Office makeover and some recipes...

winjaffe Mayıs 23, 2022

My new corner desk is set up for work and I love it!

Now I can spread out my notes as I write patterns, look out the window at next door's lovely garden as I format photos and write blog posts, and draw up new ideas for stitcheries in comfort.

Mr E has long been concerned about my cramped desk (a small built in) and the need to wander back and forth from sewing room to office as I draw, scan, refine, erase and draw again.

This new desk is exactly what was needed because now I can swivel around and do everything from my chair.

Isn't he a wonderful husband!?

In fact I was so thankful yesterday that after getting the office sorted I headed out to the kitchen to bake up some goodies for him.

Firstly it was a Lemon Meringue Pie, one of his favourites.

I roll my lemons over the counter top for 15-20 seconds before juicing because that increases the juice they release.

(Some people pop them in the microwave first to soften the lemon so it releases more juice but it's hot here already in the tropics so I don't bother.)

There were two new things I discovered whilst making the pie and I thought I'd share them with you.

Number 1 - as much as I love my vintage style 'squeeze me' juicer, I get far more juice out of my lemons using this...

And number 2 - putting your egg whites, bowl and beater blades in the freezer for 10 minutes before you whip the egg whites for the meringue makes it whip SO much quicker and increases the air for a beautiful, lighter meringue.

Once baked it was cooled in the fridge and Mr E licked his lips when he saw it there after he returned from his first day at the new job (teaching high school).

This is such a simple recipe and when I show it on the blog I'm always asked to share it so if you'd like to make it yourself you can download the PDF here.

The other bit of baking I indulged in was to make some Frangipane Jam Drop biscuits...

I found the recipe in the Woman's Weekly Classic Cookies cookbook I borrowed from the library earlier in the week (give me a couple of days and I'll bake something from the Classic Cakes book as well!) and it was very easy.

My cookies were browner than the ones in the recipe photo, but we do like a little 'turn' in ours, and I may have added a touch more jam than the recipe suggests but we do like extra jamminess too.

Mr E ate three within minutes of arriving home yesterday and took some to work today for afternoon tea, then this morning Blossom arrived for a visit and promptly ate a few herself.

I can honestly say I will need to bake more as they are delicious!

If you click on the photo below you'll be able to follow the recipe yourself as it will open larger in a separate window.

Just before I sat down to write this blog post I brought some pie in with me to enjoy with a cuppa.

Honestly, I love baking, but more than anything I enjoy baking for the people I love.

The next room that must be attended to in my new year 'freshening' is the sewing area.

So far I've just removed things from the 'designs in progress' shelving and in doing so have re-discovered some older projects I'd planned to finish as items for the home but never got around to.

I stitched this little tea shelf design onto two corners of a vintage crochet-edged piece of linen back in 2015 with the intention of sewing it onto a piece of saved Tilda fabric to make a pretty table centre.

As Mr E will be continuing repairs on the Jeep all weekend I have decided to finally bring this idea to life and hopefully next week I'll have it on my table and ready to show you.