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A Few Sleepless Nights And A Sad Decision

Mary-Jane has been having some restless evenings and nights.  This is what has kept me away from blogging (and knitting).  Just something to be expected really, and we have been very lucky with her sleep pattern so far.  Some of the days she has been tired, following a not good night. She won't let herself take a nap.  At best she will have a 'slob' on Daddy, a rest and relax and a cuddle on Mommy's lap and that will do her. 

I did manage to get out to the WI on Wednesday evening.  The speaker was a lady who weaved.  I was taught and weaved a fish on a fishing line out of willow.  No picures as yet.  When I got back, Mary-Jane was exercising her lungs and definitely not asleep!

Thursday, I acted on a decision.  I have decided not to continue with The Country Market for the foreseeable.  It broke my heart to reach this decision.  The main reason for this is that, as HK is on benefits and is claiming for me, we are only allowed to make £10 per week, anything above that is deducted from our benefit.  I would also have to keep formal accounts and show these and invoices etc each time HK signed on.  I would have to be classes as Self Employed.  All the paperwork and financial deductions do not make it a viable concern for me.  The amount I would make at the market is not much, it is pin money rather than money to support a family.  I was enjoying trying out the market and did see it as a long term starting point, to build upon.  But I can't do it for £10 per week and do formal accounts etc.  It just doesn't equate.

I spoke with the Ladies there and let them know.  They were in the main quite flabbergasted at the situation.  The Country Markets, or the WI Market, as it was previously known, was set up in the post war years, all over the country.  They were to help women with families to get back on their feet, to use surplus garden produce etc and to make money to help support their families etc.  I think I quite fitted this ethic.  But in today's modern times, things are different.  If I sold my home bakes at the market and didn't declare it to the social it would be deemed as Benefit Fraud.

I shall have to find a different way.  I am down but not beaten.

On to Happier Thoughts. Mary-Jane has taught herself a new yogu postion.  Yogu, is yoga, on a childrens programme 'Waybuloo'.  Today she did The Kite.  She put her hands above her head so the palms and finger tips were touching, then whilst sat down, bought her head to her knees.  I was so proud of her.  She copied this from the tv.  I am so proud of her.

I have been continuing with my ASJ (Adult Surprise Jacket) when I have time.  I am a little dubious about proportions.  I am thinking that it may be too wide and not long enough.  I will continue with it and have some blind faith.  All the others have worked wonderfully, so there is not real reason why this one shouldn't.  I am a few ridges into the first increases. 

NSPCC Plant Sale at Calder Bridge

I got volunteered to help at the NSPCC's Plant Sale at Calder Bridge.  I can't really say I was press ganged, just got volunteered for it.  I was allocated to help serve refreshments.  The first image shows some of the cakes and bakes to eat there, there was another table in another room with cakes 'to take home'.  It got very busy, manic at one point.  The washing up was phenomenal.  We took nearly £100 just here.  Now can you imagine the washing up when each cuppa was 50p, scones were 50p and cakes 60p. 

The tables had table cloths and fresh flowers

The smaller area of the plant sale

This is the  main room for the plant sale.  I did get photos shortly after it opened to show how busy it was, but it was just a sea of people.  Very busy indeed!  You can just see the corner of the other cake table.  I think about £2000 was made, after decuctions.  A very good fundraiser.

When the Plant Sale finished, and all the pots were washed, dried and put away, I went home.  It was about half three and there was still lovely sunshine.  I took Mary-Jane outside in the garden till tea time.  She had been quite tired most of the day, and as usual enjoyed her time in the garden.

Not Joined Up Thought Leads To Biscuits

I have felt miserable all day long.  I know why, yesterday wasn't brilliant and I am talking myself round.  I have been browsing a few baking books, looking for a suitable thing to bake today.  I was going to bake banana ginger parkin.  I even bought the bananas for it.  Since I saw the recipe and found that the difference between parkin and gingerbread (the spongey sort, not the biscuit type) was mainly oats - parkin has the oats, I have had this thought in my head.  Just kinda floating around when I think of baking.  So when I donned the pinny, and looked at what ingredients I needed, then and only then did I achieve joined up thinking and realise that I need oats for the parkin.  I didn't have any.  Only an hour before this, Mum had gone shopping and asked if I wanted anything.  Oats popped into my head, but I dismissed it as I didn't know what oats I needed and thought I would pick them myself.  I am conspiring against myself not to make this parkin at the moment.  Perhaps when I do make it, it will go one of two ways - it will either turn out to be really pants or be one of the best things I've ever made.  Guess I will have to wait until I get the oats!!  And joined up thinking........

I did do some baking, however.  Yes it was therapeutic baking.  I had been looking for a simple biscuit recipe, so that Mary-Jane and I could sit together and decorate them.  I had a particular type of biscuit in my head, so I knew I what I was looking for, when I found it.  I didn't find the exact recipe, but came very close.  Successfully close in fact!  The biscuits are on the 'Re-Bake' list.  It seems like forever since I baked biscuits.  They take so little time to make and bake, that I strongly feel that I should bake them alot more often.  In fact I found another recipe that is close to the first that I want to try.  I was going to do both.  When I had finished the first batch, there was just over 30 biscuits, so I thought there was not much point making any more at the moment.

I used a star shaped cutter and a heart shaped cutter.  I wanted to use shapes that MJ recognises.  I did pick out seven shapes, but I thought she may want to try one of every shape in one sitting, so narrowed it down.  The recipe is:

Chocolate Biscuits

Makes 20 - 30+ depending on cutter size

225g/ 8oz self raising flour
100g/ 4oz caster sugar
3x15ml spoon sieved cocoa powder
100g/4oz marg
5x15ml spoon of milk
few drops vanilla essence

1. Heat the oven to 190c, 375f, gm5.  Grease two baking trays
2. Mix flour sugar and cocoa, then rub in marg
3. Add milk and vanilla essence.  Bring together with your hands and knead lightly on a floured surface
4. Roll out to 1/4", cut using a 3" cutter.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack
5. Decorate how you want, chocolate glace icing is recommended.

Almond Biscuits

Makes 20 (although I've not tried the recipe out yet)

175g/6oz self raising flour
pinch salt
75g/3oz caster sugar
50g/2oz ground almonds
150g/5oz marg
few drops almond essence
blanched almonds

1. Heat oven to 180c, 350f, gm4.  Grease two trays
2. Mix together dry ingredients, rub in marg
3. Add the essence and mix well, bringing together with your hands
4. Roll out thinly and cut into rounds.  Place half a blanched almond on each
5. Bake for  15 mins.  Cool on wire rack

Custard Creams

Makes 17 - 18 completed biscuits

170g/6oz block marg
50g/2oz caster sugar
200g/7oz self raising flour
30g/1oz custard powder

1. Heat oven to 180c, 350f, gm4.  Grease baking tray
2. Cream together marg and sugar
3. Add the flour and custard powder, mix well
4. Roll into small balls, about the size of a walnut, dip one side into the caster sugar
5. Place on baking tray, sugar side up.  Press a fork once across each biscuit
6. Bake for approx 25 mins, until lightly coloured
7. When cold, sandwich together with butter icing

I also want to try the custard creams, with a view to producing some for the Market.  Anything new I do for the Market, I want to give a trial run.

I liked the chocolate biscuits.  HK said he liked them quite a lot - I forgot at the time that he can be a biscuit fiend.  If we have a tin of biccies, he will have 'one or two', which translates as having one of each sort on each layer.......  Mary-Jane enjoyed her - she kept saying mmmmmm nice and giving me the the most massive of grins.  Must have hit on a good recipe!

Friday Ramblings

Friday Evening Already.  I think we must both be tired, HK and I. We are showing signs of being tired.  A few early nights for me won't go amiss!  Last night I got engrossed in looking for yarns to dye, primarily to try and sell.  I was contrasting and compairing weights of yarn and type of yarn.  I did catch myself day dreaming again of being able to sell hand dyed yarn again.  This time around, I was trying to day dream more practicably.  What would it cost, what would the profit margin be, would it be feasable, what else is being sold, what is that like and what are the prices.  Then it was a case of getting in the kitchen to dye and drying the yarn.  I no longer have the luxury of having a Knitting Room, where part of it was geared up for dyeing yarn.  I have a cluttered shared kitchen, of which I am not queen.  Where there is a will, there is a way. 

I am also getting a yearning for making cup cakes.  This has been knocking around my head for a good few days now.  I've not made any for a while.  It may be about time.  I don't want to do many, just one batch.  I still want to make the Rhubarb Quickbread.  I also want to remember why I put apples on my shopping list.  I know it was for something specific - and don't say to eat - but the reason has eluded me, even when I bought some today.  Hopefully it will come to me before the apples turn!  If not, I have a small recipe book, just for apples.

Mary-Jane was very unsettled at bed time.  She didn't settle till about half seven.  I think she may have a touch of belly ache, judging from what she was tyring to say and piecing things together.  She is asleep at the moment.  Last night she awoke shortly after midnight and didn't settle till half one.  No wonder we are tired and at each other.

I have not looked again at the colours for Mary-Jane's TSJ.  My ASJ is progressing.  It is just the sort of knitting I need or can do at the moment.  Saying that though, the Pi shawl gave me a little wave today, so after a few nights decent sleep I may give that more thought.  I have more things I want to do than what I have time for.

Mary-Jane is learning to go up and down stairs.  She is doing very well.  The stairs will need to be gated very soon!

Oh!  May The 4th Be With You!!

Baking Wednesday

Mary-Jane awoke early this morning, she was crying her sleepy cry and didn't settle.  I went in to her and bought her through to our room.  Several stories later I attempted to put her back on her bed.  No chance.  We came downstairs.  It was ten to six by then.  She has kept going all day with out a nap.  She was unsteady on her feet by mid afternoon - a sure sign of her being tired.  I took her to bed at her usual time and there hasn't been a peek out of her since.  She was shattered.

Wednesday is my new Baking Day, for the Country Market in Whitehaven.  I am slowly getting into a routine with my baking.  I started at 8am.  I have made my usual 45 scones and 12 mince pies, plus 22 Viennese Fingers and 16 Viennese Thins.  I don't think it sounds much till I think a little more of the actual figures and time involved.  Plus I had to take HK to sign on and do the recyc.  With such an early start and if I didn't have to take HK, I might have been able to do something else as well.  I have not sandwiched the Viennese things, just dipped the ends in plain chocolate.  They are quite labour intensive.

I ought to really mention here as well, that I have had a much better degree of success with them than last week, where I lost 30 out of 36.  I have 48 finished items and I think I lost about 10.  Most of those were the thins, and the broke when I was dipping them in chocolate.  So nowhere near the wastage as last week.  The answer is greaseproof paper! I have used a different recipe.  This new recipe includes cornflour and vanilla extract.  They melt on your tongue

The strip light in the kitchen has made them look yellowy.  I'll see how they sell, as to whether I make them for next week.  I could really do with a bigger nozzle for them.  For the fingers I didn't use a nozzle at all and scored them with a fork.  The Thins are thin.  Too thin for my liking, but that's me.  I shall have to see what I can do extra for next week.  It must be something that doesn't take long to make and doesn't need any post-bake aftercare - decoration to you and me!  And it must be preferably something that is not already being made.  I will put my thinking cap on, not tonight though.

I was day dreaming that I had my own bakery and hand dyed yarn business.  I thought it was a feasable day dream.  I could sell the yarn initially on ebay, the later on Etsy, perhaps, like I used to.  Now what would I call my business?  That was something that didn't even cross my mind!  Let me know if you have any ideas?!

New Yarn And The Home Crafts Sub-Committee

My yarn from The Wool Sak arrived today.  I was very impressed with their promptness in getting my my package.  So here are the colours.  Some of the colours are brighter than what I thought they would be, noticeably the pink and orange - they're neon.  I need to match them well before I start.  I think I have an order for them.  I shall see what the cold light of day brings.  I have a certain amount of blind faith.  HK does not.  He is very good with colours and kept on saying that they may look different once they are knitted up!

I had a letter today from Cumbria/Cumberland Federation of Women's Institutes.  They are formally inviting me to join the Home Crafts Sub-Committee.  I am really thrilled.  I will be on the committee for two years.  They - we meet four times a year. I'm eager to see what I can be getting up to - all within reason of course!  I have already returned my acceptance form.  The first meeting is on 22nd May in Carlisle.