stretching the time

Since that little man of mine started kindy, I have noticed the days that he's gone coming around so quickly.  This week he starts two full days.  This morning he decided that we should do some baking today, *groan*, it was the last thing I felt like.  We've been building him a cubby house for his upcoming birthday so Monday seemed like the perfect 'rest' day after a busy weekend.  He put his apron on and proceeded to the pantry where he started pulling out choc bits, rolled oats, coconut and anything else he could reach.  It was then that I realised I had to treasure this time with him.  It didn't matter that we had another stinking hot day, I am so over summer in Oz this year.  All you northerners I look at your snow covered pics with such envy!!!

First up was the biscuits.

Choc Chip Biscuits

500g butter

1 1/4 cup caster sugar

tin condensed milk

1 packet each of dark choc bits, milk choc bits & white choc bits  

5 cups of SR flour

Cream butter, sugar, condensed milk until light and fluffy, add all choc bits and flour.

Roll into balls and place on trays, bake in moderate oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Makes about 70 depending on how big they are.

Can be frozen.

Next was some pumpkin scones to use up pumpkins!

Pumpkin Scones

40g butter

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup milk, approx

Preheat oven to hot (220C/200C fanforced).  Lightly grease trays.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually beat in egg.  Stir in pumpkin, then sifted dry ingredients and enough milk to make a soft sticky dough.  Turn dough onto floured surface, knead lightly until smooth.  Press dough out to about 2cm thickness; cut 5cm rounds from dough.  Place rounds, just touching, in prepared pans.  Brush tops with a little milk.  Bake for about 15 minutes.

I doubled this, when they were cooled, cut and buttered and popped into the freezer.  I put them frozen into lunchboxes so when the kids are ready to eat they're thawed and fresh.  It isn't the way I have been taught to make scones but they turned out just fine.

I'm telling you, baking on a hot day isn't fun, but that little boy makes it bearable.  He loves watching through the oven door just waiting, waiting till he can test his wares!

Have a fantastic day!

melt in your heart

Valentines Day is everyday as far as we're concerned.  Having said that, I still like to produce something a little bit special just to surprise him!

This year we (that's junior masterchef and I) found these yummy chocolate caramel brownie hearts that just looked too delish to resist.

And my oh my ...  they were absolutely divine.

I hope you all had a fabulous day.

Hold close what is dear to you, revel in all that it brings .... and something that we could all do to remember is that life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful!

Have a lovely day :)

nap time

First full day of kindy for my gorgeous little man today.  Already I am lost without him, I miss him so much!  Its far too quiet and if I'm not careful I'll be rushing up the hill to snatch him back.  

One of the items that he needed was either a pillow and rug or a 'sleeping mat' for rest time after lunch.  The teacher showed us what a clever mum from last year made for the kiddies.   How cool ..... I had a quick look and decided I would whip one up for him.

I chose bright stripes .... he won't get that mixed up with anyone elses!!  and of course red for his pillow - its his favourite colour.  Its about 45cm wide, wadding inside for a little bit of comfort and about 150cm long (I think).

The pillow tucks away neatly inside.

Roll it up and you're nearly done.

Secure with velcro tag and hey presto!!

Easily made in a day for under $20 .... but most importantly with lots of love .... boy was he excited!  

Have a fantastic day :)

starting three times

Ok, so this is the third time I have started blogging.  I'm such a chicken when it comes to really getting out there, but here goes.  

We don't actually have any sunflowers (although I did plant some for the first time last year) or haybales .... first confession done!

When we lived in suburbia, this was just a phrase we came up with that made us think of a 'lifestyle'.  I suppose it sounded kind of romantic.  Something I don't think we ever envisioned, but nevertheless hoped for.  But, here we are, on our small piece of land in Western Australia making lots of mistakes and bumbling along.   We are a family of six, eldest left home last year (sob), next one at university, one at high school and much to my absolute sadness, my little four year old surprise has just started kindergarten two days a week.  How I'm going to miss that little man!

I loooove to cook, really looove it!!  Sewing and knitting peek in there too, along with lots of bits and pieces.  Of course there's the vege garden, fruit trees and one thing you must know is how much I just love my chickens.  To me they are my 'chook children' and the 'real children' never stop laughing at me when it comes to them.  You'll have to bear with me as I navigate my way around this blogging stuff, feeling very inadequate right now, I just hope I'm not too boring!!!!