New website ... Great idea

Hello Poppits,

Hows your day been ?? I've been doing lots of cooking which has been lovely, but i'll tell you all about the food another time..

I'm here to show you the great website that I stumbled across the other day. It's called pinterest, I found the link on the Make it perfect blog.

Pinterest is like a visual board that you can fill with all your favourite bookmarks! This makes it super easy to see what the bookmarks are about! You can sort them out into different sections

such as 

Yummy things to cook:      

Crafty things :

This is such a good idea for those people who enjoy visual reminders and even better you can sneak a peek at what other people have been looking at and re-pin it for a latter looksee!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have, 

TTFN,

Lili   

Baby booties ...

Hello Poppits,

I hope very thing is going tickety boo in your world. I know it is in mine now I have got these little devils done !

You would think that these would be simple as pie to whip up ??? But no, you think wrong. I started these little shoes in early january, thinking that they would be a quick fill in project... I had a few issues though. I get a little frustrated to say the lest when a project doesn't go as planed, it was evident early on that these weren't going as planed. I hadn't made this kind of thing before so I thought that it would be best to follow the interactions for this project. I had been given a copy of Meet me at mikes as a christmas present and used the pattern from that, I'm not one to follow instructions at the best of time so, that could be where I went astray with this project. Following the instructions cause be more confusion than help. Soon after starting the booties, the instructions weren't going as planed and the booties when flying across the living room with a few words following them , this continued thought out the day before I decided to give up ... 

Yes that's right I gave something that I wouldn't do lightly. Until today ... I wouldn't let them beat me so I this time I didn't follow the instructions and they worked out a treat ! They look so cute on Edie and I'm really pleased with how they ended up turing out. 

Now I'm not saying that the Meek me at mikes instructions were bad , I'm just bad a following them and because I have my own way of sewing and cutting corners  most instructions down't work but they never take this long to complete ! 

Seeming Edie was asleep when I was taking photo's of the booties I thought I would share with you this cute one that I took the other day. How cute is she in her vintage rainbow overalls ?? and look can you see her little teeth ?? she has two now :) and her pretty high chair cover in action YAY 

TTFN,
Lili xxx

A little smackrel ... Pear or should we say Apple, Rhubarb and custard cake

Hello Poppits, 

How is everything today ?? It's a lovely day here today and I'm lapping up the sun out on our veranda, Edie's enjoying it as well and is in her swing having a lovely time whilst I'm writing this and listening to like a version 6  it is defiantly a good buy! Now onto this cake...

This cake was a very good one indeed hence there being half a cake in these photos because I forgot to take one when we were eating it first time around ! oops

I had some new season apples in the fridge ( I had been waiting for what seems like months fro these to come back to the fruit shops instead of the old scabby, wrinkly ones that had been hanging around like a bad smell)So I took the opportunity to use them in this scrummy cake, instead of the pear that was suggested! The rhubarb wasn't a problem at all to get for me because we have about 5 plant around the property, but if you have a problem getting it, then try any of the fruits listed at the bottom of the recipe. This cake would be a delightful treat in the middle of winter, to remind you of the summer and spring that is on its way!

Recipe...(original recipe from Women's weekly Cakes ) 
125g butter, softened
3/4 cups caster sugar 
2 eggs 
a splash of vanilla 
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour 
1/2 cup almond meal 
2 TBS custard powder 
1/2 cup milk
250g rhubarb, sliced 
330g pear, peeled and sliced thinly 
1/2 cup of warmed apricot jam


Custard...
2 TBs custard powder 
2 TBS caster sugar 
1 cup milk
1tsp vanilla extract 
20g butter 


Instructions...
start off by making thee custard because it has to come to room temp before you use it !!


Custard...
Combine the custard powder, sugar, vanilla and around 2 TBS of the  milk in a medium saucepan to form a paste, then add in the remaining milk and stir over a medium heat until the custard has thickened.
Remove from the heat then stir in the butter, mixing until the butter is melted. Then cover the custard with glad wrap(push this down until it is touching the whole surface of the custard, this will help to prevent a skin forming)


Time for the cake...
First off you better pre heat your oven to a moderate temp, plus line a 22cm cake tin( sprigform if you have one).
Beat you sugar , butter and vanilla until light and fluffy, then add your eggs in one at a time making sure to mix well after each addition and to scrap the sides of the bowl down.
Next add in the flour, almond meal and milk and mix until just combined.
Now for the fun part! pour half you cake batter into your lined tin and top with half your cut fruit and all the custard  you need to spread this out and yes it will disturb your nicely placed fruit, but this doesn't matter because your just going to eat it and put make cake batter on it !). Now top with the rest of the batter and make a pretty pattern with the remainder of your fruit.
Place into your oven and bake for about an hour or until a testing implement comes out clean( you will smell it when its done like any good cake). Leave it to cool slightly for about 5 minutes then take the cake out of the tin and spread with the warm jam!   


Serve with Ice cream, hot custard and maybe some raspberries !( I think thats what I topped it with ???)


YUMMMM & Enjoy 


Variations: 
Try using different fruits like, Firm strawberries, raspberries, any other berry pretty much and apples or nashis would be nice.
You can also try different jams and nut meals!


TTF, 
Lili xxx

Amaretto berry fruit salad

Hello poppits, How are we today ? Have you done anything exiting ? crafty , cooked anything yummy ? let me know.

I thought I would show you this truly yummy/ healthy fruit salad that I have made over the last few weeks with all the fresh fruit that has been becoming available. I had been to pick some fresh strawberries at a berry patch with a friend to make some jam and had lots of left over strawberries from that, so I came up with this little desert. The one that I remembered to take a photo of had strawberries and peached in it, but previously I had made it with blueberries and raspberries.

Recipe! 
Desired amount of fresh fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches ect.. or whatever takes your fancy!
Amaretto liqueur
Amaretto biscuits
Vanilla ice cream.

Cut fruit into quarters and place into serving bowl. Slash with the liqueur , cover and leave in the fridge for a good hour or five, the longer you leave it the better the flavour.
When ready to be served place into individual bowls and top with ice cream and crushed  amaretto biscuits! MMM YUMMY


TTFN, Lili xxx 

Chocolate Cake

Hello Poppits, How are we today ?
I've been trying and failing to make granny squares today can anyone help me ?


As I said in my last post I would be giving you my amazing chocolate cake recipe! So here it is, sorry there is know picture but I forgot to take any when I made it :( 


Almond, Chocolate and Marsala Cake 
(From My cousin Rosa)
300g Blanched almonds
200g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces 
100g cocoa powder
250g butter
250g caster sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs dry Marsala 


Line a 24 cm cake tin with baking paper and grease well, then pre heat your oven to 160c.
Finely chop the chocolate and almonds in a food processor, then add the cocoa powder and process for another 2 minutes. 
Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl of a mix master until light and creamy, add eggs one at a time making sure to mix well after each egg and to scrap the sides with a spatular. 
Add the chocolate and almond mix and then add the marsala , mix well.
Pour into the tin and smooth the top then , bake for about 45 minutes.
Serve with ricotta or  cream.


Now for my little notes, I used only 200g almonds, half cocoa and half milo and used 

Amaretto liqueur which all went lovely with this cake.I also served with fresh strawberries and raspberries MMM it was yummy 

TTFN, 

Lili xxx

Edies New Highchair cover ...

Hello Poppits, How's everything going in your own little world ?

I though I would show you all a little something I wiped up last week in between Edie's naps ( 30-40 minutes if i'm lucky !!)

I Had been flicking through some blogs between night time feeds and had come across a blog (sorry I can't remember where) that had a tutorial on how to make a quilted highchair cover. Now it's a great idea and all, but everyone know that babies and toddlers are messy eater, and how painful it is to send extra time cleaning when you have so many other things to be doing with that time. Any  way I thought why not make it out of oil cloth because then all you have to do is wipe it down when it gets dirty ! Easy peasy.

It's pretty simple to make too all you do is trace all the parts that you need to be covered with oilcloth , cut them out the sew together.

I got this lovely oilcloth from I just love that fabric , It's by : Marimeeko but unfortunately  I got the last two remnants available at this store, but you can also get an eye-boggling rang on Etsy .

The wonderful thing about this project is that it doesn't need every much fabric at all, from memory I ordered 2x 30cm by 50cm but don't quote me on that and then an extra piece that was half a meter but. But the two remnants did the job with easy and I've got fabric left over the make a bib or something along those lines with. YAY !!

 Hope you enjoyed the picture and found the post help full ! 
TTFN, Lili


P.s Ohh I thought I should just tell you that I've worked out my granny squares !! YAY 

Picnics

Hello Poppits, Hope everything is going splendidly well in your own little world! 

A few weekends ago we went for a family picnic to Wychwood Gardens just out of Mole Creek, They are some truly inspiring gardens. I made an amazing Chocolate cake which i'll put the recipe up next post. If your ever out and about in the Wychwood way I would say defiantly go and have a long walk around. 

 Here are some little snaps of what we got up to whilst we were there.

Hope you enjoyed the glimpse into what we got up to,

TTFN, 

Lili xx

Reasons I love summer

Hello poppits ,
I really do enjoy summer immensely, Its alway full for fun, late nights, lots and lots of sillynest , spending time camping in tents wether they be indoors or out, lots of lavish picnics, swimming, new things and time outside!

Here are just some of them many adventure that we have encountered this summer so far! Edie and Romi were being pirates in the picture above... 

Lastly the two end picture are of Edie pie starting solids , I just love the expression on her face in this last one :)


Ttf for now, 
Lili xx

The Owl and the pussy cat

Hello little pop pits I know It's been a while but I always so busy at the moment!

I thought I would shear with you  the mobile that I made for Edie before she was born,

I got the idea from  The Crafty Minx book by Kelly Doust. I changes it around a bit to suit what I had in my fabric basket and the way I thought might look good. I found two really nice floral scraps that I used fro the boat and bits and bobs for the rest.

I used different textures and patterns to stimulate her senses and catch the light in different ways. I raided the the button jar and found some really nice vintage one, and lots of different colours!

Edie really loves it, and when we've been away for a few nights and she's put into her cot she gets all happy and screams and laughs at it for ages! I hope you like it as much as Edie and I do.


Lili xx