Baby blanket!

Just two weeks left till the arrival of my Grandson and I wanted to make him a blanket but needed it to be a quick knit. It would probably have been quicker if I had crocheted the complete blanket but I wanted it to be warm and knitting it made it a closer finish.
I knitted squares in rib and crocheted borders around each of them - then sewed them all together - crocheted a border around the whole blanket and decorated with ribbon and silk roses.
I am quite pleased with the results and my daughter loves it. Simple but effective.

Our little visitor

We had a small visitor to our balcony a couple of nights ago. I had initially taken my camera outside to snap a photograph of the birds footprints in the snow underneath the bird table - I thought it looked really pretty. My husband came out to see what I was doing and he noticed another set of footprints that were obviously not made by the birds. My first reaction was a mouse - to which I was told if it was, then it was a mouse on steroids. Then I started to panic thinking it was an r-a-t! (I have never been able to say that word and always spell it out - goes back to my childhood in Scotland - my Gran and then subsequently my Mum thought it was bad luck to say r-a-t so was spelt out instead and it has stayed with me throughout my life Lol!)  Since moving to this flat I have convinced myself that we have an r-a-t in the roof! Each year for several months we have scratchings and movements under the roof and can be heard very clearly from the bedroom. So I was sure that the footprints belonged to the culprit in the roof! My husband thought the footprints were too small for an r-a-t - so set to and did some research. He was told it was a mouse native to The Netherlands but without seeing the animal itself could not be sure which species it is.
There is no sign of it in the surrounding area of the balcony since but I am making sure the door stays firmly shut when entering and exiting outside. How on earth it managed to get up to the third floor on the outside of the building is a mystery!!

bosmuis (wood mouse) picture courtesy of wikipedia user: Rasbak

Civil defense warning siren!

Every first Monday of each month at 12 noon, this siren is tested. It is tested to keep the population of The Netherlands aware and would be used in reality to warn of approaching danger of a national emergency.

When I first visited this country back in 2007 - it really unnerved me - it was quite alien to hear as a British person - although I know my Mum and Dad's generation heard similar sirens during the second world war! It was a little scary. Now when I hear it - it makes me feel very comforted and glad to know it is in place as a cautionary measure for us as citizens.

Apparantely there are over 4,000 of these sirens in place over The Netherlands and some have been adapted to enable voice messages to be broadcast over them depending on what kind of disaster ensues.
Our nearest amplifier is in our local shopping center.

Smoked Salmon Quiche.

On boxing day (known as the 2nd Christmas day here in the Netherlands) we usually have a cold buffet using up all the leftover turkey breast and put out bowls of potato salad and green salad - cheese and crackers - Christmas cake and a trifle. Alongside this I always make a quiche. This year I didn't but decided to make one for our dinner a couple of days ago. You can add any main ingredient you like - 2 cans of tuna drained would be good - or diced bacon - even cooked broccoli. We had bought some smoked salmon to have with our buffet and forgot all about it until I made the quiche - so it was added into the ingredients.

It will soon be New year all over the world. Here in The Netherlands they love to let off fireworks on New years eve on the stroke of midnight - then the skies are lit up with every firework imagineable and the noise is deafening. For several days leading up to it there are fireworks going off around the area - as I sit here now a neighbour is practicing for the event. There are so many fireworks bought and used at New year here that the day after, school children are encouraged to collect all the used fireworks and bag them - they can then exchange them for money.  It is a complete contrast to the UK where only the past 4 or 5 years fireworks are let off on New years eve at midnight to herald in the New Year but on a much, much smaller scale. However you celebrate it - have a wonderful time and many blessings for 2013.

Smoked Salmon Quiche

Ingredients

Pastry

250gms Flour sifted

150gms Butter diced (cold)

pinch Salt

1 medium egg slightly whisked.

(may need a little cold water)

Filling

3 medium eggs

1 small onion (finely chopped)

100 gms grated cheese

200 gms smoked salmon cut into small pieces

Milk

salt and pepper.

You will also need: 26cm flan dish. (or 2 small cake tins - 6 inch or 7 inch (15cm or 18cm) greased.

Preheat your oven to:  200degs C   400 degs F   Gas mark 6.

Will take 30 - 40 mins to cook.

Method

1. Sift your flour into a large bowl and add the salt.

2. Add the butter and rub together until like breadcrumbs.

3. Add the egg and mix together with a knife. You may or may not need to add a little water - it should come together into a ball..

4. Chill for 10 mins in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm.

5. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to fit your flan dish or cake tins.

6. I always prebake the pastry cases so I don't end up with a soggy bottomed quiche. The way I do it is the way Delia has shown us all in the past and it always works for me without all the fuss of paper and dried beans!
Prick the pastry all over with a fork - not forgetting the sides of the flan and place in oven for 10 - 15 mins until lightly golden.

7. Bring out of oven and evenly distribute the onion - cheese and smoked salmon on the pastry bottom.

8. Whisk the 3 eggs in a measuring jug and then top up with milk to the 400ml mark. Season with pepper and a little salt. (not too much if you are using smoked salmon as it is quite salty to begin with)

9. Pour over the ingredients in the pastry case and cook for 30 - 40 mins until egg mixture has set and it is golden in colour - check when it has been cooking for 30 mins.

Serve with a jacket potato and a green salad - hot or cold. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm.

 

Christmas cake made - Tree decorated and Turkey ordered!

Where does each year go? Christmas has crept upon us once again - each year seems to get shorter than the last one. Did you not long for the months to go quicker when you were little? To get to your birthday and then to Christmas? Oh! and it took such a long time. As we get older - time goes by too quickly - or so it seems.

I was late this year putting up the tree, decorations and making the Christmas cake but I am finally there.

To me Christmas just isn't Christmas without a fruit cake (or Christmas carols) and each year Delias recipe for classic Christmas cake never lets me down. I do omit some of the fruit and replace that with more of the glace cherries though, as it makes a lighter cake.

Our turkey is ordered from the local poulterer as up until recently it was very difficult to find one in the supermarkets. Our presents are bought (but not wrapped yet!) so all that remains is to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a year full of good things.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/the-classic-christmas-cake.html

A short tour around our shopping center.

It snowed quite heavily here for a couple of days but the rain washed most of it away today. Yesterday was really cold - reaching minus 7 in the evening.

We do our food shopping at Albert Heijn in the small shopping center 5 minutes walk away from where we live. Around this time of year they play Christmas carols and songs over speakers so you can enjoy the music and get in the Christmas spirit while you are shopping.

Our treat from our shopping trip is pictured below and they were delicious - cheap too at 1 euro each.

The box says - tasty fresh from Hema.

Yummy!

Baby knits and snow!

Well I managed to get these baby knitted items finished in time to send in the Christmas parcel to my daughter who is having a baby boy in february next year. My arm was dropping off by the time I finished but I am quite pleased with the results.
She wanted a hat mitten and bootee set to match the outfit she had bought as his going home from hospital attire so I started with that set and it all seemed to get out of hand after that knitting hats in other colours..... and of course they had to have mitts and bootees to match them.

For his going home outfit

In lemon



In blue



in white



The pattern for these I found online - I just would not be able to follow a Dutch pattern I don't think.
The mittens are here:  http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/babyhatmitts.htm
MittensWith CC pink CO 28 sts and work in K1, p1 until work measures 1 inch (3 cm) from beg. Change to MC cream and work in St st for 14 rows.
Shaping
Next row: (k2tog, k11) twice, k2tog - 25 sts
Next row: purl
Next row: k2tog, k10, k2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog - 22 sts
Next row: purl
Next row: (k2tog, k8) twice, k2tog - 19 sts
Next row: purl
BO. Cut yarn, leaving a long length of yarn for sewing side seam.

I made an eyelet row on them so they could be tied and be more secure - just after you have done your 1 inch in k1 p1 do your eyelet row - k1 YO k2tog ending in k1. Then knit your stocking stitch for 14 rows.

The hat was from here:  C:\Documents and Settings\Clark\Mijn documenten\patterns\Newborn Baby Hat to Knit - Free Knitting Pattern  Suite101.mht

The bootees from here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/my_pages/babywear/hkp/010.sht





lamb hat crocheted



The lamb hat - bear hat and ladybird hat is crocheted and the initial pattern is from here: 

C:\Documents and Settings\Clark\Mijn documenten\patterns\Alli Crafts Free Pattern Lamb Bonnet.mht   I adapted the pattern with colours to make the bear and ladybird ones.

bear hat

ladybird

 Got plenty more to make yet so will set to with that soon.

We had a bout of ice and frost last night and this morning it started to snow - nice to look at and lovely around Christmas makes you feel in the spirit of the season - but it is really cold and it is nice to be in the warmth indoors. Hope you are all keeping warm.