BubbaChic

Loose Ends...

It kind of feels like this is a post of loose ends, with pictures and news to share;

The Caramelized Banana Cheesecake went down very well at the BBQ, along with the pecan caramel sauce to make it extra calorific!

I have been busy with the kiddies and busy with trying to tie up some projects over the past few days - swimming lessons are proving more difficult for Maddy than we ever anticipated - a shaky start, fueled by other little people crying has left her feeling very uncertain about the whole *swimming lesson* thing and even the promise of a new Dora swimming costume, doesn't seem to be cutting it right now.

We are aiming to stick with it and see how it all pans out tomorrow morning....

I managed to finish up this quilt tonight following the auction for Samuel's family:

It will be packaged up in the morning ready to send to the auction winner -

I hope that they like it! I didn't realise how much of an emotional project it would be to do - my heart is just breaking for his family, I wish there was something more I could do.

On the Babylock front - and their promise to call me within 48 hours - I finally had an email from them today (6 days after contacting them) letting me know that an engineer would be in contact with me on Friday...so, again, watch this space!

Banana + Walnuts = Yummmmmy

What better way to show our appreciation to our wonderful friends (and their help with our move) than to try out a new muffin recipe and take advantage of the cute martha stewart boxes that I have been wanting to use!

I stumbled accross the new recipe, whilst at a book sale at our local library -  I found this book: Mary's Bread Basket and Soup Kettle, by Mary Gubser - and whilst flicking through it, I found a number of hand-written comments like 'Excellent - easy to ovenbake!' next to recipes, and that sealed the deal for me.

The recipe was easy and really tasty - always a good combination methinks!

Our first baking session in the new house - its certainly starting to feel like our home...

twas the night before Christmas..

Well, strictly speaking - this photo was from the day before Christmas Eve, but Maddy was wearing her Christmas dress I made last year (which seems to fit her better this year!)

The rest are truely photos from Christmas Eve - Both guys were excited with the arrival of our visitor - Austen from England. Austen has now become Maddy's new best friend and Joshua's initial shyness has now worn off and he doesn't look down and giggle every time he sees Oz.

Still a wee-bit on the shy side in this shot!

We spent the day preparing menus, buying last minute gifts, chilling at home - and of course, Mads made some Chocolate cookies to leave out for Santa (Although Oz did comment that the cookies already looked like they had been digested by the reindeer...nice!)

Here is a shot of Maddy and Daddy leaving the cookie out...

and following in the old family tradition from my family - the kippers and champagne was at the ready for breakfast on Christmas morning.

and then came the last of the sewing - the dolls!

I finally finished both dolls on Christmas Eve - hoorah! Although I had grand visions of making Maddy cute little floral nighties for her one and pretty little dresses - I completely ran out of time, so all I managed was a simple nightie for the doll and a matching one for Maddy. I also made each doll their own quilt.

Joshy's doll got a few more clothes than Mads, because they were super simple to sew up. He is also the proud wearer of a hand knitted jumper by Grandma (which I will get a photo of soon!) which is adorable.

and both dolls together...

I was very happy to be able to sit down and have a glass of wine on Christmas Eve and actually enjoy an evening without sewing!

Baking Day

Chilling at home and baking - just about sums up the last 2 days...

Christmas cheese straws, courtesy of Mads::

and Brownie cookies, ready to gift tomorrow::

and lots still left to do on the run down to Christmas...aaaarrrrggggggg..........

A house full of men...

...of the ginger variety, that about sums up our day. We made gingerbread men today, as gifts for pre-school teachers::

and as decorations, inspired by Soulemama, who was inspired by Martha!

Tomorrow we will be giving our little houses to friends, wearing matchy matchy dresses with our best friend and getting the last of the Christmas presents/cards out the door so that I can dedicate some real time to finishing some very important little things...

A heavy heart but a spritely family

That just about sums up today...Me feeling a little glum - My Dad is going into hospital tomorrow for an operation and even though I know he is in good hands, I can't help but wish that I was there (back in England) or even that I could help in some way.

My little ones have seemed to try and cheer me up this afternoon - I am not sure whether Maddy has picked up on the talk about my Dad's operation, but she put on her doctors costume this afternoon and gave me a good looking over - finishing by telling me 'You're going to be ok Mummy' and then whipping out her pocket book and morphing into a waitress and ordering 'Candy and a balloon' for me...

I have plodded along with my sewing whilst the kiddies were in bed...this item was going to be a small blankie for a friends baby boy who is going into hospital on Thursday - but it just kept growing and growing and has now become the quilt that I so needed to get done for Joshua. So tomorrow I will make the blankie! I am not entirely sure why so many of my projects take on a life of their own and become something completely different, but I am happy that this one has...I really need to get a bigger quilt made for Joshy, especially since we have hit such a chill here.

Anyways, here is a photo of the quilt being tortured with safety pins prior to quilting it...

and after what felt like an eternity of straight lines (some straighter than others) it is now ready for the finishing touches of the binding...a job for tomorrow methinks, when I have more than one eye open.

Here are a few more photos from today, including Maddy who later morphed from doctor to waitress and then into Don Juan after her chocolate ice cream (note moustache)

and todays sweet treat from my favourite cook book...Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Pumpkin and Squash...they were yummy.

Spinach Brownie Anyone...?

Today we baked...inspired by our new book that I am stupidly excited and chuffed to bits with!

This morning - the kiddies ate the sweet potato pancakes so fast - that I was struggling to keep up with demand (looking to the sky sighing *Thank You*) and unlike our usual pancake morning when the kiddies will eat a couple each, and I end up with left over batter, which I put in the fridge with every good intention of dreaming up an inspired idea to make something with it - which Jay than finds a week later and asks why on earth do I keep these things...today, they ate it ALL! Every Last Drop - gone!

So, fueled by this victorious recipe - Maddy gave me a hand to make the spinach pizzas which the kids had for lunch - anyone thumbs up there! - hoorah!

and finally the big favourite of the day - the spinach and carrot brownies - which Maddy gobbled up like I have never seen before! Seriously - when it comes to cakes, Maddy is very picky with what she will even try - let alone eat a full portion of, so I was really happy that my little lady not only tried the brownies, but had 2...yes 2! slices!!!! Wooo-hooo!

So I am content today that both my babes are full of fruits and veggies - some consumed willingly - like bananas, grapes and carrots and others unknowingly - like spinach and sweet potatoes...and I am loving this recipe book, loving it!

Turkey Puree

Today was the day when Mads and her best friend got to wear their Turkey Dresses to pre-school. They both looked as cute as a button and every last bit of frustration I had with doing the turkey appliques was ALL worth it!

Here is a photo of Mads from this morning, just before leaving for pre-school.

My new focus for today was to concentrate on the kiddies diets (again) Maddy is still a pretty picky eater and it worries me at times with how little she consumes - combine this with the fact that both kiddies and me have been ill on and off over the past two months - and I thought it was about time to make sure they are both getting enough fruits and veggies in them, any way I could. I ordered this Children's cookery book - Deceptively Delicious a few weeks ago and it arrived last week.

It has a brilliant concept to mix puree fruits and veggies into the kiddies favourites foods to ensure that they get their daily allowance of veggies - even when they are not prepared to eat the veggies on their plates.

So today, I spent a while cooking squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and courgettes (zucchini) and now have over 26 bags of puree in the freezer ready to be added (deceptively) into the kiddies dinners.

I tried the concept out on a small scale tonight by mixing sweet potatoes (something Maddy wouldn't touch) into her normal mash and she ate it - it was all I could do, to not get up and do a Mexican wave right there at the table!

There are a variety of recipes that I can't wait to try out on the kiddies, like brownies that have cauli and spinach in them - sounds crazy huh!

Blowing the cobwebs away

We had another lazy day at home today - still recovering from our sniffles and enjoying some rest and relaxation. We all venture outside this morning into a very windswept garden, which both kiddies enjoyed. The garden is amazing right now - there is such a spectrum of colours, from greens through to vibrant reds, so pretty.

A scattering of fall leaves

We retreated to the warmth of inside to make cookies - special fall cookies which the kiddies both enjoyed making and eating.

Maddy's acorns and leaves (and why yes, we always cook in just our pants!)

And when my babes took a nap after their wind-swept morning, I enjoyed lunch looking out onto our brisk garden from the comfort of a cozy kitchen...sweet.

Festively Plump...

Monday seems to have (unintentionally) become baking day in this house - and I have spent yet another monday stepping out of my cooking comfort-zone to prapare some new dishes to try and tempt the family with.

Today - I can firmly blame it on the wintry weather which descended upon us - I can honestly say, this feels like the first cold day in these parts since...April?? So what better winter warmer to create than a home-made soup.

When back home in England, Jay loved Carrot and Coriander (cilantro) soup - but I have been unable to find any here - so today I made some.

It is an easy peasy recipe, which was lapped up by the men of the household, but shunned by little Mads - who is a major motivating factor for me to to trying new things and find her tastes.

On the crafting front - I have been searching for inspiration as I need to make Joshy a new quilt. The one I made him back in February does not seem to be big enough and with the lowering temperatures happening now - I want to make it a priority to get one done for him.

Joshua in his current cowboy-inspired crib.

I am loving this quilt really funky and fresh. This one looks devine - with all the hand embroidery details and this one is so cool.

Decisions, decisions....

Mixing things up

I feel like I have dropped the ball a bit recently with meals...I seem to be stuck in a rut with dinners and lunches, so I grabbed a few cookery books this weekend and shopped from them - attempting to do something different for dinner, in a bid to get the kiddies Maddy to eat more!

So, today, whilst the kiddies napped - I baked...lots...

The upside down pear and ginger cake went down well...good job as I made enough for 12...we are gonna be eating it for a while methinks!

Mads enjoyed helping me with dinner and did a very good job of battering the fish - which I think may be the key to getting her to eat slightly more than a sparrow does...

Baking Day with a side of Hummingbirds

Today, we baked - lots.

Apart from the usual cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner we also had a carb-marathon baking session which involved making bread rolls and banana walnut loaf.

Maddy and Josh both enjoyed the kneading of the bread (or just plain whacking it in Maddy's case!)

My boy looked like he had grey hair when he had finished - and Mads, well, when she went to clean herself up when she was done - it looked like a small flour factory had exploded where she was standing - all very amusing.

Ta-daaaaa...finished products!

..and this little lady is my only sewing accomplishment for today - I finished it tonight at dusk, whilst searching for my new little feathered friends in the garden - the hummingbirds. They are wonderfully beautiful and perfect...just like my babes.

A Little Piece of Heaven..

So today - after 10 days of waiting, I got to bake some very special bread - Amish Friendship Bread. I was given a ziplock bag of cake mix 10 days ago by a friend, along with instructions of what to do over the next 10 days which culminated in the final stage of baking this little heavenly loaf today.

The instruction sheet that I was given also shows that at day 10, you can split the mixture into 6 cups and give 4 to your friends (hence friendship bread) and keep 2 cups for yourself...so it is also a gift - what a fantastic concept! I don't think I have ever spend 10 days preparing any recipe or meal, so this little loaf (and the other one in the oven!) feels and tastes very special.

Here is my slice - made even more heavenly by the 30 minutes of silence I had to enjoy it, whilst the kiddies were napping...mmmmmmmm!

A recipe and instructions can be found here: http://www.armchair.com/recipe/bake002.html