Storing Ribbons ... a Rainbow of Colour

Once again I've neglected to blog and I can't say it's because I've been too busy.  There are no new recipes and no new craft projects.  I did try to get my stash in order and sorted out boxes and drawers.  An internet surfing friend innocently shared a link to a site displaying ribbons stored in jars ... and then inspiration struck.  I'd always kept my ribbon in jars but they were all pushed in and worked their way into a tangle of mixed colours.

Now they are tightly wrapped around lolly sticks and tongue depressors and stored in coordinating colours ... but take up twice as much space on my shelves.  I think I can feel another shopping trip coming on to buy new storage solutions.  

A scrappers stash is never complete ... life is a work in progress!

Kohl Rabi, Potato and Thyme Gratin

A Kohl Rabi is an unusual vegetable and one that I'd never heard of, or seen before I started getting an organic vegetable box delivery from Riverford.  However I followed the recipe suggestion that came with it last year and now I've discovered a new delight, and only wish that it had a longer season.  Join me with discovering this new vegetable:

The recipe supposedly serves 4 but it depends how generous a portion you have and what it accompanies.

Ingredients:

• a little butter for greasing
• 1 large kohl rabi, peeled and very finely sliced
• 500g potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• leaves from 2 large sprigs of thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan or vegetarian equivalent

Method:

Grease a gratin or baking dish with a little butter.  Preheat the oven to 180*C.

Put the cream, milk, thyme and garlic in a pan and heat until steaming.  Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 mins.

Layer the potato and kohl rabi in the gratin dish, seasoning with salt and pepper as you layer.  Pour over the infused cream. 

Cover with foil and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the veg is just tender (this will depend on how thinly you sliced the veg).  

Remove the foil and scatter over the parmesan.  Bake until golden, approximately 15 mins.

Riverford gave no indications of what to serve this with and I believe that it is versatile enough to go with whatever you fancy.  Today we had it with a roast but it is also excellent with sausages,  and vegetarians can eat it with green vegetables.

Your greatest challenge will be obtaining a kohl rabi but if you manage to get hold of one I would definitely recommend cooking this.  If it's a hot summers day it is perfect in a coleslaw or salad ... but today is a disappointing finish to May and we needed something hearty and warming.

How to make Friends

It has been far too long since I took part in a Scrapbooking challenge and today I took the metaphorical bull by the horns.  I finally visited CSI again and decided that there was no time like the present to dive back in.  Case file 164 was one I felt able to crack and I am pleased that I managed an entire layout in an afternoon.

I started by deciding on the photo ... one that I have been meaning to scrap for a whole year.  It was perfect for a CSI challenge as the photo would never have been taken and the memory never made without CSI.  

The testimony is presented as a 'how to' instruction and details how to make new friends.  I had not expected to make new friends by participating in an online challenge and yet that is what happened.  The very first week I joined CSI I ventured into the chat room; and that in itself was a major first for me. It was here that I was able to answer a question posed by Gayle who was also a newbie to CSI.  It was a first challenge for both of us. I was impressed with her submission and we became 'friends' on the site.  It was not long before our private messaging became more of a conversation and we ultimately exchanged email addresses.  

I think for both of us it was like having a pen pal as we had when children. Sometimes a scrapper needs a fellow soul to understand the passion and be non-judgmental about the quirkiness of crafting. After just 6 months a friendship was forged and we met up in New York City.  

I have used papers and embellishments that Gayle generously gave me as a gift and I've filled the rest of the space with my new love ... Kaisercraft collectables.  My efforts with ink are still tentative but I'm persevering.  I'm not sure if ink counts as 'wet medium' as evidence but it is certainly wet (my fingers are testament to that!)  I also used a brad to anchor some ribbon and to start the story of 'How to'. Other evidence used is stripes, architectural accent and speech bubble. 

A few close ups:

 I haven't used much washi tape before now but this recent purchase by freckled fawn is perfect and led me to use yellow as my primary colour.  I had intended to create a predominantly blue layout but somehow it evolved on its own.

Thanks for not giving up on me and for taking the time to scrap with me again, I love to read any comments that you leave.

Layout Kit

It has been far too long since I scrapped but spending time with my ardent scrapper friend inspired me to rediscover my mojo ... or at least to give it a bit of a shove. Last summer I purchased a layout kit from Merly Impressions which had sat on the floor in its box for 6 months. This month I have enjoyed completing it and reliving memories from a holiday 19 years ago.

 Unfortunately my photos weren't the recommended size and I think the layout looks a little too 'boxy' compared to the Merly example. This layout did challenge me to do random stamping which, for somebody who likes straight lines, is a little scary.  Fussy cutting is always a challenge for me and I kept looking at the piles of flowers thinking 'surely this is enough?'  I added a touch of glitter to add some sparkle and overall am happy with the result.

For the next layout I deviated from the recommended paper and used an alternative side. This was a major step for a rule follower!  I was initially hesitant about this layout but it is now my favourite. The photo was a very old one and not good quality but with a little photo editing to add a vintage feel to it the end result was perfect.  More fussy cutting and stitching and I began to feel that I was back under the eagle eye of Chrissy on last years scrap retreat.

I find it hard to create a layout that does not include journalling and this layout did not provide much space to journal. I decided to make a mini book with the left over scraps and to my delight then discovered Basic Grey magnetic snaps which were the perfect solution to attach it to my layout.

Now that I've discovered this method of securing books I shall create a lot more on future layouts. I know that pride is a sin but I am quite proud of the amount of fussy cutting that I did and that I didn't cut off too many bird's legs!

Thank You to Merly Impressions for giving me the inspiration and products to create layouts that bring me such happiness in sparking old memories.

Prawn Cocktail: Retro Food

I had never thought of food as fashionable but Prawn Cocktail seems to be (or should I now say unfashionable).  I almost feel guilty for liking it but it is quick and easy to make at home and is still a guilty pleasure.

It's always worth keeping prawns in the freezer as they don't take long to defrost for that impromptu dinner.  I'm not sure that I've ever used a specific recipe for Marie Rose sauce but maybe once I used one for inspiration.  I now throw things together and it is one of those instinctive dishes I like to create.  A family member repeatedly points out that it is easier to buy a jar of sauce, but for me there is no comparison and it takes less time to make it than to drive to the supermarket.  So go ahead and surprise yourself ... retro food really does taste good.

To serve two people start by putting 4-6 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise in a bowl (I like to use half normal mayo and half garlic mayo).  Add one teaspoon of tomato ketchup and one teaspoon tomato puree and stir through. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (I like to use a shake of celery salt).  Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and ensure thoroughly mixed.  Stir in prawns reserving a couple for decoration.

In your best dish arrange whatever green stuff you have to hand ... lettuce, rocket, spinach, baby leaf.  Spoon prawns and sauce on top and sprinkle with a shake of paprika before serving with a wedge of lemon. 

For a different twist add finely chopped capers / gherkins.  In fact as I am repeatedly discovering, you can do anything you like ... and if you don't like it, don't do it again!

Twin Crafting

I have not been at all crafty in the last few months and the push that I needed was the impending birthday of my granddaughters.  Their dear Gramps is making toy boxes and we need to be able to distinguish between the two.  I was inspired by a facebook page: Handmade@79 and decided that a decorated letter would be perfect.

Hobbycraft sold MDF letters and my local craft shop Cards of Distinction tempted me with cosmic shimmer paint.  I then searched in my stash for buttons and ribbons and set about decorating.  It felt good to get tactile with paint and buttons again, maybe now I can find my scrapping mojo again soon ...

is for gorgeous

is for inspired

Spare Ribs in Black Beans and Garlic

This month I have not improved on my tardiness to post a recipe in the first week but I hope this has been worth the wait. 

Some recipes get forgotten over the years and it's like discovering a new friend when they are cooked again.  I was given this recipe verbally by a Chinese Malay lady who I worked for. It has been hiding in my battered old handwritten recipe book created in 1982.

It is easy to see how well used the recipe is by the splashes of soy sauce and oil on the pages:

It makes a change from barbecued spare ribs and is well worth a try. You can serve it with rice or noodles but I have a particular weakness for noodles. Any stir fried vegetables will add to your five a day and make it a very tasty meal worthy of competing with any take-away.

Serves four ... preheat oven to 180*C / Gas Mark 4

Ingredients: 

3lb spare ribs (big meaty ones)

4 Tbs light soy sauce

3 cloves garlic

2 scoops of black beans (fermented dry black beans) I usually soak them in water for 5 mins and then drain to remove excessive salt.

1 1/2 dsp sugar

salt and pepper

enough oil until coated and glistening

Method:

• Separate the ribs and chop into 1" pieces (or ask your butcher to do it)
• Place in an ovenproof dish and season with crushed black beans (crush them with the back of a cooks knife).  
• Add all other ingredients and turn to coat. 
• Bake in oven for 45 - 60 minutes. Cover for the last 20 minutes.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR