Hello dear ones, thanks for dropping by today. How are you doing?? Being a blogger it seems that I am regularly letting you know how I am doing, but I'd also like to know what you've been up to.
The past few weeks, months really, there's been a lot happening within the family, things we choose not to share, things that in the big scheme of things are ours alone to manage, leaning heavily into the Father's arms as we wait on results, directions, provision and refreshment. As a family we all pull together, especially when the children or health are involved, and sometimes it's a mixture of both. So when I stop blogging for a bit, just know there's a family life to be lived, and loved, behind the screen. I think many of you would understand this (especially introverts like Blossom and I)...we process things quietly, pray and discuss between ourselves, always encouraging and being there for one another, always drawing on God's Word and His love to carry us through. There's no greater place to be than in His perfect care.
My theme this month is TIME and that's exactly what God has made me aware of. Everything lately has needed time - time to sit quietly with Him, time for family, time for healing, time for rest, time for caring, time to consider the future, time to give thanks, time to sit in the sun and warm up, time to tend the garden.
At home, this is what I've been up to in the quieter days -
Baking biscuits. Cully May loves packets of Rich Tea biscuits, as do Blossom and I (they are especially perfect for dunking in a cup of tea!) so I found a recipe which was quite similar and made 54 of them - a huge saving on buying a pack, and everyone said they were delicious so these will need to be added to my regular baking schedule.
The new sour dough bread recipe I mentioned recently didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. The steps once kneaded were great and I will continue using them once the weather warms a bit (we have no heating in our home and the nights of late have dropped to an unusual 6 - 7C, around 45F). I had to use heated rice sacks sitting under the bowl to help things along, and eventually got a fairly nice loaf, though a bit dense from such a long rise.
The other thing I realised about this recipe is that even though it asked for 170g of sour dought starter, not everyone has the same consistency of starter. I have mine quite thick (like peanut better) whereas others have theirs runny or somewhere in between. I used to have a fairly runny starter until I learned that a thick starter is actually stronger and sours the dough better. So I shall go back to my old recipe, mostly judged by eye and feel as I go along, but use this new recipe's technique for kneading and rising.
Last weekend my computer crashed and dear husband with all his tech know-how spent his only day off work that week re-installing everything and setting it up as good as new. How blessed I am that he can do that stuff.
While he was busy at the computer I decided to 'finally' baste my Virtuous Wife quilt (the free BOM I shared last year)....
It was my intention to start hand quilting this week just gone, but the weather has been so cold (for the tropics) that my fingers really hurt pushing the needle through the three layers, so I have put it aside until the weather gets back to our normal warm dry winter.
Please note that I have kept this pattern free far longer than I'd intended, but it will be going in the shop soon. If you want to download any of the blocks, or the ones you may have missed, they are all HERE. I'll keep them free until July 31st.
Whilst quilting through three layers was difficult, regular stitching was fine, and I did manage to complete the first block of PROMISES as there were only a few words left to embroider.
These are the fabrics I'll be using for the project. They are bits and pieces collected here and there over the years - not all are quilting fabrics, but they have been washed so should be fine one day when the finished quilt gets a wash...remembering that I am doing this as a slow project that may take a couple of years to design and share with you. If you missed the first block it's HERE
More sewing, but not the creative kind. My lovely cotton cardie has been getting a lot of use during this unusually cold spell and I caught the back on a nail out back, which left a hole that needed darning before it grew any larger.
I haven't darned in a long time, but I have very fond memories of Nana darning Pop's thick woollen hand knitted socks. They were made with love and cared for with more of that same love, because he worked shifts on the wharf back in the day when they often climbed ropes to get on board, and the winter harbour nights in Newcastle (where we lived then) were icy. His socks, balaclava and gloves were all made by Nana. xx
Since hubby pruned a lot of the trees this winter, the birds are dropping by for a feed more regularly. Their feeder had become almost hidden between the Ixora, Bottle Brush and Maraya trees, but now it has a wide viewing area so the birds can feel safe. Our old cockatoo friend drops by every day, and his friends join him later.
We began with a pot of hot chocolate, freshly baked scones, homemade lemon butter and the last of my homemade strawberry jam. We chatted about all the things that matter to a 6yo and an 'almost' 8yo before clearing the table and getting in to some crafting.
Inspired by Annabel's sewing day with her own granddaughters, I thought it time to give mine some simple and fun ways to become familiar with using a sewing needle, thread and buttons. I have a lot of buttons, mostly vintage, but I also have a large jar of bright buttons the children have used to thread into necklaces.
Before they arrived I'd sewn together two long narrow strips of felt (on top of each other - a front and a back), one each for them, one for me to teach with, and another that they could use to make a gift for Blossom. We were making button bracelets!
Felt is lovely and soft for children to begin sewing with, and there's no fraying. The girls slowly became comfortable with the needle and thread, and then began the process of sewing on the buttons, using the tying method to secure them. Cully May was excellent at sewing, and Rafaella made the best knots when tying the buttons in place.
I ended up using Green and Orange colours for my teaching model because they are Charlie David's favourite colours, and I knew he'd want one when he arrived with mummy later to pick up his sisters. He loves the character Blippy, from the same titled children's program, and he certainly did get excited about his Bippy bracelet when the girls gave it to him. The fourth bracelet was for Blossom and she was so chuffed to see all the girls had made. Everyone left wearing their handmade button bracelets, smiles all around.
After the bracelets were made we spent an hour in the kitchen baking tart cases, and once cooled we filled some with caramel, some with lemon butter and the rest with jam. Then the girls set the table for a late lunch as they knew Mummy and Charlie David were on their way, and I made pizzas from leftover garlic naan bread (delicious!). After we all polished off the pizzas, it was time to feast on tarts...I thought I'd have some leftover, but noooo. Ha ha!!
Before I sign off, I was asked to share Nana's baked rice custard recipe...
3 eggs, room temperature / 750 ml whole milk / 4 tablespoons sugar / 1 teaspoon vanilla essence / 1/2 cup cooked medium grain white rice (it's not as good with long grain rice) / grated nutmeg or cinnamon
Mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Add the sugar, stirring well to dissolve as much as possible.
Grease a small baking dish or casserole dish with butter. I use an enamel dish usually, just like Nana did. Spread the rice across the base of the dish, then gently pour over the custard mix. Sprinkle nutmeg or cinnamon over the top of the custard (we only ever use nutmeg, but some people prefer cinnamon).
Make a water bath by pouring 1" of hot water into the base of a larger baking dish. Place the rice custard dish into the larger dish and place in a preheated oven at 160C (320F) for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes because not all ovens are the same - if there's no wobble, take it out. If there's only a slight wobble it's okay to remove it as well...but if there's a good wobble, give it ten more minutes.
My husband loves this with jelly. Blossom eats it out of the baking dish. I eat it with tinned pears, or out of the baking dish. ;-)
Hopefully blogging will be back to a more regular routine next week, and hopefully our nights will be warmer. I bought my first doona in fifteen years today because the weight of blankets on the bed lately has not been comfortable. Hubby has some issues with his legs and feet, so a light doona will be wonderful for him tonight.
God bless you so very much. I pray that if you're having a time of struggle, ill health, family concerns, loneliness, stretched finances, sorrow, or just in need of a good hug and a cuppa, that the Lord will provide what is needed in the way it is needed most, and through the care and concern of those who love you. But may we all keep our hearts open to recieve from a stranger, or an unexpected source, for God uses many different avenues to answer prayer or bring a blessing. And if like me, you prefer to be the giver, humble yourself to receive...He taught me a lesson about that recently. As long as we have breath, God has a lesson to teach us, to grow us, to guide us in the ways of Jesus.
I also pray that we each ask the Lord how we can be of help to another, for being His children involves both being cared for, and being a carer; being a giver and being a receiver; being His hands of love and allowing others to love us through Him.
Love you all,
21 comments:
Lovely newsy post Jennifer. Your bread and biscuits look delicious and the bracelets were a great idea, looking very smart. xx
How do the button bracelets fasten,please
Hi Jennifer, when you have a spare minute would you post your Rich Tea Biscuit recipe. They look fantastic. Love your promise quilt. So beautiful.
Take care and stay well.
Bun
It always nice to hear from you. My quilt projects are on hold so I can tend to an enormous amount of peaches we got this year. With all the rain we got in June my poor peach is overloaded. I have been freezing and making preserves. I squeeze in embroidery when I can. I love seeing the cockatoo in its natural setting. Thanks for all you share with total strangers. Have a blessed day.
Hi Jennifer,
We’re home ! 30 C here ! Feels like this is a vacation destination! Looking forward to reading this post with a refreshing drink instead of a warming hot chocolate that we enjoyed!
It’s always great to come home and brew a good pot of tea but first a cooling beverage 😀
Hugs
Take care
Enjoy your weekend
Joanne
This post meant quite a bit to me as we also have things going on in our family. It's always something but I have learned over the years that the more we lean in on God, the less the "things" are. Yes, they're important but they're not consuming us.
I love the button bracelets and may use your idea with my youngest grand children, hoping maybe the older ones will love helping them. My daughter and I always try to engage the older ones with the younger ones as this helps to keep the family close.
Many blessings and prayers for you and your family.
Thank you for this post. We are having a struggle as we have to do a kitchen remodel because they type of stove we have doesn't work anymore and they don't make this type of stove/oven anymore.
The bracelet is a cute idea and I may be able to use it with the church kids.
God's most gracious blessings and love to you and your family.
An especially beautiful post dear Jennifer ... I had been "noticing" your absence & hoped all was okay with you & the family. Keeping up with blogging sure does seem to take extra time these days as we work slower. Your tea biscuits look so lovely & I am sure they are just perfect when dunked in a cuppa. Gosh those girls ... they sure are growing!!! Look at the delight in those bracelets they made. How special is that. And if I may let you in on a little secret ... I Love Blippi just as much as Charlie David does 😉 He always makes me smile tho' mine don't watch him quite so much now they are a little older. Wishing you a warmer week ahead my dear friend - prayers for you all x0x
I too am not finding the time to post like I once did. Partly busyness, partly not prioritising it as much, and partly my children are growing up and their stories have become their own to tell.
It was lovey to hear about some of what you have been up to. The girls are so sweet and what a wonderful craft idea for their braclets! They will remember that for a long time to come and also so many delicious treats you have made. As always your quilting is beautiful and so meaningful too. I have packed away most of my fabrics and sewing materials into the shed until the extension is built and I have a proper space I can spread out in. Our kitchen table is in constant use for children's crafts, meals, food prep, folding mount washmore etc. Taking it over with sewing simply doesn't work. Seasons and all of that. The time will come again.
I hope your personal family challenges are being resolved. I will certainly hold you all in my prayers. I seem to know so many who are going through challenges of some kind or another at the moment. Sending love to you all. Emma xx
Jennie, I hope you will share the new recipe for rich tea biscuits. They look delicious. I am a real cookie fan and keep them in the freezer at all times. It is such a blessing for you and Blossom to live so close that you can spend time together with the children. It is a joy to read about those times. Take care and I hope your winter weather will soon return to normal..
Many years from now, these girls will remember the wonderful time they spend with their Nana....How wonderful and precious that you get to share so much of your memories with them! Thank you for a lovely and inspiring blog and newsletter!💓🌷💓
As always, a lovely post. Your granddaughters are beautiful and how much fun you must have with them. How do the button bracelets fasten. Did you sew on Velcro? And could you please share your recipe for the rich tea biscuits? Have a wonderful week ahead of you.
Thank you for all that you share. I look forward to your post each time. Blessings!
Hello Sweet Jennifer. Your Grand Girls are growing so fast. They have learned so many wonderful domestic and crafty ways from you. The button bracelets are simply sweet. Your Nana’s rice pudding looks and sounds delicious. Something similar to what I ate as a child. We also ate cold leftover rice for breakfast in a bowl with sugar and milk. Blessings Dear.
I so enjoy reading your posts Jennifer - a breath of fresh air and wholesomeness.
I am currently struggling with (another) chest infection - I am unfortunately now prone to them, which I do not appreciate, but am having to learn to live with them.
What a lovely time you had with your grand daughters - what a great way to introduce them to needle and thread.
We have currently been having nights of similar temperatures to yours - but that said, tonight's forecast os for 0 oC. First frost for a few weeks. But that is quite normal here at this time of year. This winter I am living in a brand new house, and I only need my 'winter weight' feather duvet/doona.
Blessings
Maxine
It is such a blessing to drop in and read your post. We too have been dealing with so many family issues. I understand your sentiments that they must take priority over blogging. I pray that your situations will be resolved in the most beneficial way for you and yours. You are a blessing and an encouragement to many. May the Lord keep you.
Patty
Dear Jennifer, Thank you as always the bread looks amazing!! Your button bracelets are so pretty. I can understand these testing times, God is Faithful He won't let us be tested beyond what we cannot endure! James. And I have seen this when He has tested me I shall come forth as Gold! From Job! Never easy at the time, many tears were shed this past month. But God knows.... He knows. Much love you. I loved the black and white photo! XXMary-Lou
I so enjoy your posts. The girls are growing so quickly...beautiful smiles. I understand about the personal stuff...we are all there at one time or another.
Sorry I am so late visiting. Looks like you have had plenty of lovely things going on. The girls have grown so much! I hope you get some of thet hand quilting done soon but the cooler weather certainly makes it more difficult as we get older.
Lovely post, as are your other two that I have been catching up on. Thank you for the recipe - I definitely need to try this.
Looking forward to more blog posts - they always send smiles my way in the mornings.
Wishing you a blessed end to your winter months. We are looking forward to some cooler days :)!
This is beautiful Jennifer! You are just the Grandma to have your Granddaughters off and running with sewing. Oh my goodness the times you have ahead! I can see you having them quilt making when they are a bit older! Mum was here this afternoon... she said have you read Jennys new posts! She doesn't miss one. So now I have been catching up! xxx
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