Small beauties

The weather in the last couple of days has been hot. The other morning, I ran into Nanna Chel of going grey and slightly green, walking around to mum and dad's place. She was watering her front garden. Just like mum, she was: Where's your hat?! While sorting out boxes I found a couple of hats and will be wearing them in this heat. Maybe a little too late, but better late than never. This is definitely Summer trying to hold onto it's last days before Autumn.

I've been pottering around at home. Making use of the dried Tansy. I made some re-milled soap with Tansy in it. Apparently Tansy is very good for the complexion. 

With the hot, dry, weather around I had a chance to pick flowers from Dad's garden and they are now drying ready for potpourri making. It's best to pick flowers on a good dry day after the dew has gone. There's some help on potpourri making: Here

I've also been slowly working on my crazy quilt. This written piece came in a swap a long time ago, I added some ribbon roses and just off the side I will be adding a cross stitch 'S'. I have the chart saved on my pinterest board, there's a whole alphabet if you are interested. You'll find it on my pinterest: Gathering Grace just look in the sewing basket board. I usually pin only free patterns but if something isn't free, I have the image for inspiration, it's because I can look at it and know how to make it. A quirk of mine.

And of course there's painting, not the usual fairies, I like these vintage ladies more I think, this gal is in her dream. I'm also liking watercolour and pen and ink a lot more than paints. There's something more delicate about watercolour.  A few little mistakes in this, but I can fix them.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Bachelor’s Buttons

TANSY – Bachelor’s Buttons

Botanical name: Tanecetum vulgare or Chrysanthemum vulgare

Family: Compositae

Parts used: Flowers, leaves and roots

Tansy is a decorative perennial plant which grows to about a meter in height and has dark green finely divided feathery leaves and small yellow button-shaped flowers which grow in umbles; it has camphorish scent. A native of northern Europe, it has become quite widely cultivated in other parts of the world as a decorative garden plant. Accustomed to waste places in the world it is tolerant of less than perfect garden conditions and will seed freely. The root is strong and quick spreading and can be easily divided. Once a popular medicinal plant it is now seldom used as modern knowledge decreed that the leaves could be toxic particularly when used by pregnant women.

CULINARY USE

The leaves have a ginger-like taste and can be used as a flavouring for savoury dishes, soups and stews.

MEDICINAL USE

Soothing, insecticide, disinfectant.

A poultice made from bruised leaves will ease pain of sprains and bruises.

COSMETIC USE

Tansy tea can be made form the leaves to make a good face-wash for acne sufferers. It has an exfoliant ability by reason of the hormone it contains can peel off dead layer of skin so give a fresher cleaner look to the complexion. Always use a small quantity to begin with – some people react more strongly than others.

HOUSEHOLD USE

Tansy hung in the kitchen and larder will keep away flies. In the wardrobe it will keep away silver fish, fleas, and moths. Liberally strewn in kennels and pet basket it will keep pets free from fleas. Rub it will into their coats too, to make the best of the tanecitin oil it contains.

IN THE GARDEN

Grown under fruit trees it will repel pests. Rub the leaves between your fingers as you pass to release the scent. Add the plant to your compost for it is a useful plant that contains potassium and other minerals.

WARNING NOTE: As always be cautious about using herbs. Pregnant women and small children and pets should use with caution. Do not take in place of proper medical advice.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Basic Butter Biscuits

Ingredients:

125 g butter, softened

½ cup caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease baking trays.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in small bowl until pale and creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined. Sift flour and baking powder over butter mixture. Add milk and stir until just combined.

Using 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture at a time roll mixture into balls and place on greased trays, flatten biscuits slightly.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, and bake until light golden. Allow biscuits to cool on trays for 5 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

This biscuit mix can make a variety of biscuits by adding in preferred ingredients to make biscuits like jam drops, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and so on from one batch.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Bright things

The weather is bringing in the change of seasons, before we know it we'll be in Autumn. There was supposed to be some super cell storms but we had a lot of rain and the muggy weather is back again. 

At home there has been preparations for a hearty vegetable stew using up what was in the fridge and the last of Nanna Chels' (going grey and slightly green) Zucchini's. A packet of french onion soup mix lifted it up a bit and made it tasty. I also made up another damper to have with the soup and that went over well.

I've also been playing with paper things. I had some snail mail to send out, a little late for January mail but it was sent. I know the overseas pals won't get their letters until February so I decorated my letters with a romantic theme. I already had the envelopes and the stamps are old ones from my collection.

It really has been a month of use what I have. But then don't I always do that? 

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.