I am travelling west today to spend a very overdue couple of days with my Dad on his farm at Somerton. Hopefully I won't be too busy digging up birs or rounding up cattle on the quad bike to take a couple of photos to share with you next week!
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
…owls, swimsuit, teacup candles, tickets, moth and leather satchel.
Our local agricultural show is on this weekend and I entered these vanilla cupcakes and violet macarons into the cooking section.
It was all a little last minute (having woken up on Friday morning thinking I’d already missed close of entry) but with one last check on the entry form I discovered I had until 12 noon to get them made and delivered to the showground before judging would take place. I wasn’t sure if I would get them there in time but as always there’s nothing quite like a baking challenge to fire me up!
The kitchen looked somewhat like a war zone afterwards, but don’t you think they look amazing?
Over the weekend I finally finished Mum’s quilt. Finally.
It’s hard to believe that it is just shy of 18 months ago since I first chose the fabrics. Sounds ridulous right…18 months for just one quilt?
Well, for about 6 months of that time I had actually hidden it away in the back of my craft cupboard because I thought I didn’t like the colour combination anymore! Crazy really, but it worked. Once I got it back out again I loved them just as much as when I first saw them. They really are ‘Mum’ colours.
And as I was determined to keep it a secret from her, I had to continue finishing other sewing projects whilst hers was a work in progress, so as not to raise any suspicion.
Considering it is only the second quilt I’ve ever made and of my own design, I couldn’ t be happier with how lovely it is!
Her birthday was actually on Valentine’s Day but she was away in Perth, so I’ll be giving it to her tonight. Hope she likes it!
Up until now I don't think I've admitted to the fact that I have a slight obsession with typography. Okay, so slight might be somewhat of an understatement, but who could honestly oppose the beauty of Archer by Hoefier & Frere-Jones?
" Sweet but not saccharine, earnest but not grave, Archer is designed
to hit just the right notes of forthrightness, credibility, and charm."
Well said. Think I'll add this baby to my Christmas wishlist.
…bed, lavender lemonade, amethyst necklace and image.
FIG JAM
There is something really special about fresh figs, and even more so when you can fill a basket with them every day.
Our neighbours have a fig tree in their yard and whilst they’ve been away this past week, asked me to make sure none of the fruit went to waste. Needless to say they didn’t have to ask twice.
With simply too many to eat as is, I decided to make fig jam. My first ever attempt at jam…I was bursting with excitement! And what better way to spend a relaxing Sunday than with something bubbling on the stove.
INGREDIENTS
1kg fresh figs, roughly chopped
500g caster sugar
1 lemon, juiced & rind removed
1 cinnamon quill
1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
2 teaspoons jamsetta (optional)
Combine the figs, sugar, lemon juice and rind, cinnamon quill and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Set aside overnight, preferably. A few hours is okay…impatience won over.
Place the saucepan over low heat and gently stir mixture to make sure all the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then cook over low heat for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. If the jam hasn’t quite reached the desired gel, add the jamsetta at this stage and continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon quill, vanilla pod and lemon rind. Pour jam into sterilised jars, leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Seal, allow to cool and then refrigerate.
*Gel Stage – to test for a gel, place a saucer into the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Spoon a teaspoon of the jam onto the saucer and place back into the freezer for 1 minute. The jam should wrinkle slightly when pushed with a finger.
My winter trees earrings arrived all the way from the Ukraine. I love them.
