Monday, 16 July 2012

Strawberry Curd and Weekend Sewing

It was a weekend of pottering in our home and despite feeling very relaxed we seemed to get plenty done.

Strawberry curd was on my list of things to try this year and I made some using the recipe on Allotment 2 Kitchen

250g didn't seem like very many strawberries so I began to double the recipe and then realised I'd need eight egg yolks, which seemed a bit excessive!  I ended up halving the mixture (before adding the egg yolks) and making a strawberry meringue thing with the remaining mixture and egg whites. 

Strawberry Curd

This was the first time I have made fruit curd without straining for bits.  Cameron is very reluctant to eat berry seeds due to sensory issues so it was a bit of a gamble but actually, by the time the strawberries were cooked down, the seeds were barely noticeable.

The strawberry curd is delicious but this particular recipe was a bit heavy on the butter for me and also seems quite pink in comparison to other strawberry curds I've seen with vivid colours so I'm on the look out for another recipe to try.

I made use of Sunday morning to tidy my office/studio room and was instantly inspired to get the sewing machine out (which inevitably made the room messy again by tea time!).
I made Millie's Hot Pad from Amanda Blake Soule's Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures.


The pattern was really clear and easy to follow but I still have a lot to learn about using a sewing machine.

Hot pad front

This was the first round thing I have made with a machine (and with bias tape) so I'm pretty proud that the finished product is round but I made a couple of mistakes - not having the book flat when I scanned the templates and also rushing to top stitch the bias binding right at the end meant that the stitches didn't match up from front to back.
However, it's very sturdy and will do the job well enough and sort of resembles the ones in the book so I'm quietly pleased with my hot pad.


Hot pad, back

P.S. The winner of the Yeo Valley tour has been picked!  Find out if you won in the original giveaway post.

9 comments:

  1. the curd looks delicious!

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  2. Oh I have lemons and eggs, off to make lemon curd!

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    1. Wonderful! Your comment is an example of exactly why I get up and write each morning, Jen :o)

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  3. Strawberry curd sound delish....I've always wanted to try to make lemon curd! ♥ Let me know if you find a recipe you like better!!!

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  4. Good idea with the pot pads, I'm upcycling some stuff for the craft fair this weekend and may find some time to make a few if I get the machine out. Envy your work space!

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  5. I made a couple of these two weeks ago and love them. They are kind of small but great for hot saucepan lids. Must blog about mine soon. Once I find my camera lead so I can download pics to the laptop. Feel freaked out not being able to do this! Love your pot holders and the curd looks good. I've never thought of strawberry curd as I love plain fresh homemade strawberry jam so very much.

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  6. The strawberry curd sounds interesting, I always think of lemon when I think of curd.

    I know exactly what you mean about mess, when I get my sewing machine out a mass of cottons, fabric seem to amass around it - including the floor!

    Angela

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  7. Oh my, the strawberry curd looks amazing, and I love the hot pads. I made a set when the book first came out, and they have held up so well. Enjoy!

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