Celebrity Masterchef Winner 2010

Yay,

my prediction came true!!!Lisa won as those of you who watched the programme will know.

They all did so well.The food was stunning.

I have found a link here to all the recipes. I will definitely be trying Lisa's Panacotta recipe.I have never had it & so want to try.I also liked the look of Dick's Rhubarb crumble tart.

Mr T & I have decided that Christine is the double of our Weight Watchers leader,Dawn.Even her mannerisms are similar!!How canny is that!

I have just had such a yummy breakfast of fresh figs & porridge & a very large mug of tea.I always have the same breakfast but usually with a banana sliced on the top.Yesterday however Mr T picked over 40 very ripe figs off our tree in the garden.Its gone mad,never seen it so laden & with such large fruit.In over 10 years of living here this is the first time we have eaten it .

I am going to have to find a recipe to make fig chutney I think.We cannot possibly eat all these figs & I have already given some away .We also have an abundance of Chilli's.Fig & Chilli chutney anyone!

Lucy Bags.

I just realised as I was writing the previous post ,that I still haven't showed you the Lucy Bags I have made.These are from a very creative lady who writes Attic 24 blog.

The Lucy bags were made from Creative Rico Cotton ,which is an aran weight.Comes in lovely scrumptious colours & is available at The Wool Bar. It forms a lovely firm fabric .Lucy has a description of her pattern here.Have a browse through her little blog.Its really lovely.

Here are some pictures of the bags I have created.

Top Viewing

Over the past few weeks ,I have been watching Celebrity Masterchef.Now although generally in our household ,I don't cook,Mr T does,its not that I cant ,which is contrary to his belief!Mr T does enjoy cooking & I also think he secretly enjoys winding me up by secretly adding things to what I am cooking or re stirring something when I have just stirred it.Now you know why I leave it to him!!I can cook & do it quite well.I did the whole Domestic Goddess thing at school & gained an A level in it!I have also cooked for a very famous person who then went on to become the Home Secretary.Thank goodness I didn't poison him!

Masterchef is great.My cousin took part in a Masterchef heat.Bless him ,he was so nervous ,I am surprised anything got on the plate he was shaking so much.Needless to say he was thrown out.He put salad from a bag on his plate & the judges were not impressed.

Anyhoo ,I digress.This years Celebrity Masterchef has been really good.The contestants have completed some really difficult dishes.Watching the penultimate programme last night ,I so think Lisa Faulkner could win the competition.The Champagne Caviar she made is very technical & I was amazed at the Tiramisu pudding she created.I just wish she would stop crying.!!! Christine I reckon could be second & then Dick.All could just change places though.

Its so exciting.....cant wait for tonight's episode......

I had to look up how to make the "Caviar" , so here is the link to a blog that explains it uses & how it is made.All very clever.

Puddings & rings

Mr T & I had been invited down to our friends beach hut to see the Birdman of Worthing event.It was a most welcome break from the monotony of being stuck at home .I decided to make our Weight Watcher leaders recipe for Beetroot & Orange jelly to take with us.!!Uggg I hear you say.....well it did get mixed reactions,but those who tried it , actually liked it. It surprised me too ,but I don't think I will make it again in a hurry.If you would like to try it then get some plain cooked beetroots ,skin them ,& finely slice into a made up sugar free orange jelly.Do this in layers & pop it in the freezer compartment to set quickly then add another layer.When set ,serve & wait for the reactions!!!Its quite funny.Now I know how Heston sometimes must feel.

I also made a bracelet.I wanted to do this for a while .I purchased some plastic macrame rings from a local shop who do beads for jewellery.I also bought some crochet cotton which is variegated & has a lovely pearl sheen to it.A simple single crochet stitch was done all the way round & then they were joined together using a double crochet stitch.

Viola!!!

The dogs have been my constant companions during the last 3 weeks.Maisie likes being on lookout duty ,whilst Grouse gets as close to me on the sofa as possible.They are so funny.I love the to bits & these weeks would have been pretty lonely without them.Even little Peggy, who stays mostly in her bed ,is such company.Life without our dogs?No way!!!

Bobbin about!

I have always loved sewing .I think that's partly to do with the eclectic mix that can be made with any notions you may have to hand in your stash.Its all about individual taste that makes a hand sewn item unique.

Part of my collection includes old cotton reels.I love cottons ,the colours ,the sheen on the thread.Most of all I love old cotton reels.When I mean old, not ones that were just around 10 years ago ,but those that were made with wooden reels . These were the cotton reels of my childhood .They were the ones that a knitting dolly could be made from ,a necklace could be made & even a TV show puppets were made from them.

I love my little collection.Whenever I see some sitting on a shelf in a charity shop,I have to unite them with mine.Some people may think I am sad,some mad,but who cares......I don't!!

More Tunisian crochet

I made another bag out of some of the yarn I dyed the other day.I hadn't even got it finished when my friend who popped round for a coffee said she wanted to buy it from me as a present for someone.How nice was that!,Obviously it had to be finished but this is the outcome.

I am pleased with the way it came out.The lining fabric I had & the flower trim is made with petals from 2 silk flowers ,a puffball I made & a very pretty old button ,all from my stash.

I am feeling a little better today with my back. I think a change of anti- inflammatory tablets is to thank for that.I actually managed to get into the bath today.....I have been showering ,but its just not the same.Absolute bliss!!!!So I have done my hair properly & put some makeup on.It all helps doesn't it to make you feel better.

I really miss work & my team ,so maybe after these 2 weeks I have been told I have to be off ,I will be able to go back.My boss came to see me yesterday .He has just taken over our team .I was worried about how Grouse was going to be with him as he has become very protective over me ,but he was fine & let the Boss in to the house & even made a fuss of him.Phew!!!!!It doesn't do for your dog to nip the Boss when he comes to visit!!!!

He looks so innocent doesn't he !!!Look at the way he is laying with his paws crossed.That is just so sweet!

youngest family member

On Sunday Mr T drove me up to my Mums cottage to meet the newest member of our family,baby Izzy!She is my great niece ,Mums great grand daughter.I have to say I don't think my mum looks like a Great granny

With Mark & Clare ,my nephew & his wife

Me without any makeup & looking rather old!I suppose I would next to a seven week old baby.

Dying update & the Bonne Bouche !

I re-charged my camera & got some pictures of the dyed yarn.

Here we go;

This is the Bluefaced Leicester double knit.So soft & yummy springy in your hands.It smells good too.Do you smell your yarn or is it just me!This was dyed using the pink lemonade & lemon/lime KoolAid.

This is the Merino /Silk lace weight dyed using Parrot green Dylon dye.This yarn is even softer than the above & feels like caress on your skin.Perfect for anything close to you.

This is the new wool /acrylic double knit in the strawberry KoolAid.I am not sure what this yarn is but it may have been Wendy Family choice.Its a good hard wearing yarn that you could get away with washing in the machine on a cool cycle.

I found the dying really easy to do .

The Bluefaced Leicester was just begging to be wound into a useable ball.As usual ,scatty me couldn't remember where she had put the skeiner & ball winder.An hour later after roping in Mr T to help look ,it was found in a box on top of my wardrobe.I must have tucked them out of the way safely & then promptly forgot where I put them.Anyhoo.....I digress ........the yarn was wound into very pretty balls.

The Bonne Bouche bag was the way forward & with my new Tunisian Crochet hook ,it all came together in a few hours.A very quick project to do .I doubled the yarn to make up to an approximate chunky weight & off I went.

I am not suppose to be doing any crochet or knitting at the moment because of my back ,but I am so bored.With frequent breaks I managed to get it done in about 3 1/2 hours.

Debbie Macomber, a good read

Being somewhat incapacitated this last 2 weeks I have been able to finish the book I have been trying to get through this summer.I have really enjoyed this author & her books have been based around the theme of a yarn store & its customers lives.There are three I have read about the yarn store & in sequence of ideal reading they are;
Of course I didn't read them in this order ,but it didn't matter.

I so enjoyed these books & cannot wait to start reading the next one I have sitting on my book case.The are others in the Blossom Street range & if you visit here you can see them all.

That will have to wait as I am about to read Chocolate Wishes ,well a girl has to have her chocolate fix & what better way when she is dieting .......

Dying with Kool Aid

I have been longing to do this for some time & today I managed to get some dying done in the kitchen.I have been in so much pain this week that it was a good job it was quick.The Kool Aid produced some very vibrant colours on the yarn.I dyed a skein of Bluefaced Leicester DK from bluefaced.com which I bought at my LYS The Wool Bar. Caroline has a a wonderful selection of yarns from the company & a selection of the Kool Aid as well to get you started.On the dk I used lemon & lime & pink lemonade.It has come out really pretty & I will use it to make a little bag using Tunisian Crochet which we learnt how to do at a talk at the shop.The bag is called the BonneBouche Bag & if you click on the link it will take you to the free pattern.You do need to be a member of Ravelry ,but membership is free & open to everyone.

I also dyed some lace weight merino & silk yarn also from Bluefaced.com.For this I used some green Dylon dye & used the dip dye method.It has come out really well & I am going to knit this .Its a pattern called Citron by Hilary Smith Callis which is free on Ravelry.

I also used some strawberry flavour Kool Aid to dye some yarn I had in my stash.Its some pure new wool & acrylic which has been frogged from something my mum was making a while back but never finished.I can see this dying thing is very addictive.When I get my camera charged I will take some pictures of my efforts.

**photo's borrowed from Ravelry**