Blog 601 - Baking A Banana Loaf Using A Sourdough Starter
"Visiting my sister-in-law, I saw a couple of overly ripe bananas in her kitchen and suggested she baked a banana bread. She admitted that she had intended to do so, only to discover that her oven wasn't working. I opted to take the bananas with me and return with a banana bread for a second visit. Arriving home, I thought it would be a great opportunity to experiment with using my sourdough starter to bake a banana bread. I did exactly that and was so impressed with the results, that I simply had to share the recipe."
Blog 602 - A Summary with References of Blogs 551-600
"A number of people have mentioned that they find it difficult to find specific blogs among the growing list of published blogs. This gave me the idea of publishing a summary of previously published blogs, with links and photo references. This way you only need to save a handful of blogs which can easily be accessed to navigate to the blogs you are looking for. This is the twelfth of these Index Blogs."
Blog 603 - Colouring In - Using Shading & Blending Techniques
"Colouring in has taken the world by storm and old and young are discovering new-found pleasure in their colouring pencils. Somehow, it seems that most publishers have resorted to printing adult colouring books that are filled with minute spaces that have to be coloured. This is nice, but it does not allow for practicing your colouring techniques and honing your skills. I share some ideas on blending and shading in today's blog when I show you my idea of what adult colouring ought to be."
Blog 604 - Cardmaking: Layering, Stamping, Inking & Using Your Coloured Pictures
"In the previous blog I shared some ideas on colouring with you when I showed you some techniques for shading and blending with colouring pencils. We use the picture we coloured in the previous blog to make a pretty card in today's blog. We use a variety of other techniques in the process as well, including, inking, layering, stamping, etc."
Blog 605 - School Holiday Project 40 - Bringing Paint To Life
"It is not so much about creating a picture in today's project, as it is about creating a reaction. I have the kids mix the paint with bicarbonate of soda, measuring the ingredients and using a pipette themselves. They then paint their pictures, before dropping vinegar on the painting to see it coming to life in sizzles, steam and bubbles, all the while mixing with the colours surrounding them and creating new colours. This project has so much educational and developmental value that it is hard to keep track of it all."
Blog 606 - School Holiday Project 41 - Painting With Salt
"In today's blog, we are using salt's ability to absorb water when we paint. I show the kids some alternatives to the normal art materials when we draw with glue and paint with a pipette. The lovely sparkly end product is enough to enthrall any child."
Blog 607 - School Holiday Project 42 - Making Stretchable Slime
"My little niece was outraged when she requested we do something and I suggested we should play with slime. She relaxed when I explained to her that we would have to make the slime first before we could play with it. This sounded a whole lot better than the alternative she had imagined. I show you how easy it is to mix a lovely stretchable slime for the kids to play with in today's blog."
Blog 608 - School Holiday Project 43 - Making Paper Plate Dinosaurs
"The kids came over for yet another visit and as soon as they came in, asked what we were going to make today. My eye fell on the stack of paper plated sitting on the kitchen counter and I thought it could be fun to turn these into dinosaurs. The project requires a paper plate and two toilet rolls, as well as a polystyrene platter for two kids. Cheap, easy, and loads of fun."
Blog 609 - Painting A Flip-Flop Mini Triptych In Acrylics
"The weather has turned hot and some friends and I had been making plans for a trip down to the coast. This has set me in the mood for painting holiday scenes. What better way to capture the spirit of a vacation than to paint those relaxed flip-flops that we changed into from our normal footwear. Today's blog show you how to paint this scene over three mini canvasses using acrylic paint."
Blog 610 - Painting An Intercessor In Acrylics & Ink
"The act of intercession in prayer is to pray on someone else's behalf. I love the idea of this and have often benefited from it. Prayer warriors are not soldiers, but anyone with a humble heart who can bow before the King of kings and pray. I wanted to capture the essence of that humble and peaceful spirit in this painting. The image may be meek and innocent, but the Power behind such an intercessor is not! I show you step by step how to paint this darling in today's blog."
Blog 611 - Making Traditional South African Melkkos
"Melkkos is a traditional South African dish made mainly from milk. There are various interpretations of this favourite recipe, and the one I'm sharing is not mine, but has come to me copied by hand from an unknown source. I still marvel, along with every child anywhere, that this can be called food. I am convinced it belongs on the dessert table, but I am happy with it either way. You are going to love this!"
Blog 612 - Teabag decoupage
"Today's blog is a fun mix of art with crafts. I use some used teabags that have been emptied and dried to decoupage onto a canvas as a background for my coffee and tea themed painting, which follows in acrylic and ink. I show you step by step how to make this delightful painting yourself."
Blog 613 - Cardmaking: Making A Tag Booklet
"There is simply something magical about the act of untying and opening gifts and cards. Today we use a couple of simple tags and turn them into a booklet. The booklet is tied together with rope and ribbon before being handed to the recipient. This untying of the 'card' makes the act of receiving it so much more fun. Just watch people's faces when you hand them their tag booklet, to witness the sheer delight."
Blog 614 - Painting An Acrylic Trio Using Black & White Contrast
"We paint a set of three flower pots in today's blog, using acrylic paint and ink. What makes this an interesting project is that we use the sharply contrasting colours of black and white in all three vases. We need to be very careful when creating shadows and highlights that will help create the illusion of rounded vases. I show you how to do this in today's blog."
Blog 615 - Baking A Strawberry-Chocolate Loaf With A White Chocolate Ganache
"It was my mom's birthday and I wanted to bake a small cake as we were going to share a large lunch. I decided that chocolate is always a firm favorite with the family and therefore chocolate cake would be just the way to go. My mom asked for a cake with a chocolate ganache and I decided to make this white as I was already using a very dark cocoa in the cake itself. Then I got some fresh strawberries and the rest was a simple matter of stacking and coating. I walk you through this seemingly intricate cake and show you that it is actually a very simple one to bake, in today's blog."
Blog 616 - Baking A White Durum Wheat Loaf
"I am always looking for ways to spruce up the everyday bread that we use in the house. For today's bread I decided to use a third Durum Wheat, also called Semolina. Being always curious to know what one of my experiments taste like, I cut a slice of the still warm bread to taste ... and loved it. Just at that moment, a whole troop of teenagers came through the kitchen. They finished the loaf in less time than it took to cool down! Fortunately, I had baked two loaves, but it was a good testament to the success of the recipe."
Blog 617 - Making Pineapple Flowers In The Oven
"You may have seen these cute Pineapple Flowers on cakes and other baked goods before, wondering how to make them. I have not discovered this lovely way of treating pineapple slice as food decorations, but I can bring you the tricks of the trade. I show you in a couple of quick steps how to go about making these in today's blog."
Blog 618 - Whipping Up Royal Icing
"Wanting to cut down on my fat intake after a winter of indulgence, I was looking for a recipe for icing that would have a lower fat content than regular butter icing. This was when I recalled royal icing, something I had not used in a long time. The sugar content is still high in this icing, but we eliminate butter altogether. A bonus is that it is simply delicious!"
Blog 619 - Baking A Hummingbird Cake
"Hummingbird Cake is a traditional cake that has nuts, pineapple and banana added to the batter. I share my own version of this very delicious recipe with you in today's blog. Be warned: if you have not tried hummingbird cake before, you should prepare to fall in love. The recipe resembles a carrot cake recipe, aside from the addition of bananas, and the exclusion of carrots. You have to try this cake at least once in your life."
Blog 620 - Baking Cardamom Rolls Using A Sourdough Starter
"We had a large get-together as a family and my mom volunteered to make two large pots of curry. One would be very hot and made with mutton, while the other would be mild and made with chicken. I volunteered to make us a couple of rolls to accompany the curry. Cardamom is one of those spices that goes brilliantly with curries and I added a hint of this to today's recipe, along with some cinnamon. The combination was so popular that a number of people ignored the rice and opted to eat their curry on bread!"
Blog 621 - Making A Multi-String Necklace
"We have made a bracelet and a pair of earrings, which means that it is high time that we make a necklace as well. I show you how to make a charming multi-string necklace in today's blog, leaving you a lot of room to individualize it to suit your own style and/or colour scheme."
Blog 622 - Painting A Tower of Giraffes In Acrylics & Ink
"I had to look up the word used to describe a group of giraffes. It is called a tower. Cute, isn't it? Today I show you how to paint this tower of giraffes in acrylics and ink. I venture off the normal road and have a bit of fun with these adorable creatures, showing you how to interpret a picture to put your own stamp of peculiarity on it."
Blog 623 - Painting A Darling Sun Catcher In Acrylic & Ink On A Crackle Medium Base
"There was a time when it was high fashion to use crackle medium on just about everything. Today, there is still room for it, but we use it much more sparingly. I show you how to use crackle medium in today's blog, using the cracked surface as a backdrop for yet another painting. I choose my colours carefully to reflect the warmth of the sun. Then I use acrylics and ink to paint a darling little girl who has caught the sun. This painting attempts to capture the delight of a child's warm embraces and unconditional love, that enters your life like the warmth of the sun."
Blog 624 - Summary of Food Blogs 101-150
"I have had numerous requests from individuals for recipes that were published in the past. A couple of people have asked that I publish all of them in a book, and others have suggested a compilation blog, with links to the kitchen blogs only. I'll keep the book idea on ice for now, but here is the third installment of the summary blogs in the meantime. Links, photos, and introductory paragraphs all included. Enjoy!"
Blog 625 - Baking An Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding
"Many of you will be familiar with rice puddings and some will have heard of it without ever tasting it. It is a pudding that has gone out of fashion, but still holds great nostalgia for those of us who know it and were raised on it. Basically, the pudding is a baked custard that has rice added to it. That does not sound fabulous at all, but the taste is incredible! We had lots of rice left over after a curry and rice lunch and it was time to do something new with it. That is why I have this brilliant opportunity to introduce yet another generation to old-fashioned rice pudding."
Blog 626 - Leftover Curry & Rice Doublette Pie
"We were left with two kinds of curry, as well as a pot of rice once a family gathering was over. Good as the food was, it was time to rehash it and give it a new face. I suggested turning it into a pie. I used the rice as the base of the pie, put both curies in one dish and then made a very simple liquid crust to top it with. 10-15 minutes in a hot oven and we had a brand new take on a really good dish. I walk you through this easy adaptation in today's blog."
Blog 627 - Alpaca Impressions in Acrylic & Pen
"Visiting the gorgeous town of Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape a little while ago, I made some brand new friends who had a host of interesting animals sharing their house and yard with them. Among these were two very cute Alpacas. I took a couple of really cute snapshots of these two and decided to turn these photos into my own impressions of these sweet animals. I use acrylics and pens on small canvasses for today's blog."
Blog 628 - Using Crackle Medium With Blackboard Paint
"Having rediscovered my crackle medium for a painting I did the other day, I suddenly started wondering if the medium could be used with other types of paints as well, or if its use was truly restricted to acrylics, as the label claimed it was. I simply had to find the answer. I decided to restrict my experimentation, for the time being, to other water-based paints. My first experiment would be conducted on Dala Blackboard Paint. I show you what I discovered in today's blog."
Blog 629 - Sewing A Blouse With A Bias Bow Collar
"My mom had some fabric in the stash that she had purchased ages ago and never turned into anything useful. I decided it was time to do something with it and set about cutting a blouse for her that had a very feminine bow collar, cut on the bias. I show you how to make this top in today's blog, taking photos every step of the way to make it easier to follow."
Blog 630 - Baking Ciabatta Using A Sourdough Starter
"Ever feel like you longed for a specific kind of bread? I felt that way today, and the bread I wanted was an authentic Italian Ciabatta (pronounced Cha-BAH-tah). I decided to bake one that was truer to the real thing than the previous recipe I've shared with you. I actually dislike making this version of the bread as the dough is very runny and tends to make a huge mess. But sometimes a girl has to bake what a girl wants to eat and no mediocre version would satisfy this craving. I show you how to deal with the pitfalls of authentic Ciabatta in today's blog."
Blog 631 - Testing Crackle Medium With Different Paint Mediums
"Having experimented with Blackboard Paint and Crackle Medium, my curiosity was roused. How would this medium work with other paint mediums? I simply had to find out. In today's blog I share the results of my experimentation with you when I try Crackle medium with Oil Colours, Craft Paint, Fabric Paint and Chalk Paint. Not all the mediums showed equal success, but I think you will agree that eliminating a medium serves just as much purpose as identifying a successful one. Let me show you what I discovered."
Blog 632 - School Holiday Project 44 - Finger-painting A Bunny & Building Confidence
"Today's blog is entirely aimed at the younger kids. It is essential that they learn the consistency of the paint they work with and develop the fine motor skills involved in finger-painting. I show how to draw a very simple bunny step by step so that the kids can draw their own bunnies. Then we dip our fingers in some Dala Craft Paint and set to work. Do make a point of allowing the kids to figure out for themselves how they want to paint their bunnies. It builds their confidence when you show trust in their decision-making abilities."
Blog 633 - Cardmaking: Japanese Geisha Greetings
"We have a lot of fun with paper piecing in today's blog when we make a special greeting card. Mine was made as a bon voyage to a couple going on holiday in Japan, but you can use this as a birthday card, or for any other purpose as well. I show you how to cut some very simple shapes from paper to build theses cute Japanese girls. I especially love how they overlap and extend past the perimeters of the card. It gives the card a playfulness and make the dolls seem to interact with each other."
Blog 634 - Baking A Sorghum Loaf Using A Sourdough Starter
"I bought some Sorghum Meal to make Maltabella with. This is an old childhood favorite of mine. However, making the porridge made me wonder how this tasty flour would work if I turned it into a bread. I simply had to try it. I am delighted to report that this is one of the tastiest loafs I have ever baked, considering I did not add any extra flavours or herbs. You simply have to try this to believe how filled with flavour it is."
Blog 635 - Cardmaking: Making A Doodle Card In Minutes
"We don't always have time to make intricate cards. Sometimes a birthday or event catches us by surprise and then we have to come up with a stunning card that can be made in a matter of minutes. I show you how to turn some simple doodles into just such a card in today's blog."
Blog 636 - Cardmaking: Mosaic A Paper Picture
"Today's card was actually an afterthought to a project I planned to do with the kids. I was simply working out the sequence of steps I wanted to teach them when I realized that my final product was too cute to discard. This was when I decided to turn it into a very suave card, ideal for a young teenage lady."
Blog 637 - School Holiday Project 45: Making A Tissue Paper Garden Collage
"In today's project we are asking the kids to take big risks in their art. We get to introduce them to different uses of a circle when we create various simple flowers. They get to cut and paste and trace and colour! There are once again so many opportunities to develop and hone skills that I consider this collage essential to do with kids. It is of course also very possible to swap the flower designs out for dinosaurs, or cars, or fish, or anything else that strikes the child's fancy. The same techniques can be applied to a great many shapes and designs."
Blog 638 - Baking Vetkoek Using A Sourdough Starter
"Vetkoek is such an ingrained part of our culture that we sometimes neglect to give it much thought. Just so with me! I was shocked to discover I have never shared a recipe for baking vetkoek before. I have shared some ideas for making vetkoek with store-bought dough, but it is not quite the same as homemade vetkoek dough. As always, I eliminated the use of yeast and replaced this with my own sourdough starter to mix today's dough. Prepare to enjoy some of the most flavourful vetkoek ever!"
Blog 639 - Making A Christmas Angel Ornament With Ribbon
"While visiting a friend in Kimberley, we attended a Christmas in July Dinner one evening. They handed out these little gift bags with all the necessary materials to fold your own angel ornament. It certainly wasn't anything new, and there are loads of links on the internet showing you how to make these. I had quite forgotten about it when I rediscovered the gift bag earlier this week. I figured that with Christmas just around the corner I may as well share this favorite project with you, as I already had all the necessary materials conveniently collected for me."
Blog 640 - Baking Apple Crumble
"My mom is to blame for my sharing this recipe with all of you. She has been walking around for the past week, saying how much she craved a proper Apple Crumble. Say it often enough, and we all join in the craving. The apple tree is heavy with brand new apples, but there are no ripe ones yet. I went in search of some leftover bottled apples from the previous seasons and was thrilled to find some. Add two sprigs of rhubarb from the garden, and in no time at all, we had a delicious apple crumble to feast on."
Blog 641 - Cardmaking: A Nautical Christmas
"I can not believe we are already making preparations for Christmas again! However, it is such time and none of us like to be caught off-guard. That is why I am sharing a very simple idea for Christmas cards with you. I took my inspiration from traditional weathered stripes reminiscent of nautical themes, keeping my colour palette almost traditional. For this project I use my white 12" x 12" craft papers to make two slightly different cards from. However, adjust the sizes slightly, and you can use any paper size you prefer."
Blog 642 - Summary of Blogs on Cardmaking 1-50
"I have thought it a good idea to try and organize the blogs a little to make them more accessible to myself and my readers. With this in mind, I have started grouping blogs that have a common theme together in a summary blog. This blog is complete with links, headings, descriptions and photos. This is the first of these blogs on making cards."
Blog 643 - Baking Simple Sausage Rolls
"I will be honest and admit that I used ready dough to make these lovely sausage rolls. I had every intention in the world of making my own dough, but it was one crisis upon another, as it sometimes is in life, and there was no time. This was when I realized that the same happen to your planning, and that sometimes we need these quick and simple solutions to get us through the day. That is why I show you this very easy way of making your own sausage rolls with store-bought dough. They still beat most of the mass market sausage rolls out there for taste and nutrition, and is a welcome relief to all the miserable pies that is dished up for us these days."
Blog 644 - School Holiday Project 46: Making Puppets That Move
"The long December holidays are almost upon us again and it is time to start gathering ideas and materials to keep the kids busy with. Making puppets is always a fun activity, and that is exactly what we do in today's blog. I love how open this project is to every child's own creative inclination. They can paint, colour, collage with papers, use crayons, or whatever tickles their fancy, to decorate the puppets. They love the idea of constructing the different parts and seeing it all come together. It is almost like building a puzzle."
Blog 645 - Using Palette Knives To Paint An Impressionist Seascape
"I think it must have become clear by now that I love impressionist art. I was asked by one of the blog's followers to do a couple of demonstrations on how to use palette knives. Today's blog is in answer to that request. I paint a lovely seascape in impressionist style using my palette knives. I start the discussion with an overview of the knives and show you step by step how I converted my holiday photo into this painting."
Blog 646 - Using Palette Knives To Paint Marigolds
"Today's blog is still in response to the request for tips on using the palette knife. I use a different technique from those used in the previous blog when I paint a couple of marigolds, in an attempt to show you some of the versatility of palette knives."
Blog 647 - Using Palette Knives to Paint An Abstract Tree
"Abstract art is not to everyone's taste and it certainly isn't my regular style, yet I love to dabble in it from time to time. Today's blog is really a further lesson in the use of palette knives, but I share some ideas for abstract art in the blog."
Blog 648 - Using Palette Knives To Paint A Smooth Painting
"It is a common misconception that palette knives have to be used with thickly pasted paint and impasto work. The truth is that a palette knife is able to apply paint more smoothly than most brushes can. I show you how to do this in today's blog when I use palette knives and oil colours to paint a dragonfly on paper. I then turn this little demonstration into a practical card."
Blog 649 - Baking A Wholewheat Sorghum Loaf Using A Sourdough Starter
"A couple of blogs ago I told you how I experimented with using Sorghum flour in a loaf I baked. Sorghum flour is what is used to make Maltabella Porridge. I fell completely in love with the taste that this flavoursome flour brought to the bread. Initially I thought the flour would be too heavy to use with bread flour, but I decided to try it anyway. I went all out and tested it with Brown Bread Flour, enriched with Wheat Bran. I loved the resulting bread so much that I decided to publish a blog about it. If you like wholewheat bread, you are going to enjoy this one!"
Blog 650 - Summary of Crafts to do with Kids 1-50
"I have thought it a good idea to try and organize the blogs a little to make them more accessible to myself and my readers. With this in mind, I have started grouping blogs that have a common theme together in a summary blog. This blog is complete with links, headings, descriptions and photos. This is the first of these blogs on crafts to do with kids."
Follow these links to previous Index Blogs:
Blogs 1-50
Blogs 51-100
Blogs 101-150
Blogs 151-200
Blogs 201-250
Blogs 251-300
Blogs 301-350
Blogs 351-400
Blogs 451-500
Blogs 501-550
Blogs 551-600
Blogs 601-650
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
For more crafty ideas and great products, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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