Homemade Apple Pie! Slurp!

After a strenuous morning of abs, tums and bums and Aerobics Oz style, all in the comfort of my own livingroom, I could barely walk upstairs to the shower, my legs ached so badly. 10 mins later I was able to hobble back down stairs again, to the kitchen.

Flicking through this fabulous book for their gorgeous pastry recipe I decided to make this:

Gorgeous apple pie!

I wasn't sure how to make the filling, i.e., stew the apples or bake the apples in the oven. Stewing them would have made more of an apple sauce, which I wasn't keen on and baking the apple in the oven just seemed like too much hard work, well I had just completed 1 and a half hours of exercise and was in no mood to walk back and forward to the kitchen to check them hahaha!

So I decided to peel, core and slice 3 Bramley apples. I then arranged the slices on to the rolled out shortcrust pastry, which had been placed into a tart baking dish.  I then covered the apple  with (2 tbsp) of soft brown sugar and (1/2 Tsp) of ground cinnamon.  I then covered the apple  with more pastry, I  pressed around the edges to secure it and then using a sharp knife, I made a small slit in the centre of the pastry lid.  I then brushed the pie with a little milk and sprinkled some castor sugar on top. I then baked for 20-25 mins at 200 degrees Celsius until the pastry was lightly golden.

The result, gorgeous homemade apple pie with a  giant 1/4 of a chunk out of it, one-half to Paul the other to me.  Pauls reaction; gorgeous. Result!

Sorry... I Forgot!

 He's gorgeous, he will make you laugh, then kick you in the shins and run away... be warned haha!

Ages and ages and ages ago, well a couple of months to be exact.  I crocheted a new blanket for my nephew Kody.  If you can remember his old one was going to blanket heaven in the sky (got to bribe the kid somehow). I would show you pictures of the old blanket, but you may cry with laughter ( if you look closely it has sneaked into the picture above).  The blanket was very much loved and carried everywhere, so much so that 1 blanket eventually became 2 and then eventually 3 and still the little guy insisted on carrying it around.  That is until- the new blankie came along

V-Stitch Blankie #70118AD by Lion Brand Yarn

He calls it his special blankey (bless!)

And it's only for special occasions i.e. bedtime and when he's feeling ill, not too keen on the feeling ill part but very pleased with, it's special enough to cuddle up to and fall asleep. That's when he's not trying to grab the camera of his auntie to shove it in his mouth.

Love you Kodster,  enjoy the blanket! xx

100 Things I want to do before I die!

All the statements I have achieved so far are shown  in red (not very many, better get a move on hahaha!)

1. Attend at least one major sporting event: the World Cup, the Olympics.
2. Throw a huge party and invite every one of your friends.
3. Swim with a dolphin.
4. Get married in an exotic location.
5. Have your portrait painted.
6. Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure you use it.
7. Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
8. Watch the launch of the space shuttle.
9. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty.
10. Be an extra in a film.
11. Tell someone the story of your life, sparing no details.
12. Make love on a forest floor.
13. Learn to horseride.
14. Learn to rollerblade.
15. Own a room with a view.
16. Brew your own beer.
17. Learn how to take a compliment.
18. Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
19. Set up your own business and work from home.
20. Give your mother a dozen red roses and tell her you love her.
21. Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
22. Put your name down to be a passenger on the first tourist shuttle to the moon.
23. Send a message in a bottle.
24. Ride a camel into the desert.
25. Get to know your neighbors.
26. Plant a tree.
27. Learn not to say yes when you really mean no.
28. Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
29. Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works.
30. Learn to ballroom dance properly.
31. Learn how to do a Zumba Fitness class properely (not go in a different direction from everyone else)
32. Be the boss.
33. Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally.
34. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
35. Sit on a jury.
36. Write the novel you know you have inside you.
37. Make a quilt.
38. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once).
39. Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
40. Become a mentor to a young person who needs direction.
41. Shower in a waterfall.
42. Ask for a raise.
43. Learn to play the guitar with some degree of skill.
44. Teach someone illiterate to read.
45. Be in two places at once.
46. Spend a night in a haunted house -- by yourself.
47. Write down your personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.
48. See a lunar eclipse.
49. Spend New Year's in an exotic location.
50. Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
51. Experience weightlessness.
52. Sing a great song in front of an audience.
53. See a shooting star.
54. Drive across America from coast to coast.
55. Make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
56. Own one very expensive but absolutely wonderful  dress.
57. Write your will.
58. Sleep under the stars.
59. Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
60. Learn how to complain effectively -- and do it!
61. Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
62. Spend a whole day reading a great novel.
63. Forgive your parents.
64. Learn to juggle with three balls.
65. Drive the Autobahn.
66. Find a job you love.
67. Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
68. Overcome your fear of failure.
69. Raft through the Grand Canyon.
70. Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
71. Buy your own house and then spend time making it into exactly what you want.
72. Grow a garden.
73. Spend three months getting your body into optimum shape.
74. Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
75. Accept yourself for who you are.
76. Give blood (scared of needles but I want to give)
77. Get a tattoo (again scared of needles).
78. Go up in a hot-air balloon.
79. Attend one really huge rock concert.
80. Experience (firsthand) the birth of a child.
81. Be able to handle:  your banker, telephone solicitors, call centres.
82. Give to a charity -- anonymously.
83. Visit the pyramids of Egypt.
84. Let someone feed you peeled, seedless grapes.
85. Kiss the Blarney stone and develop the gift of gab.
86. Fart in a crowded space.
87. Make love on the kitchen floor.
88. Go deep sea fishing and eat your catch.
89. Create your own web site.
90. Visit the Holy Land.
91. Make yourself spend a half-day at a concentration camp and swear never to forget.
92. Make Bread from scratch.
93. Create your Family Tree.
94. Become a good listener.
95. Make a hole-in-one.
96. Learn to ski.
97. Learn to bartend.
98. Run a marathon.
99. Be able to forgive and not hold a grudge..
100. Reflect on your greatest weakness, and realize how it is your greatest strength.

February Lady Sweater!

  Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne at    http://www.flintknits.com/blog/
  Needles: 4.5mm, 32" circular needle and 4.5mm DPN's
 Size: 41" bust (I'm a curvy squirrel)
  Yarn: Robin Aran with wool in Salmon Pink.

 I decided to knit this sweater for a couple of reasons
* Pattern is gorgeous and I had to have one
* I had the time and patience to make one (I usually only knit scarves, shawls, mittens, etc.)
* And finally, I don't really have a sweater that I can wear on a chilly summers evening, hence the short sleeves (we do get a lot of cold weather in the North).
What I love about this pattern:  You knit it from the top down (my first and certainly not the last).  The pattern is very easy to follow, and you do the lace after the garter stitch yolk instead of the other way round (i.e. working from the bottom up).  I was bad though as I didn't do a gauge swatch and kind of just winged it. Could have been very disastrous. I think that's why I liked knitting this pattern so much, as I could see where I was going, I could stop and try the item on to get an idea if I was on the correct track and guess what, I was, (first time for everything) no frogging, amazing!

I then had 2 dilemmas- sleeves or no sleeves and what buttons to choose.  I really couldn't decide so left the pattern for a couple of days and searched photos from other knitters February Sweaters to see what I liked best. I decided on no sleeves as you can see.  The buttons were a different matter.  My poor sweater sat for about a week buttonless and in no hope of ever being finished. :(  (I won't just put any button on a garment it has to be just right.  I have a thing about buttons.)
                                                                         

I finally decided on these from www.thenaturaldyestudio.com/ they are wooden Daisy Painted buttons 30mm. Some of the Daisy Petals are the same colour as the yarn (told you the buttons have to be just right).  All in all, I love the colour of the yarn but not sure if I would use it again.  I found it very sore going and drying on the hands. However, the shape is beautiful, I love the drape, and it is very cosy and to top it all of I have had quite a few admiring glances while wearing it.  The postie even commented on the buttons (and he's a man) result.

Happy Birthday to meeee.......

Lots of cake and a cup of tea hahaha!

39 years ago today at 7.40am (I'm an early bird) I came into the world screaming and kicking.  I don't feel 39 though, I'm actually only 5 (well in my head I'm 5 ).  Anyway, come in, sit down. Would you like a piece of cake and a cup of tea?  Enjoy!

I will post my birthday pressies, later on, today or tomorrow!
Have a lovely day!
Squirrel xx