Delicious Spicy Pea Soup

We are making a delicious creamy and spicy pea soup today.

It is a speedy meal to prepare.

Perfect for those busy weekdays when you can't be bothered making a time-consuming meal.

My lovely friend Rosemary brought this to share at a recent Mid-Winter Christmas Dinner party.

I immediately wanted the recipe.

And to be honest, I am not a huge fan of peas.

But this is one way I can enjoy them and their amazing nutrients.

This pea hater is now a pea lover!

Spicy Pea Soup

1 kg bag of frozen peas 1 onion 1 heaped Tablespoon Garlic Butter 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock I x 400gm can coconut milk 2 tablespoons of curry paste ( Pataks or Massaman)

Salt to taste Chop onion, and soften in butter until clear.

Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant. Add stock and peas.

Simmer 15-20 mins.

Cool for 10 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender.

Taste and adjust salt.

Add the coconut milk

(if too thick add a little more water).

Reheat and serve with crusty bread.

Yield: 10 servings

Printable recipe HERE.

Green Peas: The Unsung Health Heroes

Green peas, often overlooked in favour of more popular vegetables, pack a powerful nutritional punch that can benefit your health in numerous ways.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Green peas are a great source of vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health. They also contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immune system, and vitamin A, important for eye health.

High in Fibre

Green peas are a good source of dietary fibre, which can aid in digestion, help regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a feeling of fullness to aid in weight management.

Protein Powerhouse

Surprisingly, green peas are also a good source of plant-based protein, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans looking to meet their protein needs.

Antioxidant Properties

Green peas contain various antioxidants, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, which help to reduce inflammation.

Easy to Incorporate into Your Diet

Whether you enjoy them fresh, frozen, or canned, green peas are a versatile vegetable that can be added to soups, salads, stir-fries, and more to boost the nutritional content of your meals.

Next time you're planning your meals, remember the humble green pea and all the health benefits it has to offer!

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DIY Teddy Bear Clay Craft

This super cute airdry clay teddy bear is not too difficult to create for a special ornament to gift, or you can use these 'how to' instructions to make it out of modeling fondant for a cake topper.

But today we are making it using the air dry clay.

On a tabletop or a craft cutting board roll a ball of clay that is about 5cm (2 inches) in size to an oval shape.

For the legs and arms, make four 3cm (1 1/2 inch) small sausages.

Squash the ends (this is where they attach to the body).

Attach by blending underneath with a flat edge tool and at the back of the bear's body, then create a fur effect using a pointed tool.

Do the same to make two arms.

Attach the legs to the body blending the flat part into the base of the body clay.

Attach the arms in the same way.

Use a pointed tool to rough up the clay to resemble fur.

You can manipulate the bear to sit flat and into the sitting shape you want.

To make the head roll a 2.5cm (1 inch) ball, a smaller one for the nose area, and two smaller ones for the ears.

Squash the balls, and cut out two ear shapes.

(see photograph above)

Position nose plate, and ears on the head, and attach blending clay to meld.

Attach the head to the body using a toothpick pushing into the centre of the body to support it.

Blend the clay around the neck area.

And use the pointed tool to create fur to blend the join.

(Take particular attention when melding the neck to the body, as when mine dried the clay shrunk (for lack of melding) and left a gap between the body and head, but reattachment using PVA glue fixed it fine).

The photo above is what your bear should look like.

Make little dots for the eyes and nose. I had black clay for this, but you can use natural and paint them later when it's dry.

Attach using a pointed tool.

Leave to dry.

(It takes about five days).

Once the teddy is completely dry, you can paint it any colour you want.

Touch up the nose and eyes with black paint if necessary.

When the paint is dry, seal the entire bear with a clear sealer.

I used a clearcoat spray sealer on the naturally coloured clay.

I hope all the photographs in this tutorial help you create your own sweet teddy bear. :)

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Upcycled Antique Frame Mood Board

This beautiful old frame found me.

I love how things appear for you when they are meant to be yours!

The first thing I thought about upcycling it into was a mood board for my studio's little quotes and art inspirations.

But first, let's have a chat about this frame.

This is where I might need your help!

Is it Victorian? 19th century? Faux old?

French? Replica?

I spent many hours researching on Google to no avail.

There were many much more ornately decorated and gold-gilded ones in similar styles.

But nothing quite the same as this frame is not overly ornate.

It's quite simple.

The style appears to be Rococo as it has asymmetrical shapes and motifs.

In the Rococo design, these are usually shells, flowers and foliage.

As this frame had damage to it, I could see it was gesso (pronounced 'Jesso') on wood.

Gesso in the old days was made by mixing chalk or gypsum, animal glue (usually from rabbit skin) and white pigment.

I believe this frame is very old.

It's age is a mystery.

What do you think?

Please share your thoughts.

In my mind's eye, the painting that once was housed inside the frame, was of elegant aristocrats in gorgeous clothing enjoying a picnic in a romantic scenic place.

I would have loved to see what that may have been.

But alas, I inherited just the worn and shabby chic frame.