Easter Biscuits and Rupert Rabbit

 

I love Afghan biscuits - mostly when others make them.  Our friend Lee makes the most amazing Afghan's with caramel hidden under the icing!  Oh my gosh!  These helped me through the first few days of breastfeeding - so delicious.

She shared this idea with us too - Afghan's topped with mini easter eggs.  I must admit I was reluctant to make these as no Afghan measures up to the Caramel version and I often end up with the mixture which becomes too crumbly to eat.  Fortunately, K adds the magic touch when she bakes (many touches actually!) and they turned out just right.

It is quite challenging for a nearly two year old to decorate this type of baking without the eggs being mysteriously redirected to her mouth rather than the biscuit.  I guess you might expect that from a little girl deprived of many sweet things - she has a boring old Mum!!  K did struggle to eat her bikkie at the end of her hard work - over the sugar I think?

We have had a wee visitor turn up too.  He is a little shy.  Rupert the Rabbit is warming to the camera.  I will tell you more about him when he relaxes a little!

Funky Knitting Tutorials, Patterns and Giveaway

"Make it and Love it" have been featuring a learn to knit series over the past few months.  Some well presented basics of knitting which really boost your confidence if you are a beginner like me!

Rebecca Danger creates some very funky softie knitted patterns great for boys, girls and old and young alike.

They are pulling together to offer this wonderful giveaway of Rebecca's latest book.

The learn to knit series is well worth a look, and I am sure this book would be loved by the winner too!

Pop over to "Make it and Love it" for giveaway details.

Meanwhile I might create this little nugget.

All images in this post were borrowed from the blogs mentioned to promote and share the knitting passion they have to others. Enjoy x

The Easter Hare is Here!!

Finally, we have a festive/seasonal setting for our table!  This was a goal I made in my first blog post at the beginning of the year.

Here he is... the Easter Hare!  Complete with eggs and a grassy patch.

I wanted this to double as story props for K and I to play out this part of Easter.  This morning she put her toys to sleep in her home made hut, while she and the Easter Hare hid the eggs for them to find.  Very special to watch as she tried to ram the hare, grassy patch, toys and eggs in her basket for Easter!

I have been reading a enlightening book about rhythms, seasons and festivals from our Steiner Playgroup library.  It is chocca full of history about celebrations and festivals, seasons, recipes, poems, stories and crafts.  Our Easter Hare has been knitted, while the eggs were crocheted using Kate's pattern from Greedy for Colour.   Thanks Kate!  I  became a little braver again this time round with my crochet and tried to modify patterns to make a smaller egg and the grassy patch.

Easter Hare ... not Easter Bunny?  Well apparently the hare was the original creature to be given the  responsibility to deliver the hope of new life (represented by the egg).  The Hare possessed qualities such as speed, agility, is transient, is bold and courageous in his upright stance. His long ears suggest a wide and intelligent interest in the world and in folklore he is invested with the virtue of self-sacrifice.  I guess you need those strong qualities to deliver the sign of new life and so I would like to try and recognise that by celebrating the Easter Hare with our family. It has already been hard though because the bunny is so widely accepted as the creature with which we celebrate Easter.  Not to worry, it is the qualities and virtues of the symbol that I am most excited about.

I am really looking forward to Easter with our family this year.  I will post some of more of our traditions before then.  Hope you are enjoying the build up to a lovely family holiday too x

Tuesday is Bake Day - Hot Cross Bun Practice

We have been refining our ability to make hot cross buns with the goal of eating many delicious home made  buns on Good Friday.   I just love baking with K - she is so passionate about food.

It can get quite messy - flour on the bench, floor, ladder, face, Mum's poking out tummy!

This weeks recipe is an apricot and currant version, which we soaked a little in water before adding.  Last week we used raisins.

There goes the face!  I tell K that the dough needs to sleep, because when we sleep we grow, and look at how our dough grew!!

Crossed, baked and glazed.  All shiny and sticky.  This batch was "painted" with a milk and sugar glaze, last week we "painted" with plum jam and hot water.

Mmmmmm the final product ready to eat.  These are amazing.  The currants are definitely the go.  So fluffy and soft and delectable.  Really happy with the glaze too.  Shame K is  a sleep now and husband is at a meeting.... I wonder how many of the two dozen will be left!