Thursday, September 24, 2009

Morning Tea

Almost immediately after finishing Oscar's coat, I moved onto my next paid job - catering a morning tea for 35 local principals. I got the job through Mum's boss, who has known me since I was 8, and has often hired me as a relief teacher too. She requested biscuits and muffins, so after much thought I decided upon my famous chocolate chip cookies, ginger biscuits, white choc/raspberry and double chocolate muffins (from the one recipe which I got from an online friend), and lemon cake from a recipe Jill gave me (from the CWA cookbook)
Having never made the muffins or cake before I did a trial run on the Sunday before the big event. Both worked well (though the lemon cake should not be made in a mini bundt pan!) and both Mum's staff and the staff of the school I worked at on Monday were well fed. I also make the choc chip cookie dough up and put it in the fridge.
Monday afternoon and evening saw me very busy baking, from soon after I got home until almost 10pm (though I did fit dinner in there!). After surveying the scene above, and doing some calculating, I decided that one more thing was needed... And so, I got up early on Tuesday morning to make a cinnamon honey cake. I'd debated doing a chocolate cake, but I don't have a recipe I'm sure of, while the cinnamon honey cake is an old favourite.
I took everything up to the school in plastic containers, except the last cake which was still warm, and set it out onto platters when I got there. I had the assistance of some very capable senior students to take it in, and I am told it was a great success!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

More chicks at last

After searching long and hard, we finally acquired some more chooks. We got these little girls from Chesterfield Farm, and they were only 12 weeks old (that was a week and a half ago) so it will be a couple of months before we get any eggs from them.
The two spotty ones (centre) are Mum's, and she has named them Flora and Dora. The grey one (back) belongs to our neighbour (a bit of a joke) and Mum tells me its name is Cora, but I don't believe here. The two black ones are mine, and they are as yet unnamed. Any suggestions? One has a few brown feathers around her neck (it's hard to tell, but I think it's the one on the left)

Friday, September 18, 2009

A coat for Oscar

I hope that you will forgive my absence these last few weeks. You see, when not working, or sick, or both, I have been obsessed with finishing this gorgeous little coat for an even more gorgeous little boy named Oscar.
After seeing my recent girl's coats, Oscar's mummy commissioned me to make a coat for him. We went fabric shopping together, and after a little searching, I found this pattern.
It took me far too long to make between the work, and the illness and a few little challenges, including eliminating most of the handsewing (the pattern wanted me to handsew in the entire lining!), making pockets
and lining the back vent
but finally I finished this gorgeous little coat and delivered it to a very excited mother.
Not only has she paid me for it, but has had professional photos taken of Oscar wearing it, which she has offered to me for promotional purposes!
Fortunately, considering that Winter is now over, it is still a little big so it will fit Oscar next year and get the wear that it deserves.