Beautiful Buttons

I have been collecting Donna Hay magazine since its inception. The images, the styling, and the bright colours (especially that 'Donna Hay Blue') are devoured by Mr BB and I regularly. It is because of her recipes that he loves making ice creams and gelato so much.

It was thus with great delight that I received this parcel from Mum recently. They're edible cake decorations! Too cute to use? Fabulosity that I love seeing every day in my kitchen, and remineders of the beauty of the button.

J

Christmas Pudding

Do you make your own Christmas Pudding?
Plum duff?
Pud?

Are you a steam-it-in-the-cloth or a pudding bowl type?

Brandy cream? Custard? Ice cream? Whipped cream? Plain? Lit with brandy? Hot? Cold slices for days afterwards?

What's your tradition?

My Nan came from quite a background. For years, Nan made the pudding based on a recipe from their cook/house-keeper (is that right Mum?)

It was always boiled in a pudding cloth, and hung with its pals (there were usually three or four), on a broom handle in the spare room. When Mum got our pudding from Nan it was hung on a nail in a rafter of the kitchen roof.

This "hanging" of the pudding has always been part of the mystery and tradition of the pudding for our family. The whiff of pudding, the allure of knowing what lies within the calico folds, all part of the process.

This will be the first year that I have made a pudding by myself, as we will remain in Canberra for Christmas. We have always been with the family, but this year, for many reasons, we are staying put.

Mr BB and I could not conceive of a Christmas without a pudding. He comes from the pudding bowl set, I hail from the cloth. I readied myself for the challenge.

I set myself up by purchasing and setting out all the ingredients, worrying that it was beyond my skill-set, and trying to remember the pudding-making sessions of my childhood.

Packet-suet versus the real thing ordered from the butcher? (they grate it for you to make it easier);
What size pudding cloth? Did Nan halve the recipe or double it?
What was the method again? She did it by feel so often...

After all my careful calculations, measurements, and planning, the Great Pudding cook-up took FOUR DAYS to complete.

Not only did I forget to add ingredients, my bowl was far too small to mix it, and my stock pot too small to cook it!

Once we got it all together, Mum was here for a visit, so the process became even more special. Mum, myself, and Miss 2 used Nan's recipe and created (hopefully) a magnificent pudding.


Mum and I were both quite emotional, remembering Nan, enjoying Miss 2 spooning the mix into the opened and floured cloth (licking the spoon, the bench, her fingers...)


The job was made much easier and more pleasurable by Mum being here. The smell of the cooking pudding was amazing, the whole process fantastic.



Finally it has been hung, and will be cooked again Christmas morning. Even if we are sweltering in the heat, it will boil for several hours. And if it fails to work out? We will slather it with ice-cream, cream and custard, and eat it anyway!



This week's baking task - Mince pies! Stay tuned.

j

Spring showers...

So few days are left in Spring before the long, dry and inevitably hot Canberra Summer begins.

I am busy clearing the table (well, rearranging the piles of crap actually...) and getting through the hand made Christmas pressies.

As a procrastinate more than I sew, and safe in the knowledge that Mr Button Beauty doesn't read my blog, I can tell you that today while shopping online, I bought his present!

I am rather excited about this! I do like to spoil him at Christmas, as he so rarely buys anything for himself during the year, and doesn't tend to treat himself. This year I am ignoring the global economic crisis, and spoiling him rotten. Of course I will accompany him to this event, I wouldn't want him to feel lonely or anything... and really he can't be trusted alone with Myf!

Meanwhile, the sewing pile is slowly getting smaller, and I am aiming to complete Mum's shower cap renovation tonight.

Mum bought her current shower cap in Canberra a few years ago (Bus Depot Markets - I think so anyway). The elastic has begun to perish, and the water-proof fabric has ripped. Many would throw it out and buy another, but Mum is the best at repurposing, renovating, reinvigorating, and reconditioning. This time though, she sent it to me to be fixed. Reminiscent of The Doll Hospital, I went about carefully and painstakingly removing each stitch, unpicking one by one. The quick-unpick lay hidden in a drawer. The required delicacy.

When it was disassembled, it was revealed that the poor thing was past saving, far too hideous for photos, and so I went about sourcing identical materials. I cut a pattern from the old one, and off I went to the local haberdasher (sounds better than fabric store), and stocked up. The poor assistant was trying to get me to make a funky replacement, with wild trim and vivid colours, but I wanted to just replicate the one Mum loves. That's what she wants - it's not about me! Of course in The Stash I have plenty of fabulous choices but Mum likes ..... blue.

It will be finished by tomorrow along with my apron for the latest apron swap, so look out for picture overload over the weekend!

Have a great night

J

Mum's Sticky Date Pudding for Lois

I am more than happy Lois to provide you with Mum's sticky date pudding recipe. It is delicious. The secret is that mum does hers in an old, lidded, pudding steamer. This steamer has magical powers and produces brilliant results. I have memories of a long-ago jam pudding in this steamer. Mmm. I could each steamed pudding EVERY night.....!

Please note that Australian Metric Measurements vary slightly from USA and UK ones. This article cleverly discusses and summarises this.

"The moist, sticky texture is as important as the taste of this nostalgic pudding. The sauce should be poured over the top when the pudding comes out of the oven so that a little seeps into the cake and forms a glaze on top. Serves 6.

185g dates, pitted and cut into small, even pieces (I use my kitchen scissors to do this)
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 cup boiling water
45g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sticky caramel sauce:
3/4 cup brown sugar
45g unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Grease a cake tin about 16-17cm square or 6 ramekins and preheat oven to 180 degrees.

(Mum cooks hers as a steamed pudding, in a steamer, in a saucepan of boiling water for about 45 minutes, then she turns it out and immediately covers it with 1/3 of the sauce).

Pour the boiling water over the dates and stir in the bicarb soda. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour over the top and add vanilla and dates, stirring well. The mixture will be quite wet.

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until just firm to the touch on top. It is important not to over-cook it.

To make the sauce: put all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer very gently for around 3 minutes, then serve over squares or wedges of date pudding with thick cream. The sauce can be reheated.

Yum.

j

Vanilla Ice Cream

Hubby is very talented in the kitchen when the ice cream machine is out. This was a wedding present 10 or so years ago, and he is the only one who uses it!



I Love Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. He made this batch to complement Mum's Sticky Date Pudding on the weekend. Magnificent mutual appreciation society!



x

A stitch in time saves nine...

How was your weekend?

Mine saw work, an enjoyable afternoon of knitting a Debbie Bliss hat for wee Miss Tilly (more when completed), lots of mending, and getting moving on WIPs (should be WsIP - works in progress!)

BTW, an op-shopping find which thrilled me. The picnic basket is circa 1974 - the year I was born. Aw. $1. Perfect for pressie for Miss 2. She actually turns 2 this week, and after telling all and sundry she will be FOUR, we have just stopped talking about it!!


Mending is a funny thing. I tend to wait until I have a few things to do rather than do things as they need. As such, at least an hour was spent doing little bits and pieces. Nothing to show for it, but glad it's done!

Other sewing attempted:

A bib which was ordered for an expectant couple with a motorcycle obsession... Not my thing but happy to make to order -



My apron for the sassy apron swap - my first ruffle, and I'm quite happy with it! The swap theme is Summer, and I had a hula-thing going... Have a look what it's all about here. I saw a tutorial on how to make a jeans-leg apron, and loved the idea. Mine is not as nice as hers, but I am pleased with the result. Next time, the frill will be shorter, as I ran out of fabric to do a matching waistband. That's what comes from not planning things first. They tend to just grow as I work on them usually.



Also a bag in progress for me, actually started using a commercial pattern (rare for me!!!), and after swearing at it and chucking it in the corner, have adapted it to my own needs... Gotta stop buying patterns that have crap instructions...



Started a quilt for a friend's baby due July,




And laying out an I-Spy quilt for Master 6 (he says I never make him anything!)


What did you do??!

Off to prepare for Mum coming up for a visit tomorrow - I can't wait. Flailing at the moment.


x

Vintage fabrics from Mum

Mum has had a big, heavy, plastic bag of fabrics in the shed for as long as I can remember. Her stash consists of bits of dresses she had, items she made, and offcuts from sewing projects of the past.

Mum tipped out 40 years of fabric in the courtyard, and told me I could have anything, as she is 'downsizing'. I showed enormous restraint, as so many memories are attached to the fabrics, (if only I was a quilter!!).

Here are some shots of what I have adopted. I tried to only take things I know I can use and breathe new life into. Barely a dent was made.

That last one is... yes. Nearly 4 metres. I got very emotional. Mum and Dad bought it in the 1960s, and had cushions etc from it (a curtain too??). I am not sure what it will become, possibly a blind for our home. It doesn;t want to be cut up. No hurry, it has been waiting a while!!


Thanks Mum.


x


.

Back and busy

Back home (mmm, my own bed!), mountains of washing, bags and boxes to unpack, photos to take and upload, emails to respond to, memes to update (and I've been tagged for another!), and I will NEVER go away without the computer AGAIN!

Above are some daisies to make me smile. Mum had a school teacher in the 1950s who told her there were NO blue flowers. I have inherited her joy in finding more and more of them! What about a Forget-me-not?!

We had a super-busy time in Melbourne. I went to my first Brown Owls meeting, which was fun but terrifying at the same time. It's not very 'me' to just go somewhere without knowing anyone. I was fine until I realised they all knew each other, and I tried so hard but may have been inadvertently rude to some lovely people... Sorry!

It was especially nice to meet Ms Curlypops, Drewzel, Pip, and others, and we did a spot of crocheting!

I had the pleasure and joy of meeting an elderly relative, Edna, who is 95 and loves a Vanilla Slice and a cappuccino (must be genetic)! She has loaned Mum a family diary that covers 1901 to 1912 of Edna's grandmother (Mum's great-grandmother). It was amazing to read. I loved reading the entry about her voting on the first occasion women could in Australia.

I also saw a darling lady, a companion of my late great-uncle Lloyd. Margaret is another amazing woman, also 95, and has recently had HER grandmother's cookbook restored by a conservator and archivist. It is hand-written on water-marked vellum, and inscribed 1783. I was so moved. Marg is legally blind, so her enjoyment of it comes from others reading it to her. I loved doing this, and would have read the whole book to her.

Mum is in the process of 'down-sizing', so I also came home with a box of stunning vintage fabrics from the 60s, 70s and 80s, some old books from my childhood, op-shop finds, dresses of mine from the 1970s for Miss 2, and lovely memories.

HEAPS of photos to come. Sorry for the rant!

x

This is... my trinket box

I know that I am a messy and disorganised person, and this is becoming increasingly evident in the This is... posts! My handbag, my trinket box, next one should be My Clutter!

I have several trinket boxes, each containing different treasures. A recurring theme with them is Mum, who made one, bought one, and maybe chose one. Thanks Mum :-)

This is one Mum and Dad bought for me in France - I have always loved Monet, and his waterlilies. In it is 'work' jewelry, going-out items, etc.


This is one Mum made when she was doing wheel-thrown pottery - I love the colour, the weight, the shape, the handle, everything. It contains silvery items, earrings, and earthy items.


This was given to me by Nan for a birthday I think in the 1970s or early 1980s. Made in Taiwan, it plays the theme from Dr Zhivago. It has always been a treasure itself, although it has a limited capacity...

Contents vary from a tooth, a worry stone my brother gave me from Ireland, petit point-work, old Opera glasses, etc. I love looking through it.

Thanks for this week's theme Anastasia and Angela!

x