Decking Ball (now with less twerking)

Not sure I'd strictly describe the decking adventure as a ball, but the results are pretty fabulous. There are a few boards at the end that need to be cut and the kind Next-to-Next-door-neighbour will use his circular saw to do that when Uni has finished. My Next-door-neighbour came every day for three days and did a little decking each time. I helped by keeping The Labradors from being too helpful and making cups of tea and being generally supportive. I spent a day or two in bed sleeping, so there hasn't been much else going on.

Typepad had changed their Insert a Photo and Centre It procedure. I find that when they 'improve' things, it is generally a change for the worse. Sigh.

Peri and Gilly are very excited. Peri loves to stand right on the edge and gaze out over the neighbourhood once more. Well she's not on the edge here, but she does stand breathtakingly close usually!!.

Gilly hardly ever stood on the old deck, but it is her favourite place: full of good smells. Now she stands on the very edge.

My sister's dog died unexpectedly a little while ago. CJ was a lovely boy and the whole family was very sad. Now they have a new SharPei called Archie. He is keeping them on their toes!!

I have cut out most of a new dress. I can't find the Centre Front piece. I have a sinking feeling that I have recycled it, thinking it was scrap tissue paper. I sewed the circle skirt part.

In light of realising I am an Inverted Triangle shape, I  bought a new on sale $5 pattern. It has frills. I could make my own frills, but it is so much easier if someone else designs them for me!! I am enamoured of Leanne Marshall's patterns. She has a lot going on in the skirt portions of her dress patterns and I am feeling brave enough to just sewing my own bodice-that-fits onto the different skirts.

I cooked the Chocolate Ripple Black Forest Cake for MrsDrWho's morning tea turn at school. This is not the cake, it is a photo from the Taste.com.au magazine. I forgot to take a photo. The staff said it was delicious, but I did break the top layer when placing it and so I has to cobble it together with the ganache. The new Family Circle Christmas magazine is out too. I am very happy.

At sewing last night we made Disappearing Nine Patch blocks. I am glad I made mine first, because the instructions I followed were wrong, and so I had to add some extra fabric to the centre. To make a 12 inch finished size block the nine squares need to be 4 3/4 inches.

Woolworths is stocking some Jamie Oliver bits and bobs. Auntie Dutch showed me the two boards and so I was able to buy them. This is the small serving board and it cost $8. I can't find a link to all the products, sorry.

Now a review of this week's Recipe to Riches- Oxtail stew. OMGCB, it was $10-99 for 500g. From watching the show I thought it would have the mashed potato and broccoli, but no: it was four very, very small pieces of meat. Which tasted OK. I have no issue with eating oxtail, it isn't offal and so I am happy.

I feel I am not being very favourable to the R2R products, but I tell it like it is. I would not buy this again and at $22 a kilo it seems quite expensive, I found oxtail for $8-95 here. The product does not look very appetising either. I ate one piece and handed the rest over the fence.

Today I met the Lovely Andrea for a cup of tea!! We bump into each other at the supermarket and The BSODL(tm), but actually made a time to catch up. Lo and behold a new shop opened today, it had only been open for half an hour!! It is called ShopFront and we went to investigate. I bought a shim pail for $5. It is about 15cm tall. I can put some Christmas treats in it and then the recipient can make a festive display with a tea light candle. Lovely Andrea could have bought everything in the shop!!!

MrsDrWho is beginning to write reports, so I shall find something very delicious to make for tomorrow's Friday Food to see her through the process.

And that is all for today I think. I have a new book from The Library to read, Russian Roulette, the prequel to the Alex Rider series. I made my last Jamie Oliver pizza from the dough in the freezer and I have some new apple cordial (not on the website though) so we are all set for a late tea and an early night.

Comments

[Judy Edmonds]

Bother, I'm sure I just wrote a comment, and it has vanished! Cuddles to the labs, anyway, and I love that fabric you are using :)

[sue]

I saw the Jamie Oliver boards too and they were a really great price. I think they are the ones he uses to dish up foods like bbq meat and things and serves it on it for everyone to eat. The chocolate cake looks delicious. You can always make a skirt instead of a dress if you dont find the front panel.

[Judy Edmonds]

For some reason I have only just noticed the link to all the lab photos in your sidebar. What a lovely collection of pictures of adorable dogs!

[Catherine Roberts]

I love oxtail stew with mash and greens ,mind you its not for the waist

[Jan]

I might have a look for the boards which would be useful. I'm with you re offal, none of it appeals to me at all.

I buy oxtail when I can find it. That's not easy and it's only a winter food up here. To me it makes wonderful soup if cooked the day before so all the fat can be removed. A lot of fat for such small bits of meat. I wouldn't consider using it as a stew meat as I think it's fiddly getting the meat off the bones.

Love the material, it has a nostalgic look to it. Family Circle Christmas and Winter editions are usually worth buying. I'll keep an eye out for them.

Mrs DrWho is welcome to her reports. I don't miss doing them one little bit.

[Megan]

Your new decking looks fabulous, lucky Peri and Gilly (and you) having such helpful and kind neighbours! I hope you find that front panel for your pattern, how annoying!

[kgirlknits]

those Jamie Oliver boards would be great to have on hand for Christmas gifts, I think. You could give them on their own, or bundle them with a nice cheese and some dried fruits, bottle of wine...I'm going to have to check them out!

[RoseRed]

I had read another review of the Oxtail stew and it sounded quite good, so now I am torn! I still like the chili and hope that one wins.

Yay for a new deck! I am giggling to myself at the thought of you having a little midnight twerk out on the deck, heh heh.

Do you watch Project Runway? Leanne Marshall won it, her designs were gorgeous, so if her patterns are anything like those designs, I can see why you would like them.

[Jennifer Rose]

the deck looks good :) and the pics of the girls on it is cute :) awwww puppy!! but :( to the death of the other dog

blagh oxtail soup :/ can't stand the smell of it

[mrspao]

Decking looks fantastic :) That lovely Sharpei is just the ticket to cheer them up. They are lovely dogs.