this weeks Gypsy Wife blocks. Square in a Square Pinwheels, there are two of them using the tiny 2 1/2 inch pinwheels. I like these blocks.
I have had little time to sew this week, sad :-( But I did get into my sewing room for a bit yesterday to start
putting together section nine of Gypsy. No I haven't done the previous eight, I'm starting with nine on the extreme left. I was going to do one to five first but I need the longest strips and some double length strips at the sides and it just seemed easier to do the left side first. As you can see I didn't get that much done but I cut the strips I need and sorted the blocks out. I'm not sure about the small square in a square top left though, it's in one of the strips too so I may just make another one. I'll decide when I start stitching it together, as you can see I haven't even pressed the strips yet.
These strips are pinned up on my design wall, they are for the right side of Gypsy. Colourful enough for you?
I haven't had time to sew anything else this week but I did make
Fork biscuits. This has to be one of the easiest recipes with the fewest ingredients ever.
Ingredients
8 ounces (250g) butter or margarine, whichever you prefer, at room temperature
4 ounces (125g) caster sugar, thats the fine one for baking, not the one you would use for icing or put in your coffee.
10 ounces (300g) self-raising flour.
Mix the sugar in with the butter with a wooden spoon, no need to cream it like making a cake, just enough to incorporate it will do.
Gradually mix in the flour and any flavourings. You might need to use your hands to bring the dough together, it should be on the soft side but not sticky.
Take a walnut size piece of dough and roll it into a ball and place on a greased baking tin. I use those nonstick liners so I don't need to bother. You will get about 32 biscuits from the full recipe so you will need two trays but you can always just use half of it and make one tray of sixteen. That's what I used to do but I soon learned it was easier to make the big batch, then I would have some left for the next day.
Dip a fork in cold water and squash them flat leaving fork marks. It's a great recipe to make with kids.
Bake in the oven at 180degrees Celsius (Gas 4) for 15 - 20 minutes depending on how hot your oven is, until a pale golden colour, but it can be a bit hard to judge when they are chocolate.
I leave them on the tin for a few minutes when I take them out then put them on a cooling tray until cold.
Keep in an airtight tin. I would tell you how long you can keep them for but they never last more than a day or two.
Add whatever flavourings you like they are so versatile. I use:
Cinnamon, two teaspoons and I mix a little extra with caster sugar and sprinkle on the top when I take them out of the oven. About 1-2 teaspoons sugar and a good quarter of cinnamon should do it. I leave them on the tray for a few minutes and shake off the excess when i put them on the cooling tray.
Chocolate, replace an ounce of the flour with cocoa powder, or even better make it double chocolate and add about four ounces of chocolate chips.
Lemon or orange, add the finely grated zest of a large orange or two small lemons, or just some of each. Orange with sultanas would be nice too.
How about adding some ginger instead of cinnamon?
What would you add to your biscuit mix?
Well if the thought of the easiest homemade biscuits in the world doesn't make you smile how about
this! We took our youngest granddaughter out for a walk in the woods at the weekend. Hubby is trying to get Emily interested in nature and is teaching her the names of trees, flowers and birds. He asked her if she knew the name of one particular tree, "Kevin" was the reply. She has obviously inherited her Grandfathers sense of humour.
And that's all for today, not my usual post but I already told you I haven't been able to sew. I do hope you will try the biscuits though, they are so easy for children to make and no rolling out or cutting either. If you try them let me know what you think, and I would love you to let me know what flavourings you think up too.
Until next time,
With smiles from,
Kate x
Linking up with:
Wednesday Wait Loss
Midweek Makers
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
Finished or Not Friday
What a Hoot hosting for TGIFF
Crazy Mom Quilts
That is one interesting cookie! Very colorful quilting going on in your neck of the woods!
ReplyDeleteKate,
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHA!! I love the tree named Kevin. Heehee. I'm going to be giggling over that all day. The biscuits look delightful - thanks for making me hungry. And your design wall with all those pretty fabric strips on it looks inspirational and fun. ~smile~ Roseanne
You are making head way on your Gypsy quilt. It may be slow, but its one of those quilts that require you to take it slow! It's going to be gorgeous! Little Granddaughter...what a fun time in her life and yours! They are a sponge...and always have a way of making any day much brighter!
ReplyDeleteYou say biscuit and I see my kind of cookie. I have a similar recipe called Lunchroom Cookies which is what they served at my high school in Chicago back in the 60's. I think your recipe will be just as good so I'm definitely going to try it. Your GW is coming along beautifully and I seem to remember that one of the smaller blocks was my favorite. I think it had to do with it being easy to make and not so many pieces. Happy Sewing! P.S. Love the tree story-how precocious is your granddaughter.
ReplyDeleteYou might not have sewn as much this week, but the other activities certainly seem worth spending time on as well. Do you remember which tree is Kevin? I wonder if she has names for other trees as well. :)
ReplyDeleteKids say the best things. I hope you mark Kevin and encourage her to name the others, too, and add their last names like Kevin Spruce or Maggie Cottonwood.
ReplyDeleteThose biscuit cookies look great. I don't have the fine sugar but will try with just the regular sugar. I wonder how they would taste with part peanut butter instead of part of the butter?
The Gypsy quilt has such pretty colors - can't wait to see it all together! And thanks for the cookie recipe!
ReplyDeleteThose cookies look delicious! And I love your square in a square pinwheel.. must try that one day! xx
ReplyDeleteThink I'll be trying these cookies for when the hungry hordes come home for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Emily is right . If we called out trees by name msybe we would look after them better.
Those cookies look yummy! Your strips up on the wall look great as do your blocks. Maybe you'll have more time to sew next week!
ReplyDeleteHow cute is that!! Kids do say the darndest things! Do you remember that TV show? Loving those Gypsy Wife strips. I'm glad to see you were able to get a little sewing time in this week.
ReplyDeleteOh, ha ha, I kept thinking why would you put cinnamon on your biscuits, and then when they are so flat, I remembered you were making what we call cookies, not our kind of biscuits! That IS an easy recipe. I have all of those things. I think I'm going to have to buy a lemon, though and try them with that, as I love lemon cookies! Thank you! I came to see what you were making with those pretty strips (Wait Loss Wednesday) and I go away with an easy recipe!
ReplyDeleteI love those square in square pinwheels. I love the purple print.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your progress on your Gypsy Wife. Wish I were making it with you! (Someday, I'll make one.) Your biscuits remind me of my peanut butter cookies, so I may have to give yours a try. Kevin the tree still has me chuckling!
ReplyDelete"Kevin!" LOL!! All the best trees have individual names, you know :)
ReplyDeleteWe don't have an oven on the boat, so no baking for me. That's probably for the best, since I have zero self control when it comes to cookies/biscuits or cake. Best to just order a single slice at a restaurant than have the whole thing whispering to me in the night.
Your GW fabrics are so cheerful, all laid out in strips together. A nice way to brighten the day, even if you aren't sewing much. At least you can pet the fabric!
I just love that photo of Grandpa & Granddaughter! I also adore everything about your Gypsy's Wife project. The colors are fantastic, and I even like that one little block you mentioned. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh, Kevin the tree, I know him! :)
ReplyDeleteYour Gypsy Wife is going to be so amazing! I absolutely love your colors and I love seeing your blocks and pieces coming together.
Those biscuits look delicious Kate! My mouth is watering! I love the way your Gypsy Wife quilt is coming along and you managed to capture a great moment with the photo of your husband and granddaughter
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty colors and such neat blocks. As if the fabric, colors and blocks were not enough to drool, you had to throw in biscuits too??? I grew up on biscuits only to have to change to cookies. Now, only if we all spoke the same language. That picture - grandpa and Emily is adorable.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty colors you've got picked out for the Gypsy quilt. The blocks turned out beautifully too. Great picture of your guy and your granddaughter. They look like they are having way too much fun.
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ReplyDeleteWow, you have really embraced the challenge of making this quilt! Such bright happy colors. It'll be gorgeous. Those biscuits had me. I was thinking savory and you meant sweet--what we call cookies! They look lovely and that recipe looks simple. Thanks so much for sharing, and for linking up to Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeleteI laughed to hear your grand daughter naming the tree Kevin. That is so sweet.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy when a blogger goes off topic and shares something else. It lets me see a little glimpse of her life outside the sewing room. :-)
Wow! I love your colors for your Gypsy Wife, they are my favorite. I can not wait to see it finished!
ReplyDeleteI saw that photo on Instagram and I ADORE it! Kevin!! LOL another out loud chuckle. Great recipe, must try it once we are done the butterscotch chips cookies I made this week!
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