A fabulous giveaway over at Jeanne Oliver Designs...

Ok... so anyone who knows me knows I LOVE ruffles! Over at Jeanne Oliver Designs...here...you'll see a great giveaway from her online store.

$500 (US$ I guess) to spend in her store!!!!!!

Gorgeous clothes and bags that she makes out of natural, delicious fabrics....here are a few from her latest summer collection (obviously not downunder! brrr)... I can just see myself out collecting apples all scooped up in this apron!! (not that there's any wild apple trees nearby, but hey...could'a got quinces!!) lol...

Her dresses are peasanty styled using great fabrics, including vintage bits and pieces...got me again!...

Anyway...check it out...and if you love what you see, read up on how you can enter her giveaway...commenting, sharing on fb and your blog...

Cute shoes too, no? ;)

ciao bellas

jessie xx

(11 days! :) )

Flower Power...a little papercrafting as I recover...

Well it's been a week of sickness for me...terrible flu had me in bed for a couple of days but beginning to feel slightly human again! And certainly my brain is back in the game...was inspired by Emily from Jones Design Company (here) this week to try my hand at these cute paper flowers. Emily is doing a week of flower tutorials...fabric, paper and buttons so far!..check out her link....I have a special something on this weekend and these flowers will be perfect for a little handmade feminine touch in the decorating for it...and so easy to do whilst lying on the couch coughing and spluttering!! (lovely, I know ;)

Anyway, I made the flowers out of scrapbooking papers and coffee filters...the white filter flowers have a lovely ripple effect from their shaping and make them quite unique...

and the papers make perfect little round blooms...

Thanks Emily for the inspiration! The button flowers are also really cute...but you do need to have a large assortment of buttons on hand...perhaps I'll buy some on purpose!...when I'm properly well ;)

Thanks for stopping by...

ciao bellas (20 days till Italia!!)

blessings to you and yours

luv jessie xx

And perhaps a sweet treat??

Fancy a sweet treat with your coffee?? We've got all you could wish for..and more!
Caramel Fudge, Berry Mudcake, Friands, Cheesecake, Brownie, Gingerbread, Peppermint Slice, Sticky Lemon Slice...
just to name a few ;)

mmm...come for coffee and a bite to eat after church next week...you'll be so glad you did!
And so will we :)
It's our pleasure to serve YOU!
ciao bellas
jessie xxx

A few pics from our Church Cafe this week...

QUINCE!!!!!!

Words not necessary!

Fun in the kitchen.. :)

So000... my blog is becoming a food/cooking blog!! lol...ah well...part of who I am I guess ;) I endeavoured to make Grape Jelly from my delicious purple grapes in the back yard...and even tho I'd read it doesn't make good jelly...doesn't set really...I thought I'd have a go anyway..who knows....maybe MINE would set?? ahaha...ah..no! Well it set to a gloopy blobiness that I wasn't looking for. And unfortunately I had to cook it so long that it all but lost it's delicate delicious grape-y-ness...SO..not wanting to waste it...tho by now it just tasted sweet rich and nothing much like grape!! I thought it might make a delicious vinaigrette tho...just enough sweet and rich to tone a delicious balsamic vinegar and fruity fresh-ish olive oil....and...
VOILA!!...
It has made a very acceptable and delicious even, Grape Jus Vinaigrette! (technically not grape jus at all is it? but 'grape jelly vinaigrette' just didn't have the same ring to it!! haha..and TECHNICALLY...it is made with grape juice (aka jus)!!!)
so here's my purpleish, brownish, delish concoction!

I
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at what I've been up to...off to collage my next batch of pics...food from this weeks ANNESBROOK CHURCH CAFE! ;)
BUON APPETITO BELLAS!! (30 days till we leave for Italia!! woohoo!!)
ciao
jessie xxx

Fruits of my labour :)

O..K..the 'fruits' of my labour..literally! :) One luscious jar of passionfruit curd (or butter as it's also called), several jars of quince jelly, two jars of grape jelly/nectar...kind of not quite set enough to be jelly...tho thinking it could be nice mixed with balsamic vinegar to make a delicious dressing for a salad...like a grape jus !..mmm....anyway...here are some pics of my days work... Oh the first batch of quince paste I made in the microwave...excellent as you don't have to worry about it spitting all over the stove and your hands arms and face! (thank goodness I wear glasses!!)...this paste was a little low on sugar and I think that's why the colour is not so rich, but it is delicious with crackers and a nice sharp vintage cheese as shown here. Beth and I had a lovely supper of this two nights ago...she just had the crackers and cheese as she does not love mama's quince preserves...sniff! sniff!!...(rejected! ;))....but I, on the other hand, LOVED it!!...

Oh how luscious do these look??? Just oozing jelly and dying to have the cores scooped out and be simply added to some creamy french vanilla icecream...bellissima!!...

And then the passionfruit curd....here is the final result...I had some spread on delicious toasted ciabatta for my lunch...no need for butter as it's very rich (and full of butter itself!)...really good.

Here it was still bubbling away after removing from the microwave...it really is a great invention for preserving...takes so much time and precision out of the equation. This passionfruit curd made in 6 minutes!

And here my gleaming wee jar of quince jelly...just the most beautiful jewel like colours...with the grape jelly to the right...

A wobbling teaspoonful of jelly ready to eat...

Lined up like little jelly jar soldiers on my kitchen window sill...next to my bottled nectarines that Steve and I picked at Renwick on the way home from a short holiday up north....

And here they all are cooling, ready to have their lids popped on...

Oh I truly love preserving, jam making, jelly making, curd making...cheese making, butter too! think I was born in the wrong era! haha..mind you, back in the day, it probably wasn't as much fun ...doing it out of necessity is different to doing it as a wonderful pastime! Mind you...I think I would have loved it still...

thats it for now mi amici...

buonanotte...and good night :)

jessie xx

Autumn Bounty = pastes,jellies, nectars and relishes! oh yeah!

So here's what I've been doing since Friday...with a wee break over the weekend to go cook for the church cafe ;)...and will continue tomorrow. Oh how I love the old ways...preserving fruit and veg - we have quinces (an absolute favourite...just the fragrant perfume makes me swoon!)...feijoas, grapes, passionfruit and cherry tomatoes... making nectars and pastes and jellies and curds...it makes me feel deeply connected to my past, to the ways of old that are so dying out...feels very virtuous! lol...not very economical if you had to buy your fruit and veg to make them..but in this case...all from mine or my friends gardens..thankyou Lord! Oh yeah!!...(oh no the passionfruit were from the super!)...

Never made grape nectar before but got tons of grapes just going to waste so thought I'd give it a go...Tell me your preserving/bottling/canning stories girls... I'd truly love to hear!

Blessings to you...

From the kitchen queen! ;)

ciao bellas

jessie xx