Our Bumble Bee and her Fluffy Bunny

Our little bumble bee Elidi is just over three months old.  Every day we are enjoying her gorgeous personality unfold just a little more.  She is loved very dearly by her sister, who cannot wait for her to grow big enough to play with - KB is ever so patient regarding the importance of Es sleep "Babies are like bread Mum, they need to rest to grow".  In the meantime, KB gives her lots of cuddles, joins her into her imaginary play and reads and sings to her.  E loves every minute of this.  I do so love watching the love they already have for each other.  After KB's day out with her grandparents they both love seeing one another again.  E searches with her eyes and head for her sister upon hearing her, and KB always greets her with a big kiss and cuddle before Mummy these days!

It is a real pleasure to watch a special relationship grow.

On the note of resting.... it seems I have rested a lot from posting...it's not that I don't have a lot to post about...quite the opposite really as I have a lot.  What I don't have so much of is hands free time!!

I have been busy getting back on track with preparing wholesome food for our family therefore doing much less of the "just add" stuff as we did to get by with the arrival of E.  This has involved using the great meal planning idea from Madeline at ecoMILF, as well as recipes from her blog and Emma at My Darling Lemon Thyme.

And I am on target to reach my goal of at least 80% of our Christmas gifts being handmade.  So we have been using natural dyes, making solar infusions, quilting and sewing up a storm.  I cannot wait to share these and our family advent calendar.  Here's a peek...

My man has been working longer hours too, and these will increase as the school term comes to an end.  This means I really need to pace my self and rest too.  So here I am resting and so I shall leave you to rest more with my next goal of posting at least twice a week from now on xx

With all the strawberries about.... you really must give this delish tart a go.  I did in the weekend and we all loved it to pieces.

Photo borrowed from My Darling Lemon Thyme blog to tantilise your taste buds in the hope you will visit  Em and gives this a go!

Buttermilk Pancakes and Blueberry Sauce

What one does with one's buttermilk from making butter..........

Recipes can be found here:
Blueberry Sauce
Buttermilk Pancakes

More Finger Painting Magic!

My nephew plunged into using our Playcentre finger paint - made by his Mumma during his little chicken pox episode recently.

He described his painting as "magic".  I so agree with him.

Here is Kaea's latest adventure with finger paint.  Blue and Kowhai this time.  She is beginning to notice what happens when she blends colours.

And clearly the experience was super as the paint was squidged all over her arms and feet!

"Green Mummy!"

Some parents prefer to avoid "messy" play at home, but in our house it is the best play of all.  Kaea's little senses love it and she seems so refreshed and "earthed" afterward.

This time round her little body seemed to want to get amongst the paint.  So I say bring on summer and we will take the paint outside and see what happens...by then E might like to join in as well!

Finger paint recipe here

Homemade Butter and Quick and Easy Bread

There was quite a bit of cream left over from our pavlova making adventure and usually it ends up going off in our fridge.  Fortunately I had just received my copy of Wendyl Nissen's "Mother's Little Helper" and I was inspired to make butter.  Such a great scientific change effect for Kaea to see, especially since it involved butter her most favourite spread.  Sometimes she even has a small piece of toast with her butter!

We chose Wendyl's suggested method of beating the cream with a little salt to the point of butter with its whey or butter milk separation. Then squeezed the butter milk from the solids, drained off the liquid and continued to squeeze under a tap of running cold water.  Hey presto - butter, real butter!!

Of course you cannot have such a high quality butter without bread.  Kaea and I used to make bread often, but have had a lapse with my second pregnancy and arrival of E.  As much as I love kneading and proving, E is not yet three months old and I feel like I don't quite have the time or energy for proper bread making.

Annabel Langbein has a very, very easy bread recipe.  No kneading required, simple list of ingredients, and the proving is done in the oven.

We loaded our bread dough with sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.  It is delish and reminds me of vogels bread.

We gave it at least ten minutes out of the oven before slicing and lathering in our homemade butter. Yum.

Another fantastic way for the kids to make butter is with a glass jar and a marble.  With marble (sterilised) in jar, add cream and salt if you'd like (it helps with taste and preservation) and shake, shake, shake.  A good work out and lots of fun.

Thanks for the photos Ms Dunn

Here is Annabel's Easy Bread recipe sourced with thanks from "So, So Simple Food"

4 teaspoons honey
2 cups very hot water
2 cups cold water
7 teaspoons yeast

2 3/4 cups whole meal flour
2 3/4 cups strong white flour
3 teaspoons salt
2 cups sunflower seeds

Handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds to topping (Optional) 

Into a bowl add the honey and the hot water.  Dissolve the honey and add the cold water.
This should now be hand hot water, perfect for yeast to work.  If it is a bit hot, let it cool a little.
Sprinkle yeast on top and let it bloom.
Set aside 5 minutes
In another bowl place the flours and the salt and the sunflower seeds.
Add yeast and water.
Mix and pour into 2 greased loaf tins.
Sprinkle top with Pumpkin or Sunflower seeds if you choose too, I didn't.
Snip top of loaves with scissors or slash with a knife.  I missed this bit.
Into 80C oven for 20 minutes to help rising
Then turn up to 210C and cook a further 30 minutes or more until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.