I'm thinking about.........

Tomato and lentil soup
Potato and chorizo fritatta
Potato salad
Lovely little green salads
Baked potato medley
Tuna and white bean salad
Greek Salad
Chick Pea and parmesan salad
Roast Beef Roll Ups
Salmon Balls with homemade rye breadcrumbs
Small food all in a row....
Little parcels of food
Lots of salads
Pulsed vegetables in a salad
Sweet dressings

Wheat Free Vanilla Cupcakes

This is a modification of an original recipe from Tartlette. It was a lemon and coconut cupake which I have changed to vanilla and coconut and omitted the olive oil to butter as I found it too overpowering.

2 eggs
1/2 cup cster sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup yoghurt
vanilla
1 cup GF SR Flour
1/2 Rice Flour
1/2 Cup coconut
1 TB Baking Powder

Wheat Free Strawberry Tart

This is the most versatile tart recipe and very simple to make. I like it because you don't have to precook the base and it cooks in no time at all.

Base
Butter
Dates
Honey
Crushed cashews


Filling
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar/Honey
1 cup almond meal
1 egg
Orange rind and a splash of juice

Topping
Sliced strawberries
Sliced Pear
Blueberries

Things I'm loving in the kitchen

A salad bowl on the bench so we can graze on healthy snacks
Potato Wedges with rosemary and pink salt
Lovely new quiche recipe from a friend
Cucumber fetta and red onion altogether
Lime juice
Salmon on a bed of mash
Poached eggs
Coleslaw with whole egg mayo dressing and lots of cracked pepper

Wheat Free Blueberry Muffins

These are delectable and high fibre. What a combination. Are the two things possible?
You can smell the honey wafting throughout the kitchen as you pull them through the oven.

I cup SR Gluten Free flour
Half cup brown sugar
Two table spoons honey
Two eggs
Half cup olive oil
Half cup oatmeal
Half Cup LSA
Milk to complete mix
Add Blueberries once you've mixed ans spooned into the patties

Menu Planning

I'm setting myself a goal to menu plan so that I feel more organised which is always a good thing as well as save on those dashes to the store and wasting of money. So if I know what is coming up for the week, I should be able to relax and know that I have everything that I need and everyone will be well fed.

Tuesday- Roast Chicken/Mashed Potato/Salad/Yohurt and Blueberry Cups with Muesli and Honey

Wednesday-Pumpkin Soup/Cheese rye Toasties/Fruit Platter

Thursday-Chicken Schnitzel/Creamy Potatoes/Peas/Banana Icecream

Friday-Baked Potatoes with Tuna and vegetables/Buckwheat Pancakes

Saturday-Asian Chicken Broth/Cheese RyeToasties/Fruit Platter

Sunday-Baked Potatoes with Tuna and Vegetables/Orange Syrup Cake

Monday-Omelettes/Salad/Orange Syrup Cake

Lets See how we go!

Lunch Box Ideas Wheat Free

Hard Boiled Eggs
Piece of Chicken
Apricots
Dates
Raisons
Peanut butter truffles
Cheese
Apples
Oranges
Mandarins
Cherry tomatoes
Grapes
Watermelon
Cherries
Vegetable muffins
Tuna Salad
Energy nut Slice
Orange Syrup Cake
Banana pancakes
yoghurt cups

Orange Syrup Cake

The wheat free weekend went well. Charlottes rashes are settling down and she is not as sensitive about it. Everyone enjoyed what they ate for the most part. We had chicken and vegetables with rice noodles in a broth on Friday night, Wheat Free Pizzas last night and Tuna Salad for the girls and Eggplant lasagna for M.
The only difficult part was running out of prepared food and the girls were saying they were hungry alot. Other than that, I am pleased.xx

Orange Syrup Cake
1/2 cup sugar white
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tb Vanilla
2/3 cup butter
1 cup LSA
1 cup Gluten Free Flour
4 eggs
Orange rind
Two Boiled oranges
Gluten Free Baking Powder

Bake and Top with Orange Syrup

Wheat Free

We have decided to try a wheat free approach to our kitchen. We have had lots of rashes and hives and tummy upsets over the years and although we've tried his approach in moderation, we've never really managed to break free. Charlottes rashes have been keeping her up through the night so maybe this will help her and us, get some more sleep.
Well, that wipes out two thirds of the pantry. All the pasta, crackers, flour, noodles....you get the picture. So now that the pantry and fridge have been cleared , we can start afresh . Quite excited about going shopping tonight and getting some fresh food. I read an sweet blog entry rom a mum who gave sort of healthy snack food to her kids for dinner a few nights a week. It sort of takes the pressure off the five o'clock get dinner on the table quickly and make it a well rounded cooked meal. I think it's good to try different approaches to things. What about you?

Study

So after some mild excitement at the package arriving with the new course materials for Childrens Literature Narrative Theory, well, it was very dry and horribly boring. So much so that I cn't bring myself to do it. My conception of what it would be an the reality were very different. Luckily I have found a University with a mid year intake for the Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood, so if I get in with my late entry, I can sart next week. The best part is that it can be done in 6 months full time which is half the time of the other University I was considering. Super.
Very super. Not going to get too excited until I'm accepted and even then I'm only doing it part time over a year but at least I'm on my way and can look forward to a teaching position in th field that I want to be in.

French Cooking

French cooking appears to be all about butter, cream and wine. They're your staples and then there is the celery, carrot and onion little sort of base thats at the bottom of your dishes. So, I've been practicing with a few little casseroles and they are very nice. The whole family are licking their plates clean.That has never happened, apart from Pizza night. Served with a bed of creamy mash may be helping but gosh it nice to cook something people want to eat. Im actually looking foward to trying a few more dishes. Usually I'm a baker but I'm feeling a shift happening which is probably a good thing. One day we will do our bakery tour of Paris and look back to the pretend chocolate croissants we used to make and smile.

swimming

Swimming. Today we are going swimming. Four children and me. None of whom can swim, apart from me that is. So legistically it requires planning. First finding the towels in the midst of winter is a challange but they are folded, packed and ready to go. Found the bathers and the goggles. 25 minute drive....snacks. After school so everyone will be hungry. Tick. Large tupperware container and filled with fruit and popcorn and muslie bars.We can do it. The plan is to get into the swing of it in time for the holidays...next week so we can have lots of fun swimming together and maybe even mini master a stroke or at least float.

Of late

Homemade mayonaise. The first time I have ever made this. What was I waiting for? We used the very first eggs from the silkies and Daisy and I made the first batch. It was so deliscious. We used Djon, egg, oil, salt and pepper and a dash of lemon. Actually I think I missed that out but it was still yummy.
That inspired us to make butter. Lots of butter all weekend, in a jam jar. We watched the farming cooking show, can't remember the name but it worked and was lots of fun for girls. Daily preferred the store butter but still ate it.
We made Lemon Butter and Chocolate Sauce and felt inspired after watching French Food Safari.
New Maths cards for Charlotte. Web games. Early Learning. Yoga.

Cottage Plans

Fence the cottage so we can go down without George absconding.
Are we planting grapes along the bankside?Practical but mybe not so pretty.
Pottery wheel in shed?
Basket of toys?
Kitchenette
Drawing scrapbooks and pencils/sharpener
Clothes
Towels
Washing up bucket
Tea towels
Snack food/Fruit,ricecakes made up, bake a gf cake,
Duplo for George

Jam

We spent the morning at school pasting jam labels. They look lovely and it was such a happy moment to see it come to fruition.It was a bit boring for George and Charlotte but they managed to pass stickers and play with the jars. I hope they sell like hot cakes and it will be a project that provides revenue for the school for the next 20 years......Is that too ambitious? Each year a new group of mums can gather in the kitchen, make friends and do something positive for the school.How lovelyxx

Glitter Butterflies

Today after Charlottes nap, we made some glitter butterflies. It's good to use the same materials and adapt them to make different things so that she develops her techniques, gluing, taping, painting and applying glitter. I'm trying to become more aware of teaching techniques and looking at what the child is actually learning. Hopefully by the time I get into the classroom, I will feel confident in why I am there and what I am doing.
Note:
Charlotte likes things to be uniform, antennas matching in height.
That sensory discomfort of glue stuck to fingers. She had to peel it off before we finished off the glitter
What will we do tomorow? Ladybirds? Yes.

Winter List

So what creative things can I do this winter.....

Make a quilt, a small one for the cottage
Try some new salad recipes
Help Ella learn Sounds of Silence on the guitar
Plan Art Exhibition Idea for school
Send my sisters more mail
Clean Linen cupboard
Glaze pottery animals and bowls
Sew nighties for girls
Sew pants for George
Sew more tops for me
Find a new walk trail
Buy some lovely pretty fabric
Daily art with Charlotte
Drawing with George
Plan a trip away for the weekend

More dresses for Charlotte

School Jam

We are doing a fundraiser at the girls school and have produces a small line of preserves. We have Lemon Butter, Plum Jam and Tomato Relish. They are going on sale tomorow for $5 and hopefully we will sell out over the next few months and be able to do it all again, this time with something different like a marmalade or chutney. What fun. Such fun. It was fun. Here is the preliminary label....

New Jeans for Charlotte

Charlotte desperately needs new pants. She lives in her little leggins but they are not warm enough for winter so we cut up some of the girls old jeans and made some pretty new ones with a trim. Inspration from Townmouse.

Boxes

We  had a boxful of hay for the Guinea Pig and once it was emptied it became a hidey ho for Charlotte. After school I went and got lots more boxes for the girls and an afternoon of box construction. So far Ella has made a camera and Daisy has been gluing macaroni and glitter ontoher ensemble.

Hand Printed cushions

Finally made some cushins from this cool fabric I bought on Etsy months ago. I thought the whale fabric would be cute for Georges room and the yello really brightens up the couch.

Kraft Paper Free Drawing

Taped down a large piece of Kraft paper to the lounge room floor and made space for us both to draw. Good activity for a rainy day or after school and relaxing.

Little Flower Girls

Charlotte loves little girls and I love flowers so we combined the two and made little flower girls. We used small paper plates which we pianted with water colours and added faces and glitter. It was lots of fun for both of us and we are going to use them for cards for presents when they go to a party.

Capped sleeves

Spent the weekend making little dresses for little Charlotte and shorts for the girls for their gym class.

Glitter girls

In between my sewing, Charlotte and I spent the morning making Glitter girls. I drew the girls and Charlotte did the faces, cut them out and glittered their pretty skirts so they can twirl in the sun and sparkle. She loves drawing little girls of her own which are much more interesting than mine but at the moment she likes me to draw and she will decorate.

Tunic

Far too impatient...or excited to wait for the pattern so I used the template of one of my own and made a tunic from this lovely fabric I found. Sort of Indigo inspired. It looked a little like one of those hospital gowns to start with so I made some pleats...darts at the front and now I really like it. I wonder if it will look homemade when I wear it out. It's success has inspired me to make a few tops for the girls and a long sleeve for Daisy who has a party today and wanted something special to wear. Now, I've nearly worked my way through my fabric pile and I'll have to wait untl next week to get some more. What will I make next?

Dresses for the girls, same style as Charlottes with the capped sleeve but longer.

Baking

The girls have had a four day weekend so I've been whipped into a baking frenzy. I have made.....

Rasberry Muffins
Chocolate Oreo Bark for my sisters whooping it up in London and Sydney
Strawberry Shortcake Slice
Spinich and Ricotta Rolls
Lemon Delicious
More Lemon Delicious
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon and Coconut Gluten Free Cookies for Charlotte
Chocolate Chip Icecream
Bread
Oh and not to forget the Granola

Puzzles

The girls loved this activity. They were sprawled out on their tummies, textas in hand and into it. They each drew a picture that covered their board and when they finished they drew  copy of it on another piece of paper that then went into the jigsaw box. This was so the person who attempted the puzzle knew what they were up for. So each puzzle is now in a little tupperware container. This would be a lovely present in a sweet little box for someones birthday.

At the end of the day....

This is a picture of me at the end of the day...slumped on the kitchen table. Matisse painted it of me, I was his muse... Not really. Beautiful art books for children, little hands size, hard board and gorgeous colours. You can buy them in a sweet set from Book Depository online.

Work Books and bags

These are some little books the girls made for their work. We hang some of them in bags with a few little pens and stickers and treasures and they grab them when they have nothing to do and off they go.

Painted wood

Here are some snaps of the car in progress and some little houses made from kindling. Amazing how enetertaining a wood pile can be

Basket Drawing

Charlotte has taken to drawing in a basket. Quite sweet and she carries her work around with her. This is one she created with her sisters.

Craft Table

So I have set the table up for the zillionth time with lovely material for the girls to create with and so far they have bypassed it and  gone straight for the wood pile to make a car out of our fire kindling. They have painted it though and used the paint brushes from the table. They did try to use the lovely watercolour set before I interjected and changed paints. The trouble is that when you create you get sidetracked with all the lovely ideas and materials wich were in lovely baskets end up spread throughout the house and it all goes a bit pear shaped. Then you just have to remind yourelf, or myself as the case may, that it is all very worthwhile x

Tunics

On my going to do list are tunics. Well, I have ordered my patterns off ebay so I am closer to making it all happen. I'm going to make some smock tops and some longer tunic dresses. So next step is Spotlight for some lovely linen or something practical and hevy going to crry my daily load of craft, cereal, gardening and the like.One good thing about having a blog is that it is helping me take the steps to make things happen. It's like well I said I was going to do it, so now I have to.

Art Play Clay

So I've been thinking about the little kinderclay programme I want to run and now it's expanded. Well this idea has been in my mind for a few years so maybe if I write about it, the idea may happen.
So, I wanted to have a retail space, little shopfront where children can do drop in classes or structured 10 week programmes centred around art. We would have little art exhibitions and creative people come and visit like childrens writers who could do book signings and sweet things like that. Children could display their work. There would be materials for sale lke cool books and chuny pencils and kraft paper and all those lovely things we need. So that is the idea. So how can I do it. Well not having any experience in retail other than the odd market it all feels a bit well scary. The shop would be clean and modern and pretty with little wooden furniture and some lounge cushions and little baskets of materials everywhere. Oh...so lovely....

I'm going to......

Hand make chocolate and wrap it in tinsel foil for my friends
Make some tunics
Find some lovely linen material
Buy a tunic pattern
Go hiking with the girls on the weekend
Play homeschool
Make my own jam
Make my own relish
Start framing girls art
Photograph chook sheds
Cook with my husband
Sew pants for George
Use rice flour
Make cordial
Have projects for craft night
Ring about the school bus
Shop daily for fresh food
Make icecream
Decorate shed
Write a childrens book
Sew clothes
Use my basket

Daddy's a builder

Can you tell that someone who is a builder made this house? It hs lasted two years now and even has it's own staircase inside.

Handmade mail

Remember when we used to write letters? Ella has a penpal and she has been exchanging stickers and things in the mail. This time she hand made the envelope from one of Charlottes pantings and after writing her letter, included some handmade stickers from some contact we had. Sweetx

Childrens Art

One thing I'm passionate about is childrens art. I have kept folders of their work since they were little and even though it's really about the process, I can't help but keep some of my favourites.

Wobbly Bowls

I  am slowly building up a collection of wobbly bowls. Maybe by the time we are in our new house I will have a nice collection of breakfast bowls to have with my new muslie.

Little Clay animals

I am really enjoying making my own menagerie of little clay animals. Daisy has been playing little games with the minitures. Meanwhile there are plenty waiting to be fired....

Kinderclay

I have been toying with the idea of running a kinderclay class in town. Maybe one with the tots and another handbuilding class with children 6 and up. Charlotte and George have been having a play and they really love it. It holds their attention for a lot longer than playdough. I say go for the real thing and have a go.

Isn't Bridgetown pretty. Here is a view from our back door. The sheep are self fleecing and their wool just falls to the ground. I'm not sure what they are called but mabye they are English?

Local Preserves

Always on the lookout for a good chutney. This one is a Fiery Tomato Chutney from Sunnyhurst Winery. For a long time, their Red Pepper Chilli Jam was my favourite but the other day when I went up with my family from Perth to get some, they didn't have any! So we settled for the Fiery Tomato Chutney and I have to say it's only slightly behind the Jam. Very deliscious and at $7.50 a jar, a slight splurge, but affordable and a nice treat.

Chook Shed Architecture

For a long time I have been fascinated with chook Sheds. Its been a quite love affair but a lingering one. I have no idea where it has come from. I just love the idea of a little home for chickens, somewhere they can call their own. I love that each one is completely unique and a reflection of their owner for the most part. So I am having a photographic exhibition of Chook Shed Architecture in the Blackwood Valley. I'm toying with the idea of potographing them myself in Black and White. I think it will be a fun project. I'm going to have the exhibition at Pips Pottery and Tea House in Bridgetown and there will be an accompanying narrative. I'm in the process of applying for a grant and tomorrow I'm going to shoot my first chook house. Have a dream....do it.

Favourite Sites

This another one of my favourites. Her photo's are so pretty and light and inspiring. Her parents were bakers so she has had a great start in the kitchen. Imagine growing up in a cake shop ........

..Beautiful Food

Wholesome Food

This is one of my favourite sites. I love the way builds her life round food.

Nature Resere

Today we went for a picnic at the nature resere. The girls swung off the Willow Tree and went on little walk trails through the bush. There is a bike path that weaves its way through the reserve so had a great time on their scooters. We topped the day off with lunch on the grass. How lovely to have this reseve right in the middle of our pretty little town.