First up a couple of people wanted the recipe for my little apple turnovers.  I don't really have a recipe but I will try and tell you what I did.  I used bought puff pastry that comes already rolled out.  Cut it into about 3-4 inch rounds.  On each round place some thinly sliced cooking apple - just enough to cover the base and leave the outside quarter inch clear.  Next add a few sultanas and dried cranberries and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar.  Cut another round and moisten with a pastry brush dipped in milk or water on one side then place on top of fruit and press to seal edges.  Use a fork to press down the edges gently to complete the seal.  I do this on the tray I am going to bake them on and I have it lined with baking paper or a silicon sheet.  Brush the top of the pasty with milk and then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Use scissors or a knife to cut a hole in the top and then place in the over, 360F or 200C till the pastry has risen and it is golden.  Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.  you can eat these warm with ice cream or custard or cream (or all three) and I placed some in my son's lunch box to eat cold.

Almost all of the quilt group came over today and we had a very productive day working on various things but mostly the quilt for Ireland.  We had made the half square triangles previously and I had arranged them in order and numbered them all and today we managed to get the whole top sewn together.  All the fabrics, except for the border are aussie themed designs.  Not sure what the backing is going to be - going shopping tomorrow or Friday. 

Cynthia came over and brought the group's hexagon quilt that she has been working on and she and Audrey did some more sewing on it. 

 Andrea's daughter, Miss G, came over and she raided the huge supply of scraps the group has, as well as my novelty fabric cupboard, and did some serious cutting out of hexagons for herself. 

 We have been making a concerted effort to use up some of the fabric in our group stash and this is Andrea's effort with some fabrics leftover from some quilts that I made.  She laid it on the daybed in my office to see how it went for size on a single bed.  Maisy gave it the seal of approval.  This will go to Quilts for Keeps.

I did some more baking before they came - I had already made the chocolate chip cookies and last night I tried two new, ridiculously easy recipes - Easy Apple Cake (on the left) and Easy Date Cake.

The date cake recipe would be a great one for using up any leftover dried fruit I would think and the apple cake for using up any leftover moist fruit - apples, pears, peaches etc.  And yes, here are the recipes

EASY DATE LOAF

2 tabsp softened butter

¾ cup white sugar

1 cup chopped dates
½ teasp bicarb soda
1 teasp cinnamon
Vanilla essence
1 ¾ cups SR flour
1 cup boiling water

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.  Bake at 170ºC for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

EASY APPLE CAKE

150g butter, melted
2 cups stewed apples (fresh or tinned pie apples)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour
2 teasp cinnamon
2 teasp baking powder
Chopped nuts – optional

Place all ingredients into a bowl.  Stir until well combined.  Add nuts if desired.  Pour mixture into a springform tin and bake for 40-45 minutes at 140ºC. 

You can also try this cake with apricots – and a little coconut in place of the cinnamon, or plums, or any fresh fruit.

I bought the fabric for the border of my yellow quilt yesterday - but have decided that it needs something - not sure what - to separate the border from the flowers.  Any suggestions?

Close up of the subtle pattern on the border fabric

 And this is the backing

And tonight I continued working on the mystery quilt - here is a sneak peak of what I have decided!

That's it for me - till next time....happy stitching!