Fish, flowers and frozen things

Here are my fish again:

Small is the prototype, Big is the real thing.  Together they are Flotsam and Jetsam but currently I do not have either of them, they have been taken away to be photographed.  I can't say what for just yet (they may not make the grade) but I hope I get them back soon, as they (Big one, at any rate) are also my entry into the EG branch competition!  Results in a week or so...fingers crossed!

And now for some flowers:

work in progress, by Caroline - a complete newbie to free machining

some beautiful gift tags by Jane

Tricia's flower (another complete newbie, who has now caught the soldering iron bug...)

Tricia's butterfly

Angela's flower (yet another newbie...)

Kathy's flowers

Ann's flowers (and another newbie!  I loved that sequined organza...)

Carole's flowers (not a newbie!)

and Kathy has been continuing to make button brooches, from our first week of class

and a gorgeous little brooch

and last but not least, the remains of Alison's cuff.

Alison is also a complete newbie, but unfortunately her dog didn't appreciate all the hard work that went into her very first piece of machine embroidery and very naughtily ate most of it.  This is all that remains!

There are a few more pieces lurking in people's bags, but some people were away this week, and some are still works-in-progress.

When I remember to take my camera, I'll have some photos from my City & Guilds class - fabulous goings on there, too! 

And to finish...I've been playing with Nigella's coffee ice-cream recipe from a few weeks ago.  I'm usually out on a Monday evening, singing with this lot (best turn the volume off when you watch the video, honestly...not at our best, outdoors in the drizzle, appalling acoustics and badly placed mics...excuses excuses!) but luckily I caught the first episode of the latest series when Nigella whipped this most amazingly simple and delicious concoction.

We've made the coffee version - a bit gritty, but good, and then of course I had to experiment.

I give you blackberry and cassis, and rum and raisin.  Well no, I don't give you any of it - we ate it all.  Sorry.

  I've just made another couple of batches of coffee, and rum and raisin, for the weekend (well, maybe next weekend too, if I manage to find a hiding place for the second tub in the freezer).

For the rum and raisin, I simply soaked 100g raisins in 2tbsp brandy (I microwaved them for a bit because I couldn't wait overnight or anything silly), added a splosh of vanilla extract, and whizzed it all up with 300ml of double cream and half a can of condensed milk.

For the blackberry, I stewed 250g blackberries, sieved them, added a spoonful of cornflour to thicken the puree, and whipped that in with the 300ml cream, 2 tbsp cassis and half a can of condensed milk.

The only problem with this recipe is that one can of condensed milk is enough for two batches.  What a terrible shame.