Shoshiplatypus

What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?

Good stuff first…

Teabag bleaching

I have made some progress with my teabag bleaching project. After doing a bit more online research, I found that you can make a paste with bleach and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Apparently the bicarb enhances the action of the bleach if you use this combination with your laundry so I thought I would give it a try. People also use it for whitening blackened tile grouting – the paste helps the bleach stay in place while it does its work. I’ve got a bit of black grouting round my studio sink so I tried it on there and it seems to be working.

Anyway, to return to the teabags, this is my first attempt.

As you can see, it’s a definite improvement. However, I think I made the paste a bit too thick, and it wasn’t quite wet enough to do a thorough job. Some bleaching has definitely taken place, though. It takes a while to work, and this photo was taken after leaving the teabags to dry overnight.

Yesterday I did another batch, after thinning the paste a bit with some more bleach, and again, left them to dry overnight. A slight improvement, but not much. I then tried neat bleach again, but this time stamping over a wad of kitchen paper because I thought it might stop the bleach spreading. Again, a slight improvement, but not enough.

I am continuing to work on the problem.

Slippers

I’ve also been working on my embroidered felt slippers a bit more, and have nearly finished embroidering the flowers on the first one.

Here are a couple of close-up shots, first of the most recent work:

and of the other side, which I was working on earlier.

I also want to add a few trailing stems worked in green chain stitch between the flowers, to link them. I have got some small felt circles cut out, and I might add them as well, to fill in any gaps.

Once I have completed this stage on both slippers, I shall think about adding a bit of decoration to the pointed bits around the ankles. I want to finish them before the weather gets cold and I want to wear them.

A WOYWW meet!

Last Thursday I had a real treat – a rare opportunity to meet up with some fellow WOYWW-ers. Christine (Bishopsmate) had contacted me to arrange a meet-up because both she and Margaret (Glitter and Glue) were going to be in Torquay. We met for lunch at a sea front cafe and had a great time with lots of laughter and conversation. Both my hubby and Christine’s were there too, and they were able to have some boy talk while us girls had a good natter!!

Christine’s hubby took these pictures.

Don’t you just love Christine’s pink hair?!! I was really looking forward to seeing this in the flesh, and I wasn’t disappointed!

These were the best of the photos he took. I left out the one where I was sticking my tongue out…

I have no doubt that Margaret and Christine will be sharing their photos in due course. It was a rare treat for me, because living right down here in south Devon and not being able to travel, I don’t get to meet any of you very often.

Recipe of the week

I did my usual Meal Prep Tuesday yesterday but less than usual – the freezer is bursting at the moment! Each time I cook, I make enough to freeze as well, so we’ve got plenty of meals for days I’m not up to cooking.

Monday is use-up-leftovers-day when I clear the fridge of any veggies that are left, to make room for the delivery on Tuesday morning, and this week I dug out an old Madras curry recipe from my meat-eating days and decided to make a nice hot curry sauce, to which I added some pressure-cooked chickpeas. Served on a bed of brown rice, it was delicious and sustaining. I roasted the left-over veggies and threw them in and it was good nosh.

Unfortunately I didn’t note down the website when I originally got this recipe, and I can’t find it online now. However, since I have radically altered it to suit my tastes I don’t think I will be violating anyone’s copyright by giving my version in full here, but if anyone sees this and recognises their own authentic recipe I will be happy either to remove it from my blog, or give credit where it’s due! My apologies in advance if that is the case.

Okey-dokey, here goes.

Madras Curry Sauce

Ingredients

2 tabs ground coriander )
1 tab ground cumin )
1 tsp turmeric )
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper )
1 tab hot chilli powder (more of less to taste) )
2 garlic cloves, crushed )
2 tsp chopped fresh root ginger )
2 ½ tabs lemon juice )
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tabs tomato paste
1 14-oz tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock

Directions

1. Combine bracketed ingredients and blitz to make a paste.
2. Place a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat until hot enough for a droplet of water to fizz. Dry-sauté the onions until caramelised, stirring frequently, adding a little water or veg stock to de-glaze the pan if it starts to stick. (There is no need for any oil.)
3. Add the spice paste and cook 1 minute, stirring.
4. Add tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover.
5. Cook for 15-30 mins till all is blended.
6. Cook uncovered 15 mins to reduce the sauce a little if necessary.

Notes

Add cooked chickpeas, any cooked veggies etc. etc. and heat through. If using lentils, add them with the tomato, with more stock to allow for absorption by the lentils, and cook till they are tender. Serve with brown rice.

This is a good way to use up anything you have to hand.

Craft show tomorrow

Tomorrow I am going to Westpoint in Exeter for the Creative Craft Show. It’s been a while since I went to a craft show and I’m really looking forward to it. Margaret (Glitter and Glue) was hoping to be there too but she’s emailed to let me know she can’t make it, unfortunately. It would have been fun to get together again.

The last one I went to was just before I was due to go into hospital and I was seriously ill. At the time I didn’t have time to enjoy my purchases, and afterwards, what with recovering, and then trying to catch up with my life after the missing period when I couldn’t do anything, I never got round to using quite a bit of the stuff! As a result, I’ve still got things I bought then that I have never used… I expect we are all a bit guilty of that, and I am hanging onto my excuse – what’s yours? Lol!

There are some new people exhibiting this time, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have – mixed media etc. There are the usual stands selling craft supplies and I shall have to have a look through the stuff I’ve got and see if I need to fill any gaps etc.

I shall be blogging about the show later after I’ve had time to rest and recover, and when I’ve sorted my photos.

Now the bad news…

I am devastated, and hopping mad, and can’t believe this has happened…… Yesterday I had a phone call informing me that after my recent PIP assessment (for my disability benefit), they have had a “computer glitch” and they have lost the lot. They informed me that I have got to go and be assessed again!!!!! I am so angry I could spit, and worse. I told them in no uncertain terms just how disgusted I am at this turn of events, and insisted that if I really have no choice and have to go through all this again, that I have the same assessor as before. They say they can’t guarantee this but would do what they could.

The incompetence of these people… You’d think they’d make back-ups or something. I asked them didn’t they realise just how stressful this whole business was? I said I’d been given a lifetime award of DLA and was disgusted that since the DWP moved the goalposts, “lifetime” ended up meaning something else entirely, and I really resented having to go through the process again, and then for THIS to happen! The situation is contemptible.

My hubby said the information can’t really be lost. With a good computer expert on the job, they should be able to retrieve it, but of course they won’t be bothered to do that. Far easier just to re-run the assessment, and b***er the feelings of the hapless applicant. Signed, Disgusted of Devon. Nil Points, DWP or Atos or whoever made such a b***s up of this. I’m feeling pretty disgusted all round at the moment at the way our beloved “representatives” in the Westminster Bubble are behaving and my faith in the powers that be is at an all-time low. Beam me up, Scotty. This place is crawling with Klingons.

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