Cinnamon rolls and Cheese & bacon rolls

 

Hello my lovely’s I have started posting on the new blog so would love for you to pop on over and check it out my latest posts.

See you there, Jennifer xx

New Look!!!

 

It’s Monday morning, kids are playing, hubby is working out in the shed and well I decided that I would work on my new blog instead of folding the washing.  What do you think?

Would love for you to stop by and have a look around.  Still have a few things to finish but I’m pretty happy with it. 

Jennifer xx

 

 

Technorati Tags: new blog,new website,eat craft sow,wordpress,blogger

Moving to Wordpress

 

Hello my lovely’s how are you all been in my absence.  I have been really busy with Bits & Bobs 4 bubs and have recently changed the blog over to wordpress.

I have also finally made my very first nappy bag set.  It comes with a matching nappy wallet and change mat.  I just love the Heather Bailey fabric that I have had sitting in my fabric stash waiting for to find out what it will be turned into.

Another new item to the store are my waterproof seat pads for potting training to use in your pram/stroller or car seat.  I have a few in both stores and lots more all cut out reading to be sewn together and listed.

 

But during all this I have also still been cooking and making a few little things here and there which I can’t wait to share with you.  But first it’s the school holiday time and hubby is off as well so we have lots of things planned with the kids.

I am also going to try and fit sometime in between our outings to change Eat Craft Sow over to wordpress. After changing over Bits & Bobs 4 Bubs I just love that I have better control over the blog and can add a few more features.

Anyway hope you all have a fabulous next 2 weeks and hopefully I will see you all over at the new blog.  (I will be importing everything over from this blog so that you can still find any of your favorite tutorials, recipes etc.

Jennifer xx

 

 

Technorati Tags: wordpress,bitsandbobs4bubs,new blog,blog posts,waterproof liners,nappy bag set,nappy wallet,change mat

Made It front page

 

Guess who’s Retro Pink Nappy Wallet is on the Made It front page today!!!!!

So excited, have a great day!!!!!

Jennifer

 

Technorati Tags: madeit. madeit.com.au,handmade,australia,bitsandbobs4bubs,nappy wallet

Nutella Rolled French Toast

 

I thought I would share a recipe that I found watching Good Chef Bad Chef yesterday.  Adrian Richardson cooked french toast with nutella and so this morning I made it for the kids cos what kid doesn’t like nutella.

It is so easy to make and you don’t have to cook it in a frying pan, you can bake them in the oven for around 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  You can find the recipe here.

Now it’s not something I would make everyday but it is a nice treat and I am planning on making it for brekkie when we go camping next.

Enjoy I know the kids did this morning.

Jennifer xx

PS. the site has the picture around the wrong way but I’m sure you would love to make the french toast topped with banana too!!!

Technorati Tags: french toast,nutella,breakfast,rolls,recipe,good chef bad chef,Adrian Richardson

Fancy Sausage Roll

 

I was going to call this a savory strudel but I think it is more like a giant fancy sausage roll.  I love the chicken strudels that you can buy at the supermarket but thought I would make a version of my own using sausage mince. 

You can buy it from the meat department and some butchers for around $2 – $3  for about 500g ands I was able to make two strudels out of all the ingredients for under $12.

What I used to make one:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

1 250g of sausage meat

125g of sundried tomatoe parmesan and cashew dip/spread

125g of ricotta

1 egg whisked

sesame seeds for the top (this is optional)

handful of baby spinach

So basically leave your puff pastry out on the bench to defrost and before it is too soft add all your toppings and if you can leave the film that divides the sheets on the bottom as this will help you to roll the strudel.  All you need to do is layer your ingredients on your puff pastry starting with the sausage meat.  Spread the sausage meat on 3/4 of your puff pastry.  This is so you have enough to seal the strudel and to stop your filling from melting out underneath.

Then spread on the sundried tomatoe dip, then top that with the ricotta and finish with the spinach.  To roll fold the puff pastry about an inch and start to peel the film back and slowly roll the strudel to the end.

Now if you are going to freeze this for another day use the film to wrap the strudel before wrapping again in glad wrap.  To cook wash the top of the strudel with the whisked egg and top with the sesame seeds.  Bake in an over at 180 for about 30-35 mins.  Leave to cool slightly before cutting.

We had this for dinner one night with salad and boiled potatoes that were grown in the veggie garden and i froze the second one for another day.  You can also replace the sausage meat with chicken mince or turkey mince, just season the mince first. 

And to get 2 strudels out of your mixture just make sure that you purchase 250g containers of the sundried tomatoe spread and ricotta and for the spinach buy it by the bag.

Would love to know what fillings you come up with over at my Facebook page

Enjoy!!!

Jennifer xx

 

 

Technorati Tags: recipe,cooking,strudel,sausage roll,sausage meat,chicken,turkey,sundried tomatoe,ricotta,baby spinach,dinner,lunch,picnic

Over at Bits & Bobs 4 Bubs

 

I have a quick tutorial over at Bits & Bobs 4 Bubs for using up your scraps of fabric to make ice lolly covers.

Jennifer xx

 

Technorati Tags: sewing,tutorial,scraps,fabric,covers,ice lollie,iceblocks

Sew Tute – Tote bag

 

Tote bags are a great handmade gift for anyone especially for kids.  They can be used as a sleepover bag, shopping bag, toy bag and even a library bag.

First I like draft a pattern on paper and file it away for another day in an expander file but if you don’t have paper that is all good you can just draft it straight onto the fabric.

Ok what you need:

• half a metre for your outer fabric
• half a metre for your inside fabric
• 40 inches of cotton webbing tape

The finished tote will be 13 inches wide x 13 inches high x 4 inches deep so to draft a pattern on paper I started by marking out the main part of the bag that is 13 inches x 13 inches.  Then I added another 4.5 inches to the width of the bag on one side as this will add the  depth and 1/4 inch seam allowance.

For the base of the bag I have added 2.25 inches x width of the bag (17.5 inches) to the bottom of the pattern. 

Once this is all marked out cut out a 2 inch x 2 inch square from the bottom corners of the pattern.  And this is what you should end up with.

Place your pattern onto your fabric and cut 2 pieces for your outside fabric and 2 for your lining.  Starting with your outside fabric, place right sides together, pin and sew down each side and across the bottom.  Now do the same with the lining/inside fabric and remember  not sew the 2 x 2 cutout section.

Ok so now to make the base of the bag by pinching grabbing each side of the bag corners and lining them up together, pin and sew.  Do this for each corner.

Lets put it together!  turn your lining/inside fabric out the right way and insert into the outer fabric bag so that right sides are facing each other.  Pin and sew leaving a 3 or 4 inch gap to turn the bag right side out.

Give your bag a bit of an iron and then top stitch all the way around the top making sure that you sew the turnout opening.  If you like you can hand stitch the opening first before top stitching.

For the handles cut the webbing in half so that they both measure 20 inches in length.  Fold about half an each at each end a pin to where you want the handles to be.  I folded the bag in half and then went 2 inches out each side of the centre and pinned the handles.  Then I sewed a square then across the middle to secure the handles to the bag.

 

And now you are done!!   Have lots of fun making lots of totes for your family and friends.  You can even redraft using the same method to make the bags bigger and wider by adding a few extra inches to the side and bottom.

Would love for you to share what you have made over at my Facebook page.

Jennifer xx

 

Technorati Tags: tutorial,sewing,pattern,draft,tote,bag,library bag,toy bag,sleeping bag,kindy bag,handmade

Happy New Year

 

Hello and happy new year.  I hope you all have had a wonderful time with family and friends seeing in the new year and have all your goals/new years resolutions all planned and under way.

For me well I actually don’t make new years resolutions, WHY? you may ask well because I never stick to them.  I don’t, i just have a few little plans in my head that I want to do and if I achieve them FANTASTIC!!!! if I don’t well I ain’t going to punish myself about it.

Now what is in store for you this week well I recently made this matching felt doll, tote bag and art folder for a lovely young lady who has turned 5th birthday and I thought I would share a tutorial or to for the tote bag and art folder with you.  As for the felt doll it is actually a free pattern from Martha Stewart called the Black Apple Doll and you can find the pattern and tutorial black apple doll.

Also this week I thought I would share my recipe for a yummy kind of garment sausage roll that I made. It has ricotta, capsicum, spinach, sausage meat all rolled up in puff pastry.  It was yummy and I managed to make 2 of them for under around $12.  Its great hot or cold and perfect for this great picnic weather we are having.

Oh and I might just have to have a little giveaway too!

Jennifer xx

 

 

Technorati Tags: tutorial,recipe,felt doll,tote,art folder,sausage roll,black apple doll,giveaway

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!

 

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas too you and your family.  Thank you so much for following my little blog even though I have been so flakely this year lol.

I have had a wonderful day with my family and the kids have been very spoilt this year with Santa finally leaving a trampoline for the kinds under the Christmas tree (well maybe in its box next to the tree)

Be safe and I look forward to sharing lots more with you in the New Year!!!!

Jennifer xx

Fabric covered journal

 

Looking for a last minute gift for that family or friend that you just realized that you haven’t bought something for and just can’t face the Christmas rush or just need a secret Santa gift well why not make yourself a fabric covered diary or journal.

 

I thought it would be nice to make these as a Thank You gift for the girl’s teachers this year and you only need 2 fat quarters of different print, lining, 2 inch strip of velcro, 5 inch length of ribbon or fabric to close the journal and hold the pen, A5 size Journal (you can cover 2 A5 size books with 2 fat quarters) and a pen. 

 

First you will have to draft your pattern onto some paper.  Open your journal/diary and lay it flat on your paper and with a pencil draw around your journal/diary.

 

 

Now we need to measure the width of the book when its closed as we are going to use this as the measurement for the sleeves that the book cover is going to slide into.  My journal is 6 inches wide so that gives me 3 inches each side.  Now add another inch across the top and on one side of the journal/diary outline.  This will give you your 1/4 allowance on all sides and for when you make the sleeves for the book covers to slide into.

 

 

With your paper pattern finished and cut out, trace it onto each of your fabrics and your lining and cut out.  Place right sides of both fabrics together, your lining on top and pin.  Now its off to your sewing machine to sew each sides but leave at least a 3 inch hole to turn the fabric out the right way.

 

Before turning my fabric out the right way, I like to iron the seam where the opening is back so that it is flat and even for sewing when its turned out the right way.  Once turned the right way iron your fabric  again and hand stitch the opening closed. 

Now before sewing the sides down to make a little sleeve I actually marked them first so that I could sew on the closure.   Place the book open on the fabric, fold over the fabric each side and pin.  Now because my journal actually has a ring binding I found that I had to make a little bit of an allowance for this for opening and shutting so just keep that in mind if you have one similar (I folded on side an inch shorter then the other).

Close the fabric over as if the book is inside and mark each side where you would like to sew your velcro and your ribbon.  I used snap closures but with the velcro I would sew a 1 inch square of velcro onto the end of the ribbon and the other half to the fabric cover.

 
One you have sewn your velcro and ribbon on it’s time to sew the sleeves done.  This is done by sewing a 1/4 inch seam across the top and then across the bottom.  And now your done.

 

 

What do you think.  I just love these so easy and they can be reused over and over again.  If you are feeling a bit adventures add some embellishments.  I had a sample given to me of ribbon with a little saying on them a couple of years ago and thought they would go nicely with this gift.

 

 

Oh and a little tip for placing the book in the sleeve.  Arch the book up and it should slide in very easily.

 

  

Would love for you to share what you have made over at my Facebook page.

Jennifer xx

Technorati Tags: fabric,cover,book,journal,diary,sewing,tutorial,fat quarter,pen,secret santa,gift,handmade,teachers gift

Christmas cake

 

Christmas is just not the same without a yummy Christmas cake for dessert all covered in marzipan, wrapped in a pretty christmas bow with a piece of holly on top. 

Hubby’s Nana used to make it each year and it would sit for weeks in a cake tin in the cupboard until it was ready for eating.  It’s my husbands favourite kind of cake and he likes it heated up like pudding with some yummy custard.

This year I thought I would make one but I have been a bit slack and left it to the last minute and as I wanted to put some pieces in the baskets I have made for hubby’s work mates I thought I would use this quick and easy recipe that you can find on a lot of pages on the internet and also in magazines where I found it years ago (sorry to the magazine for no mention as I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was) and only uses 4 ingredients.

To make this cake you will need:

1kg diced fruit mix

2 cups of orange juice (I did read somewhere that a lady had used apricot nectar)

2 cups of self raising flour

1 of sherry (I didn’t have sherry and couldn’t find the grand marnier so I used port)

optional glazed cherries for the top

In a large mixing bowl place the fruit mix, orange juice and sherry and give it a good mix together.  Cover and let sit for about 2 to 3 hours (I gave it a bit of a stir every half hour but you don’t have to do this)

Pre heat your oven at around 120 degrees (my oven is fan forced) and line your cake tin with baking paper.  Once the fruit is all lovely and plump, sift in the 2 cups or self raising flour and mix thoroughly so that there is no lumps of flour. 

 

Pour the mixture into your cake tin and if you are going to decorate your cake with glazed cherries, place them into and around the top of your cake now. 

Bake in the oven for around an hour and a half or until golden brown.  I tested the cake after an hour and it was ready but it will depend on your oven.

Once your cake is cooked, leave to cool then place in an air tight container for a few days before cutting.  Now we couldn’t wait (hubby that is) and had some that night and it was lovely and moist.

And there you have it your very own christmas cake.  Now for the flour I used The Healthy Baker self raising flour and for the orange juice well I wanted to try something with a few more flours so I used Golden Circle orange, carrot and ginger juice.  It’s lovely and only has a little hint of ginger.

For decorating well I'm not a real big fan of marzipan and you can use icing but I just love my Christmas cake just the way it is.

What’s your favourite Christmas cake or dessert for Christmas?

Jennifer xx

 

google Tags: christmas cake, recipe, cooking, fruit cake, custard, golden circle apple carrot ginger juice, the healthy baker self raising flour, fruit mix, sherry, grand marnier, port, cherries