The Red Deer

Hello again...

2011-04-14T14:34:00.000+09:30

Thank you everyone for your kind comments - it is incredible how much support there is in this online community of ours.

I thought I should drop in to say hello and to let you all know that I am slowly feeling better. I still have my dark days, but I think the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer.

I also wanted to let you know that this will definitely be my last post on The Red Deer - but I have started a new blog to journal my baking adventures. So come on over and follow me if you want at Alicia's Baking Adventures. I would love to see you over there!

Good bye

2011-03-16T15:56:00.001+10:30

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This past week I have slowly realised that I have taken on far too much and that my 'busy' life has been a big part of me developing post natal depression. So I am sorry to say that this will be my last blog post. I have truly enjoyed the past few years getting to know you all but now it is time for me to return to the real world and focus on what is really important to me - my health, my girls, my family, my friends and my study.

So thank you deer readers - I will miss you all.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-03-15T12:00:00.000+10:30

I will post the almond buttercrunch tomorrow, but in the mean time it is time to vote for the sixteenth sweet, and this time you are voting for...

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No Bake Slice!

Lemon Mallow

Peanut Butter Museli

Maple Caramel

You know what to do - get voting using the poll on the right hand side!

Move it to Lose It - Week 12 (The End!)

2011-03-14T18:30:00.002+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 71.1kg

Current weight: 70.1kg
Total Weight lost: 5.1kg

Finally the end of my 12 week challenge - and luckily I am finishing it off on a high note. I lost 1 kilogram in the past week, which means I was oh so close to getting under the 70 kilogram mark - but didn't quite make it. Next week I should definitely be back in the sixties again.

I also took my measurements again this morning and I'm pretty darn happy with the results...

Bust: 102cm -> 97cm (-5)
Chest: 87cm -> 82cm (-5)
Waist: 89cm -> 85cm (-4)
Hips: 106cm -> 103cm (-3)
Thighs: 58.5cm -> 55.5cm (-3)
Calves: 38cm -> 36cm (-2)
Upper arm: 28.5cm -> 27cm (-0.5)
Forearm: 26cm -> 25.5cm (-0.5)

Every part of me got smaller and I can really tell because all of my clothes are way to big for me now - it is such a great feeling!

At the end of my challenge I am happily under my pre-pregnancy weight and I'm ready to keep on going until I reach my ultimate goal weight of 60kg. I'm hoping that by my birthday (August 1st) I will be able to make it there. So thanks for cheering me on through this journey and wish me luck for the months ahead!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-03-13T12:00:00.000+10:30

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Can you believe I still haven't tried a macaron? I really need to rectify that soon.

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How cute is this bedroom - I love the bright white walls, the cute toddler bed and the little table for craft and play time. So cute!

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How cute is this bento box - I wonder if Zoe would be more open to eating her vegetables if her lunch looked like this?

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Love these DIY wall hooks - I might have to make some with Zoe.

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How can you not love a cup of tea while sitting in the sun. Gorgeous.

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Love this gorgeous crocheted blanket - especially the choice of colours.

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I would love to have some vintage canisters for the kitchen - these ones are especially cute.

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I used to be a major, major fan of Sailor Moon when I was in high school - ah those were the days watching cartoons before going to school. Good times.

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I would love having a view like this outside my window - how lovely and peaceful, and perfect for getting your art on.

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Ah so pretty - and very suited to how I am feeling right now. Like the sun is finally rising - things are going to get better from now on.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #14: Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-03-11T21:39:00.000+10:30

Before we talk baking I have to say thank you everyone for your kind words and support in regards to my post on post natal depression. It has been so wonderful reading through all of your lovely comments, knowing that I am not alone in this and that the blogging community is always there to give me big virtual hugs. It is funny, since I wrote that post I have actually started to feel a lot better in general - like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you everyone for listening and not judging.

Now on to the cupcakes. First of all - why is it that each week the sweet that I want to win the poll never makes it. I was really hoping to make a Cherry Ripe cupcake! Sheesh! But seriously I was kind of hoping that Death by Chocolate wouldn't win because I'm not actually that big a fan of chocolate. So of course it did win - Murphy's law!

These cupcakes are quite devilish - a moist chocolate buttermilk cake filled and topped with dark chocolate ganache, then a swirl of white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and finally drizzled with milk and white chocolate. Wowsers - that is a lot of chocolate! I had quite a few taste testers for these cupcakes because I brought them to a dinner party - and they were definitely a hit. So if you or someone you know are a chocolate lover you should definitely give these cupcakes a try.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake (from The Australian Women's Weekly - Classic Cakes)
Makes 24 cupcakes

180g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
330g caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
110g self-raising flour
35g cocoa powder
180ml buttermilk

Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.
Beat butter, extract and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until just combined.
Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk.
Beat egg whites in clean small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold into cake mixture in two batches.
Divide mixture into cupcake papers and bake for approximately 20 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean). Note: my oven is not tip-top so your cupcakes make bake quicker/slower.
Allow to cool slightly in muffin trays and then move to a wire rack to cool.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

226g dark chocolate, in small pieces
2/3 cup thickened cream

Place chocolate into a bowl.
Bring cream to boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat immediately and pour over chocolate.
Stir until chocolate melts.
Place ganache in fridge and stir every 10 minutes until you reach a good piping consistency.

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Follow the directions for Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but omit the vanilla extract and almond essence, and instead add 200g of melted white chocolate that has been slightly cooled.

Assembling the Cupcake

Cut out a well in each cupcake (eat the cut out piece :D).
Fill the well with dark chocolate ganache (I piped in the ganache).
Smear a layer of dark chocolate ganache on the top of the cupcake.
Pipe a swirl of white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream on top.
Melt 200g of milk chocolate, cool slightly and then coat the buttercream on each cupcake.
Melt 100g of white chocolate, cool slightly, place in a piping bag and swirl onto the milk chocolate on top of each cupcake.

PND

2011-03-09T22:23:00.002+10:30

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I didn't think this would happen to me. But here I am. I have post natal depression.

According to my doctor my case is only mild, but when those dark thoughts enter my mind it doesn't feel mild. I have never felt anger and sadness like this before. And worst of all I feel totally disconnected from my sweet little Grace.

When Zoe was born I instantly fell in love - I was beaming with pride and I was over the moon. The birth of Grace was different - it was fast, scary and extremely painful. And once she was born I was in complete shock. I wondered why I didn't have that same instant bond that I had had with Zoe, but I thought that it would come with time.

Even after four months I still find myself staring at Grace wondering when I will feel that special connection, or if I will ever feel it at all. I often look at her with resentment and anger - for the horrible labour that I had, for looking like her dad, for taking me away from Zoe and for crying, what feels like all the time. I find myself getting so angry with her that I have violent thoughts (that I never act upon) - towards myself and towards Grace. Every night I go to bed with my mind racing - thinking how much I did wrong during the day and how much of a bad mother I am. I say to myself every night that tomorrow will be better - that I won't get angry, I won't cry and I won't wish away this time with Grace. Then something will set me off the next day and the cycle continues.

I want to be happy with my beautiful girls and my little life, and I want to feel that connection, that love for my Grace. But first I need to get this post natal depression under control. I am going to join a support group and I have an appointment next week for a full mental health evaluation. I am going to get better. This won't last forever.

Thanks for listening.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting time!

2011-03-08T12:00:00.005+10:30

I will post the death by chocolate cupcakes on Friday, but in the mean time it is time to vote for the fifteenth sweet, and this time you are voting for...

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Candy!

Almond Buttercrunch

Marshmallows

Fudge

You know what to do - get voting using the poll on the right hand side!

Move it to Lose It - Week 11

2011-03-07T12:42:00.000+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 70.7kg

Current weight: 71.1kg

Argh. My first weight gain - only 400 grams but still I am very disappointed in myself. I only used the Wii Fit twice last week, and I did quite a bit of emotional eating. But seen as this is the last week of my challenge I am going to be trying really hard this week - going to jump on the Wii Fit every day and really watch what I eat. As long as I am back under the pre-pregnancy weight I will be happy, but it would also be lovely to get down to 70kg. I think that is wishful thinking though.

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-03-06T12:00:00.001+10:30

Love the pom-pom garland and the mother inlaw tongues in this room. I think I need to make a pom pom garland.

I wish my kitchen had this much storage - I totally have drawer envy right now.

I think I would spend all day in my bedroom if it looked like this - so very pretty.

For some reason I really love this door - perhaps it is all the pretty jewels hanging down in front of it. Whatever the reason is - I think it is cute.

How beautiful is this bouquet? I love having flowers in the house - they always pick up my mood.

I'm loving this book case - and the amount of books in it. I think I need to get the girls some more books. You can never have too many - right?

Love this bedroom. Bright white rooms just look so inviting to me for some reason.

A very neat and organised room - and check out that orange! That would definitely keep me awake!

Love this styling - gorgeous colours, and I love the garland and birdies.

What a cute little room for little people - nice, bright and bare - ready to get creative in!

101/1001 Update

2011-03-05T12:00:00.002+10:30

I've actually made more progress with my 101 in 1001 list - yay! I hope that I can keep on going with it and actually finish it off. In the mean time though here is what I crossed off of the list in February 2011...

#41 Finish my mosaic pots

Finally finished these pots - and I am sooooo happy that they are done. I am going to post up a tutorial some time soon on how to mosaic a pot if anyone else wants to take on the challenge.

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#44 Use my wacom tablet

I used it to design my new blog banner and badge - but I also want to use it to do some digital art. Just got to find the time!

#56 Visit the botanical gardens in the city

It was a quick trip (since Grace spent nearly the whole time crying) but we went there - did that.

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#95 Get a nice address book and fill it up with family & friends

I ended up getting a red moleskine address book and I lurve it - next year's diary is definitely going to be a moleskine.

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#96 Sell something on eBay

I sold two old baby carriers that I wasn't using - so proud of myself :P

I've also made some progress on a few other items:

#1 - Achieve my goal weight of 60 kilograms

I am now down to 70.7kg - 10.7kg to go!

#14 - Save $5,000

I've now saved $2,178 - nearly half way there!

#45 - Complete a 365 day photo challenge

I started on the 1st of January and haven't missed a day yet!

#78 - Finish studying Marketing & Society

I started this on Monday - I'm now back in the books :P

And this month I want to work on...

#7 - Stop biting my nails
#9 Take a long relaxing bath
#18 Plant more succulents
#32 - Toilet train Zoe
#78 - Finish studying Marketing & Society
#93 Buy something from Etsy

Grace - 4 months

2011-03-04T12:00:00.000+10:30

I can't believe you are four months old already Grace - where did that last month go? Grace this month you have started developing your own little personality. You are smiling more and more every day - and when you smile it isn't just a little smile, you do it with your whole body. You let out your first giggle this month and it has to be one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. You are getting much better at grabbing your toys and I've seen you eying off your feet - you would love to grab on to them. You are still loving the boobs and you are sleeping like a little trooper - and for this mummy thanks you so, so much!

Your even getting into tummy time a bit more - trying to move around (but failing) to get your toys and trying to roll over.

We took you to the botanical gardens and...

You were not a fan.

But then I look into those eyes and how can I be angry with you - I love you baby girl! Can't wait to see what the next month brings.

Etsy Picks

2011-03-03T12:00:00.035+10:30

Love Hello Jenuine for cute prints and cards. The Less Talk More Make in particular is really speaking to me at this point in time.

{ Pictured: Less Talk More Make Print and January Bear Print }

Love these screen printed homewares by Oh, Little Rabbit. Makes me wish I had some fancy tea towels instead of cruddy ones from Ikea.

{ Pictured: Gold Fish Flour Sack Towel and Rabbit Produce Bags }

Sweet Harvey has gorgeous paper goods created on their vintage printing press and beautiful screen printed goodies too. I would love to have their flapper tote bag!

{ Pictured: Robot Book Plates and Flapper Tote Bag }

I love this unique jewelery by Fable & Fury. There are quite a few pieces that have deers in them - obviously they are my favourite.

{ Pictured: Night Owl Silhouette Necklace and Fawned of You Necklace }

I am in love with these prints by Yellena - such wonderful colours and abstract shapes. Love, love, love them.

{ Pictured: Season Print and Maybe Print }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #13: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2011-03-02T15:21:00.000+10:30

I first attempted making Red Velvet cake back in 2009 and I think it is safe to say that it was deemed a failure. I think I must have put to much baking powder in those cupcakes because they were extremely bitter. So when Red Velvet won the poll this week I was happy to be giving it another shot, but I was also worried that I would fail again. Luckily those worries were unfounded. I have now successfully made Red Velvet cake, in the form of whoopie pies!

That being said - I think I'm not a massive fan of Red Velvet cake - the flavour is a bit so-so to me, it just isn't sweet enough, or chocolatey enough, or anything really. But my goodness it sure does look pretty. In fact it looks out of this world! The bright red cake with the white cream cheese filling looks divine. And on another positive note my mum officially loved these whoopie pies - she said for her it was a flavour explosion - I guess we must have very different tastebuds? Who knows.

Anyways if you want to make some pretty whoopie pies and you want a 'not too sweet' cake then give these a try - they were extremely easy to make and very pretty to look at.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (from Annie's Eats)
For the cookies:
2 cups plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 oz red food coloring

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract (I only used 1 tsp)
2½ cups icing sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not overbeat.
Blend in the food coloring.
Annie piped hers to make heart shaped whoopie pies - I just used an ice-cream scoop to scoop out the batter on to the baking paper.
Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through (mine were a bit larger so I baked for 15 minutes).
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking trays at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack.
Repeat with any remaining batter.
Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.
To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Annie used a piping bag to pipe the cream cheese frosting on between two of the cookies - I just used a knife to spread it on through sheer laziness.
Once you have piped/spread on the cream cheese frosting on to the bottom of one cookie - sandwich it with another cookie - and voila! You are done. Now just repeat for the rest of the whoopie pies.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting time!

2011-03-01T12:00:00.011+10:30

I will post up the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies tomorrow, but in the mean time it is time to vote for next week's sweet, and after a long absence from my blog - it is time to vote for...

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Cupcakes!

Banana Split

Death by Chocolate

Cherry Ripe

You know what to do - vote using the poll on the right hand side.

Move it to Lose it - Week 10

2011-02-28T12:00:00.000+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 71.5kg

Current weight: 70.7kg

I did it! I am officially less than my pre-pregnancy weight! Let me just say that after a very nice 800 gram loss this week I am over the moon. Funnily enough though I have been pretty relaxed about it all this week - I still did my Wii Fit exercise and went on a few walks with the girls - but food wise I just took it easy and really listened to my tummy to tell me when I am hungry. It seems this technique worked for me this week - lets see how it goes next week!

I would love to be under 70kg by the end of my little 12 week challenge - so hopefully the next 2 weeks go well and I can be in the sixties again for the first time since mid 2007. I am very excited about that prospect!

Giveaway with Furze Chan

2011-02-28T08:30:00.001+10:30

Ready for another exciting giveaway? This week the lovely Furze Chan is pairing up with The Red Deer to give away some lovely paper goods. Read on for the details...

Furze is the owner of a gorgeous little Etsy shop - Furze Chan (With Her Animal Poetry - Paper Goods by Furze Chan). She makes gorgeous paper cut goodies - including puppets, cards and lovely wall calendars. I myself am a huge fan of the wonderful fox puppet and the mini wall calendar. They are just adorable!

You can see more of Furze's work at her Etsy shop, her blog and her website.

Now on to the giveaway! Furze is giving one lucky Red Deer reader the chance to win a wonderful prize pack including a 2011 Mini Wall Calendar, a DIY Rabbit Puppet and a DIY Penguin Puppet.

To enter, visit Furze Chan and then pop back here to let me know what your favourite item is (make sure you leave a way to contact you in your comment).

If you want additional entries you can, become a follower of The Red Deer, follow The Red Deer on Bloglovin, blog about this giveaway or tweet about this giveaway. Just make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

Good luck!

The giveaway is open to everyone everywhere, and will close at 6:00pm Sunday the 6th of March.

We also have a winner for the Piktorama giveaway....

Sena from By the Bluegrass... - congratulations!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-02-27T12:00:00.096+10:30

This gorgeous sketch book page by Artanika. It makes me want to go pick some flowers so I can press some petals - how pretty does it look!

These crocheted pea pods by Ingthings - too cute!

These stuffed hearts by design*sponge I think I would like to make a larger size one so Zoe could stuff in one of her favourite toys.

This teen bedroom over at ohdeedoh. I can only hope that I get Zoe and Grace to have a stylish room like this when they are older. A mum can dream, right?

How cute is this cute play attic found over at ohdeedoh? I wish I had a space for my girls like this. Instead we have a shared study/play room with some funky wall paper and carpet - ah the joys of renting.

These oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies from Becky Bakes are insane, and I want to have one badly!

These drool worthy nutella cupcakes from Tartelette - yum!

This stack of Cake Batter Pancakes by Tracey's Culinary Adventures looks amazingly yummy. Too naughty for breakfast though - don't you think?

I need to give this tutorial on how to make macarons that I found on Cake Journal a serious read. I have to attempt to make them one day.

Blogs I ♥

2011-02-26T12:00:00.102+10:30

Is everyone else addicted to reading blogs or is it just me? Well if you aren't addicted yet - here are a few blogs that might help along your addiction...

First off decor8 - a lovely blog for home decorating, new products and beautiful art & design. This has been in my Google Reader since I first discovered blogs - I absolutely love it and have saved many an image from this blog into my inspiration folders.

Cakies is a gorgeous blog written by Rubyellen. It gives a lovely snapshot of her life with her husband and three gorgeous girls (and there is another bubba on the way). Lots of vintage goodness, cooking and daily life posts - always a pleasure to read.

Smile and Wave is a recent discovery for me and I'm so glad I found it. Rachel is a crafty mummy to two gorgeous kidlets. I love all of the vintage clothing posts for both herself and her kids - it is seriously inspiring me to start taking a bit more care about the way I look.

Bleubird is another blog that I have just recently found - and it is another blog that is inspiring me to be a better dressed mummy. I love everything on this blog - wonderful food, gorgeous kids, great fashion and just a good outlook on life in general.

My Paper Crane is the blog by Heidi Kenney. I discovered Heidi quite a few years back now when I bought one of her donut keychains from KidRobot. She always comes up with most adorable products and I love her food & family outing posts.

Xialou from 6 Bittersweets has become one of my blog buddies - so that in itself makes me love her blog. But on top of that the goodies that she bakes up always leave my mouth watering and her food photography skills are amazing.

Speaking of food photography, if you are a food lover and haven't visited Tartelette yet then you should do so immediately. Absolutely amazing photography and the food always looks amazingly delicious.

Ohdeedoh is one of my favourite kids blogs - I love it for the craft ideas and interior decorating. I think it is probably a must if you have kidlets yourself.

Last but not least design*sponge is another interior decorating blog that has been in my Google Reader since I discovered blogs. Lots of inspiring homes and lots of DIY projects as well.
Now a question for you - what are your favourite blogs? Let me know in the comments - I'm always looking for more to check out.

Valentine Craft Swap

2011-02-25T12:00:00.001+10:30

Guess what I got in the mail? Yep that's right I got my crafty goodness from Ruth who I was partnered up with for the Valentine Craft Swap that was put on by Becky over at Strumpet's Crumpets. Ruth made me this extremely cute fabric basket. I really love the colours and patterns that she chose, but now I am just trying to figure out what I want to store in it. It is only a small basket - any ideas?

Thanks again Ruth for doing the swap with me - I had a lot of fun making my plush cupcake for you and I really love my fabric basket.

Yay my first craft swap was a success!

Etsy Picks

2011-02-24T21:16:00.000+10:30

I am so excited to have found Mae - this shop sells reusable fabric wall decals. How cool is that? I know that Zoe would love these and would spend hours and hours sticking and re-sticking them in her room. I think I might have to save up and get her some!

{ Pictured: Mini Up, Up and Away Stickers and Dress Up Dolls Decals }

Amy Blackwell's shop has so many gorgeous prints with beautiful colour schemes. She also has some lovely embroidered pieces - I think they would look lovely in my bedroom.

{ Pictured: Cotton Doodle (Pink Triangles) and Abstract Kitty }

I have loved My Paper Crane for quite a while now. The plushies Heidi creates are just so cute - and best of all they are mainly food items! I'm also falling in love with this Baker Helper's print, wouldn't it look so cute in a cosy little kitchen?

{ Pictured: Happy Bread and Baker's Helper Print }

I love these amazing DIY paper puppets by Furze Chan - lovely design and great colour combinations. I'm also falling in love with their gorgeous wall calendar - makes me wish that I didn't have one already. Maybe next year!

{ Pictured: DIY Paper Puppet Fox and 2011 Mini Wall Calendar }

I'm a huge fan of wooden toys for kids (I wish that I actually had more for Zoe and Grace) and so when I found Imagination Kids I was very excited. They have beautifully made wooden toys for kids - I especially love the rainbow, I know that Zoe would have a lot of fun with that.

{ Pictured: Wooden Hedgehogs and Mushrooms and Rainbow Stacker }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #12: Apple & Cinnamon Slice

2011-02-23T22:45:00.000+10:30

So we are up to number 12 in the 20 Sweets in 20 Weeks project - definitely over the half way mark and I am started to get excited about finishing this little project up. I have the next 8 sweet genres planned out - and let me tell you, there is still a lot of sweet goodies to come your way.

Anyway on to the baked slice - this was a close call between lemon & coconut, and apple & cinnamon. Secretly I was hoping that lemon & coconut would win, but I am still happy with the result. This slice is extremely easy to make since you get to cheat a bit by using a packet of cake mix for the base. The bottom is nice and crunchy thanks to the added coconut, and the canned apple & sour cream make for a lovely moist top to the slice, which is then finished off with cinnamon sugar. Such a simple slice with simple flavours that you just know are going to work together. Why not give it a try?

Apple and Cinnamon Slice (from taste.com.au)
Serves 8

340g packet golden buttercake mix
90g desiccated coconut
125g unsalted butter, melted
400g can apple pieces
300g sour cream
1 tsp cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and the two opposite sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm over edge of pan.
Combine cake mix, coconut and butter in a medium bowl. Press mixture evenly over base of prepared pan. Cook for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly.
Spread apple evenly over base, then spread sour cream evenly over apple and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cook for further 20 minutes, or until sour cream has set.
Cool in pan. Cut the slice into fingers to serve.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting time!

2011-02-22T12:00:00.004+10:30

I am going to post up the Apple & Cinnamon slice tomorrow, but in the mean time I need you to get voting again. And this time we are voting for...

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Whoopie Pies!

Chocolate

Banana

Red Velvet

You know what to do - vote using the poll on the right hand side.

Move it to Lose It - Week 9

2011-02-21T21:50:00.000+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 71.9kg

Current weight: 71.5kg

Another 400 grams gone - and seriously I amazed that I managed to lose anything at all this week. I have eaten so many sweet things - and I didn't exercise as much as I wanted to. So a bad week for my health kick. Tomorrow is a brand new day right?

How I did on last weeks goals...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal - yep
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week - I ate so much sweet stuff this week it is just ridiculous!
Drink at least 2L of water every day - yep
Use the Wii Fit 5 times - only did it 4 times
Go for at least 2 walks with the girls - only managed one
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong and post it up - I lost track of it all on my little weekend away - so I am not going to be posting it up (that and I am totally ashamed of how much bad food I ate this week).

So only 500 grams to go now before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight - I really want to get to that by the next weigh in. So no more naughty Alicia - I have to eat well and exercise this week.

Giveaway with Piktorama - Closed!

2011-02-21T15:18:00.001+10:30

Good morning deer readers! I hope you are feeling lucky because we have another wonderful giveaway for you all - this time The Red Deer is pairing up with Piktorama so that one lucky reader will win an amazing screen print!

Amaranta is an artist, an illustrator and a mummy to her 4 month old twin boys - Joaquin and Noah. She is also the owner of the gorgeous Etsy shop - Piktorama. The shop is filled with some of the cutest prints I have ever seen - gorgeous bright colours, lots of cupcakes and plenty of smiles.

You can see more of Amaranta's work at her Etsy shop, website, twitter and blog.

Now on to the giveaway! Amaranta is giving one lucky Red Deer reader the chance to win one of her limited edition Tea Time silkscreen prints (#5 of 100, to be exact). A beautiful 4 colour silkscreen print that includes one metallic ink - so it changes colours depending on the lighting. It is printed on 280gm paper and is signed and numbered.

To enter, visit Piktorama and then pop back here to let me know what your favourite item is (make sure you leave a way to contact you in your comment).

Good luck!

The giveaway is open to everyone everywhere, and will close at 6:00pm Sunday the 27th of February.

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-02-20T23:23:00.000+10:30

Just a quick one tonight because it is late and I am ultra tired after a quick weekend away.

This super cute layer skirt tutorial over on Prudent Baby.

Instructions to make a cute scenic sketchbook on Elsie Marley.

This amazingly cute breakfast birthday party over at Cakies.

Part two of making a custom DIY planner on Kyla Roma.

This recipe from Crustabakes for peanut butter chocolate squares.

Also we have a winner for the Cathy Peng Valentine's Giveaway....

Carly from She Love Libraries!

Congratulations Carly - I hope you love the scarf :)

Zoe - 28 months

2011-02-18T12:00:00.001+10:30

Little Zoe - my how you have grown. You are becoming quite the little lady now.

You love being outdoors - and you especially love using your little watering can.

Reading time is still a favourite - especially when Pop is around to read with.

You are starting to get a bit of an appetite for food - perhaps there is hope at meal times after all.

You are starting to get very involved in your play time and quite often will tell me to go away so that you can play on your own. Little Miss Independent.

You somehow put up with mummy giving you very crooked fringe cuts.

You love to paint and draw - you are quite the budding artist.

You are looking more and more beautiful everyday. I love you little lady - can't wait to see what this next month brings!

Etsy Picks

2011-02-17T15:50:00.000+10:30

This amazing cut paper art is by Roadside Projects - I actually gasped out loud when I saw this shop. I can't get over the attention to detail and the wonderful use of colour. Just gorgeous. { Pictured: Cloud Climbing and Flight by Kite }

Another shop that has gorgeous paper cut art is Elsita. Again the detail in these pieces just amazes me. I would love to give it a try, but I think perhaps I am a little too clumsy for it. { Pictured: Little Red Riding Hood and Print }

Krize has some gorgeous prints (I particularly like the Leo one, since I myself am a Leo), brooches, soft toys and jewelery. Lots of cute and fun things! { Pictured: Leo Print and Funny Bunny Brooch }

I really love all of the prints by Piktorama - they have wonderful colour schemes and simple, yet extremely cute illustrations. I especially love the happy cupcakes print - that would look super cute in my future kitchen! { Pictured: Tea Time and Happy Cupcakes }

Another fantastic shop for quirky original prints is Laura George - I'm especially digging the Intellectuals print - it is making me feel smarter already.
{ Pictured: Finding Friends and We Are Intellectuals }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #11: Golden Syrup and Chocolate Buns

2011-02-16T21:57:00.000+10:30

For some reason I have always been afraid of yeast. Kind of ridiculous right? I thought it would be hard to get it right, that it wouldn't rise and instead I would end up with a little dense rock instead of a delicious baked goodie. Well I was wrong - very wrong!

This was my first ever experiment with yeast and I have to say that not only was it extremely easy, but it also tasted fantastic and I really enjoyed making it. I loved watching the yeast froth up in the warm milk, the smell of the yeast in the kitchen, seeing my dough double in size, kneading the dough to release a bit of an extra stress and then putting it all together. Actually I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.

And to top it off I think these buns taste wonderful - the dough is light and fluffy, the dark chocolate and brown sugar add a lovely richness to the bun and the golden syrup produces a nice sticky mess. These buns were seriously finger licking good. So if you are like me, and have been afraid to break out the yeast, fear no more - try out this recipe and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Sticky Golden Syrup and Chocolate Buns (from taste.com.au)
Makes 8

375ml warm milk
3 tsp dried yeast
1 tbs caster sugar
600g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly whisked
80g butter, melted
70g brown sugar
100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
125ml golden syrup

Combine the milk, yeast and caster sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes until frothy.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour the milk mixture and egg into the well; stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside for 45 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a 22cm round cake pan with butter and line the base and side with baking paper.
Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Use a rolling pin to roll to a 30x40cm rectangle. Brush with one-third of the butter; sprinkle with one-third of the sugar and chocolate. Fold a short side of dough over two-thirds of the filling. Fold remaining one-third over the top to enclose filling.
Roll the dough out to a 30x40cm rectangle. Brush with half the remaining butter; top with half the remaining sugar and chocolate. Repeat folding and rolling. Repeat filling with remaining butter, sugar and chocolate; drizzle with half the golden syrup.
Roll up dough from a long side to enclose filling. Cut crossways into 8 pieces. Arrange, cut-side up, in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside for 15 minutes to rise.
Drizzle over remaining golden syrup. Bake in oven for 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Set aside for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-02-15T12:00:00.000+10:30

I am going to post up some sticky golden syrup and chocolate buns tomorrow, but for now it is time to get voting again, and this week you are voting for...

Image

Baked Slices!

Apple & Cinnamon

Lemon Coconut

Choc Chip & Oat

You know what to do - vote using the poll on the right hand side.

Move it to Lose it - Week 8

2011-02-14T20:14:00.000+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 72.2kg

Current weight: 71.9kg

Not a big loss this week - but still a loss is a loss, right? Another 300 grams gone - hopefully never to be seen again! That means I am just 900 grams from my pre-pregnancy weight - it is so close I can feel it. I guess this week I probably wasn't as good as I should have been - but I didn't slip up too much so I was kind of disappointed that I only had a small loss.

I have started to think - how can I continue to keep myself motivated? And once I do lose all the weight that I want to, how am I going to maintain it? I think my main problem is that I am an emotional and bored eater. As soon as I am feeling down/angry/upset/worried/whatever I want something sweet. When I have nothing to do I want to eat something sweet. Hell I just want to eat sweet things all of the time.

How I did on last weeks goals...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal - yep
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week - nope I ended up having 3 desserts and a bit of chocolate on a few days - naughty Alicia!
Drink at least 2L of water every day - yep
Use the Wii Fit 5 times - I actually did it 6 times this week
Go for at least 2 walks with the girls - went on 4 walks with the girls to try to make up for all the sweets I ate
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong - I slacked off, probably around the time that I started eating badly

And my goals for next week are pretty much the same - except I am definitely going to keep a food journal and then I am going to post up what I ate next week so that I can be totally accountable! *scary*

My question to you deer readers is how do you control your eating habits? How do you stop being an emotional eater?

Valentine's Giveaway with Cathy Peng - Closed!

2011-02-14T09:00:00.002+10:30

Valentine's day is here! I hope you are all feeling loved and cared for on this special day - and to spread some more love around The Red Deer is pairing up with Cathy Peng for a special Valentine's day giveaway!

Cathy is an artist, an illustrator, a designer and a mummy to cute little Whitney. Her lovely etsy shop is filled with all things kitty! There is gorgeous hand screen printed apparel (lots of cute shirts - and even onesies for bubbas), ultra cute stationery, art prints, cards, bookmarks, buttons and more. Seriously, if you are a cat lover or know someone that is a cat lover then this is a shop that you need to check out! Personally I am loving the Keep Cats and Kitty On prints - they are just too cute!

You can see more of Cathy's work at her etsy shop, portfolio website, blog and flickr.

Now on to the giveaway! Cathy is giving one lucky Red Deer reader the chance to win one of her limited edition Love Cats Scarves. A gorgeous grey scarf which has been hand screen printed with Cathy's Love Cats design. The scarf measures about 92" x 15.5", so you can keep nice and toasty warm while showing off your love for all things kitty!

To enter, visit Cathy Peng's Etsy shop and then pop back here to let me know what your favourite item is.

Good luck!

The giveaway is open to everyone everywhere, and will close at 6:00pm Sunday the 20th of February.

♥ Weekly Favourites - Valentine's Edition ♥

2011-02-13T19:18:00.001+10:30

This photo by Charity Elle. If only I had a real love for reading - I spend all of my "reading time" online instead.

A sweet message in the snow - photographed by i *heart* sensible shoes.

How about a Peanut Butter and Jelly love sandwich for breakfast? Found at {365} Breakfasts.

These gorgeous red velvet whoopie pies from Tracey's Culinary Adventures.

Love the outfits and the cupcakes in this photo by Bake-A-Boo - so pretty!

How about making some hugs and kisses pancakes for your little one(s) on Valentine's day - a great idea from Cooking with My Kid.

These marshmallow lollipops look adorable (and super tasty) - another great idea from Cooking with My Kid.

Pretty slice and bake cookies from Prudent Baby.

How amazing do these chocolate dipped strawberries look? Head on over to One Charming Party to see how to make them.

I want one of those love forts in my lounge room - seriously how amazing does that look. I would love to curl up in there with my favourite magazines and have a little read and a nap. Go check out the tutorial over at Design*Sponge to make one of these yourselves.

This little Valentine award is a very cute DIY gift - go check out the tutorial at Wild Olive.

I love these simple and cute decorations over on Ohdeedoh - even better there is a tutorial to make the large fringed heart in the middle of the prints - super cute!

Did you find any cute Valentine's blog posts? Let me know in the comments section if you have any good ones to share.

Frog in the Pond

2011-02-12T12:00:00.006+10:30

Lately we have had some hot days down here in Adelaide and this little house of mine can't take the heat. We have one small wall air-conditioner in the study/play room and that is it. So while this room turns into a freezer, the other rooms in the house are like saunas. Especially poor little Zoe's room - it must be the hottest room of all. I seriously don't know she manages to sleep in there on our really hot days, the air gets so thick you could cut it with a knife.

So feeling sorry for my little lady I decided to give her a little treat for dessert a week or so ago - and what better way to treat a toddler than with a frog in the pond? Nice cold jelly with a chocolate treat to boot.

Frog in the Pond
Makes 2

1 packet of jelly (either lime green or blue blueberry)
2 chocolate frogs

Make jelly according to the directions on the packet.
Once jelly is set divide into two bowls.
Add a chocolate frog to each.

And since I'm sure there are many more hot summer days to come - any tips for keeping an old house cool? Or how to keep your baby and toddler cool?

Working on...

2011-02-11T12:00:00.002+10:30

Trying to finish these mosaic pots that I started forever ago. I am getting so, so close now - I can almost feel it! Once I am done I will post up a tutorial on the whole mosaic process, because even though it can be painstakingly slow - it is a lot of fun and makes such a pretty final product.

Now back to it!

Etsy Picks

2011-02-10T21:49:00.000+10:30

I love nearly all of the prints from printspace and I know I am not the only one, since I have seen the bird stack and jungle stack prints in quite a few children's rooms online. I seriously need to get some more art work for Zoe's room - will have to keep these prints in mind!

{ Pictured: Jungle Stack Print and Sweet Bird Stack Print }

I remember seeing these cute mechanical paper animal dolls by Oh My Cavalier! some time ago and back then I thought they were awesome. And you know what? I still think they are pretty darn awesome. I want!

{ Pictured: Mechanical Animal Paper Dolls and Fox Tags }

I love these simple and fantastic prints by mummysam - isn't that kitchen jars fabric to die for? I wonder what sewing project I could use it in?

{ Pictured: Portraits Letterpress Print and Kitchen Jars Fabric }

I found the illustrations by Jacqueline Bos really interesting - I would love to get my hands on one of her mini books.

{ Pictured: I Heart the Arctic Mini Book and Daylight Dreamers Letterpress Print }

Rosie Music has some amazing art prints, shirts and bags - I don't know why it took me so long to find this shop! I'm in love with the Too Shy print pictured above - it is gorgeous!

{ Pictured: Too Shy No.3 Wood Print and Home Sweet Home Print }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #10: Banana Sundae

2011-02-09T15:16:00.000+10:30

So I remember saying that this was going to be the ultimate banana sundae - but perhaps it isn't the ultimate - more like an average kinda banana sundae. I had all these hopes and dreams for the most amazing banana sundae ever, but when it came the day to make it - let me just say I had some issues. They weren't food issues that I was having - it was more like screaming children issues. So in the end it was all very rushed - it wasn't as pretty as I wanted, the photos were cruddy and I didn't get to make it all fancy-schmancy. All that being said I did manage to make a banana sundae that consisted of 12 layers of evilness, and while it may not be the ultimate banana sundae I still thoroughly enjoyed eating it.

Not the Ultimate Banana Sundae
Makes 1

Bottle of chocolate topping
One banana, sliced
Mini marshmallows
Good quality vanilla ice-cream, slightly softened
M&M's
Whipped cream
Glace cherry

Grab an old-fashioned milkshake glass.
Pour a little bit of chocolate topping into the bottom.
Add a few slices of banana.
Add a very small handful of mini marshmallows.
Add a small scoop of ice-cream and squish it into the glass.
Pour on a little more chocolate topping.
Add a few more slices of banana.
Add a very small handful of M&M's.
Add another small scoop of ice-cream and squish it into the glass.
Add a few more slices of banana.
Add enough ice-cream to nearly fill the glass, again squish it in.
Add some more mini marshmallows and M&M's.
Top with whipped cream and the glace cherry.
Consume.

Slice up your banana.

Grab your glass.

Add chocolate topping and banana.

Some mini marshmallows.

Pack down the ice-cream.

Add chocolate topping, banana and M&M's.

More ice-cream and banana.

More marshmallows and M&M's - why the hell not?

Top with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream and a glace cherry.

Eat it!

And just out of curiousity - if you were making the ultimate banana sundae what would you put in it?

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-02-08T12:00:00.001+10:30

I am going to post up the Ultimate Banana Sundae tomorrow - but in the mean time you need to get your fingers ready to do some clicking because it is time to vote for...

Image by Ezra Pound Cake

Yeast Based Sweets!

Cream Buns

Golden syrup & Chocolate Buns

Berry Scrolls

You know what to do - get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 7

2011-02-07T14:00:00.000+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 73.5kg

Current weight: 72.2kg

How is that for a loss! I am so happy with myself this week - 1.3kg gone! I did have a few slip ups still but in general I ate well, didn't over eat and I exercised a fair bit! Seems the secret to weight loss is to eat healthy food, eat the right amount of food and to exercise - who would have thought of that?

So this is how I did on last weeks goals...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal - big tick
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week - I may have eaten some chocolate that I shouldn't of and I had a schnitzel at the pub on Thursday
Drink at least 2L of water every day - big tick
Use the Wii Fit 5 times - tick
Go for at least 2 walks with the girls - only went on one walk - but oh well
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong - done!

So my goals next week are the same - hopefully I can kick some more ass!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-02-06T12:00:00.053+10:30

Here is some loveliness that I have found this week...

Image by the//crafty//fox

How awesome are these glitter shoes? I think I would feel like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz in these.

Image by AnnieDesign

I love the pretty colours in these crocheted embellishments - and I think if they were large enough they would make some awesome drink coasters.

Image by {brooke} april two eighty

Lots of pretty fabric. I have 'Sew a Quilt' on my list of things to do so I love looking at pretty pictures like this.

Image by kimberlyjaneharwood

Love this baby blanket - so bright and cheerful.

Image by K Hawkins Photography

Gorgeous colours and just a beautiful photo in general.

Now for some link love:

♥ Making a wallpaper print with Paper Sparrow

♥ ArtMind has a wonderful little tutorial to make a snow globe

♥ Why not make some yarn pom poms with Prudent Baby?

♥ I love these vintage hankie cushion covers by elsie marley

♥ Atypical Type A has some cute little Thank You tags if you have to thank some people

Plush Cupcake Tutorial

2011-02-05T12:00:00.101+10:30

As you may have read in some of my earlier posts I am participating in the Valentine Craft Swap being put on by Becky over at Strumpet's Crumpets. As soon as I was assigned my swap partner (hi Ruth!) I knew straight away what I wanted to make - a plush cupcake! It is something that I have been wanting to make for a while now and now I had the perfect reason to make one. So I sat down, drew up a pattern, bought my material and got sewing! I have to say it was a lot of fun and it has definitely made me want to do a bit more sewing. I thought since I am relatively new to it all that it would be a bit weird for me to post up a tutorial, but then I thought 'what the hell?'. So here we are the first ever Red Deer tutorial!

How to make a plush cupcake

Pattern
Cupcake top (pdf) and Cupcake bottom (pdf)

Tools
Tracing paper
Pencil
Scissors
Pins
Sewing needle
Sewing machine
Stuffing stick (or chopstick)

Materials
Felt for the cupcake top (I used bright yellow)
Felt for the hearts (I used light and dark pink)
Felt for the eyes (I used black)
Felt for the cheeks (I used light pink)
Felt for the mouth (I used red)
Fabric for the cupcake bottom (I used a cream cotton fabric)
Matching embroidery thread for the hearts, eyes, cheeks, mouth and cupcake bottom
Sewing thread to match cupcake top and bottom
Stuffing (polyfill)

Instructions

Download and print the patterns for the cupcake top and bottom. Using your tracing paper and pencil trace out the cupcake top, a heart, an eye, a cheek, the mouth and the cupcake bottom.

Cut out all of the shapes from the tracing paper, pin to the appropriate fabric and cut out the pieces. (Obviously you will need 2 cupcake tops, 2 cupcake bottoms, 10 hearts, 2 eyes, 2 cheeks and 1 mouth).

Next using the lines on the cupcake bottom pattern as a guide embroider some running stitches on both cupcake bottom pieces using an embroidery thread that matches the fabric.

Using matching embroidery thread sew the eyes, cheeks and mouth on to the front of one of the cupcake bottom pieces.

Using matching embroidery thread sew the hearts onto the two cupcake top pieces - using the cupcake top pattern as a guide for placement.

Now you are ready to piece together your plush cupcake.

Sew the cupcake tops onto the cupcake bottoms using the same embroidery thread that were used to embroider the cupcake bottoms.

Now you are ready to finish this baby!

Pin the two cupcake pieces together (right sides facing) and using your sewing machine sew around the edge leaving at least a 1cm border, and leaving a small gap (4cm or so) on the cupcake bottom for stuffing. Now take your scissors and clip the fabric around the curved edges.

Turn the cupcake the right side out through the gap that you left - be gentle!

Stuff the cupcake using the stuffer/chopstick to push the filling into all of the corners of the cupcake. Then pin the stuffing opening and use a blind stitch to close it.

Voila! You now have a plush cupcake!!

Hope you like your present Ruth - and I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day!

101/1001 Update

2011-02-04T12:00:00.094+10:30

As promised I am actually following through with my 101 in 1001 list, and this month I have made a bit of progress. I crossed 7 things off of the list and I have made a start on quite a few more. So I am pretty proud of myself so far. I also went back to my original list and updated it there so I can really keep track on how I am going with it all. So far so good!

Here is what I crossed off of the list in January 2011...

Image by cogdogblog

#19 - Start a compost

Yep I have some compost sitting and festering out in the backyard the only problem is I'm not sure how to use it and how I know when it is ready to use. I think I need to do some googling.

#20 - Start a home decorating inspiration journal

I started this on Sunday night and it was a lot of fun! I have a whole stack of magazine clippings so I sorted through them all and then started gluing them in - I also did lots of little doodles on each page. I think it looks quite pretty.

#35 - Sew a softie

I sewed up this little baby for the Strumpet's Crumpets Valentine craft swap and even better I am going to post up a tutorial for this tomorrow!

Image by lookforthewoman

#46 - Create a recipe database on Yum

I have started entering all of the recipes that I actually think are worth making again onto my Yum database on my MacBook - should make it a lot easier to choose something to cook for dinner.

#59 - Go to the beach

Did this with my sister, cousin, Zoe and Grace. Unfortunately since I was looking after Grace I didn't get to go in the water - maybe next time!

Image by michaelfritz

#74 - Create a business plan

Done and done - but already I think it needs altering.

Image by tim.perdue

#90 - Sort out my music library on iTunes

Finally finished loading up all of my CDs on to iTunes, but now my BFF has given me her massive CD wallet so I need to start loading up some more music - and then to make some play lists!

I've also made some progress on a few other items:

#1 - Achieve my goal weight of 60 kilograms

I am now down to 73.5kg - 13.5kg to go!

#14 - Save $5,000

I saved $1,075 this month (with lots of thanks to the Baby Bonus)

#32 - Toilet train Zoe

I have got the supplies - potty, undies, start chart - just need to get started!

#41 - Finish my mosaic pots

I have got all of the supplies I need so I can finally finish these things.

#45 - Complete a 365 day photo challenge

I started on the 1st of January and haven't missed a day yet!

#78 - Finish studying Marketing & Society

I have enrolled and ordered my text book and the course starts on the 28th of February.

#91 - Make an exercise play list

I am making one very slowly.

And this month I want to work on...

#7 - Stop biting my nails
#32 - Toilet train Zoe
#41 - Finish my mosaic pots
#55 - Go on a picnic
#57 - Go to the botanical gardens in the hills
#78 - Finish studying Marketing & Society
#95 - Get a nice address book and fill it up with family & friends
#96 - Sell something on eBay

Etsy Picks

2011-02-03T11:00:00.004+10:30

Some Etsy goodness that I have discovered this week...

I love these amazing screen prints done by Nate Duval - especially since I have a secret love for gig posters and sneakers.

{ Pictured: Sneakers Print and Gomez Gig Poster }

Lots of gorgeous original art work and extremely cute paper dolls by Amanda Atkins - I love portraits of tattooed ladies - but I don't think I could ever get tattooed myself.

{ Pictured: Stella the Astronomer Paper Doll and Tattooed Lady Print }

I am desiring all things vintage at the moment so naturally I am loving Johnny Vintage - especially the cute little deer statuette!

{ Pictured: Deer Statuette and Vintage Cook Book }

Loving these cute prints from Sycamore Street Press - I think the number and alphabet prints would look great in a children's bedroom or play room.

{ Pictured: Numbers Poster and Limited Edition Print }

Kitty Baby Love has extremely cute kitty crayons that would be perfect for little hands and lots of other cute kitty things like colouring in books, candles and this adorable bowling set.

{ Pictured: Kitty Crayons and Kitty Bowling Set }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #9: Slice and Bake M&M Cookies

2011-02-02T12:00:00.039+10:30

I couldn't believe it when we had a draw with last week's poll - 12 votes for glazed lemon and 12 votes for M&M's. I had to make the executive decision and since I am trying to lose weight I decided that I should make the ones that Zoe was more likely to want for her morning tea, in the hopes that would stop me from eating them all. And so I decided upon M&M's - and just as a side note they are named M&M's after the initials of the owners of the recipe/company Forrest Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie. So there you go.

Now on to the cookies. These were really easy to make, the dough took about 5 minutes to put together and then I just left it in the fridge overnight, sliced it up the next day, baked and voila! Done. Unfortunately though I am not a huge fan of these - I don't mind the taste so much, I mean who can say no to M&M's. But the texture of these cookies I am not a fan of. I don't really know how to describe it other than a bit chalky - if that makes any sense at all. Zoe seems to like them though - so I guess that is the most important thing. Oh, and I also discovered that a very small handful of M&M's is a good way to make a toddler very happy and busy for quite some time. So without further ado, the recipe...

Slice and Bake M&M Cookies (from The Australian Women's Weekly - Cookies)
Makes 48

250g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
75g rice flour
50g corn flour
70g mini M&M's (I used 150g of normal size M&M's instead)
2 tbsp milk

Beat butter, sifted icing sugar and extract in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer to large bowl; stir in sifted flours and M&M's, in two batches, then milk.
Divide mixture in half. Knead each half on floured surface until smooth, then roll each half into 25cm logs. Wrap each log in baking paper; refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm (I left mine overnight).
Preheat oven to 160C. Grease oven trays; line with baking paper.
Cut the logs into 1cm slices; place about 3cm apart on oven trays. Bake about 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Cookie dough all wrapped up.

Pretty M&M colours in the cookie dough.

Sliced cookie dough waiting to be baked.

The end result - M&M cookies.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-02-01T12:00:00.001+10:30

Since last week's poll was a tie between Glazed Lemon and m&m slice and bake cookies I had to make the executive decision. And the winner is..... m&m's! Sorry for all of those who really wanted glazed lemon, but I know that Zoe will totally be into the m&m cookies so I'll have morning teas for her sorted.

I will post up the m&m slice and bake cookies tomorrow, but in the mean time if you can spare moment why not vote for next week's sweet? And this week we are voting for...

Image by colonnade

Cold Desserts!

Chocolate Mousse

Ultimate Banana Sundae

Rainbow Jelly

You know what to do - get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 6

2011-01-31T14:15:00.001+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 74kg

Current weight: 73.5kg

Yay!!! I finally have what I would call a decent weight loss - 500 grams this week! I went off the rails a bit on Monday and Tuesday, but then I thought to myself I am sick and tired of feeling flubby - so I buckled down and started to really watch what I ate and jumped on the Wii Fit 5 times. Obviously that paid off because I believe anywhere between 500 grams and 1 kilogram is the amount you are supposed to lose per week if you are hoping to maintain it. So I am very happy with myself and now I just need to continue with the hard work and hopefully I can lose another 500grams this week.

So this is how I did on last weeks goals...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal - big tick
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week - whoops I ended up having dessert 3 time
Drink at least 2L of water every day - big tick
Use the Wii Fit 3 times - I actually ended up using it 5 times!!
Go for at least 2 walks with the girls - only went on one walk, it has been pretty hot here
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong - big fail, I didn't record anything

And the goals for next week are going to be the same except I want to use the Wii Fit at least 5 times in the week.

So wish me luck in reaching 73 kilograms next week - once I reach that it will only be 2 more kilograms and I will be my pre-pregnancy weight!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-01-30T09:04:00.001+10:30

Here is some loveliness that I have found this week...

Image by K Hawkins Photography

Since it is 42 degrees here in Adelaide today (107.6 F) I am loving this photo of a snowy day. I haven't even seen snow in real life yet - can you believe it?!

Image by Mina1801

I love this assortment of different pots and the cabinet that they are sitting on - very pretty.

Image by uydurrukcu

I would love a new work desk and I really like these ones, which I believe are from Ikea. Also love the moose head on the wall.

Image by zinniasalvagedgoods

How cute is this fire place - I think I love everything about it, the mirror, the pot plant, the cute pillows and stool. But I especially love those crocheted granny squares - what a great idea!

Image by uydurrukcu

I'm loving this cute little kitchen, it looks so clean and fresh - I love the white table paired with those bright blue chairs.

Now for some link love:

♥ Some good photo tips from Prudent Baby

♥ This tutorial for DIY skins for your iPhone/MacBook/iPad by One Pearl Button

♥ Some very cute DIY cake stands on Violet Bella's World

♥ This extremely cute wreath over at Oh My Deer! (love the name by the way :P)

♥ This Valentine's breakfast over at Cooking with my Kid

Grace - 3 Months Old

2011-01-29T10:32:00.001+10:30

I can't believe I am posting this already! Little Grace is growing up so fast it is just blowing me away. It seems like only yesterday I was coming home from the hospital nervous about how I was going to look after a newborn and a toddler, and now here we are as a little family - Zoe, Grace and I. There have definitely been some tough times, but I think overall we are going really well. Luckily Zoe seems to understand that when mum needs to feed Grace she will need to occupy herself - so Zoe will quietly play, and when it comes to putting Grace to bed, the dreaded television is switched on to keep Zoe happy.

This month Grace has turned into a super sleeper - it is rather strange for me because when Zoe was this age she was waking roughly three times a night and only cat napping during the day. Grace on the other hand generally has two decent naps and will then sleep from 10-12 hours straight at night. I love her for this. Grace is still feeding well and is growing very well - sitting at just over 7 kilograms now, which makes her very, very, healthy. She is also starting to discover her hands and feet, an occasional suck of the thumb and lots of wonderous looks at her feet - it is ultra cute. We are also starting to get happy times during the day instead of the constant whinge she was doing earlier - so it is lovely to hear those goos and gahs, and to see those huge gummy smiles.

And now for a few pics of my little lady...

Looking particularly gorgeous on her play mat from Pop and Liz.

Having a snooze in the baby carrier on her first ever trip to the beach.

Giving Zoe's art work on the fridge lots of gummy smiles.

Enjoying a bit of play time - this is something new!

Enjoying lots of cuddles with Auntie Emma.

Can't wait to see what the next month will bring!

Crafty WIP

2011-01-28T14:31:00.002+10:30

I've decided that 2011 is the year for me to be a creative gal and so I signed up for the Valentine Craft Swap being put on by Becky at Strumpet's Crumpets and Amber at Hoot-n-Annie. So I have been busy designing a little pattern, buying materials, cutting up my material and now I am ready to get sewing. I won't say what I am making just yet, but it does look super yummy :P

I'm not the only one getting creative in this household either - check out the drawing Zoe did with her crayons...

If you can't tell it is a drawing of me. She has been very busy lately trying to draw faces - and she told me that this one was a drawing of mum. So super cute!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Etsy Picks

2011-01-27T21:19:00.002+10:30

Here are a few lovely Etsy shops that I have found this week...

Berkley Illustration for adorable animal portraits - of course my favourite is the buck.

{ Pictured: Buck Print and Cheetah Print }

Zen Threads for lots of cool printed tees, totes and scarves. I love the Alice in Wonderland tote - especially since that was my favourite movie as a child.

{ Pictured: Alice Tea Party Tote Bag and Octopus Tentacles T-Shirt }

Beautiful watercolour prints by United Thread. I am totally digging watercolour at the moment and I am actually hoping to get into a bit of it myself!

{ Pictured: Two Peacock Pheasants and Lady Slippers}

Memi The Rainbow has a lot of cute necklaces, brooches and stamps, amongst over gorgeous things. I am seriously loving that Little Red Riding Hood necklace - it is just too cute!

{ Pictured: Woodland Creature Stamp and Red Riding Hood Felt Necklace }

fric de mentol has some really interesting gocco and watercolour prints - I'm totally digging on this twig couple, and I've secretly always wanted a gocco - but I just don't have the funds for it *sigh*.

{ Pictured: Mushroom Girl Gocco Print and Twig Couple II Print }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #8: Strawberries and Cream Tart

2011-01-26T23:26:00.001+10:30

Stop the press. I think I have found a new favourite dessert. I have always called lemon cheesecake my favourite dessert, but now that I have tasted this divine strawberries and cream tart - I think the cheesecake's days are numbered. The texture of the filling is so light, smooth and creamy, and then the strawberries on top covered in sweet sticky jam perfectly finish off this tart. I would have to say that it is a perfect summer dessert (and yes it is summer down here in Australia :P).

Now because I am true and honest blogger I have something to tell you, and well, this is hard for me to say, but... I used a store bought tart case. I know there is no excuse for not making the pastry myself, but this week has been a bit chaotic and quite frankly I just couldn't be bothered. So there is my dirty little secret. And now that the secret is out I feel a lot better. Also if you are feeling lazy like me that makes this the perfect dessert for you - just buy a tart case, quickly whip up the filling and top with strawberries and jam. Couldn't be easier!

Strawberries and Cream Tart (from taste.com.au)

Serves 6

1 1/3 cups plain flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

90g butter, chilled, chopped

1 egg

250g cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon rum (I used 1 teaspoon of honey instead)

500g small strawberries, hulled (I used large strawberries hulled and cut in half)

1/4 cup strawberry jam, warmed

Process flour, caster sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg. Process until pastry just comes together.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Press into a 10cm (diameter) disc. Wrap in greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Place a baking tray into oven. Preheat oven and tray to 200°C. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to a 5mm-thick round. Line a 3cm deep, 19cm (base) loose-based tart pan with pastry. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Line pastry case with baking paper. Fill with raw rice. Place onto hot baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove baking paper and rice. Bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until pastry case is light golden. Set aside to cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream, icing sugar and rum until smooth. Spread mixture in cold pastry case. Top with strawberries. Brush with warm jam. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. Serve.

Me cheating with a store bought tart case.

Add the filling.

Cut up the strawberries.

Arrange the strawberries on top of the filling.

Finish by brushing with warm jam - voila!

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-01-25T14:49:00.004+10:30

I am going to post up the Strawberry and Cream Tart recipe tomorrow, but in the mean time why don't you take a moment to vote for next week's sweet treat...

Image by ScreenBlog (Danimator)

Slice and Bake Cookies!

Glazed Lemon

Cranberry & White Chocolate

M&M's

You know what to do - get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 5

2011-01-24T14:16:00.001+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 74.2kg

Current weight: 74kg

Seriously this is getting funny. Another small loss of just 200 grams. Oh well at least it is still going down, which is actually quite surprising since I have felt a little off this week - really light headed and dizzy so I have been avoiding the Wii Fit. Also little Miss Grace has been difficult to get to down to sleep at night so I really don't feel like exercising at 9:30pm and the stress of it all has made me eat ice-cream a few times. Naughty Alicia! Oh well this is a new week and hopefully I can finally keep on track this week.

So the goals for next week...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week
Drink at least 2L of water every day
Use the Wii Fit 3 times
Go for at least 2 walks with the girls
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong

I want to lose at least 500 grams this week - lets see how I go!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-01-23T20:31:00.003+10:30

Here is some loveliness that I have found this week...

Image by such pretty things

A big jar full of pretty cupcake cases, which reminds me that I am quickly running out of cupcakes cases myself. I think I must rectify that shortly!

Image by sbrederode

How cute is this little house for kids? I know that Zoe would adore it, and she would totally get into that giant chalk board as well.

Image by Camila Pink

I think all kids would eat their vegetables if they looked like this - we need rainbow vegetables now!

Image by wool & wool stool

Some very pretty granny squares - my inspiration for me to learn to crochet.

Image by amelia + her camera

Love this image.

Now for some link love:

♥ This tutorial by Dottie Angel really plays on my heart strings

♥ Making a custom day planner (part one of the series) with kyla roma

♥ Making fabric magnets and badges on Sew Tara

♥ These amazing looking caramel popcorn cupcakes by 6 Bittersweets - drooool!

♥ A tutorial to make Scrabble tile magnets on Atypical Type A (can you tell I have a thing for magnets?)

Lamingtons

2011-01-22T20:03:00.001+10:30

If you are a fellow Aussie you know all about lamingtons and how awesome they can be - but if you live else where you may not have experienced these little wonderful cakes. Just imagine mini sponge or butter cakes dipped in chocolate and coated in coconut - seriously one of the best flavour combinations of all time.

Lamingtons (from the Australian Women's Weekly - 100 Favourite Cakes)
Makes 24

Cake:
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup milk

Chocolate Icing and Coconut Topping:
1 lb icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 oz unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
3/4 lb shredded coconut

Cake:

Grease and line a lamington tin (11 in x 7 in). Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Beat butter and vanilla together until white, add sugar, beat until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. When all the ingredients are added, beat mixture lightly until smooth.
Spoon mixture into lamington tin, bake in oven for 30 minutes. Cake is done when firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly before turning the cake out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof basin, or into top half of double saucepan.
Add softened butter and milk, stir with a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Stand over hot water, stir constantly until icing is of good coating consistency.
Keep icing over hot water while dipping lamingtons. If icing becomes too thick, add a little extra warmed milk or water.

Putting it all together:

Thinly trim brown top, base and sides from cake.
Cut cake into 24 even pieces.
Hold each piece of cake on a fork. Dip each cake in chocolate icing, then toss in coconut.
Stand on wire rack until icing sets.

The butter cake batter ready to bake.

The baked cake.

Individual pieces of cake.

Delicious lamington!

Why not give it a try? I promise you will love this one!

Zoe - 27 Months Old

2011-01-21T21:32:00.001+10:30

It has been a very long time since I have posted about my gorgeous little Zoe - I think the last time was way back in February 2010 when she was just 15 months old! Now Zoe is 27 months and quite the little lady. She loves talking, jumping, dancing, wearing pretty skirts and dresses, singing, cuddling and kissing. She is quite simply gorgeous! Don't get me wrong she can also be a handful, but in general she is a very well mannered and lovely little lady.

Zoe has had a very exciting month this month. Not only did we enjoy her third Christmas we also had family staying with us - my sister (otherwise known as Em) and my dad (otherwise known as Pot, since Zoe has decided that pop is too hard to say). Zoe had an absolute ball having so many people to play with - unfortunately she is stuck with me now :P

Here are some photos of what the little lady has been up to...

Going to the beach with Auntie Em.

Doing a gazillion crayon drawings.

Constantly counting.

Chilling out with Em and Pop.

Getting into the play dough with Em.

Can't wait to see what the next month will bring us!

Etsy Picks

2011-01-20T22:31:00.001+10:30

Here are a few lovely Etsy shops that I have found this week...

Paper Sparrow for extremely cute art work, prints, jewelery, stationery and more. I think I am in love with the little foxes having their jam - soooo cute!

{ Pictured: Fox Jam Print and Set of 5 Notecards }

Cathy Peng makes the cutest tees, accessories and stationery for kitty-cat lovers like myself. I especially ♥ the clever kitty - geeky kitty-cat lovers unite!

{ Pictured: Clever Kitty Moleskine and Hi Kitty Tee }

How cute are these watercolour portraits by Pop Pop Portraits? You can even get a custom portrait painted, I think that would be a fantastic present or maybe it would be good to just have one of yourself.

{ Pictured: Road Trip with RoRo Print and Best Mochi Friends Print }

I am really loving the gorgeous colours Golly Bard uses in her artwork - I think they would look fantastic hanging up in my future study :P. It is also inspiring me to learn the art of watercolour - seriously beautiful work.

{ Pictured: Covey No 3 and Seen and Unseen Night }

I think the embroidery patterns by Penguin and Fish are just adorable and would look fantastic in a nursery - now I just need to learn how to embroider - it is on my 101 in 1001 list! I'm also loving those cute lion kitties - marew!

{ Pictured: Fox Embroidery Kit and Lion Kitty no114 }

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #7: Banana Cream Pie

2011-01-19T17:07:00.003+10:30

I have been dreaming of eating banana cream pie for some time now. I think I have only had it once before and that was in 2006 when I visited Hawaii (which was great fun by the way). I really think that America seems to be the place to be when it comes to pies. Australia's pie selection just seems so boring in comparison - we seem to do apple pie and lemon meringue pie and not a hell of a lot more.

Funnily enough I actually got this recipe from an Australian cookbook and it turned out pretty well. I like the banana cream filling and of course who can complain with loads of whipped cream on top. But I did have some issues with this pie. First of all working with gelatine for me was a nightmare! It made the cream filling go incredibly lumpy and I ended up having to heat the whole cream mixture using a double boiler to get it back to a smooth consistency. For a while there I thought I would have to throw out the whole thing, there may have been some foul language at that stage. The second issue I had was the pastry, I may have over worked it, but I found it incredibly hard - when what I was after was a nice flaky crust. Other than that the pie is good, maybe even better than good - lets just say there was very little conversation at the dinner table while it was being consumed.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie (adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly - The Great Dessert Cookbook)

Pastry:

90g unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tbsp ground rice (rice flour)

1/4 tsp baking powder

Filling:

30g unsalted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2/3 cup water

1 1/4 cups milk

3 to 4 bananas (I used 3 smallish bananas)

1 tbsp gelatine
2 eggs
2/3 cup cream
dark chocolate (approximately 150g)
lemon juice
extra whipped cream (I added a little bit of caster sugar to mine)
shaved milk chocolate, to decorate

Pastry:

Cream butter and sugar; add egg, beat well.
Sift flour, ground rice and baking powder, work into creamed mixture, knead well until smooth.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out pastry on floured surface to fit lightly greased 23cm pie plate. Decorate edges with trimmings, brush with water. Prick well with fork on base and round sides.
Bake in hot oven (375F) for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden (took my oven 20 minutes); cool.

Filling:

Combine butter, sugar and half the water in a saucepan; cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly, stir in milk.
Soften gelatine in remaining water, dissolve over hot water; cool. Blend into milk mixture. (This is where my mixture went lumpy and gross - if this happens to you, pop the mixture into a double boiler and stir/whisk until the lumps disappear).
Separate eggs, add lightly beaten egg-yolks to milk mixture; allow to cool.
When beginning to stiffen slightly, fold in lightly whipped cream and softly beaten egg-whites.
Optionally at this stage melt the dark chocolate and spread over the base of the pie case. (Looking back I would probably put a layer of ganache on the base instead of just straight chocolate).
Slice bananas, dip into lemon juice; reserve some slices for decoration (I didn't reserve any). Arrange remainder on base of cooked pie case.
Pour cream mixture over carefully; refrigerate until set.
Just before serving, decorate with extra whipped cream and reserved banana slices (I decorated with shaved chocolate instead).

And now for some pictures of the process. The uncooked pastry case...

Pastry case cooked and fresh out of the oven...

Cover the pastry in melted chocolate...

Top with slices of banana...

Pour over the cream mixture and refrigerate to set...

Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, cut a slice and enjoy...

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-01-18T13:59:00.001+10:30

I am to post up the Banana Cream Pie tomorrow, but in the mean time get your mouse ready because it is voting time again - and this time you are voting for...

Image by laurat

Tarts!

Apple

Strawberry & Cream

Lemon

You know what to do - get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 4

2011-01-17T19:23:00.001+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 74.5kg

Current weight: 74.2kg

Hopefully this is the last week of tiny weight losses - my dad won't be staying with me as of tomorrow night and my sister leaves on Thursday. Then this weight loss challenge will get serious - because seriously 4 weeks to lose 1 kilogram is just sad!

So the goals for next week (well once everyone leaves)...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal
Eat healthy meals - except for one dessert in the week
Drink at least 2L of water every day
Use the Wii Fit 4 times
Keep a food journal so that I can see where I am going wrong

I think I have also decided on some weight loss goals and rewards for meeting those goals...

70 kg - Watercolour paint brushes and paper

65kg - iPod and dock

60kg - A complete new outfit

Now just to actually reach those goals!

♥ Weekly Favourites ♥

2011-01-16T21:30:00.001+10:30

Here is some loveliness that I have found this week...

Image by midsummerly

This gorgeous shot of the sunshine filtering through her hair. Makes me think of a lovely autumn day with a cool breeze. Mmmmm I can't wait for autumn - I think it is my favourite season by far.

Image by emilyonasunday

I so want to order my book case by colour - look at how pretty that looks! The only problem is that Zoe would probably destroy it within seconds, maybe I will have to wait a for a few years until the girls are older.

Image by 42things

Lovely ribbons. I think I need to start a ribbon collection - I'm not sure what for but it seems like it is a necessary thing to do.

Image by Hoola Tallulah

More pretty colours - I think I am seeing a theme here...

Image by Emma Bee Loves Colourful Things!

When I learn to crochet I would love to make a granny square blanket like this - now I just need to watch an online tutorial or two to figure out the whole process :P

Now for some link love:

♥ These Chocolate Cookie Bars on One Ordinary Day

♥ Check out the giveaway on A Beautiful Mess

♥ This cool time lapse video on ♥elycia

♥ The 52 week project (where you take one photo a week on a specific theme) on The Dainty Squid (I'm thinking of starting a 52 week project with self portraits)

♥ This Hazelnut and Orange Marmalade Tart by m.e.

Another blog award - this time I am stylish!

2011-01-14T21:56:00.001+10:30

I was awarded the Stylish Blogger Award from So Frenchy So Chic, and as part of that award I have to share seven facts about me, so here we go...

Image by Cool and Collected

I collect comics, it used to be X-Men comics (and a lot of them) but now I just collect one comic - zombie awesomeness in the form of The Walking Dead. If you are a zombie fan I seriously recommend you get this comic it is awesome, and even better it has now been made into a TV series.

Image by doug88888

I don't like coffee at all. I won't have hot coffee, iced coffee, coffee flavoured desserts, coffee liqueur - nothing with coffee in it! I thought maybe as I got older I would come around to it but it doesn't look like it is going to happen.

Image by Lost Star

I love writing lists. Lists for groceries, lists of things I want to do, lists of things I want to buy, lists of things I own, lists of everything really. There is something very satisfying about crossing things off of lists, does that make me sad?

Image by Kalexanderson

I guess you could call me a bit of a computer geek. I finished my Honours degree in Computer Science in 2004 and then started my PhD - did that for a year and then decided it wasn't for me and quit. I only ended up working as a programmer for a couple of years before I knew I wanted a change in careers. Now I am studying to be an accountant.

Image by Hazeldon73

I worked at both McDonald's and Pizza Hut when I was a teenager - bring on that fast food :P

Image by MrLomo

I would say that I am a bit of a dreamer. I'm always thinking of all of the wonderful things that I am going to do but then I don't end up doing them. This is something I am going to start changing this year!

Image by by Janine

I may be slightly OCD. I feel uncomfortable when there are dishes that need doing, I sort my lollies into colours and my wardrobe is ordered by colour too. All normal stuff right? Right? Please don't tell me that I am strange.

And now to nominate some lovely blogs for this award...

Dear (your name here)

Ink Obsession Designs

Etsy Picks - Yellow

2011-01-13T16:34:00.001+10:30

It is a grey day here today - rain, rain and more rain! So I think some cheery yellow goodness is required. Hope you like my finds!

1. Fingerless Gloves by Ottupura

2. Magnetic Chalkboard by Shabby Vintage Mom

3. Pussy Cat Earrings by Liana Kabel

4. Owl Cake Topper by Dear Girlface

5. Robot Tote Bag by Bold Banana

6. Plush Monster by Bug & Boo

7. Print by Print Shop

8. Woolie Notebook by Spiderbite Boutique

9. Plush Bunny by Carnival Goldfish

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #6: Apple Sauce and Blueberry Drop Cookies

2011-01-12T17:24:00.001+10:30

In all honesty I was kind of disappointed when these cookies won the poll. You see these cookies are actually kinda, sorta, well a little bit healthy. And funnily enough even though I really, really want to lose weight the thought of healthy baked goods sometimes just doesn't appeal. So there you have it. But anyways, I made the cookies because I made a promise to my dear readers and you know what? They actually aren't that bad. They certainly aren't a devilish chocolate cookie but they are quite good for a nice healthy treat. These cookies are moist, with a cake-like texture, a hint of cinnamon flavour and some nice chewy bits thanks to the dried blueberries.

So if you are on a bit of a health kick and want some reduced-sugar cookies that actually taste good, then why not give these a try?

Apple Sauce and Blueberry Cookies (from 500 Cookies by Philippa Vanstone)
Makes 30

115g unsalted butter, softened
50g demerera sugar
1 egg
300g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
50g dried blueberries (I used 70g)
225 unsweetened apple sauce (I used 250g)
2 tbsp water (I omitted the water)

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well.
Stir in the sifted dry ingredients, dried blueberries, apple sauce and water one at a time (I omitted the water).
Drop teaspoonfuls onto a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting Time!

2011-01-11T14:53:00.001+10:30

I am going to bake and post up the Apple Sauce and Blueberry Drop Cookies tomorrow, but in the meantime it is time to vote again, and this week you are voting for...

Image by Pillsbury

Cold Pies!

Banana Cream

Ice Cream Sundae

Chocolate Cream

You know what to do - get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 3

2011-01-10T20:22:00.001+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 74.9kg

Current weight: 74.5kg

Is this the most boring weight loss challenge ever? Seriously - at the end of 3 weeks I have lost 700 grams, that is just miserable. I have all of the usual excuses - but my main excuse/reason is that I have my sister and my dad staying with me at the moment so my routine is completely out of whack. On the plus side I did lose 400 grams last week - any loss is good right? And I ate reasonably well and I used the Wii Fit. So it wasn't a complete failure.

I have no more visitors as of the 20th of this month so after that date I hope to get some more serious weight loss happening. In the mean time, for the next 10 days I think I am just going to take it easy.

So the goals for next week...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal
Eat reasonably healthy
Drink at least 2L of water every day
Use the Wii Fit at least three times

I'm also trying to think of some rewards for getting to certain weights. I know that at some stage I want an iPod, but I am not sure what other rewards I should aim for. And so that is what prompts my question...

What would you want as a reward for getting to a goal weight?

Blog Award = Question Time

2011-01-08T17:09:00.001+10:30

The lovely Gabbi of Felinofelice passed on a blog award to me, and so I shall try my hardest to answer the ten questions that came with it...

Why did you create the blog?

Goodness I can barely remember the reason I started my blog. I *think* it was because I wanted to start an Etsy store and I thought having a blog would be an important part of promoting said store. Obviously I never have created an Etsy store though and instead my blog seems to have become a baking blog. Not sure how that happened, but I am happy with how it has turned out (not sure my waist line is happy about it though).

What kind of blogs do you follow?
To be honest I don't actually follow many blogs at the moment. Generally I follow people that in turn read my blog as it makes me feel like I am part of a little blogging community, but I also look at crafting, decorating, kids and food blogs.

Favourite makeup brand?

I don't really wear make up but I guess I have a fair bit of Napoleon Perdis.

Favourite clothing brand?
Um yeah - I haven't bought clothes in I don't know how long. Next question.

Your indispensable makeup product?
Mascara - if I do wear any makeup at all that would probably be it. I like that it can dramatically change your look but only takes a few seconds to apply.

Your favourite colour?
Isn't it obvious? Red of course. Although funnily enough red doesn't really suit me so I just have to use The Red Deer to get my red fix.

Your perfume?
Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden - I love that it is quite a light scent and not overpowering. It also reminds me of summer and heading down to the beach to get a gelati.

Your favourite film?
That would have to be The Shining - I love, love, love Jack Nicholson and this by far is his best role in my opinion. I love the eerie music, the dialogue, the crazy hotel that the film is set in and the huge maze at the end.

What country would you like to visit and why?
I would really love to visit France so that I could go on a dining adventure - I would get stuck into the cheeses, breads, pastries, desserts - actually I would get into everything I think. Maybe one day if I keep on saving my (not so) hard earned pennies.

Make the last question and answer to yourself
What do you wish you had more time for? I definitely would love more time to bake up a storm (having someone to give all of the baked goodies to would also be nice) and I crave for more time to create - whether it be sketching, painting, sewing, anything really. I really hope that I can make more time for both baking and creating this year.

Okay so now to pass on the award baton to 10 lovely bloggers - Jessy, Mitsy, Michelle, Connie, Brittany, Xiaolu, Katie, Levin, Kat and Rose.

New Years Eve and Sparkler Fun

2011-01-07T15:03:00.000+10:30

My sister, Janice (our good friend) and I had a lot of fun with sparklers on New Years Eve - and my sister being the media studies gal that she is put together this short video using all of the photos that we took on the night.

I hope you like it...

Etsy Picks - White

2011-01-06T21:17:00.001+10:30

I have rediscovered my love for Etsy, and so I have decided to restart my weekly Etsy picks post. So if you like anything here why not pop over to Etsy and have a look around.

1. Bunting by heidi adnum photography

2. Blouse by Sweet Cake Cookie

3. Journal by Burgundy District

4. Love stone by sJengraving

5. Texas necklace by truche

6. Pretty print by K. Helseth Photography

7. Decal by Modern Walls

8. Sculpture by Art Mind

9. Skirt by GypsyAccessory

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #5: Double-Choc Marble Swirl Brownies

2011-01-05T22:05:00.001+10:30

This is officially the second time that I have baked brownies and I must admit that I was a little bit scared. The first time I made them I baked them for far too long and they were dry nasty little things, but this time I am happy to report that I have a success. I think my first time baking brownies I just wasn't used to the generally sticky dense consistency that a brownie has so I thought that they hadn't baked for long enough. This time though I had learned from my mistake and baked them to perfection (even if it did take my oven double the time to bake them, seriously something must be wrong with my thermostat).

I love having more than one flavour in the one brownie, and the swirled/marbled effect looks quite pretty. I think this recipe would definitely be a hit with the kiddies and would even be a good one to bake with the kids since it is relatively simple to make. So no excuses people, if you want a tasty and easy to make brownie then this is the recipe for you.

Double-Choc Marble Swirl Brownies (from Good Taste - July 2010)
Makes 15

250g unsalted butter
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g dark choc chips
1/3 cup cocoa
100g white choc chips
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20 x 30cm slab pan with non-stick baking paper.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
Sift the flour over the egg mixture. Stir until well combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls.
Add the dark choc chips and sift the cocoa into 1 portion. Stir until well combined. Stir the white choc chips into the remaining portion. Spoon the dark and white chocolate mixtures alternately over the base of the pan. Use a flat-bladed knife to create a swirled effect.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces and dust with icing sugar.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting time!

2011-01-04T10:42:00.001+10:30

I baked up the double-chocolate marble swirl brownies yesterday (yummo by the way) and I'll be posting up the recipe tomorrow. In the mean time however, it is time to vote for next weeks sweet, and next week I am going to be baking...

Drop Cookies!

Chewy Chocolate & Raisin

Coconut & Cherry Macaroons

Apple Sauce & Blueberry

So what are you waiting for? Get voting!

Move it to Lose it - Week 2

2011-01-03T16:53:00.001+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 75kg

Current weight: 74.9kg

Okay I have to admit that I have been naughty this week - bad, bad, bad Alicia! I didn't do to bad with most of my goals - I ate reasonable portion sizes, I drank lots of water and I exercised. BUT - I ate naughty food again (nibbles, pie, custard, ice-cream, and more I am sure), and I think it is definitely hampering my weight loss.

On a positive note though my step mum gave me a Wii and Wii Fit for my Christmas present so now I have a fun way to exercise that can easily fit in with kids and my general lack of free time.

So time to list my goals for this week...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal
Eat healthy foods - except for dessert once (which I already had just then - when sampling the brownies)
Drink at least 2L of water every day
Exercise at least four times
Use the Wii Fit at least three times

One thing I am finding is that while I have my sister staying with me I seem to find it a lot harder to stick to eating healthy.

Any tips for eating well when you have house guests?

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - #4: Apple Pie

2011-01-02T22:00:00.001+10:30

I feel very slack indeed - I posted up the poll for "week 4" of 20 Sweets in 20 Weeks way back in July I only just now finally got around to baking my apple pie. What can I say? Life happened - separation, pregnancy and of course little Grace. So I have been busy - but now that I am back on the blogging bandwagon I promise to get through the rest of the 20 sweets nice and quick.

So even though it got to 39 degrees Celsius (102 F) on Thursday I decided that that would be the day to bake my hot apple pie. This recipe is quite easy to follow and the pie that you get at the end is simply delicious. A lovely pastry, a filling that is not too sweet and a lovely cinnamon flavour. The only things that I changed (read: stuffed up) was using strips of pastry on top of the pie instead of having it completely covered in pastry and I left out the lemon zest from the lemony apple filling. I had to do strips of pastry because my pie dish was larger than the required 23cm dish so I didn't have enough pastry to cover it, and I left out the lemon because I forgot to buy one, but it still tasted really good without it. Now on to the recipe...

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie (from The Australian Women's Weekly Basic Cookbook)

Pastry
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour
1/4 cup custard powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup water, approximately
1 tbsp caster sugar, extra

Lemony Apple Filling
7 large apples (I used granny smith apples)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated lemon rind (I omitted this)

Pastry: Combine sifted flours, custard powder and sugar in large bowl, rub in chopped butter with fingertips until ingredients are just combined.
Add enough combined egg yolk and water to mix to a firm dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead gently until smooth. Cut dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll out half the pastry between sheets of plastic wrap until large enough to line deep 23cm pie plate.
Remove top piece of plastic from pastry. Use remaining plastic to help turn pastry into pie plate. Carefully press pastry into pie plate; do not stretch pastry. Carefully remove remaining plastic.
Trim edge of the pastry with sharp knife; reserve scraps.
Spoon cold filling evenly into pastry case, brush edge of pastry with lightly beaten egg white.
Roll out remaining pastry, cover filling with pastry. Press edges together firmly, trim with knife. Using fingers pinch edges to make a frill. (I didn't have enough pastry because my pie tin was too big so I just put strips of pastry on top of my pie)
Roll reserved pastry scraps between sheets of plastic wrap, cut leaf shapes from pastry, if desired. Mark veins on leaves using small knife. Brush pastry with egg white, place leaves in position, brush leaves with egg white.
Sprinkle pie evenly with extra sugar. Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 F, bake further 20 minutes or until pie is golden brown.
Lemony Apple Filling: Peel apples, cut into quarters, remove cores. Cut each quarter in half lengthways. Place apples into large saucepan with water, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, cook for about 5 minutes or until apples are just tender. Transfer apples to a bowl, gently stir in sugar, cinnamon and lemon rind; cool to room temperature.

New Year Resolutions (My 101 in 1001 list)

2011-01-01T21:37:00.044+10:30

So we are officially in 2011 - welcome to the new year everybody! This year I've decided that I am going to be the best that I have ever been before in my life and so I've decided to give the whole 101 in 1001 thing another try (here is my previous 101 in 1001 attempt, that I abandoned very quickly) - but this time I am actually going to stick with it!

In case you don't know anything about it, the general idea is that you choose 101 goals that you would like to complete in the next 1001 days - so since I am starting today I want to achieve my goals by the 28th of September 2013. I will report back on my progress at the start of each month and will come back to this post and cross out the items that I have completed.

And on to the list...

Health and Beauty
1. Achieve my goal weight of 60 kilograms - down to 70.7kg, so 10.7kg to go!
2. Exercise at least 4 times a week (41/572)
3. Use my Wii Fit at least 3 times a week (31/429)
4. Do a non Wii Fit workout at least once a fortnight (5/72)
5. Drink 2-3L of water a day (59/1001)
6. Stop drinking soft drink
7. Stop biting my nails
8. Have a massage
9. Take a long relaxing bath
10. Get a manicure
11. Get a pedicure
12. Buy a complete new outfit

Money
13. Keep a spending diary (59/1001)
14. Save at least $5000 - I've saved $2,178 so far
15. Save $10 for every task I complete (70/1010)

Home
16. Start a herb garden
17. Grow a vegetable garden
18. Plant more succulents
~~19. Start a compost~~
~~20. Start a home decorating inspiration journal~~
21. Fix up the set of drawers in my bedroom
22. Buy Zoe a wardrobe
23. Buy Zoe a big girl's bed
24. Buy Grace a big girl's bed

Family
25. Post photos on Facebook monthly for family to view (2/33)
26. Talk to each immediate family member at least once a fortnight (4/72)
27. Start a family album

The Girls
28. Build a cubby house
29. Have a tea party
30. Build a puppet theatre
31. Create a dress up container
32. Toilet train Zoe - got a potty, undies and start chart - so ready to start!
33. Toilet train Grace

Arts/Crafts
34. Sew a skirt
~~35. Sew a softie~~
36. Sew an item of clothing for each of the girls
37. Sew some felt food
38. Make a patchwork quilt
39. Learn embroidery
40. Learn to crochet
~~41. Finish my mosaic pots~~
42. Sketch at least one thing a week (60/143)
43. Do a watercolour painting - bought watercolour brushes, paint and paper so ready to go!
~~44. Use my wacom tablet~~
45. Complete a 365 day photo challenge (59/365)

Cooking
~~46. Create a recipe database on Yum~~
47. Cook at least one new recipe a week (10/143)
48. Make my own pizza dough
49. Bake a loaf of bread from scratch
50. Make marshmallows

Outings
51. Visit an art gallery
52. Go out dancing
53. Go to a flea market
54. Go to an op shop
55. Go on a picnic
~~56. Visit the botanical gardens in the city~~
57. Visit the botanical gardens in the hills
58. Go and feed the ducks
~~59. Go to the beach~~
60. Go to the museum
61. Go to a farmer's market
62. Go to a fair

Holidays and Birthdays
63. Have a handmade Christmas
64. Make gingerbread houses at Christmas time (0/2)
65. Send out Christmas cards (0/2)
66. Make an advent calendar
67. Make Christmas ornaments
68. Make a Christmas wreath
69. Throw Zoe a tremendous third birthday party
70. Throw Zoe a fantastic fourth birthday party
71. Throw Grace a fabulous first birthday party
72. Throw Grace a sensational second birthday party

Blog/Business
73. Update my blog at least twice a week (59/286)
~~74. Create a business plan~~
75. Start a business
76. Sell something I have made

Study
77. Finish studying Microeconomics
78. Finish studying Marketing & Society - started!
79. Finish studying Business Law - enrolled in session 2 2011
80. Finish studying Financial Management
81. Finish studying Accounting Systems - enrolled in session 3 2011
82. Finish studying Management Accounting 1
83. Finish studying External Reporting
84. Finish studying Business Organisations Law
85. Finish studying Management Accounting 2
86. Finish studying Company Accounting
87. Finish studying Auditing & Assurance Services
88. Start studying Accounting Theory
89. Start studying Taxation Law (Principles)

General
~~90. Sort out my music library on iTunes~~
91. Make an exercise play list - started
92. Make a "kid-safe" play list
93. Buy something from Etsy
94. Buy an iPod and dock
~~95. Get a nice address book and fill it up with family & friends~~
~~96. Sell something on ebay~~
97. Go without TV/video games/movies for a week
98. Have a movie marathon day
99. Improve my handwriting
100. Go for a walk at the beach at sunset
101. Write another list of 101 things to do for the next 1001 days (1/101)

Last updated 1st February 2011.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T22:52:00.001+10:30

So much has happened this year - I started studying my Bachelor of Business (Accounting), I discovered I was pregnant, my husband and I separated, I moved in next door to my mum, my gorgeous Zoe turned 2 and I welcomed little Grace into my family. There have definitely been lots of ups and downs - but I have to say that at the end of it I am happy and I am excited to see what 2011 will bring.

I hope you all had a great year in 2010 and I wish you all the best for 2011.

Cherry Pavlova

2010-12-30T21:31:00.001+10:30

To me pavlova would have to be one of my all-time favourite desserts - so light and fluffy, so sweet and in general - so easy to make! Now I say 'in general' because there are a few areas where people go wrong. Firstly you need to be sure that when you are beating your egg whites that the bowl and whisk attachment are perfectly clean and dry - otherwise you won't be able to get those lovely stiff white peaks. Secondly you need to make sure that the oven is turned down nice and low so that you don't burn your meringue. And thirdly - don't open the oven door! The heat that escapes from the oven each time you open that door will mean that the element turns on, therefore you risk browning the pavlova. So if you avoid all of the usual traps you shouldn't have a problem baking your pavlova and you should have a very tasty dessert for very little effort.

Pavlova
Serves 6-8

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar plus 2 tbsps
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar

Beat egg whites until stiff but not too dry.
Add sugar 2 tbsp at a time.
Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
Put onto a lined tray and smooth into a circle.
Cook at 110C fan forced for 1.5 hours.

Cherry Syrup (from Margaret Fulton)

250g fresh cherries, stones removed
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water

Cook cherries, sugar and water on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until cherries are soft.
Puree in a blender, rub through a sieve.
Return to a saucepan and cook on a high heat for another 5 minutes, until thick and syrupy.

Assembling

450ml thickened cream, whipped
1kg fresh cherries, stones removed

Place pavlova on a serving plate and cover with whipped cream.
Decorate with whole cherries and cherry syrup.

Grace - 2 months old

2010-12-29T22:10:00.024+10:30

Grace my darling baby girl you are now 2 months old and so much has happened this last month...

You gave us your first smile.

You discovered the bouncinet.

You fed a lot and grew a lot.

You found your favourite place to sleep.

You experienced your first Christmas.

Happy 2 month birthday baby girl! I can't wait to see what the next month brings.

20 Sweets in 20 Weeks - Voting time!

2010-12-28T12:56:00.001+10:30

Folks I am restarting the 20 Sweets in 20 Weeks project. In case you can't remember way back in February I started this project where I would pick a different type of sweet food each week and I would give you, the readers, 3 different recipes to vote on. I would then post that recipe the following week, along with my rating. So far I have done cheesecakes (New York Cheesecake), cut-out cookies (chocolate cookies) and layer cakes (caramel layer cake). I posted a poll a while ago to let you choose which hot pie I should bake - and this week I am going to bake an apple pie. In the meantime however I want you to vote on what kind of brownie I should make...

Image by Betty Crocker Recipes

Brownies!

Lemon & Coconut

Chocolate

Double-Chocolate Marble Swirl

Move it to lose it - Week 1

2010-12-27T21:21:00.002+10:30

Starting weight: 75.2kg

Previous weight: 75.2kg

Current weight: 75kg

Week one of the challenge is done and I am extremely glad to have lost 200g. I know that it isn't much, but frankly the fact that I lost any weight over Christmas is a win in my opinion. I am actually quite surprised that I lost any weight at all because I ate a lot of naughty food - rum balls, cointreau balls, panforte, dips, cheeses, pate.... everything you can think of really. And not only did I eat badly but I only managed a few walks with the kids for exercise - so that wasn't too flash hot either. So I think that I can probably attribute my loss this week to breastfeeding and not much more.

This week is going to be a different story though! Christmas is done and dusted and now it is time to get serious. So here are my goals for this week...

Eat reasonable portion sizes at every meal
Eat healthy foods - except for dessert twice in the week
Drink at least 2L of water every day
Exercise four times

And hopefully if I can achieve these goals I will see a better loss at next week's weigh-in.

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T22:50:00.001+10:30

Well Christmas has come and gone, and I have to say it was one of the best ones I have had for a while. We started the day with the usual present opening, but this was the first Christmas where Zoe was able to open up her own presents - and she had a ball discovering all of her new toys. This year she was given a whole heap of play food, a tea set, the Fisher Price Little People backyard set, wooden blocks, a play toaster, a Dora the Explorer puzzle, some In The Night Garden books, a cute green pot and the big present from me...

A play kitchen! A very fitting present I think from a mum who loves to bake - and so far Zoe seems to think that it is pretty cool (but not as cool as her new tea set).

I gave a Grace a few rattles and some toys for the pram, not much - but she seemed pretty happy with it...

I was given a lovely towel set and some gorgeous new coffee mugs from my mother, a beautiful sarong from my sister, a sheet set from one of my best friends and a gorgeous little guardian angel and 'Dream' sign from my other best friend. The little guardian angel already seems to be doing its job in helping little miss Grace get to sleep. Thank you Auntie Leah!

After all of the present opening we let Zoe play while we had our Christmas brunch - ham and cheese croissants. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed with a nibbles dinner (cheeses, dips, turkish bread and oysters) outside in the glorious summer weather, and then later lots of chatting, laughter and pavlova (I'll post the recipe for that later this week).

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. What did Santa bring you?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T11:53:00.002+10:30

Tomorrow my little family will be having a quiet brunch after opening lots of presents (Zoe is going to love it) and then we will be having a relaxed dinner to finish off the day. What have you all got planned for the big day? I hope it is filled with lots of good food, love and great company.

I'll be back on Sunday to recap our Christmas day fun - in the mean time have a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Baking - Panforte

2010-12-23T13:06:00.002+10:30

I have seen a lot of recipes for panforte over the years and I was always interested in giving it a go, but for some reason I never did. This year I decided it was time to finally take on the panforte challenge. I have to say that it is quite easy to make except when it comes to stirring in the hot syrup. They are not joking when they tell you to quickly mix it all together - it turns as hard as rock really, really quickly! I found it incredibly hard to stir - it definitely gave my arm a good workout. The other trouble I had was with baking it - after the allotted 45 minutes mine was no where near baked through but the top and edges were starting to brown. So I ended up having to remove it from the oven, wrap it in a few layers of aluminum foil and then bake again for around 20 minutes at around 275 F. That seemed to do the trick.

The end result is a tasty Christmas treat with lots of dried fruit and nuts, that sends a lovely honey-cinnamon aroma through the house. So what are you waiting for? Give it a try.

Panforte
Makes 60 pieces

330g caster sugar
1 cup honey
300g plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
750g mixed dried fruit
250g blanched almonds, roasted
250g hazelnuts, roasted
pure icing sugar, to dust (I didn't bother with the icing sugar)

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm cake pan.
Heat sugar and honey in a heavy-based saucepan on low, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and boil until mixture reaches 115 C on a sugar thermometer. (If you don't have a sugar thermometer, drop a little of mixture into cold water - it should form a soft ball.)
Meanwhile, combine flour, spices, dried fruit and nuts in a bowl. Add hot syrup and quickly mix together (really quickly!). Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Use wet hands to pat down flat. Bake for 45 minutes (see above for what I had to do to get it to bake). Cool in pan.
Turn out and dust liberally with icing sugar. Cut into thin slices (warning: you need serious arm muscles to slice it).

Rating?
Me - 4/5 - I love the rich honey flavour together with the fruit and nuts.

Christmas Baking - Cointreau and Sponge Finger Balls

2010-12-22T08:33:00.001+10:30

So in my last baking post I mentioned that I would be making four Christmas treats - well scrap that. I attempted a new recipe for almond brittle rocky road and it was a complete disaster. And I mean complete. The brittle melted all of my rocky road and then it didn't set! So I was left with one soggy melted chunk of supposed rocky road, a huge mess and a grumpy attitude. Funnily enough it was a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, which you may remember gave me a whole heap of trouble last Christmas time (see here, here, here and here). So that is it - definitely no more recipes from Better Homes and Gardens for me.

Now back to the real baking - these little balls of Cointreau and chocolately goodness are just delicious, and so easy to make! If you are short on time this Christmas but want a tasty treat to give away then this is the recipe for you.

Cointreau and Orange Sponge Finger Balls
Makes 35

1 tbsp Cointreau
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
250g sponge fingers, processed until fine
1/2 cup desiccated coconut, plus extra to sprinkle
grated rind of 1/2 orange
395ml sweetened condensed milk
50g butter, melted
500g white, milk or dark chocolate, melted

In a bowl, pour Cointreau over dried apricots and set aside to soak for 15 minutes.
Combine apricots, sponge fingers, coconut, orange rind, condensed milk and butter in a bowl to form a soft mixture. Form small balls, and allow to set in the fridge.
Once firm, dip balls into melted chocolate and sprinkle with extra coconut. Chill until set.

Rating?
Me - 4/5 - yummy, I love the little chunks of dried apricot through them.
Mum - 4/5 - tastes just like a jaffa.

Move it to lose it - 12 Week Challenge

2010-12-20T21:25:00.002+10:30

I have a confession to make - I am overweight. Yes I know I just had a baby a little over 7 weeks ago, but that doesn't change the fact that I need to lose some weight. I managed to put on 19 kilograms while pregnant with Grace and so far I have lost just over 14 over those kilograms. That means that I am just 5 kilograms off of my pre-pregnancy weight. The only problem is that I was also overweight before I got pregnant, so I have even more to lose.

Now you might be thinking that the week of Christmas might be a strange time to start a new health regime, but I am sick and tired of making excuses for myself. Christmas is only one day and sure I will enjoy myself that day - but the rest of the week I can start to get my body back into shape! So today I start my "Move it to lose it" 12 week challenge where I aim to make over my lifestyle by eating well, having good portion control and getting a healthy dosage of exercise each week. Hopefully by the end of it I will have lost some weight, but even more importantly I want to look and feel great.

So here are my beginning statistics:

Weight: 75.2 kgs
Bust: 102 cm
Chest: 87 cm
Waist: 89 cm
Hips: 106 cm
Thighs: 58.5 cm
Calves: 38 cm
Upper arm: 28.5 cm
Forearm: 26 cm

Join me if you want - otherwise you can read about my 12 week challenge here on my blog. I'll provide an update every Monday that will detail my new statistics and how the week went (all the gory details of the blood, sweat and tears).

Maybe at the end of it I will even provide a before and after shot - if you are lucky ;)

Christmas Baking - Rum Balls

2010-12-19T21:09:00.001+10:30

Hello again! Look at this I am actually staying true to my word and blogging again - and so soon!

Well as we all know it is that time of the year for Christmas baking and while I am not going as crazy as I did last year (see the 12 Days of Baking Days of Christmas) I am going to bake up a few goodies (four to be exact) to give to people as gifts. First on the agenda is rum balls - a classic Christmas treat that is super easy to make, great for gifting and of course tasty.

I thought I would try a new recipe this year and I while it is good, I think the recipe I used last year was better - but nonetheless I shall post the recipe up for you to peruse and I'll let you decide which you would like to make (if any).

So without further ado...

Rum Balls (from some magazine - I tore out the page so now i'm not sure which)
Makes 45

400g packet digestive biscuits, broken
120g shredded coconut
125g good quality drinking chocolate
120g butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
60ml rum, or more to taste
25g good quality cocoa, to dust

1/2 cup sultanas (an extra that I decided to add)

Place biscuits in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add coconut and drinking chocolate (and sultanas if you want).
Stir in butter, then condensed milk. Mix well.
Stir in rum.
Chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Roll teaspoons of mixture into small balls.
Roll balls in cocoa to coat.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Rating?
Me - 3/5 - I thought it was a tad dry, but otherwise yummy.
Big sis - 4.5/5 - "I like it a lot. I could eat more."

I'm back....

2010-12-17T22:16:00.005+10:30

And hopefully this time for good.

So let me give you a short update on what I have been up to.

Very, very little baking has been going on in this household - I just haven't had the time or energy for it for quite some time now.

I finished my second subject in my Bachelor of Business (Accounting) degree - and I got a high distinction

And oh yeah - I had a baby!

Grace Ellen Zakarevicius
Born 29th October 2010 at 6:28pm
Weighing 4.1 kilograms (9 pounds 1 ounce)
Measuring 50cm

After a very quick (and painful) two hour labour my darling daughter arrived in this world. I won't bore you with the birth story, but it is suffice to say that I won't be doing that again in a rush! Ouch! Focusing on the positives though, there were no complications - Grace was perfect and I was up and about within minutes. Here we are just minutes after she was born...

And then after a lovely warm shower, with Grace dressed in her first ever wondersuit...

And in case you are wondering this was my last pregnancy photo that I got to take - it was taken the day before Grace was born, when I was exactly 39 weeks.

So that is my rather large news - only took me 7 weeks to tell the blogosphere, because now little Miss Grace is 7 weeks old and going strong.

I hope to keep this blog alive, but at this point in time I'm not sure what I will be blogging about because I am trying to lose a little bit of weight and baking does not fit into the weight loss equation very well. I'm sure I will think of something though.

Stay tuned!

Voting time...

2010-07-09T21:57:00.002+09:30

Image by Pillsbury.com

And this week you are voting for....

Hot Pies!

Apple

Blueberry

Apricot

I'm going away for the weekend, but I'll make those chewy chocolate cookies when I get back - Tuesday hopefully. Have a great weekend everyone!

Rock Cakes

2010-07-09T14:05:00.002+09:30

Zoe and I decided to do some baking again this morning, what a great way to spend a frosty winter morning. So I had to go by what I had available in the pantry today as my groceries don't arrive until Monday (that means those chewy chocolate cookies won't be baked until next Tuesday - stay tuned). Luckily we had all the ingredients that you need to bake some rock cakes - a classic baked good that is easy to make, good for the kiddies as they aren't too sweet and good for the parents with a nice cup of tea. So without further ado...

Rock Cakes (from The Australian Women's Weekly Basic Cookbook)
Makes about 15

2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup caster sugar
90g butter, chopped
1 cup sultanas
2 tbsp mixed peel
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk

Sift flour, cinnamon and sugar into a medium bowl, add butter, rub in with finger tips. Stir in fruit and peel with a wooden spoon.
Make well in centre of dry ingredients, add egg, then enough milk to give a moist but still firm consistency. If mixture is too soft, cakes will spread too much during the cooking time.
Place 2 heaped tablespoons of mixture onto lightly greased oven trays. Leave about 5cm between each cake to allow them to spread slightly.
Sprinkle cakes with a little extra sugar if desired. Bake in moderately hot oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Use metal spatula to loosen cakes on trays; cool on trays.