Long week

Ive had a hectic week with 2 of my kids being sick and home from school.
Im emotionally exausted and cant wait to go to bed each night.
Both on the mend and back to school today.
My Mate is out today at the Races....yes that is called work!!. so Im hoping he has a great day and stays out late, so I can be in bed at 7.30 when the kids go to bed.
But.... I do have to go into work tomorrow to do my Annual Competencies - CPR, Drug calculations etc. So that means I have to get all the kids lunches and school stuff prepared in advance for a quick exit in the morning.
Ahh the life of a Mother!!!

Something good did happen to me today, that is really going to help me wind down and relax.
I baby-sit for a friend when her Nanny is unavailable. She insists on paying me (which feels really wierd) considering I would do it for nothing to help her out.
So I looked after her daughter today for 2 hours. We baked a cake, played Barbies and Playdoh.
Whilst out running errands this afternoon, I spotted 2 magazines that I would like (but would normally be too stingy to pay for).
And I snavelled them up for my reading pleasure tonight.

Frankie and a new one called Feast.

Ive spotted this nice recipe (even if it is sideways!!...Any one know how to fix this? It was straight when I loaded it from the camera, but Blogger wants to put it sideways)

I might make it for Fathers Day this Sunday.

Baked Turkish Eggs. Yum!

Heres to bonus money to spend frivolously on ones-self! Such a treat!

White chocolate and cranberry cookies

I am a massive Bill Granger fan. Love his food, have 6 of his cookbooks and he is a bit of a spunk too!!

Baked these babies today, have made them several times before and they are delicious.

White chocolate and cranberry cookies

150g softened butter

3/4/cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup white chocolate chunks

2/3 cup dried cranberries

Oven 180C.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.

Add egg and vanilla, beat until smooth.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

Add oats, chocolate and cranberries and stir together.

Add to butter mixture and mix well.

Roll small tablespoons of the mixture into balls, and place on lined baking trays.

Flatten the balls a little.Bake 12 minutes until golden.

cool on the tray for 5 min before cooling completely on wire rack.

This little guy looking for a crumb or 2.

Op Shop Hop

I am loving the fact that the theme for this years Quiz Night at our School is "Op Shop Hop".
Bringing a whole new group of people into our Op shops.
They are having a ball.
Who would have thought!!

Rain,Rain...

The rain was so heavy last night.

I was'nt surprised to see this flooding in out back yard this morning.
It was hailing when I dropped the kids off to school...(dont you love that, always at drop off or pick up time!!)

So a cold wet day deserves some play time at home with Mum for Miss E.

And an Orange Cake to be baked.

At Kindergym this week, one of the Mums bought in a whole box of delicious oranges from her tree.

I had to have some and they are the juciest oranges I have ever had.
Got to love homegrown!!

A while ago, my friend Judith, gave me this recipe for Orange Cake and it is a real winner.

Orange Cake

Cake

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup milk

125g butter

1 cup caster sugar

1 tbs grated orange rind

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups SR flour

1/2 cup milk

Combine coconut and first lot of milk and stand for 1 hour.

Cream butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy.

Beat eggs into mixture.

Add flour, milk and coconut mixture, and combine.

Bake at 180C for 43 minutes.

Icing

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 tbs butter melted

1 1/2 tbs orange juice

Mix together until smooth.

Slather on top of the cake when just taken out of the oven and still hot, to form a glaze.

Each time Ive baked this week, Ive been searching for my spatulas.

Could'nt find them anywhere in the kitchen.

But I did find them here....

Quick re-fashion

Its hardly a very exciting re-fashion!!
And I have to admit I have been wearing this shirt for a while without any buttons!!
(with a tank underneath!!)
Was just too lazy to sew them on again.
But today, I rummaged through my glorious button stash and found the 3 perfect buttons.
Red being my favourite colour.
All set to go now, feels like a new shirt.

Sultana Tea Loaf

I made this yummy sultana cake using some organic sultanas my sister gave me.
( She owns an organic grocer.... she doesnt just randomly pop over to bring me sultanas!!)
Recipe found here.
There are 2 cups of sultanas in this cake, which I think is a little too much.
I will use less next time.
Also I cooked it at Fan Forced 160C, for 50 minutes and it was perfect.
And I used a square cake tin not a loaf pan.

Vintage lace top

Im only just appreciating how hard it is to take a photo of yourself!
Ran outside to catch the sun for the few short seconds it was out today.

The 4 year old who is home with me today was not much help, so I resorted to the old mirror trick.

The vintage lace is so fine and delicate, I hope they dont rip to shreds in my washing machine.

I like how the top turned out.

Please excuse the ironing board in the back ground!

Might just have to show My Mate this photo to prove something got done around here today!!

Linking in with Tea Rose Home.

Vintage Lace Top

My Mothers Partners Mother......got it.....Marion is a real sweetie. Ive kind of adopted her as my Grandmother (because I have none living) and she is great at all crafts, knitting, crochet, painting, sewing,needlework..the list goes on.

Any way, she recently gave me a bag of beautiful vintage lace.

6 different kinds, and I had just the project in mind.

I have seen this on the net...but alas cant find where now!!

So I shall say that this is not my original idea...until I find the source.

Im going to sew the lace in strips along a white top for Me.

I think the preliminary layout looks alright. Will move then around to find the best placement and sew with a zig zag to allow for some stretch.

Also, for a bit of colour, I have seen lots of crafts on the net using paint chips.

A quick trip th the local Hardware store (pretending to buy something).

And I came home with these.

Not sure what to make yet!

Maybe use them with the Butterfly punch to make gift cards at the least.

Still thinking.

Fabric Mosaic Complete

Today I had a spare hour up my sleeve and finished my fabric mosaic.

I cut the fabric out last week, sticking to the red and black theme.

All fabrics from my stash.

I got the idea from Jo at The Cart before the horse.
I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Its going to look great in my sewing room.

Just letting the Mod Podge dry. Then I think Ill go over it again with the Mod Podge to seal it.

Linking in with Tea Rose Home, Our Creative Spaces and Somewhat Simple.

Oatmeal cookies

These cookies are delicious.
I got the recipe from The Pioneer Womans cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks".
You can find the recipe here on her blog.
I wish I had a ranch like hers..... But in Australia we dont seem to have many ranches.....and I dont want to get up at 4am and tend the cattle.....so, I think Ill just sit pretty over here in suburbia!

Anyway, give theese cookies a go, you wont be disappointed.

Linking in with Lady Behind the Curtain and This Chick Cooks.