Hello Dear Reader,
I'm back to work tomorrow and not a day too soon! I've enjoyed the time off but the weather has been dreadful. Storm after storm after storm. I've made three quilt tops this holiday and I will spend tonight working on the third as I sew the blocks together.
We had friends for lunch today and I won't bore you with the Aldi Four Bird Roast we had (now reduced to £6.99 and fed six generously) or the usual Sunday lunch pictures. There were heaps or honey roast carrots and parsnips and braised red cabbage and of course Brussels Sprouts and roast potatoes. They were all very ordinary.
I had an opened jar of homemade mincemeat left over from Christmas and decided to make a Gluten free Mincemeat and apple crumble. The crumble is simply half the weight of butter (or substitute in my case) of flour. I rubbed the butter into the flour and added two heaped tablespoons of caster sugar.
I peeled, cored and sliced six Bramley apples and stirred the mincemeat through the apples. I baked this at 180 for 30 minutes and served it with custard. It was a hit!
It is a massive crumble but in tow with said friends were their lovely big sons who can eat for the Olympics and are a delight to feed. It's always a joy to share the table with children who don't fuss about food.
They are great friends who helped us in so many ways and it was lovely to be able to hand over a homemade quilt tonight as they left. Said friends are going to use it in their vintage caravan and take it away on holiday with them. I know it will get a lot of use.
This afternoon seems to have gone so quickly. Last days of holidays always pass in a blur. I have this jumper that has a collar and shirt bottom attached to it. I've always though it too fussy and decided to un-pick the 'shirt' to make it more usable.
The result is a simple slouch sweater, great for adding a layer on a cold evening.
Tonight, I'm going to assemble my Mountain Majesty quilt top and then work on my scrappy quilt where I just use up everything I have to make a completely random quilt top. Here's one of my scrappy quilts that I made in the past, this one went to my dad. He loves it and I think everyone who has visited him ever has been shown it. He has it on his bed every day and mum has to wrangle it off him to put it in the wash.
Over to you Dear Reader, what little things make you happy?
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx
I'm glad you had a happy break Froogs, and so sorry we didn't get to spend time with you guys. MW is starting to feel better thanks to some antiBs and lots and lots of rest. My holiday was a very quiet one, but you are so right that the simple things are best - I am just happy to have had time to put my bum on the sofa and watch some silly films! xxx
ReplyDeleteA 4 mile walk today with our dogs just a 2 mile drive from home. Met a lovely friend and caught up with all her news on the way. Came home and made a beautiful roast dinner for £1 (still using up the 25lb free turkey, left over stuffing from Christmas, yellow sticker potatoes, parsnips and veggies). Even better, hubby insisted on cooking the entire meal while I sat on my bum! Bliss. Sitting here listening to the CD my son bought me for Christmas while the gales whistle round the house, but we are cosy and warm and well fed. Simple things but they make us happy xx
ReplyDeleteThe dessert you made looks absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteI really like what you did with the sweater/jumper to get more use out of it too.
I live in northern New England, USA, and the weather hasn't been good here either. Tonight we're expecting our second ice storm in less than a month, and there will be another blast of Arctic air right behind that. We just came out of one of those yesterday. Now we're plunging back into the deep freeze.
Yours is one of my favorite blogs, and I look forward to visiting each day.
Love the quilt you gave your friends, the free motion quilting was amazing.
ReplyDeleteI made a crumble yesterday too! You might like the recipe actually - it's just fruit and a simple topping. I used dried dates but you could mix it up depending on what's available. Recipe is here if you like: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13525/apple+and+fresh+date+crumble
ReplyDeleteYou did the right thing with the jumper if you don't wear it, I had one that was black with a mock white blouse under it but it went dingy in the wash. I unpicked mine and now I wear it loads. It's a shame to think that some people would just bin it. I am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow it's been so nice to all be at home together.
ReplyDeleteWe just came back from holiday in Key West Florida, USA. The trip was wonderful and what I enjoyed most was sitting on the balcony, looking out over the ocean feeling the tropical breezes and walking the warm sandy beaches in my bare feet. That was 3 days ago. We are home now and it is -4 F degrees.
ReplyDeleteI love the quilt! x
ReplyDeletehttp://mumx3x.blogspot.co.uk
Staying home nice and warm makes me happy as well as home cooked meals and time spent with family. :)
ReplyDeleteSo frugal! I love it! I adore your quilt - I would cherish something like that too, just like your Dad!!
ReplyDeleteI loved this post Froogs. Your latest quilt is stunning and will be perfect for a vintage caravan.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a productive and relaxing break.
Hope the weather isn't too awful in the rush hour tomorrow.
Jacquie x
Have a great Spring Term ( let`s hope the Spring isn`t far away) and take care on the road tomorrow morning. You might meet quite a lot of water!
ReplyDeleteSoup shared with a loved one(s), sitting covered up by an afghan on a chilly evening, playing a word game (Upwords is one of my favorites), a fresh cup of coffee....
ReplyDeleteAnd OH how I love that last quilt top! Well, all your quilts, but there's something about the blues in that last patchwork piece!
I am very lucky as my school has an inset day tomorrow and this one the office staff don't have to attend - as my darling man is currently at home looking for work it means I get a bonus day at home with him as the kids are back at Sixth Form College in the morning - I'm sad he's unemployed but the chance of a day together on our own is a real silver lining in the cloud - we'll probably just bumble along companionably, him searching the net and chasing up job leads, me stitching but it will be wonderfully comfortable togetherness and I count my blessings
ReplyDeleteIn my bed, the window open, reading a book, the cat on my legs, a cup of coffee and seeing the leaves in the tree blowing. Heaven.
ReplyDeleteA nice cup of tea. Reading a book whilst sitting in the shade. Going for a walk.
ReplyDeleteSimple, frugal things that make me happy.
Looking at clouds running in the sky makes me happy, cuddle my cat, dream up my vegetable patch while it's still frozen, prepare breakfast while the bf is still asleep, dress "pretty" (not my sweatpants) to go on a walk in town with the bf..but also craft, writing, and reading. The thing that used to make me so happy was sitting by the fireplace making some of these things while outside it was snowing, but we don't have that anymore since we moved. Oh well..
ReplyDeleteThe crumble looks yummy - Its nice to sit at the table with children and they eat what is put in front of them. My grandchildren are the same, my son (their father) ate every thing that was given to him, so it is either in the genes or they have hollow legs!
ReplyDeletePicking fresh herbs and veggies from my tiny garden. Being able to afford the bills. Living within our means. Riding my bike to work. Packing my lunch every day. Drying clothes on the line (in our weather, within an hour) it's simply scorching here... It was 43 degrees on Saturday. Closing the house up early morning to savour the slightest coolness left from the night. Froogs I love your blog...that's another thing that makes me happy
ReplyDeleteFresh herbs and veggies from my tiny garden. Riding to work on my bike. Making bread. Drying cloths in the line (it takes if an hour to dry, it was 43 degrees on Saturday
ReplyDeleteWhat little things make me happy?
ReplyDeleteFinding a new Blog post to read by one of my favourite Bloggers, my dogs curled up in their beds dreaming doggie dreams with full tummies. The smell of a newly made loaf of bread cooling on the rack, a big pan of veggie sausage casserole bubbling away ready to tuck into after a mad dash through the rain to see to the chickens.
Washing drying on the warmth of the Aga, sitting down at the end of a long but productive day with a huge mug of steaming coffee with a couple of shortbread biscuits from the tin.
There are so many things that make me happy, and they are the smallest things the day to day things that keep life ticking over. If we learn to take pleasure in the smaller things then anything else is a huge delight.
Your quilts are beautiful and I can completely understand your Dad loving his, to be covered with a quilt made by his daughter just for him, must be like having a nightly hug of love. So very special :-)
Family phoning with happy tales to tell, you can hear the smile on their face in their voice as they talk to you.
Love how you quilted your newest quilt, looks very effective! How did you do it please?
ReplyDeleteI read and read and read about your fabric and quilting tonight since a friend told me about your blog. I *LOVE* men's shirts in thrift stores! Why is it that men's shirts have the absolute loveliest fabric???? I shop for how the fabric feels and by color. Yum! The most recent thing I made from a men's shirt was a bra for tribal belly dance. It was blue and turquoise and had violet sumac leaves on it. (I'm a plant nerd, so that thrilled my gills.) Anyway. Woot! Love the blog!
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