie guy was very badly behaved today

 

Day 42

Finishing off Emma and Dave's house warming gift

Aztec Blanket ..... Pour Moi

I have been fascinated by the current Aztec trends, I love how simple the shapes are and they are super pretty. I also like the neon trend, i.e. lime green and pink, but I am not confident enough to wear them so I am channeling my enthusiasm into my next sewing project.

I have chosen to make this quilt using cotton (white, grey and pink)

I started by coming up with a pattern taking inspiration from Aztec designs on Pinterest. Then I sketched it out onto square paper, this made it easier for me to choose colours and the quantity of fabric

I was struggling to find suitable fabric that was affordable, but I got some good tips from twitter and found Seam Star, who had the colours I wanted and it was cheap enough that it wouldn't cost me more than £40.

Seam Star delivered super fast!!

 

Sunday 26th May

Today I finally switched on the sewing machine and finalised my plans for the quilt, I ended up using Micrisoft Word to make a colour version of my quilt, I made a little modifications to ensure that my quilt would pack a punch.

Here is a mock up using word

Day 1                                                Day 2                            

The finished quilt is going to be massive but I still envisage myself carrying it around like the guy on Snoopy

Thursday 3rd July 2014

Getting there ...

...to be continued!!

Emma's Random Blanket

I have started to pay more attention to other people's quilts on twitter and Pinterest and idea was starting to build, web I started to gather fabric for it I decided it was going to be a gift for my sister, as her and her boyfriend are planning to buy their first home and I thought it would be right up her street.

 

Fabric wise I went for a mixture plain, striped, novelty and floral. I also included camouflage as Emma like camouflage.

 

I cut the fabrics into right angle isosceles triangles with the identical sides being 13 cm. then I randomly paired up 2 prices of fabric to make a square then used 4 of them to make a bigger square. I used 5 of these to determine the width then continued like this until I have the required length. I used the fleece backing to determine these measurements, since it was a random pattern this was easy to do.

Once I have the cover sewn together I put it on top of the fleece, right sides together then put the wadding on the back of the sewn fabric.

 

After pinning the materials together i sewed (1.5 cm from the edge) around them leaving a 4 inch gap so that I could turn the fabric inside out, I then turned in a edges where I had not seen and I sewed around the fabric (1 cm from the edge) securing the hem.

Roasted Vegetable Wrap

 

One of my all time favourite lunches (like most) came from the BBC Good Food website, it is a simple wrap consisting of hummus, grated carrot & rocket. It easy to make the night before and robust enough to survive in my handbag on the way to work.

I was wanting to mix it up a bit but keep it easy to transport. So I thought roast veg and cream cheese.

Roasted Vegetable & Cream Cheese Wrap

 

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1 carrot
1 aubergine
1 red onion
1 red pepper
4 garlic cloves (optional)
160 g cream cheese (I used extra light)
100 g rocket
4 tortilla wraps
Rapeseed Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Dice all the vegetables and put on a roasting tray. Bruise the garlic gloves and mix with the veg and a drizzle of oil.

Roast the veg in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40minutes - Stirring occasionally.

When you take them out of the oven allow the veg to cool, remove the garlic from there skins and smash it with a pinch of salt and a tbsp of oil. Put the veg into an airtight container and mix with the garlic paste.

 

When you are ready to make your wrap take a tortilla and spread a thin layer of cream cheese, then add 2 tbsp of the veg and a handful of rocket. Roll it up and put it in a suitable container for transport. I prefer to wrap mine in a little tin foil as it keeps the wrap secure.

Bon appetite xxx

May Weekend Shenanigans

After two back-to-back weekends of travelling I was so excited to stay in my Kirkwall and chill. So I invited some of the girls over for high tea and a catch-up.

This was a nice way to spend my Saturday, I may post a recipe for the vol-au-vents

in the future but I have plans to make them even tastier

I started my plan with vol-au-vents and mini eclairs but the more I thought about the eclairs the more I wanted to put my own spin on them. I love peanut butter and had a very tasty peanut butter moose at the Kirkwall Hotel the other week and I thought maybe I could use that idea but lighten it up with some fruit, well then I happened to catch the end of a Hairy Bikers programme where they made creme patisserie so I thought that would be the base to add my peanut butter to. Then when I was buying my ingredients I noticed some very nice strawberries and voila...

Peanut-Butter & Jelly Eclairs

Ingredients

Choux Pastry:
60g butter
130ml water
80g plain flour
3 large eggs

Creme Patisserie:
180 ml whole milk
35 g granulated sugar
35 g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
2.5 tbsp peanut butter
40 ml double cream

Chocolate Topping:
80 g milk chocolate
80 g dark chocolate (70%)

Method

 

For the pastry melt the butter in the water until all of the butter has melted and the water is simmering. Add the flour to the wet mix and stir over the heat for approximately 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, this will go a little runny at first but keep stirring, it will come together.

Pipe onto a non-stick tray and place in the oven, turning it down to 195 degrees celsius for 25 minutes. Place on a cooling rack.

To make the creme patisserie mix the flour, sugar and salt then add the egg yolks and whisk till it is combined and pale in colour.

Then heat the milk until it starts to simmer, carefully/gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and stir continuously.

Once it starts to thicken add the peanut butter and whisk until its the required thickness. Pour into a heat proof bowl and cover with cling film (make sure it touches the top) and allow to cool.

Once cool, whip the cream until soft peaks then fold in the creme patisserie.

Simple to make just strawberries & jam sugar but super tasty

When you are ready to make the eclairs melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water. Cut the eclairs and spread a layer of strawberry jam (I used homemade but you could use shop bought). Then a layer of the creme patisserie, closing the eclair and drizzling with the chocolate, place on a cooling rack. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until required.

After words I went a walk with my friend heather and her loopy labradoodle Lucy,

yes she is clean off the ground

 

I didn't get much time between finishing the eclairs and the lasses coming over so only got one photo... I will bulk this up with more photos next time I make them.

Let me know if you try them xxx

Apple & Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal

 

I am an early bird at the weekends but during the week I have next to no time to get ready let alone make something healthy and filling but I try my hardest.

The other day I was thinking about all my options when it comes to breakfast and I remembered Jamie Oliver's 'Pukkolla' it is super easy and tasty. Here is my version to use up kitchen staples at the end of the month.

Apple & Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal - Serves 5

8 large handfuls of oats

3 handfuls of sultanas

2 tsp cinnamon

Enough soya milk to cover

4 apples

1 tsp light brown sugar

Instructions:

1. In an airtight container mix the oats, sultanas and 1 tsp of cinnamon and cover with the soya milk,
     refrigerating until needed.

2. Cut and core the apples, place in a pan with the other tsp of cinnamon and the brown sugar, heat on
    a medium heat until they have softened and have a nice light glaze, refrigerate until needed.

3. When you are ready to eat, put a desired amount of apples in a dish and heat. Then spoon out a
    couple of desert spoons of the oatmeal into your bowl, top with the apples and a wee spoon of
    yoghurt and enjoy.

What do you eat for breakie on busy days? xxx 

Ploughman Inspired Pizza

I like to play around with pizza toppings and this came to me when I was wondering what to do with some left over mature cheddar.

Ploughman Inspired Pizza

Ingredients:

1 onion

4 tbsp passata

100 g ham

100 g cheddar

1 mozzarella ball

3 tbsp chutney

1 tbsp polenta

Pizza dough

First make your doughy, I adapt a Jamie Oliver's recipe, see older post, with flavoured oil and dried oregano.

Then I caramelise the onions. And set the to one side to cool.

Once the dough was ready I rolled it out using polenta and decorated with the rest of the ingredients.

Put in and oven of 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

I served mine with celery on the side.

My flatmateloves my chilli and blue cheese pizza so when he was sceptical about a new one but we both really enjoyed it and it is now gone ...   :o(

Sugar Free Bread & Butter Pudding

 

As I previously mentioned, I'm trying to icut down on processed sugar but had some buns that needed using up and have been thinking about bread and butter pudding since I realised I'd have left overs so I decided to use argave syrup to sweeten it. In the future I may put sultanas or autumnal fruit in it but my flatmate isn't a fan.

 

Recipe:

Ingredients:
5 small buns
20 g butter
300 ml soya milk
50 g argave syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon (more to sprinkle on top)

Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

1. Cut the bread and spread with a light layer of butter and place in the tray, overlapping the slices.

2. Warm the milk with the syrup and cinnamon over a low-medium heat until they are combined. Pour this over the egg and whisk until mixed.

3. Pour over the bread and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the custard. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40 minutes until it is golden on top and your kitchen smells amazing.

...hope you enjoy it!

Wholemeal Bread Rolls

I am currently trying to do two things at the moment 1) use up more of the stuff in my pantry and 2) eat less processed sweet food.

So when I came home last night I wasn't wanting to go to the shop and wanted to be relatively healthy so I made these to have with scrambled eggs... Once they were ready I was really chuffed considering how I had thrown them together so I thought I might share it.

Recipe...

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Ingredients:
475g wholemeal flour
2.25 tsp yeast
320ml warm water
1 vitamin C tablet, crushed into a powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Mix the flour, vitamin C tablet, salt and oil together in a bowl.

Measure out the warm water and add the yeast, leaving it in a warm place to froth up.

Once you are happy with the wet mixture stir it into the flour mixture until it all comes together, then knead for 5 minutes. Place in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes until it has doubled in size.

Then knock back the dough and divide into 8 rolls shaping them into round balls. Place on your baking tin and allow to rise for another hour and a half.

Once risen brush with a little milk and scatter on seeds of your choice and put in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until thou can smell them in the kitchen and they sound hollow when you knock their bottoms.

..If you try this please let me know how you get on!

Wee Trip to Stromness

 

Yesterday I went through to Stromness for a peerie nosey and a change of scenery.

Main aim of the trip was to go to the Bayleaf Delicatessen and get some loose tea I had seen the last time I was there and more popcorn.

Black Olives, Pickeled Figs, Loose Tea, Popcorn & Manchego Cheese

The deli has lots of nice things in it and displayed a local artist sketches, John Cumming (my uncle) and Yvonne Grays's book.

I got a little carried away but made lots of yummy things out of my purchases.

Mulled Pear Jam

 

Well today is the first day of December and my house smells like there was an explosion in a Christmas factory.

 I bought a large quantity of pears and was unsure what to do with them, then I thought Mulled Pear Jam for Christmas gifts.

After some experimenting I came up with this recipe:

Mulled Pear Jam
 

 
Ingredients

800 g small pears
450 ml mulled wine
1 orange
15 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups of jam sugar


Method

1. Peal and core the pears, putting them into some water with lemon juice to stop them turning too brown

2. Pour the mulled wine in to a medium heavy bottom pan and add the strained pears. Add the slices of orange, cloves and cinnamon then bring it to the boil on a high heat then reduce to medium and allow them to boil until the pears have softened.

 

3. Strain the pears, removing the orange and spices, keep the liquid as you can use it for some other festive recipes. Then return the pears to the pan and mash them to the consistency you like (I like a bit of a bite).

3. Add the sugar and bring to a rolling boil for 15 - 25 minutes until the jam doesn't run when put on to a cold plate.

4. Now transfer to your sterilised jam to the jars, be careful it will have cooled but it is still very hot. I use a sterilised jug and funnel to make sure I do not spill the jam.

5. Put a small disc of grease proof paper on top of your jam, then screw on the lid

 

6. Decorate your jars if you are giving them as gifts, this year I went paper lid covers instead of fabric (think I do prefer fabric though, just wanted to try these for a change) and a little pear shaped tag so that their are no questions about what it is.



If you like it please let me know...

Breakfast & English Muffins

These muffins almost became an in progress moment when I sat down and forgot

what I was doing thankfully the 'caramalised' muffin smell got my attention

 

When I woke up on Saturday I knew I wanted something nice for breakfast and decided that I'd either make muffins for breakfast or eggs Benedict, thought both may be too much so early.

I made half the recipe as I realised 20 muffins

might be too much for the two of us

 

I founds this recipe from AllRecipes for English muffins and decided these would be lovely with butter, fruit and a coffee... And they were!

When I was doing my shopping list I thought I should get something nice to go with them this morning (Sunday) I thought eggs Benedict but after Duff telling me on 'Best Thing I Ever Made' told me the first time I made hollandaise it would be crap, I thought I'd wait for a weekend when I had plenty time and eggs.



So then I thought Rachel Khoo's Croque Madame Muffins but because I had already made the English Muffins I looked at baked egg recipes on Pinterest and I found this recipe.

The baked eggs were SO easy and tasty I may leave out the Parmesan next time

as I used prosciutto and it is salty enough

 

I think these would be perfect for Christmas morning.. What do you normally have for breakfast on Christmas Day?

Movie Moment

 

It's Sunday, I've completed my checklist, its horrible and wintry outside and I'm ready for bed but it's too early ... What to do?

Almost didn't want to pop it as it is a really bonnie colour

 

Well if you are me and my flatmate you stick on a movie. But I have a little addiction I am not proud of, I love popcorn!

Slightly disappointed it wasn't blue or darker after popping

but it was super tasty

 

The other weekend I was at a friends deli in Stromness (Bayleaf Delicatessen) and bought an amazing array of goodies including these blue popcorn kernels.

      

My Favourite popcorn has a mixture of sweet and salty, I used Beyond the Picket Fence's recipe and it was really nice and so simple to make. I thoroughly recommend popping into the deli and getting some if you are local!!!