Left Over Christmas Turkey - make a curry?

This year with the help of my husband, I made a turkey curry with the left overs. I used to do this but the last couple of years I have been unable to cook a full meal. But this year with the help of a chair and hubby cutting up the vegetables and lifting our heavy saucepans we managed.
We have a heavy cast iron set - after going through several cheap sets in our first few years of marriage. We splashed out on a set to last. These have now been going about 20 years!! But they are heavy and I have difficulty lifting them now.

Menu for a family of 4, I used 2 medium onions and 2 cloves of garlic both chopped up into small pieces. Cook in a large pan until soft using a splash of sunflower oil.  Have the heat on low to medium here.

Add 2 chopped peppers, I used a red and green one for the colours, rather than the flavour. Cook for a few minutes until soft.

Add one medium can of tomatoes and one can of water - just refill the tomatoes can for this. One squirt of tomato paste for extra tomato flavor. Then stir well and bring to the boil slowly. If you find that it goes a bit dry, you can always add more water at any point.

Add about 2 tablespoons of mild madras curry powder and 2 generous pinches of black pepper.

Now I love sultanas in stews and curries - so I added at least 2 hand fulls of dried sultanas.
My daughter came into the kitchen at that point and pulled a face - she is the only member of our family that does not like the sultanas - but my answer was that she could leave them at the side of her plate(which she did)

Then finally add some mushrooms chopped - use about 8 medium sized ones. Then the chopped turkey - what ever is left or or in our case about 1 and a half cup fulls.

As you can guess I rarely use measuring scales and just throw it in until it looks right - works for me but then I have been cooking like this for over 30 years!!

Serve after about 15 minutes or until the vegetable are all soft and cooked. I like this on plain boiled rice with a poppadom.

We all had a meal and a couple of us had another meal the next day - even with the usual moans from my teenager son about don't use too many vegetables; and my teenager daughter on sultanas - they didn't leave much.
The sultanas can be replaced with chopped apple or any other vegetable you like.

Don't have to think what to do with the left over Christmas pud this year as my lovely but slightly clumsy teenage daughter managed to knock it out of the fridge all over the floor!

On Jewels and Finery we will be reducing many items from now until the 4th January

Have a good New Year

Happy Christmas 2009

Happy Christmas to family and friends. Have a great day
We are having all my family for Christmas dinner. Busy preparing the turkey, two lots of stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, parsnips with parmesan, sprouts, broccoli, carrots and gravy. With Christmas pudding and profiteroles, brandy sauce and custard. Washed down with wine - after this lot will just collapse in a heap!

Photos of our tree last night with all the family presents

Our fireplace. This year we had a new fire and a fire surround. So this year could decorate it. Used fir leaves and other floral bits from the garden to decorate. Lucky we have many different fir trees and conifers with many different colours and textures.

 

 Now just have to repaint the wall after a candle left a lovely black mark!!

Clothes Show 2009 NEC Birmingham Review

Every year my daughter and I with friends visit the Clothes Show at the NEC Birmingham.

It has taken me over a week to recover from the busy day but it was worth it.

If you like fashion, clothes buying, make up and shopping then a visit is a must.

The main fashion show in the large arena was very theatrical and Christmasy. Dancers and models took us through a winter wonderland themed show. This year with no designer backer there was few clothes modeled.
But the dancers whirled through many clothes changes to provide an entertaining performance.
However - not everyone was there to see the male dancer's bare chests and would have preferred more fashion with an idea on who the designers were. Being up the very back of the arena the large screen was necessary, but the camera man seemed to be very reluctant to actually use his camera and most of the time we could see only the small figures on stage.
In all I was disappointed at the show and felt they did not make a real effort!

However this year the clothes, make up, shoes and many other products on display had improved. Less tat - or what I call market clothes. More named stall that were selling many different ranges of fashion, as last year there were too many stalls selling the same.
The seventies influence was very evident in the clothing with a Bohemian and embellish flavour. Jewellery lent towards charm bracelets and very sparkling jewellery. The make up was excellent with many bargains available from Boujoir and Rimmel to name a couple of brand exhibitioners.
ASOS had a stall which was a bonus as they are Internet based, so a completely unique opportunity to see their range first hand.  

Jewels and Finery had been asked to have a stall in the vintage section, but the cost of the show and logistics were too expensive compared to potential profit generated. Also it would have been impossible to organize in the time for us with our other commitments and health problems. 

The vintage stalls were a mix of great clothes, bags and jewellery. Bit disappointed that the exhibitors did not label their goods, and so I had to keep trying to attract a busy stall holder to find out the cost. Also this was an ideal opportunity to market their main shop or market stall location, but the stalls that I visited had no marketing strategy. No bags with their name & location. No postcards or even leaflets to attract further custom. I did buy lots of vintage items to add to my collection however.

In all I was pleased with the items I brought and where else could you shop with so much choice under one roof.. Brought two new beaded bags that were in a vintage style. Also a sparkling ring for myself.

We will be back next year to the Clothes Show and maybe be able to watch more of the smaller shows. As it was we did not see everything and we arrived just after opening and left just before the close!



 

Christmas Party Time

It's December and we have been busy not only with our website but Christmas Fayre's and of course preparing for Christmas.
This year we will have all our family to Christmas dinner. We will just about get everyone seated around our table. Today we received our first Christmas card. But our problem this year is where will the tree go - since rearranging the living room fitting a six foot real Christmas tree in may be a problem?

Back to party time what sort of jewellery should you wear to what sort of occasion?

Any party that requires a party dress need a bit of sparkle. Try these vintage clip earrings from the fifties. Wear with a little black dress and maybe a sparkling matching bracelet. No other sparkling jewellery or you will look like the Christmas tree!

Vintage clip on diamante sparkling earrings

Out to dance the night away - then this vintage jewellery set is an original collection from a ballroom dancer in the seventies so  Strictly Come Dancing! 

Looking for something simpler to wear to a formal occasion, a dinner or a meal out with work colleagues?

This stylish and classical necklace from Sarah Coventry is easy to wear but looks special

Just having a Christmas evening out to the cinema or a pantomime?

Then brighten up your outdoor jacket, coat, hat or scarf with a bit of sparkle.

How about a contemporary steam punk style brooch?

Be different in a pair of boots with crystal clips these Gothic cross shoe or boot clips are new. Vintage costume jewellery of the future.

What ever your choice for that night out, enjoy yourself. Christmas is a time for family and friends. The most important things in life.

Christmas Fayres - Packwood & Sheldon

Angel earrings from Avon

Last Saturday was a busy day for Christmas Fayres. We couldn't have attended many more than the two that we did, as there were three Christmas Fayres locally - but all held at the same time. So it was physically impossible. So we choose our two favourite places to go to instead.

Packwood Christmas Fayre was held in the morning in the village hall. When we arrived it was already in full swing and bustling. Difficult to find a car parking space but at least the weather held and it was not raining.
Lots of stalls to choose from - raffles, tombola, books for children and adults. Toys and gifts tables, local history information, local church Christmas cards and information, house plants and bulbs, jams and cakes, just to name a few.
Very enjoyable and a great village atmosphere. Particularly liked the piano playing by the gentleman in the corner.

By the afternoon the weather had changed and as we headed to the hall next to St Giles church, in Sheldon, the heavens opened; and we were glad to get inside. Local events are always well attended at this hall and the queue was as expected. By the time we got inside, the hall was almost full. Tables of gifts, books, cakes, games and toys were already surrounded. Father Christmas for the children and so much more.
St Gile's Church is well worth a visit with its imposing architecture and its ornate entrance. We would have taken a photograph of the churches gate, but it was horrendous when we emerged from the hall. Raining and so very windy that we were unable to stop and take any pictures.Nice to see the Community police at this event discussing any problems and socializing with local residence.

Next week is busy again as more Christmas fayres are held. Go visit a Christmas fayre this week. Many are now being held in schools, churches and many community centres. Not only are they fun but you may find many great gifts for family and friends. You are also supporting local communities and raising funds for many good causes.

Our website Jewels and Finery has been very busy and we are nearly sold out of the vintage Christmas jewellery. We have added just a few more pieces of jewellery, in particular men's jewellery.

Cartwheel vintage cufflinks

 

Seventies Chunky Tri String Bead Necklace

     

Repairing Jewellery Part 1 - Enameling

This is part one of - Repairing vintage jewellery.

To start I thought I would look at re-enameling. Having a collection of jewellery that technically was okay but could not be used because it was worn - either the enamel or the plating. Also those pieces of vintage jewellery that were a bit boring and very tired looking.

Invested in a few small pots of enamel paint that is used for painting model cars, planes, soldiers, etc. Had a few puzzled looks from the numerous men who were browsing in the model section of the craft shop when buying!

So set to work and got carried away...

Here is a vintage brooch that I brought earlier this year for myself. The pearl bead at the front needed re- pearling and the green colour that someone had already repainted was a bit too green.

I am very pleased with my first attempt and will be wearing this garland brooch soon.

This brooch was just a bit tired, vintage filigree that was a dull gold colour. So repainted it with the enamel paint in a dark gold and added a bit of colour.

The vintage bangle above belonged to my grandmother. The silver coloured plating had worn badly. With the edges worn and the front part of the buckle black, really the bracelet was unusable. So I have given it a couple of coats of silver coloured enamel paint. The result above was far better than I had hoped for. Will be wearing this and see how the enamel stands up to being worn.

This was my favorite from all the jewellery that I painted. This seventies vintage bracelet was wearable, if you like the worn plate look and the stones also had been rubbed almost bare. Unfortunately I did not take a before photograph. I like bright colours and so first painted the whole bracelet in a dark gold colour. Just to give the bracelet an antiqued look. Then repainted the triangular stones in various bright colours as previously they were pastel tones. Even painted the chain and charm at the end. Will be wearing this vintage bracelet now.

This is just my first attempt and I am certainly no Picasso! But I love turning something that is unusable into a piece of jewellery that I can wear. All the above pieces I will be keeping for myself - although my daughter did say she liked the bracelet.....

Been busy this weekend visiting more Christmas fayres and will be bloging about them soon. Next repair will be replacing missing stones. So please bookmark.

     

Christmas Fayre - St Stephen's Coppice, Solihull

Yesterday' weather was awful, it rained most of the day and then was very heavy in the evening. But this did not dampen the number of visitors to the St Stephen's Christmas fayre in Coppice, Solihull.
The fayre was held in a large community hall, it never ceases to amaze me the work that goes into running and organising a fayre.I would like to congratulate the large army of volunteers that helped to make this fayre so successful.

On arriving it was a major feat to avoid the deep puddles formed on the car park surface and get into the hall relatively dry!
Inside the atmosphere was bustling, I almost got knocked over in the rush of children queueing up to visit Father Christmas. For just £1 the children could visit Father Christmas in his grotto and receive a small present. The children I saw were very excited and could not wait to see him.
The tables were well laid out with plenty of room to look. There were tables full of small inexpensive presents for adults and children. My eye was drawn to a small paper mache box, painted with bright colours and holly on the lid. I have no idea what I am going to do with it, but it just had to come home with me!

You could have a go at the tombola with its mountain of prizes to win. Try your luck to pick the tube with a bottle in - squash wasn't what one friend had in mind though!. Great fun with the lucky card game and many other stalls to participate in. There was a few hand knitted crafts - very tempted by the knitted tea cosies. Almost did not get past the large table filled with home made and brought cakes and jams.
We came away with a few books to read from the large book table, enough to keep me going for a couple of weeks anyhow.

The fayre is on today Saturday also so don't miss out if you live locally.

To get into the Christmas spirit - we still have a few pieces of vintage jewellery left with a Christmas theme.

Vintage and second hand Christmas jewellery

Also we have packs of Christmas themed charms for sale that will be ideal to make a Christmas charm bracelet.

Vintage modern charms for Christmas