cooking with kyla. Friday night pizza

This is a video of Kyla, a weight watchers consultant, but also an old friend of mine.  She has just started making video's on you tube for recipes to weight watchers.  Alot of help.  check it out.
I will post new ones as she does them.  Enjoy...

project catch-up. DIY table runner and cushion

Oh how I LOVE Thunderstorms in the morning.  Yes, Its a dark thundery morning here this morning.  Thankgoodness its a saturday.  We got to stay in bed just that bit longer and listen to the rain and thunder outside.  Pancakes and cinnamon apples for breakfast and hot coffee...mmmm.
So anyway, on my snuggly morning as the kids get stuck into saturday Disney on tv I thought i would do another catch up blog (3 in 3 days...Im doing good arent I?).
Today Im going to show you a simple idea my lovely friend has done at her home...and I lovingly borrowed her idea for mine {she doesnt mind...honest}.  Its a very, very simple lacey table runner.  Very effective.
In my thrift shop, shopping trips I always seem to get sucked in to those beautiful vintage doyles.  You know the ones that are REAL lace.  Not the cheap manafactured ones.  The sort that you can just see some lovely old grandma making with her bare hands 40 years ago.
I seem to have too many to know what to do.  This is a fantastic idea.  It looks just so nice.

Gather up your doyles and arrange them in a long line, overlapping slightly to match the length of your table.  Arrange them in an arty fashion {big ones with small ones etc} This may take a few goes to get it right. The different shade of white and beige, shapes and patterns just complement each other so nicely.

place a smal stitch in between each one so stay together on your table. 

The next project I did a few months back. 

Its a DIY printed cushion cover.  It is very easy to do.  All you need is...

*a plain cushion cover

*a Printer

*a sheet of stencil plastic

*a black sharpie

*fabric paint

*stanly knife

This is the first time ive ever done this.  I think I could do better but this was just an experiment but over all I was pretty happy with the outcome but I want to play around some more with some other prints etc.

Find your design on the computer.

Get the right size, shape and then print it out onto a sheet of white plain paper.
I then trace the shape on to the stencil sheet with my sharpie and carefully cut it out with a stanly knife.  This is tricky especially if its a detailed design.  Realy think about this.  This where you need to cut BEFORE you cut.  Its kind if an inside out cut as its a stencil.

Once this is done its time to place it on your cushion cover.  I lightly sprayed the stencil with glue just to keep it in place while I paint it.  I also place a few strips of tape just to be sure.
PLACE SOME CARDBOARD INSIDE THE COVER TO PREVENT THE PAINT FROM BLEEDING THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE!!
Dab the fabric paint onto the stencil/cushion cover.
Leave the stencil on the cover for a few hours to dry completly.  Taking it off too soon could smudge the wet paint.

One off and all dry, I went around the shape with my black sharpie pen, just to define the outline of the shape and it looks more finished.

Like I said, I am realy happy with how it turned out.  I think I could do better but not bad for a first attempt, i think.

homegrown-homemade pumpkin soup

Look what I grew!  Ok, I know...anyone can grow a pumpkin but...look at it!  Its huge!

I was so excited to bring this inside and chop it up for some healthy, hearty homey soup.

Just look at how orange and fleshy this thing is.

I chopped that thing up ( there was soooo much it took about half an hour to chop, lol), popped it in the pot with some onion, garlic, ginger, mixed herbs, some salt reduced vegetable stock and a  potato....simmered it for an hour, blended it up and....

....homegrown, homemade pumpkin soup!  It was the yummiest soup EVER!!!!, Realy it was.  With some home baked bread, and a dollop of basil pesto...it was devine.

Oh the craziness!  I have been totaly out of the loop with blogging this year!  My laptop died about 3 months ago and I have been using my husbands tiny little notebook that he uses on the road for work, as cute as it was....I hated it!  You can only see half the screen.  You need to scroll down to see the whole page, UGH!
Anyway, yesterday I was out and about and when I came home there was a shiny new laptop sitting on our dining table...woohoo!  I love my man! {and its a little more modern looking than that in the pic LOL}
So here I sit on my New Toshiba typing my blog...ahhhhh, life is good again!
So now I promise to be a better little blogger and upadate a bit more often than I have.
~I Promise!

Chicken, tomato & lemon with pearl {Israeli} couscous

Oh my!!!  If you havnt tried Pearl couscous, {or Israeli couscous as its also called} you have to.  It is devine!  The small balls pop in your mouth and the deliciouse flavours that go with it are just to die for.  I found this recipe on 'the bitten word' here at this web site.  It is so yummy and here is my version of it.  I make it on a saturday night and it goes down well with a glass of vino, a great dvd and a wonderful man.heehee.

{Ingredients}

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup Israeli couscous

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 Roma or plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 strips lemon peel

Pinch of saffron

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1-1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock {I use massel brand as there is no msg and its gluten free}

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

{Directions}

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add couscous, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, and return skillet to heat.

2. Cook chicken, smooth side down, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip, and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, reserving drippings in skillet.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel, and saffron, and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Return chicken to skillet. Add wine, and cook for 4 minutes. Add stock, salt, and couscous, and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in peas, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with lemon.

Soooo ho gooooood! Do yourself a favor and try it.

~Bon apetite.

Princess Aurora Cake

Last Sunday My lil' neice Charlie had a fun little tea party. Of course my sister in law asked me to do the cake which I was delighted to do as I LURVE experementing with food. I have never made a 'doll' cake before and I couldn't wait to try.

Charlie specifically aske for "Princess Aurora" Cake from Disney...

So I tried. I purchased a Dolly Varden {heehee funny name} cake tin and baked a simple chocolate cake. Once it cooled I placed 'Aurora' in place...first I had to remove her legs {which seems a little gruesem for a little girls party LOL} I had to do this so she could fit properly. Once in place I decorated the naked doll and cake to look like she was dressed. Here is the final outcome...

I know she isnt professionally made, so any cake conessiours out there, dont laugh! {yes, I know she looks pregnant, heehee} But little 5 year old Charlie thought it was just wonderful. I must admit I was pretty impressed with my efforts considering it was a first time attempt at a cake like this. I enjoyed making this cake and my kids did too. I think there will be alot more fun cakes in this shape now I have the mould...Little T thought a volcano cake would be pretty cool, me too.

caravaning and lazy days

The past few monthgs we have been super busy...like you wouldnt believe, so it was last weekend to pack up our little caravan and head south for 3 nights.

We went to Brunswick heads on the NSW coast.  Its only about 45 mins from where leave live and it was so lovely.
Just take a look at some snaps we caught of where we camped ourselves...

The view we woke to each day....ahhhhhh....

mimi walking along the beach just down from our caravan

little t trying to catch dinner

hubby baiting up his hook,

Miss Mimi caught her first ever fish....and was the first one to catch a fish out of all of us.

little T caught a crab

On Sunday, Mimi and I decided to head in town for some seriouse gal time with cake and coffee (baby chino).  We found the most fabulouse little coffee shop...called....{how cute are the business cards??}

Next door was an old vintage/frenchy store that went hand in hand with the coffee shop.  It was like stepping in to my nanna's house...it was fabulouse, both miss mimi and I were in HeAvEn.

The Pantry {coffee shop} even had a lolly counter...how fun!

of course we got cheesecake...

going....going.....

yummo! {thats my girl!}


We had soooo much fun!  This year we decided to do this way more often!