Hello again, hope all’s good at your place. I’ve just taken a fruit cake out of the oven and the house smells lovely. I’ve been making this recipe since my kids were little. It’s a butter free cake; instead of butter you use mashed pumpkin. It’s very yummy, and good for you I imagine (as long as you don’t eat too much at once!!). I don’t usually give recipes in this newsletter, but this is a beauty and pretty fail safe and I’d love to share it with you.

For the fruit mixture cooked in a large saucepan you will need: 8oz sultanas; 8oz chopped dates; 1 cup water; 4oz raw sugar. Put these in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off the stove and then put 1 teaspoon of bi-carbonate of soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of boiling water into the fruit. It will froth up, that’s OK. Leave the fruit mixture in the saucepan to cool a bit.

While the fruit mixture is simmering on the stove make 1 cup mashed pumpkin. I use a butternut pumpkin, but any one will do. I microwave the cubed pumpkin in a jug, and then mash it when it’s soft. Leave to cool. When the pumpkin is cooled, add 2 beaten eggs to the pumpkin mixture. Set aside.

When the fruit is cooled slightly add the pumpkin and egg mixture, and mix together, then add the following dry ingredients and gently fold into the fruit, pumpkin and egg mixture: 4oz plain flour; 4oz Self Raising Flour ;1 dessertspoon mixed spice.

Pop in your favourite greased cake tin and cook on a low heat (I use about 160 degrees Celsius) for about 1 ½ hours. Enjoy!

Last Sunday I posted an article with lots of links to instructions and tutorials on making your own T.Shirt Quilt. Here’s the link: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art180123.asp

The Forum is bubbling away, lovely chatting with you guys. Here’s the link: http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=43

So onto my goodies for this week. Enjoy:

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2008/03/mailboxes-with-difference.html I have to admit to a very small fetish for mailboxes (along with tiny shoes and pincushions).

http://www.yellowspool.com/scrapped-animal-duckbill-platypus/ this looks nothing like a platypus, but don’t let that stop you – cutie

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/tool-time-tuesdayknee-pincushion.html a knee pincushion - what a great idea

http://amyscreativeside.com/2009/10/20/color-wheel-project/ delightfully creative and a great weekend project

http://creativeribbons.blogspot.com.au/2007/07/quilt-as-you-go.html no reason to get sore shoulders from machine quilting those heavy quilts

http://whileshenaps.typepad.com/whileshenaps/tutorials/ this has made me hungry!!LOL

http://www.thehappierhomemaker.com/2012/11/guest-post.html a very simple but extremely chic gift for your house proud friend

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/49410175/Scalloped%20Dresden%20Bag%20Free%20Pattern.pdf a pretty scalloped Dresden bag

http://www.filminthefridge.com/2012/02/02/ruby-strings-a-pdf-chart/ a stringed quilt tutorial – very clear

Well that’s all from me this week. Keep up the quilting and have a great week ahead.

Cheerio for now


Judie Bellingham, Quilting Editor
http://Quilting.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com