project 38......danish breakfast pies

This one is dedicated to my colleague, Sizwe at work.  He used to buy muffins from a take-away shop on a daily basis, spending quite a lot of money on that. 

Then one day I asked him why he does not make his own, as one of our local instant mix brands taste exactly as the ones he's buying......

So geared up with this cheats version in his pocket, he went to visit his mom.....offered to bake......discarded the evidence.......and had the whole families ooh's and ah's!   He even took a photograph to come and show me the results!

I told him about these danish breakfast pies, and this was going to be his attempt this past weekend!

These are really easy and although it says 'breakfast pies', they can be enjoyed all day long.

Another cheat version, but tasting well enough for a house full of men!

You will need a roll of puff pastry, some jam of your choice, and some icing sugar to dust when it comes out of the oven.

Spread your pastry open and divide it in6-8 equal squares with a knife.  Spread the whole surface with jam.  Take all your squares and make cuttings from the four corners to the centre of each square.  Do not cut it right through the centre as your cake will break. It will look like 4 triangles now. Take one end of the first triangle and fold it over to the middle.  Then the same end of the  next one, then the next, then the next. Press the four points in the middle together. This will form a fan.  I used small balls of dough to keep them together as I had leftovers, but it is not necessary.   You can even cut little hearts for valentines, or Christmas trees, whatever you feel like.

Bake it in a hot oven 200*C until it is golden brown. and puffed out.  Dust with icing sugar when it comes out of the oven.  Enjoy!  I am sure you are going to make this again as they are just so easy!

project 45 - pretty upcycled jars

When we moved to the new house, I had to share the small study with my darling hubby!  Unfortunately he is not the neatest in the study!   So I decided to sort my half....more that everybody could see I am not the master of the mess!

I started making these pretty jars from empty coffee bottles to sort my buttons. Aren't they pretty?  even hubby thought they're pretty!

I decoupaged the lids and a small piece of the same paper or material onto the bottles.  I then cut some letters from newspapers and formed the words with this.  I then decorated it with anything I could find in that specific colour.

I still need some more but you only drink so much coffee!


It is fun to make though, as you have no idea what the end product is going to look like....you just plan and add as you go!

Project 44......enlarging a skirt/pants

This one is not really a project, but a tip....but it works so well, I had to share it!

If you have read my previous chat, you'll understand what this is about!  The forever weight problem!

Yesterday morning I wanted to wear a skirt to church, and all of a sudden it shrank in the wash!  I am sure you had that experience as well before!  At first I thought I should have paid more attention to the 'shake promotion' yesterday......then I thought that I should get some exercise.....then I wondered what I should wear to church now.....

Then I remembered something somebody told me about years ago.......I started searching the whole house for an elastic band......I tied it to the buttonhole and all of a sudden I had an extra few centimetres!   See the photo!

I won't suggest you make use of this a lot, but it surely is a great saviour in case of emergency!

I thought afterwards that those elastic things the boys wear around their arms will work great.....very strong elastics.......ha ha!

What a week!...........It is now 00h30 Saturday night/Sunday morning and I am wide awake!

So I decided to tell you about my "very peculiar week thus far" as my very English late mother-in-law would have said!  (I am very Afrikaans, and she was a real English lady....accent and all)

I finished off night duty on Wednesday morning and only slept a few hours to make sure I sleep again during the night .  Quite early I went to bed and slept well until my dearest hubby came to bed!  He has flu and was snoring so badly that I am sure our friends two blocks away could hear him!  I didn't sleep...................................

Still quite grumpy from no sleep I had to get up to take my youngest son to the dentist........

Once a month we travel to our neighbouring town to see an orthodontist.  We usually have a long shopping and to-do-list as well, because our small town just lack in some services!  When we got there- in time for our appointment- we got the sad news that the doctor had a stroke and is in hospital.  But we should not worry....another doctor is on her way from Pretoria......so we waited...............

Now before I continue with this story whilst we are waiting.............when I started working in the hospital I am currently working at, one of my new colleagues stopped me in the passage.  He introduced himself, wished me well, and then he said....."Sister, remember you are working in Africa now....and there is lots of time in Africa!.....everything in Africa is slower.....if you can relax and accept that some things are slower here, you will be fine!"    

For my naturally busy  personality it was quite an eye opener!.....but I am fine.....

So back to waiting at the dentist......we waited.............hour and a half later we went in......and a 15 minute appointment ended an hour later!  Needless to say, the to-do-list to be given attention to next month...........

Got home, really tired by now, my husband fell asleep on the couch in front of the fireplace, TV going in the background.....Now.....I hope I'll be forgiven......I left him to snore away on the couch!.........I slept well......my eldest son did not!  He was in the neighbouring room!

All chirpy Friday morning I was busy!  I worked my blog....did some paper mache project....baked pretzels.....and started with supper....

My stephdad lost his eyesight in his one eye about 2 years ago.  Friday I realised how difficult it must be for him........

I cooked....and used chillies.....and without thinking rubbed my eye!  It was insane!  It was burning for almost an hour! That after I rinsed it and after I applied a self improvised eyepatch(big hump of cotton wool drenched with milk!) with a cross of plaster all over the forehead and going down the cheek!  I am a nurse, but boy oh boy!, if something happens in this household.....you are on your own!   Imagine applying the plaster with a runny nose, runny eye, dripping milk, sneezing like madness....at least my sinuses where clear by now!

I finished supper, but the kitchen was in a mess!  It is quite difficult to judge distances with only one eye....I cleaned up and jumped into my pj's!  Whilst getting undressed I thought....our friends are going to come and visit.....and they did.....half an hour later I had to get dressed again....at least we had a great time.....always good to have them around.....

Then it was bed time......and my husbands snoring moved me to the couch now....

Unpleasant night....had to wake up early to wake the boys for their cricket marches.....still in my pj's dragging around the house my parents pitched up to come and watch the rugby-finals with us.....I baked cupcakes....did the caramel filling everything..... 

I eventually got dressed!  And was picked up by a friend(see her blog 'my cupcake thighs') to go for a wellness talk and light lunch.....just to realise that it was too good to be true!  It was a product promotion talk!  We sipped on this....we sipped on that.......and after two hours we left without our light lunch!

Yes we do want to loose weight, but we want to eat.....we just love the feeling of something chewable in our mouths!  We're just not shake people!   Even if it is broccoli...cauliflower....as long as it has crunch.....  

It's late now....I can hear my hubby snoring from here and I wonder if I am ever going to sleep tonight........

But it was good talking to you!  Hope you have a great night!

Lot of love

Sandra
  xxx           

PS! it is 01h30 now.....

project 37****************butterflies****************

I am working night duty at the moment.  Super cool to have a whole week off after working a week!  Unfortunately I struggle to sleep the first two off night!  In my old house I used to cook or bake when I could not sleep.  In this house I will wake everybody doing that!  So I spend my time on Pinterest in my attempt not to wake everybody.  I just love the ideas you get there!

This was where I saw the baseline for the next attempt.....sorry,  I sometimes see something elsewhere as well to give me new ideas!

The original butterfly had only a wire outline with lace wings.  I altered it by giving it some colour by sewing seed beads around the wire.

This is such an easy project that even a kid could do this!

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Simply fold a butterfly out of wire.  Sew some off cut lace over the wings.....sew some beads around the wire.....give it a head and some antennae if you feel like it and see......a pretty butterfly!

I want to hang them outside in a tree.........