What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?
My main desk remains neglected and collecting junk. One day, one day…
On the table by the sink, my “wet” desk, however, I’m glad to say I’ve made some progress on the teabag front.
Stamping teabags with acrylic paint
As suggested on a website I visited, I mixed a little white acrylic paint with some acrylic polymer, and stippled this on to my Indian wood blocks. This does seem to work better than the bleach, but I want a more definite, whiter result, so I shall try a bit less of the polymer. It’s hard to get the balance just right; I want a definite image to be stamped, but I don’t want the paint to be so thick that it will crack.
Anyway, here are the results so far.
As before, I think the more solid blocks work better than the ones with a lot of detail.
I’m very busy at the moment preparing new sessions for my Bible study group, so I haven’t had a lot of time to be creative in the studio. Now that the slippers are complete, I am keen to get on with this teabag project.
I have been very busy in the kitchen, however, producing some delicious…
Winter Warmers!
Recipe of the Week
Ultimate Vegan Winter Stew
I discovered this recipe online a couple of days ago and had to give it a try. I did a bit of preparation for it on Monday, but couldn’t complete it until my groceries were delivered yesterday morning.
It has a lot of ingredients but it is well worth the trouble. It is rich and dark and very, very tasty and delicious. I served it with a baked potato and some broccoli florets and frozen peas, and as usual, I forgot to photograph the finished, plated up version – there’s always too much to think about at the end of preparing a meal and I’m always anxious for us to sit down and eat it before it gets cold!
However, I did manage to photograph the rest of it in the slow cooker pot later on.
In addition to the carrots that the recipe specified, I also added some other root veggies (some turnip left over from another Jamie Oliver recipe, and some celeriac and butternut squash, and I also added a roughly chopped red pepper.) The recipe also contains an aubergine and some baby onions.
The recipe specified cooking it for an hour in the oven, but I thought the flavours might intensify if I used my Ninja Foodi machine in slow-cooker mode. Unfortunately after four hours, the carrots and onions were still a bit hard so I left it for another 3 hours, by which time it was supper time and we needed to eat. The carrots were OK, but the onions were still not soft enough.
I always parboil my root veggies now, for 5 minutes in the microwave, because I find they are often too hard otherwise. I think the baby onions needed the same treatment. Next time I make this, I shall simmer it on the hob rather than using the slow cooker.
Other dishes
I also made another Jamie Oliver recipe, his Allotment Cottage Pie (brilliant), and his Scruffy Aubergine Lasagne (also brilliant) – both from his current vegetarian cooking series on TV. I shall probably feature both of these in future Recipes of the Week.
On Monday night I made sweet potato rotis filled with a white bean curry, which was quite interesting – a fair amount of work and a bit disappointing at the end. I think the dish would be improved with a different curry. The rotis were fun to make – a sort of flatbread made just from sweet potato and flour, and they did have a delicious sweet flavour. I didn’t remember to photograph the finished dish, but here is the curry.
Stewed apple
We are eating a fair amount of stewed apple at the moment, because our little tree is producing an enormous crop this year! The freezer is bursting, and my hubby has been giving away quite a few apples. I don’t know the variety but they are quite delicious; sweet, and full of flavour. My hubby says they make good eaters too, but I prefer them cooked. He peels and chops them, and I cook them. I drain off all the water, and cook them slowly with a little added stevia (no sugar – my hubby has been told to cut that out if he’s to avoid diabetes, and anyway, who needs the empty calories?!). I get the pure stevia from my favourite online wholefood store and have found it to be not only much sweeter than sugar, so you hardly need any, but also a lot sweeter than the stevia I was buying from the supermarket. I noticed this said “With stevia” on the pack, so not sure what else was going on!! This is a natural sweetener derived from the leaf of the stevia plant, and it is very low in calories.
You can see more details of some of this cooking in the previous post.
Kitties
Lily and Ruby are really noticing the change in the weather, and are much more keen on cuddling up with each other, and with us. I came across them in the armchair the other night:
Notice how Ruby is cradling her sister in her arms – her little white paw is around her neck!
There is also a lot of mutual washing going on, but it is Ruby who does most of the washing – Lily is too lazy.
New car
I still haven’t been out in Katie 2! My hubby has yet to get my wheelchair crane fitted in the back, and my grab handle. He’s been out and about, and I’ve been at home cooking. Go figure.
I did go along to the local Baptist church on Sunday morning, though, using my new Trekinetic wheelchair (which was much admired!). I haven’t been there for ages, and have decided to start going again when my hubby isn’t able to take me to our usual church, if he is busy elsewhere. I was very touched with the amazing welcome I got – they haven’t forgotten me and they’d apparently missed me!
Great looking meals Shoshi! Hope Katie 2 is ready for you to take your first ride in her soon. The tea bag project seems to be making forward progress at least. Meow to Lily and Ruby and Happy WOYWW. Sarah #7
The teabags remind me of medieval floor tiles you see in churches and cathedrals! Hope your painty experiments continue to be fun.
Hugs LLJ 6 xxx
Hi Shoshi – reading your post has made me hungry!! The tea bags look interesting but I’m not sure I could be bothered – what are you ging to use them for? How lovely you were made welcome at the church – and how could they forget you awesome lady? Kitties are gorgeous, my old lady is certainly spending more time next to the radiator these days!! Happy WOYWW Cindy #23
Shoshi I am curiuos about the tea bags. I want to see what you will do with them. They look pretty. Oh and the Winter stew sounds fantastic. I love stews. Sorry the sweet potato one didn’t come out as good. Have a lovely day my friend!
Belinda #25
I am loving your teabags and think the results are looking good so far – I’m looking forward to seeing how you use them. It’s so hard getting a strong white isn’t it – I probably have more white inks, pens and paints than any other colour, and only one or two brands that I’m happy with!
The kitties are absolutely adorable, as always, and I don’t blame them cuddling up now, it’s turned really quite chilly here in the last few days.
Hope you have a good week,
Diana x #16
I do hope you get to try out katie 2 soon! That stew looks scrummy . Have a lovely week Helen #8
Your kitties are just so cut that it’s difficult to see anything else but loving the Tea bags too.
Hi Shoshi I love how you are trying different materials to try and produce the look you require, I like how the white takes on a hint of the tea. You will find the look you are after, have fun experimenting.
Your stew looks delicious, perfect food for the season, it’s on my menu this week and will be welcomed by all in this house.
The kitties look so comfy keeping each other warm, my little visitor this week is currently snuggled under two fluffy blankets refusing to come out for breakfast today hee hee.. Hope you get out and about in Katie 2 soon. Sending WoywW Hugs Take care Tracey #3
Wishing you a very happy WOYWW for yesterday! Your kittens look so sweet cuddling together. So many interesting details in your blog! I went to all the bother of drying teabags about a year ago and still not done anything with them. Yours look good. Your home cooking looks delicious x
Hi Shoshi. Well, you certainly haven’t been idle, have you?! I don’t think I would be bothered with painting on teabags – but what exactly will you be doing with them when finished?? I’m intrigued.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #1
Hi Shoshi,
Well loving the tea bag with wooden stamps. Looks great, but can understand re the cracking of paint.
Skipping the winter warmers as we’re going out of spring soon into summer at end of month, but with today it felt winter as a strong southerly (our cold wind is from south) was blowing and dropped it by 10c today at 3pm when storm and cold front came through!
Love the Ruby hug what a cut pair of cats, think they are my most favourite cats as they’re so like our Snooksy.
If the church is salt producing, then of course they’d be delighted to have you back in with them.
Pray your additions to car allow you to travel soon.
Thanks for Sharing, God bless, hugs Shaz in Oz.x #2
{Wonderful Words of Life – Shaz in Oz}
{Calligraphy Cards – Shaz in Oz}