The kitchen that was

I'm impressed with the amount of building work that's been done in just three days. So far we are managing well in our makeshift kitchen - cooking on the barbeque and washing dishes in the laundry tub. It's almost fun.

Unfortunately there has been little time to do some of the other really fun things in life. I have made a start on embroidering a couple of handkerchiefs with simple cross stitch designs taken from Makoto's cross-stitch super collection by Makoto Oozu. But I think I'm ready to take on bigger things.

Reading I remember by Joe Brainard + Watching Frozen Planet (BBC nature documentary series) + Still eating tomatoes from the garden.

Demolition

Our renovation project started at 7.00 this morning. It's sad, scary and exciting all at once.

Last chance baking

Our builder is about to start work anytime now on our new kitchen and bathroom. We're in a limbo state - trying to pack up the kitchen but wanting to leave it as functioning as possible until it's absolutely necessary to abandon it. Ironically the cookbook I ordered, Cake angels by Julia Thomas, arrived on Friday. I thought today might be my last chance to bake. During the rebuild we will be cooking out of a makeshift kitchen using only a barbeque, electric frypan and a rice cooker. No oven. So, even though I should be wrapping plates in newspaper and packing them away in cartons, I made Julia's carrot bar recipe instead. And it was so worth it.

If you grow fruit and vegetables then this is the apron for you. I found it in Sewing made easy, first published in 1950. It's a big scoopy apron with a drawcord that you can tighten to form a large pocket - or basket - to collect all your ripe produce. Or maybe you could use it to hold your clothes pegs. Isn't it such a simple and wonderful idea?

Eating tomatoes from the garden + Reading At home : a short history of private life by Bill Bryson