Hello there Beastie friends! It’s got a little chillier since we last saw each other, but that doesn’t seem to have dampened Paddy and Plunkett’s spirits. Here’s where I lost track of them last week…
… And look, I’ve finally caught up with them – in the vegetable garden!
There’s Paddy, reveling in the green glory of some particularly vigorous parsley. No wonder I didn’t spot him straight away!
Meanwhile, Plunkett is checking out his rhubarb for signs of life. Hmmm, looks like we could almost have an early harvest soon!
Even beds that seem empty at first glance are already putting up shoots… Shoots that Beasties notice before humans do! Paddy is already excited about these future raspberries.
But, pleasant as the thought of hot summer days spent munching juicy raspberries may be, that’s not going to fill any Beastie bellies today! And the first rumblings of Paddy’s stomach add a sudden note of urgency to this vegetable garden foray… What can the boys find to eat right now? Surely there has to be something better on the menu than parsley and baby rhubarb stew?
Luckily, there is.
Hurray for kale! Super tasty, and super good for you… And very much in season, even right now! YUM!
Grab one of those big frilly leaves each, boys, and let’s get to the kitchen!
And here’s what I’ve been doing with my kale lately – a tasty, filling soup using dried stuff from the cupboard and the kind of veggies you can usually find stashed in the bottom of your fridge. I adapted this recipe from the River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook – out of necessity at first, because I was missing a few of the ingredients, and had to substitute what I could find to bulk it out. Then, after making the “real” recipe, I decided I liked my version better! Give it a try, and see what you think…
Kale and Barley Broth
You will need:
- 2 Stock Pots (or stock cubes) made up with 1 litre boiling water
- 50g pearl barley, rinsed
- 50g red lentils, rinsed
- 2 big handfuls of kale leaves, washed and with tough stalky bits cut away, then cut fine
- 1 big carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
- 1 stick celery, cut into small dice
- 100g frozen peas
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Bring the stock to the boil in a big ol’ saucepan, then add the lentils and barley, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Use this time to prep your vegetable ingredients!
The barley should now be almost tender, so add your diced celery, carrot and frozen peas to the mix, and wait for it to come back up to a simmer.
Then, add in your kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes. You want the kale to be tender, not soggy, after all!
Taste a spoonful, and season with salt and black pepper if you think it needs it.
Then grab a bowl, and feast to your heart’s content!
Well, hopefully that will keep you all going until next week, when I’ll have a new Beastie for you to meet! And if you do give the recipe a try, leave us a comment below to tell us how you got on!
But then Paddy popped up, and suggested that it might be nice to take a wander outside.
Turns out he’s pretty persuasive.
… Although some of these places are easier to get to than others.
Still, if it’s winter colour you’re after, this cheerful display of berries certainly fits the bill!
The view’s not bad either. Look how green everything is!
And when the boys spotted some long grass on the other side of the hedge, they knew exactly what to do next…
There’s always time for a quick game of hide and seek!
This happy pair were made as a Christmas gift for two real-life human sisters, Emily and Holly.
Human Holly is super into horses, so a Beastie with an esquestrienne flavour fitted the bill perfectly. I started at the top, with a traditional black peaked riding hat…
…And her soft alpaca hair is pulled neatly in underneath in a very stylish bun.
Then her outfit is completed with a natty little hand-sewn tweed jacket… Which really unbuttons!
And underneath, she’s got a crisp white shirt and ribbon tie.
Perfect! And then for little sister…
…A sweet little ribbon-tie dress, with a cute Matryoshka doll print! Ideal for little hands to play with.
I also love her hairstyle!
These are the same alpaca tresses that Emily Beastie has (they are sisters, after all!) but they look completely different cut short in a halo of soft curls.
Looking good!
Spencer Beastie was requested by our good buddy Melissa at 
Not only can he now hold things, he can also “hang out” on metal surfaces in the prison bus!
… Glasses…
… Favourite hat…
… And trademark bandana handkerchief!
I think we all know what that means… Let’s see what’s inside!
Aha! Everything a Beastie needs to tackle a serious refit project – a Beastie-sized torch, pocket knife and hammer!
Finally, for those of you who are suckers for the teeniest of tiny details, the torch contains a glass bead “bulb”…
… And the blade of the pocket knife really folds out!
Well, I think you’re ready to help out in the workshop, Spencer Beastie! Better get packed up and make the journey Stateside…
And the best bit is, you can see him settling in to his new home! Melissa very kindly featured Spencer Beastie in the latest episode of her podcast series… Check it out here!
Wow, 
I made these to tempt the attendees of the Dublin Cat Fair back in November, and thanks to a shout-out from the organisers on Facebook before the event, they sold out! From then on, I could barely keep up with demand, even when I was frantically making more behind my table on market days! I’ll definitely be adding these to my festive lineup for 2019.
And my All-Irish Beasties were still happy to down a tipple or two… Tea, anyone? Or would you maybe prefer a pint of the Black Stuff?
I also brought along a new Unicorn Beastie… It didn’t take them long to find a home!
And finally… Some of you might recognise this woolly little monster face from 
… SANTA BEASTIE!
Catch you next Tuesday!
Ooooh, look at that Christmas tree!
Then I lost him for a moment – I could have sworn he was right next to this leaf and berry arrangement a second ago!
Aha! Found him. That’s some pretty good camouflage, though.
That’s better!
Ooooh, nice dress… Care to give us a twirl?
Lovely!
Uh-oh! He’s missing his mum… Time to hand him back!
You might just be able to see that she has special velcro paws, so that she can hug him extra tight.
And with Baby Beastie peacefully napping in the nursery, Dad Beastie just manages to nab a quick cuddle as Mama Beastie dashes out to the hospital!
Let’s chat to him next. Hey, Cool Dad Beastie!
Looks like he’s about to tuck into some lunch! A slice of pepperoni pizza…
… Topped with lashings of every Beastie’s favourite spicy sauce – Tabeastco!
Let’s hope he doesn’t accidentally get any on that nice checked shirt! Very stylish.
Now, how about one more family portrait before we go?
Beautiful!
Then I called on Explorer Beastie to pick a winner.
This didn’t exactly go according to plan.
But Explorer Beastie is made of sturdy stuff. Look, he’s got one!
Who is it?
Taaaa-daaaaah! 2018 is the year of “Sloe on the Uptake”, courtesy of 
Of course, Explorer Beastie would have to pick the most messily-written slip of the bunch! But an excellent result. And now I can finally get those bottles labelled!
Thanks, Tammie… And to all of you who took part! I reckon I’m all set with sloe puns for at least the next decade!
I also turned my hand to making some stitched embroidery hoop pictures. I’ve been meaning to do this for years! There’s a small (4in/10cm) version and a large (6in/15cm) one.
And of course, the Beasties had to get a slice of the action! First up, I made some Beasties in cosy, smiley cat sweaters.
And there will also be Beasties with their own felty, feline friends, like this guy!
Plus I reckon a few other little woolly monsters will stow away in my Beastie backpack on market day… I’ll see how much space I have!
