Berry Delicious Stuff

I knew it wouldn't last long........ The not making yummy stuff!!!! This is a very delicious Berry stuff recipe that I recently found in a Nigella cookbook, and Boy Oh Boy Oh BOY!!!!! Is it YuMmY! Nigella(All Hail the Queen!!)  calls it Raspberry Jam and makes it with Raspberry's but you all know me by now, I had to make it IMMEDIATELY, there and then, so I dug around in my freezer, I knew that in the deep,  dark, depths, I had a packet of Frozen mixed berries, which I thought might do very nicely, and they did indeed!

 

You also all know that I am all about SIMPLE (This could have something to do with the fact that I am Blonde......) And this is just up my alley...... check this easy peasy lemon squeasy recipe out......

250g Raspberry's/mixed Berry's(can be fresh or frozen)

250g Castor Sugar

Place the Berries in one oven proof dish, and the sugar in another and bake both for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees

Add the piping hot Castor Sugar to the piping hot Berries, as you mix them together you will see that it becomes almost molten and bubbles a bit,(mouth is watering.... again) and spoon into a sterile bottle!!

Bada Bing Bada Boom - DONE!!!!

Mix......

 

Spoon.......

Bottle.......

Mixed Berry Yummy Stuff
 

Seriously Darling Peeps, if you have ever wanted to make jam, this is the one to try, no long boiling process, or trying to get the consistency just right, no peeling, no mess no fuss, just 25 very quick minutes and you can eat it hot or cold, and believe you me you will want to gulp it down as soon as you smell it.

It is good on hot buttered toast, in that Victorian Sponge Cake instead of fresh strawberries, and my personal best...... try it on ICE CREAM, I seriously hope the Dietitian doesn't read blogs.......  And really hope you try it out...... xxxx

 

Lovely Long Lazy Sunday!

This post is about nothing much..... except a Lovely Long LAZZZZYYY Sunday. We have had a very hectic week and when Sundy morning rolled around and we had all slept in till 8 30,  it was a blessing! A sleep in, is rare with a toddler,(as most of you will know) so it was VERY welcome!  We lounged around in bed for a bit, then got up and the rest of our Sunday went something like this........

 We Had Boiled Eggs and Croissants for Breakfast(was nearer lunch)

 Granny Started to Teach Little Madame to Knit

 I Left The Mess

I Didn't Make Bed's

All You Need is Love

Feed The Roses

Rearranged a Few Things

Finished A Puzzle(except for 1 piece- which I think Little Madame ate)

Admired Our New Door Mat

So all pretty unproductive actually but so welcome after a week of rushing around like a LUNATIC!!
We were in bed by 8 30ish and lights were out soon after..... It was a Lovely Long Lazy Sunday.... Just the knd of Sunday I needed!...... xxx

Curiosity Killed The Cat... uh..... Kitten!

This mangy little rascal is Bells! She was begged and pleaded for by Little Madame and as she(Little Madame) is getting bigger now, and after much discussion, LSO and I decided that a pet for her birthday would not be a bad thing, it would teach her responsibility(Not sure what we were thinking....) and how to handle a pet!

We adopted Belly Bells from the SPCA, it was not something I had ever done before and I must say it was a heart breaking experience! There are so many cats and kittens there, all waiting for a home or .......the inevitable........ sniff sniff. But I cannot tell you how professional and lovely the staff at the SPCA is. So many little kittens and lovely cats all performed and meowed for us.....It was very difficult and if I could have my they would  all have come home with us, but we had a purpose a kitten for a little girl and some how this little mite just caught our eye! She was quiet, sweet and  and shy, she never scratched either of us(as a matter of a fact she has NEVER  EVER scratched at all)

We had our kitten!

So Bells arrived amid much fanfare and happiness, Little madame was beside herself with joy, but also very wary and apprehensive of the BIG GIRL responsibility!

Now to be perfectly honest!!!! I don't like cats, I don't like their independence, snobbishness and I certainly don't like how they peer down their cute little pink nose at you with disdain and attitude BUT this little kitten has stolen my heart! She made herself at home very quickly and has become a  part of the family, quiet honestly it is like having another naughty little child around, she is into everything..... hence the title of this post......



She Thinks She is a Tiger 



BFF's

Naughty Belly Bells

She Has Kicked The Dog Out Of His Basket

Climbs In

And Out of Everything

Loves The Pool

She Loves WATER - Yes dear peeps, she chases the water from the hose pipe when I water the garden, she doesn't mind being bathed and she is always on the swimming pool net trying  hard to grab the Creepy Crawly! So my sister and I googled water cats and yes indeed there is something called a Turkish water cat that, well,  loves water! - It will be very interesting in Summer to see if she will swim with us......Watch this space.....   

 



Even An Umbrella Is A Curiosity

And so our  curious Kitten is fast becoming a curious Cat, this morning she brought a huge(and I do mean HUGE! - REALLY HUGE!!) lizard type thingy into the dining room to play with, after really plucking up ALL the courage I possibly muster, I managed to sweep it outside - it (the lizard type thingy) was hissing at me, Belly was meoooowing for all she was worth about me taking her playmate away, and as for me.......... I was hyperventilating to say the least! Tonight, I had to haul her out of the washing machine, just before I switched it on... fancy explaining to your toddler that her BFF got put thru the wash!

As for that responsibility thing..... who do you think cleans the litter box and feeds Belly Bells.... that's right you clever, clever peeps....... Little Ole Me....... Oh Well, she is totally sweet....even if she likes to sleep on my head every night - sigh ...... xxx

A Princess and A Pea!

Once upon a time...... there was a little girl, she was sweet, kind and her heart was good!  She was loved by everyone....  She loved stories as her mama had started to read to her when she was just a very little girl! Stories about princes, princesses, witches, wizards, unicorns and magical flying horses! They filled her mind with wonderful dreams and she believed that she really was a Princess(Well her mama told her that everyday!) She knew that one day she would live in a castle with a prince worthy of her!(Her mama kept telling her that too!)

It's at one such castle(Warrick Castle in the UK) that her  BEST and FAVOURITE story really came to life, the best  princess of all, one that slept on soooooo many mattresses but was still able to feel a teeny, weeny, tiny  pea that the Queen had placed there.... To test her princess ability's out!

Little Madame just  loves this wonderful story!! We have 2  Princess and the Pea story books which we read endlessly(the one is a retelling by the creators of Charlie and Lola and is a funny and modern  read)

 So where am I going with all this rambling, I hear you ask?

When I purchased  last months Mollie Makes(Oh Joy, Oh Rapture!), it  had a Rag Doll Princess and the Pea on the cover and I knew that my Little Princess would love it....... so....... I dropped everything else I was doing(yeah yeah yeah, that having 20 projects-on-the-go-at-a- time-thing....) and began to make it for her!

The Cutting Process

So over a period of 2 days a bed was found(little wooden box- I attached(well LSO attached) 4 cupboard door handles for legs) 12 little mattresses were cut out and sewn together, a pillow and blanket whipped up and the teeniest tiniest little sleeping princess made. Had I know just how tiny she was, I probably would have adapted it and made it bigger..She was difficult to make  as she is sooooooo tiny, I spent about an hour just trying to turn the arms out, and was about to start yelling and beating my head on the wall, when I had a Light Bulb moment and went to get my tweezers, and quick as a flash it was done!!! 

See How Small The Arm Is!

The Book We Love

Hair and Face To Go....
(Can You See The Roll of Fabric Behind My Machine..... Secret Project!)

The making of the sweet little princesses crown(which is just too cute) as well as the hair and face took place in LSO 's car out side gymnastics- never let it be said that I waste time. Oh, and the pea is a small green bead that does the job perfectly!

Still To be Bedazzled!

There That's Better

My Other Work Room



Hair and Makeup

Little Madame loves her little Princess, It has gone everywhere with us! She has named the little princess, Princess Rosie(after Rosie Huntingdon- Something-or-other, LSO has a rather big crush on this gorgeous actress!!) We have lost Princess Rosie once and there were many many tears until she was found, she travels with us to school and has to be waiting in the car when pick time comes and apparently Princess Rosie helps with BAD dreams too.........So she sleeps with Little Madame too - Go Figure Peeps! 

She Is Sweet

Actually Very Sweet

Let me tell you what I have found out about children....and I am most definitely not Parent of the Year. You can buy your child the best most expensive gifts and they will end up playing with the funny, least costly toys. Every time I have churned out a homemade toy for Little Madame, she loves it, plays with it all the time, and when getting rid of old toy time comes, the toys I have made her are the things she WILL NOT PART WITH! And in all honesty it's a really good feeling! 

A Princess and A Pea

Sleeping Peacefully

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

So all I can hope and pray for is  that my Little Princess finds her happily ever after and lives her dream! ...........  xxx

Beet Beet Stinky Feet!

I LOVE beetroot. In a BIG way!! The  more tangy the better!! My mouth waters and I get that funny pucker-mouth-pully-thing happening if I even see a bottle in the local grocery store BUT some are too sweet and some very watery! Know what I mean?? And they are all either grated which is very frustrating, as you end up with the juice all over your plate invading everything or sliced, which I just don't like, now LSO say it all taste the same but that is just not true! I am looking for chunks, lovely big-fat-chunky-fill-your-mouth-up-beetroot or as we called it when we were kids BEET BEET STINKY FEET - mmmm not sure where that came from but it sounds cute!

So about a week ago we went to the Farmers Market, and I happened upon fresh Beetroot and never one to shy away from a challenge I bought 2 bunches -
 "What are you going to do with that?' said LSO, very sarky like!
 "Pickle it of course" came the reply!
 "Mmmm" was the response! (Not very confidant in my pickling ability - me thinks!)

So out came the cook books and in Gifts from the Kitchen, I found a Chunky Pickled Beetroot Recipe! YAY!!!!!

Aagh! Red Fingers!

I have made many scrummy yummy things from this book and they are always very quick and easy! If you love making preserves and jams this is the book for you! It was quite simple and I had everything  I needed in my pantry cupboard!  The only thing I was a bit dubious about was the peeling of said root vegetable but once they were boiled, the skin literally slid off the ruby red beet!

It was so simple, Vinegars into the pot with  the spices- The aroma of vinegar boiling was eye watering to say the least( Every window and door in the vicinity was open) , but mouth watering too. Boil the beet and peel, chop a red onion and 2 cloves of garlic,  place in the vinegar and simmer for a minute and bottle! About the toughest thing was the sterilising of bottles! Which is always a pain in the voluptuous rear end!

Ruby Red Beets, Onions And Fresh Garlic

The amount of Beets I bought  gave me 3 bottles that are now patiently "maturing" in the pantry cupboard, and can promise you this....It is a Hand-On-My-Heart-Kind-of-Promise - A Cross My Heart Kind of Promise, I AM GOING TO EAT A WHOLE BOTTLE BY MY SELF!!!~!!! And as for LSO - Well, he will have to BEG and PLEAD for a mouthful....... xxx



3 Bottles Of Chunky Yumminess

What Beautiful Colours

Beet Beet Stinky Feet!

PS:: If anyone would like the Recipe let me know and I will post it!

A little bit of This and That.....

July has whizzed by so quickly, I have been busy busy busy..... and not with crafting!! which does not make me happy! NOT AT ALL HAPPY!

We have had so many little thing's to do since we got home, and I thought I would give you a very brief and quick up date on a few things.......

 On our return from Dubai, the gorgeous big shady tree in our back garden had literally split in two! We loved this tree as it provided shade for sitting under, climbing possibilities for Little Madame and her Kitten and homes for a multitude of beautiful birds! But alas in a gale force wind that came through our little fishing village, it was torn apart(either that or during my house sitters party, there were to many people up it!) So LSO was off like a flash to the Hardware to buy a chain saw!!(Any excuse I hear you all mutter) He was heard to be yelling ARGGHH  while chopping it all to pieces to be carted off to the garden dump - OuR PoOr TrEe!!! I know it will grow again BUT the garden looks very bare and sad without it!

Our Poor Tree

Beautiful new wool was purchased in shades of blue. Every time I look at it I am reminded of the ocean, cool and so very blue! Getting started on this blanket was a challenge but it is starting to come together very quickly now, as you can see from the pictures below, the pattern by Lovely Lucy(Attic24) is very easy to follow BUT make one wrong treble and you are in TROUBLE! Big Trouble and I have been in Trouble a few times and had to unpull an entire row a few times so heavy concentration is needed.

Ocean Blues

Elle Gold

It's Long, And Difficult to Photograph

Beautiful Waves of Crochet - Does It Remind You Of The Ocean?

 A new little playmate for Little Madame was bought so that I could concentrate, but as you know..... I love her dolly's too and have ended up playing "Taxi Taxi!" " Adventure Adventure" This is a Pinpon dolly and it changes facial expression if you turn the hair around(the things they think of...)so is  quite entertaining, and the little car is very sweet! And her Lalaloopsy dolls fit into the car perfectly so we have all gone on big adventures to Jimafrica and Simindia already!!(Apparently, they are small islands somewhere far far away)

Off On An Adventure!

PinPon and Lalaloopsy's on a Joy Ride!

Gorgeous new candle holders have been purchased and you know me and candles...... I am H-A-P-P-Y! they are a lovely Aqua colour and turn the loveliest colour when the candles are lit, it would seem that I am very into Aqua/Ocean colours at the moment! Which is very unusual for me... Reds and warm tones are normally my favourite and best...... Well a change is as good as a holiday, Oh and so, so excited we have bought a little wood burning stove for our lounge...... Ooohhhh how cosy is that going to be! I simply love a  cosy warm fireplace and have wanted one since we moved in, and it is so chilly here at the moment! MMMmmm warm fire and Ruby Red Wine - endless possibilities come to mind!

My Foo Dogs Look Fierce!

Right, now for some important stuff........ A few of you have been asking me to make the cute little mitteny thingy's as well as the  little scarf to sell, well I am in the process of setting up a Esty shop for my blog, but as always be patient as you all know I am challenged in all things cyber ! So it may take a little time!

Also, the "leaving of comments on my blog" I got a really CLEVER computer geeky type person to come in and help me...... here goes and I so hope you all understand this(I didn't - but it works) You can either leave an anonymous comment with you first name and E-mail address if you want me to respond OR if you are linking in from Facebook - copy your URL address at the top of your facebook page and then post your comment, then click on the "comment as", this will pull down a few options, click on Name/URL,  and paste the URL address into the box and Bob's your uncle you can leave a comment! WHEW!!!

HOPE THAT ALL MAKES SENSE MY LOVELY PEEPS!

So now to get busy, busy, busy sewing and preserving(it's all planned) and should have those posts up in a few days..... and SO  SORRY I have not done a post for so long, but I must say it is SuPeR WoNdErFuL to know that you all miss me and my ramblings.... xxx