Morning! Or is that afternoon? Yep, it is, oh boy time is flying past fast today. I like Monday's though, it's a good day to have a think about the week ahead and do some planning to make life easier. One of the things I give some thought to is feeding my hungry brood so I'm trying to stick to a weekly meal plan. And then there are school lunches & after school snacks..
On Monday's two of my girls head to Ballarat for dance classes so I try to bake something for them to take. At home two other kids need after school fuel, one stays home and the other is off to callisthenics tonight so they will be hungry too! An old fave is muffins. I use the Every Day in the Kitchen recipe (one of my most used cook books) and tweak it.
I'm sure you have a good muffin recipe too but for those who don't this one is fool proof and really simple.
Basic muffins
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
pinch of salt
100g (3/12 oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
125ml (4 fl oz) milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
(I double this recipe and make two separate batches)
Preheat oven to 180C (350 F)
Mix flour, salt & sugar together. Add vanilla, milk, butter and egg(s), and beat until smooth. At this point I divide the mixture in two. Today one batch will be banana & chocolate so I added one banana, mashed, and a handful of choc chips. The other muffins will be raspberry & white chocolate so to the other bowl I added a good handful of frozen raspberries and a smaller handful of white choc chips.
Yum! I bake the muffins in patty pan cases, in a muffin tray, easier for the kids to eat on the run & not so much washing up. Yay!
You can virtually put anything you like in muffins...apple & cinnamon, blueberries, pear, walnut, sultana's..whatever you feel like. Do you have a favourite snack recipe? I am going to try and post one every week, I'd love to hear about yours too.
So what else is happening? We have a broody duck! Can you see her in her little house?
There she is, all nestled up, sitting on a big pile of eggs,
and not the least bit interested in anything else. She does get off her nest in the morning for a little stretch of her pretty orange legs, and a drink & nibble, but other than that it's all about the eggs. This leaves our resident nutbag, Freddie, at a bit of a lose end. So guess who has been hanging out on the deck? Yep, you guessed it. Part duck, part dog, part sociopath.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, the light at this time of the year is magical and I love the change in seasons. Although it's sad when summer fades, today being the last day, I do enjoy the peace & beauty of autumn. Lets not even think about winter though..now that's a scary thought!
Today there is much excitement as Rosie is trying out calisthenics this afternoon. She has been cartwheeling her way through every day lately and can't wait to learn more! None of our other girls has tried calisthenics before so I"m not sure what to expect. I guess we'll find out at 4.30!
You may have noticed a lack of creativity in my blog lately. I haven't been sewing much and haven't felt the need, maybe the drama's of life lately have taken up all my head space. Anyway, I"m kind of excited because I have finally found a new project. I'm going to try to make Rosie a doona cover using thrifted & vintage linen. I have a big pile to choose from and as I love my own mismatched bedcover so much I'm going to try for something similar. I'll let you know how I go!
Wow, it's almost time for school pick up...better fly out the door! Before I do though I want to thank you so much for all your good wishes & concern for my mum. It was really lovely to read all your heartfelt comments and to know that there is so much love & kindness out there. I feel alot better today,I think it's been a matter of processing what might have been and just giving ourselves time. I still can't believe it, what a terrible and sad thing to happen. To think that Mum was touring beautiful Christchurch just before the quake..unbelievable. We are so lucky.
Take care lovely friends, hope you are having a happy Monday, see you soon xo
10 comments:
I hope Rosie enjoys calistenics! How exciting for you to be having baby ducklings soon, that will be so lovely! Your muffins sound like the snacks I need to bake for my 2 hungry kids who are always searching for something to munch on in the afternoon. I am so happy that your mum is okay too, it must have been very scary thinking the worst and I too feel so sorry for Christchurch.
Oh i hear you on the baking, although so far this year, the only weekday afterschool activity is Zumba!! Oh yes!! I plan ahead with baking . . . tonight while cooking kebabs & vegetables, i had a batch of cookies & banana bread in the oven, tee hee, all fed by 6p.m. & recess for the next few days, glee!! Love Posie
Good to have some ideas for snacks Beck, I really love something you can freeze and produce when needed. Multi skilling is the name of the game!
I am so relieved that your mum is safe home, its a dreadful time for Christchurch.
Take care!
Oh Beck, I just love your posts. I missed them ( meaning you) while you were ill. Actually I'm feeling the need of a in person visit with you, feeling the need for a dose of Beck. Unfortunately don't think it will be until April.
How exciting to have a broody duck, and well you know how I feel about freddie ( but duck ever)
thanks for a nice simple muffin recipe how many does it make?
I'm blabbing here, so I best go, but I can't wait to see this doona cover ! xo
Hey Beck, glad to read you are feeling better. You can't beat muffins for a quick and easy snack, savoury or sweet they are so simple to make.
I love Autumn too, I know exactly what you mean about the light, it's just beautiful.
How exciting having a broody duck, I thought of Jemima Puddle Duck looking at her sitting on her pile of eggs with feathers all around her. We had chickens hatch for the first time bak in December and it was sooooo much fun, just too cute.
All the best with your latest project, the way the weather has been, might be time for doonas pretty soon.
Enjoy your week,
Claire :}
I could easily make those vegan, yum. Your duck sure is super cute!
Hello! We've been baking alot recently for snacks too- blueberry muffins last week. I realised that I had lots of ingrediants in my cupboards that I could use, which saved me buying things for us to nibble. So far so good! Although a meal-plan is something I haven't done for a while- I really should.
Looking forward to news of the babies. I'm very jealous! Mummy duck takes her reponsibility very seriously- how sweet! Thanks for another lovely post. x
Ohhh that doona cover is going to be delicious Beck - and Rosie will love it forever. How did the callisthenics go? -Are you free tomorrow for a cuppa? P
I've never really conquered muffins but am going to try your recipe tomorrow.
Like Claire, your beautiful duck made me think of Jemima Puddleduck. I was expecting to see a Foxy Gentleman appear in the next photo! Hopefully, there are no Foxy Gentlemen in your vicinity.
YUM! The snack looks good!
Anyways, my wifes name is Annette (pastors wife)and she just opened her blog to public setting as she wants to be an encouragement and blessing to people(hoping to do giveaways as she enjoys giving). I was trying to be an encouragement to her by asking if you would be willing to swing by and say hi as she does not know many people in the blog world? Thank you for considering. Her blog is
http://continuedwonder.blogspot.com/
Thank You,
Rodney(Annette's husband)
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