A new to me recipe.

My plans went awry again today. I had hoped to get the borders onto the memory quilt, but that just didn't happen.  I did however get to spend some time out in the garden. It has been a beautifully warm day. I picked some broccoli and got it into the freezer, pulled some weeds and wandered around with a watering can as everything is so very dry. The weather is forecast to change tomorrow, back to winter with a southern front set to bring snow and rain.   

∘◦❀◦∘

Before going outside I had made some English Breakfast Muffins. I would share an image, but there is only one left. They are a keto recipe so we had some for breakfast and more for lunch with home made soup. Tony particularly ;likes them and declared that I could make them again!  Next time, I'll get a photo and share the recipe. 

∘◦❀◦∘

Today, I'll share one of the recipes I mentioned yesterday.

Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake.

It was a lot sweeter than a traditional cheesecake even though I used a sugar free jelly. In future I will start with less sweetener and add more later if I need it.

It is also lighter than my usual cheesecake, more like an Ambrosia. That said, we decided I could make it again, maybe using a different flavour of jelly.  

Jelly Cheesecake. 

Base

150g Almond flour

25 g desiccated coconut.

50 g melted butter

1-2 table spoon your preferred sweetener

Stir the melted butter into the dry ingredients and press firmly down into your springform tin and pop into the fridge to chill.

I just used a glass pie dish.

Filling

250 g cream cheese

1 packet of jelly.

1/2 cup boiling water

300 ml cream

1-2 tablespoons your preferred sweetener.

1 tea spoon vanilla.

(Optional, fruit)

Stir the jelly into the boiling water and set aside to cool. Do not allow it to set.

Whip the cream to firm peaks and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese, sweetener and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually add the jelly and beat in.

Fold in the cream.

If you wish to add fresh or tinned fruit, stir it in now. 

Taste for sweetness and adjust now. 

Pour over the chilled base. Add a little fruit topping if using and chill for 4 - 6 hours. 

Any flavour of jelly will work. I'm keen to try a lemon jelly.

∘◦❀◦∘

I did make time to do some sewing today, but it was my secret Christmas ornaments. So no sneaky images. 

I also did a little prep work for some EPP. More about that another time. 

🪡🪡🪡

A Change of Plans but still a Productive Day

Here we are at my rostered days off again.  By working weekends, I'm rewarded with days off at home uninterrupted to do my own thing, in my own time. As you know, my days start early.5.45 ish. Tony is off out of the door by 7am and I make a start. I usually try to get my chores done early, if I'm baking it's good to get the oven on, especially in winter as it warms things up a little. Today all of that went sideways. The man of the house decided he was unwell and staying home. I still got up bright and early but felt that maybe I shouldn't make too much noise as Tony had opted for a lie in. No washing machine. No food mixer, no vacuum.... I sat in my chair drinking tea and contemplating how I might rearrange my day. First, homemade seed crackers, not too noisy and I still get to put the oven on. 

The recipe needs a tweak. Once I'm happy, I'll share.

∘◦❀◦∘

A quick tidy in the kitchen and another cuppa.  Next, the base for a cheesecake. Again not noisy and by the time it went into the fridge to chill Tony was up. Yay!! I could really start my day. All the noisy chores were done and out came the mixer and the cheese layer of our dessert was made and poured over the base. 

We didn't try it yet, I'll let you know what it's like. But I will say, a new to me recipe. Cheesecake made with Jelly.

∘◦❀◦∘

Off I went into town, groceries were purchased and I headed home again. That didn't take long. By now it was lunch time. Yes, he could eat. Then he crashed. 

He very quickly went from not too good, bit of a sore throat to crashed on the sofa under a crochet blanket.

∘◦❀◦∘

That was the end of the noisy stuff. While he was out of the way, I decided to spread memory quilt blocks all over the floor and took a photo.

 Did the shuffle.  Swapped some pieces out completely.

Took another photo and set to sewing the blocks into rows and then the rows into a quilt top. Dashing between the sitting room floor and my chair at the fun machine, in the happy room.  Just as I was finished, Tony stirred and was on the move again. 

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some borders on. 

It could do with a good press, but......

All those manmade fabrics are a worry. I got on OK pressing the interfacing onto the fabrics by covering them with baking paper. Pressing the blocks and even the rows under the paper was ok, but trying to press a whole quilt top under s sheet of baking paper? Maybe not so easy.

Last week I ordered a Teflon coated silicone 'shoe' to fit over the sole of my iron. Hopefully it will be here soon. 

∘◦❀◦∘

Time now to look at getting some dinner sorted.

Not quite the day I had in mind. But it was a good day.

A Foggy Start and a Productive Day.

 My days off have come to an end, back to work for me tomorrow.  I've enjoyed my three days. I've been busy in the kitchen, completed chores and errands and I've had fun sewing and quilting. 

Today I had cookies in and out of the oven before 8am. 

Treats for the team at work tomorrow.

∘◦❀◦∘

While they were baking I got busy on the quilting frame.  It really didn't take long to finish quilting the hexie quilt. 

While I worked, the sun climbed into a foggy sky.

By the time I was finished, the fog had receded a little and the sun was able to shine in on my quilt.

It's only a small quilt. A nice size for a cot or a lap on a cool evening.

I put the hexies to one side, completed some chores then went out to meet a friend for a cuppa. That was fun. Once I got home it was time to work on the memory quilt again. I got the sashing strips sewn to the other sides today and took the time to press them all.

Here they are, all sixty blocks pressed and waiting to be trimmed.

∘◦❀◦∘

After a late lunch I trimmed the hexie quilt and had a look for binding. I was lucky and found three blue binding off cuts from previous quilts. I sewed them together and sewed them on. By the time Tony came home I was settled in my chair closing the binding by hand.

No, your eyes are not playing tricks. It has wavy edges. I'm not quite sure what happened there. Never mind, I wasn't aiming for a prize winner. Just a little something to keep me busy and to keep someone warm. 

∘◦❀◦∘

Was it last week? Or the week before? That I laid out my goals for August.

By my count, I have achieved them all.

1) Progress on Lest we forget.     ✔

2) Progress on Down in the Garden. ✔

3) Progress on the memory quilt. ✔

4) Christmas Ornaments. ✔

5) Get a quilt onto the frame. ✔

All of that and I still have time left. 

∘◦❀◦∘

Back to work for the weekend. Then I'll have two more days off.

More time to sew and play.

I hope your weekend plans include some sewing.

Another Busy Day in the Happy Room 🪡

So here I am, day two of my rostered days off, and though it’s only 2pm, it’s already been another busy day!

I had my chores done by 8.30, then I took myself into the happy room and got busy with the Fun Machine. It was still loaded with a quilting needle and red thread, so I set about adding some more quilting to Lest We Forget.

I’m happy with my progress, and all of the poppies are now quilted. I do still need to work on the leaves and add some final touches before binding this one. 

And I won at thread chicken! The bobbin was just about to run out when I cut the last thread. Talk about cutting it fine!

∘◦❀◦∘

Next, I set about cutting the sashing fabric for the memory quilt.

I got one piece sewn onto each block before calling time on that project for the day. It was time to head into town on an errand for Tony.

∘◦❀◦∘

I was home just in time for lunch, and while it was cooking I loaded a scrappy hexie quilt onto the frame.

After eating, I set to quilting a meander design. I quilted until the bobbin ran out.

Are you seeing a theme here? LOL.

∘◦❀◦∘

Now it’s time to sit in my comfy chair and stitch some more flowers onto the final Down in the Garden block. I made good progress yesterday and hope to get lots more done today.

And with that, I’m off to do some more stitching. 🪡

∘◦❀◦∘

Oops! I did it again.

 And here we are at my three days off. I do love this part of my roster. Three whole days to do my thing. Well mostly. The chores do get in the way.  I got busy early this morning and got todays chores done and out of the way.  Then it was time to play.  I got the last of the memory quilt blocks cut and laid them onto the fabric I plan to use for sashing strips. 

I wanted to check that none of them became invisible.  I think they will all be fine. Tomorrow's job will be cutting sashing strips. I have three pieces of each of these fabrics and there is more should I need them.

I left things there as I had to go out to see my chiropractor. 

∘◦❀◦∘

Once I got home it was time for some lunch, then I settled in to do some work on Down in the Garden. I spent most of the afternoon sewing up a storm, I'll show pictures soon. During a break to make and drink a cuppa I had a look at facebook marketplace and spied a bargain!

Two more grocery bags, filled to bursting with pretty fabrics.

Of course I made another donation to Sue's grandchildren's bank account. LOL

Again another mix of larger cuts, fat quarters and smaller pieces.

Two bags full.

And once again there were WIPs.

This one looks like fun.

After sorting through both bags, I put them onto my cutting table, ready to be put away another day. Picked up my needle and got back to my down in the garden. While I was out this morning, I called in to see one of ladies from my local club, she had the thread colour I had run out of.  It's a good match. I'm happy about that. The final word has been stitched and now it's back to the flowers.  I'll post an image soon.

🪡🪡🪡