Mothers Day Bouquet's

My children are blessed to have both their grannies living close by and part of their lives... 

This was a fun easy craft that they did for their grannies for Mothers Day this year

 

  ...there is a lovely tutorial here...

we did ours a little differently and used some printed scrapbook paper to...

We also glued the stems down, and gave our vases a little bit of shape...

lots of bright fun and loved by their grannies...

   

Happy Mothers Day!

Our Knights 8th Spy Birthday Party...

Birthday time of the year again, when you realize that your children are getting too big...

too quickly...

We love planning and organising our children's parties...

it is much fun...

So the excitement started,of planning for this years party...

a spy party...

The invitation...

to get the spies excited... 

When the spies arrived, they had to go through the Secret Agent Registration...

 This involved, getting into disguise, having an ID photo taken for their ID tags and choosing a code name...

in the first tin, we had 15 colour names, in the second tin we had 15 names (i.e.- eagle, hawk, leopard, snake, scorpion, fire, spider, dragon etc). They had to stick their hands in each tin and receive their code name...

The tins containing code names

Our knights was "Black Eagle"

Black Eagle

After this they made their way to Headquarters (our lounge) where they were given their first set of clues to decipher...

 Each agent had a word or two to decipher using their Secret agent Cipher Cards...

  Agents hard at work...

 

 Their first mission was to make their way to the jungle (garden!) and find weapon parts, then head to the Assembly area...

(our dining room table covered with newsprint and a world map drawn onto it!)...

The agents then had to make their own Weapons - mini marshmallow shooters... 

While these were drying, they went back to Headquarters to recieve their next batch of 

   clues to decipher...

Their next mission was to make their way through the dangerous mine field...and look out for more clues...

(black balloons filled with clues)...

they had to stomp, stamp, jump and tramp...to BURST the balloons...

Agents doing their thing...

Once all the clues had been retrieved, it was back to Headquarters...for more deciphering...

Secret Mission No3...

"Secret agents need ammo. Can you survive the lazer field?"

Once through the lazer field (red wool tied outside!), they each got their bag of ammo

 (mini marshmallows) ...

and were told to go look for the baddies...

which were hiding upstairs somewhere...

Well done secret agents...you completed your mission...

your buddy had an AWESOME 8th Party...

Kaboom...bomb cake...

Happy 8th Birthday...

you are truly loved and cherished...
(There are lots of ideas on the internet...have a look on my Pinterest boards for more!)

He is Risen!!

 Some fun we had as a family to mark the occasion of The Resurrection of our Lord...

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. "

Matthew 28 verse 6

We made a ressurection garden...

(a month later it is still looking lovely and a constant reminder that HE LIVES)

We used:

 base from a large pot plant

a small terracotta pot (tomb)

bark chips

soil

stones

little pieces of wood tied together with string to make the crosses

a tray of seedlings from the nursery

Then we made a whole bunch of stained glass sun catchers, for our windows and for the windows of our loved ones...

We used:

Black cardboard

Tissues paper - various colours

Contact (sticky plastic!)

I cut out the shape of the design in the black cardboard...then placed it down onto the contact...my knight and his cute sister then stuck the little squares of tissue paper all over to cover.

I then stuck another piece of contact over that to seal the whole sun catcher...

A fun craft and very eye catching window display ;-)

 

... and last but not least....

He is Risen cupcakes...

We used:

this cake recipe

this icing

chocolate coated pretzels

chocolate buttons (the stone that was rolled away!)

cherries (symbolizing His blood shed)

melted chocolate to hold crosses together

The crosses were made by my very versatile and creative other half...

My knight decorated the cupcakes.

They were enjoyed with family after a Ressurection Sunday lunch...

  

"And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name." 

Romans 1:4-5

Valentines - day of love...

 We love to bless those around us on days like Valentines day or any other day when we can...

So we decided to make some caped super heros for some special buddies of my knights and his cute sister...

This was lots of fun...

Cut out a cape and a mask from cardboard...we decided to use some googly eyes which we glued on...my knight punched out some hearts to glue onto each cape and then wrote his friends name and "....... you are a super friend".

...a little token of love for the loved ones that surround us...

For Grannies and Grandpas, some home baked biscuits, decorated with pink icing and lovingly decorated with pearly balls...accompanied by a beautiful hand drawn work of art...

From Best Friend and I ...to our precious kiddies...Love bugs (template here)...

a bag filled with worms and chocolate bugs, tied with a ribbon and love note attached...

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing"

1 Corinthians 13 verses 1 -3 

30% Rye bread

Been wanting to make a rye bread but not found a really nice recipe, 

so I adapted the kita recipe to use with the rye flour...This is a lovely mix, a lovely soft bread...

(I am still working on a larger portion of rye flour bread!)

You will need:

300gr Rye Flour

700gr Stone ground white flour

10g dry yeast

500ml luke warm water

2 eggs

2 Tblsp honey

2 tsp brown sugar

120 gr butter - melted

1 Tblsp salt

seeds for topping  (sesame, poppy, sunflower)
 melted butter and milk wash

Place the rye flour, white flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, add the 2 tsp of sugar. 

Whisk the eggs with a fork, add the honey, pour into the yeast mixture. 

Melt the butter. 

Pour both the butter and yeast mixture into the flour and mix to form a dough. 

It is quite sticky. Knead for a few minutes - not to long. 

Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise (proving) in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into the amount of loaves or rolls you would like to make.Place in greased oven pans.

Brush with a little melted butter mixed with milk onto the breads and 

sprinkle with seeds if using!

Allow to rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the breads for approximately 20 minutes - always keep a check because ovens differ.

This made 2 loaves and 9 rolls as in photo above

Give it a try...

Homemade Ink

I saw this awhile ago on Pinterest, and stored in it the back of my mind...

forgot to pin it (!!)...

Anyway it is a great way to make a lovely ink for art works...

instead of just throwing the old khokis away...

Every few months we go through all the khokis and test them...

its not fun creating with half dry khokis...

We grouped the colours together and then tied an elastic band around them, put them in a clean glass jar with some water...

leave over night or longer...

The colours do intensify the longer they are in the water...
we did red and green first...you can see in the photo above ;-)

Yesterday my knight created a batik, using a candle and these inks...we are learning about crafts around the world...and yes...those are swords!! 

Mom added the soft touches of a flower and heart!

..a quick fun craft...

Still need to come up with an idea of what to do with all the khokis lids....

ooooh love I colour...

Any ideas?...

Back to school 2013 cake

Well holidays have come and gone...

And we started school again this week....we ended off last year with a celebratory cake, so it was only fitting to start off again with a bright and colourful cake..

My knight and his cute sister helped to make the cake...

and all the decorating was done by them...

You can find the recipe here...

Kita loaf

 This is a lovely light bread...and easy to make...

 Give it a try...

 You will need:

1kg Stone ground Flour

2 Tablespoons salt

10 g dry Yeast

120g butter - melted
550ml lukewarm water

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons honey

2 tsp sugar

Poppy seeds (optional)

Sesame seed (optional)

Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, add the 2 tsp of sugar. 

Whisk the eggs with a fork, add the honey, pour into the yeast mixture. 

Melt the butter. Pour both the butter and yeast mixture into the flour and mix to form a dough. 

It is quite sticky. Knead for a few minutes - not to long. 

Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise (proving) in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 equal parts. 

Then divide each part into 3 parts. 

Roll the 3 parts of dough in your hands - roughly - to make 3 strands to plait with. 

Plait the dough and tuck the ends in. 

Brush with a little water and sprinkle with seeds if using or just dust with some flour.

Allow to rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the breads for approximately 20 minutes - always keep a check because ovens differ.

Makes 2 large loaves.

We enjoyed ours with a delicious Potjiekos prepared by Grandpa

Cinnamon Biscuits

Well trying to start the new year on a healthy note...

but the cookie jars are empty...and...well...we do love biscuits...

So I have made some very simple cinnamon biscuits...and they are yummy...of course ;-)

You will need:

2 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup white sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon powder

cinnamon and brown sugar mix to sprinkle on top

Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together - till nicely blended. Sieve in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix together. It is a sticky dough...take teaspoon size balls and drop onto greased baking sheet, press flat slightly and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes - always just keep a check as ovens differ.

Enjoy!

PS don't you just love that little bird...

Raw chocolate...

I won the most amazing prize a little while ago...

encouraged by my awesomely beautiful raw friend to enter the competition...

It is a raw recipe book and set of 4 DVDs...

once you watch these you certainly want to make some changes...

Well as always I start with the yummy... delicious... treat... type recipes...

 Raw chocolate...

and the best thing..it IS actually good for me...

You will need:

200g Cacao Paste

100g Cacao Butter

1/4 cup agave nectar

seeds of 1 vanilla pod  (I left this out, did not have any!)

Melt the cacao paste and cacao butter in a double boiler - I just placed them both in a bowl and then placed that boil in a bowl of hot water - not boiling!
This is a slow process as you must not 'cook' the cacao...but it is relaxing and lovely to watch...
Once liquid, place in a blender and blend a short while with the agave and vanilla...the book says you can also do this by hand if you do not have a blender.

Pour the chocolate into moulds and allow to set in the fridge.
Now there is a whole science that goes along with Raw...I am new to this, so am following the experts advice...we added some goji berries and mixed, chopped nuts to our chocolate for added nutrition.

 I am so enjoying having a container of healthy chocolate in the fridge...

If you want to know more take a look at their website or if you are in Cape Town visit their shop.
 

Simple wrapping paper - handprints again...

 I posted a week or so ago about hand made wrapping paper for Grandpa's birthday...well now it was Grannies turn for a birthday...yip a busy time of the year...

 

So orange and of course pink were chosen for this handmade wrapping paper...

We used newsprint and acrylic paint...

yellow + red = orange

red + white = pink

cute sister

my knight

 The end product...with my knights bright artwork on the hand made card for Granny...a bunch of home grown herbs and flowers were added at the end but I never snapped a pic of that...

May 2013 be a blessed year for you Mom and Granny - we love you lots!

Happy New Year - 2013

  

An Irish Blessing...

May love and laughter light your days
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons  bring
the best to you and yours!

So its Christmas 2012...

 We always like to make our Christmas wrappings, cards and tags...

So this year we stamped, stamped and stamped some more...

Christmas wrappings

Christmas gift tags

More Christmas Wrappings

Our Christmas Card

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 6 verse 9

Our South African Christmas tree

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas and Holiday season. 

Thank you Jesus for the greatest gift you have given us...

Shells

Simple Wrapping Paper - hand prints

 We love to make our own wrapping papers for birthdays and special occasions...

Well it was my dads birthday and we decided to make hand print paper...what fun...

My knight chose red and his cute sister chose blue...

Needless to say Grandpa loved his handmade paper...

We used a big sheet of newsprint and blue and red acrylic paint. 

Just brush a little paint onto their hands using a paint brush and let them stamp...

My knight

Cute Little sister

 A simple and memorable craft...

Its been a little quiet here...been busy busy busy...

Awhile ago I posted on chocolate biscuits that we had baked as gifts...

Although we homeschool there are many lovely people who pour into my childrens lives...gymnastic coaches, sport coaches, music teachers, woodwork teachers...

well we are Thankful for them and like to bless them with a little gift at year end...

These are our cards, we all have a hand in them...baby Jesus is done with finger prints, then my knight drew in the manger and straw...cute little sister loves to punch the stars...

and mom puts it all together...

Advent 2012

 We made an advent calendar this year... 

an exciting time as we count down the days to the celebration of our Saviours birth...

(mom had to do quite a bit as my knight fractured his collar bone last week!) 
Each little character is a toilet roll inner, and inside is a little suprise for my knight and his cute sister...bath beans, bath fizzies and choccies...

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. " 

Isaiah 9 verse 6

"And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2 verses 8 - 11

AMEN