I've been up since 3.30am and have had a good session writing my book proposal. Exciting! It's Saturday morning here, the sun is shining and it's warm. Hanno is out walking with Alice and then he has to buy some cow manure. Oh, the glamour of the simple life! ;- )
I hope to do some sewing and knitting today in the breaks I take away from writing. Hopefully I'll get that summer night dress finished.
My pin cushion and needlebook sent by Danielle.
I received my swap package from Danielle on Friday. She sent a gorgeous needlebook and pin cushion, plus some great seeds from Eden - one of my favourite seed merchants. Thanks Danielle!
And this is what I sent Dani.
This is the recipe for the biscuits I posted a photo of a couple of days ago.
I hope to do some sewing and knitting today in the breaks I take away from writing. Hopefully I'll get that summer night dress finished.
My pin cushion and needlebook sent by Danielle.
I received my swap package from Danielle on Friday. She sent a gorgeous needlebook and pin cushion, plus some great seeds from Eden - one of my favourite seed merchants. Thanks Danielle!
And this is what I sent Dani.
If you were part of the swap, please let Sharon know if you haven't yet sent your swap items. Hopefully we'll we able to get your photos sent in to make a swap parade. I'll email Sharon as soon as I finish here and she if she is able to do that.
This is the recipe for the biscuits I posted a photo of a couple of days ago.
Cranberry and Walnut Biscuits
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup roughly crushed walnuts
1¼ cups self-raising flour (OR 1¼ cups all purpose flour+ 1 large teaspoon baking powder)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
125 g (¼ lb) butter, melted
Preheat oven to 180 C (350F). Line two baking trays.
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Whisk egg and water, add to melted butter and mix. Stir that into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Place 1½ tablespoons of mixture on prepared trays, squash down slightly with a fork. You should get about 20 biscuits. Bake until golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Drizzle on lemon icing if wanted.
ICING: ½ cup icing sugar + enough lemon juice for the right consistency.
When I was reading Jewels blog this morning, she mentioned that she has a new widget, FEEDJIT. I have installed it too and have been watching with Hanno as people roll in from around the world. It's so interesting watching the live feed. You can check it out on my righthand side bar. Click on "watch in real time".
I hope you're spending your weekend doing what you love. Take care everyone, and for those of you in the path of the hurricanes in southern USA, we are thinking of you.
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Whisk egg and water, add to melted butter and mix. Stir that into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Place 1½ tablespoons of mixture on prepared trays, squash down slightly with a fork. You should get about 20 biscuits. Bake until golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Drizzle on lemon icing if wanted.
ICING: ½ cup icing sugar + enough lemon juice for the right consistency.
When I was reading Jewels blog this morning, she mentioned that she has a new widget, FEEDJIT. I have installed it too and have been watching with Hanno as people roll in from around the world. It's so interesting watching the live feed. You can check it out on my righthand side bar. Click on "watch in real time".
I hope you're spending your weekend doing what you love. Take care everyone, and for those of you in the path of the hurricanes in southern USA, we are thinking of you.
Good morning Rhonda, it looks like I'm first. The live feed is fun although I note it thinks I am from Sydney not the Illawarra. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe, I was hoping you'd post it. Avagooweegend.
Good morning Rose. The feed will pick up where you ISP is coming from, not your actual home. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh, another of your great recipes! Thank you! I can't wait to try these!
ReplyDeleteThese biscuits sound yummy! Is there another nut one could substitute? I am allergic to walnuts.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi Rhonda Jean,
ReplyDeleteWhat Lovely swaps!
Thanks for sharing the recipe, those would be great for Christmas morning with tea or cof. :o)
Hope you have a wonderful wk.end.
Blessins',Lib
Your swap items are lovely! It feels good to be back as I was away from the computer. Can't wait to get back to my knitting.
ReplyDeleteQuestion on the chickens: how much does the weather affect their egg-laying? The woman at work I usually buy eggs from said due to the weather they aren't laying right now. Any other ideas?
The swaps are beautiful! Gives me ideas for handmade gifts. Never would have thought of a pin cushion and needlebook. I am thinking that not many of my family members are seamstresses, so maybe I can convert the needlebook into an emergency sewing kit for the purse.
ReplyDeleteThe biscuits sound yummy!
So many great ideas here. Thank you for sharing them.
Hi Rhonda, My name is Keli, I take a peek at your blog once in a while and I just had to say I love the pincushion and needle book you made. What wonderful ideas for gifts (and a new one for myself, tehe.) Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the FEEDJIT suggestion, i added one to my blog, too! although it's just getting started ... it's probably just me on there .... the biscuit recipe sounds divine, and i will try it soon.
ReplyDeletedo you think you could post sometime on the australian tea tradition? it's one we've always sadly lacked here in the U.S. ... and i'd like some more information from you. thanks so much rhonda.
please list the email or place to forward the photos for the swap.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Jennifer
Goodness it's interesting seeing where everyone is visiting from - you'll have to let your publishers know what an international appeal you have.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda. Fun to see the Swedish flag and our city Uppsala pop up on your blog. I´m Scottish though and my two eldest children were born in Sydney, NSW so there you go. Behind every flag there are many, many stories.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipe and for continued inspiration. Here it´s time to hunt for mushrooms in the woods. Looks like a good year. Sadly it´s also time to prepare the garden for its long winter sleep. So reading your blog brings sunshine into our lives in more ways than one.
I wish you all success with your book. Just fervently hope that it doesn´t mean your blog disappears.
Have a great weekend.
Ramona K
Thanks, Rhonda Jean; I was just looking for a new good biscuit recipe to try. And this has two of my favorite things, cranberries and oatmeal. Hope you enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDelete~Kate
Hi Rhonda, I love reading about your life and I am very excited to hear there is a book planned. Those biscuits sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you would share that biscuit recipe...now I am hoping to make some to have with tea this weekend ~ thank you!
I love the pincushion and needlebook you made; your projects are always lovely and so well done.
My swap package has been mailed out, and I am excitedly awaiting the one coming from my partner.
Enjoy your weekend,
Deb
Good morning, Rhonda! I gotta say that the feedjit is a just a little creepy. Kind of Big Brother-ish, if you get my drift? I'd bet that at some point you'll be able to see us sitting here in our robes through that thing. Ah well, I'm wearing a mask from now on.
ReplyDeleteYour pincussion and needle book are delightful little things. Love the pins, too. And since I don't have any cranberries at the moment I'm going to try that recipe with dried peaches.
Hi Rhoda, Thanks for answering my question! I had trouble with my tomatoes his year but I'm going to reconfigure my beds this falll and start fresh (so hopefully that'll take care of the problem in the short term).
ReplyDeleteWhat a great swap! What you received is lovely - such pretty fabric and the one you made is so cute! Those pins are darling!
Manuela
Thank you for the biscuit recipe! I'll be baking this weekend!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, I look forward to reading you blog every morning. Thanks for all the wonderful info. Could you post a recipe for the biscuits that are shown in the pictures on your sidebar? (Under the one with jars). They look so good and I'd love to do some up here at home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe Rhonda. I'm always on the hunt for biscuit recipes as I love to bake, and I try really hard not to buy baked goods from the supermarket. Will definitely give these a go.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good weekend.
Hi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteI found a product called Soap nuts - which is actually a berry from a tree grown in Nepal & used for washing. I tried these & very impressed!
Moved my home in blog world to blogspot.
Glad to see you are feeling better.
Love Leanne NZ
Hi Rhonda Jean
ReplyDeleteMissed your surprise post being a Saturday. I come in usually on Feedjit from Brisbane which is 1000kms away but sometimes I come up in at Chinchilla which seems to be an obscure country town for such high tech stuff as a major ISP provider.
Enjoy your weekend - your handiwork is beautiful as always
Patricia in North Queensland
My family think I am the Queen of Soap!! Made my Grandkids "Bear Soap" poured it into bear shaped muffin moulds. They think I am so special!!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me Jewels blog - I can't seem to find it anymore. Lost a lot of stuff when I got my new computer - but that's nothing in the big scheme of things.
Thanks.
Beautiful day here today isn't it?
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteLoving the new pictures down the side of your blog. Could you please explain the last two?
A. What kind of tomatoes are they and, B. What is the last photo? Is it soap? If so are you drying it or something?
Hope you're enjoying the warm weather
Jenni
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa. The temperature does effect egg laying, so do other things. Chickens lay less (or stop laying) when it's cold, if they are frightened or stressed by somethings - like lightening and thunder or being chased by a dog, when they're losing feathers or when they're broody and wanting to hatch eggs.
If the problem is cold weather, increase the protein level in their feed. We do that here by giving our little ladies porridge with warm milk in winter. I'ts a real treat for them, it keeps them laying through winter - although still at a reduced rate, and it warms them up.
Remember, chickens need a break from laying to replenish calcium levels and such. It is part of their normal cycle to go off laying during the year.
Ramona, the blog won't disappear. :- )
Suzan, Feedjit locates where your ISP comes from, it's not where your home is. Don't worry, I'm not coming to get you. LOL!
Leanne, the new blog is looking really good!
Mymagicboard, there is a link to jewels blog on my sidebar - eyes of wonder.
Jenni, they are some kind of beefsteak tomato. The rounds are Camembert cheese I made a while back.
Thx so much for the recipe. I'll let know how it goes ;o)
ReplyDeleteLoved your neddlebook & pin cushion.
Ciara