Project 249....chelsea buns

I got a very ancient recipe book from a family member some time ago, but haven't used it up till now. 

I cleaned my freezer the other day, and discovered some raisins I had forgotten about in there.  Now you might think what the raisins are doing in the freezer.....I hate waste!  So when I make pineapple beer, I always save the raisins, and use them in cooking!  Ha ha!  I am sure this is the first time you hear about somebody doing that!  I just can not think why I should waste such a lot of raisins!

This was my first attempt of making Chelsea buns, as I always thought they are hard work.  I was quite impressed with the outcome. 

To make 12......

280g of flour
pinch of salt
6 tbsp milk
110 g butter
15 g yeast
2 eggs, beaten
55g raisins(I used double)
pinch of mixed spices
half a cup of sugar and a little extra for spreading on top

Mix the salt and flour.  Heat half the butter and  the milk until lukewarm.  Add the sugar and the eggs and the yeast.  Knead till well mixed and keep in a warm place and allow to double in size.  Roll open on a tray sprinkled with flour.  spread the rest of the butter on top.  Fold it double again and roll out again.  Now spread the raisins on top and sprinkle with the sugar and spices.  Roll up to make a roll and cut it in twelve slices.  Place them in your well greased pan.  Sprinkle with a little more sugar and leave to rise double in size again.  Bake for 20 minutes at 220*C.  I poured icing sugar glaze on top with a little almond essence added to it.

Project 248.......a pasta salad

We had this at a friends house the other night, so I decided to make it for a light supper in stead of  using it as a salad.  I served fresh garlic rolls with it......

Cook 500g of pasta according to the instructions on the pack.  Stir in two tins of tuna, a tin of smoked mussels(oil as well) , a small chopped onion, a cup or two of  grated cheese(was not in the original recipe) and a good lot of mayonnaise.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Project 247....a sweet little handbag

I made this cute little handbag the other day, now all the ladies at church want one!  I think I'll give them the pattern though!

I cut the bag from a velvety material and a second set from a pink material to line it.  This was so easy, I made the whole thing in half an hour!  I made a second one and added a material flower, but will add the photo later on as I forgot to take one!

Add a sling and a press stud to close it up.  I think you can even add a zip.

Project 246.....good oats

My son started making this.  He loves oats and would eat it any time of the day.  Unfortunately I do not share his enthusiasm, and it would have been so good for the cholesterol......but I must admit that this way it is much tastier!

Cook your oats as normal, but in milk in stead of water.  We do it in the microwave.  Then add some caramel sugar and stir it through.  Add a little butter.  You can add some fruit if you want to,  or extra sugar on top, but with the caramel sugar it is sweet enough for me.

project 245.........recycled t-shirt throw

This was was other long term project.......

I did the quilt as previously posted and had been busy with this one for some time.  I think this one could have taken much quicker if I had a lot of t-shirts to work from right from the start, but after cutting a few old ones, I had to wait again for others to be thrown out!  But I am much more clever now....from now on I am going to cut all the old t-shirts and roll it into balls so that the next time I want to do something like this, I have some saved up!

I started the blocks with 30 stitches each and knitted normal stocking stitch until the ball was finished.  I crocheted them together with white material and gave it a material backing. 

I decided to test it out on my hubby the other night as it was extremely cold the night before....-7*C the morning!  My brand new gerbera plant froze inside the house! 

So I placed it at the foot end of the bed at night....My husband thought it was great!  The next morning he said that his feet was warm all night!  Might not be the prettiest thing, but wow it's warm!



 

Project 244.....warm asparagus dish

A few years ago we decided to buy a caravan.  The kids were growing up and we had to pay for 5 adults when going to the Kruger Park!  We visionalized many break away weekends......forgetting that hubby is always working on Sundays!......and school sport takes the Saturdays......

I think I was a gypsy living in a lovely caravan in my previous life! Ha ha! .....but staying with your whole family in a space as big as your bathroom!.....that's another story!......The caravan was sold after the second trip to the Kruger Park......two weeks over December!  Our one friend called one morning at 08H30.....it was 36*C inside the caravan with the aircon going!  Imagine the heat outside!.....The caravan was sold when we got home!.....The only snag...we can't go to the Park for two weeks at a time anymore....way too expensive!  But a day or two here and there makes up for it....

Anyhow......a friend gave me a camping cookbook when we bought the caravan as a 'house warming' gift.  During that two week holiday I made this for the first time....from my camping cookbook!  We were three families that camped together....all in there own caravans!.....and at night we 'braaid' together and we shared side dishes.  This one was very popular and although we are not doing the caravan camping anymore, the dish is here to stay.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup bechamel-sauce(white sauce)
 
1x460g tin asparagus
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup grated cheese(not in the original recipe)

Mix the mayonnaise with the warm bechamel sauce.  Heat the asparagus in the water pickling water. You can place lettuce leaves at the bottom of your dish if you feel like it(I've done that before).  Spread your asparagus at the bottom.  Add sauce on top, then grated cheese and lastly paprika..You can now leave this on the side of your fire if you use it as a camping dish or melt the cheese slightly in the oven or microwave.  Don't do this if you used lettuce!

Project 243...a pretty scarve

My aunt blessed me a while ago with a bag full of material.  I think she was an impulsive buyer at some stage in her life, as there is pretty pieces of chiffon, but only about a quarter of meter each.  I think she just had to buy a piece for the sake of having it, and without having an idea of what she wanted to do with it!  Most of them still having price stickers on them.....as little as R1.99/metre!

I decided to hem them and made some scarves to stretch the boring winter cupboard a little!  Such an easy way to use a pretty piece of material!
 

Project 242...cabbage frikkadels

I woke up this afternoon(I'm working night duty) and literally tasted this!  My mom used to make these when we were kids, but I can not recall myself ever making it!

A 'frikkadel' is the Afrikaans word for a meatball.  It is basically
meatballs wrapped in cabbage, and then cooked in a soup-based sauce.

I mixed my meatballs as usual and kept it aside.  I then blanched the cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes and immediately dipped it in cold water thereafter.  I then wrapped the meatballs with the cabbage leaves, sprinkled some spicy tomato soup-powder on top and added some boiling water.  I covered my dish with foil and cooked it for some time at 200*C in the oven.  I removed the foil about 10 minutes before dishing up.

post 241....slippers from old t-shirts.....

The colour is disgusting!  Looks like a bumble bee, but using old t-shirts for different projects gave me the idea to try this!  I used a favourite crochet pattern for a chunky wool.  I followed the pattern as normal, but ommitted the last rows as the t-shirt material is thicker and the shoes would have been too large.  They are quite handy wearing them indoors, and I would definately try it again using another colour!  Maybe I should design my own pattern! 

project 240...tuna and apple salad

We made this salad for lunch the other day....so easy, but really tasty.

Spread lettuce in your salad bowl.  In a separate container mix two tins of tuna, a chopped onion or spring onions or onion rings, two chopped apples and about a cup of mayonnaise and a squirt or two of lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Put everything on top of the lettuce and and use some extra apples to decorate.

Project 239.....the best white sauce......

I saw this in a magazine a long time ago, and am doing it ever since when I make cauliflower or broccoli.

Make your normal Bechamel sauce.  Add half a cup of cheese and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard.  This is divine!

I really enjoy art classes and just want to show you my sea pics!  I'm no Picasso yet, but trying!  After all! Art is in the mind!

It is what you see and your interpretation!

When we made the apples, my boys said I did not do it myself and that the lecturer did it.  So this time around I made one at home, and one in class.....just to proof I have done it myself!

The one on the right I made in the class, and the one below at home......

Project 238.....rusks......

Years ago my middle son was hospitalised with pneumonia.  A friend brought me these rusks.  I loved it, and the moment I got home, I asked for the recipe, and am making it ever since then.

5x250 ml flour
50 ml baking powder
10 ml baking soda
10 ml salt
750 ml wholegrain/ nutty crunch flour(I prefer nutty crunch)
500 ml crunched weetbix(about 6 blocks)
500g margarine
500ml buttermilk
500 ml sugar
10 ml brown vinegar
2 eggs

Mix everything.  If it is too runny, you can add extra weetbix.  I use extra fibre bran.....about a cup.  Press your dough into two swissroll pans.  Bake at 200*C for about half an hour.  Cut into fingers when you remove it from the oven.  Allow to cool in pan.  Remove and dry at about 100*C until dry.