mmm...meringues

To encourage ourselves to make some new food items this year, my mum and I have made a pact to both make something new each month - a cook-off challenge of sorts. This month: meringues.

I was a bit slow off the starting blocks but managed to get my act together on Friday evening and make some of these mini candy-striped meringues following the recipe from this book (a kind birthday gift from Derek).

I wasn't quite prepared for how long it would take me to whisk up the egg-whites - my hand blender kept overheating so I had to alternate between electric and muscle power - but the results were favourable, if not entirely uniform. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Derek even gave them a 10 out of 10. (He likes to eat everything though so may not be the best food critic.)



My mum sent me some pictures of her attempts at the meringue. Slightly less successful than mine I'm afraid, and I'm not sure she would appreciate me sharing the results with the public. Maybe just a small picture though, because it made me chuckle:

Sorry mum!

I don't think they were at all edible in the end...but it's still January so there is still time for another attempt! And for February, I think we are going to try scotch eggs. I haven't made one since my first term at secondary school so it will be a good challenge. Has anyone got any good recipes they can share?

tunisian crochet

Last night I finished the tunisian crochet case I've been making for my Kindle. It was inspired by this video (which also inspires me to want to visit Iceland).

I like the boxy look of this crochet stitch - it's very thick and feels quite durable. Good for protection.

success!

The Christmas chutney turned out to be a big success. In fact, I had cheese and chutney for brunch today (a new year treat). And the christmas day cheeseboard was immense. I counted 12 cheeses. Lovely.

The recipe made about a kilo and a half of chutney which meant I could share it out amongst many small pots for friends and family. I only wish there had been more leftover for me...

I'll definitely try another batch again this year (I might double the quantity next time though!)

happy new year

Hello to 2012!
I hope you all had some lovely new years eve celebrations and a wonderful christmas.

I failed miserably to stick to my new years resolutions for 2011. I think I managed about 3 and a half of them. Pitiful.

As a result I'm going to be far less ambitious this year and only make two resolutions:

1. Cook or bake something I've never made before once a fortnight.
2. Throw caution to the wind.

Good luck with all your resolutions this year. It's January now - the month for jigsaws.

fake christmas

Some friends of mine hosted a fake christmas day at their house yesterday - which was just like the real thing, only with far more Cava.

I made some crackers for the dinner table, filled with jokes from Dan, fake trivia from Mark and some treats from me. A good group effort, and a great Christmas meal. We also had an evening cheeseboard and I sampled some Smoking Bishop for the first time. I think that's what did me in!

It's been a slow day today - I just about managed a walk along the beach amongst the huge foamy waves. A refresher for the brain.

ps. I found the following joke in one of the pound shop crackers I dismantled for the bangers and thought it too good not to share:

Q. What do you call a chicken in a shellsuit?
A. An egg.

flower ring

I made this hanging ornament to send to Yumi.
It was based on this flower ring tutorial from Lola Nova.
It's quite satisfying crocheting round a solid frame.

festive snacks

I made some mince pies last night for our knitting meet-up. Yum yum!

I also made some chutney this week, which should be ready just in time for christmas. I'm hoping for a nice taste. The process of making it left my flat smelling quite strongly of vinegar which doesn't fill me with high hopes.

I used this recipe but left out the coriander seeds (yuck!) and one of the red peppers, as when I cut it open I found a moth living inside it (a MOTH!!). Horrible.

I'll let you know the results come Christmas time! I'm looking forward to a nice cheese board.

this is just the beginning...

I counted today and there are now 6 shoots in total. It's nice to observe the change in growth each day.

a little chili

After a knitting evening a few weeks ago Emily kindly let me take home a couple of mini chili peppers from her flourishing plant to add to my supper. They heated my sausage casserole up a treat - good for winter warmth.

Whilst I was preparing my dinner I decided to try and keep the seeds from inside the tiny chilis and see if I could encourage them to grow. I put them on some damp tissue, sealed them in a sandwich bag and hid them under a blanket (which is the closest it gets to a warm, dark place around these parts).

When I checked back a few days later there were beginning to sprout. What luck!

I've now potted them up, and noticed at the weekend that some shoots are beginning to show above the soil. Let's hope it continues to flourish - enchiladas next year maybe?

bicycle

Yumi sent me this tiny little bicycle stamp from Japan - so sweet! What a treat!

I've been having some bike troubles lately - some rotter stole my basket! - but today I got back behind the handlebars and cycled to work for the first time in an age. I had to keep stopping on the way to oil my chain but I got there in the end (semi-smooth riding).

 Here's to getting a new basket in the post soon!

dimity

 My mum and dad donated me their old laundry basket at the weekend to help with my interior space issues. It was given a quick bit of a re-upholstery job first though.

Now it just needs a lick of paint...

cyclamen

Yesterday felt a lot like wintertime to me. This may have been because I only managed to stir myself from my slumber at almost two in the afternoon (hibernation?), but it was also a nice crisp cold day.

There's also something about going to the shops while it is getting dark that makes things feel very festive. I think I am ready now. Bring on the chocolate coins!

While I was in the mood to embrace the Christmas spirit I bought an advent candle for our mantlepiece, and a little potted Cyclamen to bring some red and green to our coffee table. Sweet flowers!

Ho ho ho!

lady in red

Last week I finished this nice red jumper - just in time for the festive season!

The pattern was from this book (very 80s) and was called 'White Lady', but I opted for a colour change as my last knitting project was this off-white number. This one only took a few weeks to make - thank god for short sleeves - and is nice and soft to wear, although maybe a bit shorter than desired.

I splashed out a bit on the wool for this project as I'm trying to move away from the cheap acrylic stuff that I'm so often tempted by (I'm now confident in my abilities to knit something without going drastically awry). The wool I chose was Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK and it is very soft to the touch. Although while I was knitting I did notice that the colour kept rubbing off onto my hands (I have pink fingerprints on my macbook now!) which I wasn't so keen on. I made sure to give it a wash before wearing it for the first time though and I think that's sorted it out.

And now I am without a knitting project - most unusual. I am trying to spend less time with the needles so am not going to embark on any big projects for a while. At our knitting meet-up this week I made these crochet flowers for my mum's friend...



Small and simple - and instantly gratifying. Maybe I'll make some mini Christmas knits to get me in the festive spirit next.

In other news, I've been very inspired by Emily's posts on indoor gardening so am now attempting to propagate one of our houseplants from a stem cutting. I took a new shoot off the existing plant and have been keeping it in a jug of water for about a week to see if anything would happen.



Today I moved the cutting into a plant pot so fingers crossed it takes root.

I am really quite a useless gardener so if anyone has any better tips on propagation then please do pass them on!

wool filling

My Woolfiller kit arrived this week. I just had a small practise on a tension square I had knocking around.

I like the effect. I'm going to try and see if I can prick the wool into different shaped patches.

off white

I finished this cardigan a week or two ago. I was a bit worried when I started knitting it that the wool looked a bit like a dirty white colour but it looks a lot better now the whole thing is finished.

My first raglan knit and I'm very pleased with how it fits!

I even sewed some toggles on. Un hommage à Jonathan Creek.

Making

I went to the Power of Making exhibition at the V&A on Saturday. It's worth a visit!

My favourite things were the giant Aran knitted rug, the giant crocheted bear and the fingerprint gloves. I also liked the craft table where people were experimenting with using Woolfiller.



I like the idea of this very much, both for mending holes and for adding decoration to knitwear. I've ordered myself a sample pack so that I can try it out. Possibly on my new Aran wool cardigan.

mosaics

Our last stained glass class was dedicated to mosaics. I was dubious about this at first but it turned out to be a lovely lesson. I managed to finish off the last of my stained glass projects, and then we all sat around the table with some wine and snacks using up the left over pieces of glass.

Most people were creating their mosaics on glass so that they could use them as candle holders (the them of the course it seems...) but I went for the kids option and stuck mine onto a painted wooden block.

A coaster for my desk I think.

living the dream

I'm really making the most of this lovely later summer weather. I've been paddling in the sea in my lunch breaks and have had a swim most evenings this week. I even had a quick dip this morning as I am off to London in a short while. An October swim!

My tomato plants have also been having a final flourish. I've been collecting handfuls of cherry tomatoes for my lunchbox each day this week.

I'm conscious that the weather is going to turn very autumnal and blustery soon so am soaking up every bit of sun.

low tide

This evening I cycled home from work in the sea mist, and then made my way along the sand and paddled in the sea while the sun went down.

Days like this make me feel very happy that I live and work by the coast.

Das ist gut!

I spent my August bank holiday in Berlin this year. A lovely city to visit.

My favourite day was Sunday when Yumi & I went drawing in the Museum für Naturkunde, and then we went to the Flohmarkt am Mauerpark and watched the Bearpit karaoke. It made me smile in a big way.