A tiny slice of my life

This is a look at my life, and the many things I try to learn and do.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Up With the Rooster

Yes I did get up early and there is a rooster nearby, when you go to our bathroom which is in the back of the house you can hear him of a morning. Sometimes you hear him in the middle of the night, I don't know what he is crowing about unless he is pleased with himself ;-)

Well I finished the stroller bag yesterday and dropped it off to Miss Le Coiffures house, so when her friend visits she can give it to her.

I have also started a nappy bag for Miss Le Coiffures friend, that is today's project, as well as the load of washing to be hung out.

As Miss Fish is in respite, booked in months ago because there would be a little baby this week and it would be easy for me if i didn't need to run around after Miss Fish.

But sadly still no baby and to rub salt into her wounds Miss Le Coiffure found out yesterday that a friend of hers gave birth to her baby yesterday 2 weeks early ! Mind you the baby was 8 lb 12 ozs = just over 4 kgs, so that baby didn't need to cook any longer.

She gave her large bump a serious talking to about showing herself, and what was the cheeky monkeys reply - a bad case of the hiccups lol

 

So our little cheeky monkey is due tomorrow and if she hasn't shown herself I will got to Miss Le Coiffure's house to spend the day, as she doesn't want to travel far.

So I must be off to finish the nappy bag so I can take it with me tomorrow.

 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I'm Back, More Interesting Mail & Sewing

Well I am back after last weeks impromptu trip to Sydney. More on that another day.

Miss Le Coiffures friend who has an 11 week old baby boy ! Who is the most gorgeous thing, was commenting on the chic baby stroller that I made for Miss Le Coiffures pusher, so I offered , as I has plenty of " boy" fabric leftover that I would make her one also for her pusher.

She accepted so that was what I was busy doing yesterday. I would be finished but I hadn't realized that I needed more Velcro . So back to the shops this morning to get more so I can finish it.

 

A we are still waiting for our Grandaughter to appear, she is due til Thursday but Miss Le Coiffure has been having labour pains but they haven't eventuated into anything yet. This little one seems to be like her Mummy and causes pain but doesn't appears for days.

The Daddy to be - The Fisherman - is very concerned that she will decide to come on Grand Final day ! Lol

Now exciting mail. I received a little package while I was away and this is what was in it, 2 charm packs , these are bundles of 5" squares, of Coquette by Chez Moi for Moda.

 

I have picked out a pattern, but need some larger pieces of matching fabric for borders ! So darn it I will have to get some more fabric, what a shame lol

Well I better keep moving just in case there is a call for transporting Mummy & Daddy to be to the hospital, because surely this baby will come soon. Heres hoping.

 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Chicken & Sundried Tomato Fettuchini

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend , we early managed to get thru it without any rain. We are so sick of rain, this has been the longest Winter.

 

Miss Fish was trying to think of something for tea on Sunday and pulled out my Women's Weekly cookbook that dates back the ahmm 1970's. Flicking thru the pasta recipes gave me the idea for this meal.

In the back of the pantry I found a packet of organic black pepper Fettuchini that I bought on one of our trips to Adelaide. Now why I keep these delicacies I don't know but I thought it would be a good time to use it.

 

This recipe is quite simple while the pasta is cooking , you make the sauce. Mine took nearly 15 minutes because it was quite thick handmade pasta, if your pasta takes less time to cook start the sauce first, then drain the pasta add it to the cooking sauce, toss together then dish up with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

This is enough for 4 generous serves.

Chicken & Sundried Tomato Fettuchini

2 large skinless chicken fillets, cut into 2 cm cubes, 3 heaped tbsps tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, about 20 semi sun dried tomatoes chopped into 1 cm pieces, 1/2 red onion very finely diced, 1 cup water, 2 tbsps fresh or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 2 large handfuls baby spinach and/or roquette, 3 tbsps cream, 3 tbsps olive oil, 375 grams dried pasta

In a large saucepan bring sufficient water to the boil to cook the pasta. If your pasta takes 10 - 15 minutes, start cooking then start the sauce.

In a large frypan heat the oil then add the onion & chicken, cook stirring occasionally till the chicken starts to get golden. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute.

Push the chicken to the edges add the tomato paste to the centre, cook for 1 minute then stir into the chicken mixture. Add the water, sugar, pepper & dried basil. Stir let simmer 5 - 7 minutes or until the chicken has cooked. If the sauce has got too thick add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to thin it down.

When the pasta is cooked, drain. Add the cream, spinach and fresh basil, if you are using it, stir it into the sauce. Add the pasta and using tongs toss together, once the pasta is well coated in the sauce remove from the heat and serve with freshly grated Parmesan, I also served ours with buttered French stick.

 

 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Let's Smile Today :-)

Well I don't know about were you live, but here the weather has turned nasty again. I am waiting to hear rain on the roof any minute. So lets try and have a smile.

 

 

Or when you send a message on Facebook half written !

 

 

I am definitely in this group nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than ordering more fabric !

 

 

Just because it's cute and brings a smile to my face.

 

No nor do I , our Miss Jess has never bothered with this antic she is always to busy sleeping on her lambswool on the back seat.

 

 

Yes my emotions are showing all over the place today :-)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Things I Like About Today ...

We had a lovely Birthday Tea at Miss Le Coiffure's. I took over all the ingredients etc to make homemade pizzas and I made an upside down cake for her birthday cake.

 

I have finished sewing the Licorice Allsorts quilt top.

 

I ahm .. Bought another cookbook .

 

The weather is beautiful , I have the windows open and the net curtains are gently moving in the breeze. Doesn't the sunshine put a smile on your face :-)

 

And I especially love parcels from America more fabric to drool over :-p

Monday, September 10, 2012

This 'n' That

First off I must wish Miss Le Coiffure a Very Happy 25th Birthday. Xxxxxx

No serious cooking done by me over the weekend Mr CLI made his famous soup. So there was tea for both days ! Yum. :-)

I woke yesterday with a terrible sore throat, so a day spent in the recliner under the back pergola was welcome. I feel much better today.

Here is a peek at the card I made for Mr CLI for Fathers Day.

 

Here is the progress of my Licorice Allsorts quilt, I only have to iron each square flat then lay them out in a pattern, then sew the squares together and then top will be finished. Yipee !

 

P.S. on the baby front only 2 weeks & 3 days to go .

Friday, September 7, 2012

TGIF

 

Well not a lot happening cooking or sewing wise at the moment. After seeing the osteo yesterday I feel like a semi has hit me and I have a view into what it would be like if I had a dowagers hump. Every time I walk I end up bending over and looking at my feet !

Still on baby watch 2 weeks and 6 days till her due date, not that I am counting lol

My Mum and I still reckon she will deliver early our bets are on this weekend or the start of the week, which means Miss LeCoiffure could be in hospital for her birthday !

Now something to make you smile, before I shuffle off to get a heat pack.

 

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Fun Mail ...

I must admit that I grimace when I see Miss Fish coming up the driveway with a handfull of mail because I know that most are going to be bills :-( she of course loves it because it is more mail for her to open .

 

But when the postie delivers parcels that is something to smile about :-)

Now of late most the parcels have contained very little clothes or items for the very little person soon to be here, so soon that I had a phone call at midnight last night from Miss Le Coiffure letting me know that she had just got back from hospital because she thought her waters had broke !

Now this wouldn't be a problem except she is 3 hours away from the hospital that she is meant to be having her baby at !

So as a consequence I am very tired because I couldn't go back to sleep as I was waiting for another phone call, then I was awake very early this morning worrying about it. I think a nap this afternoon maybe needed lol.

Now below is the contents of one of the exciting parcels I received and there still one on its way !

These fabrics are from Pink Door Fabrics.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkDoorFabrics

 

There is a jelly roll called Dainty Blossoms by Carina Gardner of Riley Blake Designs. Also a 1/2 yard bundle Tea Garden by Dena Designs, I am being very daring buying such large pieces I only buy fat quarters or 30 cm strips normally.

I also bought a fat quarter bundle of 6 prints of Trade Winds by Lily Ashbury from Moda in Malabar green, isn't that an exotic sounding color !

Just to fill the envelope lol I got 1 yard the main pattern from the Trade Winds collection so I have enough when I make a quilt.

What quit you are asking yourself , I really don't know, but when I finish my current quilt I will sit down with the fabrics to see what they " tell me " .

Now it is nearly time to fit the osteo for another fun filled session of trying to relieve my pain. Definatly a nap will be needed this afternoon.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Not A Lot Going On ....

Not a lot happening, just some final baby sewing. This is the nappy holder I made for the cloth nappies I bought for the soon to be here Grandaughter .

Can you tell I am anxious and very excited for the little one to be born. I hope she isn't like her Mummy and decides to some late.

I also finished on the weekend a bag that hangs off the pusher. I haven't taken a photo but here is the link to the pattern. It was another Moda Bake Shop pattern.

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/08/chic-mama-stroller-organizer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+modabakeshop%2FJkDQ+%28Moda+Bake+Shop%29

 

Here is a sneak preview of the portable change mat that I made. I am keeping it to give to Miss Le Coiffure when she has the baby.

Well back to the sewing room to continue with te sat cot quilt, this one is special because it will have all of us on their.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Rose Water Pannacotta

A few weeks ago Mr CLI , Miss Le Coiffure her partner and myself went away for a long weekend a Daylesford . While we were there we ate at Ruebens restaurant, which I have written about before.

One of the desserts was rose water pannacotta , now Miss Fish normally doesn't like anything like this, but she tasted it and fell in love with its creaminess and lightness also the lovely rose flavour.

She even liked it so much she got it the next night from the takeaway menu.

She has been asking for me to make, using the excuse that the "baby wants it " ! As she is 8 months pregnant and seeing her eat is a good thing.

So i decided to make it as one of the desserts for Fathers Day.

I hope everyone had a lovely Fathers Day. Mr CLI wanted a roast for lunch and he wanted to cook the meat on the covered BBQ. So he cooked the piece of pork and the chicken. While I cooked the roast vegetables the cauliflower and cheese sauce, steamed the peas and made the gravy !

I used a Gordon Ramsey recipe. Now I did alter it slightly when the cream is taken off the heat I added the sugar straight away and stirred until it had dissolved, then I added the rose water.

For the first batch, because I made 2 knowing someone would like to take some home, I put in 3 tbsps of rose water, then in the second I used 4. I believe the 4 gives you a more rose flavour.

Also the recipe states to use 2 gelatine sheets, I used the titanium ones. Now the pannacotta did set but if you had wanted to upend it onto a plate I think it would have collapsed . So if I was going to do that in the future I would use 3 sheets, but as I had made individual portions it wasn't a problem.

The verdict on the pannacotta was a resounding success. Miss Le Coiffures comments was that "now she doesn't have to go to Ruebens to get her pannacotta fix".

Gordon Ramsey's original recipe

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/598631/lemon-thyme-panna-cotta-with-raspberry-granita

My version

Rose Pannacotta

600 ml cream, 150 ml full cream milk, 100 grams caster sugar, 4 tbsps rose water, 2 - 3 titanium gelatine sheets

Place the gelatine sheets in cold water to soak.

In a saucepan bring the cream and milk to a boil. As soon as it boils remove from the heat and add the sugar, stir until there is no grittiness in the bottom of the saucepan.

Stir in the rose water. Squeeze any excess water from gelatine, the drop it into the hot cream mix and stir till dissolved.

Leave to cool slightly. Pour through a fine sieve into a jug, this makes it easier to pour into individual dishes or one large dish.

Refrigerate til set. This would be at least 4 hours but overnight would be better.