sniff...

I don't have a really good sense of smell I suspect.
I have come to this conclusion in a few ways but mainly on account of not being able to tell when the milk is off and serving it to people in tea.

Look out if you come to ours.

No picture with this post on account of the horror I encountered when I typed 'sniffing milk' in Google and pressed images. Still having flashes in my mind. Doesn't bear thinking about really. Still, like usual, I digress...

How often do you find yourself eating or drinking something slightly, well, off?

Just wondering - are you the 'oh it's looking dodgy must be time for clean the fridge soup / lasagne / etc' or are you the 'my goodness that is going out of date / getting limp - TO THE CHOOKS WITH YOU QUICK SMART!'

Come on - 'fess up - which camp are you in?
.

not health food............. AT ALL!

Ok,
so these are NOT health food. In fact in a pretty much sugar free house, they are SUGARY. And in a pretty much wheat free house they have plain spelt flour in them. AND in a wholefood house they are sooo not whole food.


But every now and then - you just got to leap into the delicious biscuit land! No time like the school holidays either...


The only note is that of course, like all recipes, they DO NOT take 10 minutes to prepare. Well, unless you are some sort of kitchen super freak. Oh, and don't skimp on the lime rind.


Gotta go. Sugar level dropping....


Jamaican Lime Biscuits
Makes about 40
Prep time 10 min
Cooking time 20 min

1 2/3 cup plain flour (plus extra 1/3 cup reserved)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice (optional)
185g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 Tbs finely grated lime zest*
2 Tbs lime juice*

Spice Mix
1/3 cup caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. (Add allspice if wanted)
3. Cream butter, sugar and lime rind together in a large bowl, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in lime juice.
4. Fold in flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, to form a pliable dough (if mixture is too moist gradually add the reserved flour until It comes together). Mix Spice Mix ingredients on a plate.
5. Form walnut-sized ball of dough and roll in Spice Mix. Arrange 3 cm apart on prepared trays. Flatten using flat base of glass, tin or jar.
6. Bake for 15-20 mins, rotating baking trays halfway through cooking, until bases are golden and edges colour. Transfer to wire rack to cook.

education...

if you think about the education of your children or grandchildren,

think about why it is the way it is...

does it need to be?

this is really worth a watch and don't worry - it's not a heavy handed one...

go here

Sir Ken Robinson is really worth a listen.

.

too much good....

Every now and then a parent from our Steiner playgroup will ring me and say:

We aren't going to come today as my child is / children are vomiting/snotty/leaking from random orifice/etc.

And every now and then a parent from our Steiner playgroup will ring me and say:

We aren't going to come today as our family / I / my child / my children just need to have a day at home being quiet.

Have a think. Which one is the hard decision? Which one is the easy one. Which one gets made more often?

Which one is needed more often?

That decision - the one where instead of doing that really GOOD THING, or instead of doing the RIGHT THING, you instead stay home and do home life. 

That decision is the one that makes contented children. Sane parents. 

It builds children that can play alone and disappear off into their world of dreams. 

Children lying on the floor with a bit of something telling story after story to themselves. 

Children sat in the dirt digging and creating.

Holiday time is upon us people...

Go on, make the hard decision that becomes the easiest one you ever make...

Make it as often as you can.

And remember. It is easier to forget how to play than to remember - children don't disappear into a dreamy state in one day at home - especially if they have had a whizzy stimulated time of it lately - it takes a serious commitment to nothing - to home and home business.

Oh but it is worth it. Children who just disappear and do good self motivated wonderful things...

Say no. Stay home. Children, dirt, blocks, sticks, water, baskets of stuff and most importantly - time and space.
Set up little surprises. A few cups and a tea pot in an unexpected corner with a few bears and dolls waiting to be served tea. A little story scene set up in another corner - enough to tip a little someone off into play.

Go on - be one of those rebel parents - ignore them as much as you can and give them permission to just be.

Breath out.......

Aaaah.

oh, and a note. 

It is very easy to reach a state of great peace in the company of a chook - but don't despair, for those who do not have chooks, whilst noting that if at all possible a life with chooks is indeed a good life, you can still reach this state of peace without chooks.

Aaah. Child/chook meditation - one of my favourites.

Happy holidays for those entering that kind of country...

Say no these holidays.

Go slow these holidays.

Just be.

Raise children, who, with luck, in this fast and crazy world, might just have a chance of knowing how to slow down and just be.

Go well.

x

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where have I been?

hmm...

crafting madly till 1 in the morning in preparation for the 5th birthday of our first born boy...

waking up with birthday crowns and presents in the big bed...

resting between morning celebrations and afternoon celebrations...

T-rex cake, cousins, family, candles that relight when puffed out, leek and potato soup on birthday request, fishing tackle, oh how much joy can one boy have...

turning 5 seems just enourmous...

so a story for a boy of five, full of crafted presents - creatures and magic from his very own world...

and then a rest day or more...

good food in the sunshine.

much food from our garden.

a bit of goosing around...

and just because someone is 5 doesn't mean acting like you are 1 isn't great fun...

then to Kinder for the birthday story and celebration.

Wearing the crown and cloak of the King and Queen for the day.

Oh then resting and playing and resting and playing..

Off riding good friends very cool bikes and hooning around taking over the city bike path...

Having friends over in cool weather to play on the bottom lawn (fully dressed)

Being told 'a few more minutes then wash your hands at the bore tap'

Oh, did they miss the 'hand' bit in that sentence?

But hooo boy it look fun - chilly fun but FUN!

Digging trenches to put in drains and deal with winter water and hitting pipes.

Fixing pipes.

Oh, no job ever takes the prescribed amount of time does it???

Dyeing eggs and polishing them with oil.

We dyed them with beetroot juice and red cabbage. Tumeric to come...

Then someone else turned 41.

Making party hats and special requests for French Onion Soup.

Garden Salad - as it is supposed to be - from our garden.

Aaah.

where does the time go. 

whoosh. barely time to think, let alone take photos of all the other bits - this is the wafer slice of life.

hope it tells you a little of where we have been...

xx

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looking for a new home...

Hello. I am a house gnome. 

You know - gainfully employed finding lost things at night.

General tidying up, little bit of mischief every now and then to keep the spice in life, but generally a good soul.

But my job tenure is nearly up and I have an opportunity on the horizon - an opportunity to change a few things in my life.

I am excited. So I have been looking around for new digs.

It's a good time of year for that.

I need a new home.

You know, somewhere to lay my hat when I feel the need.

.

This looks lovely, I like the storage shed at the side and the rock feature...

But here, I'd have to take my hat off every day and to be honest, in cold weather - I'd just rather keep in on....

I think I'll keep looking.

Ooh, this one here is impressive. Spacious, lovely gardens.

This is kind of grand. I like the garage at the back and the double fronted villa has always appealed to me.

A lovely outlook.

Aah, but when you look around the back you can see quite a bit of damage to the roof.

I just need a low maintenence home - no great big jobs to do - I want to enjoy the country life without too much up on the roof in the rain kind of work.

No thanks on this one.

More for the home handy gnome than for me.

Hmm, where next...

Oh sweet.

A one room place - just like Noddy's house for one!

Let me think - not much time spent cleaning or tidying. Which definitely appeals after my last job cleaning up other peoples things. A bit of shrinking magic would be required but still...

I am an outdoorsy kind of gnome and this home would definitely encourage me to get out and about...

It's a nice neighbourhood...

But no. Too small really. Downsizing a bit would be ok but that kind of magic being required every time you have to nip back in for a hat or scarf, no - that is just not me.

Lovely though - hope it goes to a good gnome.

Yes, it is a lovely neighbourhood but, you know. There just isn't anything for me here.

Sometimes you just have to look and enjoy looking but accept that what you really need isn't here. 

That it isn't going to magically work out right now.

Back to www.realestategnome.com for me.

I hope I find something soon, this sharehousing with humans is hard work. They can be grots and to be honest I love dirt but just not in the places they tend to get it. 

I have enjoyed being a house gnome, and finding lost socks and other bits for them but you know, my tenure is up in this job and I just feel that a change in location would be great. 

Maybe I need to be brave...

Think big....

Overseas???

Hmm. 

Air travel.

That could appeal to a well dressed and accomplished gnome such as myself.

Food for thought.

Anyway, for now I am off to enjoy the sunshine and tickle some bulbs to wake them up.

Happy days people.

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