a little break of sorts

oh my goodness it has been a long time since i have written here. not much has been going on but some new yetis have been made & are up for sale in the shop. todays yeti is pandora, who like to sleep a lot.





it does not feel like spring here in the city yet. actually, it is absolutely freezing today in my opinion. the one thing that is keeping me warm & sane is planning a little break for my birthday. we want to go upstate to unwind for a while so i have been trying to find the perfect cottage to spend a week or so in.

now it's time to walk the dogs & hope it is a few degrees warmer outside than it was earlier h morning!.

wonderland

so, it arrived a little late this year but the city has finally experienced snowfall of some significance!. it made a change from all the recent rainy days we have had where i quietly wished that it had been snow instead.





i think i have been in winter limbo. i have been waiting for the snow for so long. now i can begin the tasks that i have been pondering since january 1st, finally organise the craft space & update the store.

january

i took a little break from writing over the holidays, it was nice to have some time off & spend it quietly at home with my husband & the dogs. i have been working hard on the shop or more to the point preparing for a wonderful update in the next week or two. i have been working with some amazing vintage wool felt i purchased & i must say it is a dream to sew with!.

today is being spent sewing & waiting for a parcel to arrive. inside that parcel is my new desk lamp with daylight bulb so i can sew in the evenings with more ease & without my eyes hurting. i can't wait for it to arrive!. i am also drinking a lot of coconut chai tea with soy milk which is rather delicious.

little sale

i hope everyone had a wonderful christmas. things have been very busy here with dogs having surgery, sewing new items for the little shop & rushing around like a march hare!. just to let you know that i am having a mini sale before the shop gets a makeover in the new year!

tabletop

due to being unwell recently it has been very quiet craft wise for me. this weekend is even quieter as my husband is visiting family so myself & my little dog are home alone!. this always results in a large amount of cleaning & tidying which is never a bad thing. i have been polishing the floor, arranging my tabletop display & drinking tea.



i am also spending my time planning the christmas day dinner. we are eating a predominantly traditional english christmas dinner this year. we have christmas pudding ready to steam, i have been searching for the ultimate roast potato recipe, i will be making mince pies & vegan sausage rolls - oh i am so excited.

on that note it is off to the kitchen i go. so much to do.

winter soup with kale

i was perusing a magazine in the doctors office yesterday. i found a wonderful soup recipe, it did have a cheese toast side dish to it originally but i do not eat dairy so did not bother. the soup is pretty much a meal in itself anyway & pretty healthy too!.





winter soup with kale

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 large idaho potatoes peeled & sliced 1/4 of an inch thick

2 onions, quartered lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

a little black pepper ( i do not add extra salt, i do not think it needs it )

4 cups/32 ounces of vegetable broth

1 bunch of kale, stemmed & coarsely chopped

one 28 ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes

3 large roasted red peppers ( i used ones from a jar & rinsed the oil from them )


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

in a medium sized soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. add the potatoes, onions, rosemary & bay leaf. season with black pepper & cook, stirring frequently, for about 9 minutes until softened.

add the vegetable broth & bring to a boil. add the kale in small amounts & cook until wilted, this will take about 2 minutes then stir in the crushed tomatoes.

using a food processor or one of those little chopper things, puree the roasted red peppers & then add to the pot. lower the heat to medium/low & continue to simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes making sure your potatoes are cooked!.

remove bay leaf, put into bowls & devour!. i think this recipe will serve about 6 small portions of 4 very hungry persons.

happy december to you

on saturday night i made some mulled wine in my favourite heart shaped pot. i like to add dark rum, orange juice & clementines as well as a little muslin bag filled with delicious spices.



apparently the previous nights mulled wine was a wonderful idea as in line with the festive spirit we woke to the first snow fall of the year.



today i finished little byron the bat. i am very pleased with him & will be listing him in my etsy shop today!