Dangly WOW

It has occurred to me that these wombat earrings haven't yet had their turn on the blog, so here they are. Back left are wooden - right are titanium, they're a purplish-brown colour and are incredibly light - and the little ones in front with the bead trimming are pewter. A little bit of fun for when I'm feeling wombatty and frivolous!

The floods have subsided although there is still a lot of water coming from upstream. According to the local paper a few people were stopped from driving onto flooded roads by the police and fined......jolly good, say I. Not only do they put their own lives and those of any passengers at risk, but also the people who attempt to rescue them.

Today I baked some pecan brownies.....recipe is here......this house has an electric oven and cooktop, but for the past 20 years I had a gas stove so I have to re-learn cooking again. If you have ever used both you will know they are different! The oven seems to bake well, a few weeks ago I made some little cupcakes to try it out so today I was a bit braver. I had a piece of brownie with my coffee a few minutes ago (can't serve it to Kevin without trying it first, can I?) and it was delicious. But I wish I had a gas cooktop, so much better than electric hotplates, more instant control when turning the heat up or down.

I have started making my new bag and will take a pic soon, hopefully it will look very elegant. The book I ordered to help me make my maritime challenge quilt came from the UK today - "9-Patch Pizzazz". Great service, 10 days from there to me, and a good price too. As soon as the bag is finished that will be my next project, I have already started thinking about it and am looking forward to making it. Some of the fabrics have been in my stash for a long time, they should be matured by now - like fine wine and cheese! Colours are lots of blues, with some red and gold.

Today has been lovely and sunny, a good afternoon for a walk - only problem is, today the locksmiths keyed all the locks in the house to the same key, and he left the new keys with me because I was home and Kevin was out playing lawn bowls, so if I go walkies taking the new key with me and Kevin comes home........he won't be able to get in!

I have had EQ6 for some time now, and the new update for EQ7 is out - I'm debating with myself whether I really need it - while EQ6 is handy I don't use it to its full capacity, but does that really matter? So long as I can use it for what I need. I might debate for a wee while longer.

The Only Choir In Town is practising for a concert next month, we will be singing some songs from Gilbert and Sullivan, and some Elizabethan madrigals, and some hymns and sacred songs. And a chorus from an opera. If I am singing opera does that mean I can be a diva and throw tantrums if things aren't to my liking?

Must share this with you, the 1885 etiquette book has a chapter titled "Toilet Recipes" of which this is one.

"Wash for the complexion.
A teaspoonful of the flour of sulphur and a wine-glassful of lime-water, well shaken and mixed; half a wine-glass of glycerine and a wine-glass of rose-water. Rub it on the face every night before going to bed. Shake well before using."

Some old recipe books use "a wine-glass" as a measure, I wonder what size glass those Victorians used? If anyone is brave enough to try this, don't come crying to me when your face falls off.........

Jennifer

Brass WOW

Very cold weather is said to be brass monkey weather, I don't have brass monkeys but I do have a brass wombat. It is designed to fit over a garden tap handle as a decorative feature. Kevin found it for me a few years ago, his job at the time entailed going into hardware shops which often have good garden departments with all sorts of interesting things for sale. Including brass wombats.

Have just finished reading "Entombed" by Linda Fairstein, a writer who has written other books I have enjoyed reading. I like police/detective novels, the unravelling of a mystery can be fascinating. One of the cases in this book had connections to the life and work of Edgar Poe, did you know the name Allan in the middle wasn't part of his actual name? Looking at her website, her new book is "Lethal Legacy" set in the New York Public Library...sounds like an interesting read! Must keep an eye out for it at my local library.

The pecan brownies were/are very yummy. I cut them into small pieces rather than large slices so we can have a piece with a coffee or tea and not feel too guilty. In case you should feel inspired to don an apron and pick up a wooden spoon, here is the recipe:

Pecan Brownies

155g butter, melted
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt - optional
1 1/2 cups chopped pecan nuts

It is important to melt the butter. If not, the mixture requires too much beating which over-aerates it. The mixture needs to be dense to hold nuts evenly throughout. Also, mixture will sink slightly after taking from oven.

Mix together melted butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time, beat lightly. Stir in vanilla essence and beat until creamy. Fold in sifted cocoa powder, flour (and salt if used) and mix until combined. Stir in pecan nuts. Pour into a greased and base lined 20cm square cake pan, bake in moderate oven for 55 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cool completely in pan. Turn out, cut into squares. Top has crusty sheen and deliciously moist centre. Serve with your choice of tea or coffee and enjoy! I'm sure it could also be yummy in large squares with cream or ice cream. Or even both, if you wish - why not?

I have read some very nice recipes in blogs recently, so thought I would contribute one too. It's an Aussie recipe so the quantities are metric, however there are conversion sites online if you wish to use other measurements. Plain flour is flour that has no leavening agent - baking powder, bi-carb, whatever - added, it may go by a different name in other countries. And the cocoa powder has to be pure cocoa, not drinking chocolate which has had sugar added. There's enough sugar in the recipe for a sugar hit, without needing any extra! If anyone makes it I would be interested to know.

Have a lovely week.

Jennifer