Sew What?

Ok no Dinner posting tonight, it was a stir fry very quick, easy, healthy and cheap!

So on to the sewing. Tonight I got reacquainted with my sewing machine. It is not pretty or an expensive model. It was my mother's machine, so holds a lot of sentimental value to me as she died 3 years ago.

 I have used it since she died however it still has the bobbins in that she filled.

I think i will keep them in there for a while longer.

It all starts with a line...

then becomes a practice piece...

It became clear that it needs a bit of a clean up before I start to sew. However, I have cut a pattern for my first Bag!!!

Sew watch this space. lol.

Long Suffering Partners!

No Dinner tonight, I am home and my family are all busy and out! ( I will feed them when they return)

Today's blog is a shout out (how rock and roll) to all of the long suffering partners (especially mine)., Our hobby's room is full of potential. As well as books that are waiting to be read are all of the projects waiting to be started (or finished). Part of me blogging was to give me a jog to get started and finished on most of them.
I will hope to be richer and more fulfilled as I can see the product of my labours (oh bit of Marxist theory)

I am full of good idea's and intentions
here is a taster of some of the fabrics that are waiting to be made into lovely things.

One half finished woolly bag

 and my lovely tweed

Here they are all together,



A big thank you Honey for putting up with me and my projects.........

P.S I bought some shoe's

Where does the time go...

Oh dear,

My good sewing intentions went by the wayside this weekend, I have everything I need just not the time. I need to find a better way of making the time for this. The weekend has been a whirl of shopping and chores, so what to blog about.....guess it will have to be about the dinner again.

We always enjoy a roast on a Sunday today we had roast pork with Yorkshire pudding, Roast potatoes and Braised red cabbage.

We enjoy braised red cabbage and for us we eat it from the start of Autumn right through till spring.
Again the recipe varies according to whats in the fridge. However, the basics are...

1 red cabbage sliced.
1 Bramley apple,
1 pint red wine,
1 tbs oil.
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 onion..

slice and lightly fry the onion. shred the red cabbage and place in a large saucepan or casserole dish.
I love how the freshly sliced cabbage is so pretty.

Add the sliced apple, wine, vinegar, sugar.

Cook for 30 minutes on the hob or 1 hour in the oven. If cooking on the hob remember to check it does not go dry, if necerserry top up with more wine. Then serve.......

Reb cabbage cooked this way stay's red and does not go blue. It is wonderfully rich and tasty and taste's even better the next day when the flavours have matured. 

It goes very well with most roast meats and also with game. For vegetarians it goes well with quiches and tarts.

Hopefully tommorow I will be blogging about something I have created with the sewing machine and not just the cooker. (Tommorow is a tomato and bean stew btw)

Happy Blogging

Start with what you know!

I spent ages thinking about what write about. As I achieved nothing today other than shopping I decided to blog my dinner.

I am a foodie and love to cook good food. 

Tonight I will be cooking Coq-au-vin with mashed potato's and green beans. I adore cooking and baking. However my recipe's vary according to what we have in the fridge. If I had planned my menu it would be made with chicken on the bone with shallots and baby mushroom's. However, today it is being made with cooking onions and chicken breasts.
(serves 4)
3 chicken breasts,
5 medium cooking onions,
6 cloves Garlic,
2 red peppers,
1 pack chestnut mushroom's,
1/2 pint chicken stock
1 pint red wine
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
seasoned flower for coating.
cornflower.
Fresh thyme, salt, pepper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thinly slice onions and saute over a low heat in some oil.

once the onions have browned add the choped garlic and sliced red peppers and cook for a few minutes.
transfer the onion, garlic and pepper mixture to a casserole dish.
cut the chicken into large chunks and roll into seasoned flour before frying lightly to seal add the chickenn to the casserole dish.

Slice thickly and lightly fry the mushrooms before adding to the pot.
in the pan place the vinegar and wine to deglaze (get all the sticky juicy bits out)
pour into pot and add the thyme and chicken stock.

cook at 180 in the oven for 1 hour,

Traditional recipe's use bacon as well and no peppers, i feel that the peppers add a nice sweetness to it (and I had some in the fridge that needed using up) Do not use expensive wine, there is no point. It does not matter what someone on come dine with me said. Raymond Blanc, uses cheap wine in his cooking and he has a Michelin star!

I am serving it with mash but for a special treat you can serve with dauphonoise potato's, as a veg, use anything that is a bright green to give a nice contrast.

Tonight I will be doing some sewing and will post the pics tomorrow.