April 20, 2009

THE PIZZA!!

I told myself I wasn't ever going to blog about food... but after making this Pumpkin PIZZA, I couldn't help myself, YUMMO!!
I was making pizza the other night and decided I might use one of the recipes from this great book my mum bought me 'Pizza modo mio' by John Lanzafame.  

Pumpkin Pizza
Makes one 30cm (12inch) pizza
3 tbsp soft brown sugar
120g pumpkin, cut into 1cm pieces
1 small handful rosemary sprigs
1 head of garlic, top sliced off and discarded
1 zucchini, cut lengthways into 2mm thick slices
Olive oil, for brushing
Course semolina, for dusting
1 quantity pizza dough
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 tbsp balsamic onions
30g gorgonzola dolce latte cheese, crumbled
75g grated mozzarella cheese

Place a pizza stone or heavy-based oven tray in the oven and preheat to 180C

Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, rosemary and garlic in a heavy-based roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes, or until golden and tender.

Put the zucchini slices on a heavy-based oven tray in a single layer, brush with a little olive oil and season to taste, then bake for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender.

Increase the oven temperature to 250C

Lightly dust your workbench with semolina, then roll out the dough into a 30cm round, place on a pizza tray and prick all over with a fork.  Brush the base with oil, then scatter with the pine nuts, parsley and balsamic onions.  Top with the zucchini slices, roasted pumpkin and cheeses, then place on the preheated stone or tray and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until the base is golden and crisp. 


Balsamic onions
Makes 125ml
1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp soft brown sugar
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until just starting to caramelise.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then add the balsamic vinegar, combine well and simmer over low heat for 6 minutes, or until the mixture is jam-like but not too dry.  Balsamic onions can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days... but if your like me, it won't last that long, this stuff is delicious!

Ok, so I didn't follow the recipe completely, who does... I didn't have any zucchini's, so they were out... and with the cheeses, I used mozzarella and parmesan.  

So I added the Balsamic onion recipe as well, because its so nice.  I thought you can organise the base yourself I mean, you are on the net looking at this blog, so look up a pizza base recipe.  I usually use a bread maker on the dough setting, all you have to do is throw it all in, set it to dough and woola, it rises and everything, then all thats left is to roll it out and you have your base!!

Anyways... this is the outcome and it was great!! 

and now that you have the recipe you can go and make it too!!!


April 15, 2009

Just a few things I've been working on!!

Just to fill you in, I did walk the Pinnacle again, but this time there was 2 bus loads of people at the top, and I'm not much into crowds when I'm working out, so no photo's this time. SORRY!! maybe next time.

But I will show you some sewing goodness I have finished.  This Cushion cover was number 1 on the list.  I wouldn't normally use cord as the base, but it was all I had at the time, and it looked pretty good if I do say so myself.




What do you think.  I made this little fella for some friends who are expecting!! along with a small little quilt blanket.  
Some of the pleated bags I finished.  Aren't they just so cute.  You can buy them in my etsy shop, what are you waiting for, go on have a look, you know you want to.



Some small coin purses I'm sending down to incube.8r.  I only made 10 of these, so snap them up as I won't be making any more.  

April 11, 2009

What a Weekend!!




Friday morning my dad and I got up early to walk the Pinnacle before all the tourists started out... We started at 7am, it took us 2 hours... and I couldn't believe we only saw 2 people...  This is the view we had... It was pretty special, Halls Gap was clear as a bell, but surrounding the other side of the mountain there was cloud all the way around!!  I think I'll walk it again in the morning, so stay tuned for some more photos...


I have been doing quite a lot of this lately... Massaging that is, giving not receiving... I much prefer receiving, like anyone does.. but giving a good massage is just as rewarding, especially when you have people walking away, feeling great and boasting about it too.. Its just the greatest!!!  I will be one tired girl after this Easter long weekend... but its all worth it!!

All stacked up and ready to iron!!

I did however sneak in some time to finish these few scarves I had started...  Some are off to incube8r, you can check out their blog here  and the others might just make it to my madeit store... 





April 9, 2009

Material!

Look at the Screen printed material I have left!! not much you say... I hear you!! I'm seriously going to have to get some more and quick smart... Thats one of the best (and worst) things about ordering material, you have to choose...  but what happens when you want it all...


Don't you hate it when you know exactly what you need to buy and mind you, I much prefer shopping online these days... But anyway, I traveled one and a half hours to go into a shop that should have the material I needed, I did buy some there after all and you know what, they didn't have it... how frustrating is that? so I get on the phone to order some from another store and I won't even go into the conversation I had, all I'll say is it took about 3 phone calls, cut offs, call wait and I finally got some material ended up with 3 different colours as they didn't have what I wanted in the one.

I had to get the wool felted material before I could sew all these scarves up... and now I have it, won't be long until they're up and ready to go...


And these cushions  you say, they are going straight to Aunty Cookie for the 'silent auction hampers' she's putting together to raise money for PANDA.


April 8, 2009

You gotta start somewhere!!



Well, this is my first ever post and to tell you the truth, its pretty scary... What to write to get people interested?? I'll start with some photos... because I always think it looks a whole lot better and brighter and will keep all of you watching this space, to see all my creations, happenings and what not.


These are some scarves I've just finished and am about to put in my Etsy shop... So if you like them and I know you do, you can buy them here; shop

I have used local screen printed material from the lovely ladies at Ink & Spindle as well as the ever vibrant Aunty Cookie...