Fresh from the oven!

So today due to a sudden and unexpected finishing of the cooking gas I was left wondering how I was going to make lunch.  It's one of those things I find frustrating a challenge about living in Delhi. Our cooking gas comes in large cylinders that I find slightly scary to hook up. You can get piped in gas in some places too but we rent so we use a cylinder. No gas meant that I had to come up with something using the microwave and the tiny toaster oven I have.  After thinking about it I decided why not try that calzone/pizza crust recipe I saw on Cooking from Scratch - blog. So that is what I did. I made a small pizza, 2 calzones and some small ham and cheese pockets that I froze to enjoy another day. It took hours because the oven is so tiny but in the end it was a yummy lunch! I filled them with ham, green pepper, onions and cheese.

Brownies

I also made some super yummy brownies yesterday. I've been trying different cocoa brownie recipes in the search for one that A. does not require baking chocolate or chocolate chips or cream cheese. (all of which are not so easily available here) B. is moist and chewy (cuz that's how I like them) C. Is a small enough recipe that it will fit nicely in my oven (8x8 or 9x9 not 9x13).

I think this recipe is one of the best so far. They were really good! I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com it's a wonderful place to find yummy things to make. Check it out if you have not done so already! There must be over 100 brownie recipes on there but this is the one I picked to make: Best-Brownies by Angie.  The only issue I have with this recipe is that it told me to frost the brownies while still warm which I did.. however the frosting was a little hard to spread and so didn't come out so evenly on top. Next time I think I'll wait till the brownies are cool and perhaps add a little more milk to the frosting. They were not so pretty but the flavour made up for it!  All in all a wonderfully simple and tasty brownie! Soft and gooey like I like them! I tried a warm one and a cold one and I like them better cold.  Now feel the brownie envy and enjoy this picture!



My Wednesday work in progress.

I started a crochet project this week. Mainly because the light in the room where I sew is out and that means it's kinda dim in there even during the day. I hate working in dim lighting conditions so I've picked up some yarn and a hook and am making a shawl. Hopefully I'll get the light fixed soon.

The shawl I am making is called the Small Talk Shawl by Cheri Evans  -  Ravelry.  I'm using some light 4 ply acrylic yarn in a plum/eggplant color.  I think this might end up being a Christmas present for my mom.  I'm not a fast crocheter so this already represents many hours! I probably should have made is pattern in green but they didn't have any green shade I liked at the store when I bought the yarn so plum color is what it's going to be.

Swiss Peep.

Back in June I entered a few skirts in the Skirt week competition on Crafterhours. It was a bittersweet moment when I saw this skirt of mine made it to the top 8 in the children's category.  Top 8 children's skirts  There were some really great skirts entered and I feel truly honored to have my skirt chosen from among them. It was a little bittersweet because this skirt was the last thing I made on my old sewing machine before it died. Tears were shed when that happened. There is something about the power fluctuation here that my machine could not handle and it burned out. At least that is what I figure happened because it had happened once before too. I have a new one now  (THANK YOU HONEY!) that I am slowly learning to love but I do miss that Singer. It was lovely while it lasted.  

A few ladies asked me if I had a tutorial for this skirt, so here it is! I now have a tutorial and a blog to share it on! I do hope it makes sense and that you are not put off by the silly amateur drawings.. I'm still learning. Perhaps next time I'll take pictures as I am making something rather than only after.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Direction given are for about

a size 2T but it’s so simple you could easily adjust it up or down.

- Final skirt measurements (flat) -
length - 9 inches (including lace edge)
waist - 20 inches.

                                                                                                                                                    
Supplies:   

White cotton. (1/2 yard/10 inches)

I used a nice med. weight cotton

to give a little extra volume.
Swiss dot or voile, lawn

or even just quilter’s cotton

in red or whatever strikes your fancy.

(I used a lovely Swiss dot, hence the name)

(3/4 yard/ 20 inches)
Eyelet lace. or other cute lace.

(2 1/4 yards or more depending on how

many rounds you want. I did 2 plus a little

strip in the back with about 2 1/2 yards.)
1/4 inch satin ribbon in white

(or coordinating color) 1 yard
1” satin ribbon (1 maybe 1 1/2 yards)
1” elastic.  (I used about 21 inches -

adjust for you child. )

Sewing stuff

(thread, needle, machine etc.. the usual suspects)

 

Regrets..

Here I sit once again. Feeling those pangs of regret once again.  It happens almost everyday around this time.  That sinking feeling, knowing that you should not be doing what you are in fact doing.  Wondering why I do not learn from it and stop repeating the same patterns over and over.  It's not like I like how I feel the next day.. So why don't I learn?  Everyday it's the same.  I guess could blame lots of different things but really it's all my fault.  Perhaps tomorrow can be different.  Maybe there is a ray of hope that I can change my ways.  Let's hope so.  Yes, tomorrow, I will go to bed before 1am!  Tomorrow I will not stay up so late that getting up in the morning is nearly impossible.  Tomorrow I will go to sleep before I am tired!

Goodnight everybody! It's 1.30am.. are you in bed yet?

Sewing.

I've been feeling a little sick but I have been getting a few sewing projects done too. I finished this little simple top and matching shorts for my beautiful little lady this week.

It's very simple, made from lovely cotton seersucker. I think I'll have to go and adjust the back a little but at least I know she'll fit it next year too. I love sewing things that last longer than a few weeks in her closet!

 I just LOVE her curls!

Happy Independence Day India.

Today, August 15th India celebrates their 64th Independence.  I asked about how they celebrate but from the responses I got I didn't feel like there is a collective way of celebrating. Not like how in the USA almost everyone watches fireworks at night and eats a meal outside enjoying a nice burger or hot dog.  There were plenty of children running around with paper kites today and almost all of the little markets were closed.  I wish I had taken a few shots of the colorful kites. I was amazed at the skill it seemed to take to get them into the air. Too bad that there was not more wind today for all the kite enthusiasts! 

I celebrated by making Indian flag cupcakes. Anaiah celebrated by eating the cupcakes and by wearing some cute Indian clothes that her aunt Anu gave her. She looked really cute! If you are Indian, how did you celebrate?

Happy Independence Day to all the people of India!

Sick..

I've been fighting a bad cough for nearly a month now and do not seem to be winning.  Not sure what it is really, the ENT has given me various medicines to try but nothing seems to be effective. I'll be going in for X-rays if things do not turn around in a day or 2.  This cough has really been keeping me from getting things done. I was working on several dresses but only one is near completion. Hopefully I can post about those fun things soon.

Growing up.

Well my little girl is officially sleeping in a toddler bed.  I had been holding off on converting her crib to a toddler bed for a long time. I guess I just was not ready to let go. However despite the extra high sides she learned to climb out of the crib herself this week and that was dangerous, so I took the crib side off and put the toddler side on.  When she first saw her 'new bed' she said, "mommy, it's broken" but now she seems to enjoy it. I am THANKFUL that she went to sleep just fine in it right away and didn't  go explore in the room. I was worried that changing  to a toddler bed would mean nights of sitting beside her crib listening to her cry/whine about not getting to go play but those night have not come! YAY! So far she has just gone right to sleep in her new bed.

Baby steps into the blogging world.

Well, I finally did it. I made a blog! I'm not the greatest writer and am not sure what kind of a blog this is going to turn into, but I wanted a place to put done my thoughts and share my creations, my life and my struggles sometimes too.  I love to sew and craft things and hopefully with this blog I will be inspired to do that even more. I titled this blog Whoopsy because it has been one of my daughter's favorite words and because it reminds me that it's okay to make mistakes. We all make them sometimes right?!