Low maintenance Bacon and Egg Pie

I've been meaning to share this recipe for a while as the be all and end all of your picnic or Pot Luck problems.

I discovered this recipe in the Comfort recipe book a while ago, and it is now a standard. It takes no time to whip up and I challenge you to find anyone who doesn't like bacon and egg pie. The thing I love the most about this recipe is the lack of dishes. No fry pan required, no cups for beating or bowls for mixing. Just a chopping board, knife, grater and the tin you cook it in. Love it.

Process as follows:
Turn on oven to about 210 degrees. (the suggestion in the recipe was to put an oven tray in the oven whilst its heating so tray gets hot and then when you put the pie in and place on tray, this helps cook the bottom pastry of the pie. Not sure how sound the theory is but hey - it works so lets not mess with it.)
I use frozen flaky puff pastry - its about ease after all. 2 sheets needed. Defrost the pastry. I have been using a square tin because the pastry is square (less effort = more smiles). Of course you can roll the pastry to fit a circular tin and it will look much nicer, but I'm all for minimising the time to make this. Plonk one sheet of pastry in a greased tin to form the base and sides of pie.

For the filling:
- Grate some cheese and throw into the pastry case (about 1 cup I guess - but depends on your taste). [Grater goes to dishwasher.]
- Thinly slice bacon (4 rashers) into strips and then bits, and throw on top of cheese. Note - no prior cooking required. Yay.
- Then crack 6-7 eggs whole straight on top of the bacon (recipe said 9 eggs but seemed a bit full on and my pie was smaller - I used 6-7 depending on size). Egg will slop around a little but try not to break the yolks. Space out the yolks around the pie and let the whites dribble into the other areas. At this point I keep aside a teeny bit of one of the eggs to glaze the pastry at the end - this is likely to mean one of your eggs will break but hey - who cares.
- Chop up some basil and parsley and sprinkle on top of eggs. Salt and pepper if you wish (I usually forget this stage but I encourage you to remember it).
- Thinly slice tomato and place slices on top of eggs/herbs. [Chopping board and knife to dishwasher.]
- Throw on the top of pastry. Press pastry lid and sides together to seal pie - use a fork if necessary. I usually use a little strip of extra pastry to make a + decoration on top - do whatever you feel. Brush pastry with leftover egg to make sure pastry top looks browned and delicious.

Then throw in oven for about ~45-50mins at about 200 degrees. [wipe bench]
Take out from oven and if you think its fine, leave in tin for 5-10mins. Turn out of tin and place on cooling rack to dry.

Honestly, so easy and so yummy - you feel guilty when someone compliments you on this one.

What the stall will hold

So, with the settlement not going through perhaps the only up-side was that I could now continue to have the stall at the Newtown Festival. Of course, with all the distraction, my time frames are somewhat compacted. So I am very conscious I now have a week. Eeek. I have tried to create a few things.

I took the patchwork idea and applied it to a messenger style shoulder bag. These are using some old stretchy denim fabric I had around (and would not use for clothing) and some home décor scraps. They have the main pocket and a front pocket. I quite like them.






I also tried a couple in a one colour option with a little printed picture on them. I think these might be my favourite - they came out looking quite good. The fabric is actually thermal lined curtains so will be nice and sturdy and is a really good weight for this bag.










I made a few more purses in the same style as the ones I'd sold on Felt. Two with the blue lining and two with the white. I might make some more if I have time …..






I also have a few wee gift bag type ones. I made these after noting that lots of the girls at work had their handbag and then another little bag for their shoes, or book or lunch. They were using shop branded bags but I thought it would be nice to have something small you can fold up. They are made from simple calico but I printed various types of pictures on the pocket.






Oh and I've made some bunting flags. Having done these before I thought these would be easy and not take much time - was I wrong! Making some for a friend is one thing, making a stack for a stall is another thing entirely. However, I think these look really nice and would be great around a cot, or in the kitchen, or even in a tree in the garden.










And I am trying my hand at another purse design. The one I tried last night didn't quite work out. I was a seam allowance off with one bit and then in a moment of idiocy I put the magnetic catch on the wrong of the purse side (*sigh - NB: why do I never learn to not make decisions after 2 glasses of wine?). Nevertheless, I am hoping that I can figure this out tonight.

A tough February

It has been a very up and down month. My post below had me at the start of the month focussed on preparing for the Newtown Festival. That fell away when, after so many months of searching, we found a house we liked. We made an offer on a house which was accepted - settlement was due to occur the weekend of the Festival. I was so excited about the house and was dreaming of finally getting some space and room to play. It would have been a blank canvas to create in. However, the sale sadly fell through due to a defect in the foundations. I spent quite some time just being totally deflated and depressed. I guess it’s a lesson for those of us not very experienced in these things … never get your hopes up.

And then this week, all of that was put into perspective. Our poor wee country was rocked by yet another terrible earthquake. Poor Christchurch, already at its wits end after a big one in September and hundreds of aftershocks, suffered a destructive earthquake that has crippled the city. My heart goes out to everyone effected, whatever the reason may be: whether it be property damage, financial worries, physical injury or the tragic loss of someone. I think everyone in New Zealand carries the burden with them this week as the news rolls in of more impact, more loss and more dead. It is surreal to try to plod on with your own life as normal, knowing not far away people are in turmoil and countless lives have been lost. We all grieve for those poor people like you or I who were leading just another day at the office - eating their lunch, shopping for shoes - who never got to complete their day. It makes you very aware of everyone's fragility, and that the comfort that we award ourselves by the routine of life can be snatched away so quickly. Tell your friends and family you love them and give as generously as you can!

Stall plans

I have taken the plunge and booked a stall at the Newtown Festival taking place on 6 March. I went to this Festival last year and it was a lovely sunny day and full of life. I am super excited about this as well as horrendously nervous. However, my New Year's resolution is to take the leap --- and so I am.

I have been gradually stockpiling a bounty of stall items with this very thing in mind and so am now conscious that there is a date that needs to be met and stuff that needs to be sold.

I had a bundle of these cute wee purses I had made for the occasion. I really liked the contrast between the natural mottled outer and then the bright funky inner linings. I also thought it might be quite nice to have a broach on the outside. It means you bring some colour to the outside, link to the lining fabric, but you can also use the broach however you want or our even pin it to your jacket if you feel like it. I really like the fact that when you look at the broach you are forced to really appreciate the print of the fabric and also the weave, which tends to get lost when you look at fabric on a larger scale. It makes the fabric the attraction.

On a whim I listed some of these items on my felt shop and I was totally delighted that they have been snaffled up. I was so pleased that people liked the purses too (sometimes its easy to labour under a misconception that everyone will like your style but actually they don't).

However, with those purses flying out the door, my stockpile is now low - I only have two left. Eeek. So I shall have to whip up a few more. I've opted to make a few out of some material I found at the fabricabrac sale - it’s a deep rich brown with a thick weave and is quite dramatic. I have enough to make 4 purses from this fabric so excited about that. I might have to resist putting them on felt when they are done.

Sweet wee girls

Just thought I'd share a couple of cute photos. A friend asked me to take some photos at her daughter's fourth birthday - that's you lovely Liv. Typical girls but oh so sweet. The concentration and focus applied to Musical Chairs and Cut The Chocloate Block was awe inspiring.

Hawkes Bay break

It’s been a wee while but I’m back at it. Have been busy at work and then took a week off to head up to Hawkes Bay to see the other-half’s family and friends.

It was a blessing to be in a camp site out of cell phone reception where those annoying work calls can’t find you. However, being in close and constant confinement with so many kids (about 12 of varying ages) was a bit of a shock to the system.

However the days got themselves into a rhythm. The boys would head off in the morning diving for crayfish and paua. I would find a shady spot and read a book, looking up occasionally to count heads or fins. Then in the middle of the day we would shelter in the shade of the camp site, and venture out again in the later afternoon for a paddle in the sea. A few wines and then an evening fry-up of BBQ and the days catch was not a difficult way to spend ones time.

A few photos of the sea and the mighty Kahikatia trees in the nearby reserve. They were so huge and straight – one was over 600yrs old. Extremely impressive.

New Year - still old projects

Its a whole new year. Hope it will be a happy, exciting, fun-filled year for all. I have some nice dreams for the year - we will just have to wait to see if any of those come around.

I am still working on my holiday resolution of finishing off some of those projects. But, I'm doing ok, I've sorted out quite a few.

First was a tote bag I'd started. The reason I stopped with this tote bag was the effect the fabric had on my sewing machine. There was something about the grain in this that my sewing machine hated, so this has been sitting around, pinned and ready, with all but the top hem complete. Done! Pat myself on the back with that one.

The last two were a bit trickier.

One was the same cowl neck pattern as a previous post but using a very light knit fabric I had got at the fabricabrac sale (another previous post). I haven't used knit much at all so this was a learning experience for me. The outcome is ok but I think with this type of light fabric the neck needs to be lower cut to get the drape of the fabric.

The second was a quick attempt at using a scarf I'd found in an odds bin whilst secondhand shop roving. The fabric on the scarf was wonderful and I loved it. I thought it could make a wonderful top.

I just used a basic straight across bust section and elastic (a line under the boob line with thinner elastic and thicker elastic for the top part). I really like this and would make straps for it, but sadly I just suspect it won't hold. I used iron on interfacing for the bust part to give it strength (and not be see-through) but the scarf material is so light I suspect it will eventually pull apart at the seams, and the interfacing won't stop that. Its already a bit touch-and-go, and whilst it will hold for a wee while, I wouldn't risk it anywhere without a back-up top (which ain't the way to dress really is it). However, the design is easy as pie and I like the simplicity, so I might try it on a sturdier fabric. Watch this space.