My creative space..

The Rainbow Party is coming together. Invitations made, just need some colouring in of the rainbow by the girls this afternoom and we can give them out tomorrow.

I found this unreal Fabric Mosaic here. Isnt it great?

I love it and am collecting my fabric to get started.

Im going to make it for my Office/craft room.

It is decorated in red and white, so Ive picked out all my red and black fabric from my stash, and am about to start cutting it up.

I already have a canvas and modpodge ready from another project.

My best mate and Master J are away tonight.

They are having a Zoo Snooze, staying overnight in the Zoo with his school class.

The girls will be in bed early and I'll be going blind cutting up small pieces of fabric.

Couldnt think of a better way to spend a night alone!!

Playing along wither other crafty types at Our creative spaces and Tea Rose Home.

Tea Soaked Prunes

Im not shy to admit it... I love prunes!
I used to make these prunes as part of an antipasto plate, in a former life when I used to own a Restaurant. ( I was not the chef.)
The customers raved about them, and I still do.

Make some, have them for breakfast with some vanilla yoghurt or on your muslie.

You'll thank me for the rest of the day!!!

Tea Soaked Prunes

1 packet of prunes (pitted or whole, your choice)

rind of one lemon

1 tsp raw sugar

2 tea bags (your normal brew will be fine)

Put all the ingredients into a container with a lid.

Just cover the prunes with boiling water.

Let tea infuse for a few minutes.

Remove tea bags.

Give it a stir.

Put lid on and pop into the fridge to use for tomorrows breakfast.

The syrup will become deliciously thicker in a few days.

But feel free to try them straight away.

Let me know what you think.

Playing along with Lady behind the curtain, and This chick cooks.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow....

Tomorrow I am entering a new era.

My last born cherub is starting Kindergarten 2 full days a week.

Two whole glorious days!!!!

Alone.......



to myself........




uninterupted.........




solo................




unaccompanied..........




on....my....OWN!!!





What on earth am I going to do??

My creative space

Miss S has decided on a Rainbow Party for her Birthday in a few weeks.
So, I wizzed up 2 Rainbow Tshirts for both the girls to wear to the Party.
They chose their own fabric.
Quick and cute...dont you think?


Linking in with other crafty types at Our Creative Spaces.

Chewy Chocolate Slice

This deliciously easy to make slice is the one I always make if Im visiting a friend for coffee.
Its quick to make, I always have all the ingredients on hand, and everyone loves it.


I was given the recipe from a friend.


Slice
125g butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup SR flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/2 cup dessicated coconut


Icing
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbs cocoa powder
10g melted butter
1 1/2 tbs hot water


180C Oven.
Line rectangular slice pan with Glad Bake.
Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
Stir in sifted flours and cocoa, and then coconut.
Spread mixture evenly in the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes until firm.


Meanwhile, make icing.
Sift icing sugar and cocoa
Add butter and water
Stir until it is a spreadable consistency.


Spread hot slice with icing
Sprinkle with a little extra coconut if you like.
Cool in pan before cutting.

Linking along with This Chick Cooks, Lady behind the Curtain and Tea Rose Home.

Extra Long Weekend

Our long weekend away was lovely.
We spent some time on the beach.
We played games inside and watched some DVD's.
Went for lomg walks.

Climbed sculptures.

Caught the horse tram over to Granite Island.

Generally, just had some nice quiet family time (as quiet as you can with 3 kids).

Back home now. 2 playdates today, baked a slice to take to one, trying to get dinner ready in advance, washing, drying, folding....etc, etc, etc.

Weekends over!!!

We're off again

Popping down to Mum's holiday house for a long weekend. You will be sure to find me here on the balcony having a quiet G&T.

While I look out to sea and dream.

May do a bit of this

And hopefully a bit of this too.
Hope you all have a nice weekend too. What are you all up to?

Poncho and pasta

Now theres an unlikely combination for you.
Made this Poncho for Miss E to wear to Kindy next term.
Pattern from "Making childrens clothes" by Emma Hardy, same book I used for the Peasant top last week. Really easy and quick to sew. I used a cream polar fleece I had in the stash and a pink cotton for the lining.

I dont know about your kids, but mine never want to wear jackets, and get hot quickly when running around. So I thought the Poncho would let the required air in but also keep thier chests warm ( I sound like a Nanna)

This was Dinner last night. Not a styled photo, just how it was in the bowl!!

But it does taste yummy, and everyone here loves it....which is always a bonus!!

Spaghetti Carbonara
From Super food ideas Magazine

2 tsp olive oil

200g mild panchetta sliced
3 garlic cloves

2 egg yolks

2eggs

1/2 cup thickened cream

75g parmesan cheese grated

Spaghetti

Put enough spaghetti for your family into a pot of boiling water.

Heat oil in a frypan, add panchetta and garlic.

Fry stirring until panchetta is crisp.

Drain on paper towel.

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, cream and most of the parmesan in a bowl. Season with pepper.

When pasta is cooked, drain, remove from the heat.

Add egg mixture and panchetta, toss until well combined.

Serve straight away with a sprinkle of extra parmesan and salad.

Playing along at Our creative spaces, Tea Rose Home and This Chick cooks, and Lady behind the curtain.

Lemon Crumble Cake

Ive made this Lemon crumble cake quite often. I got the recipe from an old Womans Weekly in the Dr surgery.

Unfortunately, no one popping over for afternoon tea today...so I had a coffee and slice of cake by myself.

Lemon Crumble Cake
Cake

125g soft butter
2 tbs grated lemon rind
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup SR flour
1/4 cup milk

Crumble
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs plain flour
30g butter
2 tbs lemon rind
2 tbs flaked almonds

Oven 160C. Loaf pan.
Beat butter, rind and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs.
Stir in flours and milk.
Spread into pan.
Add crumble to top.
Bake 1 hour.

Playing along at This Chick Cooks.

Wintery Days

Cold and wintery days like this deserve some yummy home-made soup. Tomato and roast capsicum to be exact. Very quick and easy to make.

Over to Croydon for a walk and a coffee and lemon tart. Yum

Coconut and Kaffir Lime Leaf Panna Cotta

Considering, whilst in Bali, we returned to a Restaurant to have the coconut panna cotta for a 2nd time. It is no surprise, upon reading the latest Masterchef Magazine, that I wanted to make Marions Coconut and kaffir lime leaf panna cotta. Immediately!!
Whipped it up yesterday morning, to be set for dessert.

Soft, smooth deliciousness.
The lime sugar syrup that soaks the strawbwrries is divine.

I have some left over that will be going straight into the G&T's and Vodka lime and sodas!!

Our creative spaces...

I made this dress a while ago to sell at a Market. Miss E fits into it now...so its hers!

Its a lovely jumbo Navy cord. Lined on the bodice and the fabric detail on the bottom from Spotlight. Large Navy buttons and your set.

It was an old copied, traced out pattern given to me by my friend Vanessa. No instructions, just make it up...so I did. Ive made quite a few. I've had a lot of comments on this dress in the school yard. It is nice to see something different around, not your regular Target numbers.

Many more creative spaces over here.

Morning Tea

I invited Gilly over for morning tea. I met her at some markets at Port Elliot a few years ago ( we both had a stall there) and we hit it off straight away. Weve both got 3 kids and love sewing and a more simple life.

She had just started her blog then....I took a while longer to start mine.

Anyway, we can chat for hours and usually do!

But we also like to eat.

So I made this slice yesterday. I got this recipe from a Mum at school, after I nearly ate a whole plate of it at her daughters Party.

Lemon Slice

Base

250g Arnotts Nice biscuits

grated rind of 1 lemon

1 cup coconut

1/2 tin condensed milk

125g melted butter

Icing

185g icing sugar

1 desert spoon lemon juice

1 tsp butter melted

boiling water

Using a food processor, blast the biscuits to a fine crumb. Mix all the base ingredients together and press into a slab tin. Chill. mix icing together, spred on top of base, sprinkle with extra coconut if you wish. Chill. Cut and eat.

This post has been linked to This Chick Cooks and Lady behind the Curtain.

Peasant Top

I have had this book for a while now, and there are quite a few things I would like to sew in there.
I must hurry up, because my girls are growing up fast and soon they will be too old to wear them.

So, I grabed some fabric Ive had for a while, and whipped this baby up in about 30 min.

Great attire for the upcoming Kindy season.

I added a bit extra for length. Will make the elastic around the neck a bit tighter next time.

Miss S has picked out the fabric she would like for her top. May start it this afternoon.

Active weekend

One of the little girls in Miss S's class had a Birthday Party on the weekend. Her Family invited us and 3 other Families to spend the day up on their farm in the Adelaide Hills.
Everyone had a lovely day. We went for a long walk down to the winter creek. It was beautiful.
We saw Kangaroos.

It was pretty steep!

Miss S had a swing on the rope over the water.

The boys played together.

We had a lovely lunch and Birthday cake.

No one wanted to go home ...including us.

It was so quiet and peaceful.

I want a Farm!!