Hey wait a minute Mr Postman

Today was a three parcel day, yes yes, I have been ebay shopping! I think one of the nicest things about ebay is getting parcels, and they're not just any old mail-order type parcels, it really is like getting proper packages as they have been handwrapped in different ways by different people, which is MUCH nicer.

One was my birthday present to myself, a vintage 50s duvet cover from Etsy which I bought back in March and has been around the world twice since then, but finally it arrived on my doorstep! Sadly it turned out to be a rather expensive purchase as first it was lost in the post for several months, leaving me thinking I would never be able to see it, but then it turned up back in the USA again! So, a second lot of postage charges (plus extra for priority service so as not to take any risks!) and a customs and handling charge later, and here it is, on my bed, and I can truly say that it was worth the wait and the expense, for it is beautiful! And a perfect excuse for Clean Sheets On The Bed which is one of my most favourites of life's small pleasures.


Also this week I've received 2 lovely vintage sewing patterns for blouses, photos to follow soon, I'm rather excited as I've got dresses pretty much down to a t now but blouses are a whole new adventure! So today has been pretty good, parcels and then a lovely evening involving hairstyle experimentation, card games and packing for a weekend away...

I had a practice run doing a beehive, which is how I plan to have my hair for my belated birthday party - the theme is the party scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's, not rigidly so, that was just the best way I could think of summing up the sort of party I want it to be - sort of a Summer night, apartment block, 60s cocktail party, all listening to jazz lps and swooshing around in vintage cocktail dresses drinking martinis. The perfect excuse for a beehive! I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out for a first attempt - I used Strawberry Koi's video tutorial, which was so brilliantly easy to follow. I didn't go for mega height - it's only got one kneesock (yes, kneesock) in there for volume, but I like it very much!


Wearing my hair like this gave me a strong urge to sashay around my bedroom listening to 60s girl groups, so I had a pretty perfect evening listening to the Shirelles, making up the bed with new bedding, and packing for our little weekend trip to Cardiff to see Calvin Johnson.


We are going tomorrow evening so we can spend Saturday going to the the bootsale and Jacob's antique market, we tried to go last time we were there but it was shut, so I could only gaze longingly up at the windows which looked absolutely crammed with treasures... I'm so excited! Also on a very tight budget so I will have to behave myself and not get too carried away, but I hope I end up with at least one small find.

Sleep time now as it is past my bedtime, but there will be a sewing post coming up soon, I've got a whole load of projects on the go and am desperate to get started with blouses...

Missions acomplished!

A special little extra post because I just realised I've achieved two of my 2010 resolutions on my blog 'To Do' list! Ace. I'm glad I made the list because it was super satisfying ticking them off. I shall go to bed feeling pretty pleased now :o)

Bedtime ramblings

Hullo there. I am nice and cosy writing this. A new computer means that we now have wireless internet, and so I am able to write this tucked up in bed with my laptop on my, err, lap! I like escaping to my bedroom sometimes. Of course I share it with George so it is not completely MY room, but as he has his little music room to escape to it's sort of understood that the bedroom is my little place. We're both kind of protective of our own space.

You know, it's nothing special or anything, but it has nice little corners of my things, and lovely colourful vintage bedding... My favourite times to be here are late afternoon when the sun shines in and the mirror balls sparkle, and before bed, especially on Summer night with the window open and radio four on the radio, just pottering and winding down before sleep. Like now! Eventually I'd like paint it a different colour and to set up a sewing corner, with shelves for all my haberdashery bits and bobs and a wee folding down table thingumy for my sewing machine, and then it really will feel like my room. One day! In the meantime I like coming here just to read or potter.

Continuing with the theme of sewing, I have loads of projects I'm desperate to make and don't know where to start... My new job means OFFICE WEAR (or 'Business Relevent' clothes, according to the dress code, err, what?), I don't know, something about all those years at school being forced to supress any hint of individuality means any sort of strict dress code just really grates on me. I can't stand just being an identikit city office worker, ugh. BUT, my plan is to combat this by making up all my favourite dress patterns in office friendly plain materials.


So far I've made up Simplicty/New Look 6799 in navy blue, using the flared skirt version (pink one above) and it worked out really well, and is totally office friendly with heels and cardi, but still very much ME. I plan to make the straight skirt version in black too. Photos of both to follow!

My office fabric mission did lead to the accidental purchase of some pretty floral fabric though, oops. But it is so rare to find nice fabric these days, it's the one thing I truly hate about dressmaking, I keep finding beautiful patterns which I visualise made up in lovely vintage-esqe florals, but it's so hard to find what I have in mind. So I pounced on this when I saw it...


The fabricland stuff is the creamy-pink one, the bluey-green is from my Mum's scrap bag and just about my favourite fabric EVER, I was delighted to find this quite sizeable piece in among the other odds and ends. You just don't get fabric like that anymore, sigh (not without spending a fortune in Liberty, anyway...) I have been mmming and aahing about what to do with it for months, and I think I might have settled on this quite plain top from the 'One Piece Of Fabric' book I got from the V&A, the fabric is so floaty and pretty I think a plain top will be good as the fabric will speak for itself....


I'm not too keen on the massive lace tie though, I think I might make a plain, medium width blue cotton tie to pick up the blue flowers in the pattern.

Right, too much rambling! (I definitely need to learn to write little and often...) I have been trying to get to bed at a reasonable time each night so I'm at my best for my new job, I find it so hard to give up prescious evening time though. Even though I love bed and sleep, going there on a weeknight just always seems like giving in to getting up for work again. Hey Ho, tis Wednesday tomorrow thus halfway to the lovely weekend.

Hurrah!

Aaaaaah Blog! I've missed you!

I've been computer-less for about 3 months, which has been a mixed old bag - Good Things: More books read, more sewing projects completed, photos actually printed, less time wasted, more quality time with George (I say quality time, what I really mean is UNO time), Bad Things: missing the vast pool (ocean!) of inspiration I've gotten so used to having at my fingertips. I spent hours last night catching up on people's crafty blogs (and finding new ones!) and felt so happy and at home, hee. With a whole new sewing pattern shopping list.

Things are good, anyway... I finally left the job that had been making me so unhappy for so long, I went to (and fell in love with) Stockholm, I started a shiny new job that so far seems much more promising in the health and happiness stakes and think things are looking UP.

Here's some pictures from wonderful Stockholm.

Tofu part II

Roasting tofu is probably my favourite way of cooking it, it goes deliciously brown and crisp, and gives it such a lovely, succulent texture. I've had to guess at the quantities since I don't normally measure them, I don't think it matters too much.

Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce

Ingredients

1 packet firm, plain tofu
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp soy/shoyu sauce
2 inch root ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbps red wine vinegar
little slug of maple syrup/honey (about 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp chinese five spice (optional but yummy)

Satay Sauce
2 rounded tbsp peanut butter
apple juice or water to thin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
good chunk of creamed coconut, grated
Good squeeze of lime juice

Method

1. Drain the tofu and cut into cubes, place in a large bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the tofu. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.


2. Preheat the oven to 200 C /400 F /Gas mark 6.
3. Drain the tofu and reserve the marinade.
4. Lightly oil a roasting tin or baking tray and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the tofu to the tray and bake in the oven for 25/30 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking so the tofu browns evenly.
5. Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter in a small saucepan with the reserved marinade and heat gently, stirring until smooth. Add water or apple juice to thin to the desired consistency. Add the spices, creamed coconut and lime juice and stir in.


6. You can serve the tofu in lots of ways, one of my favourites it to cut some veggies (carrots, celery, brocolli) into small pieces and lightly steam them, then layer the veggies, tofu and sauce over some cooked rice or noodles. Tasty good.

Tofu in the Springtime

Hello blog! I have the lurgy, it is rubbish but means I am off work, on the sofa wrapped in a blanket, so have a bit of time to update the ol' blog :D

First up here's the aforementioned tofu recipes I promised! I love tofu, and think it's bad name as 'crazy vegetarian food' is due to people not really knowing how to cook it. It can be bland, tasteless, and with a freakish texture. But it can be delicious, sumptuous and succulent if you do it right! I think the secret is a good marinade and cooking it so the outside sears and goes all golden and crisp.

So here's two of my favourite tofu recipes, both of which are nice Springtime meals!

Tofu Kebabs


These are an excellent in the Springtime, cooked under the grill, or in the Summer, grilled on the barbecue! Yum. I think the original recipe is from Leah Leneman's 'Easy Vegan Cooking', but I've adapted it a bit.

Ingredients

1 packet plain tofu (firm, not silken)*
mushrooms
green, red and yellow pepper
cherry tomatoes
red onion
courgettes

2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsp red wine/cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dried sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
good pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

*bbq tip - using frozen and thawed tofu means it firms up and holds together much better on the bbq


Method

1. Drain the tofu and cut into cubes.
2. Mix the oil, vinegard, mustards, herbs and seasoning in a large bowl. Add the tofu and stir to coat. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours

3. Cut the peppers, courgettes and onions into bitesize slices, and thread the veggies and tofu onto skewers. Use the leftover marinade to brush the vegetables.
4. Grill under a hot grill or over a barbecue, turning occasionally and rebrushing with the marinade, until the tofu is golden brown and starting to crisp on the outside.

Delicious served with rice, new potatoes or pitta bread and mixed salads. Here I served them with homemade pitta breads (see Stitch and Boots for the recipe!)

Another tofu recipe to follow in the next post :D x

Colour Therapy

1. Relaxation
2. Magnolia in bloom
3. Tofu Kebabs (recipe in next post)
4. Florals x 3
5. Garden in the rain

At the moment I am trying to increase and appreciate the colours in my life. Partially inspired by Jek in the Box's fabulous Flickr page, she has such an amazing eye for happy colour combinations that just make me smile whenever I look at her pictures.

I've always been a bright colours girl, and I'm particularly reminded of it in Spring when the world seems to be finding its colours again. Easter especially is such a colourful time.

(As an aside, it breaks my heart that the word 'magnolia' has come to be associated with all things bland, colourless, plain and boring. Maybe the paint colour, but look at that tree! Nothing could be further from the truth. Bah. I always think they look like they belong on another planet, they're so beautiful and other worldly.)

Happy Easter folks. There will be a recipe post before the weekend is out!