More cooking

I had a dodgy looking banana (actually I had two, but I ate one for my breakfast) so I thought I'd make a cake. When I say 'dodgy' - it wasn't poisonous or mouldy or anything - just a bit on the ripe side. So, I went through my 'failsafe recipes' - didn't take very long, as you can imagine - and found my recipe for Banana and Apple cake. And I made it - just like that. Have included a photo of the jam I made last Sunday, in case anyone didn't believe me. Somebody did say that with all the cake and jam making, I'd be joining the WI next. I think not. I saw Calendar Girls at the theatre last week, and you won't find me posing without my vest on, wearing only a couple of White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins. Anyway, as I found myself in the kitchen, I thought I'd have a go at dyeing some buttons. My sister had sorted out some suitable ones from her HUGE button stash, so I started with those, just simmering them very gently in half a pint of water and half a teaspoon of Fuchsia disperse dye. Which, of course, I bought from Art Van Go (other art shops are available, I suppose - but why go anywhere but the best?) This is the result from the first batch .....
So then I thought I'd sort some of my own buttons out, and try those in the same dye bath, without adding any more water or dye - and it was just as successful. The colour obviously takes differently on different types of buttons. The colour seems brightest on the cheap nylon-y clear buttons - like shirt buttons and 'baby cardigan' buttons (if you know what I mean) The rogue orange button in the top right hand corner started off as bright yellow.

Anyway, I think it was brilliant - I just wish I'd bought some more colours of dye when I popped into AVG on Friday, so I'll have to call in again next week.

Oh, and if there are any Health and Safety police reading this - no, of course I didn't use the same saucepan and utensils for this as for my jam making. As if.