project 115......potpourri

Zineas and sunflowers have the prettiest colours, and if you take the petals off just as the flowers start to wilt and spread it open on a tray to dry, they keep their colours.

I am not fond of potpourri as it makes me sneeze, but I have made these with the leaves I dried last year, and simply added cinnamon sticks and cloves and dried chillies.....no oils were used as I think that is the culprit of my sneezing.

I've packed it in pretty organza bags and the smell is just great!  Simple, but effective.  This year I want to do it with dried lemon, orange and naartjie peels as well.....

project 114---------covering wire coat hangers with doilies

I used some of my late grandmothers doilies to do this.....

I simply stuck a wire coat hanger through the circle in the centre of a doily and folded it over.  Thereafter I thread a ribbon through the holes to tighten it around the coat hanger and used some bow to finish it off.  Pretty!

Project 113....lemon cupcakes

I told you I use the lemons from my flavoured water....another great way to use them....

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 t lemon essens
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup orange juice/water
1-2 lemons minced in the food processor rinds and all

Mix everything and pour in cupcake cups.  Bake for 15 minutes at 180*C.

Make frosting with icing sugar, butter and lemon juice.

This makes about 30, so I just freeze a dozen for a rainy day.  You can even freeze your frosting.  Just remove everything the morning you need them, and allow to defrost at room temperature.  I used to do this when I still had to pack lunch boxes, also very handy for unexpected visitors!

Project 112......mosquito repellant

You need to take malaria tablets when you visit the Kruger Park.....especially during summer.  Unfortunately we sometimes go at the spur of the moment and there is no time to take the tablet a week before you go.  So I normally mix this and we make sure we coat ourselves with it all day!

Mix 500g of aqueous cream with 50 ml citronella oil.  No mosquito gets near you!  But better be safe than sorry.....take your malaria tablets!

As a rule we have a church Christmas 'braai' during December.  Unfortunately the mosquitoes have their Christmas party round about the same time!  I normally put a jar of this out, and I promise you, everybody use this instead of the store bought stuff, as it works so well!  Try it!

Project 111************coffee cookies****************

Got this one from the one cookbook every Afrikaans woman/girl knows..."kook en geniet".  In this recipe book your are taught all the basics of everything!  And more!

I did not have coffee extract and did not see myself making it, so I just used instant coffee powder.  Kids did not know the difference.....

190 ml butter
190 ml sugar
125 ml golden syrup
5 ml baking soda dissolved in 100 ml water
15 ml coffee extract(or coffee powder)
2.5 ml salt
5 ml vanilla essence
1.5 l flour

Filling:
250 ml sugar
125 ml butter
100 ml milk
15 ml coffee extract(or coffee powder)
5 ml vanilla essence

1.  Preheat the oven to 180*C.
2.  Beat butter and sugar together.
3.  Add syrup.  Beat well. Add milk mixture.
4.  Add coffee. salt and vanilla.
5.  Add flour and knead together to make a firm dough.
6.  Roll out and cut in fingers. (Next time I am going to put it in my cookie press)
7.  Bake for 5-8 minutes.
8.  Cook the filling in the meanwhile.  Mix all the filling ingredients and cook for 5 minutes on the stove top.
9.  Remove from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until cold and thick.
10. Stick two-two on together with filling in between.  Makes about 72.  

Project 110.....no bake cornflake cookies.....

Keeping up with the appetite of three teenage boys make you try out a lot of different recipes.  I have recently found this one on google, but added the coconut.  I've hidden them for a day and offered them on our way to the Kruger National Park last week.  My sons were impressed that their mother thought of breakfast!  Too sweet for my taste for breakfast, rather tea time for me!  We've been to the park for three days.....they only lasted the first day!

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut
3 cups cornflakes

Melt the first four ingredients in a pot on the stove.  Allow to cook for 1 minute whilst stirring.  Then add the coconut and cornflakes and stir until it is coated with the sugar mixture.  Scoop spoons full on wax paper and allow to set.  Makes about 2 dozen. 

project 109....keeping your cupboard fresh with leftover soap

I love to smell soap.....it smells so fresh and clean.  I used to put bars of soap between my underwear just for the scent of it.  Then I made these figures with grated left over soap in the middle.  I now hang them even on the coat hangers between my clothes.  They don't make any marks on your clothes, and keep your cupboard smelling fresh.

I've cut fish and stars out of calico, embroidered some stitches on the one side,  then hand sewn them together with a crochet yarn leaving a small space to fill with grated soap.  I then made some strings to hang them.  Great way to use leftover soap, and scraps of material.

blessed with another pretty flower

I bought some roses a while ago, and the ones colour was chocolate-pink.....With no buds on it, I did not have an idea what it would look like.....now look at the pretty flower!

I think I have quite a crazy family!  Look at our pet dog taking a nap on my hubbies back!

Have a great day!
  Sandra

   xxxxx

POST 108: HOMEMADE YOGURT

Of all the things I've tried, I think this one was the most amazing!  Who would ever think you can make your own yogurt?

I was paging through a book full of pickles when I noted this.  I did not give it much attention, but when I paged through a magazine at work and saw it again just the next day, I knew I had to try it!  And guess  what!  I am going to make this a lot!  So easy and taste just like bought ones!

I heated 500ml of milk(I used 2%) until it just started making small bubbles on the side.  I then took the pot from the stove and placed it in a bowl of cold water to cool down a little.  I then added two big tablespoons of natural yogurt and stirred it through.  I poured it into a vacuum flask, sealed(I gave it one twist back as I was scared that the flask could burst if it starts to thicken.  Maybe I was just a little paranoiac!)  I left it in a sunny windowsill for 6 hours and then poured a nice thick yogurt out!  I was amazed!


That evening I stirred a 1/3 packet of jelly powder into it to sweeten it a little....crushed coconut biscuits, poured the yogurt over and added some frozen strawberries on top!  Quick, easy and almost healthy desert on a hot summer night!

Post 107....a teacosy and mug jacket!

These were my favourite socks!  With cows!  And I love cows!  Even more after I visited Switzerland a few years ago!....

My sister took my mom and myself to Switzerland as birthday gifts a couple of years ago.....the best birthday gift I ever had!  I was amazed at all the different cows.....I brought the whole family cow mugs!  Different ones! And a cow milk jug....and a cow sugar bowl.....and for my husband a cow boxer!  Ha Ha Ha!

Well, I did not buy these socks there, but I loved them and was quite sad when the heels started to get holes in it!  There was nothing wrong with the legs though.......so I cut them off!.....Cut them open....Gave them a crochet border......Added strings to fasten them.....Used two pieces to tie together as a tea cosy and the other two to use as mug jackets!.....


This way I can still use my cow socks for some time!  Pretty cool I'd say!

project 106****************pineapple beer**************

Of all the things in the kitchen to do I think I hate peeling a pineapple most! I don't even buy pineapples!  But my husband does......then it lies in the fruit basket for some time and most of the times the peel is unusable because it gets marks on it from lying! Last week I peeled two though.....so I made pineapple beer.....one of the families favourites that they are deprived from because I don't peel them in time!

Use the peels of about 2-3 large pineapples.  Wash it before you peel it.  Place the peels in a bucket with about 7 litres of lukewarm water, 1-1.25kg sugar, 1 packet of instant yeast and a hand full of raisins.  Close the bucket and leave to stand for about 24 hours.  Strain it through a muslin cloth and cool.  Serve with ice blocks.........actually good to peel the pineapple in time.....

Post 105........lemon/orrange bread

My middle son loves this bread!  He does not know I use the lemon and orange slices from the flavoured water in this recipe!  And as long as he eats it, there is no reason to get rid of the fruit!

I changed a banana bread recipe to make this one.....

Mix together....
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
5 ml lemon essence
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
mulched fruit...about four lemons/oranges

Place in a bread pan and bake at 180*C for about 55 minutes.  Check it after 45 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan before you turn it out.  Top with frosting made from butter, icing sugar and some fresh lemon juice.  This bread is even better the next day.  Keep in an airtight container.

project 104.....flavoured water

My family hate to drink water!  Then I started doing this......

I slice an orange or a lemon or both.....put it in a jug and fill with water.....place in the fridge.....and you don't believe it......I have to top it up several times during the day!  For one or other reason they drink litres of this!   Water!  I even use some mint sprigs with times, and the don't even complain about the trees in the water!

I even use the fruit again afterwards!  I put it in the food processor, mulch it and use it in baking!

AY! It is good to be a mother!

Project 103....making clay hearts

I saw this recipe on the net and it looked so interesting, I had to try it.  They made Christmas ornaments with it, but as you know me by now, I love hearts!

This really made a good clay, and next time I am just going to double the recipe and I am going to try and make roses using my cake decorating tools!  I am sure it can work!

Mix together 1/4 cup of maizena, 1/2 cup of  bicarbonate of soda and 1/3 cup of water.  This makes quite an interesting mix!  You think it is dry, then it starts running!.....Place it in a pot and slowly heat it on the stove until it thickens.  Then remove and put a damp cloth on top until it has cooled down, and you can handle it with your hands.  Knead it until it is a good clay.  It almost looks like porcelain!

This can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge until you want to use it.  Just remove it and allow to get to room temperature before using it.

Roll it out with a rolling pin and cut our figures...in my case hearts.  I used a crocheted doily and rolled it over parts of the hearts, and on others the whole heart.  I used a skewer to make a hole in the middle to hang the later.

The original recipe says that you should bake it in an oven at 175*C for about an hour, but I only baked it for 30 minutes, and then turned my stove off.  I allowed it to stay in the oven until it has cooled down properly.

The original recipe said that you can add food colouring to the dough, but I spray painted mine with white paint and then gave it a colour wash with gold.  I then added ribbons and lace, buttons, etc. to pretty them. 

Now I don't have a place to hang them!  I think I'll have to invite somebody for tea to use them on the chairs or table!

project 102......easy garlic and cheese rolls

We had our usual weekend "braai" just now.  The men are watching rugby(South Africa's biggest idol!...I'll tell you a short story about that at the end of this post....) so I have some time to spend on the blog!

I've made yummy garlic rolls today to go with the "braai".  It is so easy, so I had to share....

Make a cut in the middle of a normal hot dog roll.  Butter it with butter mixed with freshly crushed garlic, a little coarse salt and black pepper.  Butter your rolls, add a good amount of grated cheese(I like to use cheddar for this), and wrap it in some foil.  Place on your grill after you have done the meat as you only want the cheese to melt, and not the bread to dry out.  The coals must not be too hot!  That's it! easy! Easy! Easy!.....PS!  I have an ability to overdo it with the garlic a little sometimes.....but who cares?  Garlic is soooo good for your health!

Now the story about the idol....RUGBY!......We've been to a pastors fraternal breakfast once and the wives were invited with.....

We landed up at a table with 5 different denominations.  We all knew that talking church now could lead to serious conversations, so we were sitting staring at one another!  Then one preacher suggested that we talk about South Africa's idol....RUGBY!  The conversation immediately started flowing....the men all knew exactly what were wrong in the previous weekends games, and the previous ones....and the weekend before that!....Quite a pity that the best players are always sitting next to the field!....We enjoyed our breakfast and it was a safer theme to differ on!.....If all else fails.....just talk rugby!....You don't even have to know much about the game, but this one theme you are aloud to give your opinion as everybody else are anyway just talk a lot of nonsense! 


 A few years ago  my sister-in-law  and myself used to watch with the boys as there was one specific player that looked extremely good in his white shirt/jersey.....unfortunately he retired....eish!......the game is just not the same anymore!  

project 101....olive dip/spread

We were having a 'braai' when my friend said that she hopes that I am going to put this one on the blog!  It is so simple that I did not even thought of it!  She enjoyed it so much that I took a photo and here it is......

I simply mixed 10 green olives and 10 black ones with some olive oil, freshly grounded black pepper and coarse salt in the food processor until just before it forms a paste.  Thats it!

I dished it up ad a dip last night for finger sized veggies.

Project 100....aubergine paste!

Aubergine....eggplant....whatever you want to call it!  What a lovely looking vegatable/fruit!  I love purple and I think that can be the reason I am so intrigued with this veggie!  I can not say my family has the same sentiment, but who cares!  This is so good that if they do not want to eat it, I can always finish it off myself!  Anyway, I found a way to make them eat it....I use it as a base for a tomato tart....they don't know it....and they love the tomatoe tart......never any leftovers.....

Rub your eggplants with olive oil......prick the skins with a fork.....bake it in the oven until nice and soft......throw the whole thing in the food processor......add a good helping of garlic.....olive oil......freshly grated black pepper.....coarse salt.....and mix!  I sometimes even add some grated cheese, but not necessary. 

I dished it up with finger size veggies for friends at the usual 'braai' as a starter last night......even their boys ate it!  The leftovers will go on a sandwich later today with lettuce and leftover chicken!  Great vegetable!

Project 99.......yoghurt sauce...almost like the greek one I can not spell!

Grate half a cucumber.  Add 1-2 cloves of garlic(freshly crushed).  Add 1 cup of  plain yoghurt.  This can depend on how much cucumber you have......Season it with enough coarse salt and freshly grated black pepper.....and enjoy!

I use it as a sauce with meat, a dip with chips or finger size pieces of veggies , a salad dressing or a spread on a slice of bread with leftover cold meat or chicken.....and whatever is left in the bowl....I eat  with a teaspoon just as it is!

Project 98......good old meatball

Put anything on a sosatie-scewer and the boys will eat it!  Even veggies!

I sometimes make this with my normal meatball recipe.....I simply press it around the wooden scewer, place it on a baking tray and bake it in the oven until done!  Remember to soak you wooden scewers to prevent it from burning!

 
With a good yoghurt sauce....what more do you want from a meatball?

Project 97....planter tin bucket for a friend

I love tins!  They are so versatile!  I even bake individual small breads in them at times when my small buckets are not enough!  I have these small buckets that I love, but unfortunately only 9, and sometimes you need more......so I make tin buckets......

I made this tin bucket for a friend last week to take her some herb plants.....

Make two holes on the sides just below the rim.  Put a piece of wire through it and fold it to make a small loop so that it can not pull back through the hole. This will be your handle.  Now turn your tin upside down and punch a small hole or two into the bottom to drain the water.  I use a hammer and a nail to do this job!

Fill your bucket with some shreaded newspaper at the bottom and then a good potting soil.  Plant your herb seedlings, and finish it off with a card, or plant marker, or piece of ribbon, angels hair, whatever you feel like.......  I sometimes even cover the handle with ribbon or tie a ribbon around the tin.  So many possabilities.......at hardly any cost!

Project 96.......an African salad

I always prefer to work on New Years day in stead of Christmas.  Two years ago the hospital made us this salad as a side dish on New years to go with the 'braai'.  I told you before that we South Africans 'braai' for any occasion!  We even have a national 'braai' day!  This is done yearly on herritage day.  From early morning you just smell 'braai' fires where ever you go!  And if you do not eat meat, you 'braai' veggies or even fruit!  As long as you 'braai'!

I always saw my colleagues eating this salad, but not very fond of baked beans, I did not think it could be nice......until I got it in my plate!  I immediately asked for the recipe from an old "gog"(elderly zulu woman) and tried it out on my family.....and they ate it!  I now make it from time to time.....

Mix together 1 tin(410g) of baked beans with about 4-5 chopped tomatoes, 1-2 chopped onions, 1-2 chopped green peppers, about 200 ml atchar(I use mango achar) and a good dose of aromat(seasoned salt). You can add some black pepper if you like.  Easy, quick and tasty.....worthwhile trying!

Project 95.......bobotie

Bobotie is a Cape Malay dish and a dish known in most houses and cultures in our country.  You get it at bazaars, funerals, anywhere you need to make food for a lot of people.  Some time ago somebody even dished it up on a famous food program cutting small circles out of it with a cookie cutter!  The judges did not think she was original!  It is a real common dish!

This recipe makes 6-8 portions.

3 thick slices of white bread
250 ml milk
1 kg mince meat
1 chopped onion
125 ml raisons
125 ml almonds(I even used peanuts drenched with almond essens before when I ran out of almonds!)
20 ml apricot jam

20 ml fruit chutney
25 ml lemon juice
5 ml mixed fresh herbs(whatever's in season! I like to use thyme.)
10 ml curry powder
5 ml tumeric
10 ml salt
10 ml oil
3 large eggs
4 bay leaves/lemon leaves

Set your oven to 180*C.
Soak the bread in the milk.  Remove and press all the milk out.  Leave the milk aside.
Mix the bread with the mince and the rest of the ingredients except the milk, oil, eggs and bay leaves.
Heat the oil and brown the meat mixture.  Place it in an oven dish.
Beat the eggs with the milk and pour over.  Place the bay leaves on top and bake for about 45 minutes.

The traditional way is to dish it up with yellow rice with raisons, but it goes well with white rice, veggies or a salad.  Even good the next day on a slice of bread with a lettuce leave just to zoosh it up.  This freeze well, so make an extra one or two and freeze it.  Just defrost it properly when you want to use it again, place in the oven to heat through and voila!....no effort!  

project 94........mocha carribean hot chocolat!

I drank this in a famous coffee shop some time ago and paid the price of two cups of coffee for one!  But it was so nice, that I came home and tried my own.....this is what I came up with after a few attempts, and my husband is convinced it tastes the same.....

Use half a cup of coconut milk per serving and half a cup of hot milk.  I first mix 1 heaped teaspoon of a good granulated 100% coffee and 3 heaped teaspoons of hot chocolate with the hand mixer with a little bit of hot milk until it froths.  I then slowly added the hot milk and hot coconut milk to the cup and dusted some cocoa powder on top.  The men still adds some sugar, but it is sweet enough for me, so taste it first.  Yummmmm.............

Project 93------a beaded shawl------------------------------

Any piece of nice material can become a shawl!  I got this piece of apricot soft material from a friend, and although it is not a colour I usually wear, I saw it as a shawl!

I gave it a little hem all around with invisible thread, then I worked a plain beaded finishing all around it.  I used a double thread of sewing thread, stringed 5 seed beads at a time, given it a small double stitch and repeated it all around.  It took me some time, but it is pretty, and I am sure I am going to use it this summer on cooler evenings.....

Project 92.......banana bread

Over the years I have tried many banana bread recipes, but has never been successful.  They always break.  I ended up making banana bread muffins for years, as they worked.  On Sunday my youngest son asked for banana bread......so I took a recipe from the book "kook en geniet" as this book taught many young South African girls to cook......and it worked!  For the first time in my life I baked a perfect banana bread!  My family was so impressed, the second one is in the oven at the moment!

The recipe as it was published(translated though):

125 ml margarine
250 ml sugar
5 ml vanilla
2 eggs
500 ml flour
10 ml baking soda
2.5 ml salt
4-6 bananas

butter

1.  Preheat the oven to 180*C(350*F).  Butter a small bread pan thoroughly.
2.  Cream the butter and sugar and add the vanilla.
3.  Add the eggs one by one and mix well after each one.
4.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
5.  Crush the bananas with a fork and add it to the mixture.
6.  Mix everything well and pour it in the pan.
7.  Bake for an hour.
8.  Cut in slices and butter.

Tips:
* The bread is tastier if it stands in a container for a few day.(Not possible in my family!)
* Whole grain flour can be used in stead of cake flour.

project 91........mulberry cream/icecream

I've done this with strawberries before, but still had some frozen mulberries in the freezer, so I tried it using a different fruit.  As I am trying(take note trying!) to loose weight, I used full cream milk in stead of full cream.....not as creamy....but tasty....

Bring 250 ml of sugar with 250 ml of water to the boil. and allow to cook for 5 minutes to form a syrup.  In the meanwhile add 10 ml of gelatin to 60 ml of cold water.  When your syrup is done, stir in the gelatin and mix until is is dissolved.  Allow to cool down totally.  Stir in 500 ml fruit mouse.  Mix properly and place in freezer.  When it starts to for ice, use your hand mixer and mix it again.  Now add your beated cream or milk as I did and allow to freeze again.  When it starts to form icicles again, beat with your hand mixer again and allow to freeze again. 

The mulberries are not as sweet as the strawberries, but I liked it!

project 90******************bead insects************

I love making these insects!  I have done lots of things with them over the years, and by now I should actually be so bored of making them, but I still enjoy making them!

I made serviette rings, table weights, bookmarks, mobiles, plant markers, brooches, necklaces......name it.......all with insects!

I made some the other day as plant markers for my herb pots on the patio, and promised to show how to.....I then made some for a friend to give colour to a tin bucket with herbs......so I decided to make a drawing of how to do it.......

Easy to follow.....just string your beads through the beads allowing the two pieces of wire to overlap each other inside the beads.....when you get to the body, start from the back and work your way to the tentacles.....when you get there, fold it back and twist the wire to make a twisted tentacle.....with the wings .......make one wing, and push your wires through the opening of the bead forming the body.....continue on the other side with the smaller wing.  Instead of five beds in the centre, only do four.....when you get to the end, string the wires

project 89.......button heart

another heart.......

fold a heart with firm wire......................cover with buttons sewn onto it or use a firm wire to attach them to the template........easy