Trying New Recipes

I thought I'd share some new recipes which I have tried out over the past week.

These raspberry jam bars went so fast that I ended up baking two batches in a week. I had been popping them in to lunch boxes though. I found the recipe for these through The Big Oven app.

I made these pesto and cheese straws to use up half a pack of puff pastry I had left over after making a pie. The other ingredients were already in the house. Some unravelled slightly but most stayed nice and twisty. As soon as Caleb came home from school, he and his friend grabbed some to snack on and his friend described them as 'Well Nice'. The recipe is from Cut Out And Keep.

Lemoney Yoghurt Cake

This one, lemoney yogurt cake,  I only tried out yesterday and I can't see it lasting until the end of today. Quite a large chunk of it has already gone due to my cake loving husband and two teenage boys. This recipe can be found on the Homemade Life blog. Thank you for sharing your recipe Paula :)

Cheshire Craft Workshop

Yesterday we took Little L to the Cheshire Craft Workshop to paint some pottery. There is a large selection of pottery to choose from including plates, money boxes, cups and small ornaments. Little L settled on a small car. She was given an apron and empty palette, all the paints were ready laid out on the tables. There were quite a few people in there painting both children and adults. After the pottery is finished you can take it home as it is ,have it varnished which takes an hour to dry or have it glazed and fired which takes about 1 week. Little L had her ornament varnished as we were staying for a while anyway.

Next Little L had a go at candle dipping.

 She was so pleased with herself when it was twisted and finished off.

While waiting for the varnish to dry on Little L's car we nipped to look around the aquatics centre next door. As well all things fishy they sell birds, reptiles and small mammals and we ended up coming home with a new rabbit. A baby mini Rex which we named Coco. I have had a standard Rex rabbit before and she could be a bit snappy at times so I asked about the temperament of the mini ones and was told that they are not as bad tempered as the larger rabbits. The baby rabbits were used to being handled and Coco seems quite happy to sleep on our laps.

So we went out to paint a pot and came home with a baby rabbit. I wasn't expecting that when I got out of bed.

Little L's Bright Cushion

I finally made a cushion this week with the embroidery which I finished in January. Little L chose the fabric for the cushion which was in my stash. She'd had her eye on the coral print for ages and had asked me to make her something using it. To me, the cushion is a bit too bright and it sticks out like a sore thumb in Little L's room because it's mainly decorated in pastel shades but she loves it and it's her favourite cushion (for the time being, until she has an idea for another one anyway).

New Craft Supplies

A friend of my sisters has been having a bit of a sort out and as she knew that I could sew she sent some things my way. A couple of weeks ago I was sent a dress makers dummy, still in it's box, as it had only been used once for making some bridesmaids dresses and a large tin of sewing thread. This week I received these from the same lady.

The large bag held this wool which its mainly double knitting.

This was the contents of the tin

and this was inside the vanity case. There were quite a few old knitting patterns, mostly for children.

I especially like this ladybird fabric. There is about 4 metres of it so it's a pity that I can't get Little L to wear a dress so I can make her one. I'd make one for myself but I don't think that a dress covered in ladybirds would be a good look on someone quickly approaching 42.

I wanted to sent a gift as a thank you for all the things being sent to me but my sister told me that the best thing to do was to donate to the hospice local to them. The hospice had looked after the lady when she was ill and now she does a lot to help them in return. The donation was easily done on line. I just need to find a space to squash all the stuff into now.

Back To The Usual

Well it's back to my usual routine now that the children have returned to school after the Easter break. I always find the house far too quiet when I'm home alone and prefer to hear the sound of my kids about the house even if the only noise is of them bickering. We never left the house over the holidays as we all managed to have the flu bug which is going around. Little L has only just shook off a nasty cough which she's had for about a fortnight but for the moment everyone here is fit and well.

Over the holidays I've been trying out some new recipes. A couple of which I found while looking through recipe apps. 

Cheesecake cookies, ready to be cut in to squares and a lemon drizzle cake. Both of these were gone within 24 hours so I'll definitely be baking these again.

Potatoes layered with ham, cheese and onion. Not too pretty to look at but they did taste nice.

Also over the holidays I was lucky enough to receive this book which I won in a book give away on Cut Out And Keep.

The book contains easy to follow instructions on binding techniques and some of the smaller books are simply stapled or glued. These are a few of my favourite designs from this book although there are none that I don't like.

Book Necklace

Butterfly Wings Book

Antique Key Book

I can see myself losing this book to Caleb who loves it.