This n that, a recipe and button bracelets...

 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)....

I also made the binding, and found my spare rolling pin to be perfect for storing it...

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.

A day with the girls...

On Thursday I had Cully May and Rafaella over for some crafting, baking, and a sumptuous morning tea. 

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, 

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!