Thursday, November 22, 2012

Funfetti Cookies

I have over 30 cookie recipes pinned to a board on Pinterest. Really need to start using them. So I thought I'd make funfetti cookies the other day. But the recipe called for box cake mix...I don't keep box cake mix in my pantry so I found another pinned recipe for banana chop chip cookies yum started them then realised I didn't have bananas anymore and the boys were asleep! So off I go to hunt through my pins to find another recipe that has the same amount of butter and sugar, seeing as I'd already creamed it.

Found a recipe for lemon cookies....no lemon. So I used that recipe and made up my own funfetti cookies.
Here's how you do it:

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla and egg. Scrape sides, add sprinkles (as many as you like, I used about 1/4 cup) and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Flatten slightly with a fork.

Bake for about 11 minutes.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

This was another Pinterest find....and this was a must make.

We're going to stay at a friends place tonight before Jack's appointment in Christchurch tomorrow and I wanted to take a bit of baking with us to say Thank-you. This is going to be perfect!





 The photo does not really do it justice, it looks like a really dense cake, but when eaten warm (the only way I have tried it so far) it is really soft. Its like the most perfect chocolate brownie with a hint of coca cola.

I didn't have enough icing sugar for the glaze so thickened it with coconut = perfect.

The hubby said it was ok, he'd like to know what it tastes like with fanta....might just try that for him.

Try the recipe out for yourself.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Aprons for Toddlers

About a month ago, I got around to setting up my own wee Facebook business to sell a few of my things that I make, bibs, cards, taggy's etc.

I've been trying to think of other things I can add to draw more people in and was given the idea by a friend to make up some aprons, so this afternoon while both boys had HUGE sleeps I set about finding and tweaking an apron pattern suitable for a toddler.

I came up with these, you can tell which one I started with and what my 'standard' will be, should I make more.


 If you want to come and see what I'm selling, visit me at MJ's Creative Corner


Thursday, November 8, 2012

No longer a Baby

My little baby Jack, is a baby no more.

This week he's started to hold his own bottle, which is actually quite handy at times.
He's also started moving! He's still in the harness for his hips, but that doesn't seem to stop him from pushing himself up onto his knees and pushing back and going across the floor, slowly, but backwards across the floor. What's he going to be doing in a couple of weeks when he's allowed out of the harness for a short break before going into a cast??

Did I mention he's still not 6 months old? Or on solids properly yet? And he's doing all this.

They grow up far too fast.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Nearly Summer Fun

I've been loving this summery weather we've had this past week. It means that William can just be sent outside, all slathered up in sunblock to play. The house doesn't get toys all over it, and he's just super happy.

This week we've washed the car, weeded the garden, played with the hose, played in the sandpit, played in the paddling pool, with buckets, with the hose again, and played with the chalk on the concrete etc etc you get the idea - its ALL been outside just about.