{My Creative Speace} :: Crochet and Rest

The boy in the house has decided to share his germs.  If I appear to be dying that that is because I am. I am not a very good sick person or patient.  Would rather be doing the caring for (but then that gets a little old too) 

A home day on the couch was called for.  Icy Poles and ice cold lemonade to sooth the throat, ABC kids and crochet in our pj's.  Just what the Dr ordered. 

Joining in with Our Creative Spaces.  Head there for more healthy peeps who whinge less.

{Wordless Wednesday} Spotting Whales

Joining in with Faith Hope & a whole lotta love's Wordless Wednesday.

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Not alot to say here.  These giant creatures of the sea were amazing and I am so glad that we have managed to see them whilst on the east coast of Austalia.

November...

Where on earth has the year gone???
We are now 5 weeks from moving.  Have I started any Christmas preparations??? NO
Have I started packing??? NO
I have alot to do in the next few weeks.

I am hoping that this Christmas Planner will help me out.

I purchased the PDF file from The Organised Housewife and hoping that with her help I might be organised (we can always dream)

I have also made a section for the move.  So everything can be together and get lost together.

Did you follow along with any of the Buy Nothing New Month in blogland.  I am thinking of joining the BNNM a month late, better late then never.  My aim for the month is not to buy anything new when it comes to Christmas presents, there are some things that I will have to buy for the men in my life (that is a whole other story that I may share one day)  But I know that I have enough fabric in my stash to make all of the girls in the family a little dress and thinking pj's for the boys.  I am also going to go through and use up pantry and freezer and fridge items, that includes all or most of the condiments.  It all helps in the packing and unpacking that will occur here in 5 weeks (eeekkkkk!)

If you would like your own little Christmas Elf to help you along the way - they are $14.95 and I think that it is the best money I have spent in a long time - I have done nothing - but feel so organised. Organised Housewife: Christmas Planner

I am also going to join in with The Christmas Challenge.

A giveaway to end Blogtoberfest

Well as you would have all noticed I have managed to fail Blogtoberfest this year in a big way.  What can I say,  School holidays and two weeks away did not help me in this cause.

Better luck next year.

As a thank you to those that visited and those of you that did such a great job in following along, joining in and the like I am celebrating for all of you with a little giveaway.

Just leave a comment before next Monday (November 7th) and I will draw it randomly (with the help of the little people in the house.

The prize, now that would be handy to know.  If you are a knitter (or crocheter) than I will send you 1 ball of Mini Mochi Intense Rainbow Yarn and some super cute buttons.

If you aren't of the yarny crafts then I will knit it into a Rainbow scarf for you (and the buttons).  Let me know in your comments what you would prefer.

A Slice of Paradise

A slice of Paradise, on our back door...

A slice of Paradise, that we took two years to find...

A slice of Paradise, that has made us fall back in love with Queensland a little bit more

and wishing that we weren't leaving so soon.

 
Heading back to paradise next weekend to see the whales and ticking off some more of that bucket list.

A Silky Worm

We have eight little friends living happily at our house at the moment. 

They eat and eat and eat and have started to spin the yellowest of yellow thread.

The kids are amazed and I can not stop checking on them everytime I walk past.

I hope you have all had an enjoyable weekend.

On the Shelf...

It appears that I have fallen off Blogtoberfest with a thud.

Life here has managed to get crazy busy again here (sorry if I am meant to have sent you back an email - I am hoping to get to it tonight)  I have managed to catch up with a few friends this week and am attempting to get organised to go on a little family holiday, all I have packed so far is my knitting and crochet, that is acceptable behaviour for us crafty folk isn't it?

I have been stir, stir, stirring a great big pot and turned 11kg of tomatoes into Special Sauce*.  Another crazy thing to do just before moving.  Never mind, there is always ways around moving things (trust me, after 8 moves in 9 years I know ALL the tricks)

Special Tomato Sauce

11 kg of tomatoes
1.5kg sliced brown onions
2kg granny smith apples, sliced
100g garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2kg sugar
500g salt
40g all spice
40g whole ginger, sliced
10g Cayenne
40 g cloves
5 cups of brown vinegar

Boil unpeeled tomatoes, onions, apples and garlic slowly for 3 hours (depends on how thick you like your sauce)  Remove skins that are floating on the surface.
With a bar mix or blender (I used the thermomix) Puree, blend in sugar and salt
Place spices, ginger, cayenne and cloves into a muslin bag and secure.Place in the pot of sauce mix and stir in vinegar.
Boil gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and be careful not to catch the bottom (burnt sauce isn't good)
Remove spice bag. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal firmly.

We now have a nice little stock pile of 18 bottles of sauce sitting on the shelf.  This will last us a year and is used in everything from pasta, spaghetti and shepherds pie and of course on top of steak and pies.
* Baden calls this his special sauce as it is the only sauce that isn't naughty and cause a rash on his face.

Joining in with Vic's Meme this week.  She has it back in her hot little hands and is a little excited to say the least.  Why don't you pop by and say hi.