Home-sewn by Sarah

One-Day-At-A-Time ~ The Kitchen

2012-01-18T11:15:00.000+11:00

And so I begin. My goal this week to clean/tidy/organise the kitchen from Top to Bottom. This will include dum-dum-DUMMMMM....... the tupperware cupboard and ARGGGHHHH......... the OVEN!!!!

Today I will start small and tackle the plate cupboard.... tomorrow who knows

Yummy Cinnamon goodness

2012-01-11T11:19:00.002+11:00

Ok, so I happened along this recipe from here, but she mentioned it was originally from here. I just had to work a little 'Egg/Dairy free magic to this great recipe and then we were all enjoying this gorgeous loaf in no time.

So for all you peeps who might have, or be baking for someone who has a egg allergy or a cow's milk allergy then read on...

Pull-apart Cinnamon loaf - Egg and Dairy Free style

Ingredients

Dough

2 Cups Plain flour

1 1/2 T Caster sugar

1 pkt yeast

1/2 Cup warm water

1/4 C warm soy milk

1 1/2 T Olive Oil

1 t vanilla extract

Topping

2 T nuttlex

3 t brown sugar

2/3 Cups Sugar

1 t Cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

I have tweaked my pizza dough recipe a little to make it much sweeter but this is a really easy, quick dough to produce.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add the oil, water, milk and vanilla.

Knead until it is soft. I like that it is really only a minute, or even less, of kneading!

Place back in the bowl and cover with cling wrap for 30 mins. Now is the time to pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C and prepare the filling.

Melt the nuttelex and brown sugar in a saucepan and allow to cool.

In another bowl mix the cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg together.

Knead gently for about a minute and then roll out to a large rectangle or square. I find that because it is really similar to the pizza dough that it helps to 'stretch' out the dough. Do this by holding it by the edges, up in the air, and turning it around, kinda like you are turning the car steering wheel. <- boy I hope that made sense...

Paint the top of the bread with the cooled nettlex mixture and then generously sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mix over the top.

Cut up into strips. Stack the strips. Cross cut the strips into squares that will easily fit into your loaf tin.

I baked it for 35 mins.

There were great pics over here to match the instructions if you need some visual assistance. I didn't take any pics in progress since it was mostly just the change of ingredients to make this delightful decadent dare I say breakfast food that my family would be able to enjoy too. Enjoy

38 degrees

2012-01-04T08:26:00.000+11:00

It's HOT!

Too hot to do much else other than chill at our local pool.

8am and the tempreture outside is already 30 degrees, yup it's gonna be a HOT day.

How is your day going?

Mixer update

2012-01-01T19:33:00.001+11:00

Hi there, just thought I'd let you know after talking about a mixer a few posts back, that we got a new Sunbeam Cafe Series mixer for Christmas from my Mother In-law and Father In-law and it is beautiful. I really feel that it deserves a name but I am yet to name any of my inanimate objects.... never really caught on when I was younger and all my friends were naming their first cars and such. Oh well, maybe, one day.

But we are loving the yummy goodness that is exploding out of that magic machine everyday!

Back to that Fudge from that same post, that got me hungering for a good ol' fashioned goo-fest prompted me to create a little home-made fudgey goodness of my own. Now I didn't end up using this recipe as with the milk allergies that the boys have I didn't feel like making my own Sweetened Condensed Milk (oh it can be done people, dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, it just takes time and I wanted that fudge melting in my mouth not a moment longer than needed).

Dairy-Free Chocolate Fudge

You will never now the difference, guaranteed!

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Soy milk

1 1/4 Cups Sugar

1/4 Cup Nuttelex

1 Cup Dairy free chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 Cup Hazelnuts

Stir the milk and sugar over a high heat, stirring constantly, for 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add nuttelex, chocolate and vanilla/hazelnuts and stir until the mixture lightens in colour. Around 5 minutes of hard core mixing should do it.

Pour it into a lined tray, not too big or your fudgey squares will be very flat.

Leave on the counter to set for about 4 hours and then cut into bite sized bits.

This will keep for up to a week stored at room tempreture, goodluck with that!

These were the first batch of scones that I have made in a mixer but came out OK. They looked great but tasted a little bready, probably because I had to add a tonne more flour to stop the sticky dough ball mess that I had made but I'll work on that tomorrow..................

A camera bag for a few dollars

2011-12-27T19:35:00.000+11:00

So I got a new camera for my birthday a few months back and have been carrying it around in an old makeup box with some bits still wrapped in the bubble wrap that it came in. Tisk Tisk. It's awful and as such I don't always remember to take it out with me, that is something that I need to change.

Now I am a sensible spender, some may say frugal but the point is I don't want to spend alot for something that could be got for a little.

Which has led me to the point that I need to make a camera bag. I have been toying with this idea for a while but just can't find the right bag that I like. So instead I have changed my sights to a camera bag insert that I can transfer from bag to bag and take my camera out in whichever handbag grabs me for the day.

Here are just 2 of the great tute's from blogger's I have come across. So one day, when it's not a public holiday or 3 in a row for that matter, I will make my way to town and get a few supplies to 'whip' one up. Oh man I hope it is that easy to just whip it up, they sure do make it look easy in the beautifully constructed instructions.............

Check 'em out!

How does your camera travel?

Present dreaming

2011-12-15T08:08:00.000+11:00

Ok so with the thought of moving into a caravan, kitchen appliances were definetly not on my list of 'things that are gonna fit' but Michael has made the very vallid point that it would be used almost every day, well every day that we have power, since home-made is definetly something our family can't live without.

That said, I am currently searching for a Kitchen Aide or the like.

So tell me which one do you have? or what one do you think is best?! They all look pretty similar to me!

Then of course there's a thought I just can't get rid of and that is this...

Definetly 'drool-worthy'. Check em out!

Big news

2011-12-11T20:32:00.000+11:00

It has been a while since I last posted and there has been much going on.

We have decided that we want to sell our business and hit the road to explore Australia for 12 months or so. *squeal* So anyone wanting a bit of a Tree-change to the bush, maybe a DVD rental store cross Adult Store might be just right for you! The shop is rented with a 3 bedroom residence with 2 living areas, lock up garage and beautifully grassed back yard, so there's no need to worry about the lack of rental properties here in town at the moment. Move straight in and start straight away. Anyone who would like more information on our thriving little business should email me.

Coming in 3's

2011-07-22T06:45:00.002+10:00

Some would say everything happens in 3's. And today I would of too.

I spent my day baking and icing for a few special friends of ours.

Happy Birthday Ashley, Sienna and Braiden!!!

Celerbrating 79

2011-07-21T06:24:00.002+10:00

Make a wish...

A pets a pet, right?

2011-07-20T04:54:00.002+10:00

So don't let this kid catch you stomping on a Cockroach, or squishing out an Ant! Unless you want him to cry you a river that is...

Psst... this is not really a pet, just so you know. After a quick how-do-you-do we usher our new little friends outside to find their Mama. Sorry Granny and Grandma, I know you are both gonna get the bumps now.

And so it began

2011-07-19T16:16:00.001+10:00

You might remember back earlier in the year when I sewed this BOM or this one...

Well I have started another. These are just so addictive especially when you see the Oh-so-cute fabric packs that CQS have to go with the patterns!

As I was returning the Ally Gator block to the CQS, I had Little Bro with me who cried and cried because he wanted to keep his 'RILEY'. The picture below is the actual fabrics that you get in your kit from CQS.

Riley was a crocodile from the Animal Sanctuary in Townsville a year or so ago and oh boy did he want to keep this block. But that's OK coz Mama is LOVING these blocks!

So we set about picking a new set of fabrics (these are not the ones that you get in the kit) but something with a little RED. This is what we both picked.

So I cut and vlisofixed and got this far that afternoon while he slept.

Now he was happy, it kinda got left here and nothig much came of it, until one bright and early morning that just seemed perfect for a Little Bro project.

I was going to make a pillow case but decided that there were enought floating throughout my linen space.

I ripped one of the seams open and top-stitched the panel onto it. And Ta-da. In no more than an hour I had appliqued (by machine of course), attached RILEY to his new home and restitched the pillow seam.

Now if only I could get a nice smile from him and not this over-the-top cheese face!

A perfect fit

2011-07-18T08:11:00.003+10:00

Do you remember my first attempt at the Tappan Zee pattern?

It came out really big and saggy. That'll teach me for not swatching!

Then I started on my second attempt. No, I didn't swatch this one either, but I should have since I was changing yarn and sizes but luckily it came out great! My pics don't really show it but the colour of the yarn is actually COKE BOTTLE RED!

I love teaming it with a deep purple top or a nicy navy dress. And boy do I love this pattern, I will definetly be doing this one again.

I have cast on a beautiful purple shawl a few weeks ago that I am slowly nutting away at. It's 2 ply! Scary and probably going to take me until NEXT winter to finish but it's gonna be so pretty, I can't wait! but will have to. *sigh*

What are you knitting at the minute?

So much mess

2011-07-17T08:14:00.001+10:00

Even well into his 3rd year he still hasn't figured out that the more that is EVERYWHERE, the less that actually goes in your mouth...

It's a SUPER kind of day

2011-07-16T07:58:00.001+10:00

Well we are having a SUPER day!

Have I ever mentioned that my kids just LOVE dressing up?

Today's tip: Feeling a little down? try wearing your undies on the outside, it'll make you SUPER too!

A game for the adventurous

2011-07-15T07:38:00.001+10:00

Geocahing!

No matter where you live, they are all over the world.

It's kind of like a game of hide and seek, using GPS co-ordinates. Sometimes there are little things you can swap and sometimes just a log book. There are cute little buttons that you can collect called Pathtags and also things like Geo-Coins which you can take and hide in another cache.

I have downloaded the C.geo application for my android, which downloads from the geocaching.com website and we have been finding heaps.Grab a friend or two and let the little kids hunt alongside the big kids (Ha, otherwise known as Mum and Dad). The program has a compass that will point the kids in the direction they need to go and then counts down until you are there.

They boys have soooo much fun looking through the little swap boxes for things to swap out, there are alot of 'bush' hides out here which are good for the kids because their hiding spots are generally pretty easy to find and most of them are swaps.

But sometimes, and generally in town/busy areas it's just a log and more for the Grown-ups. Check this one out...

Cleverly hidden by a friend of ours it is so so tiny that if you didn't know what you were looking for it would appear to be a bolt perhaps. Can you beleive that INSIDE this tiny little thing is a log that you can sign?

So we have just 4 geo-caches left in Cobar to find, we have completed Nyngan and now we are going to take a day trip or two and head out further just for the thrill of the find. Thank goodness those friends of ours are hiding more...

A gift from Granny

2011-07-14T09:06:00.001+10:00

On a recent trip to Sydney for 'work', if you could call spending all day wandering around looking at Quilts WORK(!), Granny returned with a gift for the boys and for the Mama as well.

Sock Monkey Kits

Now I had never made these before but think that I managed to turn a pair of socks and a bag of stuffing into something quite extraordinary. The boys helped to stuff their monkeys and Big Bro took his to school for their TOYS module.

The first one took me about 4 hours to make (with Big Bro's assistance), and I was seriously thinking of giving the second one back to Granny to do but got stuck into it anyways and it took less than 2. I guess when you know what you're doing it gets easier.

I love how they both are different and each has it's own personality. So far Little Bro named his MONKEY and Big Bro has names his GEORGE-SOCK MONKEY- LUKE SKYWALKER. Now that's not 4 names that are interchanged. That is his full, must be used in length every time, name.

Have you made any toys before?

One hat made by me - Priceless

2011-07-13T08:56:00.001+10:00

I sat down and over the course of 2-3 days alowly worked away on a new hat for ME! I am so happy with how it turned out. I got the pattern from here and the yarn from here. I had never used this cast on method before but just followed the pattern and trusted that my ribbing wouldn't unravel when it came time to remove the 'waste yarn'. *Gulp*

I find it really satisfying to be able to make something myself. Although sometimes it takes me hours and hours to make something I could have brought with less than what it cost me in yarn, it comes with a certain feeling that definetly can't be brought!

I'm back!

2011-07-12T08:44:00.001+10:00

I finished a project or two that I have been working on for quite a while today and got them in the mail and all. They are being shipped off to a good friend and I hope they arrive before her new bubba.

I had decided that my blog, or reading all the other blogs on my reading list, were becoming all too distracting and that I REALLY needed to finished off a wedding quilt from almost, not quite, 12 months ago!

I grabbed a favourite, funky layer cake and just started cutting it! I'm kinda brave (sometimes silly) like that. Most times it works out for me and the very rare occasion it doesn't... well lets just not talk about that. It is a little crumpled looking because it has been folded up for a while waiting on the binding to be hand stitched. But I am happy with the end project and wanted to keep it for myself, so I am hoping that means they will love it too!

This one is for her new little Man who is due on the 31st, and today I posted them off. I had started this one a while ago and spent 2 hours echo quilting around the middle block images but decided that I didn't like it, so that meant I had to unpick it. This resulted in the project sitting on my table for a month or two waiting to be unpicked before I could get back to quilting it. I hate unpicking but am a believer that if you are unhappy with the way a project is going you should stop now because it is easier to fix now and be happy with the project, rather than finish it off and never use/look at it again. I do hope that this little quilt will make it up there before the new Little Man arrives. Although I'm pretty sure that she is happy to waiver the remaining 23 days or so.

So now that I am finished these projects I can finally look back into my sewing room and finish off some more projects.

Park Crawl

2011-05-08T15:41:00.000+10:00

This marks the boys very first ~~Pub~~ Park Crawl! This was so much fun that they asked the very next morning to go back to their New favourite parks!

First stop was BRIAN & KRISTYS PARK, named because it was across the road from Brian and Kristy's house. Favourite thing here... swings!

Even the Mama got her swing on in this park!

Second stop was Denman's Park, or as I knew it when I was a kid "Dead Man's park" because "they actually found a dead man there" or so the story went when I was a kid, and not such a great start to our day out. When we were here a little, boy told us that we couldn't get on some of the play equipment becuase his friend had done a POO in there! Gross. And that we shouldn't walk next to the slide because he had put mouse-traps there to get his friend. REALLY. So we had a turn in the swingin' apple and then 1 quick slide. BB is already a worry wort so he was very scared of the hidden mouse traps throughout the park and also left rather annoyed!

Next we headed off to the Lions Children's Park, or Christians Park as the boys so call it. Another SUPER slide here, check out how enourmously high that thing is! and a little See-saw.

The sun was getting low and we still had 3 more parks to go so we made a start for a park that the boys had never been to before. We don't have a name for this one yet except "That really cool park with the Swinging Bars!" Best bit here, you guessed it, the Monkey Bars! and what is with all these little mega slides in these little parks?

Look out Digger Park, aka Heritage Park, here we come. I don't think I need to explain WHY we love this place so much!

Last we did our Most visited park of all due to it's proximaty. This is just called THE PARK!
Fav bit = the Wobble Bridge

Thanks for coming along on our Park Crawl. Rest assured we had a great time, killed a couple hours and were SUPER tired when we all got home!

My special Boy

2011-05-07T05:39:00.000+10:00

I think a picture can tell a thousand words so here's 2000 for you!

Winner Winner

2011-05-06T05:32:00.002+10:00

CHICKEN DINNER!

Okay so I never said I WASN'T a mad BINGO freak, did I?

But this post really is about my chicken dinner, not BINGO.

After a little change to the usual routine I googled CHICKEN DINNER and this was the first recipe that came up, so it looked good.

I love dinners that go into the oven and heat the house and send a gorgeous smell wafting through the halls.

So nice in fact that I had to do it again a few nights later, this time servd with rice and stirfry. Mmmm Yummo.

I can just imagine this cooked on our next camping trip with those jacket potatos being buried in the coals and our campoven simmering away with our succulent chicken.

New Baby

2011-05-05T05:26:00.001+10:00

I discovered a friend of mine was having another baby and although she lives in north QLD, I just had to do her a baby quilt. So I went to CQS to finish some projects and came home with this...

Perfect for her Little Man who is due in July.

I stitched the borders on and am now up to quilting it. I am quilting this one freehand (by machine) and am thinking I will be putting in a fair amount of detail. Hopefully it will be almost finished by end of next week also.

2 Steps forward

2011-05-04T06:19:00.001+10:00

and then 10 steps back it feel like at the moment. This tappan zee is really doing my head in at the moment. I managed the first with absolutley no dramas but this one... well lets just say that it isn;t the only thing RED at the moment!

Just after this picture was taken and I had done another 50 rows, I ripped the body out and had to cast on 10 stitches in the underarm so that I could actually fit my arm WITH a long sleeve shirt under it. I have learnt to try it on as soon as I can get myself into it!

But I am 1/4 of the way back down the body again and I have tried it on and it fits! I have also added an extra button hole, something I wanted to do originally but missed the row at the time and was not going to unpull it just to go back and pop in a 4th button hole.

So hopefully next week I will be showing you my finished project, YAY!

Easter gifts

2011-05-03T05:09:00.002+10:00

The boys left out a little Easter basket for the Easter Bunny in hope that they would wake to find a yummy treat, and sure enough they DID!

Easter bunny had a munch of the carrots we left for him and had left these cute little bunnies for the boys. Yep that Easter Bunny knows they can't have milk and brought them a special one.

The boys got a little gift from us which had their ultra cute Easter Jammies to get us through the coming months and a teeny tiny egg!

Grandma and Grandpa had sent down some really cute chicks that Grandma had made on her embroidery machine and also a chefs outfit each. Needless to say we had to do some baking Easter day.

I just love me a Chef in uniform!

Chocolate time

2011-05-02T06:05:00.001+10:00

In the lead up to Easter the boys sure did love getting to make some homemade choccies!

"I didn't eat any chocolate!"