Cooking: Lamb Stoba

I haven't posted much craft lately because I'm currently working on a 4 ply shrug. It's taking a while because a) I didn't have enough 4ply and b) I keep finding other tasks I need to do... and that's how I've come to another cooking post.

I've just bought a whole lost of Women's Weekly cookbooks. I haven't yet received them in the mail, but knowing they're on their way has made me feel guilty because I have a few others that I haven't yet used - Women's Weekly cookbooks and a few Jamie Oliver ones (all at reduced prices at Dirt Cheap Books or Catch of the Day). So the perfect opportunity came to flick through them when I decided I wanted to eat something different for a change, and I was actually going to be home to make dinner.

My three favourite things to cook are sweet foods, curries and toad in the hole. So it was easy to choose to look through my new New Curries cookbook by Women's Weekly for some inspiration. My criteria to choose a curry was simple: one where we had the ingredients at home to use up. So when I read the Lamb Stoba recipe I had hit the jackpot: we always have some lamb in the freezer, cumin, allspice, ginger, cinnamon stick, brown sugar and tinned tomatoes are always in the pantry. There's always capsicum in the fridge to stiryfry. We have chilli plants and lime trees in the backyard.

Lamb (and Veal) Stoba

 
I started to collect the ingredients... There wasn't enough lamb... That's ok; top it up with some veal... There wasn't any ginger... Oh darn!

I had another recipe I was going to make the following day. As we had those ingredients, I made it instead. So the next day ginger appeared in the shopping and the curry was back on the agenda! I made it without a hitch. It was delicious; although maybe too much sugar and not enough chillies. What I enjoyed about it most was that it's a different flavour to the curries I usually have, which at my house is SPICY, being sweet with a hint of spice. I actually like enjoying my curry without dousing the flames as I eat.

The Women's Weekly New Curries cookbook is really good. There's a variety of curries from around the world. At first I was disappointed that some recipes included curry pastes that you buy (because it's expensive and defeats the point of buying a recipe book), but I found at the back of the book there's receipes to make the mixed spices and some of the curry pastes.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Origami for the festive season!

These are all earrings, but can easily be turned into ornaments by adding ribbon/string to the metal loop rather than the earring finding. Or do not even include the loop and you have table decorations. Imagination is the key!

If you are new to origami it's a good idea to start with larger pieces of paper and make bigger things such as ornaments or table decorations, before attempting to cut up the origami paper and make them really small (as the pictures below depict origami as small as 85mm and as large as 3cm). When they get as small as the present it's handy to have a toothpick nearby.

Materials:
Origami paper - you an use any paper as long as it's cut to the right shape to begin with.
Wire - I buy it in spools from craft stores as it's cheaper than buying packets of findings.
Tools - round nose pliers, flat nose pliers and cutting pliers (they come cheaper as a pack from craft stores).
Clear acrylic spray or finish (I use decoupage finish) to seal and protect origami for longetivity.
Earring Findings - at your local craft or beading store
Beads - at your local craft or beading store



Angel
Design is from 'Origami Jewellery' by Ayako Brodek.

Christmas Tree
Inspired by the Pinecone earrings in 'Origami Jewellery' by Ayako Brodek: it's the first 3 steps. Using a square bead for the base, a seedbead for the star and thread covered in clear decoupage finish for the tinsel.

Present
The present is a cube made up of 6 modules (the exact same piece folded 6 times and then fitted together). The design is called sonobe. A free pattern can be found here.
The paper used is about 1 inch square (making the present just under 1 cm in width). The paper must be thin or you will not be able to tuck it in!
So no one can mistake it for a a plain box, wrap it up using thread!

Peace Crane
This is my all-time favourite origami - the crane. After WWII and the story of Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes, it's a symbol of peace. There are a few different designs, such as the flapping crane; but my favourite is the one that is usually featured on the back of origami paper packets. Here is a free pattern.

I need more!
Book: 'Origami Jewellery' by Ayako Brodek.
This book is magnificent! It covers all the basic things you need to know, such as materials, tools, techniques and how to choose the right paper; as well as providings you with a variety of designs to make and enjoy all year through. Everyone always loves receiving origami jewellery!

Website: Free Christmas origami patterns by Origami Resource Center
This site has some great, easy (as well as more advanced designs for the seasoned pro) origami designs for Christmas. I particularly love the candy cane that seriously takes just a minute to make after you've done it once!