It was my plan to do more regular blog posts... chatty, witty, entertaining (at least that is how they panned out in my head.) But life continues to be challenging, then out of the blue there was the David Bowie news... and now Alan Rickman. Well, I'm not sure I can be witty and entertaining! But I have managed to drag out five completely unrelated photos of my past week nevertheless...
1. Jam Tarts
I made jam tarts... not any old jam tarts but sophisticated jam bars. The recipe is Laura's which can be found here. I really couldn't be bothered with only using an egg yolk... so I doubled the recipe but used a whole egg, also I didn't have vanilla sugar so I used regular caster sugar ... but I did have lots of left over jars of damson and plum jam which I mixed up together. I'm not entirely sure why there were four half used jars of jam in the fridge... but there were. I took them (the jam bars not the half used jars of jam) to our Embroiderer's Guild meeting where they seemed to disappear rapidly. Which was just as well, as I brought the six left over bars home and no one else liked them very much. So I ate them all... I told you it was that sort of week!
2. A Dress
I finished the dress I started making at Backstitch. Which I wore the afore mentioned Embroiderer's Guild meeting. I think I like it although the neck gapes (hence the scarf). At least it is very roomy and comfortable to allow for eating of lots of jam tarts.
3. Love Hearts
From jam tarts to love hearts... a bit of recipe testing for the new business in advance of Valentine's Day. I was rather pleased with these over sized vanilla cookies but I'm not sure how popular they will be... not much response to them on my Facebook page. And I've eaten too many of these too!
4. Plush Pebbles
I was back teaching this week and finished off the Plush Pebble sampler to show my class. Nothing more to say about that really... except there are going to be some really nice examples from my ladies in the class. I promise to show you when they are finished.
5. Dinner
It seems a bit desperate when I start showing you photos of my dinner (well, not my dinner because they are meatballs and I don't eat meat so this was for the others). But I've got a bit of a food magazine addiction at the moment ( a business expense of course) and as there is a prize of some rather lovely crockery for posting a photo of the cover recipe from "Delicious" I decided there was nothing to lose. The family get a tasty dinner... Italian baked meatballs with garlic bread... and I might win some plates... got to be in it to win it!
So, that's my week... what have you been up to?
Joining in with Amy for Five on Friday
Such a good idea to make oversized love hearts, they are just the right colours too. Your sampler is very bright and cheery too. :-)
ReplyDeleteGosh you have made me feel hungry just reading your post. Your pebbles look fabulous. Well I'd better get on with some baking as you have put me to shame! Have a great weekend:) Barbara x
ReplyDeleteLove the love heart cookies surprised you have not had the response on FB, think they are fab. I am so upset with this week and the loss of great people, in our circle two dogs have been put son this week and a friend's FIL died yesterday, not to mention Celine Deon's husband. January does nor seem to be a good month. I think you are doing the right thing by eating your way through it, I may just join you for the remainder of the month... BTW love the pebble embroidery too
ReplyDeleteI love jam tarts, warm and with a little custard a favourite from my childhood. The love heart cookies look wonderful, they would make a great wedding favour.
ReplyDeleteThere's always so much good food over here Gina -- you always make me hungry LOL. Looks like you're making great use of that new kitchen. You look so cute in your new dress too. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe love heart biscuits look gorgeous and very yummy. I love the pebble sampler too and very inspired to have a try at the technique - a good way to use up all those scraps of velvet in the cupboard! Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteLove the Love Hearts and Jam tarts. We have three or four half empty jam jars in the fridge too - so I may just try that idea. It has been a sad week with both national and more personal news. Alan Rickman was a favourite of mine and I've been remembering seeing him on stage at the RSC at Stratfor and in London in the 1980/90s and also all his wonderful films. Such a sad loss:)
ReplyDeleteThose love heart cookies are so like the sweets and I bet they taste a great deal better. The dress looks stylish and comfortable, and the pebble sampler is gorgeous. A week of sad news but at least the suffering of these two heroes is over. Such a cruel illness.
ReplyDeleteOh - good luck with the magazine competition. The meatballs sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteI do like the dress and the Love Hearts although I have to confess that when I saw them on your FB page I hadn't realised that they were biscuits, I thought they were the original Love Hearts. Good luck with the competition.
ReplyDeleteooo those jam tarts look amazing, thanks for sharing the link. Might have to give them a go at some point.
ReplyDeleteYour Plus Pebbles looks very pretty, reminds me a bit of a knitting pattern I've seen although naturally I can't remember the name right now :-S
I can't understand why you haven't had a big response to your Love Heart cookies because I think they are a fab idea. And yes, losing David Bowie and Alan Rickman in the same week has quite taken the wind out of my sails. Hope you have a good weekend. x
ReplyDeleteGina, if there was ever a January week that called out for comfort food, this was certainly it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting us see all that you've been making this week. Jam tarts...I must learn how to make them and will start looking for some authentic recipes.
Your lovely message cookies are completely charming. Your dress is a winner...I'm a fan of scarves, particularly in the chill of winter. The embroidery pebbles are very interesting.
You are bound to win the magazine competition. I do love meatballs!
A couple of days ago and friend and I met at a local British cafe, Tea & Sympathy, to belatedly celebrate our birthdays. It was a very cold day, and I went for bangers and mash with onion gravy, Elizabeth chose a chicken pie with mash, we shared a huge pot of tea, and still found room for ginger cake and sticky toffee pudding...both with custard. It was a very cold day and lunch really hit all the spots.
xo
I think that everything is fabulous!! I would have eaten the jam tarts and the cookies - which are so cute!! The dress looks great on you too, fantastic job! Thank you for joining Five On Friday! Happy Weekend! xx
ReplyDeleteThat's good, now I don't have to feel guilty for helping myself to a second jam tart on Saturday - I was just helping you out! And I'm delighted with my Love Heart, I can hear it calling my name as I type xx
ReplyDeleteMy, you have been busy and have shared such lovely ideas today! I love the jam tarts, the cookies and the meatballs look so yummy. The dress you made is beautiful. Maybe you have encouraged me to look at sewing again. Enjoy your weekend, Pat
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. It is hard to be clever and witty when there is sadness in the air.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the plates, I hope you win.
Like your dress, it looks good with the scarf. Baked meatballs look heavenly, I think they'd win a prize around here.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the competition, the dinner looks delicious even though I don't eat meat either. I love those biscuits they look delicious and are such a great idea. Your dress looks lovely too. I agree, there has been some very sad losses this week. I hope you have a good weekend xx
ReplyDeleteI like photos of people's dinner! And eating it all myself became the main reason I stopped baking so much (so etching had to give before I got wedged in the door)!
ReplyDeleteThe love biscuits are awesome ! As a non-meat eater as well I'd love it if you shared a favourite recipe. I seem to buy sooooo many vege cookbooks but tried and true loved reciped from friends are always the winners.
ReplyDeleteThe jam tarts look so delicious! Love the pebble quilt too. And your dress is lovely! Great Five!
ReplyDeleteYour baking looks delicious. I think the love heart cookies are a great idea- just right for Valentine's day or weddings.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I've been up to much but definitely not eating as many tarts and biscuits... that's comfort eating. Stop it now!! You took the words out of my mouth with your David Bowie post. I was never a huge fan but he seemed to define my youth for me. Such a key part of the 70's and 80's. A class act that will be hard to follow. Hmm... a class act... sounds a bit like you actually!
ReplyDeleteGosh, you have been as busy as ever Gina. Jam tarts are a favourite memory from my childhood. Good luck with the magazine, I hope you win. Cheers
ReplyDeleteLove your Friday Five. The love hearts are brilliant. Just out of interest, is there a layer of something between the fondant and the biscuit? I've always wondered how bakers get the icing to stick.
ReplyDeleteLovely to meet you through Amy's Five on Friday which I've started to participate in. Your week sounds very interesting to me what with the cooking, teaching and the Embroidery Guild.
ReplyDeleteThe love hearts look great as does the photos of the other food. I'm sure it all tastes as good as it looks - I hope you win the competition.
Oh! That dress looks cosy and comfortable - my kind of clothing! The V-Day cookies are adorable - I am sure they will sell well. I'd buy a dozen for sure!
ReplyDeleteXO
Bronwyn
www.queenbcreativeme.blogspot.com
The Love Heart biscuits look great. I don't think Valentine's is a big plan-ahead celebration, you will probably get lots of last minute orders! X
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