Hello Monday!

Hello Monday!

 What a bright and sunshiny day it is, a lovely way to start the week. After school drop off this morning I had a quick coffee with friends, which always kick starts my day in a positive way. I need that little boost before I get back home, a bit of catch up with some lovelies is always good.

Back home I've been getting on with things, ploughing through the list. Sounds a bit ominous doesn't it? But it isn't really, just lots of little things to catch up on and I was just thinking, as I hung out the washing, how lucky I am. The freedom to be out in the sunshine with the birdies tweeting, under the walnut tree watching my yellow roses grow over the chook pen. It's so pretty and fresh in our garden and it reminded me to today how much I love living where we do.

There's so much to enjoy about life in the country and such a beautiful time of year to be outside. 

Yesterday Rosie helped me take some photo's of a new little black bunny that will be in my shop shortly. She climbed the apple tree and then decided she'd snuggle up on a rug on the grass.

As I snapped away I realised she was asleep! She had a  lovely little cat nap under the apple tree, so peaceful. It's been a busy week going back to school and ballet and discovering netball! It was nice just to watch our little dynamo so relaxed and dreamy.

When she woke up we finished off her new bunny, Rose. Rose was a 'not quite right' bunny who has  been adopted by Rosie. She needed a top so we found some red alpaca offcuts and quickly sewed one up!  It's not perfect but it's rather sweet and only took me a few minutes. It's amazing what you can do when you don't plan!

How was your weekend? Our 's was full of making and dancing and food and cooking and eating! Mark has been having a little fruit festival of his own, picking black berries and plums like crazy. He made blackberry jam and then Kate's black berry and yoghurt cake.

The kids I and decided to make gnocchi which we all love, especially me. Sorry you missed out Char, if you are reading this...wish you had been here to eat some too!

Do you make gnocchi at home too? It's so easy and fun.

We started with 1.5 kilo's of Sebago potatoes which I boiled in their skins then put through a ricer. The kids love the way the little worms of potato come out. On a floured bench we rolled the potato into a big ball and made a well in the centre.  Rosie ran outside and crawled under the hedge to get us a fresh egg (thanks White Chook!) and we cracked that into the middle of the mountain of potato.

I just add flour as I go until the mixture is soft but not sticky. Then we rolled out little snakes and cut them into small pieces. The kids are so good at this bit and made the little pieces into acorn shaped balls.

I had a pot of boiling water on the go and a pan with sauce and olive oil in it. After dropping the gnocchi into the boiling water they rose quickly to the surface. I scooped them out, draining the water off, and popped them in a baking dish with some delicious garlic/tomato sauce. Sunday went next door and asked Alison for some of her home grown parsely, we grated parmesan and voila! Dinner, yum!

It's such a beautiful, tasty and filling dinner. And guess what? I've got some left over for lunch today! Woo hoo! If you haven't tried making gnocchi you really should, it's a lot of fun and so delicious.

Well I guess I better get on with my list... but hey, before I go! Do you like my new blog look? I'd love to hear what you think. Charlotte has been helping me, I think it looks nice and fresh, it feels good. 

My shop is next on the list!

Anyway lovely ones, hope you have a great week, 

see you soon xoxo

Gnocchi!

Last night we made gnocchi and I thought I'd share this easy recipe with you so you can try making it at home too. The kids love it as it's kind of like play dough! Hope it works out, let me know!

Potato Gnocchi

this recipe feeds our family of seven

1.5 kg Desiree potatoes (I found some older ones at the greengrocer and they worked well)

300 grams plain flour

salt

egg

also one batch of simple sugo sauce - garlic, onion and tomato sugo. Fresh or tinned tomatoes would be fine too. Of couse you can add anything to this, bacon, salami, other vegies.

1. Throw the spuds (whole with skins on) into a big pan of water and boil until they are well cooked but not mushy. Turn the water off and one at a time pull one out and remove the skin.

2. When all are done and the potatos are still warm, but not hot, put them through a ricer or mouli. I bought a ricer for this purpose and it has been so worthwhile. It's fun watching the little worms of potoato coming out!

3. Let the riced potato build up on your floured bench top until all potatoes are done.

4. Then mix in the flour a little at a time. Add a sprinkle of salt too. Sometime near the end of the flour I add one free range egg and keep mixing it all with your hands. Try not to over mix though as it might make the gnocchi tough. You'll know when it's ready to roll out as it's not too sticky and not too dry.

5. Then cut some off and start rolling out little sausages of dough. Cut these into segments and then

roll into ovals or balls. Sometimes I don't even bother and just cook them in little rectangles. It's up to you.

You can put indentations in them so the sauce sticks to the gnocchi using a fork or special gnocchi implement, see below. Again, it doesn't really matter but looks good!

6. Now you are ready to cook these little babies! Here are mine waiting to hope into a big pan of boiling water.

7. Start putting your batches in, a little at a time. They cook super quickly so have an oven dish ready to put your cooked gnocchi in. It only takes a minute or two and they are floating up to the top. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out, draining the water as you go. Pop in the prewarmed oven (on low) and then transer cooked gnocchi so it keeps warm.
Last night I also had some sugo sauce in the oven dish to keep the gnocchi moist.

When it's all cooked serve with some more of the sugo sauce and top with parmesan, also parsley or basil for some extra colour & flavour. Yum!!! (Mark & I also add chilli flakes for a little pizazz)

There are plenty of other sauces you can use but we like a simple one and it's very tasty. Don't give up if it's not quite right the first time. Our whole family love this dish and that's saying something!!

In other non gnocchi related news Mark & I are off to have some child free time this weekend. Our eldest is minding our youngest at home and the other three are staying with friends & Nan. It's going to be ace and fun and relaxing and amazing and I can't wait!!!!!! Woo hooo!!

Like most parents Mark & I have very little time on our own and as I already had my beautiful Charlotte when I met Mark we have never known time without kids. Don't get me wrong though, I love our kids so much and I do always feel a bit anxious when we aren't with them, but it's so important for Mark & I to have some time together too.

Hope your weekend is amazing too, lovely friends. I'll leave you now with some photo's from today xo

Lucy with her swimming certificate

Bill with his new pet, Bertie the Rhino Beetle.

("Mum, did you know a Rhino beetle can carry 850 times it's own weight?? That's like a human carrying seven family cars!")

Rosie with a flower for you x

Garage Sale madness...

Saturday morning at our house was relatively quiet. Mark took Bill & Lucy to the footy on Friday night and stayed in Melbourne so I was home with only two. A change of dynamics and numbers sure makes a difference! This seemed the perfect opportunity to cruise some garage sales, the girls grabbed their pocket money & purses and we were off!

It was truly a magnificent morning. A million happy endorphins raced through me as I found treasure after treasure. The girls were a tad more contained but nevertheless happy with their finds. This blue fan, which looks a bit dangerous I admit, was such a lovely blue that it had to come home with me, a tin of pencils, all sharpened, some sweet fabric & a bunch of old teaspoons. (I think I have Second Handitis. Careful, it's contagious.)

It was fabric galore which is just as well as I am in full swing with sewing at the moment.

A crazy owl tea cosy!

This dear boy & his doggie has seen better days but is so sweet.

As we pulled up at the last garage sale it didn't look promising. A couple of big cardboard boxes in the driveway...hmmm. But we got out anyway and found some lovely surprises. The boxes were full of old sheets and linens, fabrics and pillowcases. I dug down to the bottom and found this amazing technicolour crocheted blanket!!

After it was washed and hung on the line the chooks looked out in amazement! What colour, what movement!! Squawk!!!!!!

This little item caught my eye too. The gentleman who sold it to me had a laugh when I wondered out loud what Mark would think if I was in the gay mood?

"Well Love,we're in the right town for that!!" Ha!

There were other lovely items such as the pretty cross stitched house that Sunday chose for her room, the little box of badges & the Holly Hobbie sheets, wow! After such fun in the morning it was off to Ballarat for ballet and out to lunch with friends. In the late afternoon Mark & the kids returned and Sunday & I headed down to Melbourne for the night. Charlotte & I went out for some gnocchi & pizza and then on to look at books. Besides being semi stalked in the bookshop it was fun. (Being a serial chatterer can get you into trouble!) Then it was back to Fitzroy where I fell into bed, exhausted after all that driving, treasure hunting, touring Victoria etc. What a great day.

In the morning I got to see Charlotte's latest art work for school and then....she made me a ring!

Staying at Mum's is always relaxing and I like having a look around her bits and pieces. I found this felt picture I made for her when I was about 9. I remember it took ages and I couldn't fnish my hair or foot!

Too quickly it was time to go. A stop at Bourkies Bakehouse in Woodend was a high priority,. They have delicious old style cakes and pastries which are out of this world. I'm a big fan of the apple shortcakes and vanilla slices but everything is good. Home again and back into the swing of busy family life. Baths, nit treatments, washing to be sorted, cuddles, dinner on, dogs fed, chooks put to bed, stories, another weekend comes to an end. Hope yours was good too xo

ps. thanks to everyone for your kind comments on my last post. I am feeling alot better, thankyou! xo

Beck in the Big City

On Friday I had a much needed break in Melbourne. After taking the kids to creche & school I tootled down the highway listening to some soppy music. It's funny how you really look forward to some time on your own and then when you get it... it's just not that easy!! I was feeling a bit emotional and had a little cry. Boo hoo...it has been a hectic and stressful few weeks and I've been feeling a tad worn out lately. Anyway, you'll be glad to hear I did cheer up and didn't look back!! Yayyy! I stayed at Mum's in Fitzroy which is always relaxing & fun. Some high lights of my trip were... purchasing my gorgeous, new camera (remember Rosie demolished my old one?) and...

...sitting with my Mum chatting while she knitted a sweet, green bunny cardigan.

... going out for dinner with the lovely & clever Charlotte

... & eating exquisite gnocchi, the best in Melbourne at Woodstock in North Fitzroy (see Charlotte above in a gnocchi induced trance), roaming around in Boarders with the above mentioned Char. Of course the main highlight was...waking up late on Saturday and not having to do anything for ANYONE! Ha! Also going to Savers and finding an adorable, folk art style children's trolley and then visiting A1 Bakery in Sydney Road & leaving with a stack of delicious Lebanese pizza's and other special delicacies was pretty, damn good. Yum.

Gee it was nice to just blah around without much of a plan and without any dependants. Could I put in a request for another few weeks of this kind of thing? Please? I'm sure I could handle it. Anyway, it was joyous to come home and be cuddled and kissed and to get to sit through several lengthy 'shows'. Singing and dancing extravaganza's are really going off around here. Whew!! Bit of air guitar, a few off the couch jumps etc, lot of fake mike work, heaps of dancing..good stuff from the kids. Welcome home.

So with one week to go to the Maker's Market I'm now hard at it getting the bunnies ready for their first public outing. This little fellow has come along nicely....

as has little Mary Celeste, who is a favourite of mine.

Hope you had a happy weekend, bye for now. x