More Hearts

Even on holiday I take my sewing with me. 

At the end of the day after Master O has gone to bed I find it very relaxing

to sit down with a cup of tea (Apple and Rhubarb is my favorite at the moment) 

something sweet to nibble on and my sewing.

In the rush of packing I just threw my sewing basket in the car. 

I had several hearts cut out so I finished them off. 

I went for a garden theme now that Easter is past.

Chocolate Oat Cookies

 Our holiday away from home is over and yesterday joy of joys the new element for my oven was installed.

So late this afternoon Master O and I whipped up a batch of cookies for friends that are coming to visit tomorrow morning. One of the things I love about school holidays is catching up with friends and their children that you don't get to see very often.

On my search to find gluten free, sugar free and dairy free recipes I  came across this recipe. 

 You can use unsweetened carob, or grain sweetened chocolate chips, or do what I did and chop up 2/3 of a bar of  70% Coco or Cacao Chocolate (I chopped it up in the food processor).

You can make your own almond meal by pulsing almonds in a food processor until it is the texture of sand - don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter. And lastly, the coconut oil works beautifully here, just be sure to warm it a bit - enough that it is no longer solid, which makes it easier to incorporate into the bananas. If you have gluten allergies, seek out GF oats.

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a tray lined baking paper.

Bake for 14 minutes

This makes about 36 bite size cookies.

This Moment

[this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Queenstown

School holidays are here at the moment so on Friday the boys and I flew to Queenstown.
Queenstown is down the bottom of the South Island, it is one of the most beautiful ski towns.

Snow is just starting to touch the tips of the mountains. 
The trees are the most amazing autumn colours and the air has that lovely fresh crisp feel to it.

We had a wonderful time lugging, eating out, exploring, and catching up with old friends. 
We have now left Queenstown and have moved to sunny Papamoa for a week. 

Here are a few pic's of Queenstown in Autumn: 

My puffer jacket has gone away and my t-shirts are back out. 

As all my friends know I am a sunshine girl at heart!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause savor and remember.

Our Tree

My son is growing up. 

We used to spend a lot of time decorating the Easter Tree. 

This year my son wanted to rush as tonight is the first night of Rugby practise for the season.

So we had afternoon tea, moulded the new mouth guard and dug out his uniform. 

Then all dressed in his rugby gear (less the boots). 

We sat down to do the tree. 

Once started the joy and wonder of this special time came upon us both,

and although we did not spend as long as previous years.

The time we spent doing the tree this year was just as special.

Easter in Autumn Tree

On Friday I finished all the birds for the Easter in Autumn Tree.

The little bird design I adapted from an online hen pattern by Martha Stewart.

Here is the link:  http://www.marthastewart.com/article/stuffed-animals-how-to

I hung these little birds on a tree made of Magnolia Twigs.

The base of the tree is a plastic rice container that I have covered 

with the arm of an old wool jumper that I had felted.

(The best way I have found for felting jumpers or blankets is to put them in the 

washing machine on a hot wash with the water level at low or medium height.

You don't want not too much water but  just enough for some good agitation to go on.

Use soap chips and place one or two tennis balls in the wash.

Once washed dry in a dryer if possible on high heat).

The tree is now in the craft shop at Master O's school called SNAPDRAGON.

Today we had the first day of our Easter Market at "Snapdragon" and the little 

birds started flying out the door .

.But more popular were my festive hearts so this evening I made a few more. 

I am starting to get very excited about Easter.

Master O and I plan to do our Easter Tree on Wednesday after school.

Once it is done I will post you some pictures.

This Moment

[this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Chocolate Balls

The last few weeks I have not loaded any recipes. 

The element died in my oven and they tell me a new one is on the way. 

Please let it be soon as after 3 weeks my stove and I are having a love hate relationship..................I miss my oven.

I had girlfriends calling over today and what to give them with a cup of tea was my dilemma.

On my search to eat less wheat, dairy and sugar a friend of mine gave me the below recipe.

It is quick, simple and yummy.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup of Maple Syrup
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
6 Tablespoons of Cocoa or Cacao powder
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
1/2 a cup of Peanut Butter
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 Teaspoon of vanilla


Method:
Combine : Maple Syrup, Vegetable Oil, Cocoa and Cinnamon in a saucepan. 
On moderate heat stir constantly for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in all other ingredients.
Roll  teaspoonfuls into little balls and place on baking paper and put in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Keep stored in a container in the fridge.
 

Enjoy

It was a hit with my friends, and I wont tell you how many I have eaten today!

Easter Decorations

Easter is coming and we are having an Easter Market at my sons school so I have started making Easter Decorations to sell. 

Once again I am using up some of the wool blanket and felt that I have in my cupboard. 

The problem with having Easter in Autumn is that a lot of the decorations we get here come from America and they are all Spring colours as there Easter falls in Spring.

I have just dyed some felt in Autumn colours to make some little birds.

Once they are made I will load some pictures.

This Moment

this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.