Now Thats a Treehouse!

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How fun would it be to have a weekend away in a treehouse like this?

A Touch of Grey

There is something about a grey room that gets me every time.  Paired with white it is light and airy and a dark grey is so comforting, particularly in a bedroom.

Images via

Map Of Stars

Isn't this little watercolour just delightful!  It is by Diana Sudyka and she has called it Map of Star because all creatures are born with an internal 'map to guide them'  You really must read her description of the painting.  Unfortunately it has already sold out, however you should also check out her other work here.

Etsy Favourites: For the Home

It's been a while since I featured some of my favourites from etsy, these ones are for the home, pretty little handmade pieces for decorating or displaying.

Little village by rodica - These would look adorable in a little boys nursery.

Hand Built Plate, maybe a coaster or a little soap dish.

Ceramic serving Dishes - so many lovely plates in this store.

Natural Soy Candles and you can never have too many candles!

Weekly Menu

Happy Monday to you all! Spring is deffinately in the air today, the sun is shining and it is a gorgeous day here. It's deffinately time to start including more salads into the menu.

Sunday: Veggie Burgers
Monday: Pasta Bake and Salad
Tuesday: Patties, Baked Potatoes and veges
Wednesday: Burritos with salad
Thursday: Pizza
Friday: Family Dinner
Saturday: Toasted Sandwiches
What are you eating this week? 

Bedroom Decor Idea

In this room the wardrobe would always need to be tidy and organised, I don't think I could ever make this work!

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Some Fabulous DIY Tutorials

Some tutorials I am currently loving:

• I love these Triangular Bean Bags
• Make your own braided headbands
• Save money by making your own skirts
• Repurpose t-shirts to make a cute ruffle shirt
• And another top pattern

The secret to doing something well is practice, practice, practice. 

I recently read of a family whose motto was "Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly until you get good at it."  This attitude provides a safe place for all of us, children and adults included to learn, make mistakes and grow.  I think I will be printing this one out for the fridge.

Sunday: Weekly Menu

Had a much need lazy Sunday, other than doing a run, my grocery shopping and folding the washing I have done very little today.   My menu for the week includes comfort food for tonight as it is quite wet and cold. We also have our regular pizza night and I got some fresh ricotta so I will be making Ricotta and Spinach Scroll.

Sunday:  Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognaise
Monday: Mushroom Crepes
Tuesday: Pumpkin and Chickpea Thai Curry
Wednesday:  Ricotta and Spinach Scroll with Salad
Thursday: Pizza
Friday:  Dinner Out
Saturday: Dinner Out

What are you planning on eating this week?

Everyday Things

Winter is nearing an end, seeds are sprouting,

Its time to start preparing the soil.

There are strawberry flowers aplenty

and even a few early berries.

And a nice surprise...  a small winter harvest of self sown tomatoes from last summer.

Sweet Dreams

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Sometimes I am tempted to paint our bedroom dark, I love these colours together, with loads of gorgeous pillows and throws.  I also really like that bedside table.

Chocolate Doughnuts and Paczki

My Husband is a serious doughnut lover and his Polish Grandmother regularly makes traditional Polish doughnuts called Paczki for special occasions.  They are made with a rich dough containing butter, eggs, sugar and milk; filled with a thick plum jam and iced with lemon glaze.   On Friday my sister in law and I had the pleasure of learning how she made them.

I make a similar doughnut using a brioche dough which gives a rich buttery doughnut and then fill it with a quality dark chocolate.  These are delicious served warm with a gooey chocolatey centre.

To make the doughnuts:

1. Take a small ball of prepared dough that has already had one rising.  
2. Roll it into a ball, push a square of quality dark chocolate into the middle and pinch closed, rolling smooth into a even ball.   Continue with this until all dough has been rolled.  You will most likely use a full block of chocolate.
3. Set aside and allow to rise again for approx 20mins.
4. Heat oil to approx 180 C  and carefully drop doughnuts into the hot oil 2-3 at a time, so they have plenty of room to rise to the surface.
5. After 2-3 minutes flip doughnuts and cook on the other side for another 2 mins until golden on both sides.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels.  Roll in castor sugar.

I often make up half the dough into doughnuts and freeze the other half for another day, I just take the dough out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw out in the fridge.  

Cool Churches

I love old builds and especially churches, Bored Panda has compiled a list of the 50 Most extraordinary Churches.  These are a couple of my favourites.

 In France, The Chapelle Saint-Michel, a chapel on a volcanic plug. This is the Rock of Aiguilhe, at the outskirts of the town of Puy en Velay, in the Auvergne. lt has stood there for 1042 years.

Las Lajas Cathedral which was built over the Guaritara River.

Check out all the other really cool churches they have come across, 50 Most extraordinary Churches.

Apricot Walnut Bread

This recipe is a tasty treat for the lunch box or just to have with tea or coffee.

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup golden syrup
2/3 cup plain yoghurt
1 1/4 cups Self Raising flour
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
Butter to serve

1. Grease a 12 x 22 cm loaf pan, line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Combine butter, sugar and syrup in a pan, stir over low heat until butter is melted.  Remove and cool for 5 mins.
3. Sift combined flour and spices into a bowl, add butter mix, yoghurt, eggs, apricots and nuts, stir until just combined.  Pour into pan.
4. Cook in a moderate oven (180 degrees C) for 45 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
5. Stand loaf in pan for 10 mins before turning out onto wire rack to cool. 
6. Serve sliced with butter

I think I'll go have another piece right now!

Weekly Menu 6

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I am well and truly late posting my menu this week, sorry all. The tagine in this weeks menu is absolutely delicious and a great vegetarian winter meal served with cous cous or rice.  I usually try to cook up a whole packet at once when preparing dried beans and freeze the extras to use later.  If you don't have time to prepare the chickpeas from scratch, canned ones work just as well. 

Sunday:  Take out
Monday: Tomato Noodle Soup with rolls
Tuesday: Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Wednesday: Cashew nut loaf with salad
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday:  Dinner with Family
Saturday Night:  Birthday Party with Friends

Knitting for The Boys

It took me a while to get around to finishing Zacks vest, I think I had done so much knitting the past few weeks I needed a bit of a knitting break.  The pattern is called Shore and I used Bendigo Yarn, I used just under one ball of the bendigo classic on this pattern.  He was so excited to see it finished and didn't take it off all day, which for him is pretty amazing. 

Vegetarian Sausage Roll Recipe

This is a recipe that I have been making for many years, it is a great way of getting some wholesome ingredients into the kids and they love to help make them.   I usually double these quantities and make enough to freeze for another time.

3 eggs
1/2 cup pecan nuts (you can also use walnuts but I prefer pecans)
1 onion chopped
250g container low fat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 cup rolled oats
3 sheets puff pastry

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and process I usually use my stick mixer but a food processor is also perfect.
2. Cut pastry sheets in half and spoon mixture down one edge.  Brush the other edge with milk and roll to enclose filling.
3. Cut each log into 6 even pieces, brush with milk and prick top with a fork  (at this stage you could freeze if not eating straight away.
4. Bake in a hot Oven 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.  

Makes 36 party sized sausage rolls.