I finished work today and the children break up tomorrow. Not a day too soon as they are both very tired and very ratty indeed - not helped by the fact that they have been in the school play this week, which has entailed two late evening performances.
The school did a fantastic version of The Wizard of Oz. Monster was a crow and Minx was a poppy :-) All of the children were quite brilliant and I'm sure there were some future stars among them.
It's been very cold and grey in these parts this week. Fortunately Mr Postman provided a bright and cheery moment by delivering a very pretty and unexpected parcel from my superhero bloggy friend Maria.
Nestled within were two beautiful hearts that are now adorning our Christmas tree.
Thank you so much Maria - you really did brighten up a very very dull morning of 'end of term report' writing!
There has been a little craftiness going on this week.
Moogsdad whisked the beasties off for a walk on Sunday, leaving me in perfect peace to get on with some presents for Monster, Minx, my friend's daughter and my three beautiful nieces.
I've loved Lucy's wallets for ages (and have three of them!). I'd also wanted to have a go at making them myself and have had the pattern (Melly & Me's Wally and Wristy) for several months, after finally tracking one down on ebay.
Of course, being a rather obsessive sort of sewist I had to make six!!
Talking of obsessions.....
......my second pair of socks came off the needles this week.....
......a pair for Monster for Christmas.....
.....and then I found some very happy yarn at Hobbycraft.....
......and started on my third pair.....
....for Minx.....
....one done......
.....and down to the heel on it's partner!
As these are surprise socks I needed some other knitting to fill those moments when the nosey smalls are about.
As these are surprise socks I needed some other knitting to fill those moments when the nosey smalls are about.
So it had to be wrist warmers - again for my beautiful nieces (these are my brother's girls who appreciate their aunty's handmade gifts) and also a pair requested by the Monster.
Almost two pairs finished.
So just two and a bit pairs to go - by next Tuesday - easy...right?
Not wanting to get bored I also decided to dabble in a bit of homemade confectioning today. Rather squishy chocolate fudge for the teachers' pressies.
This is supposed to be honeycomb - or cinder toffee as Nigella calls it. Mine didn't turn out as airy and full of bubbles as I expected!
Eating this could result in expensive and painful dental issues!!
No matter what I do, I never seem to be able to produce good results from the Domestic Goddess's recipes.
Give me a Delia or a Prue Leith and I'm fine but dear old Nigella defeats me!
Maybe I need to don a skimpy little number and slap on some lippy before my next attempt?
Or not!!
xxx
15 comments:
Oooh! I am totally with you on the issue of who the REAL Domestic Goddess is around here, and I don't think it's Nigella by a long way!! She may look very nice wafting around her sparkly kitchen, but her recipies don't work for me either. Give me Delia ANY day .. I've yet to find one of hers that doesn't work!!
Delia's recipes are tried and tested by legions of minions apparently. That's why they always work. Have you tried her parmesan parsnips? My mother won't do a Christmas dinner without them!
All your makes are wonderful. Oh how I wish I could do knitting on eleventy five needles all at once.
x
Hmmm, that fudge recipe I sent you was actually a Nigella one! But yours does look extremely yummy though. Domestic Goddess is my favourite cookery book! Haven't tried the cinder toffee yet though. Anyway, love the little wallets and what fabulous socks! I'm now using up leftover sock yarn by making some wrists warmers too!
:)
Isn't it funny - I have real issues with Delia's recipes, but Nigella's do work for me virtually every time. I think it's because I'm a hit and miss cook - and so I don't follow Delia's instructions closely enough, but Nigella's slap-it-all-in-a-bowl approach suits me really well.
We were talking today about the lunacy of having two 7 week half terms - our lot are either dead on their feet or all down with the fluey lurgy!
wow you have been busy - i may need to chat you up for a sock tutorial in the new year as i have never, ever, attempted them!!! Delia's receipes always work for me and so do Jamie's so i tend to stick with what works!
thanks for your thanks!!!
xx
My goodness woman, you've been a very busy little girl! The wallets and socks look fantastic -- love the colorful blue-ish socks! And I'm thinking you're probably onto something with the wearing of skimpy clothes. If nothing else, you can divert everyone with cleavage and they'll never know the recipe didn't turn out. (And dare I say it outloud -- I don't know who Delia is???)
I know who Delia is but I don't cook, well, only the meat and two veg, main meal type of cooking so I am well impressed with your yummy fudge. The wallets and socks are lovely too, very pretty fabrics.
How do you always seem to be so super-productive?!
And I don't think recipes with exact measurements are Nigella's forte. But her slap it together stuff is fantastic (but then, I'm like Val and am congenitally unable to follow a recipe exactly as written).
I haven't been able to look Delia in the eye since she went on that frozen mash and tinned meat rampage.
I'm the same with Nigella. I also made the cindertoffee, and it was delicious...but not light and bubbly and brittle, it was squishy and chewy like toffee. Delia gets my vote - less boobies, and suggestive sucking on fingers, and more cooking ;)
Loving the wallets - especially the 'my folklore' fabric one (middle of pic - woodlandy one)
I agree about Nigella actually her food always looks amazing but somehow the recipes dont ever seem to work. Cant go wrong with Delia! Love the wallets
The trick with cinder toffee is to NOT stir it at all while the syrup etc melts then, when you put the bicarb in, one good stir and turn the heat up a little for about 15 seconds. It will come out really light and frothy:)
Goodness - so much making with such fantastic results.
There seems to be a fair bit of bloggy Nigella bother around - although my cheesecake disaster was more to do with my inexperience. It looks cindertoffee-ish to me!
That fudge looks, well, sticky and heavenly and more supersocks?
...and the wallets! I think I need a lir down after all that! (actually I do - rather fluey at this end)
TGI the end of the term! I still have to go to work on Tuesday but I am so relieved that all the after school and end of term "stuff" is over!
Brilliant sewage, knitterage and cookery!
Locket xxx
i know what you mean about nigella's cinder toffee, it is so hit and miss to make, i've yet to get anything remotely resembling hers. solution to to buy lots of crunchies and nibble the chocolate off, no-one will know ; )
Some fabulous making going on... where do you find the time, especially turning out socks at that rate! Like dotty cookie I'm a Nigella girl - nothing to do with lippy and cleavage I might add, just the slapdash bit!
Post a Comment