what we fill our days with

Hello poppits,

what grand things have you been up to of late ?

Now that it's getting warmer Edie and I are spending so much more time out side and loving it, even if it mean being more dirty than normal and having slightly damp clothes.

We've had some really warm days lately which were promptly followed by 4 days of rainy weather and thunder storms, but before all that wether happened  Edie had some fun in the sprinkler !

I don't think she was too sure and possibly preferred the mud puddle that was created from the run off water...

TTFn,

Lili xx

A lovely day picnicking ....

Hello Poppits,

have you been on a good picnic lately ??

Well yet again I've been packing up my lovely very old vintage picnic hamper, filled with some yummy goodies.

It was for Romi's birthday this time, lucky for me she choses to go to my favourite picnic place... wychwood! It's gardens are pretty darn lovely and very relaxing which I love.

How cool is the old ochard gate ?? I would love to have them scattered about my garden. And yet again Edie is sleeping ... like last time.

Hope you had a relaxing time looking at our fun.

TTFN,

Lilixx

tomato bread salad

Hello Poppits,

hows everything going?? 

A few weeks back I made this yummy tomato bread salad to go with a fresh pea lasagne. This salad coupled greatly with it because it cut the richness of the the creamy sauce with the freshness of the tomato's!

  

It's one of those salads that's supper easy to make up in advance because everyone knows that when tomato's are left by themselves they always do yummy scrummy things with whatever they are next to! This salad would also be great served up just after its made, so that the bread is still nice a crunchy!  

The recipe is really pretty easy to judge yourself but i'll help you out a little :)


Recipe:


Croutons: 
1/2 loaf ciabatta, cut into 2cm ruff chunks
1tsp fennel seeds
a glug of olive oil
a sprig of rosemary 


Salad:
about 500-700g fresh mixed tomato's ( I used yellow and red cherry toms and russian black fresh from our veggie patch) ruffly chopped 
a splash of white wine vinegar
small bunch of fresh basil, chopped finely
small bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, also chopped finely 
1tsp capers mooshed with the back of your knife.
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely!


salt
pepper
olive oil
parmesan 

Now pre-heat a hot oven about 200c or there abouts and line a roasting dish with baking paper.
put your bread on the dish and coat with the fennel seed , rosemary and oil once coated sprinkle with sea salt,.... sorry just had to get Edie.  place into the oven and cook for about 15 minutes checking every 5 to turn! once ready remove from the oven!




In a nice big serving bowl place all your salad ingredients and moosh to get all the flavours going, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
now add in your croutons mix together and grate parmesan over the top and enjoy when ever !!

TTFN ,
Lili xxx 

Sewing ... Tap pants if you want to call them that

Hello Poppits,

How's the start to your weekend going?? Hopefully a little nicer than mine has been today! 

And hopefully you don't have a rotten cold like I have that was kindly passed on from Edie to the rest of my family ... not happy campers now let me let you.

now on to the crafty bits and bobs 

I made these shorts just after our christmas trip down to the east coast. I had brought all the doodad before hand though but had just ran out of time to make them before christmas with all the presents that I was making.

I got the idea from seeing a girl in the street with something similar but shorter than these and slightly more flowy. I got the pattern form Etsy and was a cheap buy ( it smelt smokey was the only down flaw) It was a McCalls 5470 pattern and I'm sure that you could find the pattern on the net somewhere!

These shorts are supper dupper comfy and are nice and light weight for summer.  

The fabric was also a score from esty and is supper cute! I had a few issues with the waist so I made a coupe of ties which are very helpful indeed.

I'm going to attempt to make these shorts again at a later date, but this time with a nice lightweight chiffon fabric maybe ??? Also I saw some shorts with a scolloped edge which I thought I would give a try, as well as making them shorter and tighter maybe ???  

Any was I really have enjoyed these ones, I think they might have to become my summer picnic pants because they are what I always don on for our lovely picnics. A BIG pluse they go spiffingly  well with a navy ascot shirt I got from an opp shop one trip !


TTFn ,
Lili xxx 

I do love a good picnic or two ...

Hello Poppit,

How have you been ? Autumn has differently hit us hard and fast in Latrobe ... In a matter of fact i'm pretty sure it has hit all of Tasmania. It has taken from us what little summer we had this year. But in its wake it will bring wonderful colours on trees, yummy soups, fresh crispy bread, hot steamy spicey tea and lots of nice cosy crafts .

I though I would shear with you a few pictures from a wonderful weekend spent picnicking... 

On friday night we went to the Symphony under the stars, its was fill with a lazy night under the stars with lovely classical music , played by a fabulous orchestra. The compear on the other hand was interesting to say the lest. 

I made some spiffy picnic food to take up it all got scoffed up pretty quickly! We had mini Banoffee pies with dark chocolate drizzled over the banana and an filled mediterranean cob loaf! All of this was scrummy but regrettably I forgot to take any photos of the food :(

The second picnic we went to Delorain for a morning onside the river. We had a lovely time eating Chickpea sausage roles form the burke Street Bakery. These were brilliant but not something on first bit your to sure on, but on second bit your hooked and know that you've found something good. For afters we had fresh scrummy blueberry friands, these are one of my favourite and best and when ever we have blueberries they go into this recipe !    

Hope you had a tops weekend like I did,

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

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

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