Fun in Fitzroy & other stories...

The girls and I had a great time in the Big Smoke on the weekend. We joined some other friends and their children to have some cooking fun at Little Kitchen in North Fitzroy. We popped in to say hi to Muzz & Margaret in their tin shed home on the way. We got to meet Stephen from the British Museum who is organising an Australian Printmakers exhibition for 2010 and had come to select some of Muzz's work. How exciting.

Then it was off to Little Kitchen where I fell in love with these shiny jelly moulds.

What a lot of fun the kids had cooking while us big people enjoyed a quiet cuppa down at the Tin Pot. Walking back to Muzz's in the rain was an adventure too!

That night we stayed at my lovely Mum's house & had a relaxing time. It's so different with only two kids...almost peaceful! I actually slept through the whole night..wow! The next morning we waved goodbye and headed for Footscray to see our best friends, the Pardy's. The girls danced and had fun together...Kitty Rose, you look so fancy in those shoes!

Back home and it's always great to be back together. Just as the kids were going to bed last night we suddenly heard beautiful music coming from outside! It was the our local brass band who come past every December to play Christmas carols in the street. As the sun set on Wombat Hill we swayed & clapped & hummed & sang. How gorgeous, how festive, how country!

Talking of country I just had to show you our first egg since our big chooken massacre. It's been a long time coming. What to do with such a glorious and much anticipated egg....hmmm....

....biccies!!! I thought you might like to try this chocolate chip biccie recipe.

Best-ever choc chip cookies

Ingredients: 125g salted butter

1/2 cup white sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 small eggs

1 to 2 drops of vanilla essense

1 3/4 cups self raising flour

250 g choc chips

Preheat oven to 160 degress celcius

Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugars until pale. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in sifted flour until mixed through. Fold through choc chips. Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place on tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. If you like them chewy, don't let them brown, as they will crisp up as they cool down. Makes about 48

It really is the best. It comes from the Frankie magazine cookbook, "Afternoon Tea" that Allison gave me for Christmas last year. I have made them a million times now and they are always fantastic! bye for now, x