ZOO - part III

Well, and the best part... After all the fun at zoo I still had enough energy to make a quick apple pie.

Open apple pie with cinnamon cream

For the dough

·         350g/12oz plain flour,

·         200g/7oz cold butter,

·         1 egg,

·         1/2 tbsp baking powder

·         3 large apples, preferably sour, cored and sliced

For the cinnamon cream

·         200ml/7fl oz double cream,

·         4 sp sugar

·         1 tbsp vanilla sugar

·         6 eggs

For sprinkling the top

·         ½ tsp ground cinnamon

·         2 tsp icing sugar

Preparation method

1.      Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2.      For the pie, place the flour into a large bowl and mix with baking powder. Then add the butter, and slice it with the knife until resembles breadcrumbs. Add one egg and continue until all sticks together, then knead gently like a dough.

3.      Put the baking paper in the baking sheet/tray and evenly spread out the mixture, preferably with the thickness of a pound coin.  

4.      On top put the slices of apples, preferably in neat rows.

5.      You can use the same bowl now – pour in the eggs, double cream and sugar, add vanilla sugar. Whisk it all together. If you like, graind outside of a lemon and add to the mixture. Pour the ready mixture over the applea so it spreads out evenly. .

6.      Bake for 30-40 minutes in the oven, or until the top looks golden-brown.

7.      Take out, sprinkle with sugar, mixed with cinnamon, and put back in still hot oven to slowly cool off.

Even better. After all that I sat down and managed to make 24 flowers for the pheasant quilt but these I might show tomorrow only. It had been a really productive day for me.

ZOO - part II

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY! 

If you simply want to spent a day in Zoo enjoying sun, hotdogs and endless animals – it’s still there! 

My all time favourites - meerkats (Suricata suricatta) - were not out as they have babies right now and can’t be disturbed, but ring tailed lories were and enjoyed the sunny day in full. 

Most of the animals were just plastered out in sunshine snoring loudly so there was not much activity, but all in all it was a great time spent. 

So... when was the last time you went to a Zoo?

DAY AT ZOO NOT WASTED

Today, instead of another lazy day of basting, I went to Zoo. Such beautiful day can’t be wasted indoors.  For me a day with a child and a camera in the Zoo is rather inspirational and creative.  Want to have fun with me?

How it works? Simply look around as creative moments can be spotted everywhere. Let’s say, there is a flock of flamingos. Snap! 

When later at night picture is uploaded, it’s time start playing. Let’s say, with some crop out filter. 

See? It doesn’t look like a flock of flamingos anymore – voila! – there comes a rather interesting design for a quilt! Easy! 

You can crop out even a much smaller bit to create just one block. 

Crop... 

then crop out filter,

then duplicate and rotate and... again something new!

This one is made out of a mandarin duck,

this is a wing of a cormoran,

and this one is stright out of the neck of a giraffe! Fun, isn't it? 

The spring is here!

It’s a wonderful weekend here – the weather is unbelievable, earliest spring we ever had, according to the records. Extended weekend means that I’m out of my paper gathering rat race and I can enjoy four peaceful days! That’s a treat itself.   

Yesterday I was totally lazy, just lied on sofa, watched all three series of Black books and basted the rest of leaves I need for the pheasant quilt. Sun is shining, it’s + 20 C outside, birds are singing like mad and I have four days to enjoy it all uninterrupted! What can be better? 

I also had some time to start playing with my H2H project. I haven’t officially signed in as I’m leading quite hectic and unpredictable life right now so I can’t sign in on a long term project with full responsibility. But still - if I will have enough time, I want to give it a try.  So yesterday I made the first 16 blocks for the quilt and played a bit what I can do with them. 

The design of the H2H top still hasn’t settled in. I haven’t also decided on the charity I would like to donate it or on the type of the quilt, and I’m still brewing on all these. 

I’m not a really well organised person, I usually like the project grow as it goes, but maybe this time I need a different, better organised approach as I want the receiver to really enjoy it.  

FINALLY STARING TO TAKE SHAPE

My pheasants are finally starting to settle in. 

Sorry for uneven display but I still haven’t managed to free a wall for hanging so this is just a quick display over the bookshelves as I needed to hang it somewhere at least to see how it’s coming together.

As I warned before, for this quilt I wanted the kitsch, and it looks like I’m moving into the right direction. Now I will be off again, must make another hundred or so leaves, some guns, dogs and so on.... The corners are still empty waiting to be filled in.

I’m having so much fun, mentally adding all these silly details – takes a lot of time, but at the end it must look like a quilt for a “country gentleman”. That’s the idea for this one. I might even stack some half empty bottle in a corner somewhere. :D 

Never tried applique before, but I start likung it. One day, maybe when I will be old and useless, it would be a great time killer -  making tiny details and sticking them tigether for fun.