Butter!!!!

I love BUTTER!!! I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant or if it's just because everything that's cooked with butter seems to take on a whole new life - and it's a deliciously amazing new life at that...

My latest sweet butter-y creation is this shortbread jam filled slice - YUM-MO!!!

 

This slice has the crunchiest, melt in your mouth texture that won't let you stop at just 1 piece - it must be that gooey, sweet, fruity centre that keeps me coming back for piece after piece - no, that's the pregnancy, LOL!!!

Jam Filled Shortbread Slice

1 cup of butter (I use salt that is salted for this recipe, I like the flavour it gives), 2 1/2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of icing sugar, about 1/2 a jar of home-made jam (I used nectarine recipe here).

Process all ingredients, except that jam, in a food processor until a dough is formed this should only take about a minute (it will start to roll around like a ball in the bowl when it's ready). 

Press half of the mixture into a standard slice tray, spread the jam over the top. You are now going to crumble the remaining dough mixture over the top of the jam.

Bake in an over at 180'C for about 30mins or until the edges are well browned and the house smells of sweet warm cookies...

Slice into pieces once cooled and enjoy with a fresh pot of your favourite tea.... 

What's you're favourite 'butter' recipe? Are you a 'sweet' or 'savoury' kind a girl???

Way Too Many!!!

I've slowly been working on a few yarn-y projects of late to gift.....

I made this little crochet type bolero

and this open vest using just 1 ball of Noro Taiyo...

The bolero I 'made-up' and the open vest is a freebie from here, I simply omitted the sleeves, they only get in the way of newborns anyway - right??!!

With this being our last week of Term 2 for school here on the farm (wow - where has that half a year gone???) I can safely say that this will be my last batch of play-dough for a good couple of weeks.... 

We love this stuff and use it ALL OF THE TIME in the schoolroom - especially with Maths...

The recipe I use is pretty simply - 2 parts flour to 1 part salt, add a couple of generous tablespoons of oil and colouring then pour in boiling hot water and stir (if I'm feeling creative I'll add a bit of glitter to the flour mix too - the girls love that). The mixture seems really gloop-y at the start but after a couple of minutes of kneading on the bench top it all comes together - you don't want it too dry, trust me.

We're also very excited to welcome yet another kitten into our ever expanding 'tribe'....

I know, I have WAY TOO MANY CATS!!!!

But, I just can't help myself - I love their company and they're great for keeping the snakes away in the hotter months by eating the mice and frogs up for us. And you know what??? They don't touch the gorgeous birds that I have living quite happily in my garden either...

A Few More BARGAINS!!!!

After having such a great response to Wednesday Nights Sale I've decided to whack a few more things on special...

So pop on over to my SALE BIN for 50% OFF what's left in stock of my 100g skeins of Malabrigo Worsted Merino.  

I have 24 new shades arriving in the next week or so and thought it would be nice to get rid of my old stock before they all arrive... :)

I've also whacked 30% OFF ALL Pattern Leaflets so be sure to check that out also...

Girl-y Day Out....

Country Races are a great excuse to chuck on a frock, pretty yourself up and head to town for a catch up. These pictures were taken last month when we headed into Cobar for the Annual Picnic Race Meet...

We enjoy these days so much and I can't remember the last time the girls and I missed a day out at the Cobar Races. We are usually lucky enough to have DH by our sides to enjoy the fun, but not this year....

Mustering was priority so we left the 'men' at home and headed in for a nice girl-y day out....

It was just gorgeous - a day filled to the brim, but next year we sure do hope DH can come along too!!!!!

GRAB A BARGAIN!!!!!

I'm having a clean out in the Shop to make some room for the 3 BIG BOXES of Malabrigo which are due to arrive next week.

So today's your lucky day as I'm having a bit of a sale - A 50% OFF SALE!!!!!

I have 4 shades of this gorgeous Ella Rae DK weight Bamboo Silk in 50g skeins

and 7 shades of some of my all time favourite 20ply Pure Wool by the Australian owned Nundle Wool Mill... This yarn comes in a very generous 200g hank!!!!!

Both yarns are a MASSIVE 50% OFF but stocks are limited!!!!!

This Sale is exclusive to my website shop only... 

Baby Knits

I love knitting for babies and 2 of my most favourite things to knit for little girls would have to be this Abagail Sweater

and this sweet little Scalloped Lace Baby Hat....

Both these knits I've made many a times for my 2 little girls. I've also made these 2 classic knits for many friends baby girls and feel such warmth to see them wearing the same special knits as my very own babies...

For my latest Abagail I used the new Arroyo. I'm loving this fingering weight Superwash Merino and nearly can't believe that it only took 1/2 a skein to knit the entire cardigan - gotta love baby knits!!!!

For the Scalloped Hat I used 1/2 a skein of some gorgeous Silky Merino in the softest shade of purple.... 

We are so looking forward to welcoming our new little baby into the world before the year is out and you just never know - maybe there might be a few more Abagail's and Scallop Hats on the horizon if our latest little one is a girl too... *^_^*

Living Life....

I'm so happy to report that the morning sickness has finally pasted... HOORAY!!!!!!

These days I just can't seem to get enough of the cheeky little antics of my sweet little Miss

Millie....

This age, 3-4, is just so special - independence starts to grow and exploring becomes that little more adventurous.... 

I love watching her 'living life' - it makes my heart simply melt...

My favourite yarn at the moment would definitely have to be the gorgeous, squishy, Malabrigo Rios... For this hat I used the Ravelry Red shade and worked on this great free crochet beret pattern.... 

Some other yarn I'm loving at the moment is this 100% Merino Sock weight yarn by Skein.... Hand-dyed in Armidale in the most divine shades....

Industrial Age and

Beach Shack....

Also, fresh from the garden tonight I'm cooking up an arm full of Coloured Chard and adding it to the top of an oven baked Spaghetti Bolagnese along with some crumbly home-made Feta.... Yum-O!!!

What are you harvesting and eating at the moment???