Chicken Pie

My version adapted from another recipe...

Chopped bacon,sliced celery & leek

Cook the above in some butter until leek is soft...

Add flour &half chicken stock,half milk to make a thickesh white sauce.Add creamed corn & corn kernels plus chunks of cooked chicken...

Put into a pie dish & cover the top with buttered & scrunched up filo pastry...

Bake until pastry is golden...

Serve & enjoy!

Again,very easy & quick.I buy a whole cooked chicken,which does us for two meals,so the quantities I use are for 1/2  leftover chicken,1 leek,1/2 can creamed corn,2 sticks celery...alter amounts for yourselves accordingly.
(Cooked chickens are so reasonable here,$10.90 for a lge. stuffed one,& really nice-I usually also simmer the carcass to make stock,so great value!)

Also been making....

More baby bibs,these for two new baby girls that two lots of friends have had recently.

Sent this sweet knitted rattle to one of them too...

...bought from Honeybee,but originally from here.They do other veges,doughnuts & cupcakes-so cute!

Tonight's Dinner

Lamb cutlets with pistachio & mint pesto(from September issue of Notebook magazine-no link to recipe sorry,let me know if you want it & I'll write it up for you)

Served with potato & artichoke salad....

....and barbequed asparagus

Also BBQed the lamb....so delicious,& easy!

Have also made these delicious curtains for Nic...

Long Time,No See....

Well,it's been a while!I am now back in Oz(almost a week-where does the time go?) after having spent 2 weeks in NZ-was meant to be a week,but decided to stay another week for various reasons & was glad to have the  extra time.Not least of all as Mum ended up in hospital with a severe lung infection,but thankfully is now on the mend.Also we were able to have darling little Casper for 24 hours,which was an absolute joy.I got to spend some time with my sister Jo,nieces Jenny and Fran & great nieces & nephew as well,which was lovely, & a little more time for catching up with friends.And of course more time with my dear boys.
 It was lovely to stay & spend time with Mum & Dad,& was so pleased to see Dad recovering well from his heart surgery.It is a blessing to have them as parents.

 Here they are with no.17 great grandchild!


This little man is a treasure too.

And these are my big treasures!

Love them all to bits & feel so torn at times between being home in NZ & here- makes time spent together all the more special.

I found a few material treasures while home too....

-

These from The Village Junk Shop(unfortunately couldn't find a link) in Sumner-vintage thread,an old starched collar(now all I need is a stud!) & a 1950s Woman's Weekly.

Also in Sumner visited this shop-still my favourite shop ever I think.

Ribbons from Cossi

An amazing nursery rhyme book....

Complete with these....

And for free!!

And a 1950s scrabble set with the wooden tiles-have been in hope of  finding one ot these!

The sweetest silver coffee spoons in a satin-lined box with beautiful clasps,a birthday gift from my sister Angela

 A little stitchery 'swap card' from my sister Jo


Since coming home,I have found these....

 A wooden jig-saw puzzle

 A Little Grey Rabbit book-a childhood favourite

An  ice-cream of an ovenware dish & lid from Diana Pottery of Australia

Two old woollen blankets-the pink & blue for chopping up for craft(watch this space) & the other for keeping as it is truly lovely,its colours so rich(photos don't really do it justice)

Plus more-have yet to take photos....next time.

I have also been making these....

Chicken noodle soup

Apricot & walnut muffins-yummyyy!

And more bunting from these two new delicious fabrics

Was meant to be doing the craft market on Saturday,but due to no-one being able to swap a shift with me I have to work.Nevermind-have plenty of time to get lots together before the next one!And am doing the flea market on Sunday,which means just one early morning!

The Last Week,or so....

A trip to Sydney to pick up Elliot-lunch in Chinatown,some op shopping & a visit to one of my newfound favourite shops No Chintz,where I picked up a little bit of fabric & a few ribbons & trims.

 2 of my Sydney op shop acquisitions-an Italian biscotti jar &
a beautiful Italian jug,which I just love & won't be parting with!

The rain has barely stopped here in the last week(well,3 actually) so winter food has been in order...
                                                                                  

Lamb casserole with rosemary dumplings

Found some delicious new fabrics...

And more sewing for the market...

Made more than a hundred new flags for bunting-decided to make some larger & longer ones-ended up with 6 completed of 10 flags on 3m long tape,& lots left over for next time.

Also made some winter scarves using new-old woollen check fabrics which I keep managing to find around the oppies here,mixed with other vintage fabric & doilies & trims.

The weather was threatening to make the market a washout on Saturday,but turned out a fine but cool day-was a bit quiet,but still went ok,got some knitting done & was better than being stuck in the house!

And guess what? It started raining again this afternoon!Yay!