Pumpkin Brownies, Pressed Flowers and fun

Hello :)

A couple of things to share with you today .... firstly (because I'm so excited!) I just had to share these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies with you!

take one home grown pumpkin

(or store bought)

Mash your pumpkin

Make your brownie mix (recipe below), cook and enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies (this is a modified recipe from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup of sugar 

1/2 cup mashed pumpkin

3 tbsp oil (I used macadamia oil)

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.  Combine the wet ingredients then mix into dry.

Pour into greased pan (small slice pan if you want thick brownies .. mine are pretty thin).

Cook in preheated oven at 150 degrees celcius (330F)

Leave in pan to cool.

 Here is my gorgeous girl wanting to 'press and dry' some flowers she picked from the garden.

Luckily I still have my microwave flower presser/dryer from when I young!

 She couldn't quite believe the result!

yep its official!  this is my favourite photo in a long time!  I think its just lovely seeing our two hands holding something so gorgeous.

Thanks for stopping by ......

xoxo Carly

Chickpea cookies!

Feeling a bit pekish?  Like a cookie but without all the 'bad stuff'?  then this is for you!

I grabbed this recipe of FaceBook a while ago and have finally tried it.  Firstly I made my own peanut butter (commercial peanut butter is full of nasties and will also be to oily .. but you could use a natural one if you don't want to make it yourself)

Peanut Butter Recipe

Ingredients - Raw Peanuts

Method - shell the peanuts, roast on an oven tray until golden and smelling yummy ... be warned though they will continue to cook for a while once taken out of the oven ... so don't let them get too brown in there!
Peel the 'skin' of the peanuts and process in a food process until it looks like peanut butter!

I'm very lucky and part of my Bosco mixer can very finely do this ......

Chickpea Choc Peanut Cookies Recipe

Ingredients - 1 1/4 cans (400g cans) chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry

                    2 teaspoons vanilla

                   1/2 cup peanut butter

                    1/4 cup honey

                    1 tsp baking powder

                   1/2 cup choc chips

Method - Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius

               Process all ingredients (except choc chips) in a food processor until smooth

               Stir through choc chips

               With wet hands roll into balls and flatten on a lined baking tray.

               Bake for 10 minutes.

               Cool on tray (they are quite fragile)

 The texture is soft and they are very delicious .. although the texture is a little strange .. kind of like raw cookie dough ..... but so yummy and healthy!

Enjoy

xoxoxo Carly

A special Birthday card ...

Well it has been a long time between posts and a long time between colouring and creating!

I'm really pleased with this card ... I made it for my Daughter's 4th Birthday this week.

I used this super adorable image from Lili of the Valley Ltd and some gorgeous papers from Dovecraft called Garden Party.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up and the banner is from Kaisercraft (Fine and Sunny range).

My daughter's favourite colour is orange ... and it was lovely to create with all those fruity colours.

I made this card the night I had to bury my lovely cat ... he was nearly 18 years old ... and sadly my Husband hit him with the car that day.  I was devastated .... I cried the whole time making this card ... but it was great therapy .....

I will miss my beautiful boy ... and so will Madalyn.

Thanks so much for stopping by ..

xoxoxo Carly

Hello .. yes I'm still here ..... I've missed you!

Hello there!  Wow where does the time go!

Ok ... I will do a couple of quick posts .. that way it's not all too much to read in one go!

It was my gorgeous girl's 4th Birthday on Tuesday!  I just can't believe that she is 4 already.  We had a lovely party with lots of little guests on Saturday.  I made a Dolly Varden Cake!  it was delicious!  It was actually 4 cakes .. and I tell you what there wasn't much left at the end ;)

 I also made cake pops for the first time ever ... they were egg and dairy free ... but turned out beautifully.  (there were some guests with allergies .. hence the modified recipe)

 My gorgeous girl enjoying her snack ....

 The card I made for her ......

Us together ... she was being very cheeky ... that's why I have a strange look on my face ...

We had a terrific day on Saturday and then for her Birthday on Tuesday we went to a little cafe for lunch.  Madalyn had fish and chips and a piece of pizza AND a banana milkshake!

Still can't believe that my baby is 4! it only feels like yesterday that she looked like this ....

Enjoy your day.
xoxox Carly