goodnight billy

Cross-stitched Lunch Bag

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 07:08:00 +0000

I love lunch. I love to make things. And, I love bags. I decided to whip up a lunch bag because my love of all of these things collided yesterday afternoon.
To make this lovely little sac you will need:

2, 28 x 45 cm rectangles of heavyweight cotton canvas
Embroidery thread
Sewing Thread
Embroidery hoop
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Heat transfer pencil
Paper
LUNCH template
Computer and Printer

And this is what you will need to do:

1. Download the LUNCH template (here!) and print it on regular paper (in a mirror image!)

2. You will then use your heat transfer pencil to trace over the cross- stitches.

3. Follow the instructions on the pencil package to transfer LUNCH onto the right side of one of the cotton canvas pieces.

4. Insert the canvas piece into an embroidery hoop and begin cross-stitching the crosses. You will do this by coming up from underneath the fabric, then going down into the fabric to make one line of the cross. Just repeat until all of the crosses are done!

5. Next, hem the opening of the bag, then with right sides facing sew up the sides and base.

6. Now, "box" the corners. You will do that by making the corner of the bag flat and measuring 5 cm from both points and rule across.

And, voila! You could do some sort of velcro/press stud/ button arrangement but, hey, I'm a little lazy and a peg or bulldog clip works just as well!

Enjoy!

Erin xo

Blackberry and Lime Frangipane Tart

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:57:00 +0000

Recipe and more pictures after the jump...

I love a good tart. Don't you? Smitten kitchen have a divine shortcrust pastry recipe (which I have republished in metric measurements) that I use every time I need a sweet short crust. That paired with the gooey, chewy frangipane, lime and blackberries, this tart is perfect for Summer!

Lime and Blackberry Frangipane Tart (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen- Pear and Almond Tart)

Shortcrust Pastry

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
130g unsalted butter, chopped and frozen
1 large egg

1. Whiz the salt, flour and icing sugar in the food processor until combined.

2. Add the butter and pulse until fine bread crumbs are achieved.

3. Beat the egg and add enough to the mix while the processor is running until a ball of dough is formed.

4. Turn out and wrap in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

5. Roll out between cling wrap of baking paper and line a greased 25cm tart shell with the pastry.

6. Trim the excess and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

7. Blind bake the tart shell for 15 minutes on 180°C then 10 minutes without the baking paper and weights.

8. Set aside to cool while you make the frangipane.

Lime Frangipane

100g unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup almond meal
1 egg
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons plain flour
Zest of 2 limes

1. Whiz all of the ingredients in the food processor.

2. Chill in the fridge until cooled.

Assembling the tart

3/4 of a cup of frozen blackberries
Frangipane mixture
1 tart shell

1. Preheat the over to 180°C

2. Spread the frangipane out over the tart shell

3. Press in the blackberries in to the frangipane

4. Bake for 40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Erin x

A foxy top via Sew La Tea Do

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:10:00 +0000

I was thrilled at Christmas when my Mum gave me Sew La Tea Do by Pip Lincolne.
The book is FULL of totally awesome projects and I could not wait to get started!

My sister had been staying at my place this week as she was packing to move to Fiji ( I can hear the cocktails calling already). One of her favourite tops had been ruined by the iron so I offered to embroider something to somewhat disguise it. I immediatly know what I wanted to do- a fox from the Woodland Friends Pillowcases project in Sew La Tea Do.

I am so pleased with how it turned out, and so was my sister!

Erin xo

christmas

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Here are some pics of my chirstmas! I hope everone had a great one!

Erin xo

hydrangea and dusty miller

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0000

So I was reading design sponge, like I religiously do, and I came across this post about dusty miller. I had never realised I had dusty miller in my garden, let alone thought about using it in an arrangement.

I waited until my hydrangeas bloomed and then put them in a vase.

Enjoy!

Erin x

sourdough bread: part two

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:44:00 +0000

This part of the sourdough is quite simple.

You have left the rye dough for 2 days and now you must "feed" it. You feed it by adding enough water and plain flour to get it back to a soft dough. The mix should smell yeasty bust still quite fresh.

Cover it again and pop it back in a warm place for 2 more days.

Check out sourdough bread part one here.

Erin x

chocolate and hazelnut tart

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Recipe and more pictures after the jump

This tart is so rich and delicious. I made it gluten free but it can easily be made with plain flour instead of the gluten free flour!

Base
1 cup Plain flour (can be gluten free)
2/3 cup Hazelnut meal
1/4 cup Caster sugar
100g Cold butter
1 Egg

Filling
200g Good quality (70% cocoa solids) dark chocolate
150ml Cream
50g Butter
50ml Milk

Method

1. Process flour, meal and sugar in a food processor until combined.
2. Add the butter to the mix and pulse until it looks like bread crumbs.
3. Beat the egg. Add enough to form a ball of dough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in freezer. This is where you can turn your oven to 180ºC.
5. When the dough is cold, roll it out and place in a greased, 20cm tart shell.
6. Blind bake the tart shell until almost cooked.
7. While the tart shell is baking, start in the filling. Bring the cream and milk to a slow boil.
8. Chop the chocolate and butter and poor the cream and milk over the chocolate and butter and leave to melt.
9. Beat the chocolate mix until smooth, then beat in the egg.
10. Pour the chocolate mix into the tart shell and bake until just set, but still a bit wobbly!

sourdough bread: part one

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0000

I have been wanting to make sourdough for like, ages. I have no idea how this will turn out and I am posting as I am experiencing it.

I am using Jamie Oliver's sourdough recipe from his book Happy Days with the Naked Chef. So here goes;

Add 500g of Organic rye flour to a ceramic bowl. It is important to use the organic rye (says Jamie) as it has bacteria or something!

Add enough water to the mixture to make a soft dough. I do not think my dough was soft enough. Hmph.

This dough then goes and sits outside to have think for an hour, then comes inside and gets covered in cling wrap and sits in a warm place for two days. It will bubble and be yeasty (ew).

I will be back to post part two of the sourdough recipe in the coming days!

Erin x

I have been crocheting...

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:48:00 +0000

What have you been doing?

Erin x

Macarons with Berry Ganache

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Ever since I went to Paris, I have wanted to make Macarons. It is, a very daunting task. One which I have failed before, but have had another go at and the result was truly exciting.

I found this recipe really good, and the macarons (for the most part) turned out great! I only used the recipe for the macaron part, and used pink instead of purpple. For the ganache I made a simple white chocolate ganache (with a tad less cream) and stirred through crushed raspberries and blackberries.

The Sean Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:18:00 +0000

I began making the Sean Skirt from Burda Style in April for my BEST friend's birthday,
which was on April 27. Unfortunately, I never got around to finishing it until today! You can view my project here.

I raced over to her house as soon as I finished and she loved it. I loved making it and I am so happy with the result.

Happy Birthday Ash...

Erin xo

Lime Yogurt Cake via Smitten Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:51:00 +0000

I have had a cake tin I bought from an op shop in the back of my cupboard for, lets say, ages. I bought it on the best holiday of my life to south west WA. My sister was living in Cowaramup and I visited her for what felt like 4 weeks, but in actual fact was about 5 days.

Just outside Margaret River, is a small town called Witchcliffe, which has possibly the best vintage store I have seen in my life. There I bough some pegs and this gorgeous cake tin. That holiday was filled with plenty of op shopping (the area, to me, has excellent op shops) and I found myself having to leave many of my finds with my sister to ensure I did not have to pay for excess baggage.

Sadly, I never got to bring home a vintage sewing book, an embroidery book and some great fabric. This cake tin however, made the cut. For months I have been on the look for a good yogurt cake recipe, so I could use the cake tin. For some reason, I only ever envisioned baking a yogurt cake in it. My brother-in-law would always make yogurt cake for dessert and I have constantly thought about making my own. I found this one at Smitten Kitchen and made a raspberry sauce instead. Halfway through the baking process, I thought, What if its supposed to be jelly mould? In fact, the cake tin did just fine, and the cake was scrumptious.

Go on, have a go!

the envelope project...

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:20:00 +0000

I am participating in the envelope project over at meet me at mikes.

I will be sending some vintage buttons I bought in Paris, some wooden pegs I got from a very cool op shop in Witchcliffe, WA and i'll put it all in a drawstring bag I made for a uni assignment.

I am going to be a little excited if I win, Imagine if I do?

Erin
xo

This moment...

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:39:00 +0000

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Thanks to soulemama for the idea. You can play along here and have a look at her beautiful blog. Also, leave a comment here with you blog link if you have a moment.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 07:46:00 +0000

My BEST friend broke up with her boyfriend this week, so i decided to bake her favourite cupcakes- Red Velvet!

Enjoy!

For the cupcakes:

125g Caster Sugar
125g Butter
125g of Flour
2 eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons of Red Food Colouring
1/4 Cup Cocoa

For the cream cheese icing:

125g Cream cheese
100g Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups icing Sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Blend all cupcake ingredients together in a food processor
3. Bake in cupcake tin for 15 minutes (approx)
4. While they're baking make the icing by beating the butter, cream cheese and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.
5. Ice the cupcakes once they cool.

There you have Red Velvet Cupcakes! I say you bake them for someone! Who will you bake them for?

Erin xo

my 5 faves...

noreply@blogger.com (erin) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:24:00 +0000

Pip at meet me at mikes has started a game. You can play here.

1. This website. Thank you, thx thx thx and Mamamia for the tip!

2. Embroidery, I'm getting a little obsessed.

3. As I am for whip up. I check it a few times a day. Sad, I know.

4. This bag from witchery!

5. Hazelnut Torte. Need I say more

Oh and its my first post! hope you come back again! xox