Nov 29th Harvest monday and think pink salad

I had a check back to see what we were harvesting at this time last year and it's kind of the same: lots of snow peas and broad beans as well as the last of the cauliflowers.  This year we  definitely have more beetroot and carrots.  Hiding under these in the basket are  leeks and silverbeet which have both done really well.

I tend to pop in a tray of beets  to roast every time I have the oven on for something else. They keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are great for adding to salads.  As I had some left over quinoa as well, I made up this vibrant coloured salad for our dinner the other night. It's a good vegetarian meal because it has lots of protein from the nuts and quinoa.  We ate it with spanakopita made from the silverbeet, leeks and some self seeded dill that  has popped up in one of the garden paths.

Think pink salad - serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

 5-6 cooked small beets, I like to roast them because it makes them sweeter, cut into 2cm cubes
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked until tender
50g feta cheese, cumbled
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
8-10 mint leaves, chopped/torn

Dressing
Juice and zest of a lemon
Couple glugs of good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste.

For more harvests, visit Daphne's

KCWC- Day 6

There isn't a lot to show today, but I did almost  finish the grey wool pants - just the hem and waistband finishing to go. I want LIitleFB to try them on first so that I can get the fit right.  They turned out looking quite 'smart' although that wasn't really the intention. Never mind, I'm sure he will scruff them up in no time.

These were so much easier to sew with the egdges overlocked first. I must remember to do that in the future with uncooperative fabric.

Not sure whether I'll get much done today, It's a beautiful day here in Melbourne and we are planning an afternoon at the park to watch some free local music. Come by if you are in Coburg, it's at the Robinson Reserve from 1-4pm!

KCWC - Days 3-5

I didn't get much sewing done on Wednesday and Thursday. Work was hectic and I didn't have much time in the evenings . But I made up for it today!

 

Two T shirts finished, both using the same Ottobre pattern and I left out the ribbing on the sleeves on the stripy one, cutting the piece a couple of cm longer and hemming instead.  In an attempt to avoid the wavy hems that always seem to happen when I sew knits, I ironed a narrow (1cm) strip of interfacing onto the bottom and sleeve edge of the stripy T shirt before hemming and it worked quite well.

I also started on some pants (Burda 9641 ) in soft grey wool fabric left over from this dress which, thanks to my Mum who convinced me to sew on the binding by hand when she was visiting earlier this year , I actually finished but forgot to blog about.  I learnt from my mistakes working with this slippery fabric last time and overlocked every piece before I started sewing.  Much easier... until about 3pm when  my overlocker chucked a hissy fit. Many re-threadings later it decided it would work again but I was getting a bt too tired to finish them off and I know by experience that when I'm tired I tend to sew things on backwards.

LittleFB is at his Dad's so no modelling of these today. I'll see if I can persuade him to put them on when he gets back at the weekend.

KCWC - Day 2

 

The sewing room looks like something fabric-y and pin-y has exploded in it, but I'm making progress on the list!  I managed to finish off the guitar PJ's when LittleFB was in the bath and they were a big hit - here he is modelling them in his best 'rock god' pose.  They are also very good for jumping off the couch...

When he went to bed I did a bit more sewing (Housework? What's that?...) .

Robot PJ pants were sewed up - just the hem and waistband to go..

...and I cut out a T shirt from some grey op-shopped jersey and striped jersey for the sleeves. Then, I ignored everything I said 2 days ago about leaving out embriodery for times sake and did some groovy headphone embroidery on the front (Ottobre magazine pattern). This involved tracing the design onto regular printer paper and pinning that on top of the fabric, with stabilising paper underneath then sewing over the lines a couple of times. I wasn't sure it was going to work, and some of my lines are a bit wonky, but it was actually pretty easy, the only fiddly bit was peeling off little bits of paper that had got stuck in the stitches.

Tomorrow: sew up the T shirt, finish the PJ's and get started on cutting out some pants or shorts.

I like the incentive that KCWC is giving me to sew for my little guy!

How to make really good bread

 

I like to eat it with home made marmalade. M-Mmmm!

Based on Rhonda's from Down to Earth's 5 minute bread I've been using a new recipe and method to bake bread.  It gives a great result every time: lovely crunchy crust and a chewy texture with lots of air bubbles.  The loaf I make is  a 'semi- sourdough' because I add some sourdough starter, but the original recipe doesn't use sourdough and my Mum, who has been making it without, tells me that it is also good. It  requires no kneading, just a long proving time. 

Fancy photos from my phone - the bread looks a bit washed out here it's more golden in real life...

You do need a dutch oven or cast iron casserole dish for this method. I use my Le Creuset casserole dish.  It's the intense heat and steam that inside the pot that makes the bread rise quickly.    The quantities given make a smallish loaf  so you'll need to scale up if you want a larger one.

Recipe
3 cups bread flour ( I use a mix of organic white and rye, or wholemeal)
1 tsp dried yeast
11/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sour dough starter (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour


Mix the dry ingredients well in a large bowl and then add the sourdough starter (if using) and water.  Mix to a soft dough. I use a spoon to start with and then go in with my hands to make sure everything is well mixed. If the dough is really wet, add a bit more flour, but not too much as you are aiming for a softer  rather than really firm dough.

Cover the bowl with clingwrap/a plastic bag or a shower cap (the latter works really well!) and leave overnight, at least 12 hours, but around 16 is better.

In the morning put a dutch oven/casserole dish  in the oven and  turn the heat up high as it will go (my overn goes to 250C). Meanwhile, shape the dough into a ball and place smooth side down in a proving basket or tea towel sitting in a bowl that has been sprinkled with polenta.  When the dutch oven is hot, using oven gloves, carefully transfer the dough ball into the dish. Snip the top a couple of times with scissors, put the lid on and bake for 30 mins.

After 30 mins, turn the oven down to 200C and bake for a further 30 mins.

This bread keeps a few days but is best eaten fresh.

KCWC- Day 1

Excuse the crappy photo but I wanted to show evidence of my first day's KCWC sewing!  I managed to get in about an hour and a half of sewing after LittleFB went to bed and cut out a couple of pairs of PJ pants and almost sew one up, just the hem and waist to go

I also appliqued a T shirt that he never wears with a guitar (he's learning at the moment and fancies himself as a bit of a rock god) as the PJ top. Because it was onto jersey I fused the guitar on first and then used some tear away stabiliser when I stitched round the edge.

On the list tomorrow: finish the PJ pants and cut out some long pants and shorts.

KCWC - I'm in!

 

I've signed up for the KCWC over at Elsie Marley, 1 hour of sewing kids clothes for all of next week. LittleFB is starting to get not-so-little and has grown out of all his summer clothes from last year.  So, here's what's on the sewing wish list:

 

A couple of T shirts from Ottobre magazine Summer 2012. For time's sake I'd leave out the embroidery/applique but I quite like the contrast stripy sleeves.
 

 

Track pants from Ottobre magazine Spring 2012 in grey ponte. I've already made these in grey jersey but they were too long and a bit thin, so have ended up as pajama pants.

 

 

Long sleeve raglan T . Again, I might leave off the applique but I like the slim shape. I'm planning on using some pale blue striped jersey perhaps with a contrast strip pocket. I've already made the skinny cargos in the picture,

 

 

3 pairs of shorts - Burda 9641, view A or C, versions in light blue striped cotton, orange/blue cammo drill, and tan checks.

2 pairs of pants -Burda 9641 view B without the cargo pockets in dark grey drill and maybe a light denim with contract topstitching? 

Hoodie - pattern to be decided, in green fleece.

Some new Pj Pants  - robot fabric.

 

Rather an ambitious list and certainly won't be done in a week, but at at least I'm thinking about it and committing to sewing instead of just procrastinating!  How about you?  Are you taking part?  What are you making?

Spring garden tour

Join me on a little tour of the  backyard to see what's growing at the moment....

 Garlic, leeks and onions

 Brassicas - broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage

The view to the north of the garden:  foreground, potatoes in  a new no-dig bed, brassica bed, another no dig bed with carrots, beets and asian greens and to the back, beets and peas (and the lemon tree)

 Pea tepees and tomatoes in the front. It's probably a bit too early for tomatoes but these were outgrowing their pots so we thought we'd put them in the ground. I'll do a separate post on all the tomato varieties I'm growing this year (there are many!)

The dwarf fruit tree mini--orchard (two nectarines and a peach, orange) have blossomed..

....and have little fruit forming :)

 A forest of broad beans down the side path

Female kiwi fruit putting on rapid growth after its winter prune.

 Potatoes everywhere!

And here is the plan.  We are mostly sticking to it!


I just love this time of year in the garden when everything is bursting into life and the weather is warm enough to spend lots time outside. Yay for Spring!