My Life's Ingredients

Scenario - you promised your kids Hogwarts robes for their birthday party (which is of course a Harry Potter Party). However, you've left things quite late and then had to go to Germany for holidays. So, after you managed to finish all the pencil wands, mini cauldrons and most of the golden snitches, you decide to start on the robes... on the twins' birthday (the day before the party) at 5:30pm... But all should be ok... because the pattern you found says it will only take 1 hour to make ... Ok... I suspect somehow that's withouth ironing and cutting... or most likely that the lining fabric has the same width of the outer fabric so would be easier to cut? But of course my lining is a bit more than half the width of the outer fabric which resulted in me having to measure and then double them up and sew at the top. It IS actually a very good pattern/instruction. I managed to get everything done like they said (mostly, but that's my measuring issue), h...

Today I tried a new recipe – Lemon Zucchini Bread/Cake. The result has yet to be tried as we’re on our second “fast” day of the week!   But they’re looking already very nice/yummie! The recipe I used is from Allrecipes.co.uk , just added a bit lemon juice for a more lemony flavour, and I used more courgette/zucchini. Did peel them, but a friend of mine said I don’t need to do that. Hummm… next time! (doubled up the recipe for 2 loaf tins) Ingredients Serves : 12 200g (7 oz) grated courgette 150g (5 oz) caster sugar 1 egg 125ml (4 fl oz) vegetable oil 200g (7 oz) plain flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons lemon zest Directions Prep:15min  ›  Cook:45min  ›  Ready in:1hr Preheat oven to 160 C / Gas mark 3. Grease a loaf tin. In a bowl, beat together the courgette, sugar, egg and oil. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking ...

If you've come here through the "Cookie Swap Blog Train" from Amber's Blog then you know why you've landed here... ;)  If you're one of my regular readers or just found my blog, you can read about this Blog train here. If you would like to go to the front of the train and have a look at all the "carriages" please go to Lois' blog - she's the conductor! ;)  I'm a sucker for Christmas Cookies ... never leave enough time to bake them though, and I always end up with the same ones.  My granny (dad's mum) used to do the baking for the whole family, and she always had TONS of cookies ready to go onto our "Bunte Teller" (a Christmas plate with cookies, chocolates, satsumas, apples - just everything. It's a selection plate of every Christmas sweet snack really. ;)  ).  She used to store them on her "Loggia" (balcony) in one of those seats with storage space. They were always nice and cool when we got them.  My ...

Now on to sewing... huh! Or fighting with the sewing machine ... we'll see what happens. ;) Pics for you (the second is to come once the first batch is out of the oven! ;) ):

Just taking a lunch break in between making Xmas tags for the Advent calendar Swap on Dani's Forum , making the first batch of cheesecake brownies for the next 2 weeks, sewing small Xmas bags for the swap above, filling them with the goodies and then sending them off in a parcel to Germany. ;) So far I think I am on track ok ... let's just hope my sewing machine is not playing up this time. Didn't get a new costume for tomorrow's party, but that's ok ... found my lab coat, still to find my goggles mind ... then "Mad Scientist" it is again. :) Wonder if I am going to be more prepared next year ... might actually SEW something ... again... provided sewing machine is compliant, but then ... I've to do a lot of sewing the next month, so it SHOULD BEHAVE!! Pumpkin soup tonight ... and want to carve the thing as well... no idea yet about WHAT I'm carving, will find out later ... ;) It's not first priority (that would be the swap today). So for now I ...