Babushka Excitement

Lately I have been getting excited about Babushka Crafts.... I have always had a fascination with wooden Babushka dolls- I have 3 or four.

When I started to teach my self to crochet - I had a great idea to make a hot water bottle cover for myself with a Babushka doll on the front... it was an interesting learning curve however I ended up completing it and it turned out pretty well for my first attempt :)

This is the front and I made the back multi-coloured stripes

Then I discovered a fabulous pattern for Babushka key rings on www.lisapay.com and made some of these little beauties ...

soooo cute I have four more in different colours on the go right now... When I posted this pic on facebook, a friend mentioned they would love a babushka door stop - so I got right to it ... this is the result ...

She loved it :D and to be honest I enjoyed the challenge, as I didn't really know how I would make it - trial and error turned out pretty well. I am looking forward to making more Babushka crafts and will stay on the look out for new patterns and designs :D

Feta, Onion and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Feta, Onion and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
                  

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 teaspoons active dry yeast  (or 3 ½ teaspoons of Edmonds sure bake mixed in with the flour)

1 1/3 cups barely warm water 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

2 teaspoons salt 

Finely diced onion or spring onion (sautéed till translucent)

3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour 

1/2 cup butter, 

150g diced firm feta cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced 

Method

·         In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy (if using Edmonds Surebake Yeast, mix it in with the flour rather than float it in the water).

·         Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour (and Surebake if using). If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes.

·         Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.

·         In a frying pan, combine butter, onions, and minced garlic sauté gently till onion is translucent. Set aside.

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

·         Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of 
dough (roughly the size of the bowl of a medium spoon), coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a medium casserole dish or cake tin. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls.

·         Sprinkle on ½ the cheese and onions. Continue layering the dough balls till dough cheese and onions are used up. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.

·         Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. 

Chicken Pad Thai Noodles - Recipe

Tonight I cooked Chicken Pad Thai Noodles for the first time ever .... and Oh My Goodness!! It was awesome!!!

Here is the recipe in pictures -  have a go at making it - it's really easy and absolutely delicious!!!

Chicken Pad Thai Noodles

Take 2 spring onions, chopped and 3 cloves of garlic crushed and stir fry gently until translucent in 2 Tbsp of peanut oil.

Slice 2 chicken thigh fillets and add them to the pan along with 2 Tbsp of chopped chives and stir fry.

Add 1/2 a Cup of lemon juice, 3 Tbsp of brown sugar, 1/2 a Cup of chopped unsalted peanuts and 2 Tbsps of Fish Sauce to the pan and continue to stir fry.

Take a pack of Pad Thai Noodles and cook in boiling water until soft ( about 6 minutes)

While the noodles are softening, take two eggs and stir fry them with the chicken mix.

When soft, drain the noodles and stir fry with the chicken mix

Rinse a good handful of beansprouts in cold water, and them into the chicken and noodles in the last 30 seconds of cooking.

 Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped coriander 

(cilantro) YUM!!

Crust- Less Ham, Spinach and Feta Quiche

My mum gave me some delicious home made feta cheese, however since I am pregnant I couldn't eat it fresh as she made it from organic unpasteurized milk- so I decided to use it in a Quiche and here is the result :) 

Crust-less Ham, Spinach and Feta Quiche
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 C plain flour

1/2 C dry bread crumbs

8 eggs

1/2 C milk

diced ham - to taste

diced feta - to taste (be generous- Greek works best)

1 onion grated

2 carrots grated

3 cloves of garlic crushed

3 frozen spinach cubes defrosted - (I used fresh out of my garden)

Salt and Ground pepper

Method:

Set oven to 180C

Beat eggs and milk in a good sized bowl, mix in flour, add carrots garlic and onions, softened spinach, ham and feta, add salt and pepper, and then mix in the bread crumbs.

Pour mix into a baking paper lined Quiche dish and cook until firm and golden brown on top :)

20 week ultrasound

Yesterday we got to see our baby kicking around inside my tummy- it was wonderful. We also found out that we are most likely expecting a boy!

Last of summer's harvest

Well, I am getting the last of our summer harvest, beans, pumpkins, strawberries and dwarf beans. 

I just started planting some silverbeet and I am already enjoying a leaf or two steamed on rye toast and a poached egg to top it off :) YUM. 


I have big plans for a massive garden in our back yard- going to need Shawn's help for that though- using a rotary hoe is not on my agenda while I am pregnant with this precious bundle :) 


I got given 6 strawberry plants for Christmas last year and I planted them in our tiny little veggie garden... so far I have got 25 new plants off those 6 plants and will get them planted in the little garden bed close to the house as soon as the beans are done.

Celebrating 20 weeks pregnant today!!!

Well today, I am 20 weeks pregnant- half way!!! 
The last time I attempted pregnancy, I had severe complications from 13 weeks, went into early labor at 25 weeks, and gave birth to a stillborn son Elijah John, at 27 weeks. After that I endured 10 years of infertility and in March last year I was told by doctors that I would never have children. 


I cannot tell you how much of an achievement this feels.... so far I have had no complications at all - apart from a lot of doom and gloom from doctors - however I have proved them wrong with every blood test and every examination ... ha ha!


Next Monday - I go for a morphology scan, I am hoping everything is going well with bubs, I have heard the heart beat (130-140bpm) and bubs is doing lots of kicking and cartwheels so that's encouraging, but I would just like to know everything is alright... I am also looking forward to finding out if bubs is boy or a girl :)