Busy, busy, busy! (Sung to Honey, honey, honey from Mamma Mia) I'm so obsessed I know!

Want to have a peek at my vegetable garden? Hmmm? Yes? Well those of you not interested in gardening, take a seat and I'll be back in a min. We've all been busy in the garden this weekend. Lovely summery weather makes you do things like that doesn't it? Lots of weeding, planting, sweeping...

This top photo shows my original garden looking rather tidy and weed-free. I have four patches, and they are all nicely full of either plants or seeds now. These photos were taken a week ago so there has been quite a bit of growth and development since then.

This photo below is a new patch, dug mainly by my darling husband for me. It's now full of corn and about 70 beetroot plants. Yes and all hand planted by me yesterday!! I just couldn't throw any of them out when I had so much room for them all. My mother got the punnet from market day for only $2 - bargain!

The post in the middle of nowhere is now gone, and the ground just after it on the right, is now ready for potatoes to go in.

And to the left of that garden I have these fab little fence boxes. This is where I'm growing my butter beans and peas. They are doing so well and all the little bean leaves sit exactly the same now. Like little clones. I do enjoy popping around the back and seeing them all lined up.

And look what arrived in the mail this morning! I signed up for a gardening club so I could get this free gardening calendar. Look, I even have a few plantings written up. And who says nothing's free these days?!!

My pile of fabric has been growing in the lounge this week. More projects coming along nicely. I must put some of the fabrics away today as I'm sure it's going to topple over soon.

So this is what I've been busy with lately. Lots of red and white squares. Cutting, pressing, putting them into the perfect order.

Adding some felt numbers, tape measure bits, buttons and some fancy stitching too.

To make 24 smart little pockets for...

an Advent Calendar!

Or two.

Both are a bit different in layout and stitching. Very time consuming but also very fun to make. I loved trying out some of the fancier stitches on my machine. Nice snowflakes I discovered.

Sorry I've been absent for a few days. I just wanted to get on top of a few gifts as they were weighing me down a bit. Now I have several full postage bags awaiting a note and a stamp. Maybe I should get that done this afternoon.

I have had two people sign up for my PIF now. Thanks to Liz and Lucy. I still need one more person please. I think I should probably have a button for this PIF. I'll have to go and find one. I'm so half-pie sometimes!

Well I'm off. Hope you are all starting to get into the festive mood now that Halloween is over.
Nothing like red and white fabrics everywhere, for me anyway. Have a good one!

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

OK people, since no one seems to be interested in my pay it forward (Boo Hoo!) I thought maybe I should show you what you would receive. This is a very festive pin cushion. I found the recipe, as they call it on the Moda Bake Shop blog. It's just a little gift and that's all you will need to send on. Even something bought would be just fine. It's the thought that counts remember!

So if you are interested in participating now please let me know. Thanks ladies!

Now I've had a request for the Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding. It's truly scrumptious. Here goes:

In a LARGE casserole dish (trust me you don't want this bubbling over into the bottom of your oven, believe me I've been there!) place these ingredients:

1 cup flour (gluten free flour fine)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2T cocoa
1/2 cup milk (dairy free milk fine too)
2T melted butter (margarine fine)

Combine these ingredients with a wooden spoon until nice and smooth. Flatten out in dish.

In another jug place:

3/4 cup sugar
2T cocoa
1 and 3/4 cups boiling water

stir until sugar dissolved. Gently pour this liquid into the casserole. I use a spoon as I am pouring so the cake part doesn't get disturbed.

Bake in oven at 180 for about 1/2 hour or so. It looks like a cake when cooked with all the sauce bubbling up the sides. Under the pudding is all saucy and lovely. Serve with ice cream. Makes enough for six people.

Look what's growing in our garden like a weed at the moment...

Makes a nice change from real weeds. Oh and the fragrance is heavenly!! Real old fashioned smell. You just can't beat it.

I've just cut two pairs of slippers for the little girls Christmas presents. These have proved to be very popular with the youngest one. Hers have now worn through with so much wear. It will be summer when they receive them but I'm sure they will wear them anyway. Children do strange things sometimes.

Well I'm off to sew them up. Looking forward to it.