A story to share

Circa 1941, wartime London in Parfet Street where the Drillicks lived. They had a yard in the back where the little girl played with her doll that she shared with the other kids. A regular visitor to their door came unshaven, dirty and homeless begging for money. One particular day, this dirty old tramp knocked on the door to be told to wait just there.

"Mrs Woolf", She shouted up, "could you send down a suit of your boy Jack's for the nebach standing at my door"

She invited the homeless boy in and told him to wash and bathe and gave him the parcelled up suit sent from Mrs Woolf upstairs.

"Now, go to Lemon Street, No 50, tell them Adle (pronounced Idle) sent you", and off the cleaned up homeless boy went.

Many years later there was a knock at Adle's door.

"Yes", she said to the young man.

"Hello", the young man said. "Its me, the dirty homeless man that you gave clothes to. I just came to thank you. I went to the factory in Lemon Street where you sent me and I worked there as a tailor's shlapper. Today, I'm a tailor and dress some of the best city men... and I thank you.

A wonderful TRUE story. Ada Drillick was my Great Grandmother, Austrian born. That's her pictured with her Husband, Moishe.

Its Grandparents Day 5th October, share a story.

Happy New Year

My good old Evelyn Rose cook book has joined me at the table today over coffee. She has one of the best Jewish Cookbooks I've seen as its packed through with traditional dishes for every occassion.

I'll be baking my usual Honey Cake and Honey Crackle for Rosh Hashanna.


Here's my Honey Crackle recipe:

Ingredients:

4oz butter
6fl oz honey
1 egg
6oz plain flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp barcarb of soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 nutmeg
vanilla essence
4 tbsp shredded coconut

Cream together the butter and honey, then gradually beat in the egg. Sift all the other dry ingredients, then add to the honey/butter mixture. Flavour with a few drops of vanilla essence. Stir in 4 tbsp grated coconut. Pour the mixture into a tin and bake for 45 min (180deg)

Remove from teh tin carefully and glaze:

6 tbsp melted butter
6 tbsp double cream
6 tbsp grated coconut

Grill for a few minutes.

Voila!!


Happy New Year to all friends and family. xx

With sewing month here and birthday's on the way, I decided to make buntings. They were not hard at all.

I simply cut out from cardboard my desired size of flag. My measurements are marked, its a good size.

Using a rotary cutter and this template, I cut my fabric.

Here they are.

I used iron on interfacing as I wanted a sturdy look rather than a flimsy, flappy look - buts its entirely preferance. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of one triange, then place another cut triangle right sides together. As in the picture, if the interfacing is facing up, then your right to go.

Stitch a 1cm allowance all around, leaving a 5cm gap at the top (for pulling through.

Before pulling through cut your corners and along the sewn edge to sharpen the finished look.

Pull the rights sides through the gap in the top and press. I top stitched the flag as I think it finishes it off.

Now, all you need to do is sew the bias binding along the top. Use pins to help pin it place and off you go.

I machine appliqued these letters on.

Here's the Nosh's finished bunting. I'm really pleased with its turn out.

Borough Market: Saturday 2pm

Borough market in Southwark, South East London, is one of the best fruit and veg markets in London I've been to (and I do like my farmers markets). If you do visit, go prepared to bring home lots and go early as the likes of the ostrich and venison meats sell out quickly. The queues are huge for these speciality meats. Seeing as I went later on in the day and was still there by closing time (5pm) I noticed that they sell the perishables cheap cheap cheap - so if your looking for a bargain on freshly baked cake, or some home baked bread hang around to the latter part of the day.

There were cheeses, spices, fruits, chutneys, cakes, meats, fish, exotic fruits and meats, wines and flowers. Endless list.

The last photo is huge slabs of chocolate. Huge slabs!

National Sewing Month is here

What are you sewing? I'm going with party buntings. Its. birthday party season for the Sweetpea Household next month.

An audience with the Bubela

School went back with a bang and a school trip into Central London. London, on the London Underground to the Science Museum. Oy, So lovely *I say between gritted teeth* Meanwhilst, today (school trip day) I took myself fabric shopping. It was blah. I bought what I didn't need... bias binding and fat quarters?!. "Stash"

3.45 at the school gate and how lovely it was to see him *smiling*. Talk about being on shpilkes the whole day.

At Dinner, sat Mummy (me, obviously), Daddy (Hubby, obviously), The Bubela and the Nosh. We ate shepherds pie and the Bubela ate pasta (plain) - fussy eater. Hands up if you have one.

Daddy: Did you have a good time?
Bubela: Yes, it was good.

Mummy: Who was in your group? which teacher did you have?
Bubela: Jodie*, me and Jimmy* and Mrs Ruby*.

Daddy: Did you go to the Imax cinema?
Bubela: No

Mummy: Who did you sit next to on the train there and on the train back? And what about lunch? I was firing them at him as quick as answers were flying back.
Bubela: Sammy* and Polly*, then Sammy* and Sharon*.

I'm exhausted at how much of a nervous mother I can be, thank goodness Hubby's the yang to my yin.

These are my finished cross stitch baby birthsakes



The recipients were very pleased with them. Thank you!




* Names have been changed to protect the young and beautiful.

Back to school

School's back and the summer's over.

Our Summer was amazing, short, but amazing. We enjoyed trips to the farm, the museum, parks and all sorts of other fun. We painted, we baked, we played and collected bugs. And, our cherry on top was our family holiday in Cyprus. The views were exquisite, the beach was beautiful, the food was fabulous and the weather was hot.



My smile was placed and fixed by the sight my boys and their shrieks of enjoyment and excitement of the sea and the sand, the warmth of the sun was enhanced by the surround of my family and whites of my eyes sparkled in memory of those whom weren't there.

In knitting: I did take a holiday project away with me, not that I got much done. I knit around 12 rowns of the Stripey blanket for the twins (now born 3 weeks ago, so maybe a good Christmas present for them now). However, that's now been placed on the back burners until I finish these two cross stitch birth details for a friend.

Weight Watchers: It needs desperately to be started. Motivation, kick in!