Christmas Sewing School

I'm really excited to announce my new venture. I've been talking to the lovely ladies at Love Stitch in Heswall and they've asked me to teach some classes as part of their Sewing School programme.

Before I tell you all about them, I will fill you in on whats been happening in my world over the last few months.

Just over a year ago after feeling dissatisfied with teaching for some time, I was finally pushed to jump when I was made redundant. Over the next year whilst covering a maternity absence, I came to the conclusion that what I really wanted to do, was something more worthwhile and rewarding; teaching has become a rather thankless job (those of you who are teachers may identify with this). I had been a volunteer with Safe Families for Children for a while and in July a part-time paid position on the team came my way. It was a wonderful answer to prayer when I got the job and I'm loving every minute. I no longer wake up on a Monday morning and count the number of days and weeks till the next break. I work with some fantastic people and lots of truly amazing volunteers.

For those of you who have not heard of us, Safe Families for Children is a Christian organisation that has a growing base of volunteers from local churches supporting local families, who are going through difficult times.

Working part-time is perfect for me, it means that I can return to some 'proper teaching'. By that I mean teaching others who want to learn practical skills to make things. Love Stitch is a lovely little haberdashery shop in Heswall on the Wirral where I live. It is a small independent business, which is rare on our high streets these days. It is run by a group of lovely enthusiastic ladies who make time to take care of their customers. The sewing school offers a range of classes to suit different interests and abilities. They also have a coffee shop serving delicious homemade cakes. There is a coffee and crochet group that meets there every Friday.

At the moment I have three classes booked in the run up to Christmas (there are others available too with different tutors).

The first class is on 12th November when we will be making this cube shaped cosmetic purse in Tilda fabric. The class will include the skills of patchwork, quilting and inserting zips. Follow this link to Love Stitch for more information.

The second class is on 21st November when we will be making this pretty wall hanging. In this class I will be introducing free-motion machine embroidery. For more information and to book a place follow this link to Love Stitch.

The third class is on 9th December when we will be making this large Christmas stocking incorporating free-motion embroidery. If you want to know more, follow this link to Love Stitch.

It would be lovely to see you at any of these events.  As I look forward to the future, I am full of ideas for other classes I could run as I try to inspire others to explore their creative side!

Until next time

Judith xxx

Lemony Prawn Tagliatelle

This simple little dish is really tasty, the lemon adds a real zing to the prawns! It doesn't need an unhealthy creamy sauce, it's good to go as it is. It's so quick to make (about 10 minutes) and you'll often find these jumbo prawns on special offer at the supermarket.

I found this recipe in a great little book of simple suppers, but I have reduced the lavish quantities of oil and butter used for frying. I've also added the corn and sugar-snap peas for an extra crunch.

You can download my recipe for Lemony Prawn Tagliatelle here

Just click on the link above and print out to add to your Easy-Peasy Recipe File.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Judith xxx

Spaghetti Bolognese

Everyone has their own variation of this Italian classic. There's no right way and only one wrong way to make it...using a jar of Dolmio! If you're cooking for a family or have a freezer, it's so much cheaper to make a large batch from scratch and much better for you than those gluppy brought sauces. You can stretch your batch of sauce by adding extra veg such as carrots, courgettes and peppers and the addition of cheap brown or green lentils gives a nutty taste and adds bulk. It's up to you to make it your own.

Last night I served mine with spiralized vegetables instead of pasta as I wanted to try out my new spiralizer that was a gift for my birthday last week. Ooh I've just remembered seeing this photo, I've recently started adding a little diced chorizo to my Bolognese, it gives a real zing to the flavour! And of course don't forget to add lashings of parmesan cheese.

You can download my easy-peasy Spaghetti Bolognese here.

Please. please leave a comment if you use my recipe.

Make it you own

Judith xxx

Armenian Lamb

Today's addition is Armenian Lamb. I love this dish as it is super easy-peasy to make, but tastes like you've slaved over a hot stove! The spices make it rich, aromatic and quite delicious, whilst it's not hot. I will often make this if I have friends over for dinner as its a bit different. It is based on a recipe that someone gave me years ago but I've tweaked it to make it healthier. You can also freeze any leftovers.

You can download my recipe for Armenian Lamb here.

Just click on the link and print and you can add it to you Easy-Peasy Everyday Recipe File. Look at the tab in the left hand side for other easy-peasy recipes plus you can add the front cover for your folder.

Don't forget to let me know how you got on by leaving a comment.

Happy eating

Judith xxx

Spanish Chicken

I used to make this dish with my Year 8 classes at school. It's very easy and helped to teach them the basic principles of casseroles.

Chorizo sausage (pronounced chor-eeth-o) has become a store cupboard essential in our house, we put it in everything! This dish is definitely improved with a glug of red wine, particularly if you have guests for dinner.

You can download my recipe for Spanish Chicken here

Just click on the link above for the PDF file and print it out. If you like it please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Buen apetito!

Judith xxx

Spaghetti Carbonara

I saw Rick Stein make this on the TV. He said that authentic carbonara shouldn't have cream in it, it's just very simple ingredients with eggs and parmesan. This makes it incredibly quick and easy to make. My version doesn't use the bucket-loads of oil that TV chefs always use!

You can download my recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara here

Just click on the link above for the PDF file and print it out. If you like it please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Thanks Rick Stein and Rachel for your yummy photo!

Judith xxx

Cottage Pie

Apparently it's cottage pie if it has beef in it and shepherds pie if it is made from lamb! Thanks again to my friend Rachel for this picture.

This was one of our staple mid-week meals when I was growing up and to this day I always have to put baked beans in it as this is how my mum made it and have it with sprouts. I'm feeling very nostalgic just writing this!

There are all sorts of variations you can try such as:

• add finely diced carrots and swede to the meat
• mash carrots or swede into the potato topping
• mix a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard with the potatoes for a mustard mash
• sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the mash
• add kidney, pinto or borlotti beans to the meat mixture
• when using lamb add chopped bacon and rosemary
• to make a cobbler - cover the meat with savoury or cheese scones (instead of mash). Make homemade scones, layer over the meat and cook for 25 minutes at 190 degrees / mark 5

You can download my recipe for Cottage Pie here

Just click on the link above for the PDF file and print it out. If you like it please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Judith xxx