Thursday, March 22, 2012

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Homemade Oreo cookies

These would have to be one of the yummiest cookies I have ever made!
Very easy and sooooo good, especially with a good coffee or as the kids would prefer dunked in a glass of milk. As you can see from the photo as quick as I make them little hands are there taking, so I didn't get to put the cookies together with the white icing. They are still just as yummy without the icing.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar
125g room temperature unsalted butter(you may need more)
1 large egg

Filling

2 cups of sifted icing sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
60g unsalted butter (add more if needed)


  1. Preheat oven to 180 c.
  2. In electric mixer, mix all dry ingredients together and while mixing on low speed add butter and egg.
  3. Mix well until dough forms and comes together in a ball.
  4. Take teaspoons full of bough and roll into balls, place on baking paper on a biscuit tray.
  5. Slightly flatten the dough.
  6. Bake for 9 minutes or until cooked, rotate once for even baking(all ovens are different so keep an eye on cookies when cooking).
  7. Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.
  8. To make icing, place icing sugar, butter and vanilla in a electric mixer and mix until smooth, adding more butter if needed(you can add cocoa if you would like a chocolate icing).
  9. Sandwich all the cookies together with icing or eat them plain.

* If you would like the Oreo cookies to be closer to the original, then I have taken out half cup of sugar before, yum!

All I can say is give them a go you will love them and let me know how they go, I love recieving comments.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Damper

Damper
The kids and I made damper...... our fav but in our house there is only one way to eat it, straight out of the oven with lots of butter and golden syrup and a hot cuppa. It is so simple to make...
Ingredients
500g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups of water (more if required)
Method
  • Sift dry ingredients.
  • Add cold water to make firm, yet soft dough.
  • Knead lightly.
  • Press out into a circular shape loaf about 4-5 cm thick.
  • Place on a floured tray in a hot oven 200-230 c, for 20-25minutes.

Yummy!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

My beautiful children

My beautiful children......
On Sunday I was woken with a little tap on my shoulder and was given a note which said, 'be on the veranda in 5 minutes' .....this is what was waiting for us.... Talk about fill my heart!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Home grown......


This is today's pickings, we have so many beans and carrots! I just love going down to the veggie patch and picking my own produce. The second photo was taken on the weekend. YUM!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Preserves


I have had the preserving bug lately! I just love making jams especially my favourite Marmalade, so when Vintage Daddy came home with a box of oranges, I was straight into it......
Orange Marmalade
I kg of fruit ( I used oranges, you can use lemons, limes, grapefruit or a mixture of all)
1 kg of sugar
2 litres of water
  • Wash and slice fruit thinly; remove all seeds, centre pith and thick ends.
  • Place in large saucepan with lid, cover with the water and let stand overnight.
  • Boil fruit and water, covered until rind is soft - about 1 hour.
  • Add sugar all at once and stir until dissolved.
  • Boil until it starts to set when tested ( or you can also tell if you trail your spoon up the side of the pot, you will see how thick it has become)......I find on my stove it takes about another hour for it to set after having added the sugar.
  • Bottle in warm sterilised jars and seal, I boil the jars with the water level just under the lid, this should take about 10mins.

Vintage Daddy also came home with two boxes of tomatoes.......My gorgeous Nana made relish all the time and I loved it so much. Most of the shop relish tastes nothing like homemade and as most of you will know I prefer to make almost everything we eat.

Tomato Relish

1 1/2 kg of tomatoes

500g onions

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup salt

1 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons cornflour

2 teaspoons curry powder

  • Chop tomatoes roughly.
  • Peel onions and chop finely
  • Place in large saucepan, sprinkle with the salt and stand overnight.
  • Pour off almost all the liquid, add sugar and vinegar, boil until tender.
  • Mix together cornflour and curry powder with a little vinegar and add.
  • Cook until mixture has thickened.
  • Bottle into warm sterilised jars and seal, boil jars with water level just under the lids, this takes about 10mins and creates a air tight seal.
Notice the little face in the background, our gorgeous and very old 16 year old cat 'Othello', he just had to know what was going on.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Two little ducks went out one day ........

Two little ducks went out one day......
Just before Christmas our very clever ducks Gretal and Wilma hatched some very precious ducklings, the kids and I were very excited. Sadly out of a huge amount of eggs we only got two ducklings ........
Well the ducklings are huge now and are out with all the others ducks and hens. We think we have a boy and a girl, the kids have named them Wiggie and Waggie. I must say I'm not sure what I am going to do when they keep breeding such beautiful ducklings, I'm told I'm not allowed to keep them all.
This particular breed are called, Saxony.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Quilt......

The Quilt......
Today we have the perfect weather for sewing, rain, fog and a cool breeze. As many of my friends know I have been working on a quilt for a long time, you could say a ridiculous amount of time! So I have set myself a deadline (I work better under pressure), to have it finished by next Saturday ......
.
I have about five more rows of squares to add then I need to put together the back. Hubby keeps reminding me how long this quilt is taking and my response has been well if someone (not mentioning any names) could hurry up and finish the cottage.... then allot of my projects would be finished, hehehe......
This is the partial demolition of the existing cottage....
This is what it looks like at the moment after Dave's re-build ......the outside is almost finished, just a few things to do. The inside needs to be painted, light fittings, bathroom, kitchenette and then I can decorate. OK hurry up now Dave ........ But really, Thanks Hubby! So for the moment I will continue to overtake the dining room, I better go and get sewing!!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The beginning ....

As this is my first blog and the first of many......maybe I should start with 'why a blog', well firstly I thought it would be a great place for me to share all of the many things I am very passionate about, family, motherhood, cooking, sewing, gardening, anything to do with the homestead and most of all quilting! I love sharing recipes and I promise to post many and hope I receive many in return. Secondly, many of my gorgeous friends and my loving hubby have encouraged me to start a blog.
I hope through this blog I can promote the joys of motherhood and family life, while still keeping it real. I love reading blogs, I have many favourites and I always find great ideas and inspiration.

I look forward to sharing ideas and learning lots ........J xx