saturdays finds

ever since moving out of the big city & into the sleepy wilds, the charity shops have turned into the best places in the world. finding a bargain in the city never happened but now i squeal like a child every saturday morning knowing i am bound to find something fabulous for not much money at all!. last week it was the plank table which is featured in the photograph - yesterdays finds are sitting on it. this week somebody who had a penchant for pink kitchen things had cleared out their unwanted wee things & for that i thank you!. i was not leaving the shop without the large printed framed 'immaculate heart of mary' much to my husbands upset as he does not like it at all. i also found a 1909 copy of 'cranford' with beautiful illustration plates for 49 cents. i love old book smell & this is like having a mini bottle of it to inhale whenever i want!. all in all a good little trip to the goodwill!.




quite a lot of running around was done yesterday but i guess it's all part of having a new house. it is supposed to rain today but that is a good thing as i have three dolls that need limbs & clothing. i'm off to do some sewing!.

a new year & a new direction

well hello there 2010!. i can already feel the magic that is going to happen this year. i am going to be using this is my main blog from now on, so please check back here for all the updates i will be making to my shop!. i am in love with making dolls right now. there will be many more & a shop update very soon but until then i here is.........i have no name for her yet!.

broccoflower & cauliflower soup

i love to make soup. normally sunday is soup day but i was so tired yesterday i decided to do the heavenly task today instead. it was going to be a basic roasted cauliflower soup because our local supermarket had two heads of cauliflower for $2 this weekend but i was in trader joe's earlier & simply could not resist the bright green broccoflower they had. so, this weeks soup is roasted broccoflower & cauliflower.

this is a really simple soup. not only is it cheap to make but it is also vegan & delicious.





ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 head of broccoflower
6 garlic cloves
2 shallots
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of vegetable stock or fake chicken stock
1 cup water
1 small bunch of fresh thyme
2 cups of soy milk
salt and pepper (to taste)


preheat your oven to 400 degrees. chop the broccoflower & cauliflower into small florets. slice the shallots & peel the garlic cloves. put in a large roasting dish & add the olive oil. if you would like to skip the olive oil add 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock instead.







i cook this for 35 to 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to prevent burning. a nice bit of heavy browning is nice but cauliflower stuck to your tray is not good, so keep turning during this cooking process.

pour the water & the vegetable stock into a large pot. add the roasted vegetables but remove the thyme bunch. bring to a boil then partially cover & simmer on low for 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. i let this mixture cool uncovered for around 15 minutes then in a blender puree the mixture in batches until smooth. return the pot & stir in 2 cups of soy milk, or less depending on how you like the consistency of your soup. heat on low until nice & hot then add salt & pepper to taste.

this soup is filling & so perfect for cold days.....like the one we are experiencing right now in the city!. this soup can be frozen but it is better if you refrigerate & use within 3 days.

baron

meet baron the bat boy. i made a few of these last fall & decided to create another one today. i think he is rather special & his wing span is much larger than the last battys i made.




i have already listed him in the shop. i am busy today!.

fall

it is starting to feel fall(ish) here in the city. to celebrate this i am introducing some new little ones for the season....zombies!. meet derek, he is currently for sale in my etsy shop.



i am currently stuck at home fighting off a bad cold so expect more from me over the next few days. sniff.

september

i am enjoying the end of summer & the vegetables it has to offer. so tonight we are dining on ratatouille, which is one of my favourite dishes to eat & to prepare.

i like to salt the aubergine first before cooking. you don't have to but i like to as it draws the moisture out of it.





i like to cook ratatouille slowly & for a long time. actually, this afternoon i drank a pumpkin ale & did some sewing for a halloween project i am working on for my etsy shop (more on that at a later date!).

growing

i have started, a little late i know, the annual "grow something in the apartment' fest. i have started with dwarf leaf basil, garlic chives & corriander. i do not have any outdoor space at all so everything that i grow must fit on my windowsills. the dwarf leaf basil has sprouted but everything else has not but is doing a good job of trying to. well done, but must try harder little edible plants!.





if i manage to grow these without killing them then maybe i will become a little more adventurous, but it's baby steps for now. i am great at growing things in actual gardens but plants in pots are not my forte.