christmas baking treats...

I have been procrastinating packing and been baking christmas treats instead...I didn't think I would have time!

My mini chef and I went about making christmas cake this week.

 My first attempt at a christmas cake, we made one large and 9 muffin tin sized cakes.  The larger will be kept for christmas day, and iced with brandy butter icing not the traditional marzipan icing...eeck!! 

My muffin cakes are decorated up for simple gifts to friends for christmas

Our little christmas cakes all gifted up ready to give away!

I love christmas time and baking special little treats for the day, the smell of them cooking is good enough for me.  I had to bake some it wouldn't be christmas with out doing it.

Back to the packing now though!!!

On second thoughts I have to make some of my favourite white chocolate rocky road, and I may even post this recipe.

Then pack!

5 + 1 = 6 kiddos...

cousin love!

Monday afternoon Summah and I packed the car in prep for a spontaneous trip out to the West Coast to visit my parents and my older sister and kiddos.

It wasn't really planned as I was to be packing the house up, we move in 2wks and there seems to be a lot to do..but not really, I'm a little bit of an organised freak.

So I took the opportunity to postpone some packing and just hit the coast for a nights relaxation with the family.  It was bliss, a pre-christmas break and catch-up with out all the hype and fuss was wonderful.

I did do some christmas baking which at Mum's I thought I wouldn't get time, but reading one of her latest magazines I was inspired and baked the morning a way.

It is a form of relaxation for me to bake and this time round I made some cranberry and pistachio biscotti...delicious!!! never attempted biscotto before and it turned out good.  My sister gave it the tick of approval anyhow and that counts.

(Now I'm all inspired and have the traditional christmas cake fruit soaking in some brandy overnight to bake tomorrow evening) just a side note.

Any how the last time Summah saw her 5 wonderful cousins she was a crawling lego destroyer, now she is a walking kind of talking little girl that want's to be apart of games. She adores her oldest cousin Jada and I caught her copying Jada few times over the period we were there.

exhibit A: learning the art of doll playing.

exhibit B: reading just like Jada

Then there this amazing jeep to drive around in,
Summah's wee legs are too short to reach the peddles yet.

Now we are back home and back to the reality of packing up our house to move...2wks tomorrow we will be in our new house.

Eeekk!! I best stop blogging and go pack and clean! lots to do.

best mates for life...

There are many moments through out my day that I stumble upon Austin 

(Aaa-ta, as Summah says it) and Summah playing together, they are best mates! 

She'll often wonder out the back door to where Austin is lying in the garden sleeping in the shade from the summer sun, or waiting for a bird to miraculously fall out of the sky into is mouth...never going to happen!

She'll waddle out to him, back herself up and plump her little bum next to him and start chatting away about what ever takes her fancy.  Then she'll all of a sudden see a leaf or a flower go pick it and bring it back, saying "ta, ta, ta...etc" waiting patiently for Austin to take it from her as a gift.  In the end she just places it on his furry back and walks off to find something else to share with him.

It is too cute and melts my heart to see her do this somedays, so fun to see her start playing games even if it is with a cat, she is still learning to create fun for herself. Not needing to be constantly entertained, and yes many would say she needs an 'actual playmate'...as I say good things take time ;).

So off they wander to another spot to play and explore, Austin is her best mate  and he is one patient cat.

DIY: typography art

Last week I was informed to get a small gift for a dear friend, something that resembled her and what she meant to me.

I needed this by today!! so of course leaving it to the last minute, 

but I had an idea in mind.

I went about typing up some words that I knew would mean something to my friend and words that resembled her strong Faith.

Hello...computer and a mixture of fonts and a few brilliant colours later I had the exact gift I had in mind completed ready to give.

Here is what I did:

type up the words and layout you want on the computer then cut around each
template leaving a bit of white so you can secure them in place on your picture frame
mounting board.
The words and font's you use is up to your artist mind,
so go for you life this is what I thought best suited my friend.

Finished product all framed up and ready to gift.
Something like this could be a simple, cheap and personal Christmas gift too.

I found this very easy to make the hardest bit was coming up with what to write, I love the end result and the colour I went with.

There is loads of Typography prints around so why not try making your own personal one I reckon.

Have a fun day.

baby steps...

Her first steps as a walker...

A few weeks back now Summah took her first official walk, then she got a really bad ear infection that effected her balance badly...so no walking for at least 5days.

Now though she is practically running about the house, although another ear infection has arisen, she is walking slightly drunk looking at the moment. 

So here is a wee video for the Aunties and cousins far away that haven't seen Summah walk yet.

cheesey bacon twists...

As a Mother you get sick of cooking very quickly and often feel uninspired to create amazing meals, as by the end of the day you are wearing thin.

For me I like to be organised and know what I'm cooking in advance then I don't feel frazzled and rushing around like a headless chook at dinner time with a whinging toddler nipping at my ankles.

Yes, there are definitely days where I am not organised and those days the meals are less than desirable at times.

Anyway today I was in the mood for cooking and felt I'd try something new. With the fact that Summah is at Daycare on Thursdays I went about making something she could take for lunch, and we could add to dinner as a side.

Here are my cheesey bacon twists...

Ingredients:
1/3 cup  diced bacon slightly cooked
1 cup grated mozzarella or normal cheese
handful of fresh oregano finely chopped
salt and pepper to season

simple ingredients and you can make up your own variations 

I cheat and make my bread dough in the bread maker,
once it is finished remove your dough and roll out into a long sausage on a lightly floured surface.
Then divide dough into 8 equal portions.

then roll each dough ball out till it is roughly 12x12cm square
then place your fillings on a diagonal on each square.
Also place the dough on baking paper on your tray this makes it easier to remove once cooked
and if you spray cooking spray on the tray then place the bread to cook on this it burns!!

before placing in oven to bake fold opposite corners together, pinch tightly
 and I brushed mine with some milk to give them a nice golden look.
Bake at 220C fan bake for 15-20mins
Mine only took 15mins to cook that was ample time.

                               

the finished product...delicious flavoured bread twists!!

they passed the toddler test too!!
Summah loved them so heres hoping she'll eat it tomorrow for Daycare lunch.

Also you can make these if you don't have a bread maker just use your favourite bread dough recipe and bake away.

For me I love my bread maker purely for making dough, i don't think it is economical to make actual loaves of toast bread with my bread maker they never turn out amazing but the dough does so I make myself specialty loaves instead.
Hope you are inspired to make something new for your kids lunch.

baby to toddler...

I've learnt recently the transition from baby to toddler can happen with the blink of an eye.

 One minute they are sitting, then crawling and we welcome these milestones with open arms, we encourage them to have independence to explore their world. 

Then within days of discovering their feet and balance they can be off, and you think were did my baby go? now so independent (within reason of course), so excited to walk and toddle around the place shaking their little bum as they go.

It's an adorable phase and Summah has reached the toddling stage, she loves it, since walking/discovering she could walk she has not stopped.

The poor sole got an ear infection a few days after learning to walk which put her balance off so she crawled, but once her health was restored I turned around to find a girl who would not crawl anymore.  

She literally walked around the house all day long, exploring new cupboards, hiding things in random places, she would walk along kicking a ball (for real), walk around in circles, just because she could.

Now I have a toddler not a baby girl, and every day she looks more and more like a little girl, who can wear pigtails, and shoes that fit her feet.

She has started to pretend play, I often find her creating and making her own fun. It can be sitting out on the garden path filling a bag with bark bits and chatting with the cat, then bringing it into me all excited. 

She is very expressive when talking to me and so excited and I love this enthusiasm for what she is trying to tell me. 

The word forming and sentences are yet to come but at this point in time I am enjoying having a bubbly toddling little girl to hang out with daily.