Play Oven slipcover

7/2/15

 

I have a couple of friends who are good at making me step outside my comfort zone when it comes to my sewing/craft. This is one of those projects.

Cath sent me a picture with an idea of what she’d like to do for her daughter Claire’s upcoming 5^th birthday. There were no instructions or pattern which was very like Cath…. She has a lot more faith in me than I do and I love her dearly for it.  So…. She turned up one night with her chair and an armful of fabric and away we went.

The plans changed a little along the way and I’m still amazed by how well it turned out.

 

You can’t have an oven without an opening door!

 

And best of all… it just slips over a dining chair and gets tied at the back, so not only can it be packed away easily but it can also be removed and washed.

Claire just loves it and I'm pleased to say it's getting lots and lots of use!! :)

Cheers

Thimbelina

An Apron for Mum

25/12/14

 

Another cute Emmeline Apron (pattern by Sew Liberated)…. This  time for Mum, for Christmas. I thought it might come in handy for the Wednesday night cooking classes we’ve been going to together.

 Miss 16 - modelling it for me.... Mum was a bit shy.

and it's reversible too!

 

Cheers

Thimbelina

Caramel Mud Cake

22/12/14

 

This yummy morsel was for another office birthday…. This time Linda’s.

Delicious caramel mud cake with caramel icing and Tim Tam truffles…. How can you go wrong??

Caramel Mud Cake

Ingredients

375g butter

225g good white chocolate (I use Cadbury Dream)

3 cups brown sugar

1½ cups milk

2 ¼ cups plain flour

¾ cup SR flour

1 ½ tsp vanilla essence

3 eggs

1 can of top n fill caramel

Method

Grease and line base and sides of cake pan (25cm round or 23cm square) with baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above side of pan.

Combine chopped butter, chopped chocolate, sugar and milk in saucepan and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved. Transfer Mixture to a bowl, stir in Top n fill and let cool for 15 minutes.

Stir in sifted flours, essence and lightly beaten eggs. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake in moderately slow oven for approx 2 ¼ hours.

Cool cake in pan.

*** Note: I wrap the outside of the cake pan with strips of towel that I soak in water first… this stops the cake from burning on the outside and helps to keep it flat unless it rises above the tin.

Icing

½ cup brown sugar      

2 tbsp thickened cream

60g butter, chopped

1 ½ cups icing sugar

¼ cup white chocolate buttons

 

Method

Place brown sugar, cream, butter and chocolate buttons in a saucepan and heat until butter and chocolate have melted.

Remove from heat and gradually stir in the sifted icing sugar to a spreadable consistency.

Spread or pipe icing quickly over the cooled caramel mud cake before it set.

Enjoy!

Thimbelina