Limes

Friday I went to the fruit shop and bought a few boxes of cheap fruit.  There was a box of limes $3 so I divided it into lime pickle, lime marmalade and with the few remaining I made some fresh lime cordial to celebrate my remembering to renew the soda stream refill.  Friday afternoon the house smelt so fresh and clean with all the cutting, juicing, soaking and letting the fruit to marinate. Yesterday I made the marmalade.  I made it clear and I strained all the nasty peel bits out-YUCK I love marmalade but can't stand the peel, who wants to spend their breakfast spiting out bits of pithy, bitter peel?  I set really well and tastes good.  I think there is a pithy aftertaste but DH says its OK.  This morning I had it on fresh hot Artisan bread.  Ahhhhh.  And 2 cups of good coffee.  DH went fishing so I got up with him and set the bread to rise and baking and while that happened went back to bed with a book.  When the bread was ready I made the tribe babycinos to have with their bread and took mine back to bed.  I ignored the fight and came out after to wipe the excess jam and honey off the table :) :) 
DH returned empty handed so we had vegetarian refried beans with baked potatoes and salad from the garden. 
Tomorrow I have to make the lime pickle.  Then it has to be kept for 3months before opening.  We learnt the hard and bitter, very bitter, way that is it better to wait.  So I have 3months to put up some brinjal (eggplant chutney) and sweet mango chutney and then we can have a delicious Indian feast. 

Bread

I have been in bread making mode.  There is something about the smell of not only fresh baked but the yeasty smell of mixing and proofing it.  I have the 5 min Artisan bread 'maturing' in the fridge, yes the fridge I was really shocked why I first heard about it but it is good.  I have done English muffins-great for after school snacks as the bigger 4 can pop them in the toaster.  And baguettes.  Mmmmm baguettes.  The first batch were really nice and yummy and tasted creamy and crunchy but the next batch I over proofed and they were flat, still tasted good but extra crunchy.  I made cheesey tuna melts with them, well MrJ and MrS had cheesey broccoli melts and a big salad from the garden.  Quick-well if you didn't count actually making the baguettes in the first place-he he he- and clean plates after. 
Still working on MsH's  dog amongst other things....

Stop faffing around!!

Directed at myself!  I have a crochet dog that I have to get finished for MsH and I have been putting it off.  And off.  And off.  In the mean time I have made 2 pairs of slippers (both too big for me but I am trying again) 2-nearly 3 nylon bath scrubbers, Bayleaf-a pokemon and OH BOY he turned out good. 
So that is my project this week to get the thing done.  Its really cute I got it from this site By Hook By Hand  absolutely brilliant little puppies and delightful little people and sprites.  I am going to have lots of fun at this site!!!!  I kinda like her cloth dolls too, so when I get my sewing groove back I might have to go in to dolly mode.....

Missy and Martin

I finished another project, this time I did it for me.  Much like the cat I have in my picture (no I don't really look like that :)  ) I wanted it and I did it and its mine, ALL MINE.  I have to put them high on the bookshelves so that little hands don't get them.  I haven't done their faces as I am not too good at doing faces and I am not too sure at this point that they need them.
Missy and her brother Martin are going on a picnic.  They have a salad sandwich, a hot dog, a chocolate tart and 2 strawberries
The pattern for Missy and Martin is an adaptation of the hello kitty one.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...

I am feeling better today thank you to everyone who asked. 
Yesterday the kids were all at school/kindy so I thought 'GREAT!' I can get a dvd and sit on the couch and crochet all day and finish the slippers that I am remaking for myself.  So I got the movie 'Paranormal Activity'  Well wasn't I a silly?  Its a bit like 'Blair Witch' and I scared myself witless.  I like a good horror movie and if it scares me a little all the better and that was the problem it scared me too much. 
Yes I did watch some of it with my eyes closed. 
And yes I was too scared to get off the couch and see if the noise was a demon or the washing machine shaking. 
And also I spent the night waking every hr or so just in case a demon was sneaking up on me.  So tired.  Today I will get another movie 'Sound of Music'?  Singing nuns aren't all that scarey, are they?????

Birth Trauma

Today I am not doing well.  Birth trauma sucks.  The longer it gets the worse it seems to be.  Too many of my days are consumed with tears and sobbing.   
So a big thankyou to the hospital.  To dr wankstain and his amazing crew of brown nosed midwives.  To the masses of people who were allowed to view my naked labouring body.  To my husband.  To people I've met and tried to tell and been passed off.  Thanks for the last 3yrs of misery, pain, shame and humiliation. 

Mother's Day

Hope you all had a wonderful day.  I did.  I got heaps of presents from the children, times like this I am so happy that I have 6 children and if they come with chocolate I would like to have more :) :) :)  I love their little faces when they give you the present that they have made or bought from the mothers day stall at school.  The sachet of bath salts were put to good use-MrM, MsR and I had a bath, very squishy and apparently I had a very dirty back that needed so much scrubbing I think blood was drawn.  Notepads and handmade pots and MsH sewed me a beautiful bookmark. 
I nearly got breakfast in bed.  A neighbour had an emergency so needed to use our shower and of course I needed to  give it a quick scrub.  But it was a nice breakfast: bacon, eggs and black pudding. 
DH did roast pork for dinner.  And all the dishes. 
Really was a day for me to relax and I spent it on the couch crocheting (nearly finished Bayleaf for MrS and it is very impressive) and whipped up a quick pair of slippers.  Unfortunately they didn't fit me and so I gave them to DH, they are still a bit big but they were quick, easy and great way to use up scraps.  I will be making more.  Just in case the zombies come!

Bean wraps

Oh wow these were so yummy and so easy.  I will  make a few changes next time-make MORE.  The are failsafe and vegetarian.

Bean Filling
1 pkt of dried kidney beans, soaked and cooked or you could use 4 cans drained and rinsed.
cooked bean stock or use a little water/chicken stock if using canned
1 big bunch of shallots
lots of garlic
salt
Fry off onions and garlic, add beans, liquid and salt.  Simmer for 1/2hr and then roughly mash with a potato masher
There done.

To serve spread on wrap (I make ours-see in the recipe section under bread they are easy and yummy as)  and top with salad of choice and a bit of sour cream.  DH and I added tobasco mmmmmm but it decidedly a winner of a meal.  I made 16 wraps and they all went.  MsR ate a whole one!salad and all!!!!  MrJ had 3 and was looking at the others pleadingly.  DH and I had 2 each and we said that we *could* have eaten another but that would have just been eating for taste as we were both full, heavens knows how the middle 3 ate 2 a peiece??????  The wraps are quite filling as they are 1/2 and 1/2 wholemeal. 
Don't know what we are having tonight but we are having roast pork on Sunday I even bought extra crackling.  I know that its not failsafe but we haven't had roast pork since forever... and I will keep the diet simple before and after and only serve f/s veg so the outcomes are not that dire.

I'n my post-apocalyptic world......

I am a big post apocalyptic movie/book fan.  Anything with zombies...I'm there.  Super flu...right on.  Nuclear bombs and mutants...just my cup of tea.  I seemed to have spread the disease to DH.  Yeah!!!!  I now have someone to sit on the couch with watch them.
Some of the movies that we have enjoyed
Day/Night/Dawn of the Dead stuff
The Stand-book and movie, though DH is struggling with the book.... wusss 
Dead Set
Survivors.  DH said he remembers the original, he is old ;)
Shawn of the Dead- has one of the best zombie killing scenes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ0gSbcG1FI
Dead and Breakfast-really good soundtrack and line dancing zombies, what else do you need??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwP5wpNGyw  (contains swearing)
I am Legend-we are waiting on the original Omgea Man
The Road.  I have read the book and waiting to see the movie.  Wasn't a funloving take on a post-apocalyptic world.
Ohhh that Spanish one I can't remember the name of-we both really liked that one
and many more

We discuss how and where they go wrong and what we would do.  Is it wrong to teach your children zombie survival????  And to to go with the end of the world you shall all be wearing these

Yes they are crocheted slippers.  Yes they are made from ripped up old sheets.  They are very quick to make up, thrifty and comfy.  You may all laugh but when the world has ended and there is no more shoes to be had you will want a pair of these.  Honestly

Mother's Day Stall

Just finished these for the mother's day stall at school.  They are pin cushions.  The donuts turned out really, REALLY good.  I made 6-3 with white frosting and 3 with pink frosting.  The cups of hot chocolate are a variation on the teacups and they turned out well but next to the donuts they pale a little. 
I got the patterns from here: donuts and teacup
The were really quick and easy to turn out.  I will be making more but instead of pin cushions they will have beads sewen on and then the children will have play food.