Alone!

I sometimes get fed up of being alone. Don't get me wrong I enjoy my own company but I love to chat too. Being a weekend you would expect (hope) people would be around but nope! Hubby has had to go into work, again. He is so overworked its not true. I would never complain, as he is the man who earns the "Crusty Bread" but sometimes I worry as he works exceptionally long days. The company he works for has a new man at its head, he was an accountant and we all know what accountants always see....... the bottom line, not so much the care of the work force!

Tori is busy doing her homework in her room, she is quite motivated after getting a 'B' for her last assignment. All I can hear is the tap of the keyboard and 'Disney songs', she does love disney!!Lol!

So I have to keep out of mischief!!!!

So out came my bag of materials and with a cut, cut here and a snip, snip there



I made another chicken



this is for a friend, who I know does not read my blog, but has been going through a rough period having lost her job .



Looks good in a frame. They are quite fiddly to do so keep me occupied. I love them cos they seem to have a personality once put together! They make me laugh!

I want to do a cat, but I can't seem to get it right! I like the shape of this one



but it needed layers so I added the stripes, but I can't get the face right, in fact the more I look at it the less character it has. To be honest it has to many 'little' bits which means it takes an age to put together and now I've seen it on my blog I don't like it!!!
So my crafting friends, suggestions please. I love cats and would love a patchwork cat, with character, I need to simplify it, I think!

Medlar Jelly

If you guessed Medlar to yesterdays picture you would be right!

I got 8lbs of them from a Freecycler so yesterday and today I have been busy. I took loads of pics as I was making it but for some unknown reason my camera has decided not to work with all of them (bizarre) so I'm afraid you will have to do with what I have left!



First wash all the Medlars you don't need to weigh them, just quarter them and pop them in a pan. Cover them with water, but not so much that they are floating.



Boil until they are soft, mine boiled for one and half hours.

These are the pics that are missing...
set up a jelly strainer over a container and spoon all the Medlars, juice and everything into the jelly bag and leave overnight. Do not squeeze just lift clear in the morning and then measure the liquid back into your pan.



For every pint of liquid add 1lb sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Then boil until setting point is reached.



Only skim off the scum once setting point has been reached otherwise you waste the jelly. Pour into sterilized jars.

This is the best bit



just look at the colour, how do manky looking fruit produce this?



I think I would like curtains this colour! I digress, this jelly is good with all cooked meats, well thats what I eat it with, it is extremely yummy! So if you know of a medlar tree give it a go, just four ingredients, Medlars, Sugar, Lemon Juice and Water.

PS Don't forget to register your interest in my giveaway, two posts down, if you haven't already done so.

Jake

Why is it that 'tuxedo' cats can have a really evil look?



Jake is such a sweetie and adores T. He is calming down alot now and eats downstairs, the litterbox is also downstairs by the door, which he uses with regularity then goes outside!!!!!!
But
The really good news is this



his tail, its got hair on it again. When he first came to us it was bald and he chewed it to pieces. Now he hardly ever has a go at it!

Now lets see how clever you all are, any idea what this is?



Well I shall tell you tomorrow and what I will be doing with it!

Giveaway!

I have been slaving away all afternoon, well the last couple of hours anyway! I have finished the 'giveaway' as promised.

This is what I am putting in the giveaway



a 10 x 8 picture of a chicken in a frame, a yummy box of Dark Mint Chocolate Leaves and a bag of 5 Species Narcissus Baby Boomer Bulbs. These are my most favourite as they have 3+ flowers per stem.

This is a close up of the chicken giving a better representation of the colours.



So if you would like to be in with a chance of winning these then leave a comment between now and the end of November, when I will draw the names out of a hat or pot or whatever to see who wins. I thought I would do a December Giveaway too, so watch out for that!

Good Luck.

More Crochet

My daughter loves the 'Gothic' style although is not strictly a 'Goth' so I made her a choker last night





this was fun and not so hard on the fingers as wire!

Whilst K was home last week Sassy found her again. Sassy has always been K's cat and only really comes to me when K is not around. She has had pride of place in K's room and is lovely toasty and warm




Only a short post today, lots going on!

Knitting & Crocheting with a Difference

I was pretty bushed after yesterday's drive so after going out this morning and doing everything I had too, I came back and fiddled!
I have been trying a bit of jewellery making and I adore the effect that knitting and crocheting wire creates. The end results are very delicate. Please excuse the old and wrinkly hand as neither of my daughters where about to use as hand models!! I also use an old card table with a green baize top which has seen better days, but I can use it by the computer where the better light is!

I thought I would have a go at a ring

first you do a few chain and some single crochets,



looks a right mess! Then you do some more



until its long enough to go round your finger



pull prod, squash and pinch until your happy with the shape and then join up to make a ring!



this actually makes a nice thumb ring, but couldn't get a good enough pic. I then decided to add some beads to the next one.



Ta da!

The bracelets I have been making for awhile now, I do like them.



I have been trying out something with this, but I may tell you about that another day!

Cooking a Christmas Cake in a Rayburn

Wasn't sure I would make it today! Been up to Worcester to take K back to Uni! I bet you want to know how the cooking of the Christmas cakes in the Rayburn went?

The big cake was done last night but silly me forgot to put the heat reflector shelf in, this protects the tops of cakes from too much heat, hence they don't form a crust! So the big cake was a little bit crusty till I smothered it in Brandy!



The small cake was not cooked by midnight last night so I set my alarm for 03.00 and got up and it still wasn't done, so went back to bed and when I got up at 07.30 it still needed more time. Anyway by about 11.00 I thought we had cracked it so took it out cooled it for 10 mins then took it out of the tin.............. Big mistake it was all soggy on the bottom... disaster.. rescuable (is that a word??) What I should have done was stood it on a shelf or cooling tray to allow the air to circulate around the whole tin. So I popped it back in and on my return from Worcester about 17.00 its cooked both ends!



What has impressed me is how soft and springy this cake is, I may let hubby eat it to see if its OK and if it is, would I cook this way again? Definately! I've learnt alot. I like the idea of using the bottom oven to cook in and the fact that it takes 24 hours does not worry me, I just need to adjust my starting time to be around and not in bed at the finish!!!