What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #156

A very happy 3rd birthday to all you WOYWWers out there. I’ve been joining in for just over a year now and it’s been a lot of fun. Thanks to Julia for starting it all.

I’m back to the kitchen table for today and there’s a bit of stamping and punching going on. I do love a set of stamps with a matching punch. It makes life so much easier when you’re producing lots of the same thing. In this case a small gift for everyone attending my first Stampin’ Up workshops.

I had a bit of trouble with the washing machine this morning and that’s why the manual is there. The celebrations tin at the back has a rather lovely victoria sponge inside, made by my rather lovely daughter. The children will be arriving home at any minute, time to cut a few slices I think.

Head on over to Julia’s place to join the party. See you there!

Salad Days

The temperature has risen during the last few days and we’ve been enjoying the sunshine. I was more than happy to forgo my usual Sunday task of producing a roast dinner and hand the reins over to my husband. Of course I wasn’t totally off the hook, because the accompanying salads are my department, while the fire starting and charcoaling of large quantities of meat are his.

I was a vegetarian for around a decade, before having my children and learning to cook meals that included meat and fish. I would happily live on salads of the green and leafy variety during hot weather, but that just wouldn’t cut it around here. This pasta salad is simple to throw together and pleases everyone. Even my daughter with her aversion to ‘green bits’ !

Egg Pasta Salad

3 handfuls of wholemeal pasta twists

3 eggs (hardboiled)

3 plump (or 6 skinny) spring onions

3 spoonfuls* of mayonnaise

freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta, drain and cool slightly

Stir in 2 spoonfuls of mayonnaise

Chop the eggs and spring onions

Stir into the pasta with remaining spoonful of mayo

Season with plenty of black pepper

This is the amount I make when it is just the four of us and we have things to eat that go inside rolls or pitta bread. It leaves a decent portion for my son to take in his lunchbox the next day. He’s always on hand when the pasta goes in the pan, just to make sure. The quantities are very easily adaptable to whatever you need.

I’m hoping there will be plenty more opportunities to enjoy some al fresco dining in the coming months. Long live the salad.

*The size of spoon is entirely up to you.

{Not} Five Things I’m Loving This Friday ~ Bunting

It’s everywhere you look at the moment and much as I love it, I thought I’d share something a little different with you this week.

A garland comprising the cutest little dolls. Made from scraps of felt and fabric they are simple enough for a child to put together, with a little help here and there.

The pattern and tutorial are available at Love Charla Anne. If you love it and plan to pin it, please be sure to visit her lovely blog and pin directly from there. Thankyou.

I’ve been missing sharing my finds with you all on a Friday, but don’t have the time at the moment to search out a set of five each week. I’ll be making this a regular Friday thing again, the compromise being just one project instead of a whole list.

There’s been a lot going on here the last couple of months and I seem to have lost my blogging habit. Hoping I’ve got it back now.

The sun is shining here and I plan to make the most of it. Have a lovely weekend.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #155

I found my way to Portland and back again with no problems. It must have been down to all your good wishes, because it surely was not my doolally satnav. However an hour into the journey my car decided it didn’t fancy going into third gear any more. The last half hour of driving was a bit of a challenge!

This afternoon I pulled out the strips for my temporarily abandoned quilt project. I need some plain fabric for the sashing and was looking for a cheaper alternative to Moda Bella and Kona Solids. I found Klona plain fabrics at Backstitch yesterday and ordered a swatch card, which arrived this morning. Very fast service.

Also on the desk floor today are a few fabrics I picked out to make myself a new peg bag. I want to hang it on the line so I bought some cheap children’s coat hangers. The floral prints at the back are to make a couple of summer skirts. Oops! I’m supposed to be keeping it short. Sorry Julia.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #154

The sun is shining, but the car needed defrosting when my husband left for work. Is it really the middle of May?

The ironing board is out again. I had a huge parcel of prints from Photobox delivered yesterday and I’ve started to try and get them into some order. This is my daughter’s sports day in 2010. I’m going to make two scrapbook pages and put the rest into divided page projectors. I took a lot of photos that day. It was her last at primary school and she was captain of her team.

I’m off to see my best friend from college today. I’m hoping the road layout hasn’t changed too much since last year. She lives not far from where the Olympic sailing events will be held this summer and there has been a lot of disruption. Fingers crossed for a straightforward journey. I’m not known for my sense of direction.

Julia will be hosting as usual and I’ll be round to see you all later.

10 Things on the Tenth ~ Recipes

I hadn’t even realised it was the 10th of the month, until I happened to glance at the calendar while I was cooking dinner tonight. What to choose as a theme? The inspiration was right there in front of me….in the saucepan. I make a meal, usually from scratch, every evening. Here, in no particular order, are the last 10 I’ve cooked.

1. Creamy Tomato and Bacon Risotto

2. Oven baked salmon with new potatoes and vegetables

3. Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

4. Free range chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables

5. Tuna Pasta Bake

6. My vegetarian version of The (Not So) Small One’s bolognaise style bake.

7. Sea bass with roasted sweet potatoes, red onion and peppers

8. Fake fajitas

9. Ham, egg and homemade chips

10. Bacon wrapped chicken with sweet potato wedges and sweetcorn

There you have it. Our menu for the last ten days.

Shimelle doesn’t seem to be hosting the lists this month, but I’ll post my anyway.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #153

My workspace this week is the ironing board…..

…..it’s got to come in useful for something.

I bought a book of postcards to send out as Happy Mail, only to find they didn’t fit in a standard envelope. They’ve been sitting on the shelf ever since. My new score board arrived yesterday and with the extra diagonal plate I can now make whatever size I need. It’s brilliant.

Maths is not my strong point so it took me a little while to figure out the measurements I’d need to fit the postcard . A little bit of trial and error and I got there in the end. I knew that DCWV colossal stack, I bought when I first started scrapping, would come in handy one day!

For more desks, kitchen/dining room tables and floors head on over to Julia’s place. I can’t promise there’ll be any more ironing boards, but you never know.

PS If there is a maths genius reading today, who knows a magic formula for working out envelope sizes, please let me know. I’d be eternally grateful.

Storytelling Sunday 2 ~ May Queen

On the first Sunday of the month, Sian plays host to anyone who has a tale to tell or a photo (that tells a story) to share.

I didn’t have a story in mind for this month, so I did what I usually do on these occasions and turned to the old photo album.

This one seemed like a good choice…..

That’s my Mum right up there on the throne. We’re not certain of the year, but Mum thinks she was nine or ten years old, when she was chosen to be the May Queen.

It’s not a tradition that was followed at my primary school or my daughter’s, so we were sure to write on the back before tucking it away in the album again.

Have you got a May Day (or any other) story of your own? If you have, then head on over to Sian’s place, where we’ll all be happy to see you.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #152

Absolutely nothing! Well that’s not strictly true, there is a fruit bowl and the post that came this morning. Kitchen table crafting means everything has to be cleared away in order to eat and I’ve had no time to mess it back up today.

I did manage a scrapbook page last week…..

…..and a very simple card.

Both using my new Blossom punch and my favourite 3 heart punch.

If you’d like to see what everyone else has been making this week, then pay Julia a visit and you’ll find all the desks you need.

PS The photos are the result of a camera whose lens cover doesn’t open completely. I’m hoping my poor little Canon will be restored to full health very soon.