Saturday 26 November 2011

A Typical Saturday

Around here any given Saturday is busy. Well, for me at least. Today would be no different. Hit the floor running and keep going. But it has been a good day so not complaining, just getting on with things. Laundry, dishes, making soup for lunch, and then - horror of horrors - cleaning up the dining room as my MIL was coming for lunch. Sorting out a myriad of fabric scraps and counting the days until I get my storage unit for Christmas. I even hoovered in there. I need a sewing room with a wooden floor that I can sweep. For one, I hate that sound the hoover makes when it finds a pin in the carpet. Eeuuggh! And I hate the very thought that another pin has managed to fall without being noticed.

But all that is beside the fact. Tidy my sewing space I did. If I am perfectly honest - it needed it. It needed it very badly so maybe my MIL coming for lunch was a good thing. It made me get on with something I had been ignoring for far too long.

Whilst all this was going on I was also supervising Emily in her baking. It was her turn today. She got right to it this morning, still in her pyjamas.


No prizes for guessing what sort of cake.
And that undone button just makes me smile.

Next came dance. Into Banbury I went with Emily. And was I excited, because I saw something that I have heard many of you talk about but had never seen myself. Just opened in Banbury is a Dunhelm Mill. Right, spill  your guts, what is the best things to look for there and how good are the savings? I have heard the name of this shop so many times and now I have one of my own (sort of, well you know what I mean).

Home to feed the lot of them, and then to sample Emily's cake. Which was brilliant. Both girls are now more than capable of producing cakes as good as anything I make.


After my MIL headed home, and everyone else distracted, I managed to make something and get it into the freezer before anyone could notice. I am very proud of this because if any of them had realised that I was making sausage rolls the numbers would have been decimated. I like to get things like this into the freezer in advance so that when Christmas rolls round it is as stress free as possible. Sausage rolls are the easiest thing in the world to make and way better if you make them yourself - in my opinion.

2 packs of ready rolled puff pastry, a half dozen sausages and one egg.
Unroll one sheet of pastry, brush with beaten egg, then remove the sausage skins and spread the meat of three sausages out along with width of the pastry evenly spaced apart.

Cut the pasty between the rows of meat, and roll each strip into a tube. Brush the outside with beaten egg, lightly slash the top on the diagonal with a sharp knife and then cut into eight portions.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and place in the oven (200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6) until golden brown.
In no time flat you have yourself four dozen sausage rolls ready for freezing.
One more item ticked off the list of things to do before Christmas.
I am sleepy tired now. It is just 4:30pm but completely dark outside. I could try and motivate myself to do some sewing now, but I don't think I will. Supper to cook soon. I'm happy with what I managed to accomplish. That's enough for today.

Susan

22 comments:

  1. So many yummy things in this post - Emily's cake looks amazing (my compliments to the chef!) and the sausage rolls look delicious! Congratulations on the tidy up - now celebrate with a cup of tea and some of that cake!

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  2. I'm reading your post just before dinner and I'm even more hungry than I was 5 minutes ago!!!

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  3. I want some of what you`re on! Cake looks delish and I have no idea about the shop in Banbury - is it a fabric shop??

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  4. You don't make your own puff pastry - oh thank God for that!!!

    Dunelm Mill - well we now have The Range nearer so I haven't been for ages. But it has/had good Cath Kidston-a-like home dec weight fabric, and cushion pads! and we got a great rug there - not sure on the price of cotton sheets - think Lolly favours these - so definitely worth a beak about!

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  5. I was told to get cushion inners at Dunelm but as there isn't one close to me I had to get them online from them. Cake and sausage rolls look amazing!

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  6. Have you tried putting par-cooked bits of Coxs apple in yr sausage rolls? Elevates them to stratospheric levels of yumminess

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  7. Hmmmm must remember next time I shop to get stuff for veggie sausage rolls :-) Tell Emily her cake looks fab and I love her jammies! And well done you on the hoovering - I get a bit anal about dropped pins on carpet myself.

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  8. Seeing you as a bit of a goddess in the kitchen..........those sausage rolls look good enough to eat!

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  9. Oh Dunelm Mills, I use to get all my bedding from there. I still have percale quilt covers and sheets that I bought when I was in the UK (and we have lived in France 8 years) they still wash and iron fabulous (no bobbles). When we come to the UK I buy my towels from Dunelm and have also bought quilts and pillows from there. They also have a good kitchen department...I am jealous!! Linda

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  10. Oooh, what a yummy post, round to yours for dinner next Saturday I think...

    As for Dunelm, I'm about to hit them up for vinyl and cording this week, and probably some cushion forms too (not for the same project, you'll be pleased to know ;o) )

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  11. I love that you include these recipes on your blog Susan! Home made sausage rolls are the best and so easy to prepare lots of them without much time.

    When they're older your girls will have such great memories of making those cakes, I know my memories of those days are really special. I remember when my older brother first learnt to make spag bol (spaghetti bolognese) too as he was soooo proud of himself.

    Enjoy your cake!

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  12. oh Dunelm in Banbury!! EXCELLANT!! I'm desperate for some new curtain material for the dining room (my sewign room)...

    Have been lost since the one in Coventry burnt down!

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  13. Oh, your morning sounds a bit like mine! (without the cake!) Emily the cake look totally delicious and clearly was by the looks of how much is gone! Susan, such a Goddess! I don't really do sausage rolls but those my friend, I'll be round in a shot!

    Dunelm, hmmm, a bit hit and miss here, they used to be really good, still good for cushion pads, curtains and the like, but they've crammed ours so full of all sorts of crap it's hard to find the good stuff!

    Enjoy your rest!

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  14. All these Domestic Godesses! In one house - lucky John! Great makes and yes I could do with a hoovering session in my sewing room!

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  15. Glad you've had a lovely Saturday. Chill out and enjoy your well deserved stress free evening. Jxo

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  16. YUM! I love sausage rolls. And chocolate marble cake? Now you're just showing off !

    Im about to hit my sewing room and attempt a tidy up. If you dont hear from me by tomorrow send search and rescue!

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  17. you deserve to be tired. You had a very busy day. I am tired too and we have a dinner date tonight with friends...too much food so close after Thanksgiving. I just want to stay in my jammies all day!
    Have a great Sunday!

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  18. yours and emilys cooking looks amazing and now I am hungrey. I love Dunelm-I get my cushion inners from there and it is also where I got my amazing bargain for my curtain material at £10 for the whole 10 mtrs. You have to just look each time you're in there for bargains. And they do great nic nacs for the house and sewing and scrapbooking etc. Get yourself down there!

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  19. Oh I miss Dunelm! Oh I miss sausage rolls! You know how to uspet a girl don't you. I could go on about Dunelm forever. It is good for EVERYTHING for the home. I used to buy bedding, curtains, fabric, rugs, towels, pictures. good design and quality for reasonable prices. We even drive back to England (over a 1000 miles) just so we can fill the car up with stuff from Dunelm (and sausages and bacon).

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  20. Corrrr! those sausage rolls have got me salivating....when is it teatime?? x

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  21. look at you and your amazing girls. deish! the cake really has me going right now, but i'd quickly be back for a sausage roll. you guys rock!

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