project 128......bran muffins

I used to make these muffins as the recipe does not flop at all.  I got the basic recipe from a friend years ago, and adapted it in time by adding coffee powder and wheatbix.

With all the instant products on the market lately, we tend not to mix our own recipes from scratch anymore. 

This recipe can be mixed and kept in the fridge for a month, but I just bake the whole batch and freeze the extra ones.  They come in very handy when you get unexpected visitors-for breakfast or with grated cheese and jam for tea.

2 large eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
125 ml oil
1 cup nutty wheat flour
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups wheat bix broken into pieces
5 ml salt
10 ml baking soda
10 ml vinegar
5 ml baking powder
5 ml vanilla
30 ml coffee powder
500 ml milk
1 packet dates

Mix everything and bake for 12-15 minutes at 180*C.

Project 127: Crochet waist coat

Another night duty project with no pattern at all!

I liked the three colours and bought the yarn just because it was pretty!  I had no idea of what I was going to create with it......

I started making flowers with it and then attached the flowers with white chain stitches and formed a waist coat.

It came out quite pretty.....and that without a pattern!

Project 126: Butternut salad

I remembered to take a photo!  Last weekend I made a lovely orange salad and forgot to take the snap!

Dice your butternut and space it open on a baking tray.  Sprinkle with olive oil.  Bake at 200*C for about 20 minutes until soft and slightly roasted.  Remove and allow to cool down.

In the meanwhile prepare your lettuce leaves into bite sizes.  Pour in your butternut pieces.  add some sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

Prepare your salad dressing by mixing together 5 tbsp of olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 red chili, 1 clove of garlic(crushed) and 1 tsp of honey. 

Pour over the salad just before dishing up.

Project 125.......making mini doughnuts

This became one of the families favourites lately.  And they are soo easy to make!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
125 ml oil
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Mix everything together and soon into an electric doughnut maker and bake for about 2 minutes. 

We make chocolate ones by adding 30 ml cocoa and another 1/4 cup milk. 

Now you can top them with glaze icing, nuts, hundreds and thousands, etc.  We simply pour condensed milk over the chocolate ones and sometimes caramel on the normal ones.

If you have kids and not have an electric doughnut maker, it is truly something you can invest in!  Especially if you have boys with lots of friends!

Project 124....Newspaper boy hat

I made this one without a pattern whilst working night duty between 3-4 in the mornings!

I've done it with a tunesic crochet needle in a double knit yarn.

I've started off with 22 stitches and reduced it at the end of each row until I had one stitch left.  I then picked up 1 stitch from the side from every row until I had 22 again.  I then reduced again until I had one stitch left again.  Picked up again, etc.  You will see it makes a perfect circle after a while.  I ended off and sewn the opening together to make a round piece to work with. 

I then picked up stitches all around half of the circle and crochet 5 rows without reducing.  I then started reducing doing two stitches every five stitches for 5 rows and ended off.  I did the same with the other half.  I the have sewn the two openings together   I then used a normal crochet hook and started making the front part.  I used the two hems on the sides to give me an indication on getting the cap right in the middle.  I used normal double trembles to do the cap, as it was easier to reduce on both sides at the same time.  I started wit 20 trembles and reduces at the beginning and end of each row for 6 rows.  I made a second flap like this directly underneath the first one.

I then took a soda bottle(all I could find in the hospital at 03h00 in the morning, but it worked well as it is clear and has a slight bend) and placed it between the two flaps.  I then closed the flaps by crocheting the two parts together with double trembles all around the edge.

I finished the whole thing off by adding a flower to the one side and a covered button on top!

Sizwe(the male nurse working with me) now wants a Rastafarian one!  Eish!