Can you say "what what"!

How handy dandy does this little tool look! High me-wantee -factor huh?!!

Lemonade scones

I've made alot of scones using the more traditional flour/butter/milk recipe so it was fun to try something new. This recipe yielded really light scones ANC the brown sugar gave them s really yummy flavour compared to some other recipes I've tried. Let me know if you give these a go.

Lemonade Scones

2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used brown sugar as that's all I have here at the beach house)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup lemonade
1/2 cup pouring cream
1/2- 1 cup sultanas (optional)

Sift and mix dry ingredients together. If you are using sultanas, add them now & mix. Add wet ingredients, mix with a knife until the mixture has just come together. Knead very lightly on a board before pushing the dough out to about 2cm thick. Cut with a 5cm round cutter and place on a greased/floured bake tray. Bake at 200-220•C for 10-15 minutes or until the scones are brown on top and sound hollow when tapped.

Serve warm with butter or use that leftover jam to have a true Devonshire tea!

Chew-a-licious!!!

You gotta try this jacq, so easy and sooooo yummy!!!

Creamy Caramels.
(Sweet, Women's Weekly, ACP Books)

1 cup (220g) castor sugar
90g unsalted butter
2 tbs golden syrup
1/3 cup (115g) glucose syrup
1/2 cup (125ml) sweetended condensed milk

1. grease a 19cm-square cake tin. (I sprayed mine with vegetable oil and lined with glad bake too)
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium heavy-based saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until all sugar is dissolved.
3. Bring to a boil; boil, stirring, for about 7 minutes or until mixture is a caramel colour. allow bubbles to subside; pour into pan, stand 10 minutes.
4. Mark squares using greased metal spatula. cool before cutting.

Makes 81.

I've taken a pic of the tips for marking caramel for you too.

Happy easter

The Easter bunny has come and gone. He left the kids choc eggs and a me a bunch of his bunny buddies - cupcake form! The inspiration came from here and the carrot cake recipe from here. I haven't tried them yet but will tuck into one as soon as we get to Steve & Shirley's Easter lunch. I hope the bunny visits you and you all have a fantastic & safe weekend. Love the Bayswater Browns. xoxoxo

Tools of the Trade

After the last post, you can imagine how handy this new tool is.

Every sewer HATES to unpick. This makes it a somewhat bearable task.

Good old Lee Valley Tools.

"Pro" Series...lol!!! Maybe double as a surgical scalpel if the needs arrises.

Vintage hankie rosette

How cute is this wee rosette made from a vintage hankie that was too sweet to possibly blow your nose into! I have a massive stack of hankies and scarfs from a friend of auntie sally's who is cleaning out her mothers house. Hmmmm what to do, what to do??? then I came across these ruffled rosettes. I cant claim this as my clever idea, thanks to Rufflesandstuff.

I think 3 or 4 of these toether would look good too.

Now, if you have any other ideas what to do with this stack, let me know.

P.S. this photo was taken by Giles. it was by far the best of my 'self-portraits' and all the ones mum tried to take.

The 10 minute toddler skirt

it can't get much easier than this.

take 1 bandana, cut in half. sew up the 2 side seams to make a tube. overlock the raw (cut) edge then fold to make the casing for your waist elastic. guess how big your daughter's waist is (because she is fast asleep) then thread your elastic through the casing & sew ends together. go have a coffee and twiddle your fingers until said daughter wakes up so you can try on your newly sewn skirt.

DONE.

Sheer cuteness!

Why was I so scared about doing this it's so easy!
instead of tidying & getting ready for our busy week I sat at the machine to pump out the remainder of my cloth nappies (before the wee gal grows out if them). two inserts later I wad bored, bored, bored so decided to swap gears completely and sew her up a shirred dress.
All the tutorials out there say it's so easy and what do you know, it is! I'm hooked now. I couldn't stop at one dress and whipped up another, then matching bloomers for the 1st dress.
Now, who else do I know who NEEDS a dress/top like this?