Camping Stewy Goodness

We are madly packing away for going camping at our house.  Mr Daddy is trying to work out how to attach the new roof racks (not going too well by the amount of grumping I can hear coming from the garage.)  I am in charge of all things kitchen and am making one pot meals to heat and serve.

Sample for Lunch, it's pretty nice

I was really inspired by all the bits of pieces of homegrown veggies we have around the place and the challenge of trying to make something with them that wasn't ratatouille.  We are at the end of our summer crops  (I always feel a bit pretentious saying crops when I just have a few little garden beds.)   Anyway so I pretty much have a bit of a mish mosh of veggies that are less than perfect specimens.   I didn't think to take a before picture to show you but they were impressive in a sad kind of big supermarket reject way.  I had the last of grandmas butternut pumpkins, capsicums, egg plant and zucchini from my garden.  So here is what I made...

Chicken, Chickpea and Chucked in Veggie Tagine

2 red onions, chopped
2 red capsicum, chopped
1 medium size butter nut pumpkin., peeled and chopped
2 x 400g cans of tomatoes
2 x 400g cans of chick peas
3 medium zucchinis, chopped
2 medium sized eggplant, chopped
500g chopped chicken thigh
(we don't eat huge amounts of meat so you may like to add more for more of a carnivores meal.)
1 x 400g coconut milk
2 tablespoons korma curry paste

In a large pan fry onions in a tablespoon of olive oil then brown chicken meat.  Then place all the ingredients into a low cooker or large pot if you don't have a slow cooker.  Stir well to combine, set heat and walk away.

Before applying heat

After

Serve with rice it tastes great.

Christmas Wishes

I  hope you had a wonderful Christmas full of sparkle and joy with very little tension sprinkled through.  We had a lovely day full of kids, family, food and a lot of technology.  We had 8 adults and 7 children including Grandma's, Poppy's, Uncles and Aunties and lots of cousins ranging in age from 9 years to 9 months (the cousins ages that is.)  

Aunty Emy worked out that between all the house holds we had enough Apple devices for each man woman and child.  Hmmm not sure how we all feel about that but we did have fun playing, learning and bumping between devices.  We also found time for lots of home made gifts and plenty of action with the now obligatory Christmas activity the Slip n Slide.

Like my kids need anything ....

So many kids and so few tears, no accidents at all, who would have thought!!!

Wishful thinking girls 

A pool noodle doesn't make the best toboggan

You are not a salmon Master B, TURN AROUND

Ok Christmas, I Will be Ready in a Tick

I am nearly ready, only a few things left to do now.  We have been very busy ...

The sweat shop has been pumping out all sorts of gifts.

Gifts got wrapped

Bags got made

So were clips and jewels

More bags

Kids were painted - This was master piece
on Master B was painted by Miss M

Christmas frocks were bought

Shenanigans were had in change rooms

Toys have been wished for 

Parades have been observed

Just a bit of cooking, house tiding up, more wrapping, last minute shop,
washing to put away, dismantle the sweat shop, Christmas eve function to
attend and then its time to bring on the big guy in the red suit.

Addicted to Sewing

OMG I am addicted....  Have you seen these 12 signs you might be addicted to sewing from Sew Fearless.  I said yes to too many!  I wonder if there is a help group???

Photo by Miss Sews-it-all

Better go and and see if you are too - 12 Signs You Are Addicted to Sewing 

The T & G Sale

My Favourite fabric store Thread and Ginger have started their sale and I have been shopping...  On my wish list was some fabric to replenish my stash of material to use for linings and B sides, perhaps a book and maybe some samples being sold off.  I was not disappointed.

Miss S said "Wow Mum that's an Eiffel tower."
My beautiful tower of $10 a meter fabric.
 

The lovely T & G girls have also have prepared
 little free gifts for customers for each of the twelve days
of the sale, isn't that nice.
This stitchery design was the gift the day I went.

Girl fabrics

Spots

Florals

Boys Fabrics

Stripes

Contemporary

These gorgeous boys shorts sample 

Got a book, it is complete with full size patterns.

Happy Days, I am still on a retail high!  
The best bit is that it is still on, so am hoping to back soon to see if I missed anything. 

Footnote - The End of year sale turned into a closing down sale... I know Boo Hooooo for me.  I have lost my muse.  (I did pick up even more fabric on sale but felt a bit like a viking raping and pillaging.)  Anyway the very talented  Natalie is going to carry on with some of her stuff online and I am going to hunt Karen down for cups of tea etc when the kids are back at school.

Christmas Skirts

We love a good Christmas outfit, a bit of xmassy flair.   This is what Miss S is wearing this year.  It is made from a fabulous bundle of fat quarters, there was enough for two elastic waisted skirts (one for each of the girls.)   I love kids in matchy outfits.

With a Miss S styled with a flower brooch.

This is the other skirt finished with red ric rac that has never been worn, sob.

Master B is still wearing last years shorts, he has
worn them all through the year, insisting they are not just for christmas.

Hip Hp Horay Holiday

Tis the season for Mummy to have a big rest, today was the first day of six weeks of no school.  I don't know where to start slacking off first!  I did three loads of washing this morning and only hung them out late this afternoon, I didn't empty the dishwasher, I haven't folded the washing oh the list goes on... 

Over the weekend I commandeered the dinning table for all my sewing gear and I intend to stay there all set up for some time yet.  Please feel free to bring over a project and join me.  The family will have to eat either picnic style on the floor or up at the breakfast bar in shifts.  I am in my element.

Living room looks like this and 

the kitchen looks like this, I am not even twitching.
(Actually I think it could all look much worse.) 

My new studio at the dinner table.

 Oh oh oh and to make things better Thread and Ginger (about 10 shops down from Linny Lincraft at Vicci Point.) have just gone on sale, you know where I am going tomorrow first thing tomorrow.

Yoo-hooo Etsy Can You See Me

Oh mi!  I have done it, gone and opened an Etsy store, am feeling a bit light headed from putting myself so out there!   Not sure if it is a good idea or if anything will ever sell but I have a washing basket overflowing with all the things I have been making so thought high time I did something.

I have listed a few bags and perhaps will add a few more things in the future.  It has been a good exercise and really reinforced that I need a decent camera.  The pics could be much better, I have been putting off getting a new camera ages because the research scares me, maybe it can be my holiday project...

Anyway my shop is call "I am Bec too"  because someone already had all the other cooler names I could think of.  My banner is a bit lame and needs to be a work in progress but all in all it is a bit exciting.   I have even worked out how to have a "Coupon Offer" which means if you go and choose to buy something from my shop enter "YOOHOO" into the coupon space and you get free shipping for all of Australia.

This is what I listed -

Shop link = I am Bec too...
Remember - free shipping for all of Aust with the coupon "YOOHOO"

Lace Pots and Bows

It is still teacher gift central at our house, some went off today the rest are to be gifted over the next few days.  I have three more gifts to finish out of the 7 teachers (it is a long story as to how we ended up with 7 teachers between three children.)  I have made a note to self to make sure I start earlier next year, I thought I had given myself enough time but it seems I forgot I have children a husband and a dog.

Good old Ikea has a beautiful new range of white lace work garden pots, they were just begging to be trimmed with ribbons and stuffed with goodies, perfect for gifts don't you think?

I just love my Stampin' Up ribbon collection and
double sided tape for projects like this.

Favourite colour combinations - Blue and Green 

Yellow and Pink 

Perfect size pot for a jar of biccies

Doesn't matter what the biccies taste like, they are just for show
 its all about the packaging!
Incidentally these biccies are great - Double Choc Chip's