A party...

We had our wee sunday school group over to our place for a mid-term 'cafe night'...I tell you the fun is in the planning and prep I reckon, so lovely to be able to plan and make things for this awesome bunch of kidlets! We had turned the dining area into a cafe table with little candles twinkling, tissue paper blooms hanging from te ceiling and red and white polkadot napkins...flowers on the table and a written chalkboard menu; I have to say tho that the best part was when 'the man' dressed up in black and white, slicked his hair back and draped a napkin over his arm to play waiters! The kids thought it was great...we had pink lemonade and swirly straws, and your choice of sundae topping, complete with nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on the top...so fun! Oh and then a movie to complete our night, with lots of woolen and snuggly blankets...wee paper popcorn boxes and lollies too. Our girls thought it was a great way to spend a cold winter night!

MY Seton's Nanny's Guava Jelly

A few weeks back, we popped into my Seton's Nanny's place to shift some dirt and do some odd jobs....while out the back I disovered Guavas for the first time! (well in NZ, coz they sure don't look anything like the ones we had in PNG as kids!)....um, how cool are they!! Like wee pomegrantes, and while I don't buy or even like pomegrantes, the jewel like seeds are always perfect for decorating huh! I digress...anyho, sent No. 2 out to give the tree a jolly good shake, and it rained guavas galore on her....she dutifully picked them all up and after a wee discussion with my Seton's Nanny, she gave me this receipe, that had been her mothers.....I LOVE generational connections!...it is beautiful! And awesome on toast - with tea of course - and also slightly warmed to make drizzly for icecream or in a berry compote is you would like to be a wee bit flash....

...don't you just wanna dive in and coat yourself in this colour- its just glorious!

Heres our receipe in photo form...if you'd like it in written just leave a comment and I'll email it out to you ;-)

Louise slice- just like it should be!

I love baking, sometimes its a triumph, sometimes its a failure, but the process is always a pleasure. I love donning an apron, and getting out supplies in their little cannisters and the inevitable helpers and taste-testers. I haven't made this in a few years, but with lots of summer jam still going strong, thought I would again....ah YUM was the outcome on this one; so here it is....

100g butter
1/4c sugar
1 1/2c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c jam
1/2c sugar
1/2c coconut

Melt butter in a saucepan large enough for all the ingredients. Stir in 1st lot of sugar, separate eggs. Add yolks to saucepan and mix. Add flour and baking powder inot saucepan. Mix to combine. Spread into a greased roll tin and then spread over jam.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix in 2nd lot of sugar and coconut, and then spread it over the jam. Bake 180C for 25-30 mins until golden and then pullit out and cut up while warm.

Pour a huge cup of tea snd sit down to demolish ;-)

Quilts and bedsocks

I've been a busy wee beaver....this week lots has gone on, including a visit to my family (parents, sisters, brother, and newphews and neices - 9 kids in 1 house sleeping - eek!! I love getting up to see the sun rise and glide across the sky!)... we were really blessed to be able to hang out tho, with our across the ditch whanau and local ones too....


Sweet soft quilt knitted socks

on the crafting front, I got home and like a craszy person sewed (is that a word??) up this wee quilt for a buyer on FELT, all created in re-purposed flannelette, and sweet candystriped cotton on the back...I love it and so hope the lady buying it does too! And also I knitted up and sold these cool-as socks...my 15month has a few pairs and wears them to bed and also around the house (in the puddles etc grrrrr)...so thought I would see how they go on http://bellabree.felt.co.nz/FELT...viola they too sold, STOKED I am!

Oh, and we have that disgusting stomach bug...I am truly amazined at the distance my 3 year old can puke! Must be some kind of gross record...enough said on that front, we are getting slightly hysterical about it all now, as what else can you do!