. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Monday 30 June 2008

A few new/old things

I went to my craft store on Saturday, which is not even close to some US craft stores full of different goodies, but sometimes, they get some new stuff, that is simply beautiful....like this amazing wooden Japanese button I found. It is large, 3 cm in diameter and very expensive, but I just had to buy it...and I already know how to use it, but will definitely take some more;)


sakura button


And they also have sort of the basket full of different crafty old goodies, that is some remaining, last piece etc...and there I found this button....

vintage button

LOVE it!!!

I've been so happy to catch one flower exhibition in the city where I bought these lovelies, made of wooden sticks, I think

bulke

I have no idea how these should be called in English, but I found them so beautiful in structure, cheap too(1.20$ a piece) and will adorn my dry flowers corner;)
They will look good with my newly made cushions,too. They are made with ikea fabrics;)

ikea cushions

I'm so happy because, my oldest baby, Marta is coming home today...she has been with her kindergarten in one of the Serbia's mountain resorts, Tara for one week. I've missed her so much!!!

marta

Have a great week everyone!!!!

Katarina

Saturday 28 June 2008

Tempura....cook it-blog it

I've just joined, Patty's cook it blog it group and her Flickr group and will post about making tempura with vegetables,(even being sure that you all know how to make it) that is also great recipe even for those who are not very found of eating veggies, like children.....veggies have a great taste prepared this way and they will not be aware of eating it actually;)


I took this recipe from Jamie Oliver's book that I just adore, and to avoid spending hours to explain in my English,LOL, how to make it (like I did with Focaccia ), I took the recipe directly from his book and of course, I combined it with my pics;).

finished

Tempura is a crisp batter which originates from Portuguese settlers in Japan and has become a part of Japanese culture. It’s great for battering fish, shellfish and vegetables. In Japan there are lots of tempura restaurants where everyone sits behind a bar and you get given the most amazing tempura for over two hours by a chef and his ‘master’, who does a lot of shouting.


Tempura batter is very handy and easy to make. You can use it with just about any vegetable, as long as they are cut thin enough so that the vegetable can just cook and soften in the same time as it takes for the batter to crisp. These can be eaten alone as a starter with a good sprinkle of rock salt, halves of lemon or lime and possibly some of the dips. The battered vegetables also make a nice side dish, especially with simply cooked meat or fish and a salad.

You will need:

7 ounces plain flour
3 1/2 ounces corn flour
Ice-cold water, preferably soda or sparkling
3 pounds of assorted vegetables
salt



iceI usually start with filling the ice bag with mineral water, that is a great tip how to ensure your pastry being crispy;). I put it in the freezer and in the meantime I cut the veggies. Ones you finished with preparing all needed, the water in the ice bag will be perfectly ready for the pastry(not ice, but almost...let's say icy)




pastry

Add all the flour to a bowl. With the handle of a spoon, or a chopstick, mix, and stir in the ice-cold water until the mixture is slightly thicker than buttermilk consistency. Make a point of not mixing thoroughly, as tempura is renowned for lumps of flour.

veggies


Dip sliced vegetables (zucchini, onions, eggplants, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, string beans, broccoli, wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, and bok choy) any vegetables will work but these are the most commonly used) into the batter mixture and shake off any excess.

carrot in the pastry

Deep fry vegetables in a wok or deep fat fryer (you can use a frying pan if you do not have anything else, you just need about 7cm/3 inches of clean oil) at 200C/400F/Gas 6 until the batter is light golden in color and crisp. (Any large amounts of hot oil in a kitchen, especially in woks which are not always that sturdy, scare me, please be careful and do not leave the pan unattended.) Turn the vegetables at intervals to ensure that both sides are cooked equally and then fish them out with a slotted spoon, shaking off any excess oil. Place them on kitchen paper towels and eat as soon as possible. The reason that I keep going on about eating them so quickly is because as your hot cooked vegetables cool down inside the batter they begin to steam, making them less crisp as time goes on. Good tempura should be crispy and is one of those things that should be made and cooked quickly and eaten straight away.

finishedd


Tempura Dipping Sauce:
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 handful cilantro, chopped
1 small Chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the rice wine vinegar into a small bowl. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Taste for sweetness. Add cilantro, Chile, and garlic and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and allow to sit for 10 minutes to 1 hour, for flavors to combine.

pablo bianka

Bon appetit!!!

Katarina

Saturday 21 June 2008

First day of summer;)

butterfly

Good morning!!!


Depending on the year, summer starts on 20 or 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere, but this year on 20, so today is actually already the second day, but never mind, what better way to start it with a piece of homemade chocolate cake with the strawberry on the top and cappuccino?




Yummyyy!!!Oh, what kind of coffee do you drink???In my country, people like to have different versions of coffee, but living in the house with Italian;), it is quite normal to have Italian kind of coffee;)






Well, the summer is definitely here and kids are already asking when we will be leaving to sea, which is not decided yet, so I'm trying to make them being entertained, either on the our bigger balcony or in some of the close park areas, like Kalemegdan where live many squirrels;) and kids like giving them the nuts:)







I'm trying to jump from one project to another, either doing clothes or accessories .

A few days ago, Katherine was so sweet to feature me on hers lovely blog. Thanks Katherine!!!!

Speaking of accessories, I have some cute new beads to share;)

fabric paper beads

fabric paper beads

Aren't they lovely??? I made them with some cute patterned paper (some fabric prints;)

And I'm also into starting to prepare some Christmas stuff,LOL...isn't that a bit absurd-to create stuff for Christmas on the first day of summer???

christmas buttons

christmas buttons

santa buttons

These cute vintage buttons are so cute!!!!I think that I'm going to use them for some clippies!

ceramic buttons

Enjoy your first summer weekend!!!

Katarina:o)

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Approaching the summer



6

Just a few days of spring remaining...and it is summer already!!!!!
living in the city , must say that summer isn't my favorite season, but I love enjoying the summer treats and summer vacation, of course;)


forest starwberries cherry
maline ribizle
duddud

And finally, wearing summer dresses;)

10

4

You already know how much I love Barefoot roses fabrics by Tanya Whelan and before her new line will come out, I'm still into sewing a lot with Barefoot roses charming prints. As I'm so addicted to shoes as well, especially when they match the clothes I make, and I think I've managed to find and buy absolutely perfect match to some of her prints, my favourites, in pink and green;)



And I made a pair of cute hair clips to match too;)



Speaking about summer dresses and sales, you can check my new listing on etsy, listed as yart sale, as I decided to join theirs first annual sale, going on from june 11-20....a bit late, but better ever than never, right??

Happy shopping!!!!
xo, Katarina

Saturday 14 June 2008

Reversible headband tutorial

ginger blossom hairbands

As promised to some people asking me how to made reversible headbands...I took some photos when making one headband-step by step and will try to give the description, as well. Hopefully it will all make sense;)


Reversible headbands are great to make with some scraps that has to have about 15 (38 cm) " in length and to be around 4"(11 cm) wide. You will also need about 5-6 "( 10.5 cm) of elastic. These measurements are appropriate for kids heads, and will make the finished size around 19" ( 48.5 cm) (including elastic) that is appropriate for toddlers, but adding 1-2 " in length, you can also make great headbands for you and your friends;) or reducing it, you can make some cute baby headbands too.



Wind a bobbin in way to match the fabric on the other side and also, if the fabrics you will be using are light weight, you should use some interfacing(use of interfacing even for quilting weight cottons will improve the durability and even look of the headband;)

Ok, let's start:



Cut the fabrics and elastic



Place the fabric bands, right size together, making sure that they are aligned perfectly. You can even pin the edges, for security.





Serge the longer edges (or if you don't have the serger, do the zig zag stitch on longer edges) and after that you can even sew along, making sure that you are leaving openings on each side of the tube.



With the safety pin, turn the fabrics inside out, as shown.







Now you need to insert the elastic, starting from one side: fold down the edges, pushing them inside the tube and place the elastic in the tube.



Sew along, continuing until the next side-hole.



Here you need to insert the other side of the elastic, of course and then stitch over.



Continue stitching until you join the start of the thread...just make sure that you finish sewing securely-if you are using polyester thread, you can even heal the edges;) (I'm always first making the knot and than seal it;)



You are done!!!!:o)







As my English is not very good, please if reading this, you notice that some changes may improve the description, please be so kind to leave the comment or e-mail me;)

If you find this tutorial useful, I would love to hear from you or see your headbands;). Enjoy the weekend!
Katarina