Feather your Nest Friday, 11th December 2020.

 Thank goodness for Fridays.   They anchor me.  In a sea of stuff to do I see instead what we did achieve.  Stopping to breathe and consider is a good thing!

We did have a good week.   Mostly it has been really mild weather and I can get so much done!   

Some of the ways we built up the home, garden and pantry were...

I made a big slab of chocolate fudge then cut it into pieces to wrap.  This is so easy and versatile. 

My recipe is 3 cups milk choc chips or melts, 

1 can condensed milk.

A dob of butter/margarine,  maybe a desert spoon full.

Mix this all and melt in the microwave for one minute,  stir and repeat until it is smooth. 

Then stir in what you like, chopped apricot, mixed dried fruit, nuts,  anything you want.   I did glaze cherries.  I would say about a cup.   

I double this recipe and pour it to set in a dish lined with non stick baking paper.  When it is well set carefully cut it as you wish.

We went for a drive to pick up two old baths.  We got one for a cow trough.  The other pink one was too heavy to lift.  We tried everything but we could not move that thing.  I am not giving up... I will try and get someone to help us!    I thought what on earth could be nicer than a goose swimming around in a pink bath tub?  Now I had this image I am not giving up!

My Uncle and Aunt visited Mum.  Mum shared with me some of the goodies they brought with them from their garden including mint, parsley, preserved lemons and apricots!

Mum gave me ready rolled gluten free pastry and food for the chooks.

I met up with Wendy and it was a great day.   We traded of course!  I took eggs and spinach and came home with cherry tomatoes and rhubarb! 

That day I was able to go to two op shops (thrift stores) and found a pure silk blouse.  I am making scrunchies and pure silk are the ones being sold in beauty stores for huge prices!   

Meanwhile I finished some other silk ones for gifts...

They feel so nice and also are a gift that fits in a card in the mail.

Mum came and I made scones and sent her home with some. 

I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce.   Enough for everyone. I am harvesting zucchinis now.   I added a great heap of zucchini into my meat sauce before I added the tomato.   

It turned out so well and made many meals.  I gave the girls each a big container as well.

I found a new person to trade with.  They grow a lot of Asian veggies and greens and would like to swap for eggs.  I hope this goes well and becomes a weekly thing.

The fruit cake I made last week was cut into nine pieces.   I just used purchased royal icing and rolled that out.  I had edible glitter and biscuit cutters and used those to decorate them.    They turned out pretty well and gave me nine gifts! 

I have been sewing every day even if for only a few minutes.  Most of the fabric is vintage material my neighbour gave me as she knew I would love it and she is moving house.   She knows me well!

Now I am addicted to bag making.  As I make them I have smaller and smaller bits of material to work with and making gift bags with those. 

I am fancying up some with the vintage ribbons I found recently. 

I have a different bag pattern to try.  I made this one up but need a smaller one to use up smaller amounts of fabric. 

I have done a lot of cooking for my daughter since Thomas was born.   They gave me a huge roast pork, pork ribs and pork chops.   This added a lot to my freezer!

The farm also had some rain!   So all up it was a good week.  I feel when I have a project I really love doing this speeds me up all day in order to get time to get back to the sewing table (in this case!)  I do some of Laine's speedy clean ups and fifteen minute attacks!    These are like the amount you get done when you have a phone call that visitors are ten minutes are away. Yes you can get a lot done in ten minutes at high speed!  haha! 

My presents are wrapped. We have our tree and lights up.  It is really starting to feel like Christmas now! 

I hope you had a good week.  How did you get ahead this week? xxx