Something Different

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I have always eschewed patchwork groups and my comment has been, “Why would you spend heaps of money on fabric just to cut it up into little pieces so that you can sew them back together again?”  I simply don’t see the attraction and in my opinion it is a waste of money.  In fact many of the creations are just for display and serve no practical purpose.  Once again, why?

However, I have recently discovered that this is not the case with all patchwork and quilting.  I have been reading Frugal in Cornwall and if anyone knows how to do something for nothing (or not very much), it is Froogs.  She has been quilting for some time but has really got into it recently.  This post is just one of many where she discusses upcycling fabric for these gorgeous quilts.

Anyway, I have been inspired and finally capitulated.  At the moment I am just creating some blocks out of scraps of fabric from my cupboard.  Most of it is new – offcuts from completed projects or pieces that have been given to me.  A couple are garments that have been unpicked.

2012-05-12 01When I looked through my stash it seemed that pink seemed to be the dominant colour.  Not entirely surprising, since I have 2 daughters and 2 granddaughters.  These are the blocks I have made so far.  There will be some blue as well with touches of purple and green.  I am not sure how many blocks I will be able to make with the fabric I have got.  Nor do I know what I will make.  I am wondering about a quilt for Izz, whose birthday is in August.

Watch this space for more progress.

Friday Favourites – Stuffed Capsicums (Red Peppers)

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This is a meal (can’t really call it a recipe as such) that rarely ever makes it onto my menu plan.  I make it when I happen to find suitable red capsicums (peppers) at a reasonable price – generally $2.99/kg or less.

2012-05-11 01There is no right or wrong way to make these.  This is simply how I do it.

Allow 1 medium red capsicum (pepper) per person.  Cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and stalk.

Place halves skin side up in an ovenproof glass dish.  Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.  Then transfer to the oven (180C) for about half an hour or until skin is starting to loosen and char.

Remove and invert the halves and stuff.

For the stuffing I use pre-cooked short grain rice.  Heat the rice in the microwave – this makes it easier to mix in the other ingredients.  I add grated tasty cheese, dried onion powder or veg stock powder, black pepper and one or two things from the following list – diced ham, bacon or salami, chopped baby spinach, chopped parsley, Tabasco, chopped mushrooms.  The stuffing is really limited only by your imagination.

When the stuffing ingredients are combined use it to fill the capsicum (pepper) shells.  Return to the oven or grill to heat through.  Top with some grated cheese for the last 5 minutes.

You can include breadcrumbs with the cheese.  In the illustration (last night’s dinner), I sliced avocado on top then added the cheese.

Serve with a side salad.

This is a relatively quick and easy main meal which can easily be gluten free and/or vegetarian.

Autumn at Home

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When we travel to the USA later in the year, I am hoping to see some of the famous fall scenery in New Hampshire and Vermont.  We will probably be a little early for the best of it but I am sure we will see some, especially in the mountains and northernmost areas.

In the meantime, here is a glimpse of autumn in our own backyard – literally.

It is only one tree, a liquidamber, but it in a climate that does not have many deciduous trees that produce a colourful autumn display it makes a lovely contrast to the surrounding evergreens.

Project 333 – Planning For Summer

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I haven’t moved to the northern hemisphere.  It is late autumn here and heading into our coolest months.  Nevertheless, I am planning ahead and thinking about what I might like to have in my wardrobe by the time summer rolls around again.

I am making 2 tops in a style I have made before.  Here is one that just needs the bottom hemming and armhole binding done to complete it.

2012-05-09 01This is the back as it buttons up the back.  The fabric was in my stash so no outlay at the moment apart from the buttons.  It will be perfect with either black or white summer trousers or shorts.

The other top which is also partly made is simply plain black in a lightweight crinkle cotton.

I have given quite a bit of thought recently to how to simplify my wardrobe.  I will definitely be sticking to a couple of basic colours but more importantly I am feeling more confident about what styles of clothes I will wear and how to streamline my clothes to more accurately fit my lifestyle.

More on that another day.

The Final Itinerary

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Those of you who have been playing along at home will know that we have been working on the itinerary for our upcoming USA trip.  It is over 3 months until we go but I now have the final plan.  We have all of our accommodation booked so now we can spend our time researching and planning what we will do.

  • Washington DC – 4 nights
  • Philadelphia – 2 nights
  • New York – 4 nights
  • Boston – 2 nights

All travelling will be by train between cities and public transport within the city.

Then we pick up a hire care in Boston and head off.

  • Cape Elizabeth (Portland) – 2 nights
  • Bar Harbor – 2 nights
  • Shelburne – 1 night
  • Charlotte – 2 nights
  • Shaftsbury – 1 night
  • Woodstock – 2 nights
  • Cape Cod – 2 night

Drop of car in Boston and train to Washington DC.

  • Washington DC – 1 night

Fly home

Any tips or ideas for the areas we will be seeing would be gratefully accepted.

In the meantime I found cheap flights on Jetstar so have booked to go to Adelaide for the weekend in November to see a friend for her birthday.

Defrosting, Dusting & De-bugging

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Today I defrosted the small freezer.  Since it is only the size of a bar fridge we take it out on the verandah and let the ice thaw without any added assistance.  I pack all of the contents into the camp fridge and set it to ‘freeze’ so there is no problem with anything defrosting.  The freezer lives in the office so I took the opportunity to give the room a good clean.

Here is what I did:

  • Cleared the desk of some random papers
  • Sent some emails which related to the paperwork which was then discarded
  • Threw out a pen which no longer works
  • Wiped down the bookshelves and desk
  • Clean mould off door and architraves
  • Cleaned the windows
  • Washed the flyscreen
  • Removed the light fitting and washed out the residue of bugs
  • Wiped lemon oil around the cornices and corners to deter the spiders
  • Wiped down all of the computer items
  • Vacuumed the keyboard
  • Cleaned power points and light switches
  • Vacuumed and washed the floor

2012-05-07 01While I try to keep the house in reasonable order most of the time, I do find it good to give one room a good clean from top to bottom.

2012-05-07 02How do you clean?  One room completely or do you tackle all of the vacuuming or perhaps clean every light switch in the house?

DIY vs Outsourcing

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Today we went to the Wood Expo and unfortunately I did not find anyone who was doing the type of restoration work that my cabinet will need.  That is OK as I have plenty of time and no particular deadline.  I took more photos and printed them before I went so I have a complete pictorial record of the unit as well as all of the dimensions.  My next job will be to see if I can find someone who can give me an estimate of what my idea is likely to cost.  I did see a slab of silky oak for sale today – $150 and it was more than what I imagine will be required for the job.  I will let you know of any further developments.  In the meantime, it functions perfectly well as a stand for the television and storage of other items.

I decided to outsource the restoration of the cabinet  as the skills required are beyond that which we have.  However, there are lots of things we can do and make for ourselves.  We have managed to fill the rest of the day with doing things for ourselves.

2012-05-05 01The Duke makes our bread in the breadmaker and today was fruit loaf with sultanas, chopped raisins and chopped dried apricots.

2012-05-05 02He also bottled his latest home brew and then started a new one today.

2012-05-05 03I made some fresh pasta.  Here is some of it cut into lasagne sheets and ready to go in the freezer.  I used some to make chicken and mushroom canneloni for dinner.  We had a serve each and here are the 2 leftover serves ready to be frozen for lunches later in the week.

2012-05-05 04I picked a pumpkin and also some cucumbers from the garden.  We had mashed pumpkin and peas with the canneloni.

2012-05-05 05We made soda water using the Soda Stream and I had a glass of bubbles with fresh slices of lime.

Now I am off to do some more knitting on my dishcloth.  I have done 4 so far and the 5th is underway.

Woodworker Wanted

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It is Friday evening and we have a long weekend stretching luxuriously in front of us.  Not too many plans and some time to achieve interspersed with time to relax.

One thing I have pencilled into the diary is going to the Maleny Wood Expo.  We have lived here over 6 years, yet have never attended this event.  We always seem to be on holidays or away for the weekend.

I do have a particular reason for wanting to go this year.

Silky oak cabinet

This cabinet is solid silky oak.  It was made by my father in the 1950’s from a rather large and outdated (at the time) sideboard.  There were drop-down doors on the front originally but they have long since been removed.  This has been at my parents’ home for as long as I can remember and when my mother was moving into a small unit I decided to bring it home.

I had no real idea about what I would do but I had a vague notion of being able to reuse the timber – possibly into a small coffee table.  However, we recently moved our television from the wall mounting and wanted something to stand it on so used this piece of furniture as an interim measure.

The idea has formed to keep it pretty much as is but the green paint on the inside will need to be removed and I would like open shelving in the middle section to house the DVD player and PVR.  The side sections need doors and will be used to store DVDs, CDs and associated peripherals.

Now all I need is someone to do this work and return this lovely piece of furniture to its former glory.  That is where the wood expo comes in – I intend to take some photographs of it and hope to find a craftsman who is willing to create the vision I have for this cabinet.

Here is an image of a silky oak tree (Grevillea Robusta), the source of the timber used in this cabinet.  The tree is native to our local area so I am hoping I will find someone who has access to a supply of the timber as more will be required for the shelves and doors.

Silky Oak

We have often moved and re-purposed furniture in our home but I have never considered undertaking a major restoration such as I am considering.  I think it will definitely be worthwhile.

Durable, solid timber furniture that is handed down through generations is much more appealing than the latest mass-produced import.

Pizza Bases

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Since I was at home today I took advantage of the extra time and made tortillas to use as pizza bases.  I found the recipe on Simple Savings and it is very simple.

2.5 cups of flour (I used 1/2  white and 1/2 wholemeal)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup warm water (I used slightly more – probably due to the wholemeal flour)

2012-05-03 01Mix ingredients in food processer until combined.  Knead dough for 5 minutes then leave to rest for 15 minutes.  Divide into about 10 pieces and roll out thinly.  Cook in a hot pan and set aside when cooked.  Keep covered with a damp teatowel.

2012-05-03 02Here they are ready to use for pizza bases.

2012-05-03 03I was happy with the result and the pizzas were a success.  Unfortunately we were too busy preparing and eating the pizzas to stop and take photos.  Maybe another day I will remember.  We used 2 tortillas and the rest are in the freezer for another time.