Master Chef Eat Your Heart Out!

We are all huge fans of the show Master Chef and watch it each night. My eldest daughter at the moment enjoys collecting recipes and as soon as a magazine comes into the house she wants to cut out the recipes, so there are some negotiations going on here for who gets what recipe. Tonight I decided to make one of our favourite desserts in our house, Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding. I got the recipe out of the Family Circle Magazine a couple of years ago now. When anyone in the house has a birthday, this is usually the most asked for dessert to have. So here is the recipe for you to enjoy:

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

160ml (2/3 cup) milk

75g unsalted butter, melted

Ice cream to serve

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

180ml (3/4 cup) hot milk

180ml (3/4 cup) water

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease four 375ml capacity ovenproof dishes with butter.

2. Sift the flour and cocoa together into a large bow. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre. Whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

3.Pour the mixture into the greased dishes.

4. To make the chocolate sauce, combine the sugar and cocoa, and sift evenly over the top of the puddings. Combine the hot milk and 180ml water. Slowly pour a quarter of hot milk mixture onto each pudding over the back of a spoon.

5. Bake the puddings in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are firm. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Dust with extra cocoa and serve with ice cream.

I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as we all do here and I know that technically I have posted a couple more blog entries since I did the Paying it Forward, but if you would like to have a little homemade goodie from me then don't hesitate to leave a post of couple of days ago. I have one lovely lady who would like something, do I have any other takers? Talk to you again soon.

Smiles Catherine

The bag is finished!

Just a quick post to show you my bag and how it turned out. I am quite pleased with the result and I have had a few requests already (my girls) for a bag for them but we'll see. My Miss 5 has still been unwell with a heavy cold and today she felt a little better and wanted to play playdough so I thought I would post this cute picture of her and her creation. I hope that you are all well, what did you get up to today? Don't forget the Pass if Forward challenge that I posted yesterday so if you would like something homemade from me I would love to hear from you. Bye.

Smiles Catherine

My day and Pass it Forward

Hello there not much blogging happening here because we have had a few sicknesses in our house lately, the adults are mended but Miss 5 still isn't feeling 100%. I really hope for her and for us that she has a good nights sleep I'm not enjoying waking up as I am sure she is over the coughing by now. Enough of my grizzling, today was a little bit productive with me cutting out my Buttercup Bag pattern. (yeh!)
On the weekend I took my mother in law and girls to the shops for lunch while my poor hubby was stuck at work. Since I just love candles I always treat myself to candles from Dusk whenever I get a chance. Today I bought these pretty tea light holders and a new container candle in the Bondi range, I love the smell of this candle, coconut, vanilla and 'ocean freshness'.
I also was blog hopping today and came across this blog and Lauren had a post about Paying It Forward. It involves the next 3 people to comment on this blog post will (if they want) get something handmade sent to them from me and those who participate then pass it on to other people who comment on their post. So if you would like to get a little homemade pressie from me then I would love to hear from you. Bye for now.
Smiles Catherine

Pressies Revealed

I have been promising all of you that I would share the presents I have made for my friends daughter and today I can do that, everything is finished just a gift bag left to make. Anyway I have made a little bag, a tissue holder, some hair ties, a flower brooch and a coin purse. I really hope that she likes them and I don't look like I am being a cheap skate by making rather than buying, this is a first for me (sewing a gift) and I think a homemade gift is lovely. And I have an updated picture of the mail swap in progress. We are getting there slowly but will have them in the mail by the end of the week no problems. I hope you are all having a good day, no rain here so far today but boy are we very wet! Take care.

Smiles Catherine x

Pretty in Purple

My good friend's little girl will be turning 6 soon and a birthday card is in order for the birthday girl. Purple is her favourite colour so what else could I use, and also I have made a little collection of homemade goodies to go with this card, the fabric I have used is purple with some green in it. When I have finished all of her gift I will be sure to post a picture but for now I hope you enjoy the card that I made. Bye!

Smiles Catherine x

Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge #6

Today was the perfect day to do a bit of card making. It seems like ages since I've made anything, I know it hasn't been that long but I have been doing a bit of crafting with material instead of paper lately. So with miserable inside weather today I went about creating this card for Dawn's Colour Challenge. I hope you like it and thank you for stopping by and coming to visit. Bye!

Smiles Catherine x

Materials

Mail Swap and a piece of cake

Hello there, happy Tuesday to all of you. The weather has been very miserable here, perfect weather for inside and writing letters. In Queensland there is a teacher's strike today so my girls get to stay home and catch up on a bit of craft and for my oldest an assignment on migration to Australia. In between helping with craft, letter and assignment writing, Miss 5 and I made a Raspberry Marble Cake. I haven't made a marble cake before and it was a little tedious but it turned out well with everyone enjoying the process of the cooking and the finished product. I hope you are all having a good day. Bye for now!

Smiles Catherine x

Surprise!

How has your Saturday been? Mine has been very productive and just a really nice day today. I did some weeding today not very exciting but things are looking a lot neater which is what I like and also a bit of trimming of my plants and mulching. Tomorrow more gardening is on the agenda but when the mood hits you, you better go with it I say. Gardening and the library were only the start of my day because my lovely husband and I were treated to our long awaited 'surprise' that our daughters have been organising for several weeks. We were both given a program of events, chairs in the garden with lovely food awaiting (which they bought with their pocket money), a gift of rhinestones and a brad for me and cars and a Car ring for him, some wonderful entertainment and great company. They were very sweet to have gone to so much trouble and effort I had a wonderful time today, thank you girls. Talk to all of you again soon.

Smiles Catherine

Some pretty flowers for you

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a good week. My week has been going well, today I got in some sewing but it took ages to get anything done with my machine playing up on me. I really don't like unpicking things and then sewing, it is so time consuming. I am making a few little things for my good friends little girl who will be turning 6 this month so when they are all finished I will post a picture for you.

On to this post, here are a couple of pictures of some flower hair clips and brooches I made using the kit I bought at the craft show a couple of weeks ago. They were pretty quick and easy to make and the fabrics are just lovely. My Miss 5 was very happy to model her hair clip for you, she loves to know that her picture is going up on my blog. What a difference a couple of years make, she just didn't like her photo being taken when she was smaller.

Enjoy the rest of your week and also a big warm welcome to some new followers to my blog. Thank you for taking the time to come and visit and know that I enjoy your interest in my little blog. Talk to you again later.

Smiles Catherine

For My Mum's Birthday

My Mum this year got to celebrate both Mother's Day and her birthday on the same day. I was not as organized as I should have been so I decided I would make this quick and cute little card for her. I know there isn't alot of detail on the card but I just love it. Talk again soon.
Smiles Catherine

Raspberry Suite Challenge #5

I made this card especially for my Mum for Mother's Day. The colours in Dawn's Challenge were very pretty and it is also fun to play with new colours, for me, like basic gray. Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at my work, I love to hear from you. See you all again soon.

Smiles Catherine

Materials

Stamps: SU Eastern Blooms, SU All Holidays

Ink: Versamark, SU Whisper White, SU Basic Gray

Paper: SU Whisper White, SU Basic Gray, Bazzill Cardstock

Accessories: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, SU Scallop Edge Punch, Kaiser White Half Pearls, White Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there I hope that you all had a wonderful day. My mother's day started a bit early with my lovely husband cooking me a beautiful butter chicken from scratch and then an apple pie for dinner last night. Because we spent the day at my Mum's and Dad's we knew we would be too full for a proper dinner tonight so I had a Mother's Day dinner last night and a delicious lunch at my Mum's today. I was given lovely gifts of the handmade and bought kind wrapped in the most gorgeous hand drawn paper. The girls chose some gifts from the Mother's day stall of beaded heart table weights and jasmine scented paper flowers, now sitting on my coffee table. My hubby spoilt me with a Wii Fit, some chocolates and the Meet Me at Mikes craft book. Thank you to my wonderful family for making my mother's day special and showing me how much you care. Love you lots! See you later.

Smiles Catherine

A Mother's Day Card and A KWerner Colour Challenge

I am a little late at making my mother's day cards and for my inspiration I turned to Kristina's Colour Challenge. I will be back later with another card. Hope that you are all having a lovely day and thank you for visiting. Bye.

Smiles Catherine

Here are the cards I promised you!

This card was super easy to make, I also didn't have a lot of mojo happening when I was at my stamping class and got the opportunity to do my own card but sometimes clean and simple works well. Hopefully you think so too.
I made this card last week for a sketch challenge at my weekly stamping class. It is for my god daughter who turns 13 next month (OMG) and she loves blue, although this is turquoise I think it is a pretty colour and perfect just for someone who doesn't like things too girly.
And last but not least a card to celebrate my Dad's birthday which is tomorrow. Happy Birthday Dad!
Well thank you for stopping by you know that I love it when you come and visit me. Bye for now!
Smiles Catherine x

Just a nice day at home!

Today the girls have the day at home because they have a holiday here where we live so I thought it would be nice to do a bit of cooking. After being inspired by Melissa I decided that making Honey Joys would be quick and easy for the girls to do with me and an easily shared experience. I also thought I would show off my lemons that I grew. Miss 5 kindly went and picked them for me, the first I have ever grown, so I can make some pancakes with lemon juice and sugar for lunch. Not healthy I know but very tasty. I have some cards to post so I will be back later tonight. Bye!

Smiles Catherine

Look what I made.

Just a quickie post today I'm feeling a bit tired after going to my friend's son's 5th birthday at a play cafe. Those places really worry me and usually I will totally avoid taking the girls but I wanted to be there and the girls had a great time and no major injuries happened. Anyway I thought I would share with you the hair ties that I bought yesterday made up. They literally took about 10 minutes to make and they looked pretty cute in their hair. I almost forgot over on the left there is a little icon for a kids mail swap over at Pigeon Pair. I thought it would be fun, maybe you might like to check it out. Hope you had a good day. Until next time bye for now.

Smiles Catherine

A Bag for the Boys!

I wanted to share with you tonight a bag that I made for a little boy who is celebrating his 5th birthday tomorrow. It is an ordinary kraft gift bag that I have used and just layered some blue cardstock onto the chocolate chip to give it the striped effect and machine stitched the whole piece and then adhered it to the bag with dimensionals.The stars are also clear embosssed and the star in the right hand corner is white embossed. The colours I chose for Dawn's Colour Challenge which are just lovely together. It was a little bit time consuming but I am really happy with the results, I hope you like it too. Bye for now!

Smiles Catherine

How was your Saturday?

Hi there everyone, how was your Saturday? I had a great day today visiting the Stitches and Craft Show in Brisbane today. My lovely husband took our two girls to the State Library, the Art Gallery and the celebrations at Southbank for Buddha's Birthday. So without children I was able to take my time and look at things for as long as I wanted. I first stopped off for a visit at the Christina Re Craft Lab and whipped up a pentagon box and visited some lovely ladies who I have visited their blogs. I stopped by the DearFii stand and bought a cute hexagon flower brooch kit and met another lovely local lady you can find here. I also bought a couple of cute things to make for my girls and other ladies like some fabric covered button ponytails and no sew fabric flowers kit from Made by Miffy who was just so energetic and gave me a lovely comment on my first handmade bag. I almost forget, did you see those cute little fat quarters, I got these from Peppermint Stitches, they had such cute Japanese fabric. I am not sure what I will make but I'm sure I will come up with something. After three hours (it went by fast) we all met again, my mother in law also with my husband and girls, and we all had lunch at Southbank followed by a walk though the markets and then back home. Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! Bye

Smiles Catherine