Quick and easy dinner

It may not look like much, but this is a great chicken curry. With this hot weather we have had lately, I just don't turn the oven on! I try to get some baking for the lunch boxes done Sunday morning, and that is it. Any other cooking is stovetop only!
This one is very quick & easy.
Chop 2 chicken breasts & brown in frying pan. Add a couple of finely chopped spring onions, 1 tspn curry powder. Cook for a minute or two. Then add 1 tin coconut milk, and a couple of spoons of fruit chutney. ( we tried 2 teaspoons first time, now we put in half a jar. Small jar, rosella brand I think). Serve with rice, and steamed beans or broccolini ( we put it on after cooking, cos the kids are just starting to eat green veges!). Quick, easy, ingredients always at hand, and everyone eats it!

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Upcoming events

I have been wanting to go to the Suitcase Rummage market, and there is an extra one on soon- at the Darebin kite festival  on Sunday 3rd March.
Friday 1st March is the date for the  Brunswick South West primary school fete, always good for second hand books & yummy cakes!
Plus - I just bought the latest Frankie magazine, flipped through a couple of pages & spotted an add for a cute sounding event- the Castlemaine Beanie Affair. A celebration of all things woollen- knitting, crocheting & felting! And remember, Castlemaine is on the Bendigo/ Melbourne train line, a bit over an hour's drive or an hour and a half relaxing train trip. And there is an AMAZING dumpling shop in Castlemaine, & lots of other lovely shops, cafes, galleries etc.And Buda  historic house and garden. And the Castlemaine botanic gardens. Ok, I am biased- I grew up just up the road in Bendigo, and have had many,many train trips between Bendigo & Melbourne!

Easy peasy necklace

I like those chunky bead necklaces seen at various craft markets (finders keepers/ big design market etc.) . Not having been able to find fimo modelling clay anywhere ( ok, I probably need to get to Riot art & craft) I made my own version with a $2.50 packet of wooden beads from Spotlight, and a 50c chain thingy from the spotters clearance table ages ago. Tah dah!


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Saturday sewing, and more....

Finally finished the green patchwork skirt, inspired by Lara's charm skirt from a while back. I put the patches together, took a photo to remember the arangement, and that was it for a while. Sewed the patches together a couple of months ago, and then FINALLY on Saturday, actually finished the skirt! The holdup had been trying to figure how to include a pocket, and in the end I just went for a simple patch pocket on the back, using 2 of the colours from the front.

Yesterday we went to the Dear Jane quilt exhibition. Gorgeous, amazing quilts. But my hand sewing is never going to be neat enough to piece a quilt, so I will stick to admiring the work of others and occasionally putting a few patches together with the machine for skirts, cushions etc.!!!!
Last night's creativity happened in the kitchen. I have wanted to try making yoghurt for ages, I looked at those "easiyo" kits at the supermarket, bit just don't have room for yet another kitchen gadget, let alone one I may not use much. So I searched for some alternative recipes, and found ideas the "not quite Nigella" and "River Cottage" websites for making yoghurt in a thermos.

Heated the milk and mixed it up last night, then couldn't wait to open it this morning ( well actually, as soon as Tigerboy saw the thermos this morning, he was ready with a bowl & spoon!). The texture is perfect, just like good quality yoghurt like Jalna. A bit tart but that is because of the starter yoghurt. We added some raspberry sauce and frozen raspberries and will eat the rest after school. Then I think we will need to try another batch, and experiment with adding a bit of sugar or flavour. Coffee essence maybe? Grated chocolate - no, that would just melt...powdered drinking choc mixed into the heated milk perhaps. Hmm, making me hungry just thinking about it! I am so pleased with my little science experiment!
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Yes, actual sewing!

My mission: to continue the mini makeover in the lounge room, started last year with some new furniture ( new to us anyway, a gorgeous tall cd/ DVD shelf unit, too big to fit in friend's new house; and new tv unit my H cleverly cut down from a taller unit- from the clean out at his grandparent's house, which even the op shop had rejected for being too tall & dated.
The fabric "goody bag" from Rathdown remnants last week, has been perfect for some cushions. I made some covers for the arms of the couch, and some rectangular cushions to go next to the arms. Something I have been going to make since I bought the couch about 15 years ago!
I had one of those snuggle cushions- big bulky thing with arm rests, but got sick of the size of it, & when I unzipped it I discovered 2 small rectangle & 1 large square cushion inside! So I whipped up the covers, including a patchwork type large floor cushion, and I am so pleased with them I am keen to make some more. I made the original cushion covers on the couch when the Jedikid was a baby, so they are well and truly ready for an update!


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Another crafty tip- home made bias binding help

I have been making bias binding now & then for various craft projects especially finishing waistbands on skirts. But I find it very tedious to keep measuring & re- measuring when trying to accurately cut the bias strips. "There has to be an easier way!" I thought. So I thought some more, and came up with the idea of a 1m long ruler, exactly the width needed to cut the fabric eg. a 5cm wide strip to make 2.5cm binding. Then I could keep cutting without having to measure!
 I mentioned the idea to my lovely friend Linda, who amongst other things makes beautiful hand sewn quilts, and she straightaway said " order one for me too!".
So whilst in Brunswick this morning ( buying the darkest baking cocoa from The Royal Nut Company, because I was down to the last spoonful after baking chocolate Anzac biscuits yesterday), I dropped into Display Station to ask if they could make a ruler for me .  I have emailed the dimensions ( 5cmX1m, 6mm thick) preferably a transparent coloured acrylic for safety!  Anyone else like one? When I get the quote I will let you know the cost, but I figure if I am getting a couple made, why not a few more?