Paisley Dress

I have managed to plant out quite a few seedlings today in pots my only hope now is that the cool weather we have coming next week doesn't kill them.  They  have been protected so far in the greenhouse so it will be interesting to see how they get on outside.  The  seeds I planted straight  into the garden are no where near as tall so they may have a shock.

For me made May 2020 day 7 I am wearing this dress which I made not so long ago, it is quite easy, self drafted from a t shirt I think with a high/low hem, elastic around the waist and a tie belt.

This photo came out very blurry and I don't know why, anyway you get the idea, the fabric is very soft and it is another  comfy dress.  In fact I have been wearing it with trainers today as I did the garden so it is very versatile and it hasn't crumpled too much either.

Sewing wise I cut out and stitched up my new fabric, here you can see my fabric pieces on brown paper that I made quite recently from the Tilly stretch book. I will share more on this tomorrow as weather permitting I will be wearing this garment.

This brown baking paper from Tesco holds up really well for pattern pieces so much better than the flimsy pieces you often get in bought patterns

Evie from Sister Sun is interested in making the orange cake from yesterdays post and as I forgot to note the ingredients here it is today!

Orange Olive Oil Cake

 175g /6oz self raising gf flour
55g/2oz gram flour
1tbsp apple sauce
3 tsp baking powder
55g / 2oz ground almonds ( I used flaked)
225g/8oz brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 unwaxed orange
egg replacer for 1 egg
90 ml /3 floz soya milk
150 ml/  5 fl oz olive oil
75ml/ 2 1/2 fl oz coconut oil


  Crystalized oranges and syrup
1 large unwaxed orange scrubbed
100g/3 1/2 oz granulated sugar
350 ml/ 12 fl oz water


Method
Pre heat oven 180 c  / 350 f   /gas mark 4, grease a 9 inch cake tin, sift dry ingredients into a bowl add the orange zest, mix up the egg replacer, add to mix with the wet ingredients and fold in. Pour into the tin.  Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.   To make the syrup boil the water in a pan and set to simmer add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the orange slices and simmer for twenty minutes. Leave to cool on a drying rack.

When the cake has cooked , pour over the orange syrup from the orange slices, pierce the cake so it soaks in.  I didn't use all of it just spoon some over.  Arrange the slices when cool.

Here it is again

This recipe is adapted from Gluten Free Vegan Baking.

Happy baking everyone I hope that helps.

It's a Wrap

 Now today I am actually sharing a dress made with a pattern for me made may 2020 day 6, one from a magazine in fact and very easy to wear and I would also think an excellent make whatever your size due to the waist ties. They make the dress so versatile and I would also think this would be a  perfect maternity dress as it can grow with you for quite a few months.

 It is a wrap dress with very long ties that go through a hole in the side seam and then wrap around a few times to make a sort of kimono style dress.   My only reservation with this one is that it is so comfy that I do think are people wondering if I have left the house in my robe??  My husband said no it just looks like a summer dress, but I do have that  feeling that it looks very robe like, oh well I have seen people out of their homes in onesies at least this looks more dressed than that ;)

Another fun fact about this dress is that I made my mother in law a maxi dress with this fabric and she bought such a big piece that there was enough left for me to make this dress and line a number of bags.

Here is the pattern of you want to seek it out, I am sure you can buy back issues of the magazine, or you may have a friend who has it like I did.

My School are having a sort of virtual bake off this week so this prompted me to make a different cake instead of sticking to the trusty tried recipes.  I  have made this Orange Olive Oil GF vegan  cake with almonds.  There were still a few modifications to be made as I had a few ingredients missing, I am at a point now though where I will sub things without too much worry. I am finally starting to get a good feel for what I can and can't do with gluten free vegan baking, to the point where I know it is wrong by the way it looks sometimes.  This one looked right though, and my son has had a slice and says it is lovely, I am saving my piece to have with a cup of tea later.  He came down earlier and I said don't anyone touch the cake as I have to take a photograph for School!  So we actually have an image of a complete cake today, hurray. 

So the oranges on top you have to cook in sugar for twenty minutes and this also make a syrup that you pour over it at the end.   

My tester said it is just the right level of orange flavour.

I sat outside earlier and read some more of War and Peace yes I am still going with that book too and enjoying it more now.  At half way through it, it is a good job I am enjoying it as it is no light read.  I keep thinking it would help if the writing was bigger (it is really small print) but then I suppose the book would be far too big to hold then 987 pages as it is, plus additional info. This was why it was chosen a s my isolation book, it was a now or never kind of thing. 

Take care everyone and if you are in the UK  enjoy the lovely weather for the rest of the week.  If not have fun wherever you are. 

McCalls Dress

Well I've been out to do the weekly shop and it was quite a quick moving queue again, day 3 of Me Made May and I'm remembering to nip outside and grab a quick pic too.  I might become more forgetful of doing this as the month wears on but I will try my best.  So todays dress I made last year in April as a Minerva  make, I also have a long sleeve t shirt in the same fabric that I wear a lot (with jeans that I am vowing to stay out of for a month!).  For this dress I did use a pattern McCalls M7533, but I did add darts and taper it a bit as I found it a bit too loose originally.

This fabric has quite a silky feel to it so it is really comfortable to wear, I think clothes that are like that will obviously get more wear.  Shirts can look really smart and I have a few but they are never as easy on so they languish more in the back of the wardrobe, they will be coming out this month at some point.
Here below is the pattern I used if anyone wants to give it a try but be aware that  I added darts front and back to mine to get the fitted look.

Yesterday I made a carrot cake that was a bit of an experiment it turned out rather well, it is a little crumbly as all gf baking can be but not dry and very tasty. As we cannot be trusted to have a cake in the house in one piece here is an image of it with slices already missing!  It has also been cut a bit wonky but never mind that as long as everyone is enjoying it.  I will put the recipe below for fellow GF  bakers.   I made it in a loaf tin but I may do it in cake cases next time just for ease when serving.

Vegan GF Carrot Cake

100g GFv plain flour

50g gram flour

50g buckwheat flour

80g coconut

130g brown sugar

3 small carrots grated

grated rind of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

1tbsp apple sauce (from a jar)

handful of raisins (your preference or flaked almonds)

4 tsp baking powder

100ml rapeseed oil

225ml soya milk 

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Method

Line a 2lb loaf tin and pre heat oven to 180, sieve flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl and grate carrots and lemon.  Mix in other dry ingredients, combine oil and soya in a jug. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and combine, quickly fold in the wet ingredients  and pour into the tin.  The mixture is quite wet, tap the tin on the side to bring air to the surface then bake for 35-40 minutes. 

You could also add xanthan gum if you wish and it may well hold better but I don't think that agrees with me so I have stopped using it.   Apples sauce is good or banana if you have a ripe one for getting things to hold.

I really must try and take better food images if I am going to post recipes ha, ha you will have to trust me it tastes better than it looks.  Cooking is usually taking place here as we are hungry or in need of cake, the pictures are always very much an after thought but the cooking and baking I do  enjoy. 

We are having a bit of a change to the usual Yorkshire Sunday dinner here today and I am making Chinese food. If nothing else that at least means less washing up as I do tend to create a mountain of it on Sundays!  Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

 

Me Made May 2020

Day one of me made May and it was harder than I thought to get started as I stared into my wardrobe wondering what to wear.  The problem being the weather, the reason that is a problem is that we are at that funny in between stage here in the UK where some days it is warm and other really cold.  I had decided that during the month of May I will try to wear something different each day rather than reaching for the trusty jeans and a handmade top whenever I am home.  The thing is I make a lot of dresses and today is not a bare leg day! Especially when out dog walking, so I was pondering the clothes in the wardrobe and thinking what days I am at work, what if it rains and so on.  I know I am over thinking it but I thought as this is the first year I have done this I will make a good effort, my wardrobe is packed with handmade clothes but I do favour the summer months.

So today I have opted for my grey jersey t-shirt, self drafted pattern with a ruched v neck (made quite recently) with a skirt I made a few years ago also own pattern but this time using the Sew What Skirts book.  I have mentioned this book before as it is fabulous and have used this for a few of my skirts.

Here I am wearing this with tights but due to the length of this skirt I prefer to wear this one with tights anyway.   It is a lined skirt and as it is fitted and made from cotton I do tend to get a crease across the front when I have been sat, small problem as creases are mainly unavoidable.  The sun was out earlier but it has now gone in so I have grabbed a hoody now (not handmade but years old!) to wear over my t shirt while out dog walking.

From the book I used instructions for straight skirt with fitted waist, added darts and belt loops.  As I have had this a number of years now I tend to be able to do it without the book, make my own modifications, darts and details etc.  If you haven't heard of it, it is well  worth a look.

Yesterday I made another bag, I tend to have a little run of making these when I am home.  This time I made my own patchwork design on both sides of the bag so this one took quite some time to complete. You can see my shop here

There has been more baking and my son asked me the other day why I was making more when the last cake hadn't been finished (er... I have lots of time;) well it didn't matter as it was all gone pretty quick.  I made the recipe for  gf vegan ricotta cake but I didn't have the correct size tin so I just used fairy cake cases and that worked out fine, I think they would have risen more with more space but my mixture was pretty much up to the top.  Still they were light and fluffy which is not always easy with GF vegan baking. 

We have already been at them here as I made twelve, so yes another good little cake recipe from Vegan and Gluten- Free Baking. I think I only paid five pound for that book a few years ago and everything I have made has come out well. 

That is all for today, on the days my clothes are made from patterns I will of course include the details but I have quite a few items where I have just made my own patterns.  I think I have used more patterns since posting for Minerva as people need to have something to work from if they want to recreate what you are showing.

Take care. 

Making and Doing

Well another week passed and we have sort of settled into a routine here, my husband and oldest son are working from home again this week and they seem to be getting on fine this way.  A lot of what they do is on the computer or the phone so I suppose that sort of work is more suited to home working.  My husband was based in the office for the last two weeks as they are alternating the number of people actually in one place at a time, a sensible way to do it and that way it varies who gets to work from home.

I have been varying what I do during the day and also where I do it, having a change of room can be helpful I feel and that is why I never understand why my youngest lives in his bedroom. I know I was that age once and I'm sure I did the same but I at least went out in the garden.  The weather has helped and I have been busy planting more flowers, weeding and watering.  Yesterday  I treated the newly cleaned deck with a coat of protective oil so that was a couple of hours work.  It needs another coat but it won't be today as it looks like rain.   The lettuces I planted are just starting to come up and all kinds of flowers, I keep going into to the greenhouse for a peep and I am sure they are coming up by the hour just now.

My sewing scraps are greatly reduced but this is making me even more inventive with my bag making, I had a woven throw my friend passed on to me some time ago so  some of that has morphed into a bag.  Also I turned my sons chinos into knee length shorts last year for his holiday and saved the legs, these have also been repurposed into a bag and I really like they way the teal colour goes with the mustard scraps from one of my handmade skirts.

Just small pieces pattern fabric as that is all that is left of that.

I thought I would applique the birds to the pocket to bring it together a bit.

My daily walk is more appreciated than ever and fortunately we have had lots of sunlight to do it  in, I decided  to take a few photos the other day as the light was so beautiful in the park but a couple kept stopping about ten meters behind me so I had to carry on as I didn't want to hold them up. So I went a different way so that I wouldn't have to rush on and they stopped and changed direction and still came the same way!   How very odd, we wouldn't normally notice these things I suppose but with the social distancing we are all very aware that we don't want to get in each others way.  I did manage to snap a few so here they are...

Getting these three to sit down and pose is near impossible so I had to be very quick.

This week I changed my supermarket shopping day, I have been doing it Mondays while I have not been at work but after a fifty minute wait in the queue last week I thought I'd have a change.  It worked as the queue was moving along the whole time so I was only in it less than ten minutes, so Sunday morning first thing from now on. While I am on the subject of shopping I  had got into the habit of buying us these individual vegan pasties, not very cost effective at all but they were well received so I sort of got in a rut of getting them.  So this week I said no this is ridiculous as I make everything else I will make some, even with ready roll pastry it is much cheaper.  Yes I can make the pastry but this way it still keeps it a reasonably quick meal and you can get gluten free ready roll too.

It is a shame that the regular ready roll is £1 and the GF is £2 but that is the case with all free  from foods.  I used a whole pack of ready roll pastry and it made four pasties, but mine are not very pasty shaped more of a rectangle with a lid so little pies, but they tasted good.  Here is the breakdown if you are interested.

Lentil and Mushroom Pie

ingredients

one onion   20p

one can lentils in water  400g ( I like napolina)  60p

one pack mushrooms   70p

one knorr herb infusion stock pot   25p  (these are a £1 on offer at the moment)

one pack ready roll pastry  £1  (£2 if gf supermarket own)

oil

Method

Fry the onion in the pan until soft, add the mushrooms let these cook a little then add the stock pot and lentils.  Stir so it all heats together for a few minutes, arrange half of the pastry on a baking sheet and score either as a large piece or four small pies.  Score around the edge about a cm in then add your filling to here.  You won't need all of the filling you will have a little left to eat with a baked potato another day. Then arrange the tops of the pastry, cook in the oven but check your pastry pack for timings as they vary mine was about twenty minutes on a medium heat.

Here is one that was left, as youngest son doesn't like lentils.  I am no food photographer but they were really tasty and the verdict was better than the overpriced ones I have been buying.  So that is £2.75 for four pies or £3.75 for the GF ones.  Now the vegan pasties were £1.80  each so a big saving making your own and depending on the cost of your other ingredients/where you shop/if you make your own pastry etc it would be lower cost still.  So let me know if you try it and what you think.

That is all from me for now, back soon. 

  

The Sophia Skirt and Another Cushion

Hello I hope you are all well. That is an odd title I have chosen isn't it but I do find that when I am looking back sometimes I can't find old posts because I have given them obscure titles this one on the  other hand reminds me exactly want I have posted about.  So I have made the Sophia Skirt from the Simple Sew pattern this week and the pattern is really easy as the name suggests.  Now I do make a skirt pattern free very similar to this style so it was interesting to see how this version came together.  Very easy so if you want a loose skirt with pockets this is worth a try.  I'll leave it at that for now as the fabric is from minerva and they will have a more detailed post.

There are pleats either side front and back, pockets and a centre back zip.  The fabric I used here is quite heavy and has a bit of stretch, that is not needed for the pattern and this time of year would certainly be better in something light and drapey. I will save mine for colder days.

There is fabric left so I will probably make the top too.

Next up I made another scrap busting cushion for my bedroom to go with the one I made last week. I have tried to keep similar colourways so the two would tie together and fortunately I did have a bit of lemon cotton left so that pulled it in I think.

Now the fabric with the blue little waves on was a bit of shirt I ha a go at fabric painting on ages ago, I never used it  but saved it.  See these things do come in handy eventually.

So as you can see  they are different but similar and I like variety of fabrics among them and yes Jo there is some of the floral fabric you gave me in one plus bits from different dresses, pillow cases and a shirt.  It is like they tell a story and that is something you just don't get with shop bought items.  I am very happy with them and feel they are well worth the time they take.

As I have both sons at home during the day I made us a really nice soup, I thought I would share it here in case you want to try it.  You get a good sized portion each for four and it is thicker and no doubt healthier than a can, oh cheaper too of course.

Lentil, Carrot and Apple Soup

ingredients

3 large carrots 

1 onion

1 apple

1 potato

I stock cube

1 cup red lentils

2 tsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp tomato puree

water

A little soya milk

Method

Steam the carrots and potato until soft, cook the lentils in the water.  While they are cooking chop the onion and apple and fry in a pan. Once everything is soft add to the food processor with the tomato puree, stock, herbs and water.  The amount of water you add depends on how thick you like your soup, just add a little at a time.  When it is the desired consistency you can return to the pan or store for later.   When heating in the pan stir in a little soya milk as this gives it a creamier taste. Everyone enjoyed it so I hope you will give it a go.

While blog reading and browsing a few days ago I made the pledge for me made May, now this is not difficult as just about all of my clothes are me made anyway.  What I was wondering was do I post an image every day or do we save them all up and share once a week?  What is everyone else doing?  I have seen this in the past but never shared for the month, any tips would be appreciated.

 That is all for now, have a good week everyone and stay safe. 

GF Baking

Over the past week I have been making a few cakes, I have not really done much baking in recent months and it is probably because I just got used to not having cake.  This was in part because of me being gluten free and things never being quite the same, there is also the fact that I am vegan so that is a bit of a double wammy with baking.  Anyway I mastered the perfect free from scone over the summer and have started to make a few bits now.  As the dark nights are coming I probably need the comfort food too.

I made two banana and dark  chocolate loaves and this is a favourite and something I know everyone will eat.  The bananas give you a bit of security in the GF baking area as you know they will add moisture.  Then on Saturday I tried the Maple and Pistachio cake, again another success both from the same book.  I have tried things from this book in the past and they all come out well so I think I will try some of the more unusual recipes next.

There is almost a full bag of pistachios in there which all needed shelling first, so not exactly a budget cake but at least you know it is nutritious and better your fat comes from nuts than dairy.

The book in the middle is the one with the reliable baking recipes, I have also been going back through this 'Cook ,Share Eat Vegan and planning a few new things  for this week.  I made the rest pesto risotto at the weekend and that was gorgeous, I have bookmarked the walnut kofta and an aubergine dish for later in the week.  I am also currently reading 'The Organised Mind' and 'The Corset' it's good to have a mixture of reading on the go.

My next make is all cut out, I have been in no hurry to make it up though however  I must get on with in the next few days.  I think my feeling has to do with there being plenty of clothes to wear already, I love the making part of it but I| don't want to just add for the sake of it.  I need to think of ways to create that are useful and sustainable. I always keep my eyes open for items to reuse the fabric from in charity shops and recently got two garments for a £1 that will be saved for future projects.

On the sewing table

The cooler months may see me trying my hand at crochet again this year, last year I ended up making fingerless gloves for all family members!  I have seen some gorgeous shawls but then I am not really much of a shawl wearer, ideas please??

We had a long walk at the weekend which resulted in the dogs all needing a bath, we were not going to be put off by the rain but ended up very muddy.  The dogs were rushed upstairs one at a time for a bath and I think they quite enjoyed it after being out in the rain.  One of them always rushes about the house in a mad fit after and I am not sure if that is excitement or some kind of protest. 

The lovely thing about the rain was the double rainbow that followed, I only managed to capture a single one in my image.

A Few Friday Thoughts

Today was the last day of exams for my son, I'm sure there are a few of you out there who have children going through it at the same time.  He has been very relaxed about it all so I hope that has been a good thing I know some children find it incredibly stressful and that is so sad. I know there are young people with very fixed ideas about what they want to do, and some of them feel failing now will mean they never get to do it.  However there  are always access courses and taking a year out to try things, I know many people who have retrained later in life so these exams are not a map of life.  Sadly this is not the message that many young people hear, and expectations are piled on by school and home.  We all want our children to do well but this must not come at the expense of our relationships with them or their feelings of self worth and emotional well being.  So to all families out there who have been going through the exam period this last few weeks I wish you well.

Over on Minerva Crafts blog today you can see my post about my sundress that I made a little while ago.  It is a nice easy to follow pattern and the fabric is just wild.

It will be great if I ever get to wear it this year, unless I want to wear it to go for a paddle in the rain!

I have tried a few new recipes this week after my month of sticking to the same routine of foods, these falafel last night were lovely and you can find the recipe if you go on over to Minimalist Baker they are called kale and humous falafel.

Sorry I don't have a prettier picture of them on the plate as I had tow other dishes on the go at tea time and then a rush to get it on the table.  One of which was jackfruit wraps and we enjoy that, my husband had his with chicken in yet another pan.  There was enough jackfruit mixture left over to make some wraps for lunch today too, just a couple.  Youngest son enjoyed that and he has been eating more vegan food weekdays with just meat at the weekend.

On the top of these is a little vegan cheese, I don't use it a lot but it is ok in a wrap or sandwich.

I have just been watching a  few videos on YouTube about the benefits of waking early and how people have transformed their lives, some were really interesting.  One video however feature Mark  Warlberg  walking at 2.45am then working out at 4.00am, I am all for discipline but I don't get that unless you are catching a flight or something.  He goes to bed about 7.30!  If you did this you would be just effectively turning your life upside down to the point where you don't see anyone.  I don't know maybe some  people think that is a good idea but where is time for family if you have a self imposed permanent night shift.   I am impressed by his discipline like I said but I do wonder what his family make of it.  

That is all for now I am off to walk the dogs. 

Homemade Naked Bars

I have got into a bit of a habit of picking up these Naked bars when I go shopping...

Now I do like them  and it is great that they are all natural but at £2.50 for four they are a bit much for what they are.  I have been telling myself that as I don't eat cake or biscuits it is ok to pick these up as they are handy for work.  The truth is I know these things are easy enough to make I just need to get back into the habit of making them.

 

As I have been home awaiting a delivery I thought I would get on with that, I haven't tried to imitate that flavour as I have gone with what I have in ingredient wise for today.  I may try that flavour on another occasion.  

There are various recipes for oat bars floating around out there but they all seemed to require something I did not have on hand, so I have made my own version using up what needs eating.  This seemed like the best solution.

Here are mine, and I chose to bake them for a little while rather than just have them raw as many recipes suggest, this was mainly due to the moisture form the bananas and raspberries in mine.

Fruit and Oat Bars

140 g oats

130g nuts (ground in the blender) walnuts & almonds

200g prunes

70g raspberries

2 bananas

3tbsp cacao powder

water to blend (just enough to mix it but not too wet)

Blend the nuts in the blender then add to the oats, blend the prunes and raspberries with a little water so it makes a puree, mash the bananas. Add the cacao to the mixture and give a good stir, push it down flat into a tray and score the pieces however big you would like them. I chilled it for ten minutes then baked it on 190 for twenty minutes. 

I have tried one and they are very tasty, I didn't add any additional sugar as that is my taste so if you feel you like things a little sweeter or want them to taste more like shop bought treats then add some maple syrup I will leave the amount on that up to individual tastes.  I think they are spot on without it but then my tastes have changed over the last few years, the Naked bars may be in fact a little too sweet but I have been lazily going for the convenience of them.  I am going to separate each of these with a small piece of baking paper and freeze them that way I can get one out each day for work to keep me going late afternoon. 

As you can see from the above picture I managed to cut it into fourteen pieces, I weighed one and it was 30g maybe a touch over and that is the weight of the Naked ones so I can see that these are going to be much better value and less packaging.  My mixture may change occasionally based on what I have in or what I fancy so I will keep you up to date with any modifications.  For now though this recipe was a hit so I am going to get those in the freezer before I am tempted to just sit eating them.  

Five Frugal Things

I have decided to do a frugal things post this week as I have been reading a few on blogs over the past week, I particularly like Shoestring Cottage as she does a lot of these over there and it gets you thinking how you save each week. There are lots of these types of posts out there and of course you find you have more in common with some more than others depending on your interests and so on.  So here goes mine and just a few things I have found frugal and useful this past week...

• A free origami pattern over at Michelle patterns this is a lovely little butterfly and ideal for using up fabric scraps. Make one in paper first so you know what you are doing then it is just a case of choosing two fabrics to sew together then repeating the process.  It only takes a couple of stitches to keep the whole thing in place once it is folded, it could be used to embellish bags, add to a bouquet or as a brooch.  I also think it would be a lovely little craft activity for a girls party. Here is my first go at this, I'm sure there will be more...

• A trip to the charity shops that resulted in a bargain find of a wool dress, now ok this did involve spending money but at £7.50 it was too good to miss, it looks like new, is incredibly soft, it doesn't need an iron after washing (on cool) and after researching the label Edina Ronay it turns out it is a really good make.  I am not a label fan but it felt such good quality that is what prompted me to look it up. So feeling pretty pleased with this winter dress.

• Another thing I did this week was to print off another recipe to add to my own personal recipe book, I was having a browse on amazon at cook books and I almost bought a used one but then I remembered I only ever like a couple of recipes from each one I own or borrow so what is the point? Something I started doing a little while ago is to print off recipes and put them in a folder, I keep my favourites here now and if they are not a success they don't make it in.  This guarantees that this is one recipe book where I know we like everything in it.  This week it was a sweet potato and kale chilli, very good and one to keep.

  

  The recipes are all from different sites, whatever I spot while browsing and fancy trying.
  

  

  
  

  
  
•  In relation to that the next frugal thing is the three ready meals I have in the freezer from that recipe. I may take one or two to work for lunch or it will be something that is quick to heat up for when I come home from work.  I like to make sure when I am cooking my meat free meals that there is at least one portion left over to take for lunches, as we eat differently here that at least ensures the time and cost are efficiently used.

• I started another course on Future learn this time it is analytics and to be honest it is a little bit dry for me, I will finish it and quickly choose something more fitting.  I thought it was something I should understand a little better, but being a creative type all the data is sort of sending me to sleep!  I know there are those of you out there who are creative and good at that side of things but for me it does not excite.  I have learned a little bit already as you always do whatever you try but the good thing is this a great way to try free study in something you would not normally do.

I'm sure there were other things I could have added this week but these were the things that came to mind, I did a very fast shop actually on Friday and that resulted in a lower than usual bill.  We may find I have forgotten something as the week passes but I'm sure it will be fine.  I must do that as a matter of routine in future get in and out with my list as fast as I can, that way I will be saving time as well as money. I always enjoy reading how everyone else has kept the costs down from day to day so please share in the comments, I also noticed I have a couple of new followers so welcome to you and thanks for reading. 

Thursday Thoughts

I have one incomplete garment, two pending and a couple of repairs but hey it is the weekend for me now ( four day week ) so I will be getting on with those straight away.  There is this thing that I do where I feel I mustn't post anything until I've finished each project, of course this is not all the time but I go through phases of this.  As a result that sometimes means I have an absence of over a week, so today I am going to share what I am up to even if it shows a slovenly lack of getting on with stuff this week. (Ha, ha)

 So first up I have one dress cut out and ready to stitch dress for a Minerva post in a lovely butterfly fabric, it should be a quick sew now. That will be my job for the afternoon along with endless cups of tea.  I am thinking it may be a bit floaty now for Autumn, but still hoping a good few layers will see it through the seasons.

I have gone for this wrap dress pattern and it was one of the gifted patterns that my friend gave me.  It does actually say it is for stretch fabric but I wanted to use it so I have opted to cut a larger size and allow a little extra around the sleeves.  I hope that does the trick.

Yesterday I received my order form Minerva crafts this time I had decided to treat myself.  A nice unusual check to make a pair of trousers and a plain brown for a tie waist top to go with them, I also bought a pattern as trousers need a level of accuracy around the bottom and as these are to be smart trousers (I hope!) I will use a pattern this time round.  When I made the  mock jumpsuit here I just made my own pattern as they were slouchy trousers.

I have had my eye on that pattern for a while. In addition to those items I have a few broken zips to replace.

One thing I did complete this week was a bit of baking, I haven't done any for a while but I have decided to try one new thing a week from my various books, Vegan and Gluten Free Baking being my favourite at the moment as things tend to come out well.  I made the Vegan Ricotta cake ( not ricotta at all ,rather cashews and dates, or in my case prunes!)  This was a really soft springy sponge and as any of you that bake gluten free will know, that is not always case. It was baked in a rectangular tin then cut into portions when cool. It was gone in two days so that is a good sign.

This week my son has suggested we make the pumpkin pie, he is suddenly interested in cooking so I want to nurture that interest therefore that is what we are making.  I have to confess I have not seen a pumpkin yet and it is October, maybe I have had my eyes closed?  We will have a good look  around on Saturday. 

While on the subject of food I watched another episode of eat well for less on the laptop while doing my ironing.  I can't decide if it as all completely false or if there really are people spending those ridiculous amounts on food and not knowing!  I mean how can you not know? You are always expected to pay at the end of a shop so how can any of these couples be so clueless as they spend a week, a month or a year.  I love the idea of showing people how to get away from all the convenience foods  but some of these families are spending more on food than  some families have to get by on for a week to cover everything.  I am not sure that it is helpful for them to see others mindless spending then chuckling about it.  Sorry, having a little rant there. 

Off now to get stuff done. 

Beetroot Burgers and Decluttering

Well I am going to share this recipe first of all because Mamas Mercantile asked me to share what I did with the beetroot.  I have never had it fresh before only in those little pickle salads that you buy so this was new for me.  I suppose I was a bit uncertain what to do with it being so strong (or so I thought) and vivid.   I saw this recipe but can't find the link, needless to say I changed it a bit too.
I had read I could microwave the beetroot first so that is what I did, about 8-9 minutes turning part way through, oh and I pricked it too like you would a baked spud.  It also went in a bowl as I expected it to leak a bit, it did!
While that was cooking I put one chopped red onion, two garlic cloves and a tsp of cumin in a frying pan, fried that gently then added cannellini beans.  You are supposed to add red kidney but I'm not a fan of those and they make me bloat.  After that has cooked chop the beetroot and add all ingredients to the blender with two tbsp. of porridge oats then blend, you will have to keep scraping down the sides.  When that is done scoop it out adding more porridge to bind it a bit, salt and pepper and then form in to burger shapes in the pan.  I did all of this using two big spoons to save on the red hands.
Then fry them about five minutes on each side until browned a bit.

I used one beetroot and half a can of beans and that made three burgers that size, so if you were serving them in a bread  bun that would serve three people.  I ate mine without the bread, I don't eat regular bread and my family had chicken and did not want a beetroot burger!  To be honest they were ok and not unpleasant but I'm not sure they would warrant the faffing about for me.  maybe they would have tasted better in a GF breadcake with vegan cheese and dressing on. Maybe next time or I may just try another recipe.

Today I have been trying to get back into the habit of decluttering, I started this last year after reading Marie Kondo but somehow I lost my way.  It is not that I have brought more stuff in, I just haven't been keeping up with the reducing items like I had planned.  Maybe it got harder as time passed as  the things left to sort had more meaning.  Anyway spurred on by Jo's decluttering I have managed to take two large bags to the charity shop today, some of them were books.  Since my last declutter I have managed to keep the book habit under control and usually always order from the library, or buy charity shop then all but my very favourites go back there.   There was also a dress in one of the bags that I still liked but I haven't worn it in over four years, the reason being  I wore it for an interview of a job I didn't get and every time I looked at it I just thought of that negative memory.  Silly really as I am in a better position now but as it caused that feeling it had to go.  It is a bit strange how long it took me to realise and get rid of it though, it just shows the attachment we have to things.   On the plus side I came back from the shop feeling mentally lighter having removed more things so I must hold on to that feeling and keep at it.  Being someone who sews and likes to save money always gives me that little feeling of ' oh but what if I need it to make.....' so I will have to check that internal voice.  Chances are a lot of the time I will not make anything, it will just clog up a cupboard and head space for ages

This past couple of days I have had a bit of a marathon read of this blog raptitude.com getting better at being a human  It is brilliant when you find a new blog you like and  that speaks to you in some way.  There are so many talented writers out there!  Lots of   fascinating posts on there that really get you thinking why not have a look.

Turmeric Cauliflower Salad

I just thought I would share this salad with you today as it took me completely by surprise how tasty it was from such a simple thing.  After reading quite a bit of the book, How not to Die there appears to be a lot of little things that we can  eat everyday that offer protection against diseases.

 Now I know that this is nothing new to hear, but some of the things are so small that it makes them easy to add in, that is without the need for juicing and consuming large amounts of superfoods to the point where you are going mad.  I had always thought of herbs and spices as flavouring but many help us fight off disease and boost the immune system, turmeric is a good one to eat everyday and a teaspoon is noted in the book to give us a boost, cinnamon can be added to oats and marjoram and oregano provide us with more than an Italian flavour to our food.

While I was making a salad I thought I would give it a twist by adding two of the key foods for health one being cauliflower (which can be a trigger for me so only in moderation!) and turmeric.

So all I did was slice the florets into discs, so that they would lie flat in the pan, then I added a little olive oil and a teaspoon of turmeric to the pan and lightly fried the florets.  This was on a low heat, more to colour and cook them a little rather than heavily fry.  The rest of the salad was, spinach, grated carrot, red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.  It was so tasty I will definitely be making it again.

This must serve as a little reminder to myself to keep trying different things with familiar ingredients, it can be tempting to make the same things when tired or in a rush.

Best Version Gluten Free Vegan Cheese Toastie

My title states this is a cheese toastie, well that is not entirely correct as I fry the bread but as anyone who eats GF bread will know it is dry enough without making matters worse by putting it in the toaster.  As I don't eat dairy I  have tried a few vegan cheeses as well as making some of my own, currently the best store bought one for me Violife original flavour block.  It tastes good cubed in a salad and it will melt, the thing I have found is that it takes longer to melt than regular cheese and putting it under the grill gives varying results.

As I was missing my once favourite snack I thought I would try a few things to sort this out, frying the GF bread in a little olive oil on a low heat gives it a nice colour but also a bit of moisture.   I like to add a few cherry tomatoes to my pan as well, I may add a bit of onion sometimes too.

When I have fried it a little on both sides I slice some of the cheese then add it to one side and turn it face down to the pan,  (it will melt but not stick or run all over your pan)  it stays in more or less one piece and can be got off the pan easily with a spatula.  It is moist to hold so have a napkin ready to wipe your hands while you are eating.  If you are GF vegan and  miss a decent cheese toastie give this a go, it just shows there is an alternative way with most foods if you are missing something.

I think there may be lots of vegan cheese alternatives that are good but because I have tried a few bad ones I am sticking with this one at the moment.  It is a bit expensive to buy them to try and then not like them.  If anyone has any tips for any good ones let me know, I know there are mozzarella flavours but I have not tried those, it would be worth knowing if any were worth a try. 

People tend to say to me 'oh no what do you eat?'  because I am GF vegan, well I eat plenty and it is just a case of swapping things and experimenting.  Going out is always awkward as restaurants seem to have no vision at all and they have trained cooks working for them!  It is a bit annoying though when the family are tucking into fresh tiger bread which smells amazing, none of the GF versions are ever soft and fluffy like that, including the bread I've tried myself.

( My comments on Violife cheese are entirely personal preference, this is not a sponsored post)

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto (Wheat free Vegan)

Today I have made a mushroom and spinach risotto, I make this a lot and looking back I don't think I have shared my recipe before.  I did share a kale and mushroom version from a magazine once but it was not as good as my version I felt. 

 

I also opted to pick two of my yellow courgettes today as according to a few gardening blog they were at the perfect size.  if they get too big they may lose their sweetness.  As I was already tied to a frying pan making the risotto I decided to chop the courgettes into chunk and roast them. I'm glad I did as they were really nice done this way.  Along with that I also did some crispy tofu in a pan then into the oven.

I always really enjoy this so I will share what I do below but it is not exact measurements as I just pop things in as I go and it works as it always comes out well.  The amount I make serves four if served with an accompaniment. 

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

3 handfuls of white & wild rice ( that is how I do it, or just add your usual rice for however many)

1 red onion

3 handfuls of spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 punnet chestnut mushrooms

1 veg stock cube

2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons vegan cheese sauce powder

quarter cup of soya milk

tsp basil

salt and pepper

A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

olive oil

water

This is my own recipe, that is why it is a bit random but worth a try because it does taste good.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, let it cook on a low heat until it is a little transparent.

Chop the onion and add to the pan, when the onion is starting to cook add a little water just enough to cover the rice and onion.

Let that cook down a little then add the garlic, keep adding more water as it cooks off, next add the stock cube by sprinkling it in, alternatively you could add to water first.

chop and add the mushroom, season and add basil.

Add the chopped or shredded spinach.

Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast, keep adding a little water as it cooks down.

Add the soya milk and sprinkle in the  vegan cheese sauce powder keep stirring now until it starts to cook down and catch a little.  You can add a little lemon juice as a kick but it is good without too.

 Hope that makes sense, I do it all the time with no measurements so don't be too pure about it, you may add something extra to your taste. ( Oh I forgot to mention there is an extra bit of the courgette in mine today too)

Here is one of the courgettes prior to picking, and it did taste just right.

Catching up, Growing and Vegan Ice Cream

This week has seen a lot of alterations some mine, some not but no photos. I started the week by getting rid of all the little jobs I had been putting off. So I added a zip to a dress that I felt was not fitted enough, re-doing the waist yoke on a skirt, taking in another dress, altering the sleeves and shoulders so I will actually wear it, fixing some of the boys clothes then  finally taking up and adjusting two brides maid  dresses for somebody.  The lack of photography does not mean it hasn't been busy but I will try to take some updated pics of some of my items this week as I wear them and I will link back to their original posts.

In the garden my husband  has now made me some planters from pallets that are hung on the fence, the reason for this is that the dogs insist on digging in newly planted things and I don't want my veg dug up as they are put out!  Obviously this won't work for everything but we thought for light things like lettuce it may be ok, currently they have viola and pansies in there oh and my swiss chard is up there for safety.

We have had that swiss chard in a salad now twice already so I am impressed with that little plant.

A quick peak at a few other things growing...

Strawberries, I think these will just stay inside to at least give us a chance ahead of the birds this year.

Tomatoes and courgettes going wild but I don't know why there are now white marks on the courgette leaves, I will look that up in a  bit.  Tomatoes smell so lovely I keep rubbing the leaves to have a little smell of them.

Curly kale also growing nicely though this gets big so will have to go out I just need to decide where.

On a different theme yesterday I was in the mood for something sweet and cold so I made this ice cream alternative.  It is really easy and just requires you being near the freezer so if you are home it's not a problem.

Vegan Ice cream 
Chop one banana and put it in a bag in the freezer, leave it for a few hours then take it out and mash it up.  Add 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 tsp cacao powder and a squirt of maple syrup.

Give a good mix then put it in a shallow tub and back into the freezer, after an hour take it out and give it a good break up and mash down again.

 Put it back for another 2 hours after this time it will be ready to scoop.
See easy, if you are home it is no big deal to walk past the freezer and give it all a stir is it. The good thing about this is that you know there is nutrition in there and not just cream and sugar as with regular ice cream, it is the kind of snack you can have after a long walk or a run when you need an energy boost.

Yesterday I picked up a couple more books from the library,  I had been reading The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock but I just couldn't get into it after a hundred pages so I took that back.  I am now reading The Utopia Experiment by Dylan Evans and this a non fiction work, I have to say I am half way through already as it is intriguing.  I have been watching a few videos recently  on youtube about small communities living small and so on, so this caught my eye while I was browsing.

Now don't get me wrong I don't think we should all go and live in yurts or anything like that, but shouldn't energy and water preservation be more of an issue in that it was something we had to do, a colleague of my husband's was saying how in Germany they still have coin return on bottles and it appears other European countries are ahead of us in these areas. I don't know why we lag behind.