KETE FOR ME

Here's another kete i made it last week, this one is for me, I've made lots of kete since i started weaving but always end up with none for my self , get lots of joy out of giving them away and selling the odd one too. Like my last one this one is all so natural colour( no dye) the two tone effect is using the dull side of the harakeke as well as shiny side i like this effect, even though it looks good when it has been dyed, i prefer not too, or try natural dyeing instead, which i will get around to one day.

BEETROOT PICKLE

I was given some beetroot and i had some in my garden, so i made some beetroot pickle this is my second batch this year my 1st batch, i gave most of it away bar one jar which we have nearly finished eating,

4lb beetroot
3 apples
2 onions
2lb sugar
3 pints vinegar
6 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper

scrub beetroot chop well, core and chop apples, peel and chop onions, boil in water till soft drain & mash, or blend, (i just mash mine with potato masher) then add remaining ingredients and boil for 1 hour, put into sterilised jars.

my ginger beer bottled, will be ready to drink in 2 weeks, this made three 1.5 litre bottles.

not a very clear picture, a tui feeding of the korari (flax flower) in my garden.

RED VELVET CAKE TRUFFLES

mmm these were very rich & moist and yum, the recipe is from http://www.howtoeatacupcake.com/

instead of the choc frosting that is mixed with the cake i used..

11/2 cups boiling water

1 cup of dates

1/4 cup cocoa

blend till smooth, add icing sugar to thicken, i mixed this in with crumbed red velvet cake.. http://www.cupcakeblog.com for cake recipe,

rolled into balls and freeze for couple of hours, melt chocolate in double boiler and dip truffles to coat.

my wheat grass growing, & my juicer. my daily tonic, i juice a handful.. mmm nice and sweet and sooo good for you.

this is my ginger beer bug it brews for seven days, ...

TO MAKE YEAST BUG
14g sachet of brewers yeast ( i used bread yeast)
1 teaspn sugar
1 teaspn ground ginger
1 cup of cold water

TO FEED THE BUG
1 teaspn sugar & 1 teaspn ground ginger per day

THE BEER
4 lemons
2 cups of sugar
5 cups of boiling water
14 cups cold water

TO START THE BUG... place the yeast, sugar, ginger and water in a glass jar feed it every day for seven days with 1tspn sugar & ginger.
after 1 week juice lemons add to sugar & hot water into clean bucket, stir to dissolve sugar, then add cold water. strain the juice from the bug through muslin cloth into bucket, stir and pour into bottles leave for 2 hours before capping, use cleaned plastic bottles, leave for 2-4 weeks before drinking, if bottles are very rigid release gas by loosening then tightening lids.