Little in Cowes

Ever wondered how Turi would look as a girl?

2012-02-08T21:34:00.000+11:00

Now you know. Pretty dang cute.

And to answer your question (because I can of course read your mind), yes we did leave the house like this. We went supermarket shopping. And no I did not dress him like this as some kind of whack experiment in pushing gender stereotypes. We were visiting friends and he 'accidentally' turned on the outdoor shower and soaked his clothes. These were the only spare change of clothes I had with me, curtesy of Minty's kinder bag.

And before any of my feminist readers (bless you all) are offended by this post… yes, gender stereotypes are mostly stupid. And yes, everyone should be able to wear pink love heart pants and a frilly cupcake shirt if they want to!

Winners and a partial house update...

2012-02-07T18:34:00.000+11:00

And the giveaway winners are…

Manu wins the measuring jug!

Lien wins the book!

I'll be in touch with you both shortly to organise the logistics.

And now for a house update… OK so this is a limited house update since my camera battery went flat mid-way through my last visit to site.

The claw foot bath is now sitting in the bathroom. It's obviously not plumbed in at this stage but it gives you a bit of an idea of what it will eventually look like. Originally I had planned to paint the outside of the bath black and put very dark tiles on the floor. Now that the bath is in-situ I think I actually like it pale blue and I might even just leave it shabby. I kind of think the rustic look suits the big timber window. I'm in the process of hunting for floor tiles and I'm honestly completely confused about what I want. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Meanwhile, this is our enormous evaporative cooler that is currently squatting in the lounge room, before it finds its permanent home on the roof.

The main toilet has some plasterboard up and will hopefully be installed soon. Our workforce is getting a bit inpatient to have proper facilities!! The picture on the right is the view from the toilet.

The big changes are on the outside of the house, as much of the cladding has gone up - but of course I don't have any pictures of that. Stay tuned!

Kinder!

2012-02-06T20:41:00.000+11:00

Minty had her first day of kinder (preschool) today! She was so excited and had a ball while she was there. Her highlights from the day were that she played duplo lego and 'someone else' wet their pants and cried!

The start of kinder of course meant that Minty needed a new bag. I wasn't particularly keen on most of the ones I'd seen in the shops so I decided to sew her one as an early birthday present (she turns four next week). The pattern was from Little Things to Sew. I used Denyse Schmidt quilting cotton for the main fabric and lining (I used fusible interfacing to bulk up the main bag since the fabric was a bit light weight). I think the red chunky zip and bright pink straps help to make the colours pop. Minty loves it and Turi is very jealous. He wants to have a kinder bag too. I really think kinder is going to be a harder adjustment for Turi. He couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to stay and play with all the toys.

These photos were taken while we were waiting to go inside and she was too hyped up to stay still, so apologies for all the cut off legs and strange running shots!

I realise I need to announce last week's giveaway winners - I'm hoping I'll get a chance tomorrow. I've been really busy creating so I haven't had much energy left to spend time on the computer.

Giveaway!

2012-01-29T21:00:00.001+11:00

Ok today is very exciting because… wait for it… I've got, not one, but two giveaways for you! But before we get to that...

Aren't these just the most amazing cakes you've ever seen? They're made by my very good friend Jennifer who runs a little custom order bakery in Lawton OK. I've known Jennifer since our first year of high school when we used to sit together in class scrawling little pictures to each other and coming up with little stories to go with them. Amazingly, despite drifting apart at various times over the years as our lives took different paths, and now living on complete opposite sides of the world, I'd still count her as one of my closest friends. She's an amazing artist and she has an incredible talent for translating this across into edible form! Anyway gush, gush (could I be anymore of a groupie!?!) You can check out Sugar+Butter on Facebook or at Jennifer's blog It's Wonderful Here.

The point of this story was that I spotted a particularly attractive measuring jug on her blog (see the pic above), happened to mention in passing how lovely I thought it was and Jennifer (generous soul that she is) sent one out to me. But Phillip Island appears to be a bit of a Bemuda Triangle when it comes to postal services and the package got lost. In the end the kitchenware place sent out a second one, only to have the first one turn up a few weeks later with the package opened and resealed with a big 'customs' sticker (because presumably measuring jugs look suspiciously like drugs or bomb making equipment). So now I have two beautiful measuring jugs, and I'm giving one of them to one of you lucky readers.

Here is Minty modelling the measuring jug. She likes to be involved!

Today's second giveaway, is a book I bought when Minty was a toddler and I was going through a bit of a Steiner phase. It's called 'Creative Play for your baby' and it's full of all sorts of toys you can make for babies (ages 3 months to two years). Since both my children have now outgrown it, I thought I'd move it on to a new home where it might get some love again.

To enter today's giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me which of these you would like to win (jug or book) and I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner. Entries close on Friday 3rd Feb.

On matters of life and death...

2012-01-24T14:44:00.000+11:00

Remember our goldfish Timmy Boomda? Well I just discovered his lifeless body floating in the fish bowl. I'm not going to pretend I'm sad. Cleaning out the fish bowl is now one less job on my already too long 'to do' list. Of course the death of a pet always inevitably leads to a series of difficult questions from the smaller members of the family. Here is a little look at what occurred when the kids discovered the body…

Minty: mummy, Timmy has laid down properly to go to sleep

Me: Darling, Timmy is dead. He's not ever going to wake up.

Minty: I don't mind… I'm not going to die.

Me: Well… actually… everyone dies at some point.

Minty: Sometimes daddy dies… and he wakes back up

Me: Daddy isn't actually dead. He just sleeps very heavily sometimes

and a little later…

Minty: I don't know where Timmy is.

Me: He's right there, dead, floating at the top of his bowl.

Minty: but where is he?

From her tone and emphasis, my best interpretation of this is that she was asking about the thing that made Timmy alive instead of dead, the essence of him, his soul. My internal response (you know the one your head forms before you open your mouth) was 'shit I don't know. I don't think fish have souls'. Frankly I'm not geared for philosophical enquiries before I've had a morning coffee. Instead I chose to pretend I didn't understand what she was asking and merely repeated myself, 'see he's floating there dead in the bowl'. I wonder how many more probing questions I'm going to answer in a severely inadequate way as a parent. Probably too many to bear thinking about.

If you're wondering what Turi was doing during all of this, he was basically dancing about with a big grin on his face, tossing pinches of fish food into the bowl. Clearly it hasn't raised any existential questions for him!

In which there is lots of ice-cream and a last minute gift...

2012-01-22T21:50:00.000+11:00

I've been taking a bit of a blog break to try and make the most of the summer weather with the kids. We've had family and friends visiting and we've been swimming at the beach almost every day (sometimes twice a day).

This weekend we've had a couple of birthday parties. The first was a party for a little friend who turned one. I have to admit to being completely disorganised coming up with a gift. I ended up whipping up this little bird toy an hour before the party! The pattern is from Fiona Dalton's book 'Hop Skip Jump'. I used linen and some pretty Amy Butler fabric I had in my stash. I popped a bell inside to make it into a rattle and I think the tail feathers will be perfect for a teething one-year-old to gnaw on!

Today we went to a fantastic family barbecue. The kids spent the day jumping on the trampoline and hopping in and out of the inflatable paddling pool (repurposed birthing pool!!), while we enjoyed ourselves sipping fruit cocktails on the deck. As my contribution to the festivities I made six different ice-creams and sorbets and set up a little ice-cream buffet. The flavours were plum ice-cream (made with home grown blood plums), fleur de lait (a Parisian glace meaning 'flower of milk'), chocolate-coconut sorbet, chocolate-raspberry ice-cream, watermelon sorbetto (with chocolate chips instead of pips) and banana sorbet. The 'fleur de lait' seemed to be the most popular flavour of the day. I had so much fun putting it all together, I wish I had the capital to open my own little gelateria on the coast somewhere! But in the mean time I might just have an ice-cream party for Minty's fourth birthday in a few weeks time!!

In which there are visions of Jesus and Candy Spelling...

2012-01-11T21:02:00.000+11:00

Ever since Minty received this cook book for Christmas she has been asking me to help her make pea soup. While I was excited by her healthy choice, I was also feeling a little baffled. I mean honestly, what self respecting three-year-old wants to make pea soup?? It turns out Minty thought she could see a smiley face in olive oil drizzled on top of the soup in the cookbook photograph! She was like a fanatical christian who had seen a vision of Jesus in her burnt toast. So rather than quash her delusion, I used it to my advantage and we made the soup for dinner tonight. The fact that the kids cooked and willingly finished a bowl of pea soup was more of a miraculous transformative event than any holy apparition in some charred baked goods. The kids may as well have been speaking in tongues!

And now just a little disclaimer of sorts. There have been a number of comments about how 'huge' the new house looks. I thought it prudent to mention that I've been shooting the house with a 17-40mm wide angle lens - which is kind of like looking at the house through one of those fat inducing fun house mirrors (you know objects may be closer than they appear and all that jazz). Just thought I should mention this in case I invite you over at some point in the future and you are expecting to arrive at something akin to Candy Spelling's mansion, with 27 bathrooms and a gift wrapping room and you are disappointed when all you find is a regular sized house. Ok glad we cleared that up.

House Update

2012-01-08T22:07:00.000+11:00

Progress on the house inevitably ground to halt over the Christmas period but I still have a few little developments to share. The house has been wrapped and the windows are all glazed, barring the large hand-crafted window in the kids bathroom for which we picked up the glass yesterday. It's really starting to feel like a liveable space, and I am getting impatient to move in. Sadly since there is still no toilet or hot water I think it will probably be a few months!

We spent the day hanging out at the house yesterday. We strung up a hammock in the lounge room and have been having a great time lazing around in it. Minty's bedroom has been turned into a makeshift kitchen, complete with BBQ, microwave, fridge, kettle, toaster and even a george foreman grill, so we can fairly comfortably whip up a meal!

The large dining room windows and our sliding doors to the as yet non-existent deck are finally in. All these windows are tinted, as the dining room catches the western sun. I have to say I was rather nervous about whether I was going to like the tint but now that they're in I love them! It is really pleasant sitting in the dining room even in the afternoon, and the clerestory windows bring in more than enough light to make up for any lost by the tint. The cows that live in the next paddock don't seem to be able to see us anymore and amble right up to the dining windows. It's magical!

Left: Minty's room aka the site kitchen! Right: the living room. Note these windows all still have the blue protective film on them so the rooms look a little dark.

Looking from the entry towards the dining room - just to give you a sense of how tiny Turi looks compared to the roof height!

Turi has been feeling a bit trapped by the new doors!

Testing out wood finishes for our bathroom window frame.

More of the hammock…

Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?

2012-01-05T21:54:00.000+11:00

It's twelfth night and Christmas is officially over. I refuse to let the celebrations fizzle out without a sense of occasion, so after taking the decorations down the kids and I celebrated the Epiphany with some cake.

This year to shake things up a little I decided to make a Spanish king cake instead of our usual British twelfth night fruit cake. The Spanish Epiphany Bread (Roscón de reyes) is a bit like brioche shaped into a big ring (like a crown). Traditionally a figurine of the baby Jesus is hidden in the bread to symbolise Jesus fleeing King Herod (who planned to kill all babies that could be the prophesised messiah). Whoever finds the baby in their cake is blessed. Sadly the only baby figurine I could get my hands on was plastic. I suspect melting a small effigy of christ in the oven isn't really the route to 'blessing' anyone, so I used a dried bean instead. In many cultures finding a dried bean in the twelfth night cake means you are king for the day.

The bread was beautifully light, fluffy and subtly sweet. Honestly it is a small christmas miracle that this cake worked out at all! My mind was wandering while I was baking and I totally went off the reservation and didn't follow the recipe. I've included the original recipe (sourced here) at the bottom of this post along with notes of my modifications and crazy missteps in italics.

Spanish Epiphany Bread (recipe originally found here)

Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F)

Ingredients

450 g (3 c.) white flour

75 g (1/3 c.) butter

75 g (1/3 c.) sugar

25 g (1 oz.) fresh yeast dissolved in 140 ml (1/2 c.) warm water

2 tsp. lemon zest

2 tsp. orange zest

2 eggs + 1 egg white, well beaten

1 tbsp. brandy

1 tbsp. orange flower water

A pinch of salt

1 silver coin, china figurine, dry bean, or whole almond (your choice)

Decoration

Large pieces of candied fruit

Flaked almonds

A silver coin or dry bean

Preparation

1. Place the flour and salt into a large bowl.

2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the dissolved yeast. Since I couldn't get my hands on fresh yeast I used 7g of dried instant yeast and to help it along I also added a teaspoon of honey to the water

3. Gradually mix in the flour.

4. When the mixture is thick, sprinkle all over with flour and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place. Ok so at this point my mixture was like chunky floury bread crumbs so there seemed little point sprinkling it with more flour. I kind of freaked out and added about 5 tablespoons more water, kneaded it some more and then let it rest.

5. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugar.

6. Mix the zests, brandy, orange flower water and the two eggs into the dough. I didn't have orange flower water so I just left that out. At this point I failed to read the recipe properly and also added the extra egg white which you were supposed to use for glaze.

7. Knead until it becomes smooth. My dough was way too wet at this point so I added about 2 tablespoons of flour (just making up for the extra water I added!!)

8. Gradually mix in the butter, kneading constantly, until the dough becomes even smoother and more elastic. At this point the dough was still too wet - I added about another tablespoon of flour then kneaded for about ten minutes. The dough was still much wetter than a bread dough but I left it to rise since in my experience when making brioche it is better to err on the wet side lest you end up with a tough rock.

9. Cover with greased paper and let rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes, until the dough has doubled in volume.

10. Place the dough on a floured surface.

11. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes.

12. Add in the silver coin, figurine, bean, or almond.

13. With your hands, roll the dough into a long sausage-shape, approximately 65 cm (2 feet) long and 13 cm (5") thick. Don't panic if your dough isn't quite this big - it will puff up again when it rises the second time!

14. Place on a baking sheet, forming the dough into a circle.

15. Join the two ends by pinching the dough together. The recipe doesn't mention it but you need to put some kind of ramekin (or other round oven safe object) in the centre or the dough will just end up filling the hole when it rises. I wrapped some oven paper around the ramekin so it wouldn't stick.

16. Cover with greased paper and let rest another 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in volume.

17. Brush the crown with the beaten egg white.

18. Decorate with the almonds and slices of candied fruit, pressing them down so that they stick to the dough. I was too lazy to make large slices of candied fruit so I just studded the crown with some multicoloured glace cherries!

19. Place into a 180° C (350° F) oven.

20. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bread is cooked and golden brown.

21. Place on a rack and let cool.

In which there is pasta and a pool party...

2012-01-03T17:42:00.000+11:00

Yesterday Minty made tagliatelle with her Grandi. I have to confess, I don't really have the patience for making pasta from scratch with small children as helpers, especially not in 37 degree heat!! Minty found the recipe in her new cookbook and was desperately enthusiastic to try it, so I was glad someone was up for the challenge so I didn't have to say no! This isn't the first time they've made pasta together and it really is lovely to watch them calmly feeding the pasta through the machine together. I'm really grateful she'll have these memories to take with her into her adult cooking life. Even little Turi had a go!

It really was a scorchingly hot day, as witnessed by this posse of five little kookaburras who came to have a pool party in the bird bath!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:21:00.000+11:00

Minty celebrated the new year by baking some cupcakes from her new cook book 'what shall we cook today? More than 70 fun and easy recipes for kids to make' (a Christmas present from her aunty and uncle). Minty has always loved cooking with me, but now that she has her very own cook book she has taken on a greater sense of pride and ownership in the process. Since I knew all the recipes were going to be easy to follow, I let her look through the book and choose whatever she wanted to make. Predictably she went straight for the cakes with jelly bean decorations! I'm looking forward to trying out some of the savoury recipes with her next (strangely she is very keen to try making pea soup!)

As promised, here is a little look at the Christmas pyjama shorts I made for the kids. I used the oliver+s puppet show short pattern for Minty's. They are made with some pink snowman fabric I had in my stash. I had less than a fat quarter to work with so I've made the waistband and cuffs with a pink and white stripe, and left off the pockets, which I think makes them look a bit more pyjamery. Turi's are also made with scraps of Christmas fabric (less than a fat quarter of each) I had in my stash. I've used four different fabrics - christmas trees and christmas words for the front and snowflakes and blue spots on the back. I didn't use a pattern for these - I just based them off a pair of his shorts.

Handmade gift wrap up...

2011-12-31T10:47:00.000+11:00

Finally, here is a look at some of the handmade gifts I put together. I realise it is way too late to inspire you for Christmas gifts this year but it's not as though we all die after boxing day right? There's still plenty of other gifting occasions coming up: birthdays, mother's day, father's day, or even (god forbid) Christmas next year. So I hope some of you can find a little bit of inspiration here.

Home made vanilla extract. Split open the vanilla beans (I used two per bottle but you really can't have too many), place in a small glass bottle (I sourced mine here), and fill with vodka. Allow the extract to brew for at least 4 weeks, shaking a few times a week. Extraction will continue for up to 6 months - so keep shaking every so often. A few notes: You can find vanilla beans in bulk on ebay. If you are using larger bottles you'll need to chop the beans into smaller pieces as they have a tendency to float to the top after shaking, and although they won't look as pretty, the greater surface area will help extract more flavour from the beans. After 6 months you can remove the beans as a precaution against spoilage. The extract will continue to mature over time (much like wine), you can add more vanilla beans or top up with more vodka to continue to develop the flavour.

Hot chocolate packs - filled with homemade heart shaped marshmallows (recipe here), hot chocolate on a stick (recipe here) and shortbread hearts (recipe here) all in an origami box made with newspaper (in the interests of being eco friendly). I learnt to make the boxes back when I was studying architecture, and we had an assignment to design a gallery space to display (of all things) paper boxes. Weird right? If you haven't had such a checkered design eduction as mine, you can find a great video tutorial for these here. It really is a great skill to have up your sleeve since you can make them in any size, or paper you like and they are so much cheaper than buying gift boxes. You can even make them with a little window in the top for packaging baked goods.

A soft ball made with loads of different pink fabric pentagons patches with a bell inside for my sweet little niece. You can find a great tutorial for these here (machine stitched not hand pieced in case you're lazy like me!!)

I also made more homemade soap (see previous posts) and some special Christmas pyjamas for the kids to wear on Christmas eve. I'll try and post some photos of the PJs tomorrow.

Here are a few photos of Christmas day with my family…

And as 2011 comes to a close I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for stopping by to read and share in our life through this blog. I've loved all your comments and emails, even if I haven't had time to respond to them all personally. I hope you'll all join me back here for more adventures in 2012. Happy New Year!

5 gold rings

2011-12-29T20:11:00.000+11:00

Christmas this year was all a bit overwhelming. We went back up to Melbourne to spend time with our extended families, and while it was lovely we were all left feeling quite exhausted. I haven't had a chance to sort through my photos, our washing, or my head yet, but hopefully I'll be back in this space in the next few days with a full wrap up. In the mean time, I hope you're all having a merry festive season!

In which Minty is a reindeer and Turi is bitten by a duck...

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000+11:00

We went into Cowes for carols and fireworks a couple of nights ago. The council puts on free face painting, rides and an animal farm for the kids. Everyone had so much fun (apart from when Turi got bitten by a duck). It's such a nice atmosphere, since it's midweek before the school holidays start it's mostly local families. We had a picnic on the foreshore, sang carols and let the kids stay up late to watch the fireworks.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Gingerbread play dough and hot chocolate...

2011-12-22T14:50:00.000+11:00

This is the only handmade gift I've managed to photograph so far! My camera is away with the Mr for the next few days so you're all just going to have to use your imaginations and visualise the big pile of gifts I'm in the process of wrapping! While you're at it, can you also visualise that my house is spotlessly clean and I'm packed ready for family Christmas in Melbourne? Right, excellent! I suspect it may be poor form to ask people to let you photograph their gift after they've opened it but I'll give it a try, for you my lovely readers!

Minty and I made gingerbread play dough for some of the special little people in her life. I think it's nice to involve her in the process of giving and not just receiving at Christmas time. We used this recipe (though I used two tablespoons of cream of tartar when they only specify two teaspoons - I think it might be a typo?). Minty helped me package them up in old jars (I spray painted the lids) and we added a cookie cutter.

I realise I've been pretty slack at posting our advent calendar activities. I've struggled a bit to keep up with everything this year, so the blog has been a bit neglected.

Here are the kids drinking hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows and edible gold stars. Drinking hot chocolate was one of Minty's only requests for advent. We watched this sweet little video at the beginning of December and Minty felt inspired to try and recreate it. The two little girls in the video are in the process of being adopted out of the foster care system, and this is their first Christmas with their new family.

I've got another post scheduled for tomorrow but after that I'll be taking a little break until after Christmas. I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas!

Because everything looks better gold!

2011-12-21T09:15:00.000+11:00

Source: the-deli-garage.com via Susan on Pinterest

I just discovered edible gold spray paint!! Am I the only one who wants to paint their Christmas turkey gold??

House update

2011-12-19T21:52:00.000+11:00

We have a roof and most of the windows! The big windows will be glazed on site on Wednesday. Not exactly 'lock up' but still a good effort by Christmas.

These internal shots are taken from the door of our study, looking back towards the kitchen and the raised up lounge room.

And for those of you who don't care about the house, here are some conversations with Minty… Let's just say coal is on her mind.

After singing 'santa claus is coming to town' at bedtime

Minty [concerned]: I don't think Turi will be living with us soon

Me: how come?

Minty: because he's been a bit naughty

Me: Santa doesn't take the naughty children away, he just gives them a lump of coal instead of a present

Minty: I think daddy will be getting lumps of coal

---

Me [reading]: Where is the Christmas fairy? Is she behind the Christmas tree? Peekaboo! She's making wishes come true! What's your Christmas wish?

Minty [musing]: it's about presents, and toys and coal

Me: do you even know what coal is?

Minty: what?

Me: it's a dirty black rock. Believe me, you don't want one!

Minty [perplexed]: why not? I like rocks!

Possibly the most disturbing gift ever...

2011-12-16T20:08:00.000+11:00

Whilst attempting to finish off my Christmas shopping I came across this… a piggy bank made from a taxidermy piglet. Only $4000 found here. I'd like to see the look on the face of the unsuspecting gift recipient who unwrapped this on Christmas morning. Here's hoping google suggests some more appropriate gift ideas soon.

Advent: Day whatever

2011-12-13T20:00:00.000+11:00

This post is a bit of a random mishmash from last week while I was sick.

Minty has been working on some Christmas cards. Since she doesn't cope very well with craft that is too prescriptive I just gathered a bunch of colour coordinated paper, ribbon, doilies, washi tape, glitter and twine and let her go crazy collaging the cards. After she was finished I helped her put Christmas words on the cards using letter stickers, which I picked up for about $1 at the newsagents. The Mr. thinks the cards aren't 'christmassy' enough. Whatever. They're vaguely attractive.

Then we attempted to take a Christmas picture to put in the card… let's just say it wasn't particularly successful.

Meanwhile... the house is coming along nicely. The roof should start going on this week.

And because it's been a while, here are a few conversations with Minty…

discussing gifts she'd like to make

Minty: I'll need sparkly christmas jewels and bells

Me [stalling] : well we don't have any of those, so we'd have to go shopping first

Minty: OK where's a christmas shop?

Me: I don't know…

Minty [excited] : I know… in Bethlehem!

---

Minty: I love you

Mr: will you love me forever?

Minty: no, only while I'm small

Dreaming of a white Christmas...

2011-12-10T09:51:00.000+11:00

I've been sick again… hence the lack of posting. I'm having a bunch of tests done blah blah boring. Moving on to more festive subjects…

Our advent activities have been ticking along…

We let the kids stay up last night to watch 'White Christmas' on the big screen. Minty and I loved it. I was in costume heaven. Turi was really a bit overtired and too little to sit through a whole movie. But when he woke up in the morning he ran into the lounge and said, 'Movie turned off? Again! I lub it!'. The Mr. on the other hand was not at all impressed pronouncing the movie 'slow'. I am yet to convert him to a musical lover. Who doesn't love a bit of snow?

Advent: Day Four - 'decorate the tree'

2011-12-05T16:13:00.000+11:00

Source: bijouandboheme.blogspot.com via Susan on Pinterest

Ok ok so that's not actually us or our tree… that's just my fantasy tree experience - ours was somewhat less glamorous. Minty refused to change out of her grubby pyjamas and Turi had a bloody nose (hand foot and mouth is truly charming). Against my better judgement Minty convinced me to let her put the glass baubles on the tree and after only a few moments Turi squeezed one so tightly it smashed into tiny pieces in his hands. Thankfully he didn't cut himself but he gave himself an almighty fright that may well put him off tree decorating entirely in the future!

I didn't really add many new decorations this year - just some red and white ruffled streamers (made using this tutorial) to try and cover up some more of the faux green tree. I made all the red and white felt decorations in previous years, and the letters spelling 'JOY' and 'PEACE' are just those wooden (MDF?) ones you get at spotlight with some cute ribbon attached.

Advent: Day Three - 'eat a mince pie'

2011-12-03T12:34:00.000+11:00

Minty: These are horrible!

In which there is hand foot and mouth in the stable...

2011-12-02T21:20:00.000+11:00

If I had to describe my religious status I guess I'd say I was 'lapsed', 'non-practising', 'liberal' or maybe if pushed 'agnostic'. In any case it's complicated. I grew up in a very religious family and going to church and observing religious customs are a big part of my childhood memories and cultural identity. I've really wrestled with what I want to teach my kids when it comes to religion. In the end I became frozen in indecision and did nothing.

But lately I've come to the conclusion that basically I'm over thinking it. It's not like the kids have an existential crisis every time we read 'Madeline' or 'There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake', during which they grill me about whether the characters are 'real' and what deeper message they should be taking away. At this point they live in a world where the boundaries between real and imaginary are completely fluid and if I don't make an issue of it neither will they. There is plenty of time in the coming years for us all to grapple with our faith or lack there of. For now we can just enjoy the story of Jesus' birth without attaching any of the baggage.

So this year as part of our advent calendar I've bought the kids a little Nativity scene. Every few days I'll pop one of the pieces into the calendar until eventually they have the whole set. I did consider buying an attractive 'grown up' set but quickly realised that it would be one more thing I had to constantly supervise and stop people poking with their grabbing fingers. So instead I bought the playmobil set, so people can grab to their hearts content.

Today they got the stable and one little lamb. After a lot of pretend baaing and making the lamb run around the stable they got bored and added some of their Thomas trains to the mix. After all who's to say baby Jesus would have enjoyed a visit from a train?

In other news, the kids have hand foot and mouth, which is why they both look a little sad in these pictures. We have our own little leper colony going on here.

Advent: Day One

2011-12-01T18:01:00.000+11:00

And so it begins.

I was hoping to have made an attractive advent calendar by the time this December swung around, but then I was also hoping to have lost ten kilos and cleaned out the car and they didn't happen either, so whatevs. We're still using the recycled tacky red tree calendar from last year.

Once again I am filling each drawer with a Christmas activity (you can read about all our past advent activities here). This year I do have a little something up my sleeve for those days when I'm too fried to come up with an activity - more on this tomorrow.

Todays activity was 'write a letter to santa'. Minty took this quite literally and wrote the letters A, H and T on her page. When I asked Turi if he was going to come and write his letter, Minty leant over and wrote a T in the middle of his page, and then said, 'It's OK mum I've written his letter for him'.

After a bit more prompting about what she might like to ask Santa for, Minty drew a large brown scribble. When I asked her what it was she told me it was 'ice' because for Christmas she would like to go ice-skating. Her only other request was that she could visit her cousin Lily for Christmas. Turi didn't seem to grasp the concept of what we were doing and just glued a bunch of artificial leaves and glitter to his page. Not sure if I can garner any gift suggestions from this?

Since we were all at a bit of a loose end while we waited for Turi's excessively glued creation to dry, I came up with a last minute Christmas craft activity. We made little Santas out of old toilet rolls. Minty's effort is on the left, mine is on the right. Turi's effort looks a bit more like a biblical figure than santa since he eschewed the red paper clothes in favour of an extra long beard and more gold glitter. Turi likes glitter.

In which we say farewell with soap and trifle...

2011-11-29T19:56:00.000+11:00

Is everyone sick of me talking about soap yet? Apologies. My sister and her husband are moving to Canada this week and while I'm super excited for them, I'm also really going to miss them. So rather than writing a maudlin post about how they won't be here for Christmas, I'm going to talk about the soap I made as a little Christmassy/ going-away token!

For new readers you can read about my first soap making attempt with the basic 'how to' here. I used melt and pour soap bases bought here.

The green soaps are green tea, made with matcha powder I picked up in Japan. The tea is such a bright green that I didn't need to add any additional colouring. The red soaps are cinnamon flavoured (I used about 1/2 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of soap but it's best to just experiment and see how strong you like it) and coloured with a little red dye.

I used a little metal brioche mould to get the frilly shape. I think they look a bit like a christmas tree all stacked up together. I was a little scared they wouldn't come out of the tins but with a little advice from Martha Stewart it was actually pretty easy. You just have to make sure you oil the mould (I used olive oil), then when you have poured the soap in, you let it cool for 2 hours. Then put it in the freezer for 20 minutes after which time it will pop out really easily. You need to polish the soap with a little paper towel or tissue as there will be residual oil on the surface.

I made this chocolate cherry trifle (from Nigella's Feast) for the farewell lunch. My brother-in-law LOVES trifle but I have to say I'm not really a fan of the traditional kind. So this was my way of meeting somewhere in the middle. The chocolate custard was beautifully light and mousse-like and not at all eggy (which is usually the issue I have with custards). This recipe may just have converted me to a trifle lover (at least in this liberal interpretation of the term!).

house update

2011-11-25T21:11:00.000+11:00

The wall frames are virtually complete and the roof framing is starting to take shape. It is becoming increasingly difficult to take pictures that really give a sense of the space. With so much exposed framing my photos seem to end up just looking like a jumbled maze of timber. I've written captions under these photos to help you orient yourself!

View from the raised living room looking into the kitchen/dining space.

Minty sitting in her bedroom window (she found a block of chocolate on site and started tucking in!)

Minty sitting in the oversized timber window frame in the family bathroom. I absolutely love this window! The cast iron claw foot bath I'm restoring will be centred in front of the window. I'm planning on creating a an enclosed private garden space outside this picture window.

Left: Clerestory windows in the main kitchen space. The ceiling in here is wonderfully high! Right: Minty in the study / multi-purpose room.

In which the kids eat an overpriced sandwich...

2011-11-24T20:40:00.000+11:00

Turi just loves to cook pretend food. He often seeks me out around the house, little saucepan in hand and announces, 'dinner time!', with a big grin. He isn't satisfied until you pretend to eat the contents of his pan and he has offered you a pretend cup of tea. With this in mind I decided to make him some pretend food for his birthday.

I bought some felt food patterns from here ages ago and never got around to using them… until now. Honestly hand sewing is not my strong suit. I'm not very fast and I spend the whole time making mental calculations… if I'm one eighth of the way through making this felt tomato and it has taken me 15 minutes so far, if I were to charge an hourly rate of $20 for my labour, this must be the worlds most expensive sandwich! … When I'm not making pointless calculations I can usually be caught with my arm outstretched gazing at my handiwork to see if it looks ok. Procrastination is my special skill. I had intended to make quite a bit more food (maybe some cakes and sushi) but I got a bit worn out after the sandwich!

Also just wanted to recommend this etsy seller if you're looking for lovely felt that isn't too expensive. I've bought from them a few times and have always been very happy.

The darling little apron in these last two photos was sewn by one of my friends as a gift for Turi's birthday. I think it makes him look like a tiny sushi chef! Thanks Lien!

Two

2011-11-23T20:15:00.000+11:00

Turi turned two yesterday. With everything that is going on at the moment it was seeming impossible to find time to celebrate, so I decided to take a little cake down to the building site so we could all sing happy birthday together. We sat in our future dining room, with a makeshift table and camping chairs and enjoyed the view.

The cake was my go-to quick chocolate cake recipe, 'simplicity chocolate cake' from the nursing mother's cookbook. I grew up making this cake and I could do it with my eyes closed. This is the recipe I use for last minute cake emergencies, as it literally takes about 10 minutes to throw together and then 30 minutes in the oven. I decorated it with a simple chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of edible gold stars. I've included the recipe at the bottom of this post for those of you who'd like to try it out.

In lieu of traditional party hats I made the kids some little gold lace crowns (inspired by these). Basically you just paint the lace gold, coat with about 5 layers of mod podge and then hot glue the ends together. I'm sure these will be an awesome addition to our dress up collection - perfect for those moments when little people decide they need to be a prince or princess! Besides, I'm trying to make the most of the few short years that people allow me to indulge my whims and put lace on their heads!!!

After cake, I took the kids to visit our neighbour's horses. There are so many horses living in the paddocks around our new house and the kids love them so much. I've already had to start fielding requests for a pony of our own!! (My Little Pony is probably as close as they'll ever get, but I'm not quite ready to crush their dreams!)

Simplicity Chocolate Cake

60grams butter

2 tablespoons cocoa

125g self raising flour

225g sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee

grease an 8 inch ring tin (I used a 6 inch for Turi because I think the proportions look cuter). Heat the oven to 180C. Melt butter. Put all other ingredients in basin and add butter. Beat for 3 mins. Put in tin. Bake for 30mins.

Chocolate Ganache

150ml double cream

150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Put cream, chocolate (cut into small pieces) and syrup in a pan over a low heat. Whisk until the chocolate has nearly melted. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until the mix is smooth and glossy. Pour over the cake.

In which Minty is a cupcake and I am an idiot...

2011-11-20T20:34:00.000+11:00

Sorry for my disappearance this week. I had a severe allergic reaction to some antibiotics I took and have been coping with a whole bunch of crazy side effects.

Lessons learned this week (and yes in hindsight I realise these seem ridiculously obvious):

1. Whenever you take medication be sure to read the list of possible side effects listed on the leaflet inside the packet… especially if you begin to experience strange symptoms.

2. The following people are not doctors: the pharmacist, the nurses at 'nurse on call', the ladies at the health food shop, google. While they are all probably very good at their respective jobs, they have not been through med school and it is unwise to rely on them to diagnose you.

3. If you suspect you are having an allergic reaction stop taking the medication IMMEDIATELY… even if those listed in point 2 tell you it is 'highly unlikely'. Do not continue to take said medication for four days… the results will not be pretty.

In other news… Minty performed in her first ballet concert this week. She was a cupcake from the Mad Hatter's tea party. It was all very adorable, with most of the 'tiny creative' class staggering about like stunned deer in the headlights. Minty loved it. Sadly I couldn't take even a single photo of her in her costume, since parents weren't allowed to watch any of the rehearsals or go backstage and no photography was permitted in the theatre. I never even got to see her costume close up. One can of course pay for a photo from the 'official photographer' of the kids on stage, but I really think it's a shame that there was no opportunity to take candid portraits. I'm not really sure why a little kids ballet concert has to be such a commercial enterprise.

This is the one and only (slightly blurry) photo I have of the girls relaxing in between performances.

house update

2011-11-13T19:44:00.000+11:00

five years...

2011-11-12T20:55:00.000+11:00

It's our fifth wedding anniversary today. Looking back at the pictures I can't believe how young we look. It was such a fun day!

Pizza scrolls and an apology...

2011-11-11T13:18:00.000+11:00

I've been a bit slack sharing recipes lately. A few people emailed me asking for details about my calzones (back in August!!!) and I was fully intending to do a post with the full recipe. Then I got busy and forgot about it. Apologies, I'll try and get around to it soon. In the mean time, I hope you all enjoy this recipe for pizza scrolls that I've been playing around with.

This is my answer to those mini pizza rolls that the kids nag for whenever we walk past Bakers Delight. I always feel a little guilty when I buy them since I think we can safely assume that those weird little processed ham pieces come from factory farmed pigs. Now that coles stocks free range bacon it's pretty easy to make a much yummier, guilt free alternative at home (and it's also a great way to get the kids to eat a few more veggies at snack time). The basic dough recipe could be used for all kinds of different scrolls - you could do sweet ones with fruit or even some hazelnut spread or chocolate ganache if you're feeling devilish!

For the dough:

375g self raising flour

57g butter

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 220C. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips to form a sandy texture. Stir in the milk with a fork then knead to form dough.

Next make filling of your choice. Here is what I used…

basic tomato pasta sauce (either home made if you have it or from a jar if you're feeling lazy)

grated cheese

1 onion diced

6 slices bacon diced

1 tbspn olive oil

1 finger eggplant sliced finely

1 zucchini grated

Fry the onion and bacon in olive oil until the bacon is crispy. Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften. Add the zucchini and saute for a minute or two until beginning to soften.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll each into a long rectangle (approx 12x6 inches and 1/4 inch thick - don't get too pedantic though these are just rough estimates!). Spread the dough with a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce. Spread over the vegetables and then sprinkle with grated cheese. Roll from the long edge to form a long sausage shape and cut each of your two sausages into 8 pieces. Put on a tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with some more cheese.

Bake for approx 18 mins. Keep an eye on them - the oven is pretty hot and you don't want them to burn. If they look like they're getting a bit too brown too early you can always pop some foil on top.

These taste best straight from the oven when they're still warm.

house update

2011-11-09T20:00:00.000+11:00

These first two pictures were taken out at the Rescue Centre in Wonthaggi. We took the girls there to see a production of Pinocchio put on by a local theatre group. It really is a gorgeous location, amid sprawling fields of grass and old ramshackle farm buildings. I'm itching to head out there again for one of the upcoming twilight markets, with the express purpose of taking some more photos. I didn't really feel like I could make the kids hang around while I got my photography fix since it was right on lunch time!

And now for a house update… we have a floor! It makes a great stage for twirling! The wall frames have been delivered but with the threat of tonight's storms looming we had to tuck them all to bed under tarpaulins instead of erecting them.

In which there is collapsed cake and Minty objects to soap as a gift...

2011-11-07T07:51:00.000+11:00

It was my sister's birthday this weekend so I thought it would be fun for Minty and I to make some soap for her. When I told Minty she became really distressed and exclaimed, 'Oh no, oh no! A soap present?!' She could not comprehend why anyone would want to receive soap as a gift! After getting over this initial distress, she had great fun helping me make the soap. As I wanted to make this a child friendly exercise I opted to use melt and pour bases (bought here) to which we added our more specialised ingredients. Basically you just melt some of the base in a glass jug in the microwave, mix in any additions you are using and then pour them into a mould which you have sprayed with vegetable oil. Spritz the top with rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles and then leave them to set. This takes a couple of hours and then you can pop them out. Our soaps (clockwise from top) were goats milk and honey; camomile; honey and oatmeal; and cinnamon and clove. This really is a fun thing to do with kids - it's very easy and yields quick results.

Here is the birthday cake I made. Three layers of meringue, sandwiched with alternating layers of chocolate ganache and mascarpone cream which had been laced with chocolate liqueur. Though by all accounts this cake was delicious (in a diabetic coma inducing sort of way), it was an epic construction disaster. I won't go into the details, but let's just say a series of minor baking errors compounded and caused the top layer of the cake to slide off onto the bench in a puddle of ganache. I tried to remain calm and salvaged it as best I could, though it did end up looking like a bit of a dogs breakfast. I'm not going to share recipe details now as I'm determined to try this out again when I'm in my new kitchen with a better oven. Hopefully my second attempt will be more visually appealing!

These are the miniature 'dry' versions of the cake I made for the kids. I didn't think it would be particularly responsible parenting to inebriate my children with chocolate liqueur, though perhaps they would have gone to bed a bit more easily! As it was they were bouncing off the walls on a sugar high!

Conversations with Minty...

2011-11-01T12:03:00.000+11:00

Minty: it's ok if I just borrow some chocolate

Me: well it's not really borrowing if you eat it is it? because you're not going to give it back

Minty: well… I just gave it to my stomach so that's ok.

hmn

Minty: I want a toilet drink

Me: what's a toilet drink

Minty: it's banana and ginger and a crazy kind of milk… whiz it together and it makes a crazy kind of milkshake

Me: where have you heard of a toilet drink?

Minty: they have it in California

Excerpts From the Dictionary of Minty

spectacliar = spectacular

bone = bow

nuggets = maggots

brain = any kind of hairstyle other than a ponytail in which the hair is tied up - derived from the root word braid.

All pictures are from my niece's first birthday party this weekend. Happy Birthday baby Lilly!

Building progress...

2011-10-28T20:18:00.000+11:00

Just a quick peek at the subfloor framing of our new house. I didn't really have the right lens on my camera to get a wide shot of the building work so you'll have to use your imagination a bit. I love the last photo because Mint looks so tiny next to the stumps!

Birthday ice-cream...

2011-10-27T11:21:00.000+11:00

Ok so we're still experiencing technical difficulties hence the lack of posting this week. At least this means I've had a chance to get a little bit of sewing done. This little blouse is for my niece who is having her first birthday on the weekend. Luckily she's too young to read this blog so I can post it without threat of spoiling the surprise! Not that one year olds get excited by unwrapping clothes. I'm sure she'll think my gift is a bit naff and would rather receive something that spins around, has flashing lights and/or makes lots of noise, but hopefully her parents will appreciate this.

The pattern is my all time favourite from Oliver+S, the ice-cream blouse. It's made with buttery soft double gauze (from Japan), which was a bit of a bugger to sew with but should be dreamy to wear on a hot summers day. The button is a little vintage four leaf clover which was hiding in my stash, and just happens to be almost the exact size and colour of the clovers on the fabric. Serendipitous no? I think it adds just a little touch of whimsy.

Catch up...

2011-10-23T19:42:00.000+11:00

Sorry for the disappearance (yet again) this week. My internet is on the fritz and only works intermittently. Hopefully these technical difficulties will be sorted out soon but until then here is a bit of a catch up on the week that was...

-Most of the stumps have been poured for the new house and the first bearers are laid out. This is super exciting since now I can balance in the new multi-purpose room (office/ study /sewing room) and see a glimpse of the ocean!

-I chopped all my hair off (when I say all I really mean about 8 inches). I now have a shaggy bob which initially I loved. It felt freeing and like a stand for feminism. That is until the Mr. said I looked like his mum. No offence intended toward the mother-in-law who is a stylish lady, but I really was not intending to age myself 25 years with my hair cut.

-I have given up sugar for 6 weeks. I was struggling in the grip of an intense sugar addiction. I tend to binge on sugary treats when I am stressed out and my diet was beginning to look more like a square than a pyramid. So far it has been 7 days sugar free. I was hoping I would feel dramatically different - full of energy and a verve for life. Instead I have felt ridiculously tired by 3pm and have started having to have an afternoon coffee. Things better improve in week two or I'm going to crack and eat a bowl of ice-cream and a snickers.

-The photos in this post are of a little activity I did with the kids. We used the (thrifted) embroidery hoops, some hessian, wool scraps and some big plastic sewing needles I picked up at zart (the most amazing shop for art and craft supplies) and the kids did a spot of primitive embroidery. Minty really didn't have the patience for this activity, since we were visiting her friend Aerin's house at the time (did I mention Aerin has a trampoline, and a cubby house with a swing and slide? …Minty was kind of busy) Aerin on the other hand was thoroughly absorbed and had a great time. This definitely requires constant parental involvement (rethreading needles etc) so isn't the kind of thing you would give little kids to do independently but was pretty fun just the same.

This activity was inspired by Janelle over at Heart Felt - I can't find the exact post (honestly I hunted for it for ages so if anyone knows the link could they message me so I can include it?). Worth popping over to have a read of her blog if you haven't already, it's always inspiring!

This is Minty's effort - her embroidery hoop was a bit too big for the hessian which did make things a bit more difficult and may have contributed to her lack of enthusiasm.

This week in the kitchen...

2011-10-16T14:20:00.000+11:00

Very quick and easy raspberry sorbet (gently heat 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water to make a syrup, then blend with 1 cup frozen raspberries. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Pop in the freezer for half an hour to chill and then churn in your ice-cream machine. If you don't have an ice-cream machine you can just leave it in the freezer for a couple of hours, stirring every half hour or so to keep the texture light)

Green tea ice-cream made with some very special matcha powder I bought in Japan. Matcha is an incredibly popular flavour in Japan (probably akin to vanilla here in Aus) - you can get matcha flavoured kit kats, cookies, ice-cream - just about anything you can think of. It really is delicious and I couldn't get enough of it when we were in Tokyo.

I just had to show you a photo of this packaging! After wrapping the matcha tin with intricate origami style folds the lady in the shop presented it to me and said in a self-deprecating way 'is this ok?' Amazing! I wanted to hug her and ask her for gift wrapping lessons!!

Pumpkin and asparagus quiche (recipe found here). I was too tired to make pastry and this was just a week-night dinner so I cheated by lining a greased pie dish with thinly sliced slightly stale bread and then pouring over an egg beaten with a little milk to moisten it. I'm not going to try and tell you it's as good as pastry (because let's face it, nothing is as good as pastry!) but it's certainly passable as a quicker and healthier alternative.

Wholemeal spaghetti with kale and swiss brown mushrooms sautéed with some onion and garlic in a little home-made chicken stock.

(almost) conversations with Turi...

2011-10-13T12:34:00.000+11:00

Apologies for my whining yesterday. I had a good night's sleep last night and today life looks much better. So to spread a little positivity I'm sharing a little bit of cute with you today. This is a little felt mask I made for Turi to wear to a goldilocks and the three bears party a while ago. Needless to say he wouldn't wear it at the party but it has had a bit of a workout at home (the perfect accessory to a frilly skirt of course!)

Sweet little Turi's speech has exploded in the last couple of weeks. It is like having a tiny foreign exchange student from Northern Ireland giving a commentary on the entire day. At first you don't think he's speaking english but if you screw your face up hard enough and tilt your head to one side you realise that in fact he is speaking in complete sentences. Last night he said to me 'I want to watch giggle and hoot mummy' (well actually he said 'I wan what goggle an who mummy' but I got the message). His favourite phrase is 'I wan pay side' which at first sounded like lyrics from a gangsta rap but I finally figured out translates to 'I want to play outside'. But I am ashamed to admit the utterance I found most endearing to date was when he dropped his sausage, gazed down at it sadly and said softly and innocently, 'shit'. My little bear is growing up.

In which we get a bit of retail therapy...

2011-10-12T19:51:00.000+11:00

All the extra work that comes with building a new house is beginning to take it's toll. I'm tired and cranky and fantasising about taking caffeine intravenously. I was supposed to take the kids to playgroup this morning but after realising we were going to be hideously late, and with both kids acting as though I was trying to strap explosive devices to their feet rather than simply put on their shoes, I decided we would take a day off. Honestly I think spending two hours cooped up in a room with 20 or so other kids, when my own kids were already driving me to distraction, was going to make me homicidal. Instead we got ready at a leisurely pace and I took the kids to lunch and to hang out at the playground.

Then we all did a spot of thrift shopping. Op-shopping is about the only kind of shopping I enjoy with the kids nowadays. Unlike with most shops, kids aren't treated as pariahs and most of the elderly volunteers are actually pleased to see them. The kids can happily play in the toy section without fear of breaking something (since most of the toys are very well loved already) and I can potter about looking at vintage sheets and doilies. Everyone is happy!

We got some great loot today and all for a total of under $10. First up is a fantastic little alphabet puzzle - each letter matches up with a picture beginning with that letter and on the back of the pieces are the upper and lower case letters.

This cash register was a steal at $2. It has a fully functioning calculator, beeps when you press the scanning button, has a scale on the top to weigh produce and of course a pop open money drawer. It's a bit more 'plastic fantastic' than I would usually go for but Turi loves it!

We also got this alphabet pop up book. It's pretty fragile and probably won't last long with Turi's snatching fingers but for $1 it doesn't really matter. Last but not least, I bought an embroidery hoop (not pictured) for a little kid's project I have planned for later in the week… stay tuned!

In which I master the art of cooking rice...

2011-10-10T15:13:00.000+11:00

The rice in Japan is exquisite. The rice I make at home on the other hand was always a bit sub par. Once I tried to make sushi and let's just say it was an epic fail. I blamed my rice cooker (blame the tools - that's just how I roll!). That is until I found this site which explains how to cook rice properly. It was as if my eyes had been opened for the first time. I had heard of people washing rice before but I always kind of thought it was an optional extra. A bit like when a recipe tells you to pick over the lentils (what? I should be doing that too??) And soaking rice?? Who knew? I admit the process is much more time consuming, and uses a lot more water (maybe collect the extra to water some plants if you're feeling like being an eco-angel), but the difference is astounding.

With my new found rice cooking skills I can finally make onigiri. These are rice balls with a little surprise filling in the centre. These ones I made with tuna and mayo, and some with chopped up pickles but the possibilities are endless. The faces are cut out of nori with some cute little punches I bought in Japan. Honestly picking up all the little face pieces with tweezers is not for the faint hearted (though if you liked playing operation as a kid this might be a cooking task you'd enjoy!!) Onigiri are great for packed lunches - a bit easier for kids to keep neat than sushi.

Portrait

2011-10-05T16:18:00.000+11:00

In which old George is laid to rest (accompanied by completely unrelated pictures)…

2011-10-04T13:17:00.000+11:00

OK so I somehow managed to disappear again last week.. sorry. I've been spending a lot of time trying to design the kitchen for the new house. As with all things it is a balancing act between functionality, aesthetics and budget. The major layout of the kitchen is fairly locked in and I'm 100% sure I want concrete bench tops but other than that the jury is still out. I've been doodling ideas, shopping for appliances and pinning inspiration on pinterest. You can check out my kitchen board to see where my head is at (incidentally if any of you aren't already on pinterest and would like an invite, shoot my an email and I'll hook you up)

A few months ago I bought the most beautiful vintage St George cooker with double ovens and warming drawers. It was set to be the showpiece of the new kitchen. It dated from the 1940s and came with the original manual. I can't even begin to tell you how much I fell in love with it. It was cream enamel with gorgeous emerald green knobs and any disadvantage there might have been from having a terribly old electric cooktop was far outweighed in my mind by the thought of dreamily dancing about my kitchen like Betty Draper cooking roly poly pudding (not that Betty ever actually cooked anything - so maybe more like Betty's African American housekeeper!). By all accounts the ovens on these early model St Georges were some of the best ever made with fantastic heat distribution. Sadly after visits from three different oven repairmen (including a lovely old gentleman who was a specialist St George repairman when these were new) we had to accept that the stove could not be repaired to an acceptably functional and electrically safe standard. I've been going through a mourning period.

I began the hunt for a slightly newer 1960s model (apparently the supermatic is the best vintage model to buy) but after much deliberation and failing to find anything in good condition I came to the conclusion that maybe I needed a gas cooktop after all. So I've made a leap and bought a much more energy efficient electric St George wall oven (relatively modern from the late 90s) and separate gas cooktop. At $300 this was a splurge compared to my original 99cent spend but by any normal standards an absolute steal. So functionality definitely won this battle over aesthetics.

So in loving memory of the old St George I give you the recipe for roly poly pudding from the original St George Master De-Luxe manual (strap yourselves in - it uses suet!!)

ROLY POLY PUDDING

1 lb. flour

1/2 lb. suet

1 teaspoon baking powder

big pinch salt

jam (to taste)

Method: Mix flour, chopped suet, baking powder and salt together, add a little cold water, roll dough into a long piece about 1/4 inch thick. Spread jam on, moisten edges and roll up lightly. Wet edges and seal up ends, wrap the pudding in a scalded cloth and secure ends with string. Boil 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

hat

2011-09-29T11:02:00.000+10:00

As a general rule I don't let the kids choose their own clothes. Left to their own devices they'd probably end up looking like a crazy homeless person and a transvestite hooker in various states of undress. Until the answer to every fashion question is no longer 'hot pink sparkles', I have appointed myself as stylist. But just to give the kids a little freedom of expression I occasionally break my own rule and let them pick something out. This hat was one such concession. The weather is warming up and both the kids were in need of a new hat. I let Minty look through my fabric stash and she chose this pink Alexander Henry 'dear zoo' print. It's quite loud and honestly I'd never intended to use it for a garment (I had it earmarked for a library bag or a backpack) but I think the end result is pretty cute. And if it means there are going to be fewer arguments over being sun smart I think we'll all be happy! The hat is reversible, but I don't actually have any photos of the other side. It's a more subtle pink and white stripe, so it should fit the bill when more sedate head wear is required. The pattern is from Liesl Gibson's Little Things to Sew.

In which Danny comes to breakfast...

2011-09-27T10:36:00.000+10:00

My kids are wretched first thing in the morning. Low blood sugar prior to breakfast inevitably leads to some combination of sobbing, whining and brawling, with flash points caused by disputes over who will or will not get honey drizzled on their porridge, and who will get to sit on the much coveted pink chair. The usual scene at breakfast time, involves the two kids jostling at the child gate to the kitchen, both chanting 'I want pink' with increasing hostility, whilst I hurriedly try to make the porridge before someone comes to blows or bites someones ear off. By the time the breakfast is ready it is not uncommon for one or both children to be so overcome with grief that they are unable to eat a single bite. On the very worst mornings, my solution is to invite Danny Kaye (via youTube) to breakfast. There really isn't much Danny can't fix. I defy anyone to start the morning with 'the best things happen while you're dancing' and not feel energised and ready to face just about anything. Other firm favourites include the songs from Hans Christian Anderson (particularly the ugly duckling), everything is tickety-boo and of course lullaby in ragtime. By the time breakfast is over Turi is usually tapping around the lounge swinging his best broadway arms!

house update

2011-09-26T12:36:00.000+10:00

I've been taking a bit of a blog nap. Although stacks has been going on around these parts, I have writers block and can't seem to commit fingers to the keyboard. Things have been rather hectic the last couple of weeks with the Mr spending long hours on site, while I take on a virtual solo parenting role.

To give you a bit of a house update, after a lot of drama our power has finally been connected on site and our solar panels have been installed, (just in the nick of time for us to receive the grant!) Since we don't have a house to put them on yet, they had to be ground mounted (you can see the structure behind Turi in the photo on the right). We've also had the site excavated, ready to start digging the stumps this week.

I'm going to try and push through my writing funk and post a bit more this week, but for now I'm off the take the kids to the swimming pool and try and make the most of this glorious day.

Bean bag games

2011-09-15T19:05:00.000+10:00

OK so I'm not really comfortable calling this a sewing project since the sewing involved was minimal and basic at best but I'm going to share this anyway since it's all I've achieved this week.

Minty seems to have boundless energy at the moment and for those times when it's impractical to take her out (too wet, too hot, Turi's naptime) I've been trying to come up with some indoor games that channel this energy for good rather than evil. I was talking to my mum about it and she reminded me of those little bean bags that kids use in primary school for physical development class. So I decided to make some of my own. Mine are 5inch squares, sewn from vintage sheets and fabric scraps I had in my stash. Minty helped pin up the squares and when I had whipped around the edges on the machine she filled them up with lentils from a bowl using a teaspoon (is it just me or does spooning lentils sound like something those Montessori folk would get up to?).

Now I know these little bean bags don't look like much but there are hundreds of different games you can play with them if you use a little imagination. To get you started here are a few ideas (found here, here and here):

throw beanbag in the air and catch it (to make it harder turn around while it is in the air)
throw beanbag up and backwards over your head and try and catch it behind your back
throw beanbag in air, clap your hands once and catch it
throw beanbag in air and clap your hands under your right leg before catching it again. Then try with the other leg.
throw beanbag up, jump, then try to catch it. Try jumping twice, then three times.
throw it up, kneel down and try and catch it.
throw and catch with just your right hand, then just your left.
balance the beanbag on your foot, then throw it up and catch it from there. Try with the other foot.
Throw the bean bag in the air and try and catch it on your foot.
Try running with the beanbag balanced on your head. Now try jumping. Kneel down and stand up again or sit down. Try climbing the stairs. Try doing these with two, then three beanbags balanced on your head.
Now try walking, running, jumping etc with the beanbag balanced on your shoulder.
Play catch with the beanbags.
Set up hoops, buckets, or boxes (maybe the laundry basket!) and try throwing the beanbags in from a distance. You can allocate harder targets more points to make the game more complicated.
play tic tac toe by drawing up a grid with masking tape on the floor, or chalk outside and then throw the beanbags in the squares to try and get three in a row.
Stand up some paper towel tubes on the floor and toss the beanbags at them to try and knock them down.
Set up some coloured cardboard shapes on the floor and ask the kids to throw a beanbag into a specific shape or colour. Or try and throw a specific number of bean bags on a particular shape.
Set up a pretend pond with lilly pads made from cardboard or cloths on the floor. Use some stuffed toys to be crocodiles. Give each kid three beanbags (frogs) and ask them to try and throw their frog onto a lilly pad. The winner is whoever keeps the most frogs safe from the crocodiles by landing them on the lily pads.

So far Minty has played lots of balancing and catch games. Turi on the other hand is only interested in using the bean bags as pillows and mattresses for his toys!!

Conversations with Minty...

2011-09-13T22:24:00.000+10:00

Minty: Did you know that a zebra with black and orange stripes is a tiger?

In which we eat our words...

2011-09-12T20:12:00.000+10:00

Minty has recently become interested in learning her letters. Now I know some parents out there are hard core Steiner converts and don't believe in teaching kids to write until they are 6 years old. If you fall into this camp you will probably think I am cramping my child's creative spirit and hindering her ability to enjoy childhood. At the other end of the spectrum there are those parents whose children came out of the womb holding a pencil in a pincer grasp and are well on the way to writing their first novel by age 3. These parents will probably be shocked that Minty still can't write her own name.

This post isn't intended as some kind of educational manifesto. At the moment I'm just following the kids interests and trying to keep everything light hearted and fun. With this in mind I'm going to share with you a few games we've been playing and things we've been doing to help Minty take the very first steps toward literacy.

So as not to overwhelm Minty, I'm just showing her the letters in her name and Turi's name to start off with. When she's got these down we'll move on if she's still interested.

One of the activities we've done is to make sand letters. I found the idea here. Basically you just write each letter on a card with some glue and let your child tip sand on it. Shake off the excess sand and leave it to dry. Minty uses the cards to trace over the letter with her finger. The textural nature of these apparently help kids to remember the shape of the letter when they are learning to write.

Another game we're playing is a sort of letter scramble game. I've written all the letters to Turi and Minty's names on bits of paper. I mix them all up on the floor and then Minty tries to peg them up on the clothes horse in order to spell out the names.

In another attempt to encourage letter recognition we made alphabet cookies today. I used this recipe. This activity encouraged a lot of dialogue about the different letters. Talking about their shapes and which letter we were cutting out of the dough. When Minty asks for a cookie, I try to ask her which letter she would like from a selection of two ('would you like this letter M or this letter T?') I also like to think there is an element of maths to this activity, while the kids frantically try to work out which letter has the greatest surface area so that they can choose the biggest cookie!

Since I know you are all such a creative bunch, do you have any more fun ideas for learning the alphabet?

Go fish!

2011-09-08T10:05:00.000+10:00

I don't think I'm alone in thinking gifts for boys are hard… and even harder when you're trying to come up with something hand made. So I'm excited to share my latest sewing project with you. It's a magnetic fishing game I made for one of Minty's little friends who just turned four. He loves going fishing with his dad and has a boat made out of cardboard boxes permanently set up in their lounge room so I had a feeling this would be perfect for him. I'm pretty sure I was right! He seemed genuinely excited with his gift and even stopped mid-party to give it a try. Minty loved it too and was pretty reluctant to give it away!

The fish are fairly simple, primitive designs. I just sketched the patterns free-hand but if you wanted to make these yourself and felt nervous I'm sure you'd be able to find some fish templates if you googled around. I used fabric from my stash - some Heather Ross mendocino, Joelle Hoverson cake rock beach and some other solids and linen I had lying around. Each fish has a small washer stitched to it's nose. Originally I was planning on sewing these inside but with all the stuffing and fabric the magnet wasn't strong enough to pick them up. The rod is made with a dowel and string. The magnet is glued to the end of the string as the magnet was too hard to drill through. I also made a simple drawstring bag to store the fish in (don't you just love little drawstring bags for storing little toys?!)

Conversations with Minty...

2011-09-07T17:38:00.000+10:00

Me: I'm getting really fed up with you today.

Minty [exasperated]: me too because you keep shouting at me!

Kids' stuff...

2011-09-06T20:02:00.000+10:00

Bubble wands and watercolours… what's not to love?

In which I make a bombe...

2011-09-05T13:11:00.000+10:00

We've had a bit of a crazy weekend this week celebrating a kids party, a wedding, father's day and my father-in-law's 60th birthday. With so many lovely things it's hard to know what to blog about, so I'm just going to skip straight to one of my favourite things about a celebration and that is baking cake (of course)!

My father-in-law's two favourite cakes of all time are Prinsesstarta (Swedish princess cake) and Bombe Alaska. Since I hadn't ever eaten Prinsesstarta before I thought I'd have more hope of success making a Bombe Alaska. For the uninitiated a bombe alaska has a sponge base, with a mound of ice-cream in the centre, all covered with mountainous pillowy clouds of meringue. It is a bit of a leap of faith baking ice-cream in the oven but the meringue acts like an insulating blanket and stops it from melting.

The cake was a big hit. I think it might be my new favourite - for it's theatricality and unbeatable kitsch. I'm looking forward to experimenting with different flavours next time. If you'd like to make your own here is how you do it...

If you're feeling lazy you can buy a tub of ice-cream but really I think it is well worth making your own.

Vanilla ice-cream (recipe from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop - aka the best ice-cream book ever!)

250ml whole milk

150g sugar

500ml heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (I really recommend buying a good quality vanilla bean not just those crappy rock hard ones you can buy in a packet at the supermarket. It makes a big difference and if you are going to all the trouble of making your own ice-cream you want it to be amazing)

6 large egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm the milk, sugar, 250ml of the cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean as well. Cover and remove from the heat and let steep at room temperature for 30mins.

Pour the remaining 250ml cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, the scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, with a heat proof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Put the vanilla bean into the custard, add the vanilla extract and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (overnight). Remove the vanilla bean and churn in your ice-cream maker according to the instructions.

Line a small bowl (pudding shaped is best - I used one that was about 61/2inch diameter. You need the diameter to be about 2inches smaller than the diameter of your cake tin) with glad wrap. Fill bowl with ice-cream, cover and freeze. When it comes time to assemble the bombe sit the bowl in hot water for a few seconds and the ice-cream should tip out fairly easily. Pop the glad wrap covered ice-cream back in the freezer to harden up for a few minutes before assembling the cake.

Sponge Base (recipe from Nigella Lawson's Feast - I've tweaked the method a little)

100g butter

6 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

100g plain flour

25g cornflour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

finely grated zest 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 200C. Butter and line a 25cm (I used a 21cm) springform tin with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer. Then beat in the egg yolks, then the vanilla and zest and finally the dry ingredients.

Spread into the prepared tin and bake for 12-15mins until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

You can make this in advance and put it in the freezer (thaw for 2 hours at room temperature before assembling the cake).

Meringue and putting it all together (recipe from Nigella Lawson's Feast - again I've tweaked the method a little)

6 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

200g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 220C and put the shelf down low.

Whisk the egg whites until they are foamy and then add the salt and cream of tartar and then continue whisking until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition by which time you should have a thick and glossy meringue mixture.

Place the cake base on a baking tray. Unmould the ice-cream onto the base (see notes under ice-cream) or if you are using a bought tub scoop softened ice-cream into a mound on the cake making sure you leave an edge of sponge around the outside.

Pile the meringue over the top of the ice-cream and completely cover the sponge top and sides, creating a mountainous swirly effect. Make sure no ice-cream is showing through as it will melt in the oven if not protected by the meringue.

Put it into the oven for up to 10 minutes until it has turned golden in colour - keep an eye on it! Eat immediately!

I missed out on seeing my dad on father's day so I just wanted to give him a bit of a shout out here. Thanks for being all around generally awesome - those times you cleaned out my car and filled out my tax return didn't go unnoticed!!!

Portrait: water wally

2011-08-30T20:14:00.000+10:00

This week in the kitchen...

2011-08-28T20:58:00.000+10:00

The Mr. caught a load of garfish so I made Thai fishcakes (sorry no pictures of the actual fish cakes - I was too busy eating them!) I'm a big fan of garfish for a couple of reasons: firstly they are sustainable since they are small and prolific; secondly they are really good for you since you can eat the small bones which are a great source of calcium; and most importantly they are very yummy! Since I was making the fish cakes for the kids I popped the gar through my grinder (after I'd gutted them and removed the heads and spines) on the fine setting to make sure all the bones were thoroughly crushed.

The Mr. also caught some crabs which we used in a creamy pasta sauce. The kids had great fun playing with the live crabs and examining all the different parts. I think it's really good to get them involved with their food so they have a sense of where it's coming from.

My new favourite way to use excess veggies from our weekly veg box is in calzones. They're a bit easier for the kids to manage than a regular pizza and you can hide things like rainbow chard, that they wouldn't normally be too keen on, inside!! Plus the left overs make a great packed lunch for the Mr. to take to the building site the next day.

As always shoot me an email or comment if you'd like more info or recipes for any of the above.

I like big butt(on)s and I cannot lie...

2011-08-25T10:48:00.000+10:00

This is my take on the Oliver+S Sunday Brunch Jacket. I made it with some linen I bought while we were in Japan and I bound the seams with some pink and white stripy cotton I had in my stash. The jacket is supposed to have four little buttons (a bit like a band jacket) but the proportions looked a bit off next to the small polkadots so I switched them for one big button. To be honest I couldn't really be bothered sewing four button holes and I doubt Minty would ever sit still long enough for me to do them all up anyway!

Apologies for the slightly crummy photos - my pneumonia patient wasn't interested in moving to a better lighting situation so we had to make do!

Conversations with Minty... lessons in generosity

2011-08-24T20:22:00.000+10:00

Minty decided she wanted to wrap up one of her (half used) sticker books as a present for her best friend Aerin...

Me: you know if you give it away you won't get it back. If you give it to Aerin she will get to keep it.

Minty: that's ok. I don't mind. I like to give things away.

Me: that's a good way to be.

Minty: I like to give away Turi's things to me.

29

2011-08-22T19:44:00.000+10:00

Turi enjoys the birthday balloons in his PJs (our new family uniform)

Sorry for dropping off the radar. Minty has pneumonia. I thought pneumonia was just one of those things like scurvy that parents use to threaten you into being more sensible, 'if you don't put your jacket on before you go out you'll catch pneumonia!'. Apparently people actually do get it in 'real life' too. She should be fine - just needs to have plenty of rest and antibiotics.

While I was gone I turned 29. I spent the night of my birthday sleeping on the floor next to the toilet while my insides tried to find their way outside. No I was not hung over. Just another lovely side effect of the (swine/avian/rodent??) flu we've been fighting for the last three weeks.

29 is a funny age. It's the last year before I turn officially 'old' and I feel like I should be making some kind of bucket list for my 20s. Strangely though I can't think of anything to put on it. I'm not sure whether that means I'm happy or just boring. To be honest I feel pretty old already.

Just this morning I found myself listening to Alanis Morissett's Jagged Little Pill. The album was released back when I was an awkward, angsty teen and at the time Alanis was the embodiment of cool. Now I find the songs whiney rather than relatable and as a mother the whole album is a little scary. It's like a musical warning that if I mess up my kids enough, when they're adults they'll write songs about how it's all my fault 'we'll love you just the way you are… if you're perfect', while they fling their greasy hair about, bum cigarettes, get into kabala and have an eating disorder. Clearly I am mentally middle aged.

One thing I am going to try and do this year is take better care of myself. I know it's a cliche but since having the kids I've put my health as a low priority. For instance, in the morning I'm usually so busy making sure everyone else eats a balanced breakfast, that I end up scoffing a piece of toast and a coffee while I bundle everyone into the car. From now on my body is a temple… so only come worshipping if you bring offerings of chocolate! I jest… (sort of)

why I had kids...

2011-08-13T19:49:00.000+10:00

Tablecloth cubby house

2011-08-11T11:29:00.000+10:00

I've been wanting to make an under-the-table tablecloth cubby house for ages now but it isn't really practical at our house. Our dining table currently doubles as the Mr's work desk so we don't really want to encourage little people to hang out there. So when a friend was trying to come up with a present for her daughter's fourth birthday I seized my chance and talked her into it! To be fair, she was a little apprehensive about the scale of the project and I cajoled her into it with my excitement and enthusiasm. I may have even used the phrase, 'it will be quick and easy!'.

In hindsight I wouldn't exactly say it was 'quick'. It took quite a bit longer than I thought it was going to and there was a lot of math involved as we nutted out all the sizes from my dream house sketch! But seeing as we were working on it as a collaborative effort it wasn't too bad and I think the end result was worth it. The kids had great fun at the party popping in and out of the new cottage!

The main structure of the house is made with a bunch of old sheets. We used purple for the 'roof' since it was going to have food on top and we didn't want it to look instantly dirty. There are four chair flaps on the sides so that most of the chairs can still be pushed under the table when it is in use. The door is a gorgeous floral vintage sheet and the appliqued flowers are made with some liberty scraps I had in my stash.

If I'm honest I'm pretty unhappy with these photos. They don't really do the play house justice (it is even more adorable in real life!). I didn't really have the right lens on my camera and the kids weren't really in the mood to cooperate amongst the party revelry. I might have another go at it another day but for now I'm trying to relax and not be so much of a perfectionist!

Nuts

2011-08-09T16:02:00.000+10:00

For the kids' playgroup snack this morning I made these carrot muffins. But in an epic moment of parental failure I put walnuts in the muffins… it is of course a 'nut free' playgroup. So rather than risk causing anaphylaxis in someone else's child I rummaged in our empty pantry for an alternative. Poor Minty and Turi ended up with a torn up tortilla left over from last night's dinner… and I forgot their drink bottle. We were 40 minutes late. I'm pretty sure the kids looked like victims of serious neglect, and their sad faces upon opening the lunchbox aroused pity from the other parents, who were kind enough to share some of their own kid's lunches! So on the cosmic parental report card I think I'm scoring a D minus today. Oh well - I'll try and make it up to them tomorrow.

Flu

2011-08-08T18:08:00.000+10:00

Sorry for the disappearance last week. The whole family was struck down with the flu and I spent most of the week comatose on the couch.

These are some photos I took before we all got sick. I realised it is seriously hard to take good shots of kids jumping on a trampoline - especially if you are also jumping on the trampoline with your camera at the same time. This is clearly a skill I need to work on.

Here is my favourite conversation with Minty from the week, which happened while I was trying to give her some sage advice about relationships:

Me: you know your friends will still like you even if you stand up for yourself sometimes

Minty: but sometimes they'd like me to sit down

Indeed.

Foot painting

2011-07-29T19:16:00.000+10:00

This afternoon, Minty was enjoying the sunshine in the backyard, while I did a spot of sewing inside. I was just beginning to make some real progress when there was a knock at the door. It was Minty, 'muum, can you get me some paper? I'm going to do some footprint painting!'

My first instinct was to say no. I wasn't really in the mood to have to clean up a painting project. But then I stopped myself. This is exactly the kind of creativity I've been hoping to inspire in Minty. I don't want to be the kind of parent who is always deflating the fun out of her ideas with my adult abhorrence for mess. And I had to admit, footprint painting sounded like awesome fun (why hadn't I thought of it?!)

So I dropped what I was doing and found her the supplies for her art project. She spent the next hour squelching around making paintings with her feet and dotting intricate polka dot patterns on the page with her fingers. I didn't take any photos, I just tried to be present with her in the moment.

Today's photos are from my mum's birthday last weekend. They've been trapped on my flash card since the computer I use for downloading decided to show me it's blue screen of death last week. So a belated happy birthday to my wonderful mum! And just in case you're wondering, no I didn't secretly pop out another baby, that is my cutie niece Lily!

In which silence is golden...

2011-07-28T13:36:00.000+10:00

If there's one thing I've learned in my three and a half years of parenting, it's that if the children are quiet for any length of time something fishy is going on.

After a wonderful afternoon exploring the rockpools with Minty's best friend Aerin, the kids were playing quietly in the bedroom. We were in the kitchen having a cup of tea and remarking on how lovely it was that the girls were including Turi in their game and congratulating ourselves on their burgeoning maturity.

Then Turi emerged from the room looking like a cross between Eden Wood and this…

It turns out that during the period of apparent peace and quiet the girls had helped themselves to the bathroom cabinets and mixed a slurry of contact lens fluid and foundation. Turi was elected as the test subject for their new cosmetic creation and they had applied it liberally to his face and caked it into his hair.

Somewhere after the third lather of shampoo I began to realise it wasn't shifting. His hair had the texture of stiff carpet pile and there was an uncanny lack of tonal variation between his face and hair. I momentarily considered giving him a buzz cut until Aerin's mum, in a flash of brilliance, suggested we try sorbolene cream. It took around half an hour of massaging the hair mask until his hair began to return to its normal texture. So no permanent damage done, but I think it goes without saying I now have a renewed distrust of silence!

move over coke, there's a new drug in town...

2011-07-23T20:22:00.000+10:00

As promised, here are the nutella cookies we baked yesterday. I feel a little bit guilty about sharing this recipe because they are seriously addictive. DO NOT bake these when you are home alone. You will eat them all and get a pain in your stomach. You have been warned. Do not blame me if you rot your teeth and develop type 2 diabetes from ingesting way too much sugar.

And before anyone comments I realise nutella is not made from walnuts, but I didn't have any hazelnuts in the pantry for this photo shoot and walnuts happen to be very attractive!

The recipe was originally found here.

In which we hoola our troubles away...

2011-07-22T23:39:00.000+10:00

This week was a bit of a fail. I didn't get any work done, I've been on a short fuse with the kids, I had a series of interactions with various people that whilst not serious left me bemused and feeling like I'd rather throw on my pyjamas and avoid further human contact. So this afternoon I was determined not to let the week end on a sour note. My recipe for salvaging the week: Minty and I baked a batch of nutella cookies (more on those tomorrow), I grabbed my camera and we headed outside for cookies and hoola-hooping. When we were all hoolaed out and Turi was up from his nap, we all went to the beach. The tide was on it's way out and the sand was littered with hundreds of shells. The kids took off their shoes and paddled in the rock pools, soaking up the winter sun. On the way home they stopped at every driveway so Turi could sing a little tune, 'tap, tap, tap', and they did their best dancing impressions of Gene Kelly and Shirley Temple. 'Stop' signs became maypoles to be circled and their joviality was infectious. Then into a hot bath to wash the sand and salt away, followed by home-made okonomiyaki for dinner. So after today, I think on balance this week wasn't so bad after all.

In which there is spillage of cake batter and bodily fluids...

2011-07-18T20:14:00.000+10:00

Today was one of those days.

Whilst bouncing on the couch, clutching a little maraca, Turi gained a bit too much momentum and flew across the room striking his head on the window frame. He is now sporting a blue, bloody, golf ball sized lump in the centre of his forehead.

Shortly afterwards, in a fight for my affections, both children simultaneously dove in to give me a hug, cracking their heads together like a pair of human cymbals. More blood, more tears.

In an effort to salve the tears I tried to make a chocolate cake but it leaked through the removable base of the cake tin, flooding sticky cake batter not only into the oven, but through the oven door and onto my freshly washed kitchen floor. Since this has never happened before I can only assume I inadvertently walked under a ladder, recently blasphemed or someone, somewhere has fashioned a small voodoo doll of me that is clutching a tiny leaking cake tin.

To top it off, across the course of the day, Turi urinated on the floor twice and knocked over roughly ten cups of water. Despite all evidence to the contrary he has decided that he is mature enough to drink unassisted from a regular cup and to use the toilet like a big boy (though thankfully not at the same time). If he is denied either of these requests he wails inconsolably and pounds his head on the floor. Needless to say my patience is wearing thin.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to scour burnt cake batter from the insides of my oven. Motherhood is bliss.

In which I show you our drawings...

2011-07-17T22:09:00.000+10:00

After yet another redesign last night I'm finally going to share the plans for the house. For those of you who are interested, you can click the link above and see our floor plan and elevations. There are still likely to be a few changes to the detailing but this will give you a pretty good idea of how it will be.

The kids and I spent today exploring the countryside around the new block, while the Mr. dug more drainage. It's such a beautiful area. I can't wait to move in!

In which Minty goes postal...

2011-07-14T22:15:00.000+10:00

Letter writing is loads of fun… even when you're too little to actually write any of the words. Watch out for the postman Aunty Kate!

SOS

2011-07-13T20:22:00.000+10:00

The time has come to make one of the most important decisions for the new house. I need to choose an oven. The trouble is I have no idea what I want. I have been cooking with a seriously old (1970s?) freestanding oven for as long as I can remember. You have to light it with a match and it only appears to have two temperatures - burning hot and inferno. The grill doesn't work, there is no timer or temperature gauge. But over the years I have become so used to all it's quirks and eccentricities that I'm not sure I'm going to know how to cook on anything else.

Sure, if I had an endless budget I could probably bring myself to endure a fancy Lanache stove, in my choice of 20 colours or perhaps if I really tried I could tolerate an Aga! But since neither of these are a realistic option on my budget I'm a bit stumped. Does anyone have any advice? Do you love your oven or hate it? Help! I'm lost in a wilderness of fan-forced, fan-assisted, triple-glazed, induction cooktops, wok burners and rotisseries!

Conversations with Minty...

2011-07-09T20:48:00.000+10:00

Minty: Turi I'm going to live in the zoo with the zebras. Do you want to live with me?

Turi: 'kay

Minty [calls out]: Muuuum can you drop us off at the zoo?

---

Minty: do you want to come and see my dinosaur?

Me: Sure. What's his name?

Minty: pinkus-animal-saurus-zebra-big-neck

---

Minty enters the room cradling a Tigger soft toy

Minty: uh oh!

Me: what's wrong?

Minty: baby Jesus got a bit of a cold. Maybe baby Jesus needs a bit of a panadol… [looking in the toy box] panadol where are you?

In which we tell the children white lies on 'snow day'...

2011-07-08T21:59:00.000+10:00

I just wanted to share a few quick sewing projects from this week. The first is a reversible baby bib I whipped up as a last minute gift for a friend. The fabric is from Joelle Hoverson's cake rock beach line. I just love the seaweed prints and brown tones - perfect for a little baby boy!

The second project was a super quick pair of mittens for Turi. Earlier this week we took the kids to a 'snow day' on Churchill Island, and on the morning of the big event I realised I didn't have anything to keep Turi's hands warm. Luckily I remembered there is a very easy pattern for mittens in Leisl Gibson's Little Things to Sew. I used an old worn out fleece baby blanket for fabric and threw these together in an hour. Sadly when we actually got to 'snow day' it was a bit of a bust. It was bucketing down rain, and the line to get to the very small patch of snow was about an hour long. Rather than pay $22 so that we could subject ourselves to this ordeal we just put the kids back in the car and went home.

It's a good thing the kids are still so young (and gullible) because had they been a bit older I think there may have been a major protest at having to miss out. Instead, the Mr and I engaged in an overly enthusiastic charade on the way back to the car, saying things like, 'Wasn't that so exciting?' and, 'Snow day was so much fun!'. Since the kids really had no expectation of what 'snow day' would entail they were relatively content at having only viewed the snow through a fence 100 meters away. Minty was slightly suspicious but in the end found it hard to repudiate our enthusiasm. I do feel a little guilty but I think we'll just have to take them to the real snow next year!!

Minty all rugged up for snow day (bottom two photos taken by the Mr)

disappearing act...

2011-07-07T09:00:00.002+10:00

a peek at our neighbour's house

Things have been insanely busy around here lately. Since we bought our block of land I've had a few casual acquaintances ask me if we've hired a builder or if we are planning to put a spec home on the block. It occurred to me that those readers who don't actually know us in 'real life' wouldn't realise that for us that isn't even an option. The Mr. is a building designer by trade and when I first finished school I studied architecture for a couple of years, before giving it away (which is a story in itself), so designing the house ourselves was a bit of a no brainer.

If you're a regular reader here you have probably realised that, if it is at all possible, I like to make things myself - whether it be baking from scratch, sewing our own clothes, making my own glue… I'll give anything a go. The Mr. has a similar approach to life. When we first moved in together I used to find it frustrating because if I ever suggested we buy a piece of furniture he would reply 'but I could make that!'. So as you've probably guessed, we're planning on physically building the house ourselves too. We're working on a very tight budget and relatively short time frame, which means we've been busily trying to nut out plans and get everything organised. To lay it all out in dot points:

We spent $125,000 on the land
We'd like to build the house for $80,000
We plan to move in this summer
The house will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, walk in pantry, laundry, study, dining, lounge and a reading nook

Some may call this ambitious, others insane. I will say that working to these extreme constraints is really pushing us to think creatively.

So forgive me if I disappear from this space periodically. I'm probably searching on ebay for a cheap toilet or vintage pendant light. Or I might be nutting out the details of our concrete vanity. Or searching on pinterest for interior design inspiration (feel free to follow me if you'd like to see where my head is at). Or I could be trying to push out another web design job to pay our credit card bill. Either that or just the usual stuff like cooking dinner, changing a nappy or making play dough!

I do intend to share some pictures of our house plans when things are 100% finalised (not sure if that will ever happen!!) but there have already been over 40 redesigns so I don't want to get ahead of myself. Stay tuned!

getting stuck into some serious drainage on our super wet site

bored kids being dragged around to search for a reclaimed pantry door

In which we make pick-me-up pikelets...

2011-06-29T22:03:00.000+10:00

So we were all feeling a bit 'meh' yesterday. The Mr. had been away working for a few days and it was freezing cold and foggy. I thought we were all in need of a pick-me-up. So I suggested pikelets for breakfast. Minty suggested we go one better and make chocolate pikelets. I've never really had a chocolate pikelet or pancake for that matter but it sounded pretty awesome so we did a bit of experimenting and this is what we came up with.

These would taste amazing with vanilla ice-cream or you can follow our lead and have them dusted with icing sugar and a generous mound of berries. Or just eat them plain straight from the pan in their unadulterated fabulousness.

In which we take our art to the street...

2011-06-28T15:34:00.000+10:00

Yesterday the kids and I got up to some fun making our own sidewalk chalk paint and defacing decorating the pavement outside our house. This is really simple to do. Just mix 1/4 cup cold water with 1/4 cup corn flour and then add some drops of food colouring (I used about 5 drops liquid food colouring but you'll need more if you use the all natural stuff). Then head outside with some paint brushes and go wild!

It's great because you don't need to worry about the kids painting themselves or trying to eat the paint (and let's face it, when you're working with children under the age of two someone is going to eat the paint!!).

This activity was seriously fun and so easy to set up, I totally recommend you give it a try.

I originally found the idea here.

In which I get carried away on ebay and buy (another) bath...

2011-06-27T10:52:00.000+10:00

hanging out in the bath

We all enjoyed the glorious winter weather yesterday, and spent the entire day outside in the garden, blowing giant bubbles, riding bikes and playing chase. We even got a chance to make a start on our bath restoration.

During my ebay travels I managed to score another free standing cast iron bath. This one is brand new and only cost me $107 dollars (these retail for around $3000)! It has two wooden blocks to mount it on (not shown in these photos). The only damage is a large chip on the rim which I don't think will be too hard to fix.

We did a test fill of one chip with some UV resin and did a patch test of some paint on an inconspicuous spot to try and match the colour. I'll give more details of the restoration process when I get started.

I'm blogging over at food fanatics today with a recipe for sweet potato brownies so if you're interested check it out.

filling a chip

the (admittedly very large) chip

In which Turi exhibits cat like behaviour...

2011-06-25T18:17:00.000+10:00

We bought the kids a fish. Even though I sort of hate fish. The kids are very excited. They are having trouble concentrating at meal times since the fish bowl sits in the middle of our dinning table. They spend all their time standing on their chairs, pointing and chanting, 'fish, fish!'. Minty has named it Boomda, because apparently this is the sound lightning makes.

I am beginning to think the term 'gold' fish refers not to colour but to the amount of money one of these things costs. Naively I thought I could just buy the fish and bung it in a bowl of water. I didn't factor in the 'water conditioner', 'ammonia and chlorine eliminator block', the stones for the bottom of the bowl, the fish food and the bowl itself. Nearly $80 later, this would want to be one amazing fish! (Complaining about the cost of a pet makes me feel very grown up!)

Sadly the fish doesn't seem to like it very much at our house. This may have something to do with Turi darting his hand into the water and trying to catch the fish, moments after it was placed in its new bowl. The fish spends most of the day sitting motionless at the bottom of the bowl. I suspect it's in shock.

Glitterrific failure...

2011-06-22T19:55:00.000+10:00

This afternoon Minty and I decided to try and make our own glitter. According to google this is a relatively easy task. All you do is add a few drops of food colouring to some salt, mix it up, and then bake it on a tray lined with baking paper for 10mins at 175C. Sadly our glitter was an epic failure. It looked beautiful… until we put it in the oven. Then it bubbled up, lost its sparkle and converged into a dull lumpy mess. I suspect this is because we used epsom salts. I did a quick experiment using sea salt and it seemed much more successful. Oh well, you live and learn. Minty didn't really care. She had so much fun stirring together the colours and probably would have been content to do this for hours given the chance. It was certainly a great way to fill in a rainy afternoon!

In which Minty is dumped and Turi hangs out in the john...

2011-06-21T19:29:00.000+10:00

don't worry it's just face paint!

Do you remember Minty's 'boyfriend'? Well she recently experienced whatever the three-year-old equivalent is of being dumped. A new kid arrived at playgroup a few weeks ago and the group dynamics changed. Suddenly it was supremely uncool to be friends with a girl and now instead of kissing and cuddling, the boys spend their time roaring in Minty's face and pushing her over. Minty is fairly shell shocked and can't understand why her old friend no longer likes her. It's sort of tragic to watch and impossible to explain to her why kids are cruel (I suspect it's inappropriate to say ' it's nothing personal, sometimes boys can just be assholes!')

So now I have the task of trying to distract her by finding new friends for her to play with. I feel like some kind of booking agent or pimp, soliciting phone numbers from other parents and trying to set up 'play dates'. My natural state is one of complete introversion and I would probably rather poke myself in the eye than try and make a new friend. But much like wiping up poo and snotty noses, I find myself performing this unpleasant task for the good of the children. Minty is a social animal and one of the first things she asks me in the morning is, 'who is coming over today?', followed by the announcement, 'I want friends!'. I can't wait for the age when I am no longer required as an intermediary. Here's hoping I can deliver the goods. Anyone want to come over for a play date?

In which everyone wants a liberty pillow...

2011-06-20T15:57:00.000+10:00

I got a chance to do a spot of sewing this weekend and made this sweet little baby oobee sleep set. I was lucky enough to win the pattern from Leslie over at onegirl designs. In case you can't see from the pictures, the little oobee has it's own quilt, pillow and drawstring bag to carry it all in.

These would make fantastic presents for the little people in your life. It's the kind of thing you can easily whip up as a last minute gift for a kid's birthday party or during that pre-Christmas sewing crunch.

Leslie also sent me one of her fabric packs which includes all the specialty fabric you need like the hemp/cotton fleece for the oobee body. It is seriously snuggly! I made the quilt with some of the precious fabric I brought back from Japan, the bag is Amy Butler and the pillow is made from a scrap of liberty (because every oobee deserves a little luxury!)

Minty has been having great fun tucking her oobee into bed. I suspect I should have made two, as Turi is smitten. He keeps trying to steal the pillow to snuggle his head on, and seems oblivious to the fact it is miniature sized. I can't say I blame him, I want a liberty pillow too!

Thanks Leslie!!

bag of beans...

2011-06-17T15:02:00.002+10:00

I finally got around to making a second bean bag this week (first one posted here). It was long overdue, as the number of brawls and tantrums caused by only having one was becoming ridiculous. I think if I hadn't come up with a second one soon there was a danger that someone would loose an eye… or a tooth… or both. This one is made with Heather Ross owl and the pussycat fabric which I love.

Sorry for the abysmal photos (the kids really weren't cooperating and my lounge room is currently very brown and not at all photogenic).

In which we have a poo party and everyone is invited...

2011-06-16T20:47:00.000+10:00

Alright peeps this post is going to be about poo. So if you are squeamish, currently eating your dinner or think bowel motions, like money, should never be discussed in polite company you can stop reading now.

All gone… cool. Now that it's just us, let's talk frankly.

For the past three months Minty has been struggling with a full blown poo phobia. I haven't written about it here before because firstly, I didn't want to open myself up to all the judgey mcjudgepants readers out there who would assume I had caused this whole issue through epically bad parenting. I know I've been guilty of casting judgement in the past - if anyone told me their child had been constipated I assumed they probably fed them a diet of cocoa pops and boxed macaroni and cheese. Secondly I didn't want this space to become cluttered with my negativity and whinging about this issue. In the end though I decided I wanted to talk about this in case there are other parents out there wading through the interwebs searching for solutions to what has certainly been one of the toughest parenting challenges I've encountered so far.

It all started when Minty got a bit sick and then after not eating properly for a few days got constipated. This lead to an anal fissure which in turn lead to a full blown terror of going to the bathroom. The anal fissure was relatively easy to heal with strict attention to diet (no white refined products such as white bread, white pasta and white rice, limited dairy, lots of fluids, as much fruit and veg as you can pack into a three year old, linseed meal… basically the obvious things you'd do for constipation). But even after the fissure was gone the terror of the toilet remained. She would hold a poo for as long as she possibly could, usually only managing to relax enough to pass a motion when she fell asleep and sometimes not for several days. She would spend the day writhing in discomfort, desperately trying to avoid going and unable to concentrate on or enjoy doing anything else. While she was on the toilet she would weep and I could feel her little heart beating fast with fear.

I tried everything. I tried to distract her with songs, stories, blowing bubbles - I was a virtual one-woman broadway show. I tried reverting to using a potty and moving it to interesting locations around the house and garden. I tried offering bribes but even the offer of chocolate or cake wasn't enough to overcome the fear.

It had become all consuming. Basically poo was all anyone in the family was thinking or talking about. It even became one of Turi's only words. He would wander into the bathroom and point in the toilet saying 'poo, poo' or pull open the back of someone's pants, peer inside and announce 'poo' (thankfully he never did this to a stranger!!).

After taking Minty to see two different GPs the only advice I had been given was to give her laxatives. I was really reluctant to go down this road. After all she wasn't actually constipated, the problem was psychological.

Finally a friend put me in contact with a developmental paediatrician who gave me some fantastic advice. Here are some of the things we tried. Nothing on the list was an instant 'cure' but after a week or so of working through these things we finally seem to be back to normal.

1. Give your child some cream (it can be anything - we used pawpaw ointment but you could try moisturiser) and let them put it on their own bottom to make themselves feel better before they try to poo. Letting them do it themselves gives them a sense of control over the situation.

2. Role play with your child's doll/teddy. Tell them that the doll is having trouble doing a poo and ask them what they would tell the doll to help. We used a tupperware container as a pretend potty for the doll. The first time we did this it worked brilliantly but in the end Minty started trying to manipulate the situation saying her doll needed chocolate and TV so she would feel better!

3. Try to get your child to think about letting go of their poo rather than not holding it in. We did this by talking about how other people in the street/friends/neighbours were also doing poos at the same time and all the poos were going to go down the sewer and meet up for a poo party. If you've met Minty more than once chances are we've discussed your bowl motions this week! As I was wandering past the bathroom today I heard the Mr exclaim to Minty 'I think I see a party hat!'.

4. Laxatives. I mentioned before that I was really reluctant to go down this route but in the end I was desperate and gave it a whirl. I used parachoc and only gave Minty 5mls (which is half the recommended dose for a 12month old). The theory is that it will make it impossible for them to hold on anymore and after a couple of successful poos they will start to realise it isn't such a big deal. I only ended up having to use laxatives for a few days. I think it was really more of a placebo affect with Minty seeing as it was such a small dose.

5. The main tip I would give is to try and instil a sense of confidence in your child. Tell them that it will all be fine and that you know how to fix it. Possibly easier said than done if you've been dealing with the phobia for a long time.

As a reward for all her hard work and successful poos we made some pink cupcakes today. I think we were all pretty excited to have something to celebrate.

For the sake of contrast, this is the maudlin face we have typically been seeing these past months...

"I want to poo on the road like a bird."

bath restoration

2011-06-10T21:29:00.000+10:00

Just a sneak peak at my next project. I picked up this claw foot bath for the bargain price of $200 on ebay. It's in remarkably good condition with hardly any rust or chips in the enamel. I can't wait to restore it back to it's original glory. Anyone want to cast a vote for what colour it should be?

In which I maim myself with the bread knife and finally get around to a spot of sewing...

2011-06-08T15:30:00.000+10:00

Sliced my finger while trying to eek the last slice from the heel end of the bread loaf this afternoon, so am minimising typing with a short post today. This is a little tooth pillow I made for my nephew who has just started loosing his teeth. The mouth is a little pocket to be used for the all crucial tooth/money exchange. I used this tutorial but instead of cutting a hole in the back to turn it out, I just left a gap in the side seam and stitched it up at the end (just a bit neater I think). I'm pretty sure Minty is hoping her teeth will fall out prematurely so she can have one too!

Conversations with Minty

2011-06-06T14:47:00.000+10:00

While attempting to bash out a loaf of bread that was stuck in the tin…

Me [muttering]: stupid loaf

Minty: that's not a stupid loaf. It's nice. It's a happy loaf. That's why I've named it bread.

---

While passing McDonalds

Minty: are we going to a cafe?

Me [distracted]: um… yeah.

Minty [incredulous]: this isn't a cafe!! This is a chip market! I don't want to go to a chip market! I want to go to a cafe with real food. I don't like chip markets.

Musings of a 21st century child…

Minty: Can you tell me about incy wincy's website?

In which I hide a can of beans in a cake...

2011-06-03T21:27:00.000+10:00

I have a friend who doesn't eat wheat or sugar and her daughter doesn't eat dairy. I have to confess that I kind of love it when they come over. Aside from them being great company, it is such fun trying to come up with tasty food to serve… dare, double dare, physical challenge!! My latest experiment was this chocolate cake that has no flour, no sugar, no milk and no butter. I'm not kidding… I know you're thinking that it isn't humanly possible to bake without any of those ingredients. I must say I was very sceptical too. When I first read the recipe I shuddered a little. The main ingredient is… back beans! I was calling it the 'frankencake' before I actually tasted it. It seemed like some kind of extreme vegan experimental crime against baking (not that it's even technically vegan since it contains eggs but you know what I mean). Or like one of those april fools food jokes (anyone for a mashed potato and gravy 'sundae'?) But I promise you this tastes exactly like a moist, delicious, rich chocolate cake. It is ten kinds of awesome.

Just a word of warning - it contains a couple of more specialised ingredients that you may not have in the pantry if you aren't a frequent visitor to the health food store.

The first is stevia. Stevia is a sugar substitute made from the leaves of a sweet tasting herb. Stevia extract can have up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar so a little bit goes a really long way. It contains no calories and unlike sugar, it does not trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. You wont get a sudden burst of energy followed by fatigue and a need for another "fix".

The second is xylitol. Xylitol is another naturally occurring sugar substitute that can be found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables. Often it is extracted from birch bark. It is as sweet as sugar with 40% less calories and 75% less carbs. Plus as an added bonus it helps prevent tooth cavities… but be warned if consumed in large amounts it can have a laxative effect.

You can find the original cake recipe here. It is worth checking out the site because Lauren offers several alternatives for some of the ingredients. Plus she has heaps of other amazing healthy recipes for treats (she even has a recipe for a healthier version of the cadbury cream egg!!)

The official taste test... result = WINNER! Minty spent the rest of the day nagging for more cake!

Here is my version of the cake (I made a few substitutions here and there)...

Ingredients:

400g can of unseasoned black beans

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons nuttelex

1/2 cup honey plus 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 9" cake pan with a thin layer of nuttelex. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of baking paper and line the bottom of the pan.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with honey until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder, and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome. For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours!

Frosting Ingredients:

5 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening

2 tablespoons nuttelex

1/4 cup xylitol, powdered

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 fresh organic egg yolk (optional)

To make the frosting:

Cream the (melted) shortening and nuttelex in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder xylitol in a coffee grinder for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), and vanilla. Beat in the coconut milk and egg yolk, if using.

In which we say farewell to Autumn...

2011-06-01T19:54:00.000+10:00

We thoroughly enjoyed the last day of autumn yesterday. Minty had great fun stomping through autumn leaves and throwing them around in a maniacal fashion. In case you're wondering why Turi is slumped in the pram instead of joining in the fun, he'd just woken up from a nap and was still a bit groggy. He was quite happy to snuggle up with his hand knit 'granny' blanket and watch.

Winter certainly arrived in style today. We awoke to a thick blanket of fog and the distinctive song of foghorns bellowing out across the bay. Perfect weather for cuddling under blankets by the fire and sipping hot cups of tea. I think there's a hot water bottle with my name on it tonight!

Yoghurt making as meditation...

2011-05-31T09:00:00.000+10:00

Sorry for the unannounced disappearance the past few days. I just really needed to knock a few paid jobs on the head. Thems are the breaks of juggling paid work and parenting without childcare. I don't really feel like I can complain about it though since I made the decision the kids aren't ready for daycare, a luxury I know a lot of parents don't have.

In amongst the craziness I have been eeking out time each week to bake our bread and make our yoghurt. I find these simple, rhythmical tasks help to keep me calm and grounded in the moment.

This is my favourite recipe for our every day bread. I basically follow the recipe faithfully apart from adding a tablespoon of gluten flour to help everything rise nicely.

Making yoghurt is super easy and so satisfying. It is so much cheaper than buying store bought yoghurt and in my opinion much yummier. With milk prices so low, I can make a litre of yoghurt for a little over a dollar! I usually make a few litres and trade some with family or friends for other home made goodies like fig jam or baked beans.

Here's how I do it…

-Make sure all your jars and implements are spotlessly clean

-Heat 2 litres of milk (you can do more if you have some hungry friends!) over a medium heat until it reaches 180F

-Cool the milk back down to 110F by putting the pot in a sink full of cold water.

-Then mix in 1/2 cup of starter yoghurt (you can use left over yoghurt from last weeks batch if you have any or just use a plain bought yoghurt with live cultures in it. Gippsland Dairy works well)

-Put the milk into glass jars. Make sure you leave the lids off.

-Now you need to keep the yoghurt at 110F for 8-10 hours. Since I have a dehydrator this is easy but it is also possible to achieve with heat pads and blankets. If you have a bit of a google people have lots of different creative methods.

-Then it's ready - just pop the lids on and whack your yoghurt into the fridge. It thickens up a bit more in the fridge.

Japan... day two and three (aka the longest post ever)

2011-05-26T17:46:00.000+10:00

Straight up I just want to apologise for this post. I'm not very good at retrospective blogging. I guess when I write I usually like to hone in on one small aspect of a day, and try to find the humanity in it, to find the humour, make it relatable or at the very least try and explain where my head is at. When something big like a holiday or a wedding happens I feel a kind of pressure to give you a much bigger picture, tell you every little thing that happened. I find myself becoming detached and writing some kind of fleshed out itinerary, like the kind of stories you write in primary school where every sentence begins with 'And then…'. So I hope you'll forgive me today, as we speed through the last two days of my Japan trip. I've got a kind of bizarre post planned for tomorrow and then we'll all hop in our time machine and zip back to the present day - hopefully with a few cute photos of the kids, some cooking and news of where our building project is at.

We started off our second day in Tokyo with a trip to the Tsukiji fish market. The tuna auctions have been closed to the public since the tsunami, but there was still plenty to see in the main wholesale market, and frankly I don't think I would have been up for the 4:30am start even if it had been an option. We rocked up at about 9am which is when the main wholesale market is opened to the public. By this time most of the professional trade has already wrapped up so they don't mind tourists coming in to poke around and take pictures. Even at this time it's a pretty hectic fast paced environment with narrow laneways, and people rushing along with trucks and carts. It was fascinating to see the fishmongers at work. They were basically hacking massive tuna fish apart with axes and swords!

The Mr had sushi breakfast at one of the little restaurants that the market is famous for. I couldn't really stomach raw fish for breakfast so opted for a prepackaged convenience store cake instead. To be honest I was kind of freaked out by the possibility of high radiations levels in the fish… probably hyper paranoid but I kept having visions of this…

Next stop was Harajuku. I'd have to say this was the low light of the trip. I was thinking there was going to be fantastic people watching and more interesting shopping but it seemed to be more of the same of what we'd already seen in Ginza. We went to Kiddyland, another multi-storey toy shop but it wasn't as good as Hakuhinkan Toy Park and we got a bit lost trying to find it. We were planning to go to the Brown Rice Cafe for lunch but it was near impossible to find and when we finally did get there it was closed. We ended up at a nice cafe for some delicious soba noodles so it wasn't a complete bust.

From there we made our way on the train to Shibuya, home of the busiest intersection on earth. I think this was the only time during the trip that the Mr. slowed down. I think if I hadn't been there he would have spent the rest of the trip taking videos of the crowds massing across the intersection. I spent my time marvelling at the wide variety of socks and hosiery worn by the women of Tokyo and wondering whether thigh high socks and toeless stockings worn with high high heels are fashions that will ever translate here in Australia. I finally tore the Mr away from his crosswalk obsession so we could do more shopping, and eat.

Bento boxes and washi tape (Japanese masking tape for the uninitiated) are two of my favourite things in the world so of course I stocked up. I also bought stacks of cute stickers for the kids. Here is some of the loot…

After a particularly terrible nights sleep at our hotel (more on this tomorrow) and a bought of food poisoning we made a very early start. We got on the train and headed to Nippori, fabric town. Just a word of warning if you travel to Tokyo most of the shops don't open until ten. This meant we had about two hours to kill in Nippori. Apparently there is a lookout to Mt Fuji here but it was a particularly smoggy day with no chance of a view. So instead we just killed time watching the locals riding their bikes to work (hardly anyone seems to drive a car) and the Mr had breakfast at a tiny roadside noodle bar which seemed to be a favourite for locals stopping for breakfast on their way to work. I was still reeling from my food poisoning.

After fabric town we hopped on a train to Rikugien, which was probably my favourite stop of the whole trip. These stunning gardens are so peaceful and quiet it's hard to believe they're in the middle of a big city. We had a bento box for our lunch from a little kiosk in the middle of the gardens. They had set the outdoor tables with lace doilies and little vases of wild flowers. It was really beautiful sitting there sipping green tea and watching little children picnicking and playing with a kite under the shade of some enormous trees. Most the garden is rambling and informal, but there is a more manicured, formal section with a lake with carp and turtles swimming around.

And then we flew home…

I hope this wasn't the world's longest and most boring post ever! Props if you read this far!