small kitchen tales

Words cannot possibly express how you have made me feel with your wonderfully sweet words , personal stories and how you made my heart feel hugged with the fact that you just listened. I wasn't able to reply to you personally, I hope you understand, I really don't know how to ever thank you....so I guess I'll leave you with a picture.... Thank YOU ♥ ✗ ♥

I t has been a difficult week for me personally and I have struggled with every single day, smiling on the outside yet feeling breathless on the inside as the tears and sleepless nights seem to never end. It has been nine months and even though you hear that it gets easier as time goes on...well it hasn't and my heart still hurts and I wish I could make it better. We are having a cuppa to show support today and I hope I can get through it without too many tears. O n the upside, I have been making some brooches using Kylie's fabulous tutorial as a guide and I want to make you one , or maybe two as a way to say thanks and to make you smile . So just leave me a hello here wherever you are, I'll leave it open for a week or so and pick a name out of the virtual mixing bowl. After that, why don't you pop round to Kirsty's and check out some wonderfully creative girls. Hugs ♥ ✗ ♥

I f you are like me the thought of making bread seems like too big of a chore and either use the bread machine or just don't bother all together. Well there has been alot of bread talk around of late and it is getting a little chilly here at the moment, so freshly baked bread was a must. It is only a basic white bread recipe, but it's a good starting point and once you are confident enough you can experiment and add things to it. Basic White Bread from Maggie's Table (makes 2 loaves) conversions ingredients 25g fresh or 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast 1 teaspoon caster sugar warm water 1 kg unbleached baker's flour 2 teaspoons sea salt 45ml extra virgin olive oil method combine yeast, sugar and a little warm water in a bowl, dissolve and set aside for 5-10 minutes. dry yeast should become frothy when active, if it doesn't froth up, don't use it as it will not be active combine flour, salt and olive oil in a bowl, add yeast and then add 600ml of w...

H ope you've had a good weekend, ours has definitely been very colourful. We did some button sorting, some found at the op-shop, others bought new and placed in my lovely Fowler's preserving jars which I bought a while ago. Suitcase is yet another addition to our family storage and houses the little ones newly started dress up box. I wonder what other treasures have been found. Hope your week is a happy and colourful one friends ♥ ✗ ♥

I n a bit of a mess today, baking, tea drinking, baking, more tea drinking and more baking so I can finish early and be able to join the girls tonight for a bit of craftiness and chatting. Who am I kidding...I know it's more about the chatting. But when you spend your days chatting with a 4 and a 2.5 yr old, any chance to hang out and chat with some adults is fabulous! (Aidan's creative space today) Hey, why don't you pop over to the land of creativity when you get a chance. ♥ ✗ ♥

A fter watching it on Masterchef , I just had to try it, I mean, it looked sooo good. It's not as complicated as it seems, but there are a few steps to it..and of course my favourite..lots of dishes to wash! But from the "more please mum" and "thank you mum for making me cake" I guess they liked it. Cherry Chocolate Cake (makes a 23cm cake) (adapted from gourmet traveller magazine) ingredients 150g dark chocolate 150g butter, softened 150g caster sugar 6 eggs, separated 150g self raising flour 250ml cream Cherry Compote ingredients 1 1/2 cups caster sugar 500g pitted cherries 3 teaspoons cornflour Ganache ingredients 150g dark chocolate 130ml cream method to make cherry compote , combine sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved bring to the boil, add cherries and allow to boil again, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes preheat oven to 170C, grease and line a 23 cm spring form cake tin to make cake , melt cho...

W alk in the park N ew thrift shop shoes G olden books from tip shop, library bag made by me for Amelie using this tutorial M ore flea market finds over here B aking supplies bag made for a 5yr old's party today H ope your day is fabulous ♥ ✗ ♥

I have been reading about what to do with fabric scraps lately and thought this idea was fabulous and easy and a great gift for little girls. All you need are fabric scraps, beads, buttons, bobby pins and a glue gun and voila. Have fun, some exciting stuff going on here . ✗ ♥

H ope you've had a good day, thank you for your sweet , sweet words. We had lunch at mum's and I baked her a fluffy Lemon Cake ...I think she liked it as well as her framed embroidery . I showed her all your sweet comments ...she was speechless... thank you Lemon Cake (makes two 20cm cakes) print me conversions ingredients 225g butter, softened 4 eggs 225g caster sugar 225g self raising flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 25g cornflour grated zest and juice of 2 lemons method preheat oven to 180 C/160 C (fan), grease and line two 20cm tins with baking paper beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy sift dry ingredients in a bowl add eggs to butter mixture one at a time and beat well after each addition add dry ingredients and beat until combined and then add juice and zest and only beat until combined divide mixture evenly between the two tins, bake for about 25 minutes or until slightly golden and tested with a skewer ...

Hope it's filled with hugs and sloppy kisses alllll day long! ♥ ✗ ♥

A fter your amazing words of encouragement and a little bit of guidance I sat on the couch after the little ones went to bed tissue box on one side (bad cold) the heater on and finished it off. And you know what...it was so much fun to do and I enjoyed the whole process. Hope my mum likes it, Amelie saw it this morning and loves it (isn't the hair hilarious! ) Have a happy Friday friends , hope it's an exciting one, I'm baking cakes today ♥ ✗ ♥

A fter some great advice I am determined to get this done in time for Mother's Day as a gift to my mum . It's a drawing by my 4 yr old which I hope to embroider and frame...fingers crossed I finish by Sunday. I wonder what everyone who isn't at the Stitches & Craft Show is up to, let's pop round to Kirsty's and see. ♥ ✗ ♥