Making and baking

The past few months has felt like there weren't enough hours in the day, then I had a brainwave moment of clarity. To much time with a screen and the Internet on around me.  My laptop and phone are usually around me so it was way to easy to just pick one up and start looking up one thing, then check emails, play a quick game, check pinterest etc etc... It is just so easy to fall down the rabbit hole that is the Internet and lose whole chunks of the day. Started to also think what could be done with the time instead.  What did I use to do? And what makes me happiest? Simple answer is being crafty/baking/cooking/sewing/reading/out exploring. Whatever my mood decides really.  Easy solution was limit the Internet activity to an hour a day. And in the time I am saving I can do the things that make me happy.

I baked a loaf of cheese and herb bread for the boys to go with tea tonight and I think they are having the leftover part for toast in the morning for breakfast.  I love to bake bread, it really is something that calms my soul and makes me smile.  These days however I don't eat much bread at all but, it will get eaten and will leave me happy and those that eat it. Here's the before baking shot.

Now the after baking shot is not as picture perfect as it could be. Mainly because I didn't think quickly enough to take a photo before getting someone else to start slicing it. Believe me though all good things were said though.  There was a discussion about it would be better with no herbs next time and just a cheese bread. We shall see how the mood goes though.  This is just a basic white bread mix with 90g of grated strong cheddar cheese, 30 g of grated Parmesan or similar, 2 tsp of powdered mustard and the liquid is luke warm milk. Just add either 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs of choice or 1.5 teaspoons of dried herbs if you want the herbs to.

Also cooked Jamie Oliver's pork and mash gratin I think it's called. The picture looks great right? I figured out the mash here is probably just covering the pan.

Mine looks somewhat a burnt mess compared to the book. Made me laugh.  Tasted a lot better than it looked though and I have been told it's a definite make it again meal.

And this evenings entertainment? I am usually the last to go to bed in this house.  It's not that I go late, it's a case of everyone else goes rather early to bed these days.  This is where I end up trawling the Internet and playing silly games etc. So this is where I decided  could definitely cut down on Internet time and start using the time to make all the things I have plans for. 

I got out one of the many patterns I have lined up to make and found the fabric to go with it and started cutting out and started sewing this tonight. 

I have made this pattern before. I also have a confession, after it was made I realised I had put the skirt on backwards, resulting in the pockets being at the back not the front.  Lining up the notches apparently can work back to front to.  Luckily the fabric works in a way no one has yet noticed. It is such and easy to wear dress that I keep wearing it.  With a cardigan on no one will ever know. Plus it gives me a small giggle and a smile when I wear it. I would take the skirt off and turn it round but I had already created the channel for the elastic and finished that off and overlocked it all.

Tilly and the Buttons Bettine dress is a simple and easy dress to make and goes fairly fast to make

I'm using this elephant design viscose. Got as far as I could sewing without having to use the overlocker. As it was almost midnight and the overlocker is a lot noisier than my sewing machine I decided to not wake the boys and possibly the neighbours with it. Hopefully I can get this finished tomorrow after I get home and before I pick up my granddaughters from school

All in all a fairly productive day for once. The Internet is a brilliant resource yes but it is also a big time waster. She says while blogging and using the Internet!! I am going to set myself the challenge of keeping my laptop upstairs during the day and only using it in the evening quickly for blogging and looking up resources I need for only 30 minds in the evening.  Going to aim for a month and see how I get on. Hopefully I won't be found shaking with withdrawal and falling back into bad habits.

For tonight

take care

Jules x

Welcoming Autumn

Really have loved our summer.  Didn't try to keep up with anything just enjoying the relaxed days and wonderful company. So now we are two thirds of the way through September.  School has restarted, routines are being reset and the weather is all over the show change wise.  

Instead of boring you with a long endless list of what we did over the summer, it would feel like the dreaded back to school essay sadly, I will just pick up from here and tell you what we are up to from now. 

Yesterday hit me with a touch of the blues I think, Not sure why but it had me getting up this morning determined to make a little more of today.  I cooked and baked today.  Nothing spectacular, Red lentil and bacon soup and sourdough loaf of bread.  I had almost lost my cooking mojo recently.  You always know I am on my way back when I bake bread :o) 

The soup was from the hairy bikers fast food dieters book.  Was pretty tasty and filling for such a easy quick and fairly cheap meal.  Definitely on the must cook again list. Only way I changed the recipe was by added a cob of corn kernels that I cut off the corn and added to to soup right at end off cooking.

Love this bread tin, Bit different to the usually square or oval tins. The dough wasn't enough to fill out the whole tin so I kind of squidged it more to one side of the tin and it came out great.

We have a couple of new additions to the household. Bobby and Eevee.

Adorable and fun, and of course absolutely bonkers.  They are starting to calm down a bit though and Ruby is finally being allowed to stroke them for a while before they wander off. I think this made her day as she gets so excited to see the kitties.

Finally I finished a hat I knitted a couple of years ago.  I rediscovered it and it needs a wash as had been in the bottom of the cupboard and then got slept on by cats. I just needed to sew beads or buttons on the owl cables to finish them off an just got around to it. What do you think?

Before bead eyes

and after.  The colour is nearer to no beads picture and a maroon wine colour.

Found the pattern here on Ravelry while I was looking for a quick easy but different hat at the time.  Hats don't tend to suit me but it was so cold the other year I thought my ears were going to snap off from being so cold.  Hopefully now it is finished I will be able to wear it again soon.  I overheat easily so I am not banking on it.  But it is so pretty I am really hoping I get to wear it again soon.

That's it for now, Hope you are all enjoying the start of Autumn.  

Take care 

Jules xxx