Teeny Tiny Chappies/fancy pins and lemon curd.

It's been a funny old week here in my little cottage, yes, I'm talking about the weather. (well we are famous for yakking on about it!) We did get some sunny spells but the wind had a big chill in it and not good for us fair weather gardeners so planting the seeds is still on hold as today is grim, I can hear the wind whistling through the door.....so lets crank up the fire, pull up a chair and have a looksee at what I've been upto this week.

These two incy, wincy monkeys (yes back to them again) were made from cut-up left over baby socks, they have been in a bag for over a year and I was going to throw them out but thought I might be able to get a couple more tinies out of them, and here they are.

Little Joey and Petronella. They are currently residing on my dresser with the jugs and other bits.

It so that you can see the scale of them a bit better. I did say they were small!

Not to be out photographed here is their mate, diddy Charlie Cherry a sweet little thing with his big ears and floppy hat! (Why do monkey's legs always look so large in photos? I try taking them at different angles but the legs always look like they are out of proportion to the body)
For some reason he looks a bit worried, maybe its because he's sitting ontop of my cold freezer :0D

Here is a picture of some pins that I made to go on top of the cactus pincushions in last weeks blog post.

 They are very easy to make if you want to jazz up your pincushion a bit. I used some long quilting pins and some heart pins that were free in a mag. sometime ago. Just put a tiny bit of glue on the stick and thread the beading through and hey presto! (I had to hand a broken pearl and a blue necklace with some bits of metal coloured spacers) I'm sure you could add charms and other items as well.

Last but not least, my other make of the week is some lemon curd. I found 2 lemons that I had forgotten about so had to make something with them before they went off.

Yummy on a piece of toast. I had used spreading 'butter' before, but I did have some proper butter so this time I used that and it's set better. I also used 2 duck eggs which were very orangey in colour (lady opposite keeps ducks and gives me some whenever she has too many) which added an extra lemony colour.  Unlike the ones in the shop that are full of colours,/preservatives etc.

I used the dish over hot water method, as you dont get horrible burnt bits in it and also no cleaning of a yukky saucepan and you can go away and do other jobs just stirring now and then. I have also tried doing this in a microwave and it tastes metally for some reason, it must do something to the acid in the lemons.....I guess? The saucepan way is quicker but for the above reasons slower is sometimes better!

If you are interested in the recipe its;
Grated rind and juice of 2 large lemons
8 oz sugar
2 eggs
4 oz butter

Put saucepan of water on to boil, and then turn down to a simmer, and put a heat proof dish ontop into which put the sugar/butter/lemon bits and wait for the sugar to dissolve and butter to melt...it takes some time so dont get impatient! When thats all melted add the very,very well beaten eggs. (when I crack them open I take out the attached stringy bit)
Give it a jolly good stir when you pour the egg in so it mixes together well. Leave it to do its thing giving a good stir now and again. It will be ready when the back of the spoon gets a good coat of mixture on it. Pour into sterilized jam jars and leave overnight to set. Just in time for breakfast!

(Even tho the eggs are given a good beating I find that there are some small white eggy bits do sometimes appear in the mixture. If anybody knows why this happens I would love to know. I just fish them out, it doesnt affect the taste at all and really I'm just being pernickity!)

I will be adding to these linky parties
http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/
http://www.flamingotoes.com/
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/
http://www.homemakeronadime.com/
http://sistersofthewildwest.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/
http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com
handymancraftywoman
michellestastycreations
thewellcraftedhome.
http://my-crowded-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/
sixsistersstuff