A-Z

I saw this on the Mad Crafter it looked like fun!


A. Age: 40
B. Bed size: Single!  I do not like to share sleep space!!
C. Chore that you hate: All of them!  Particularly Ironing (thank you Mom x)
D. Dogs: 1 Lovely Lacey.
E. Essential start to your day: Strong Coffee and oh dear, a cigarette!
F. Favorite color: Pink and Green
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5'2ish"
I. Instruments you play: My Mom taught music, piano, clarinet and recorder I can play nothing!  Well I can play 'Michael Finnegan' on a guitar and 'When the Saints Come Marching In' on a recorder!
J. Job title: Teacher (SEN).
K. Kids: 2 lovely Sons.
L. Live: Worcestershire, UK
M. Mother's name: Mom of course!
N. Nicknames: Garfield, Ginger Nut, Freckle face, Blood Nut, Carrot Top, Ginge, Moody Git!
O. Overnight hospital stays: Not many but I get out ASAP and try to avoid going in at all cost.
P. Pet peeve: Authority.
Q. Quote from a movie: "To infinity and Beyond!"
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: 1 Big Bro.
T. Time you wake up: 6:00 ish or maybe earlier, I am a bit of an early bird but then once a week I need to catch up!
U. Underwear: Yes I wear it!  I prefer Belly Warming Apple Catchers!
V. Vegetable you hate: What is there to hate about a vegetable!  Oh oh, I know I hate tinned vegetables particularly carrots and peas, ugh! Yuk! Shudder!
W. What makes you run late: I have no idea, I wish I knew!
X. X-Rays you've had: Chest and lungs ( it's those darn cigarettes!)
Y. Yummy food that you make: Curry, cakes, preserves...check out my recipe page.
Z. Zoo animal: I  really like the Fruit Bat, Cute!

Fruity Flapjacks

This recipe is late.  It was requested a long time ago by one of my loyal Blog followers (ahem actually my Bro!)  This is currently my favourite Flapjack recipe as it has a bit of a twist on the more traditional Flapjack recipe. I am lucky enough to have a brilliant work buddy and even better both of her parents like to bake so we get goodies to munch our way through the days.  This recipe comes from them.  I have tried a delicious 'Apple and Sultana Flapjack'.  I have also tried a 'Banana and Chocolate Chip Flapjack' which was a little bit naughty.  The above Flapjacks are 'Apple and Apricot'.  You can make many combinations of dried fruit, fresh fruit and chocolate chips.  I would love to hear your combinations.  The Summer means my brood are busy, all off in different directions at different times.  It is good to have a supply of healthy, economical snacks readily available.  Flapjacks are so sustaining too, they make a great breakfast snack, picnic snack or school/work snack and if they last long enough they keep well.  They are almost a meal replacement.

Ingredients
285g/10oz of wholemeal flour
150g/6oz of porridge oats
1/2 tsp salt
2tbls Water
200g/7oz butter
100g/4oz sugar
2tbls of Golden Syrup
4 fresh Apricots, take out the stone and chop them up.
4 Peeled and grated apples

Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan with the sugar, salt and syrup.  Mix in a large bowl with the oats, flour and water.  Mix well.  In a large buttered tin spread half of the mixture.  Spread the apple and apricot over the oat mixture.  Put the other half of the mixture on top.  Bake in a medium to hot oven until the mixture is golden brown.  20-30 minutes.  I used a Pizza Cutter to divide mine into squares when it was still warm.  It made twelve large squares.

Some Blog readers may find this conversion site useful   http://www.convert-me.com

Homemade Yogurt

I was delighted that the Yogurt worked in the slow pot, it was like Alchemy.  It was very easy to make and has a lovely mild taste.  I had some for breakfast with 'The' Solitary Raspberry.  I will be glad when a few more ripen.

Ingredients
500 ml of Plain Yogurt
2 lt of Whole Milk

Method
Heat the milk in the Slow Pot / Crockpot on high for 3 hours.  Let it cool for two hours.  Add the Yogurt Starter to a cup of the warm milk.  Stir it well then add it to the rest of the milk.  Cover the pot with towels.  Leave it switched off over night.  Hey Presto!  Yogurt for breakfast.
One of my favourite ways to eat yogurt is to stir in chopped melon and stem ginger, delicious.

Oh dear!  I really should have mixed this in a larger bowl.  Doh!

Crochet Mug Cosies - Free Patterns

It has been good to get some instant gratification from smaller projects.  I played around and made these Mug Cosies.  I do not like cold tea so I will find these very useful.  Also I think they look cute.  Anything that adds more crochet to the home can't be bad.  I used my trusty 'Stylecraft Special DK'

 The Granny Stripe Cosy is a touch too large I used a chain of forty, I would only use a chain of 34 next time. Also because I love to drink tea, these are my largest, fattest mugs, so you would alter the size to fit your mug.

I only discovered crocheted rib when I made the cuffs on my socks.  This stitch is ideal for a cosy as it has lots of 'stretch'.

A Duo of Crochet Cup Cosies

These cup cosies are ideal for taking into the garden.  I am going to use one at work because somehow my tea always gets cold before I get to it.  One is worked in a traditional Granny Stripe, the other in Crocheted Rib.  These are very quick to make for a gift for ‘Someone who has everything.’  They would also be good fundraising makes.

Hook: 4.5mm

UK crochet terms:

Chain = Ch

Treble crochet = trb

Double crochet = dc

Granny Stripe Cup Cosy

Instructions

Make a chain to fit around your mug with multiples of 3 plus 1 ch for turning.

Work the foundation row by making 3 trb into the second stitch from the hook and then every alternate stitch along the row.  1 chain to turn.

Change colour and make 3 ch, make three trb into each cluster space of the previous row to the end, end with 1 treble in the last stitch, 1 ch to turn.

Repeat these two row three times.  Work 1 more row to end with your main colour.

To Make Up

Sew in the ends and add two buttons, I used the spaces between the granny clusters as button holes.

Crocheted Rib Mug Cosy

Instructions

Make a chain of 13 stitches. Turn,

In the second stitch from the Hook working through the back strand only, work a row of Double crochet, 1 chain to turn at the end of the row.

Repeat this row, changing colour as required until your cosy will stretch around your mug.  Remember rib is stretchy.

Work two rows of double crochet loosely and evenly around the whole cosy to finish off.

To Make Up

Sew in the ends and add to buttons.  Work button loops out of chain stitch and sew these to the cosy.

June 1st - A taste of things to come

A lovely juicy raspberry!  I have had three already, but as I love my chickens so much I donated them to the girls, one each, they gratefully gobbled them up!  We like these in the summer with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a big pile of squirty cream.

This blackcurrant bush moved house with me about seven years ago, it crops heavily every year and the blackcurrants make delicious jam or jelly.  They are very sour until they are perfectly ripe.  I know when they are ripe because the Blackbird raids the bush so I pick 95% of them in one day and freeze them.  I have given up on strawberries for the time being as 'something' likes them more than we do and they all get eaten.  I love summer fruits.  Hooray for June and Summer sunshine.

I have been enjoying a weeks holiday, tidying the house, ironing, tidying the house and ironing!  In between I have been cooking and hooking!  I should have some crochet to show you tomorrow.  Also I am experimenting with the slow pot and I am rather excited to see the results in the morning.  I am attempting to make Yogurt in the slow pot for the first time.

Now anyone who knows me will tell you, I rarely do things by halves. We like yogurt.  We really do, but if this works, I will have made enough for the street!  It reminds me of Peanuts when 'Lucy' and Charlie Brown have a 'Lemonade Stand'.  I may be selling yogurt tomorrow, or donating it to The Salvation Army.  If it works I will tell you how it is done.  I could be having a raspberry with yogurt for breakfast in the morning!

May In Pictures

Lucy 'In the sky' May 2011