Have Apricots, Make Jam

The apricot season is here and nothing can be better than home made apricot jam. it is just on the right side of tart and the colour alone will bring a smile to everyone who sees it. Even in the depths of  winter this spoonful of sunshine will bring a smile to your tastebuds.

There is even a speechless tester at the end. 

Enjoy.

Blue two tone flower - Tutorial

Just had to make this video tutorial as I worked out how to replicate the flowers that I draw with Kuretake pens.

If only I could work out how to put the video further down the page I would be really happy. I am not too bad with technology but things like this really annoy me. GRRRR!

Delicious Kefir Berry Shake

How many of you have been watching the many, many television programmes on improving our health? If you have you may have seen Dr. Michael Mosley and others promoting the increasing of good gut bacteria. To do this we need to eat more probiotics and this is best achieved by eating kefir.

Kefir is the new super food that is said to promote good gut health. It is not readily available and when it is it is expensive. Not to say unpleasant to drink. So today I have a way of making kefir delicious. Watch the video and enjoy.

Panzanella, A Taste of Italian Sunshine

The sun is finally shining so today to celebrate the first real sunshine here in the UK, I've decided to post a sunshine salad. This salad is known as panzanella. It appears frequently on Italian recipe web sites but when I told some friends in the village that I was making a panzanella, they told me that they had never heard of it. This is fairly typical of Italian food knowledge. People eat what they were taught to cook by their mothers and grandmothers but don't really look outside that repertoire. What they do cook is excellent so it is hardly surprising that they don't look for anything else. 

The colours of this salad are truly vibrant, but don't expect pretty. It is a mix of all the ingredients so that the flavours mellow and blend together in a bowl of heaven.

I have to admit that I was lucky as everything in this salad came from my garden, so if you are not as lucky, then try to get the ripest tomatoes that you can get your hands on. The quality of the tomatoes will affect the quality of the salad.

I do feel that it not making this salad they are missing out big time. So, if you want to join me in a bowl of delicious and dare I say it, healthy eating this is what you need to do.

• 1 red onion that has been soaked in wine vinegar. This will soften it and make it less harsh.
• 3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes. I used the cuore di bue which are the size of my hand. 3 of these will weigh about a kg. So aim for that.
• 3 small European type cucumber. These will need to be peeled as they have a spiky skin. Failing these use 1 hot house cucumber.
• a large handful of stale bread cut into chunks.
• a bunch of basil torn up.
• olive oil
• wine vinegar

Begin by slicing the onion thinly and soaking it in vinegar for at least an hour. Drain and keep to add to the salad.

Toast the bread for about 10 minutes in a medium oven. You are looking to dry stout so that it will absorb the dressing and the juices from the salad.

Make a dressing from 1 part vinegar and 4 parts olive oil. If you have some dijon mustard you can add that. I usually have this made up in a jar so I can't give you precise amounts. Just add enough to coat the ingredients. 

Cut everything else, except the basil, into chunks.

Put into a bowl and add the slices of onion, the dressing and finally the the basil torn up into pieces. Toss it all. Leave for about 10 minutes for the bread to absorb the dressing. 

Enjoy.

Pearls never go out of fashion.

Today's cards is on a Pearl theme.  I thought that this card of the lovely stamp Champagne Pearl was perfect.

The card is made with a fab stamp from I Brake For Stamps and you can get her by clicking the title  below:

Pearl and Champagne

Amethyst beaded necklace

Amethyst Necklace with a twist. A spiral rope necklace in fact.

I have some beautiful large silverlined glass beads. They are lentil shaped which means that they are discs with a dome shape in the middle. I also have the Silver Colour Scarf Tube Pendant x 2, which I used to hang the pendant.

Now, I'm not pretending that this was quick to make as it was not. The rope will take a couple of evenings but, when that's done, the rest is a breeze and the effect is stunning.

If you are interested I can make up a kit for you at the cost of £10. This will include everything except the fireline and needle.

Book Review: How to Lose Weight Well

Book Review: How to Lose Weight Well

Some of you that follow this blog will know that from time to time I review a book. Today's victim is

How to Lose Weight Well by Xand van Tulleken


You may well have seen the highly amusing television programme that was broadcast last month. Just about everyone lost weight on the variety of diets that they tried. This book is not about that, it is about the diet that Van Tulleken has devised with the help of a nutritionalist.

The preamble to the book is well written and it is easy to understand his reasoning behind weight loss and his own battle with being over weight.

The recipes that he publishes in his book are interesting and tasty with a big emphasis on vegetables. This is perfect for me as I tend to eat more veg than fruit. So far so good.

What I didn't like so much was the choice of three diet plans that are on offer in the book. Basically it is the same amount of food split between the three main meals of the day. You  either eat three meals, two meals or one meal. The amount of food doesn't change just the portions at each meal time. 

If you want a diet that will see you dropping fat at a fast rate then this is perfect for you. I only want to lose three kilograms so I can't say that it is for me. I will use some of the recipes though. The aubergine recipe is fantastic.

Make your own non dissolving dusting sugar

So you want to dust a cake with icing sugar. You do so, and much to your disappointment within an hour or so, sometimes even less the sugar dissolves and that beautiful finish has disappeared. Why doesn't this happen to the same cakes that are on display in the local bakery? 

This is an easy question to answer. In the bakeries they don't use icing sugar. What they use looks like icing sugar but it's a mixture of dextrose, cornflour, vegetable oil and flavourings. The important thing to know about it is that it is non-hydrating.

How does this happen? Here's the science for you. 

The sugar particles are coated in the vegetable oil so the moisture can't get at them. It's as simple as that. The use of dextrose instead of sucrose also helps as it is a finer and less sweet sugar. That's why those sugar coated doughnuts don't taste overly sweet.

Now we reach the second problem. This dusting sugar is not widely available in the UK. It can be bought from bakery supplies if they will sell it to you but it comes in 12.5kg bags. Far too much for the home baker to use. 

So what is there to do? 

The solution is fairly simple. Instead of using the above list of ingredients you can coat the sugar in melted cocoa butter. To give the sugar a delicate flavour of vanilla use some vanilla extract in the melted cocoa butter. 

You will need a food processor to make the dusting sugar, but at a push you could do it with your finger tips. It is less messy and more efficient in the food processor.

To make your dusting sugar:

10g cocoa butter, melted. 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g dextrose
50g icing sugar

If you don't have dextrose and it is fairly easy to get from Amazon. See this link then you can use all icing sugar. It will be sweet.

  

Melt the cocoa butter. I did this by putting the cocoa butter in a small bowl and placing it in a larger dish that contained boiling water. it didn't seem to like the microwave method of melting chocolate. It will only  take a couple of minuted to melt. Add the vanilla to the melted butter.

Put the dextrose and sugar mixture into the bowl of the food processor and switch on. Pour the cocoa butter in through the feeding tube. It will mix into the sugar. If any of the butter collects on the base of the bowl then give it a stir and pulse again. Repeat this until all of the cocoa butter has been absorbed. It will not be pure white as the vanilla will colour it slightly. You won't notice this when it's on the cake.

Your dusting sugar is now ready. Store in an air tight jar until ready to use.

It's a stamp! Tree stamp painting

What a fabulous day we've had today. The family came to lunch which I got on the table without mishap. I even made sure to make too much so that there would be some left for tomorrow.  Can't get any better really. 

So, I now have time to make a card.  I've chosen to use the tree from 'I Brake for Stamps' as my new stamp. I've not used it before despite the stamp sheet being a really popular one. Silly me then, is all that I can say.

Just love tree stamps

One of the special things about this stamp is that it can be coloured straight onto the stamp. To get the two or even three tone effect on the tree you will need to use at least three pens. I used the Kuretake, Zig Art and Graphic pens in colours 57, 55 and 49. These are available from me.

Please leave a message if you want them.

The star of the show, the tree stamp is from the Trees Plate 3, sheet below and it is the one featured in Craft Stamper too.

Last but not least is the ribbon which is the 9cm saddle stitch which is a recent addition to the huge ribbon range that I will link to on eBay.

Setting out my Craft Table

This is a blast from the past. I love doing craft shows when people actually come through the door. It then means that you can interact with like minded customers and have a  fantastic time. It' so much nicer then selling on the internet.

I had a table at a jewellery fair just before Christmas but, as I was really busy, I didn't have time to post the picture. So here it is. It's a slightly different set up this time but I like the layout of the busts.

I sold the chunky bead necklaces as that seems to be the current favourite. However, in the last fair it was the finer stuff. You really never know.

Marmalade 2018 - a bumper year.

The arrival of Seville oranges must be one of the few seasonal food events left to us who live in the world of strawberries in December.  I couldn't wait for them to arrive this year as my supply was well and truly depleted.  Not a spoonful left to glorify my morning toast or add to my favourite fruit cake. That said they did sit in my fridge for a few days as you really need time to make marmalade.  It can't be thrown together in minutes. Marmalade requires time to prep all of the ingredients but once that is done it can be switched on and left to its own devices for a couple of hours.

This year my lovely granddaughter will be joining me to make the marmalade. She has requested a finer cut to the peel so she will have to roll up her sleeves and help. I won't refuse her.

Out comes the fruit juicer and we are away.

To make a lip puckering marmalade and why make anything else, you will need:

1kg of Seville oranges. Make sure that they are fresh as the fresher the oranges the easier it is to get the marmalade to set.

1.9kg sugar.

The juice of 1 lemon

2 Lt water.

You will need at least 6 jam jars. If they are small you will need more. They should be sterilised. I do mine by washing them in the dishwasher just before I need them.

Now comes the fun and this is why help is appreciated.

Cut the oranges in half and juice. Remove the pips and pith and pour into a bowl. The rinds should be sliced thinly, only you will know how thick you like your rind. This will take a while, but while one person juices the other can slice. Add the rind to the water along with the juice of the fruits and bring gently to the boil. This will simmer for 2 hours. It really does need this as it takes that long for the rind to soften.

Now, convention would have it that the pith and pips should be put into a cheese cloth tied with string and then added to the boiling marmalade. When this is cooked the bag is squeezed to get out the pectin which is a thick gel that oozes out of the bag. Well blow that. I put my pips and pith together with about half a pint of the water from the 2lt into a microwave bowl and cooked until mushy. This may take a few minutes. It depends on your machine. Put the resulting mush into a fine sieve and, using a large spoon, push as much as you can through the sieve. You will see the pectin coming out with ease. Scrape the pectin off the bottom of the sieve. If it gets to be too thick, take a ladle of the hot liquid from the pot, avoid the rind, and pour onto the sieve. Stir and push again. You get the idea I'm, sure. When you have removed as much pectin as possible give it  a good stir and whisk into the boiling marmalade. Allow it to finish its 2 hour simmer.

Put a side plate in the fridge to cool.

Now add the sugar and mix to dissolve. Bring the marmalade up to the boil and, if you can do it, a good rolling boil. No namby pamby simmering needed here. You really need to get up to a temperature of about 105C. This is the setting point of most jams. However, any time from 99C on you can test for setting. Do this by putting a spoonful on a cold plate, put the plate in the fridge and when cool the jam is ready if the jam on the plate wrinkles when pushed with your finger. It is a good idea to switch the jam off while you do this other wise it may over cook.

Ladle the marmalade into the jars. Screw the tops on firmly and turn upside down. this will help prevent the jam from going off. Leave to cool and when cool get out the toaster and enjoy.

Hearts for Valentine's Day

Just love making and designing these felt hearts.

I've decided that resistance is futile. I love making these hearts. It really can't be denied. Every evening I make another. You may wonder why I need so many?  I intend to have a bunting of felt hearts. So I have a reason. Well, that's the one that I'm using and I'm sticking to it.

Here's the latest:

If you want to see the hearts on display then please come and find the stand.

I used:

Baby Pink Felt Hearts 7.5cm wide, 30% Wool Blend x 6

1.5cm White Pointed Edge Cotton Lace x 2 metres

Light Orchid Satin Swiss Dot Ribbon, 3m x 6mm

Glass Seed Beads, Ceylon Round, Pink, about 3mm, hole:1mm 6cm tube

Light Orchid Satin Edged ChiffonRibbon, 2m x 25mm

How to make a bow

Did anyone think that I could give up Craft Fairy and give up crafting at the same time?

All of my friends and followers know that I could never give up crafting. Craft Fairy grew out of my love for craft rather than the other way around so I have to have some project or the other on the go.

If you want to know what I do when 'watching' the television then ponder no more because this is what I did yesterday evening. I made a dozen of these in an hour. That didn't include the cutting of the ribbon but quite honestly that took about 5 minutes and my full attention. Scissors and looking in the opposite direction don't mix. ouch!

The Bows will make a perfect Christmas stocking filler if they are added to hair clips and that's what I intend doing with them.

So do you want to know how to make them? I've made a video clip here for you so that the mistery is unravelled and you'll be surprised at how quickly and easily they are made. 

Just add lace to make a distinctive bag

From this

To this with a little lace, a few buttons and some ribbon.

Getting from one bag to the other was a joy as I was working with such beautiful materials.
I chose one of the new cotton laces:
50mm Cotton Lace Natural x 1 metre
Some of the baby pink buttons:

Baby Pink Mixed Buttons for sewing and craft, 50g

Some ivory and Sherbet 16mm satin:

16mm satins here 

Some 3mm satin

3mm satin

Of course I also used one of the pink bags.

Small jute shopper

The pictures below are fairly self explanatory:

Start by putting a strip of double sided tape across the top of the bag. About a third of the way down is good.

 Then cut a piece of lace to fit with just a little to turn at the edges and stick to the double sided tape.

Add another layer of tape to the top of the lace and then stick the ribbon to the lace. Turn the raw edges so that they are hidden.

Now sew on the buttons, leave room to add the rose.

If you look at the finished bag, I also decided that a few dangly bits would look good so I tied buttons to the middle of about 5 pieces of 3mm ribbon and then sewed them to the bag before I sewed on the rose.

I hope that you have enjoyed this as much as I have. In fact, I think that I like this so much, I will use it rather than keeping it as a demo piece for the shows.

Left Over Mincemeat?

Left over mincemeat? Never in out house so I made mincemeat especially for this.

Mincemeat and apple streusel, what could be more comforting? Perhaps the addition of a big bowl of softly whipped cream or a jug of steaming yellow custard.

Without further ado I will give you the recipe as I know that this is a cake that you will want to make immediately.

175g self raising flour
125g sugar
1 egg
125g unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced
Half a jar of mincemeat, better if it is homemade.
Crumble about 6 digestive biscuits.

1 baking tin approx 18cm x 27cm. It will not be a problem if it is slightly larger or smaller. Not too much though.

Heat the oven to C160 fan or C170 top and bottom heat.

Put the butter, sugar and egg in a largish bowl and beat well to combine. No need to cream really as this is not going to be a sponge.
Fold in the flour to make a fairly stiff mixture. Sort of half wak between a sponge and pastry.
Spoon into a  buttered baking tin. Smooth out with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
Top with spoonfulls of mincemeat and then with slices of apple. Finally top with the crumbled biscuits.
Cook for about 40 minutes. Check with the point of a knife, if it is not cooked then leave to cook for a few more minutes.
Leave to cool and cut into slices to serve.