fab fabric # 3

Another day, another one of my new fab fabrics. This one's a paisley-like red, and I'm loving it before Christmas! As with the others, I have a few ideas what I would like to do with it, but nothing definite.
In other news, I am having  abit of a crisis with my regular supplier of magnetic snaps, and as a result I cannot finish my purses until I get my new ones. Say, where does everyone get theirs from? I've just ordered a batch from ebay, but surely there must be a good, reliable supplier? I'd appreciate your input on that.

that feeling

Like a lot of you these days, I am currently working on several Christmas projects, some for me, some for people who have put orders in. It's a great feeling to be on holiday and be able to work at your own rythm, with nothing to disturb you mentally. I feel so much more creative and patient when on holiday, I wish it happened more often, but then again, I don't think I'm alone on that one, am I?

So, this past week I've been busy looking after my man by preparing some nice healthy dinners. That is, until last night, when I got tempted by the devil aka the cupcake book.

So, ater a bit of hesitation (twenty seconds or so), I chose the iced version of walnut cakes. It was my first ever icing, and it turned out all right. I was surprised how easy it actually was! Her's what the cakes looked like...yummy!

I divided the mix into two, and put walnut in half, as per the recipe, and poppy seeds in the other. They were real nice!

Otherwise, here's a little preview of what I've spent most of my day on today...but more on that later this week! See you soon.

fab fabric # 2

Another lovely print I found last week...What do you think? I love the mix of blue, pink and red at the moment.

fab fabric # 1

I'm really making the most of having free time this week, and went to purchase new fabrics. Here's a Cath Kidston-esque one I picked on Saturday. What do you make of it?
Or better still, what would you use it for? I'm thinking another cute little purse, but your inspirations would be welcome!

Festival of lights

What I love about Berlin is...um...it's quite hard to say, really. First of all, the people are absolutely lovely - and I really mean that. They smile at you, and make you feel welcome in their town.
Here's a few pics to give you an idea. I haven't gone for the too obvious places, to let you have a different impression. And there's an exclusive first pic of me on this blog!!
The "school bag" in Berlin, illuminated by all the pretty lights during this month's Festival of Lights.

We were SO lucky to be there the very weekend of the re-opening of the most important museum. This museum houses the most amazing collections I think I have ever seen. It was in a very very bad shape after being hit during WW2, has undergone a super renovation, and is now a World Heritage site . It opened its doors last Saturday for the first time in 70 years, and we were blown away by its treasures.

One of the many memorials to the Jews - a maze of cement blocks with olive tree canopy.

The Zoo station - not as tough as in Christiane F., but still a bit...

It felt kind of vibrant all the time, even though it's nowhere near as busy as central London. The city is clearly marked by its history,and in every neighbourhood there is a reminder of eras gone- the good, the bad, and the ugly!

But that's OK, and altogether I think all of us contribute to a great and humbling experience.

comfort food

After escaping for a few days, and judging by the settling cold over here, I could not resist trying this lovely dish, as made last week by the very talented Alicia from Posie Gets Cosy
She got her recipe from this website, although both of us altered it slightly. It is really quite straight-forward, and the result is absolutely yummy!
The savoury biscuits were a treat, and this is just my kind of comfort food.

Here's a simple how-to:
* Roast 3 or 4 chicken breast in the oven, let them rest when cooked, and chop up in small chunks.
* Gently fry a chopped-up onion in a knob of butter until translucent. (After about 10 minutes, I added a couple of chopped-up celery branches). Add some flour to make a roux, season and wet the lot with about 3/4 l. of chicken stock, adding it gradually to thicken the lot. Finally, add cream.
* Blanch 2 or 3 roughly chopped carrots for 2 min.
* In your serving dish, mix the drained carrots, two handful of frozen peas, the chicken, a handful of chopped parsley, and finally mix in the sauce.
* Put in the oven for about 15 min whilst you prepare the biscuits.
* Now, in the proper recipe, you should use a mixer, but I don't have one, so I did it by hand - easy enough! Mix some flour with butter until you get crumbs, than add "half and half" (I'll be honest, i didn't have a clue what that is, but my friend Google helped me, simply dilute some cream in a little milk) until you get a pastry-like result. Add more chopped-up parley, season.
* Spread your pastry and cut out some disc shapes. Brush them with egg yolks, and put them on top of the stew.
* After another half hour in the oven, you have this yummy stew!

Just what you need this time of year...and it's easy to make.
(sorry for the photo - it was really nice when it came out of the oven, but the smell was too overwhelming, and we just had to eat it right away, so you just get to see what was left over!)

simple lunch

A simple lunch for one, and if you're careful enough, you can spot the placemat I made a while ago - not my finest hour, but I still like it and use it every time I eat...

It's nice to be back home after a few days away. Berlin has been VERY exciting. I'll say more about it later. For now I'm preparing to do a bit of sewing, and cannot wait to try out some new ideas I've had. Unfortunately I have had no time to look for fabric shops in Berlin, I hope I haven't missed out on too much...

good things

There is nothing more comforting than to receive a nice big bunch of flowers to keep you happy for days. I'm sharing those with you, as I'm going away for a few days. Yes, I know, I'm on holidays AGAIN!! People get so annoyed at teachers - especially those who share our lives, but not our long periods off work!
Back to to the holiday theme, my little excusrsion to this fantastic place was not really planned, but Mr Yummy and I loved it the first time we went, and it just felt like the right time to have a cheeky few days together. I wonder if I'll find some nice fabric shops there? Does anyone know?
Otherwise, I have found another addiction these days...is anyone else hooked yet? I know it's been showing for some time in the US. I've only seen two episodes, and can't wait for the rest of the series.

tea and biscuits

Well...a rather posh version of tea and biscuits!!! Last weekend one was invited to High Tea at Fortnum and Mason's and one enjoyed some delicious cakes in lovely surroundings. If you ever fancy it, I strongly recommend it, it was the most pleasant afternoon tea I've ever had. The staff was very nice, we were greeted to the grand piano being played - but it does come with a high price tag, so it is definitely a one-off indulgence...but hey, after a tough week, one needs a treat, right? And who can resist tea and biscuit? Really?

that time of year...

Well, this is it. No going back now. The cold is slowly but surely settling in, and it is undeniably autumn. Which is fine by me, really, only I have to get up early and come home when the sun comes down, so I don't get to see much light in the day. I can't bear to think what happens when we turn back our clocks in a couple of weeks' time.
Does anybody else get anxious about it? I'm trying not to think about it too much, but can't help it. They say in Switzerland (at least I think it's Switzerland) people pay to have luminotherapy! Judging by how dark it felt this morning, some of us may need to book sessions soon...

But enough of this grumpy stuff; really I do love autumn, and here's why...

* I get to start knitting a scarf, like every year (and hope that, for once, I won't give up!)
* I start making early plans for Christmas presents for family and friends
* I can snuggle up in bed for hours without feeling the least bit guilty
* Any excuse for cooking a stew / cake / almondy biscuits etc...
* Anywhere you look it's like fireworks in the trees

Say, do YOU like autumn? What is it about it that makes us love it?