Little Chicken House

PJ's for Miss Mia

2011-04-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

So it seems all it takes for a creative burst to happen is have your husband go away for a few days and wha-la! The house is MINE after 7:30pm, child-free and without interruptions (sorry honey)! As the weather is starting to get a bit cooler the need for summer PJ's is slowly slipping away. Miss Mia has grown so much since last winter it was definitely time for some new winter PJ's.

I found this pretty fabric in Spotlight for $12.95/m and only used about 80cm to make these pants. Just a simple elastic waist with wide leg pants for more comfortable sleeping. A matching birdy on the top ($5 from Target) and they look like a designer pair of PJ's without the price tag.

Pretty butterflies

2011-02-27T20:11:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's been 2 and a half months since my last post! So much has gone on, a fair amount of craziness (and crazy "friends" - be gone!) has made life challenging but things are now looking a lot brighter.

After the silly season I've finally got back into sewing again. And it makes me SO happy! Nothing nicer than putting the kids to bed, pouring a glass of wine and sitting down for some creative time.

So.......

I made this gorgeous butterfly dress for my little girl, then immediately had to make one for my goddaughter too. These dresses are so simple and quick to make - 1hr and it's done. And because it's a very light cotton voile, it's perfect for hot Brisbane summers.

I moved straight on to a very cute cotton voile polka dot skirt that looks gorgeous with a white singlet and matching flower corsage.

And finally, instead of more clothes I've added some cute bags to my repertoire. These are a lightweight denim and are perfect for swimming lessons, day care or sleep overs. And completely machine washable for the inevitable disasters.

So there you have it, the last 2.5 months in a nutshell. Looking forward to more experimentation with recipes, sewing, cooking, playing with craft and.......

Little tree

2010-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

I have been obsessed with the Cocoon Couture tree for about a year now. Of course, my taste never matches my wallet so the $399 tree (I'm not kidding) has remained in the shop for a long time. As usual, I'll give anything a go so after much research I decided to make my own.

First stop to Bunnings to buy a sheet of plywood 1m x 1.5m in dimensions. This cost about $27. Then to Spotlight to buy some scrapbooking paper which was $9.95. Back to Bunnings for the clear lacquer spray at $6 then a quick trip to a dubious but optimistic (probably already had the ambulance ready to go) family member to borrow a jigsaw. All set!

So while my husband thought I'd bitten of more than I could chew, I set to work in the garage. Using a jigsaw is definitely harder than I thought, and noisier and messier, but 20 minutes later the cutting was done.

Then all I had to do was spray lacquer on the tree, cut out random leaf shapes, glue on some paper, cut around the edge and screw them to the tree. I then glued on some wooden knobs so my little girl can hang her hats on her tree. Done! And since I saved about $355, does that mean I can go shopping now?

Happy Birthday Guinea!

2010-11-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

One of my old childhood friends, Peta, recently turned 30. We have known each other since about 10 years of age when we lived a few houses apart. We played together after school and on weekends, made up songs on her Mum's piano, did astounding acrobatics on her trampoline (with no safety net!), excluded her younger brother and sister from our grown up games, rode our bikes everywhere and enjoyed a carefree childhood together.

Peta and her family also had a healthy (read = frequently multiplying) number of guinea pigs. Guinea pigs make the cutest little sound as they scurry about eating and multiplying.

Now, Peta had quite the infectious giggle and I often compared her giggle to a guinea pig sound - the evidence was right there in front of us! From that day she was unceremoniously referred to (by me only) as "guinea".

Guinea turned 30 a couple of weeks ago and had a big pool party. I was so sorry to be unable to attend the party but instead offered to make her a cake.

So here it is.

And I couldn't resist!

How does your garden grow?

2010-11-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

The garden has been such a work in progress. We basically dug it all up and started from scratch again. My advice is this - never, EVER, plant palm trees. We removed about 15 palm trees from our yard and the result was a root system like I've never seen before. A bobcat was called in, a dump truck took away 8 cubic metres of tree roots and then delivered 8 cubic metres of fresh soil to start again.

So you can imagine my delight when finally - FINALLY - the garden has started to show signs of being happy again. My favourite flower is the gardenia, both for the appearance and the smell. Heavenly.

Before digging up the garden we managed to preserve a HUGE cycad. We kept it not only because it looks great in the garden but because, to replace, it would cost around $300! The poor cycad was extracted by a excavator and pushed to the side of the yard where it sat above the earth, clinging to life, with an old sheet wrapped around the root system for about 8 months. When our new garden bed was ready the cycad was dragged into place by a rope and a ute and planted.
A month ago I was despairing whether the bloody thing would ever be happy and grow; it was looking a little sick.

So when I saw THIS -

Happy days.

And as I surveyed the yard for more rubbish to take to the dump, my eyes fell upon the old bucket filled with dirt and weeds. It definitely had to go.

Until I saw this.

Oh, alright, it can stay for a bit longer.

Spotty dotty

2010-11-05T14:47:00.001-07:00

I bought a piece of this fabric at the Craft Show for $8. It measured 100cm x 30cm and was the perfect size to make a skirt for Mia.

It's called "Snorkel" by Cosmo Cricket for Andover fabrics. Love it.

Dolly, dolly, which one shall I make?

2010-11-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I recently visited the Craft Show at the Convention Centre. Whilst it was more geared for quilters I found one little gem of fabric from my favourite stallholder, Peppermint Stitches. I'm grateful their actual shop is about 30 minutes from home so I don't get there very often - it's too easy OD on fabric.

This is called Rag Doll Panel by Patty Young. It was about $13 for the three dolls so it would make a very economical present for a little girl's birthday. The dolls are about 40cm tall so they're a reasonable size to work with.

I thought it would be quick and easy to make. I was right about the easy but not the quick. It was just fiddly and placing the stuffing into the limbs so that they weren't too stiff but not too floppy (hmmmm, that sounds rude!) was quite challenging.

But the one doll I made turned out nicely and a gorgeous little girl I know is getting her for her second birthday. I also made a removable skirt and necklace. The ballet shoes are sewn on.

I hope she likes it.

One for the boy

2010-11-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Poor Tom doesn't get many hand made things for him - sewing for boys is a bit more limited (and , let's be honest, not nearly as much fun) so he tends to miss out in the craft side of things.

But!

Yesterday I found this great fabric I KNEW he would love. A bargain at only $9 a metre too. He is obsessed with all things transport, especially anything that tows something else. So I made him a pillow case that will result in dreams of cars and caravans, and more cars and more caravans.....

Home made museli

2010-11-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the lovely Emma I decided (read= was hounded till I made it) to make some toasted museli. This is the stuff that deli's will charge an absolute fortune for. Throw in the word "organic" and you've got museli worth more than the price of gold.

However.....

It's so simple and doesn't take much time to do it. It also only has a tiny bit of sugar and fat but heaps of taste! Just get yourself a large plastic pourer from the supermarket and it's stored in the pantry ready for breakfast.

Toasted Museli

1kg rolled oats

200g bag slivered almonds

1 cup dessicated coconut

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 tbls vegetable oil

Dried fruit to add at the end can be anything you like. I included chopped apricots and dates.

Combine all dry ingredients well then add the liquid. Stir until combined and coated really well.

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius. Take a couple of flat baking trays and line with baking paper. Pour a 1cm thick layer of mixture on the baking paper and put in oven for about 20-25 mins. Take the tray out after about 15 mins and toss mixture so it cooks evenly. Return to oven till it's a light golden brown.

Wait until it's completely cooled before adding dry fruit and storing in an airtight container. Yum!

Raspberry and white chocolate muffins

2010-10-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, I'm such a sucker for a yummy muffin and this one definitely fits the bill.

Raspberry and white chocolate muffins

Makes 10

100g white chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 1/4 cups self raising flour

1 1/4 cups frozen raspberries

1 egg, lightly whisked

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

220ml buttermilk

*Optional - add 1/2 cup chopped macadamias

Preheat oven to 180 celcius.

Combine the white chocolate, sugar, flour and macadamias in a large bowl. Add the raspberries. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the egg, oil and buttermilk in a separate bowl and pour into the first mixture. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon evenly among the muffin cases or tin. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and cooked through.

Serve them warm with a sprinkle of icing sugar. So yummy!

Delicious lime pickle!

2010-10-02T04:27:00.001-07:00

Recently, my Mum set sail for a month long cruise and I was tasked with the responsibility of keeping her plants alive - a rather risky task given I struggle to keep my own alive. One day I happened to notice many limes on her tree and decided to take them off and give them a better life. Faced with over a dozen limes I set forth to find a recipe to do them justice. Here is the result.

Tangy, tart, sweet, sour and overall, very very moreish. Great on a ham sandwich but particularly nice with a strong vintage cheddar and a cracker.

Lime Pickle

Makes about 5 cups

8 limes, cut into eighths

2 tbls sea salt

400g seedless raisins

2tbs grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, crushed

300ml white wine vinegar

500g (2 1/2 cups) firmly packed brown sugar

Place the cut limes in a bowl or jar and sprinkle with salt, covering well. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for 48 hours, stirring occasionally. Keep any lime juice that forms during this process.

Take the limes and place into the bowl of a food processor. You may need to do this in batches. Add the raisins and blend.

Place the lime and raisin mixture into a large saucepan and stir in the reserved lime liquid with the ginger, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Bring it all to the boil, reduce head and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2-3 hours, or until the mixture is a med-dark brown and thickened.

Pour into preserving jars while still hot and seal. The heat of the mixture will draw the lid down.

Will keep unopened in a cool cupboard for 6 months. Once opened it needs to be kept in the fridge.

Roast duck with cherry sauce

2010-08-17T20:08:00.001-07:00

Confession: This is the first time I've ever cooked duck. I've certainly eaten plenty of it in restaurants - it's usually what I order because I never cook it. But......I came across this recipe and decided to give the old quack quack a go.

The sauce is an absolute cracker and wouldn't be out of place on the Christmas table.

Really delicious!

Roast duck with cherry sauce

Serves 2

2 duck breasts, skin on

Sea salt

Olive oil to grease pan

Side dish of cous cous

3/4 cup dry cous cous

1/4 bunch of flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup pistachios

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons butter

Sauce

1 whole orange zested and juiced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup port

1/4 cup water

Approx 20 fresh cherries, pips removed (slice around the pip if you don't have a pip remover as they don't need to be whole)

Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan on high heat. Bring to the boil for 1 minute then simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat, until cherries are soft. Set aside for 30 minutes and allow sauce to thicken.

Served with Cous cous and pistachios, parsley and lemon

Take 3/4 cup of dry cous cous in a bowl and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Cover for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop 1/4 bunch of flat leaf parsley and 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios. Take the remaining half a lemon and squeeze juice into the cous cous. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir all ingredients together. Cover and set aside until duck is ready.

The duck

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Taking a sharp knife score the duck fat on the breast 1cm apart. Take some sea salt and lightly

rub into the fat. Place duck skin side down in a HOT pan for 4-5 minutes until well browned. Turn over and cook for 1 minute then place on a rack or tray into the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. The skin should be crispy, the duck meat cooked medium.

Now reheat sauce on a low heat until warm. Reheat cous cous in the microwave if necessary.

Put cous cous on a plate and place the duck breast on top, either sliced or whole. Pour sauce over the duck and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Massaman curry - slow cooked

2010-08-01T19:17:00.001-07:00

While I love nearly all curries, Massaman curry holds a particularly special place in my heart (or should that be stomach?). Some years back I did a cooking class at Spirit House on the Sunshine Coast. If you ever get the chance to do one I'd highly recommend it.

So yesterday, being Sunday whereby I had help with the kids, I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen making a curry from scratch. That is, nothing came from a jar and my mortar and pestle made an appearance after too much time in the cupboard. The result was a beautifully fragrant and delicious curry, tasting absolutely NOTHING like what you buy in a jar!

Massaman Curry

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes (hot)
2 cardamom pods *
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 stalks lemon grass - bottom white half only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled, chopped ginger
1/4 cup chopped garlic (that's nearly a whole bulb)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1.2kg diced beef (large pieces)
4 large potatos, cut into 1 inch square pieces
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
4 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 brown onion, cut in half and layers peeled apart.
1 litre coconut milk

Using a non stick pan take the cardamom, cumin, coriander, cloves and pepper and lightly toast over a high heat for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or blender and pound/process till a paste consistency. Add in the seeds and pound/process until combined.

Pour a little olive oil in a non stick pan and brown meat lightly all over. Set aside.

Add more oil and put all the paste in the pan, stirring for about 3-5 minutes until lightly brown. Add all the coconut milk together with the fish sauce and brown sugar and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute then turn heat off.

I used a large slow cooker for this curry but you could use an oven proof dish too (covered, in the oven for about 4hrs on a low heat = 140C). Put the meat, potatos, onion and peanuts in the slow cooker. Pour the liquid over and leave it simmer for 6hrs or until meat is falling apart. All ingredients in the cooker should be just covered with the liquid. If not quite covered, add a little fish stock until covered.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a sprinkling of crushed peanuts on top.

*Cardamom pods should be cracked open and seeds removed before toasting. Pods are discarded.

Carrie Bradshaw has nothing to worry about.

2010-07-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

Things that make me happy - necklaces, bracelets, earrings, hair things, etc. Things that make me unhappy - mess, clutter and dust.

The solution? A trip to Bunnings.
A length of pine timber, $2.50. A can of black spray paint, $6.00. A packet of 3 long hooks (x6 packets), $1.80.

A spray of paint, some holes drilled, screws in, ribbon tied on, 3 x 3M hooks on the wall and........

WA-LA!!! Organised stuff and a happy girl - me.

A new wall hanging for my girl

2010-07-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've used this fabric a few times already but I love it so much it seems to keep popping up on my desk. Here I've simply covered a cheap canvas frame with fabric and secured it using a staple gun. Two ribbons were then added to peg pictures on and it's done.

Best of all it only took about 10 minutes to create and my girl now has somewhere to display her artwork.

(Hopefully) a quiet spot to read

2010-07-18T21:18:00.001-07:00

Last week I saw a super special at Super A-Mart. A nest of three coffee tables for the bargain price of $49.95. Sure, I had to assemble them myself but I got to use a drill so that was pretty exciting!

Anyway, one table is in our bedroom as something to throw clothes on, one is our new coffee table in the computer room and one is now in the kids playroom to be used as a book nook or a seat to watch TV on.

This one is the largest measuring 120cm long and 50cm high. So I decided to make a large cushion for the table-now-a-seat. It's a great purple and white striped fabric (that was sitting in a drawer) with large white buttons. It's tied on with sturdy velcro and purple ribbons. So far the kids are using it - let's see how long that lasts.....

Spicy bacon and tomato soup

2010-07-07T00:57:00.001-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time since my last post. I've discovered Steig Larsson books and am hooked! So instead of sewing or trying new recipes I've been reading. Anyway, here's a new recipe for you.

Spicy bacon and tomato soup

1 leek, finely sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely diced
1 long red chilli, finely diced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 large ham hock
1 1/2 cups soup pasta
750ml passata (tomato puree)
4 cups beef or chicken stock

Choose a large heavy based pot with a lid.
Add a dash of olive oil and fry the leek, carrot, chilli, garlic and ginger until lightly brown. Add the dry pasta, passata and stock until simmering. Add the ham hock and slow cook on a very low heat for 2-3 hours, or until the ham hock is falling apart.
When ready to serve, break up the ham hock as much as possible and stir through the pieces of meat.
Serve with crusty bread.

A little French inspired whimsy

2010-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've had this fabric for about 6 months now - it's one of those fabrics I fell in love with but had no idea what I was going to do with it. Well, now I have.

I adore the carousel, french street lights and shop fronts together with the lace filigree on the bottom and it ties in surprisingly well with denim. This one is for Mia and is a size two, designed to sit just above/on the knee. Add a simple white T and this is one cute outfit.

Girly in blue?

2010-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Whilst I've had many friends and family ask when I'm going to start selling clothes online or at markets I seem to be content (for the moment) just making one off pieces for special people in my life. Of course, Mia and Tom are at the top of the list but I've had quite a few orders lately and they've taken a backseat.

I was recently asked to make a couple of winter dresses for my beautiful god daughter in Melbourne and here is one of them.

I've said many times before that girls CAN wear colours other than pink (and still look like girls) and I love making that happen as often as possible. I think this dress is a perfect example.

Taking on projects I shouldn't.......

2010-03-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, Tom's kindy heard I can sew and asked me to make some new fabric pigeon holes for the kids. They offered to pay me (yay) and let me choose fabric and the design. So off I went only to find out it was NOT as easy as I thought. It wasn't technically difficult, just very very fiddly and there was a lot of measuring to make sure all pockets were evenly spaced, both width and lengthwise and making sure it was strong enough to deal with destructive kids. Anyway.......after a bit of procrastination (read=me cursing WHY I had agreed to take on this project) I got stuck in to it. It took about 6-7hrs from start to finish as it measures 1.5m x 1.2m and if I ever have to do another one I'll be factoring this time in to my quote!

Still, it's a lesson. I now realise that it's clothes I like making the most as I love seeing little people wearing my creations. Although I suppose there's some satisfaction to be had from seeing the wall hanging each time I go to kindy and knowing I made it.

More creativity with t-shirts

2010-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

After a long break from the blog I'm back! Don't ever get sick for two weeks straight - it's too hard to catch up. I've now got projects literally lined up in my sewing room as friends approach me with ideas of things for me to make. So there will be more pics coming soon. Here's the latest shirt made for a friend's 3yo (love the balloons and so did she!) and a simple shirt for Mia.

The labels have arrived!

2010-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

It was a very exciting day when my clothing labels finally arrived! I'd spent a lot of time thinking about the design, colour, size etc only to find that most manufacturers want you to order a minimum of 5000 at a time! Then I thought of Ebay and found a seemingly reputable manufacturer in Hong Kong who only required a minimum of 200 labels. Sold!

Here is the end result.

Soon to be seen on my clothing, soft toys and assorted creations.

Cherry and coconut loaf

2010-02-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

My dear friend visited today and I desperately wanted to make something new and different for morning tea. It isn't the healthiest option (by far) but it's so delicious!

Cherry and coconut loaf

1 egg
220ml milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
50g butter, melted
1/2 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup desiccated or shredded coconut
1/2 cups self raising flour
200g red glace cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease a 12cm x 22cm loaf tin with butter and a dusting of flour.

Combine egg, milk, vanilla and melted butter in a jug. Stir well and set aside.

Combine sugar, coconut and flour in a bowl and stir. Make a well in the middle and pour in wet mixture. When well combined add the chopped cherries and stir again.
Spoon into prepared pan and make sure the top is smooth and level.

Cook in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.
Leave for 20 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Sweetest top ever!

2010-01-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am SO in love with this fabric, especially because it's not all pink but still looks very girly.

It is from Alexander Henry's apples and pears range and has a designer price to match! But it's worth it when you see what gorgeous things can be made with it.

This is top that can be worn with or without straps and the flower brooch is also detachable. It is a very simple style (and took very little time to make) but when put together it is just so pretty. This one isn't going anywhere and Mia will be showing it off very soon! Thankfully we have many more hot days yet to come in Brisbane.....

Beware the pirates!

2010-01-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

I made a pair of shorts for Tom in this fabric a few months ago but decided it would be perfect for his 3 1/2 year old friend, Lucas, in Melbourne (Eamon's brother - see previous post).

However, this time I made the shorts with an elasticised back and a drawstring front. I really love the addition of the rope tie - think it all fits nicely together.

Hope you like them, Lucas!

Groovy guitars

2010-01-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this fabric on Ebay quite by chance. As soon as I saw it I thought it would make a great pair of shorts for a boy. This discovery coincided with a friend in Melbourne asking for something "a bit different" for her 15 month old son, Eamon. So these shorts are off to Eamon and I'll be making a matching t-shirt with some cut out guitars appliqued on it also.

Fabric is Michael Miller's "groovy guitars".

Dress ups

2010-01-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to make some clothes for Tom's kindy. And better still, they were going to pay me (not a huge sum but you have to start somewhere!).

So I've made two wizard capes, two fairy skirts and two aprons so far. I'm now working on a doctor and nurse outfit. They have all taken next to no time to make but I think (read=hope) the kids will like them.

How do you like your pineapple?

2010-01-03T19:53:00.001-08:00

I like mine like this!

We recently had an exquisite evening at Gianni restaurant in Brisbane. It was a special event that teamed Javier Codina from Gianni with Philip Johnson from E'cco Bistro to plan an extravagant menu for the PwC function for non-Executive Directors. Anyway.......

We loved the dessert Philip created SO much! As a special treat each guest took home a signed copy of his fabulous book, "Decadence - desserts by Philip Johnson".

A couple of weeks later it was Steve's birthday so I decided to try and recreate the dessert for him. Now, given I don't have an industrial ice cream machine (I'm not kidding, it actually says that in the recipe!) I have adapted the recipe slightly. Don't be fooled though, it still took all day to make, doing bits here and there, but the result was well worth it.

Coconut sorbet with pineapple and lime salsa and a sesame wafer

Serves 4

For the coconut wedge - make day before or 8 hrs before needed

60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar

250ml coconut milk

juice of two limes

1.5 gelatine leaves (or 3g gelatine powder)

grated zest of one lime

Put all ingredients apart from the gelatine into a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Take off the boil. Soften the gelatine in a separate bowl (with a small amount of water) and when soft add to the mixture. Stir thoroughly until combined with no lumps.

Pour into a shallow baking dish or small square mould. The height of mixture should be about 2cm so use a smaller mould if necessary to get the required height. Put in fridge for approx 8 hrs or overnight.

Pineapple and lime salsa

1 pineapple, peeled, core removed and finely diced (no bigger than 2cm)

Juice of 1 lime

grated zest of 1/2 lime

1 kaffir lime leaf, very finely sliced

1 teaspoon very finely diced red chilli

1 few mint leaves, finely sliced

Combine all ingredients, stir well and set aside in the fridge

Sesame wafers

80g caster sugar

zest 1 orange

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

40g (1/4) plain flour

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

40g (1/4 cup) sesame seeds

40g unsalted butter, melted

In a bowl combine the sugar, orange juice and orange zest and stir well until sugar starts to dissolve. In another bowl combine rest of the ingredients starting with sifted flour and ginger then add the melted butter and orange mixture. Stir well. Now place in fridge for 1 hr until it goes hard.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Place a layer of baking paper on a tray. Take approx 1 teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball on the tray so it forms a circle. Make 1-2 wafers per person (in case some don't turn out!).

Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. If baking paper sticks simply brush a little water on the underside and it will peel off.

Assemble the dessert by spooning pineapple salsa onto a place, topped by the coconut wedge, then a sesame wafer and finally a scoop of coconut sorbet or ice cream (good delis will stock this).

Top with some fresh shaved coconut.

Such an effort but it will be the most delicious dessert you taste this year! And yes, I mean 2010.

Loving this fabric!

2009-12-13T02:35:00.000-08:00

I picked up this gorgeous new fabric during the week and just couldn't wait to use it! At first glance it's 70's inspired loud and proud but it's actually really cute with little birds on it.

So it became another dress in Mia's wardrobe. I know the day will come where she'll have quite the opinion on what is cool and what is NOT but until then.......

Merry Christmas and now I need a lie down!

2009-12-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

I recently took on the massive task (willingly) of making a mini Christmas cake for all Steve's work colleagues as a way to say thank you for a challenging year. It took longer than expected over a few very hot days and I was up late a couple of nights - but - it was worth it. Very satisfying to achieve and I hope the cakes will be enjoyed!

Here's the recipe for a full size cake. Can make the same mixture and divide into muffin cases or mini loaf tins. Muffins will cook for about 20 mins and mini loaf tins about 25 mins at 170 degrees.

Christmas cake

Best made up to 1 week in advance and will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks

It is ideal to soak the dried fruit and cherries in brandy overnight (at least) in an airtight container. I soak mine for about a month and it makes a difference!

750g dried mixed fruit

150g mixed peel

150g glace cherries

150ml brandy - for soaking

250g softened butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

5 eggs

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

150g slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celcius. Line the base and sides of a 22cm square cake tin with 3 layers of baking paper. As the cake cooks for a long time you need the 3 layers to ensure the cake doesn't get too brown around the sides and bottom.

Beat the brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in between. Add honey and lemon zest and beat in.

Carefully add 1 cup flour, all the spices and 1/2 of the soaked fruit mix. Mix well. Add the other cup of flour and the reminder of the fruit mix. Add the almonds and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 90 mins then cover the cake with a layer of baking paper to prevent the surface from over browning. Cook for a further 60 minutes and check with a skewer to ensure it's all cooked through.

Allow cake to cool completely before pricking cake with skewer all over the top and brushing an extra 3 teaspoons of brandy on the cake. Wrap cake in cling wrap and leave for 48 hrs before serving. Can ice with Royal icing or dust with icing sugar prior to serving.

The kitchen bench got quite a work out during the process (spot the empty wine glass). Overall I went through 3 kilos of dried fruit, 1kg of butter, 1/2 bottle of Chatelle brandy, 18 eggs, 1kg flour and 1kg of royal icing.

Oh, and not forgetting 10 metres of cellophane, 18 metres of ribbon, 48 Christmas baubles and 48 gift tags!

The end result!

Getting back to nature

2009-12-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

How sweet are the birds that tweet! And not that kind of tweeting (honestly, what's going to be the next big thing? So over Twitter!) Anyway......

Spent a couple of hours at Spotlight during the week and finally found some patterns that are cute and very versatile. I love the birds on this dress, really changes it from a little denim dress to something special. The fabric came from Peppermint Stitches at Toowong - all the best stuff comes from there, and they'll happily take your $$ too as it's not cheap!

The buttons are faux closing and there's press studs underneath for easy changing. The contrast lining sets it off nicely.

Will be making the same dress in a 70's inspired loud paisley next for Mia.

Summer is in the air

2009-12-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

When I look at this top it just makes me want to go to the beach and smell the salt air. Maybe it's the rope (rather than ribbon) but it has a distinctly nautical feel about it. Literally took about 1 hr all up to make and I love that it looks girly but isn't pink!

On the down side, as my little cherub is such a grub, I'm guessing it won't stay light coloured very long.....

Let's hear it for the boys!!!!

2009-11-22T03:54:00.001-08:00

This is the long awaited first outfit for the gorgeous little boys in my life (and yours). These are intended to be worn as pyjamas but can also be worn out and about.

I love the fabric which was bought from Peppermint Stitches at Toowong (great shop). It was also the fabric I used to make the bloody giraffe but this outfit only took about 1 hr compared with 6hrs for the giraffe!

This one is heading to Melbourne for Ben's first birthday - Happy Birthday Ben!

It's hot enough for ice-cream!

2009-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've got this applique thing down pat! Look out, no fabric is safe. I'm loving this ice-cream cone creation - so sweet and pretty. Thankfully I've got heaps of the two fabrics and beads used to create it so I can make plenty more. Might experiment with a chocolate ice-cream next.

Apple pancakes with spiced lemon butter

2009-11-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

I made these pancakes for breakfast with friends recently and they got polished off pretty quickly! So light and fluffy and best eaten warm and with maple syrup.

Apple pancakes
1 cup self raising flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (helps to make lighter and fluffier)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1 green apple, peeled
A few teaspoons of butter for cooking

Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon sugar then make a well and add the buttermilk and beaten egg. Whisk until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.

Peel the skin from the apple and discard. Now peel the flesh in short and small strokes so you have lots of tiny slivers of apple. Set aside.

Heat a non stick pan until it sizzles when butter is dropped in. Add large tablespoons of batter until you get the right size. Now quickly add a few slices of apple on to the raw batter. When lots of bubbles appear, flip the pancake and the apple will cook and warm through.

Spiced lemon butter
100g spreadable butter or softened hard butter
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 teaspoons of all spice

Stir until all combined. This can be used to spread on pancakes, or even in the pan when cooking.

Babushka dolls are back! And so am I...

2009-11-19T15:51:00.001-08:00

Well, what a bugger it is when your sewing machine breaks! Admittedly, it has been getting quite a work out considering it's not even on minimum wage. But after a service and repair it's back up and running.

Oh, how I love this fabric. I found this at a little stall at the Stitches and Craft Expo earlier this year. The problem is, I don't remember the name of the seller or how I'm going to find more of it! So you could say, for the time being, this is a limited edition run.

A lucky little 1 year old (and gorgeous god daughter) is getting the green one as part of her present and Mia is snapping up the red one, soon to be worn with her new denim shorts from Cotton On Kids (how good is that shop!). I've got about 5 other cut outs so will be using them wisely.

Sassy satin and diva denim

2009-10-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, can hardly believe it's been so long since my last post. Thank you Emma, my ever faithful follower (bribed by friendship), for reminding me to get my shit together and post something new! Have got back into the habit of sewing now after a few weeks off (sick) and I feel ready for more creativity to flow.

So, I've been working on some cute denim shorts for Mia. Though I'm not really a fan of the all-American look, I DO like denim with red and white, as shown in previous posts. The addition of silver glitter stars compliments the look. These are a little big for her (size 2) but were modelled by Tom for the picture. The waistline nearly cut him in two but he survived. Just.

I've also been experimenting with satin which is a fair bit trickier to sew, thanks to the slippery material and need for finer needles and thread. But I think the end result is very pretty and great for a summer party dress - or even over jeans with a long sleeved top underneath in winter. It's the first time I've added pin tucks to the front and whilst time consuming it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I had to bribe Tom with a lolly to get him to pose in the dress and STAY STILL! Not a good idea as I wanted to take the pics around 7:30pm when he should have been going to bed. Yes, he had sugar straight before bed....gee, that was stupid. An hour later he's still playing in his room....

New mid week recipe - just try it!

2009-09-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

Chicken with spinach, proscuitto, potatos, macadamias and a garlic cream sauce

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts

2 tbls olive oil

5 slices proscuitto (about 75g)

1/3 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 bag washed baby spinach leaves

2 small potatos

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup cream

Toast macadamias in a dry pan until golden brown.

Dice potatos to 2cm cubes and soften for 3 min in microwave. Set aside

Heat olive oil in a heavy base pan and pan fry chicken. Ensure cooked through and set aside and cover.

Using same pan add potatos and proscuitto and stir through until lightly browned. Add macadamias and spinach and stir for 1 min, until spinach slightly wilted.

Now get a small fry pan or sauce pan and saute garlic in a small amount of olive oil. When brown add cream and heat through till it's simmering.

Arrange potatos, proscuitto, spinach and macadamias on a plate. Slice chicken in to 4 or 5 pieces and fan over. Pour half of the cream over one piece of chicken, then the other.

Yummy!

My creative space

2009-08-21T00:41:00.001-07:00

A few people have asked where I do all my sewing (meaning, in a house over run with kids' stuff) - so here it is.

I've managed to take over a small part of the rumpus/play room and so far all has remained untouched by the kids. Probably way too boring for Tom and Mia hasn't learned how to cause much trouble yet......yet.

I've also got my Ipod and a TV in the room so at night when the kids are asleep I can zone out and enjoy my alone time, while trying to spend a little time with Steve too!

It IS getting warmer.......

2009-08-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

So I made this cute skirt. It matches a white t-shirt with a flower brooch on it. I added the white ric-rac to break up the design a little. It's a beautiful soft Japanese cotton and also comes in blue and purple hues.

Is there a Harry Potter in the house?

2009-08-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Thomas is starting to get into dress ups. I'm following my very clever friend's idea (Emma, my loyal blog follower - and probably the only person actually....) and keeping "suitable" dress up clothes and shoes that would have otherwise made their way to Vinnies.

This fabric came from the remnant bin at Spotlight and cost a grand total of $2. AND, there was enough fabric to make two! (Keep an eye out in the post, Emma.)

Thomas loves it and Mia thinks it's pretty good to hide under, for now anyway.

Mia's 1st birthday present

2009-08-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mia turned 1 recently and we got her a new ride-on bike. Thomas has one exactly the same, except of course it's not pink, AND it has a fireman's ladder and bell on it. It's red and he rides it many times a day through the house. These are most definitely inside toys.

Now we just need to wait for Mia to grow about 2 inches taller and she'll be able to put her feet on the ground!

How do you wear your tu-tu?

2009-07-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

If you're Thomas, you run and jump and wrestle it off your sister before putting on a show for the camera.

If you're Mia, you wear it beautifully and like a proper girl.

This took about 1/2 hr to make. No pattern just worked out how long it needed to be and did a guestimate on how many gathers it would need based on Mia's waist measurement. It is beautiful soft tulle (not nylon netting) so hopefully it will be comfortable for dress up time.

Pink and green and nothing in between.....

2009-07-25T19:44:00.001-07:00

Oh, how I love this colour combination! So fresh and summery - what a shame we are still in the middle of winter. Great fabric from Lincraft (on sale, absolute bargain) paired with a white Target t-shirt. I am yet to find good quality wholesale (bulk) t-shirts, unlike Target shirts which wash well and last a long time.
If you'd like one for your little girl, I can do the shirts in size 1 and 2 (for now) and bloomers in 00, 0, 1 and 2. Tops are $15 and bloomers are $25.

The latest bloomers and top set

2009-07-20T16:31:00.001-07:00

A very cute someone is getting this as a birthday present (no, it's not Mia) so hopefully her mother won't read this before her party!
I think the bloomers are the best yet and they're getting easier and faster to make. Red works so well with denim and the addition of grosgrain ribbon really adds to the look.

Gorgeous George!

2009-07-12T02:06:00.001-07:00

Well, take a look at the definion of "a labour of love". Had I known how long this bloody giraffe would take to make I would have had second thoughts (then left the pattern in the shop and saved myself $14!). I had plans of making them as presents for friends who had new babies (and there are many imminent arrivals) but unless Jesus himself is born again, I think I'll shelve this idea. From cutting out the pattern to the final finishing touch it took around 6-7 hours. Not like the little frilly bloomers that can be whipped up in about an hour....... It wasn't difficult, it was just fiddly.

But then I feel bad for complaining because he's just soooooo cute and full of character! And I love this fabric too.

N.B - Friends, don't be put off. If you REALLY want one, let me know. But you may need to bribe me with alcohol to get through it.

And now one for the boy!

2009-07-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

Finally! I've been meaning to make Thomas something for quite a while but girly things kept getting in the way. Anyway, here 'tis. Some board shorts in a pirate/treasure map fabric. He's quite pleased and keeps saying that Mummy made them. That I did.

The colour purple

2009-06-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

Whilst my clothing so far has steered away from pink and purple (because that's all shops seem to want to dress girls in!), I couldn't resist this lucious velvety purple fabric. I've teamed it with a purple and white stripe to trim the bottom of the dress and sleeves.

And this one fits Mia! Who would have thought measuring before making was worthwhile...

A custom design and a dress too small!

2009-06-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine already had a beautiful chocolate brown skirt with satin detailing on it and wanted something to tie it in with a brown top. It's for her little girl, Emma. So I made this little brooch which can be taken off when the top is washed. Hope she likes it!

Well, here's the definition of frustration - making a cute little summer dress for Mia and, despite the size being for 12-18 months, it's too small! Looks like someone will be getting this one as a freebie.......

Two orders filled!

2009-06-26T17:51:00.001-07:00

I'm just a bit excited now that I've had two official orders and I've managed to fill them!

Here's one I made for my beautiful goddaughter, Emma, who is 7 months old. This will fit her in a few months time. The flower brooch is on a pin-back so can be removed for washing and when the top is worn reversed.

And here's one I made for Mia. It also has a matching hairclip.

Mia was happy to pose for the camera - but note the wooden train. She is obsessed with it and for about three days has only wanted to play with the train, nothing else.

I'm still working on my logo and getting labels made to sew on the clothes. I'm deciding whether to sell on the hugely popular Etsy which is largely US based (and therefore sells in $US) or http://www.madeit.com.au/ which is all things handmade in Australia but isn't as well known......... decisions decisions.......

My new pinafore top

2009-06-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest creation - a gorgeous chocolate corduroy pinafore. It's got red spotty lining and actually can be worn both ways, although I intend this one to be worn with the ruffle on the front. It took about 2 hours and two glasses of red wine, which passed the time nicely.

In winter it's best worn with a white long sleeved top and leggings, or even over jeans.

Can't wait till Mia is big enough to fit in to it!

I've also learnt to make fabric flowers. These attach to a hairband and can obviously be worn in the hair or looped around a singlet strap and worn as a brooch.

12 hour roast pork

2009-05-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Don't be put off by the title, this truly is the best roast pork you will ever taste. I made this a week ago during a cold Melbourne holiday. Cold and wintery outside, warm fireplace inside and the smell of pork cooking for 12 hours made everyone anticipate dinner that little bit more.

2.5-3kg boned pork shoulder - may have to order or ask butcher
2 tsp sea salt
4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (medium heat)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 olive oil
2 granny smith apples, unpeeled, halved and sliced 1cm thick (circle shaped)
2 leeks, outer leaves removed, well washed, 1cm thick slices (pale part only)
2 cups "Appletise" or apple cider

Preheat oven to 220C fan forced.

When buying meat from butcher, either ask them to remove crackling fat from top of pork or you can do it yourself before cooking. Keep the fat and bring it home!
Combine sea salt, garlic, chilli, sugar, sherry and oil and pound in a mortar and pestle (or place in a zip lock bag and pound with something heavy). Rub a little mixture on the scored pork fat and set aside. Rub the rest of the mixture on the pork meat, which should be unrolled and placed as flat as possible in a large baking tray. Roast uncovered for 20 mins at 220C. Arrange apples and leeks around and over meat and add all the cider to the pan. Reduce the oven to 100C. Cover the baking tray with a lid (this is essential) and return to the oven for 11 hrs. Around the 6 hr mark pour some of the pan liquid over the whole roast and return to the oven with lid on.

Half an hour before serving check pork and apples aren't dry. Pour some of the liquid from bottom of pan over the whole roast and set aside with the lid still on. The meat will be very tender and falling apart.

Turn oven right up to 240C and put the pork fat in. (on a baking tray sitting on a cooling rack so the heat gets under it too). Cook crackling for 30 mins, checking every 10 mins so it doesn't burn. The crispiest crackling is one that has been scored all over about 1/2 centimetre apart.

Loosely break apart pork meat and serve on a platter with the remaining juices poured over the top. Serve with roast or mashed potato with a little sage.

Now for the hair.......

2009-05-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

Here's some gorgeous clips I made today while the kids were sleeping. I had a difficult time tracking down wholesale-priced clips and ended up getting the plain clips from the USA! Each clip takes less than 2 minutes to make (hot glue gun is essential) so I can make many quickly.

I'll be experimenting with different colour combinations now that I know they work.

They are about an inch long and have a non slip grip on the inside - perfect for fine baby or toddler hair. Just need Mia to start growing some!

Love this skirt!

2009-05-12T04:26:00.001-07:00

We're off to Melbourne for a holiday in 5 days! So, today I went out to buy some tights for Mia. It's going to be bloody cold and she insists on pulling off her socks and shoes within 5 seconds of them being on. Hopefully tights will stump her (and keep her feet warm).

Then I thought it would be really gorgeous to have tights under a little denim skirt. Of course, no skirts are stocked this time of year. So I came home and rummaged through all my fabric and came up with this piece. 1.5hrs and about $4 of fabric later, here's a gorgeous personalised skirt!

Will summer be here soon?

2009-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest tunic top and short set made for Mia. The shorts took about 30 mins and the top was about 2hrs including cutting out time. Still, with the fabric being only $5 a metre, this is a quick and easy way to dress up Mia!

It is a cotton fabric with vibrant watermelon and bright blue colours. Bring on Summer!

I'll be working on some winter fabric next - maybe a corduroy dress with tights and a long sleeved top underneath?

The easiest and yummiest dessert

2009-05-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

If you're running short of time and need to impress with dessert this recipe is for you.

You need:
Vanilla ice cream
Toblerone bar
Shredded coconut
Thickened cream
Meringue nests

Toast 1 cup shredded coconut in heavy based pan or under hot grill. Once it starts to colour watch carefully - it will burn quickly.
Now scoop four ice cream balls and roll into toasted coconut and place on tray lined with baking paper. Put in freezer until you need to serve them.
Take 1/2 cup thickened cream and 200g chopped Toblerone and place in a heat proof bowl. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water and and stir until it melts smoothly. Put to one side.

When ready to serve take the meringue nests and put the ice cream ball on top of each nest. Pour the warm chocolate sauce over and serve. Your guests will be lining up for more, so maybe have a couple of spares ready!

Best ever Carrot Cake

2009-05-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

When I worked for the lovely Peter Dixon in Melbourne, he used to rave about my carrot cake. Rave, moan about how good but "bad" it was, rave some more, eat some more, moan some more, talk about needing to go for a run........ you get the idea.

2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
100ml vegetable oil
400g grated carrot
400g can crushed pineapple, well drained
100g coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease and line a 22cm tin, round or square.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and allspice together into a large bowl and stir through brown sugar. Beat in eggs and oil and then fold through carrot, pineapple and walnuts. Spoon into prepared tin and bake 1hr and 15 min, until top is golden. Rest in tin for 5 mins then invert to a wire rack to cool.

Icing
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup cream cheese
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 lemon juiced and rind zested
1 teaspoon vanilla essence OR 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat until well combined. If ingredients are at room temperature this will make it easier to beat. Refrigerate for 1hr before icing the cake. Cake must be completely cool.

Top with 1 cup toasted flaked coconut.

Delicious!

So sweet they make my teeth hurt!

2009-05-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest finished bloomers - gorgeous fairy floss pink with tulle ruffles. I'm getting better at these now and they are quicker to finish with a more professional result. Overall, still very easy to do. I'm going to experiment with satin ribbon as ruffles next.

I've also got my first official order - from a friend - and I'll be making her daughter a little tunic ribbon top like I made Mia. I hope she likes it as much as I do.

By the way.......

2009-04-27T04:46:00.001-07:00

Before I hear any protests - I am planning on making Thomas some very funky board shorts soon! I do admit, sewing for a girl brings way more options than a boy but he won't miss out! Just need to find the right fabric.

A bargain at DFO

2009-04-27T04:41:00.001-07:00

Went to DFO Brisbane for the first time today. I know, I know, what took me so long?

Anyway........ I love Cotton On Kids and they had a great jacket for the bargain price of $19.95. I got to the register and the lady said, "oh I think these are 50% off", and sure enough, they were! A great winter jacket for $10. Doesn't get any better than that.

The cutest little dress!

2009-04-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had my first "official" sewing lesson. I certainly didn't think I'd walk away with a finished piece. This dress took about 2.5 hrs but the next one will be much quicker as I won't have to wait for the cutting table, the iron etc....

I learnt how to do French hems (who knew there was such a thing?) and how to do bias facings.

The beauty of this dress is that when Mia starts to outgrow it, the ribbons can be let out a little and it becomes a tunic top to wear over jeans.

I'm so happy with it - creative bug has well and truly got me now!

*Fabric made in Japan - "Antique Treasures" - Spotlight $14.99/m

A t-shirt becomes a cushion

2009-04-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of Thomas's favourite shirts. When he grew out of it I couldn't bear to put it in the storage box with everything else. So I turned it into a cushion and it now sits on his bed.

Sew the arm holes and bottom of shirt closed. Put polyfill craft stuffing through neck hole and sew closed. No need to sew around buttons. If your shirt doesn't have buttons then leave one arm hole open and put stuffing through there.

Bran fruit loaf - it's healthy!

2009-04-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 cups All bran (or similar) cereal
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped dried apricots
150g walnuts
1 cup self raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup golden syrup

Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle prior to baking.

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees/160 fan forced. Lightly grease loaf tin with butter and shake flour around to cover it.
Combine all dry ingredients and stir well. Add milk, oil and egg and stir till well combined. It won't look very wet or runny but this is OK.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 50 mins, or until skewer comes out clean. Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon sugar just before putting in oven.
Rest in pan for 10 mins before turning out onto cooling rack. Serve with butter or cream cheese.
Enjoy!

Fetta & Garlic Dip

2009-04-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Try this dip next time you have friends over - but be warned, it's very addictive!

1 large clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
250g goats fetta, crumbled (or any other very smooth and crumbly fetta)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped chives
375g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temp

Squeeze garlic through a press into a bowl. Combine the fetta, mayo, garlic, chives and cream cheese and combine in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to fridge, cover with wrap and leave for 2 hrs.
Lightly toast some baguette slices and serve with dip.

Note: Garlic will intensify over days if made ahead of time.

Breakfast pastries - so easy!

2009-04-22T04:28:00.000-07:00

I made these pastries for brunch when our old Melbourne friends visited on Easter Sunday. They were a hit and so quick and easy to make.

Ingredients
3 sheets frozen puff pastry
Olive oil spray
12 eggs
200g chopped mid-rasher bacon
1/2 packet washed spinach leaves
1 clove garlic
100ml pouring cream

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

Thaw puff pastry and cut into equal quarters. Spray a 12 hole muffin tin and place pastry in muffin casings so four corners of pastry are sticking up.

Fry bacon and garlic in a frypan until browned. Set aside. Saute spinach until just wilted.

Put equal amounts of spinach in each casing of pastry. Top with chopped bacon. Add 1 tablespoon of cream over the top of bacon and spinach.

Now crack an egg slowly and gently over the top of the cream. It should fill to the top of the muffin casing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.

Place tray in oven and cook for 20 mins. Serve with hollandaise or tomato relish. Delish!

My first finished (and successful) bloomers

2009-04-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how well these turned out! I spent about 2 mins cutting out the pattern, 10 mins sewing the pants, 30 mins doing the bloody ruffles (but they're so cute), and another 30 mins finishing the pants off by adding elastic and tidying up edges. Very impressed and they will look gorgeous on Mia's chunky little legs this coming summer. And I love the red fabric too (thanks to Funky Fabrix at Mitchelton).

So I got all confident and made another pair, this time in just over an hour. This fabric was also from Funky Fabrix - great shop, highly addictive. The pattern came from here too ($9.95 bargain!). Fabric - not so cheap. But I had some left over and made a little brooch which I think will look very cute on a white t-shirt.

I'm developing a fabric habit!

2009-04-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to get creative. I've always been creative but now I'm putting my money (and oh, it's not cheap!) where my mouth is and doing something about it. I've got fabric piled up in cupboards, collected over the years with the best of intentions but somehow work, life, and now kids got in the way. My daughter is now sleeping through properly (8 months old), my son (nearly 3) is at kindy two days a week (yippee!) and I'm ready to dive into doing something for ME!
I spent an hour at Spotlight by myself the other night. Bursting with ideas, I'm ready to start.
I've found a great fabric shop at Toowong called Peppermint Stitches which has unusual fabrics, great patterns and helpful staff.
Am going to try a stuffed giraffe first and see how it goes from there. LOVE the fabric I'm using!

Welcome!

2009-02-01T03:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new blog spot! I intend to use this forum to share ideas, recipes, thoughts on the world, funny kid stories, great websites and whatever else happens. Hope you enjoy reading it from time to time.