Thursday 15 October 2009

Work/Knitting Balance

So far this week the work/knitting balance has been tipped in favour of work, little knitting has been done! I'm off this weekend, so once I pick myself up from the floor, have a massive lie in - in fact I shall be having a giraffe rather than a lion because giraffes are bigger.... get it.... lie-in/lion..... I shall be doing some knitting then.

I've cast on a poncho that was a freebie pattern with LK, I might have already mentioned it? Using Big Softie. I've got seven balls and will need 11 (ish) in total. So although I am using from my stash I will still need to buy some more. However on the upside, I do already have a matching slouchy beret and neck warmer!!

I've made some more Fudgy Banana Muffins - shall post the recipe later - they are recommendable. I was toying with the idea of doing some more baking this morning, but..... I'm not exactly full of beans to be doing too much. Then I thought about doing biscuits, the jury is out on that one.

Sunday 4 October 2009

Rhubarb and Ginger Cake

I made this Rhubarb and Ginger Cake yesterday and it is absolutely gorgeous!! Much nicer than the Spicy Rhubarb Cake - even though that is good in it's own right! This one comes highly recommended!! Go on, give it a go!!

Ingredients
5oz butter
5oz golden syrup
4oz black treacle
5oz unrefined light brown sugar
2fl oz milk
2 oz crystallised ginger, finely chopped
12oz rhubarb
12oz self raising flour, mixed with
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tbs ground ginger
Heat the oven to gm 3.
Grease and line a 2lb baking tin
Melt the butter in a pan with the golden syrup, black treacle and sugar, stir regularly
So it will look a bit like this! Remove from heat
Put all the rest of the ingredients (including the sugar/butter mix) and mix it all together!
Pour mixture into the prepared tin
Cook for an hour and 15 minutes, but check after an hour. This one cooked for 65 minutes. Let the cake cool for a bit before turning out onto a wire rack to cool
Then eat!!!





Saturday 3 October 2009

Waking The Dead Slouchy Beret

I finished the beret yesterday! I added an extra repeat of the cable pattern to give it the slouchiness. I think if the yarn was not as bulky, I would have added another repeat, but I think it wouldn't have worked?

So this is me modelling the beret and neck warmer, with hair tucked in. Can't wait for the cold weather now!
View from the back. I like the way the crown decreasing is done.
Rear view again, with hair tucked in to show the neck warmer. It is a lovely pattern to do and best of all, doesn't take long to do at all - ideal for a present that is needed in a rush, or if you don't have too much time.....

I found the pattern on Ravelry, the link is here!

Minted Pea Soup

MINTED PEA SOUP
Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

All ingredients are approx
2 pints of water
2 Oxo stock cubes
2 small onions - or one med/large one!
500g peas
Mint - to taste - I used mint sauce as I didn't have any proper mint, worked just as well
Seasoning to taste

Method
Crumble the oxo cubes into a big pan
Chop and add the onions to the pan
Add the water
Add the peas
Cook until cooked, as such, perhaps bring to the boil, then simmer, for however you usually cook your peas for
Turn off heat and allow to cool a little

Blend until smooth, reheat till warm.
Serve, season to taste

May be even more scrummy with some of your favourite bread!!