Gingerbread Christmas trees

This idea I found in last weeks Lucky Break magazine. Except they use white icing and those edible silver balls that I forget the name of. I had found an easy gingerbread cookie recipe online and then coloured the trees using red and green icing. The major problem I had was battling the heat as the dough was too crumbly (added more butter and then popped them in the fridge) and then the icing wouldn't set and my trees keep falling over...lol. But I'm please with the final result. I never used to taste my baking but after watching soooo many cooking shows I understand how important this step really is.

Bucannon's class and teachers really liked them.

Chocolate Chip cookies

Got this recipe of youtube and it is delish and easy peasy to make. Child no.2 helped out and then proceeded to guard them like they were his babies - PLEASE.

Ingredients:
100g melted butter
1 C Brown Sugar (semi packed)
1 Egg
150g of chocolate chips (I used 1C)
3/4 C Chopped walnuts (put them in a bag and smash them a bit)
1 C Flour
1 1/2C Rolled Oats
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Essence

Method:
Melt butter
Beat egg and then add Brown Sugar (while butter is melting)
Add butter and mix
Add dry ingredients (Flour,Baking Powder and Baking Soda) and mix
Add Walnuts mix, then add Vanilla Essence
Add Rolled Oats and mix, add Choc chips and mix

Drop spoonfuls onto a baking tray and allow enough room for them to spread
Bake at 180C for about 10-20mins depending on your oven

21st present

Child no.1 had been invited to a school friends 21st, we were just going to do the usual $30 gift voucher from Westfield but with money being super tight, I had an idea; maybe I should just make some thing for them instead. He said she liked bracelets - well..say no more. One girly bracelet coming up, suprisingly it only took a couple of hours to put together which is a record for me.

Ginger Crunch

This is the Edmonds Cookbook Ginger Crunch

The icing:
The recipe calls for 3TB of Ginger I used 2TB's

When making the icing Don't I repeat DON'T walk away for even a second, because it can burn very quickly which is what I discovered today. I had to add a bit more golden syrup, butter and icing sugar so it didn't look so dark in colour. Child no.2 said it had a bitter after taste but I didn't notice.

The recipe also says to pour the topping over the base while still hot - I wait for it to cool a bit before adding the topping

Coconut Slice

Wednesday is a good day for baking because it's my day off. I found this really easy peasy recipe online at the www.bestrecipes.com.au. But for those of you who can't be bothered doing a google search - KIDDING!!! here it is. Hubby came home, tasted a piece and then hid the rest away.

Ingredients:
125grams Butter
100grams Sugar (about half a cup)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups of Self-Raising Flour OR add one slightly heaped tsp of Baking Powder
Raspberry Jam ( I used plum because child no.2 only likes this flavour)

Topping:
1 C of Shredded Coconut (just what ever you have in the pantry)
1/2 C Sugar
1 Egg
Juice of one lemon

Method:
1. Melt butter in a bowl
2. Add sugar and stir well
3. Add egg then flour
4. Stir until mixture forms a ball of soft dough (if its too soft add a bit more flour)
5. Press into shallow tin OR improvise with what you have
6. Spread liberally with jam
7. Topping: using the same bowl mix all ingredients together and spread over base. The jam will be visible underneath
8. Bake for around 20mins OR until nicely browned

Coffee and cake

After dinner on Monday night I made myself a yummy perk coffee to have with a banana muffin I made earlier. And of course I enjoyed both while watching youtube

Peanut Butter Sandwiches Cookies/Yoyo's

Yes I've been at it again. I was baking for a friend on Saturday, one large banana cake for her and one std banana cake for Fathers Day, aaaaaaaaaand since I had made been making yoyo's the week before ,you guessed it - turn the oven....lol.

I found this recipe on the joyofbaking website and it's been sitting in my recipe book for sometime, like many others that are waiting for me to test. May have to start up my weekly challenge again..

Cousins

Orchids

I don't know how my mother does it but she can grow anything all year round, I truely admire her dark green fingers. As you I only have green finger tips and it will take alot more practise for me to get them as green as hers

Yoyo biscuits

These take me back.... I've had this recipe in "the book" for sometime now but like many things on my baking wish list they have taken a back seat to life in general.

Tonight the boys are out at Starjam and I'm home alone, I needed to make something for the boys morning or afternoon tea but didn't want to spend all night on them.

And now that Aiko isn't spending the day with Al tomorrow I'm gonna take the smallest one over for her lunch box tomorrow.

Team Aiko - Crew Member

These tags were sort after by many on the day. The wearer (we joked) would have unlimited access to the kitchen, broom closet and the toilets...lol.

Aiko's 1st Birthday cake

Never again...lol. I had this brilliant idea my sister and I would be Ace of Cakes for a day. A "supposedly" 45min job turned into a 2hour job - minimum. There were lot's of confused looks before during and after this process but we're pretty pleased with the results. AND no we are not going into the cake decorating business, we will leave that up to the experts but needless to say we'll try anything ONCE.....

If you wondering why a Turtle cake, it's because when she cries she looks just like a turtle.

Me myself and the family

Of late I've been sick off an on for the past 2 months. Like others I've been hit with a chest infection, my synuses have flared up twice and now a sore throat as well as having to dealing with coughing fits etc...blah blah blah. I feel like an old woman talking about my aliments to anyone who will listen...lol. I been to the doc's AGAIN for my fourth lot of antibiotics and I'm desperately hoping this will be the end of it.

My poor family haven't faired any better - hubby has had a chest infection, Child 1 has been sick and Child 2 has been in hospital with pnuemonia(?).

So...to all you out there that have been sick - my prayers are with you and I hope you feel better soon.

I won't say I'm looking forward to summer just yet as they bring on a whole another set of problems - hayfever, asthma and migraines.

Wordle

While in bed doing nothing but being sick, taking drugs and trying not to cough so hard my head will explode, while reading "That's Life" I found this cool thing to do and this will appeal to all those crafty types out there http://www.wordle.net/

I won't say too much but have a nosey it's cool I'm thinking of doing one for my boys and it will be a great tool for scrapbooking titles

Winter Baking

I've been baking Loaves of late, surprisingly enough I'd never made a loaf of any kind before - ever. So this was definately new territory for me.

The list so far: Banana Loaf, Banana Walnut Loaf, Spicy Apple Loaf and now Date and Walnut loaf. I don't have any pictures of the Spicy Apple loaf mainly because that got devoured very quickly.

Hubby is currently taste testing the Date and Walnut loaf which I did get a photo of...lol. He said his father(now deceased) would have loved it - can't get any better than that.

Banana Walnut Loaf

I had brought a bag of over ripe banana's to do some baking with but they just seem to sit on the bench for what seemed a very long time. I asked DH to peel them for me, which he did and then they seem to sit in the fridge for a very long time.

Last night I mashed them up with my electric mixing stick and put them back in the fridge, but this time I couldn't let them sit in the fridge for what would seem a very long time.

Sooooo tonight I made something I had never made before - Banana Walnut Loaf....talk about super moist and super yum.

If you want the recipe it's the Nz Woman Weekly one, super easy to follow, check out the link
http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/food/recipes/banana-loaf/story/3796815/

Mothers Day Pressie

I got my pressie early and I didn't wait for the boys to wrap it as I wanted to test it out. Don't worry I'm not using it on my hair I remain a die hard fan of curly hair and it's not going to change anytime soon. I had the hair brained (haw haw haw) idea that I could use it to iron out my ribbons and it works perfectly. I brought this one from Noel Lemmings Lincoln Road for $15.00, may pay you to ring them first as this was the second store I went to.

Baby Shower Cake

Every time my sister has to bake a cake for one of her inlaws I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time....lol. But I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.

Baking - Check

School baking (afgans) - check. Banana muffins for work - check. Banana cake topped with chocolate icing and filled with freshly whipped cream - check. I'm all set and it's not even 9.30

Now if your wondering why the icing is blue - it's because I had some left over from a baby shower cake I decorated yesterday

Candyland

No trip would be complete without stopping in at Candyland on the way home and because it was Anzac Day we knew nothing would be open until after 1pm, hence our walk around the Hamilton Gardens earlier that morning

As we got closer I was telling the boys they had X amount to spend and I was making sure I remembered to get my niece and sisters some yummy fudge.

But shock horror - it was closed...noooo!!!
I was too upset to get out of the car, so I told the boys to take photo's of the closed sign...

Hamilton Gardens

We had such a cool time wondering around and taking in all the different gardens that were on offer for free - yes I said it free, all they asked for was a donation to help with the upkeep/new planting etc of the gardens. It was worth more than the misely $10 I put into the donation box.

As most of you know I can't take my family anywhere and the photo's I post will all have you nodding your heads and saying aha...

Re - design

I made this cute little number from an pair of corderoy pants I picked up from a local mission shop, it cost me a 50c. The lining came from another pair of pants at the same shop for the same price. I use some of my scrapbook supplies to add a flower. Can you see that shadow on the left side - could be an iron mark ay? But thank goodness it's not visible in to the naked eye

Starjam Hamilton

Last weekend, we travelled to Hamilton to help launch their dance and music workshops that started this past week. What a blast - our kids brought the house down with their singing, dancing and a solo performance by Ben (such a cool kid)

Hamilton really did themselves proud and were the perfect hosts

baking take home pack

My niece Kavell and her daughter Haylen were up for the last week of the holidays and it goes without saying a "take home pack" is a must. I made her some coconut jam slice, it looks just like Louise slice.

It was the first time I had ever made it and it turned out pretty good, if I was to do it over again I'd probably cut back on the base as it was quite thick. I hope to make it again this week as it went down a real treat with Al - but then again anything I bake goes down a treat with Al...lol.

The recipe is from the lastest "recipe" magazine

Ps I also made some chocolate crunch for her to take home, but was really funny; after I left her to get on with her packing I'd forgotten to give her something - guess who had their mouth wide open ready to take a bite with a "busted" look on her face...hahahaha!! In her defence she did say she had to do a taste test first.

Hanging out the washing

Special Olympic's

Cannon cleaned up this year, he won his 100metre race, the softball throw and the long jump. Here are some photo's of him running down the track and as he got closer to the end of the race he yelled out "Later Suckers". I was totally embarrassed but it seemed to attact alot of laughter from those watching the race...and in the end all I could do was smile shake my head and deny he was my son...lol.