I have been stuck in a cross stitch rut.

I am still working away at my Bristol Balloons cross stitch project, but the easy part is over now (the blocks of colour for the bridge towers), and now I am on the slow to complete foliage. There are 4 different greens, with a non-uniform pattern, requiring constant consultation of the pattern. 

It is tiring work!

Since the move, I have been subscribing to the digital edition of CrossStitcher, instead of buying physical copies. An international subscription to the print edition was kinda expensive, they sell it in some stores here too, but usually the copies are 2 months out of date! Anyhow, the downside of the digital editions is that you don’t get the freebies, but instead usually get an extra pattern. This month it was a Lovebird.

I completed the pattern, then also added the latin name – Agapornis fischeri:

I mounted it, in a 4″ hoop wrapped in grey chevron print ribbon, backed in some white towelling, and with a grey felt circle sewn on to the back:

Cute yeah?

I am going to put it up on the wall in the spare room, along with a few other little bits and pieces.

Otherwise, this weekend I made a batch of Guacamole (my first time! It was quite delicious) and beans on Friday night, we had a very lazy day on Saturday, then went for a soggy Sunday cycle today. Fill those reservoirs clouds! make that grass grow!

Also, to celebrate what is apparently National Yorkshire Pudding day today in the UK, I made Yorkshire Puddings, and finished off the rest of the guacamole and beans!

From a Chipotle-style burrito bowl, to Mexico meets Yorkshire on a plate!

I used Delia’s recipe for the Yorkshires. Naturally. One side of my family is from Yorkshire, and it was quite commonplace to have yorkshires for starter, main, and pudding with the Sunday lunch. Therefore the following recipe was usually at least quadrupled ;o)

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe – taken from Delia’s Complete Cookery Course by Delia Smith

Ingredients – makes 6 muffin-sized puddings

75g/ 3 oz plain flour

1 egg

75ml/ 3 fl oz milk

55ml/ 2 fl oz water

salt and freshly milled pepper

2 tbsp beef dripping, for the roasting tin NB. erm yuck? I just greased my tin with some vegetable oil – not olive, it doesn’t get hot enough.

Method

Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Grease the holes of a muffin tin, and put it in the oven to warm up.

Sift the flour into a bowl, and make a well in the centre.

Break the egg into the well, and add the milk and water, blending all the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the tin from the oven when it is at temperature, pour the batter into the prepared tin, and return to the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Thanks Delia!