A Collection of Thoughts

Valentine's Day printable {for sweet treats}

I know it almost Valentine's day but I did make a cute little printable that I thought I would share.

Mel has used it to make these cute jaffa bags :)

Simple download, print, cut, fold and staple! Maybe you can pin it for next year? Or surprise your little ones and not so little ones with a bag of treats for afternoon tea :)

Download Valentines topper2

 Happy Almost Valentines Day

 

Project Life Resources

Are you working on a project life this year ? I am and I'm loving it! I'm finding I get to Saturday night and want to start pulling my pages together. I'm on the fence about buying a kit to use. I do love some of the new ones that have been released and are due out I think in early may. I'm also loving all the digi stuff that is available. I just had a look in my google reader under the posts that I starred and the last 5 have cool project life things in them. My pinterest board from project life is filling up too!

 

Here are my latest finds ...

source

 Love these by Ali - I really would like some of the 12 x 6 inserts

 

via cathyzielske.typepad.com

These printable labels by Cathy Z

source

These are stamps by Ali E  - and I'm a stamp hoarder not user  so I wont buy them BUT if you read closely they are actually from this set of digital files - YAY That I can buy LOL

via www.baersgarten.com

 These gorgeous papers from Iara

via cathyzielske.typepad.com

 

Finally this cute and FREE download from Cathy Z for your instagram photos :)

Some people are just too clever aren't they?

Clean Eating Baking for Lunch Boxes

School has been back a week and already I'm at the what on earth do I put in lunch boxes stage. It's the never ending question isn't it? There are a couple of children at our girls school who have tuckshop every day. While I could never afford that and Hello diet of chocolate paddle pops Mumma won't know - the thought is certainly tempting!

However thatw ont work for our family so I juts have to get it sorted. I do find it's far far easier if I have at least done some sort of baking at the start of the week.

So just out of the oven now is my variation on some recipes ( you can see the original at each of the links ). I have cleaned them up a bit :)

via www.taste.com.au

 Zucchini and Carrot Slice

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup self-raising organic wholemeal flour
• 1 large zucchini, grated
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1/3 cup macadamia nut oil

Mix it all together and press into a tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into slices. I like this because it's pretty clean ( depending on your cheese)   - the girls love it. I can have it myself with salad and so can Richard.

This gets us through two days.

Now for treats.

A quick zip through woolies or coles and you are bombarded with back to school specials on muesli bars  LCM bars and a multitude of other advertised "healthy" choices. Have you noticed so many packages now have the word wholegrain whacked on them? Wholegrain seems to be the new "low fat".  As always I flip them over and start to read the ingredients - and numbers and I still am yet to find something that makes me happy.

I randomly grabbed a carton of buttermilk for in my trolley and when I got home had a quick search for recipes.

I remembered  Tessa Kiros  - Berry and Buttermilk Cake from Apples for Jam and wondered if I could clean it up a bit

 

 

So the good news is yes you can and it's really good! I just tried a piece  (for research purposes of course)

 Here is my adapted recipe

• Tamar's Berry and Buttermilk Cake
• 2 cups wholemeal organic SR flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
• 1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
•  ground nutmeg
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 teapsoons raw sugar (optional!)

Place all the ingredients into a  bowl  - (except the berries and raw sugar ). Mix until just combined with a wooden spoon. Spread into a lined tinned.  Sprinkle the blueberries on top.  I also sprinkled the sugar ( I only had white sugar )  because I like the crucnh of the original recipes which uses 2 1/2 tablespoons - but you can totally leave this off and now I have made it and tried it I will next time.

Cut into chunks for in lunchboxes - not super sweet but a good sweet hit and filling. this is going to be perfect for afternoon tea too! 

 Finally I had just a smidge under a two cups of buttermilk left and if you are anything like me it tends to sit in the fridge and get forgotten so I thought have to use it up.

 I googled for Buttermilk Muffins.

 This is the original recipe I used.

 Tamar's Double Choc Chip Buttermilk Muffins

 Makes 18

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup macadamia nut oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups organic wholemeal plain flour
• 4 tspns baking powder
• 1/3 cup good quality organic cocoa
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup dark choc chips or chunks

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Another week of lunches sorted - 8 more to go before end of term :) Hope back to school is running smooth in your homes.