Black butter bundt #bundtbakers

The theme of this month's recipe challenge is apples. I have to admit I don't like cooked apples nor do I like apple juice from a carton. however I have found out over the last year that I love fresh apple juice as it tastes like apples and isn't processed. Whilst away at the Festival of Quilts last week, we were discussing comedians who have appeared in Jersey and Stephen K Amos came to mind along with the jar of black butter that he was given and an idea formed.

Black butter is  locally produced mostly by the National Trust once a year but also by La Mare Vineyards. Read more about it here. we have had two 220g jars in the cupboard for some time that came in hampers as gifts. So a black butter bundt it would be.

I paired the black butter with apple and cinnamon yogurt as both flavours are in the black butter and decided on the Nordicware heritage tin.

So here's the recipe which worked beautifully at the first attempt. The icing, wasn't such a success so I will let you use your favourite icing recipe.

Ingredients:

225g margarine

200g black butter

250g homemade vanilla sugar

3 large eggs

350g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

250g yogurt

The addition of the baking powder to the self raising flour means that you can do an all in one method (thank you Delia). Pour into a greased pan and cook for 75 minutes at 160 degrees C

I decorated the bundt with a lemon, cinnamon icing and air dried apple slices. The kitchen smelt like Christmas had come with the lovely spices. It didn't taste overly appley and there is not much left.

If you liked the sound of my bundt, follow these links for more apple bundts:

• Apple & Nuts Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce by kidsandchic
• Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Apple Almond Coffee Cake with Honey Glaze by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Apple and Toasted Pecan Bundt Cake with Rum Syrup by Patty's Cake
• Apple Blossom Bundt by Living the Gourmet
• Apple Crumble Bundt by Jane's Adventure in Dinner
• Apple French Cruller Bundt Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Apple Sharlotka Bundt Cake by Spiceroots
• Apple Streusel Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook
• Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by The Queen of Scones
• Candy Apple by I Sugar Coat It!
• Chocolate Chip Apple Cake by Making Miracles
• Cinnamon Apple Streusel Cake by Tea and Scones
• Cinnamon Pecan Applesauce Bundt Cake by Magnolia Days
• Clotted Cream & Apple Spice Bundt by Baking in Pyjamas
• Double Caramel Apple Bundt by The Crumby Cupcake
• Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Apple Bundt by Food Lust People Love
• Jewish Apple Cake by I love Bundt Cakes
• Jewish Praline Pecan Apple Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Lighter Jewish Apple Cake by Cookaholic Wife

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

July 2016 in socks

I have been hit by the sock making bug and so has my credit card. So many photos of so much lovely yarn on Instagram tempts me every day. However this coming month I am going to give myself a weekly budget (with some birthday money added on) to try and get my stash under control.

Kate Selene is a case in point, even on holiday, she tempted me with her wares and unfortunately Juicy Oasis had good Wi-Fi and thankfully good air conditioning. These are the popular pattern - Hermione's everyday socks in grey pop fizzle.

And these are made from two knit rows on circulars and one row of K1 P1. The yarn is by Biscotte yarns and was some that I won in an online draw. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the colourway as its not on the ball band. Biscotte do fantastic self striping yarns.

And yesterday I cast on this wool for some socks for Imogen of Fig Tree Yarns to take to Yarndale to show off the Holiday Yarns in Norah's Peacock's Big Brother. I am embracing the grellow.

I plan to knit these whilst travelling to and from London on Tuesday. I have an interview near Parsons Green and plan to do some yarn shop visiting using my travel card to its fullest as the interview is at 2.30 pm for an hour. I am on the red eye and will then knit in Gatwick airport until the cheap train fares kick in at 9.30 am.

My secret garden BOM month 7

I am up to date on this block of the month (BOM) for all of a week as the ninth block will be released next week. I am now having to substitute fabrics for my original picks as a 16" block requires more than just leftovers. I am pleased with how it's coming together.

I love the eclectic background for this block which I am guessing came from an I want her stash bundle from Westwood Acres.

This block was a bonus block in that it is a ten month sew along with twelve blocks to see. It is a variation on a block from a previous month.

And all my blocks so far. Now to catch up with the Summer Sampler.

Summer Sampler 2016

Well my procrastination about joining this summer sew along cost me money as I missed the deadline for the introductory price. Never mind, I'm only three weeks behind. On Tuesday I decided to take the plunge and the first two blocks were soon made.

I have decided to pair Bonnie & Camille ranges with Karen Lewis screen printed fabrics on a Kona steel background.

I think I will do a substitute block for week three's sno cone block as it doesn't speak to me. I will do the block along with block 4 next week.

Liberty quilt

A quick turn around on this one as I am away for the weekend and like to clear the decks. Liz used all but a few scraps from a Liberty bundle.

The pantograph chosen is full of the joys of spring with rabbits playing in a garden.

Riley Blake fabric challenge for the Modern Quilt Guild

I applied for the challenge fabric through the MQG and then forgot about it. Then a 1kg parcel from Riley Blake was shipped to me. Hmm, intriguing. It arrived, and didn't weigh 1 kg at all and contained the challenge fabric. A generous 3/4 yard which remained pristine  in its packet. Fortunately there were some shipping delays for others so the deadline was extended until 31 May. Yes I am posting a full three days before entries have to be submitted and I only started it just over a week ago.

My thoughts all along were Welsh strippy quilts like this one here. Of course I didn't do any research and just relied upon my memory. One of our local guilds was requested to make quilts for the children's ward of our local hospital so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

I pieced and quilted the black and white quilt above, using a pantograph for the strips and ruler work for the printed strips. I have learnt a lot from the process and need a lot more practise. I also FMQ's the borders and went straight from the pantograph into the border like I was taught by Angela Walters. no ends to sew in. It was at this stage that I heard that the sizes were completely wrong for the hospital. So I don't know to whom I will gift the quilt.

Then I dyed the quilt using Procion dyes. Not a bad result but a bit patch and a bit orange. Friday morning I Facebook messaged a local shop owner who confirmed that she had a Dylon packet of Tulip red, a quick dash into town and the quilt was soon in my washing machine. Yesterday and today I've sewn on the binding and submitted my details to The Modern Quilt Guild. Relief

What to work on next? Perhaps a small project that I scheduled to complete this quarter, whilst also quilting a customer quilt.

Folk art basket

I thought I had just about finished this folk art basket by Button Angel yesterday. However when I went to turn it inside out and finish it, I realised there were six leaves not stitched down. Hmm. Do last night I unpicked it and have remedied my mistakes this morning.

I mostly followed the pattern but made a few adjustments as I went:

I made the basket round rather than oval

Some circles I replaced with buttons

Stems were made out of ribbon

And I used fabric for the appliqué rather than wool felt.