Home for Christmas 2013

In the first 24 hours I was home, I was kidnapped by my sister. She is in Edinburgh/Lincolnshire for Christmas with her boyfriends family.

SOOOOOOOOOO excited to watch Frozen with a gingerbread latte and brownie

She planned an early Christmas meal on the Sunday so we did it together...

This chappy had a nice brisk walk in the cold... We tired him oot wi all the hoose work

Nigel Slater's Christmas Trifle made by moi

One of my tasks was to draw up some novelty table decorations, was fun drawing again and considering it's from scratch it's no too bad if I do say so myself

She flew away on Monday so I was released back into the care of my parents where we cleaned the hoose, did a booze run to Mainland Stores, iced my Christmas cake, wrapped gifts etc.

My first ever Christmas cake, made by me (subtle ombré effect)

Once we wir finished we lit the fire and curled up in front of Scrooged with a dram. It's meant to be a rubbish day today (Christmas Eve) brally windy and rainy so I am hoping to get some serious knitting done even if I have to do it by candle light.

Molly trying very hard to get up on the new couch

What are you doing to keep warm this festive season?

Lead Up to Christmas

You might be able to guess from the absolute lack of posts that I haven't had much time for creative things. At the start of the school year I had surgery on my lower back so sitting up right was difficult then the new National Curriculum hit wis with a bang (I am a Maths teacher) and every spare minute was spend developing the course, materials and assessments.

It is now time to try me and dad's cider and it is very nice, dry but I like that.

I have managed to potter with peerie things over the year but disappointed that I still haven't finished my Aztec blanket (goal to finish that by end of January).

I have done another 4 rows but must finish it soon

 

For a few weeks me and the lasses would meet up on a Sunday morning and knit, I made a tea cosy from Smith & Jamieson's book... All that's left is to add a pom pom to the top.

As you may have guessed by now I feel strongly about homemade christmas gifts. I feel that now days people just give gifts because they feel they ought to but I like popping past a friend hoose with a peerie something and knowing that they'll get some joy oot of something I have spent time making. I definately do not do it just to get something back. When I wis a teenager whenever my mam and dad asked me what I wanted for christmas I would say a book, perfume or Lego... And I still do.

Festive fireplace, West End Hotel in Kirkwall

This year I had big plans for the peerie boys gifts (there are 4 of them now this year - congratulations to Gina & Robert on peerie Josie) but time ran away with me and then will be next years plan. Instead I made them some sock toys to keep their zebra's company.

Josie's first christmas gift from me ... A peerie sock teddy

 

Oliver's dad has a farm and on that farm they have a collie, so I made him a sock puppy

I also made Lucas a puppy as they have a beagle called Spencer and thought he'd like another.

Last time at was at Ryan's hoose there cat had gone missing so I made them a sock kitten

I made some christmas vodka for the man who started this craze in my flat, Murray my old flatmate, he would always make raspberry gin and something equally as tasty in the festive season so I thought he would appreciate this.

Making Christmas Pudding Vodka at the same time I made a pumpkin pie

Playing on Pinterest I found instructions for making candles which sounded straight forward and original so I made the lasses cinnamon candles in some beautiful glass tumbler I found. [In my excitement I forgot to take a photo of these so plan to beg one of the girls after Christmas Day]

What do you do in the lead up to Christmas?

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

51 Days of Summer: Week 3

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 15

 

For Dad's birthday we went to the Scalloway Hotel it was good

 and appreciated after a big walk to Uyea

 

Day 16 

Book 2 of my Summer reading list

 

Day 17

  

Found this while I was helping my Mam take down a flower arrangement at the Kirk

its is my Grampa and Willie o' da Bouyn working at da cru

 

Day 18 

Frozen apples ready to make some cider

 

Day 19

 Watching Mam make potted mackrel

 

Day 20 

Cider is starting to ferment

 

Day 21 

 Was haunted by a GIANT black bumblebee

Tennis Ice-cream

After watching Andy Murray work his way to the Wimbledon final I decided that my Pimms needed some strawberries and cream to go with it. But I wanted to have a little fun with it so then thought ... ice-cream!

 

When I think strawberries I also think shortbread (very British) so here is what I came up with.

 

Strawberry Cream Shortbread Ice-Cream Recipe

 

 

Ingredients:

600 ml double cream

100 g caster sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

150 g shortbread

1.5 punnets of strawberries

1 tbsp jam sugar

 

Method:

First I put the cream and vanilla paste into a heavy bottomed saucepan and put it onto a low heat and brought it to a simmer. Whilst keeping one eye on that I whisked the egg yolks with the sugar until they were pale and fluffy.

 

Once you start to see the milk simmering remove it from the heat and slowly ass it to the egg yolks, whisking all the time. I cheated and used the Kenwood Chef to do this ... as you may no by now Kitchen disasters are a habit for me.

 

Once combined pour it back into the sauce pan and return to the heat continually stirring until it thickens then pour it into a heatproof bowl and cover with clingfilm. Place in the fridge until completely cold and you are ready to use it.

 

Meanwhile cut up the strawberries (as small as you like) put two thirds into a saucepan with the jam sugar and put on a low-medium heat, soften the fruit for 10-15 minutes until it thickens. Put the rest in a separate bowl and set to one side.

Crush up the shortbread and put on a lined baking sheet and crisp up in the oven for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool.

Once all your ingredients are ready add the custard to your ice-cream machine then when it is almost ready at the raw strawberries and shortbread then at the very end add the strawberry syrup.

And serve xxx

Auld School Granny Baking ... Take 2

On Saturday I decided that I needed a peerie nostalgic treat so I made my Granny's Beremeal Bannocks for the first time.

The only recipe that we have is a list of the ingredients with some measurements

so I used my memories

 

Beremeal Bannocks Recipe

 

Ingredients:

         4 oz       beremeal

         8 oz       self-raising flour

         1 tsp      bicarbonate of soda

         1 tsp      cream of tartar

         1 tbsp    treacle

         200 ml  buttermilk (roughly)

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and add the treacle. Once combined stir in the buttermilk until it just comes together then turn out on to a well floured surface and roll out. Try not to over work it.

 

Cut the dough into your desired shape then place on a hot griddle (dry frying pan) on a medium heat. Once they puff up and colour turn them over, the timings of this will depend on the heat of your hob.

 

Like my Gran I shaped the dough using my hands

(they look more authentic like this)

 

The wee corners are always a treat for the baker

Eat these with what ever topping you prefer, my two favourites are salt beef &English mustard or rhubarb jam & butter ... splendid!!

If you try these please let me know

what you think

xxx

51 Days of Summer: WEEK 1

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 1

Listening to the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury while waiting for the boat North

Day 2

 

Making baileys panna cottas with strawberries

Day 3

 

First walk of the summer with the pack... This is Meg in motion

Day 4

 

Working on the Aztec quilt and its starting to take shape

Day 5

 

Molly decided she was more important and escaped from the boot

Day 6

 

Working my way through my Summer reading here is book #1

Day 7

 

Pimms, Wimbledon and the new Simple Things magazine ... Enough said :0)

Leather Clutch

For a year or so now I have been looking at the faux leather that a friend gave me, dreaming up what I could do with it. I decided to make a clutch.

 

Very plain on the outside, I wish I had put a neon pink

or lime zip, do give it a bit more detail

First I cut up the fabric I went with A3, I cut this shape out of the leather and some floral cotton that I planned to make the lining out if.

The magnetic snapper is easy to attach although you

must make sure it is lined up perfectly

I then put the 2 prices of fabric, right sides, together. Putting the zip in between then, good side of the zip facing the good side of the leather. Then sew along it.

I love this fabric

Do the same with the other end of the fabric. With a cool iron I flattened the join so that the leather didn't poke out. Then I placed the magnetic snap, making sure they lined up perfectly. 

Can't wait to take this out with me tonight

Then I turned the bag inside out so that the floral fabric was on the outside and I sewed up the to sides. Make sure the zip is open before you do this or it is trickier.

Et voila

This clutch was inspired by http://www.extrapetite.com/2013/03/simplified-diy-clutch-bag-tutorial.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ExtraPetite+(Extra+Petite)&m=1

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!!