It's 11.30 am and I'm just having breakfast - so far today hasn't gone as planned, I've gotten nothing done. I do have a reason, had to take Thomas to the Doctors, he has suspected case of Appendicitis. The pain started last night and he woke me this morning because it was still there. I dropped him off at school afterwards, gave instructions that he was not to play sports and that if the pain worsened or if he felt even the tinyest bit sick I was to be called. Supposed to work tomorrow but I've arranged to have the day off just in case.
Last night didn't go to plan either, Cassie asked me to make Shortbread to take to her last class, they are having a little party and I completely forgot about it. I watched a movie until 1.30 and only remembered when I was passing through the kitchen. Instantly my tiredness left and I knew if I didn't bake something I'd lie awake all night. I decided to go ahead with the Shortbread even though it takes an hour to bake, I cleaned up while waiting. Cut it up immediately and seperated each piece for quick cooling.
Shortbread - makes 16 pieces
The recipe is in imperial, not metric, I used metric measuring cups and found that there was too much butter - added extra flour to get the dough firmer the first time I made them, last night I just added less butter.
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup pure icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of butter, softened
vanilla - Optional, original recipe didn't have it, I added 1/4 teaspoon.
Preheat oven to 150 oC (300 F)
Sift flour and icing sugar into bowl, add salt. Combine all ingredients well.
Knead butter into mix, making into a dough - I find it easy to use a spoon to mix the butter, the mix is really soft and sticks to the hands. Once it is fairly well combined then use clean hands to kead into a dough.
Press mixture firmly into 8 inch pie plate or shortbread mold. Bake for an hour. The shortbread should be pale in colour, not browned. Cut into wedges while still warm. Sprinkle with extra icing sugar.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Pay it Forward
I have just signed up for a "Pay it Forward" challenge with Tracie, at Our Simple Green House - sorry for some reason I can't add a clickable link a the moment. http://oursimplegreenhouse.blogspot.com/
Just what is "Pay it Forward"?
it's the Pay It Forward exchange, based on the concept of the movie "Pay It Forward", where acts of kindness are done without expecting anything in return, just passing it on, hoping that the recipients will do the same and pay it forward, like a never ending chain of kindness...Sorry Tracie, I stole that straight from your blog - my excuse is that it's late at night and I can't think (hmmm and just what is my excuse for the rest of the time?).
Anyway what happens is that I sign up to recieve a handmade gift from Tracie and in return make a promise to make 3 handmade items to pass on to others. I will be sending a gift to the first 3 friends who leave a comment to this post requesting to join in and making their own 3 gift promise by offering the same on their own blog.
This is the sort of 'chain mail' I like.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
I've just spent time looking through inspirational blogs, feeling like I should be actually getting something done.
At the moment I have another wool/silk blend on the spinning wheel, have a dishcloth partially crocheted, a piece of lino carved and was asked to work on crafts for a mother & daughter camp. My craft room is still a mess, the kids have taken over the tv in there to watch dvds. I have moved the furniture around so that there is enough room to have the spinning wheel set up. I need to find homes for a load of junk on my table (can't blame the kids on that one). My stash of magazines is about to be gifted to the church craft groups, I am a magaholic. I was good today at the fabric store, I made myself put down a magazine without even looking at the cover. I didn't have the willpower to put back the fabrics though, I only went in for pins! $65 later - I did get some bargain quilting fabrics at $5 a metre and got an armful of the flat cardboard rolls to store my fabrics on, those were free. Mum was at her Wednesday class and I decided to attend the class next week, seeing as I have Wednesdays off.
When I walked to my car which was parked up a side street across from the shop I noticed a man acting strange near one of the cars in the street. As I walked up the street keeping to the other side he started leaning against one of the cars, then I saw another lady walking to that car, I took my chance to get into my car and she got into the car he had been leaning against. He was still hanging around after she left so I watched as he started looking in the windows of other cars and even trying the doors. I rang the fabric store to see if I could get the local police phone number from them, but the other lady had gone back there and they were alreading doing it. He knew he was being watched but hung around the street, keeping his back to me as he had noticed I had a camera phone, I couldn't take pictures because the lens is all scratched up. After watching him for a while I had to leave, Mum was waiting for me at the shop and we had to get back home. I rang later but the police still hadn't arrived.
I mentioned having lino carved, I decided to give this a try for the first time ever - never even did it at school. Bought a basic carving set for $10 and piece of lino for $4, found a design I liked and set to carving it out. The carving has taken long, it's now waiting to be mounted before I print a sample.
At the moment I have another wool/silk blend on the spinning wheel, have a dishcloth partially crocheted, a piece of lino carved and was asked to work on crafts for a mother & daughter camp. My craft room is still a mess, the kids have taken over the tv in there to watch dvds. I have moved the furniture around so that there is enough room to have the spinning wheel set up. I need to find homes for a load of junk on my table (can't blame the kids on that one). My stash of magazines is about to be gifted to the church craft groups, I am a magaholic. I was good today at the fabric store, I made myself put down a magazine without even looking at the cover. I didn't have the willpower to put back the fabrics though, I only went in for pins! $65 later - I did get some bargain quilting fabrics at $5 a metre and got an armful of the flat cardboard rolls to store my fabrics on, those were free. Mum was at her Wednesday class and I decided to attend the class next week, seeing as I have Wednesdays off.
When I walked to my car which was parked up a side street across from the shop I noticed a man acting strange near one of the cars in the street. As I walked up the street keeping to the other side he started leaning against one of the cars, then I saw another lady walking to that car, I took my chance to get into my car and she got into the car he had been leaning against. He was still hanging around after she left so I watched as he started looking in the windows of other cars and even trying the doors. I rang the fabric store to see if I could get the local police phone number from them, but the other lady had gone back there and they were alreading doing it. He knew he was being watched but hung around the street, keeping his back to me as he had noticed I had a camera phone, I couldn't take pictures because the lens is all scratched up. After watching him for a while I had to leave, Mum was waiting for me at the shop and we had to get back home. I rang later but the police still hadn't arrived.
I mentioned having lino carved, I decided to give this a try for the first time ever - never even did it at school. Bought a basic carving set for $10 and piece of lino for $4, found a design I liked and set to carving it out. The carving has taken long, it's now waiting to be mounted before I print a sample.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Update on the cold
The cold kept me in it's grip all weekend, I had to work on Monday so resorted to the evils of Cold and Flu medication. I have been trying to keep away from them but just had to cave. Found a pack in the cupboard with one dose left took that in the morning, it helped a little but I still had a heachache so at lunchtime I set off for a chemist near work to buy a different brand. I had to hand over my licence as id to purchase them, never have had to do it before - latest laws I suppose. These worked much better than the others but I noticed a couple of hours after taking them I had an iffy tummy. Had another dose this morning and it did the same thing.
I did also give something else a try, something I read on the internet - don't you just love things on the net? The tip was to rub Vicks Vaporub on the soles of your feet, it was supposed to stop you from coughing. Strange tip but I can tell you it worked, I rubbed it on Thomas' and my feet, he was coughing quite a bit and within minutes had almost stopped, same for me. That was last night and I haven't heard him coughing at all today. There is one side effect we've both noticed, the skin on our feet is much smoother -- nnnniiice. The cold has also lost it's grip - yay!!
Dad loved his socks and they fit him very well. I made them so they were slightly too big for my feet, we have similar sized feet. When I told that to Dad, he said I must have big feet - hmmphf they are only a size 8 but in my family that is big - Mum and both my sisters wear sizes 5 and 6.
I have been trying to keep busy, I crocheted a couple of dishcloths on Saturday. I must really get a shot of them. Have started another, but the creative urge has been pushed aside by sheer exhaustion. Getting up so early takes it out of me.
I did also give something else a try, something I read on the internet - don't you just love things on the net? The tip was to rub Vicks Vaporub on the soles of your feet, it was supposed to stop you from coughing. Strange tip but I can tell you it worked, I rubbed it on Thomas' and my feet, he was coughing quite a bit and within minutes had almost stopped, same for me. That was last night and I haven't heard him coughing at all today. There is one side effect we've both noticed, the skin on our feet is much smoother -- nnnniiice. The cold has also lost it's grip - yay!!
Dad loved his socks and they fit him very well. I made them so they were slightly too big for my feet, we have similar sized feet. When I told that to Dad, he said I must have big feet - hmmphf they are only a size 8 but in my family that is big - Mum and both my sisters wear sizes 5 and 6.
I have been trying to keep busy, I crocheted a couple of dishcloths on Saturday. I must really get a shot of them. Have started another, but the creative urge has been pushed aside by sheer exhaustion. Getting up so early takes it out of me.
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