Friday, April 16, 2010

Pumpkin Choc Orange Muffins

Yum Yum!!

Part of our dinner last night was mash pumpkin, potato & sweet potato. There were left overs and I wasn't going to use them for dinner tonight so oh what shall I do with them?

Then it hit me. When I was in secondary school we made some muffins that had mashed pumpkin in them. I remember them being yummy. I was sure I still had the recipe written down somewhere. Yep, I found it! Though I don't know where the recipe originated from. So this morning I used the left over mash (even though the recipe called for mashed pumpkin I used the mix of pumpkin, potato & sweet potato) and whipped up some muffins, and oh they are sooo fluffy and delicious! I also made some in mini loaf tins. I am going to freeze some of the muffins to use in my son's school lunches.


Pumpkin Choc Orange Muffins
120g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
granted rind of 1 orange
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 tbsp golden syrup
1/2-3/4 cup mashed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups SR flour, sifted
1/2 tsp bicarb soda, sifted
2 tbsp cocoa, sifted
1/4-1/2 cup orange juice

1. Cream butter, sugar and orange rind.
2. Beat in egg and golden syrup.
5. Mix in pumpkin.
6. Stir in half of the flour, cocoa & bicarb.
7. Stir in half of the orange juice.
8. Stir in the remaining half of the flour, cocoa and bicarb.
9. Stir in the remaining half of the orange juice.
10. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake for 20mins in a 180deg preheated oven.
11. Cool on a wire rack then serve.
*Makes approx 12 muffins.

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Toot Toot!

Yes, a train goes "Toot Toot"!

Quite some time ago, maybe even about 18 months ago, I was lucky enough to go to the Kaiser Craft outlet, where I found myself a little project to conquer. It was a Beyond The Page Train Tidy and I thought it would look great in my youngest son's room. Like lots of my other projects it sat hiding away amongst my "stuff".

This week I decided to jump on board the train and get moving! Here is the finished result which I am thoroughly proud of :)

TOOT TOOT!!!

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

A Time Capsule

Buried deep in the ground was a large barrel filled with treasure. You couldn't get the barrel out as it was cemented into the ground! Who's could it be? What was the treasure? The lid became exposed, but could it be opened?

It all started 20 years ago. It was the year 1990. I don't recall who's idea it was, possibly my grandparents? My siblings, my parents, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my grandparents, and a couple of family friends all got together for the occasion.

The occasion was to start a family time capsule.

Everyone put something treasured in, whatever they wanted to as long as it fit in! Letters, wine, photos, coins, stamps, newspapers, predictions, anything! It was sealed up and buried in a backyard where only those that were in attendance new the location of the treasure. It was agreed that in 10yrs time we would all get together again for the opening. In the year 2000 we did just that and decided again that we would bury a new lot of treasure to open in the year 2010.

So on the weekend that is just what happened. My siblings, my parents, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles and my grandparents, all got together for the time capsule opening again. This time there were even more faces, with partners that have come into the family since the last opening, and not to mention the next generation of children!

It was funny watching everyone's faces, not everyone remembered what they had put in there 10 years ago so there were lots of surprises all round!

Everyone brought something they valued, all to be placed in the time capsule and sealed for another 10 years. Will we remember what we placed in there this time? We will find out in another 10 years!!

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sandpit Project - completed at last!



After working interstate, hubby finally came home and put the canvas prints outside on the sandpit wall for me. Thanks hubby! So the final touches to the Sandpit Project have been completed!!

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