Blondies & Brownies

I posted a few post ago about making Brownies and Blondies for B&A's wedding. Well here is are pics of both.

AND the recipe for Blondies - white chocolate brownies.

150g Butter, 125g white choc buttons (for melting), 2/3c Castor sugar, 3 eggs lightly beaten, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup plain flour, 125g slivered almonds, 100g chopped macadamia nuts, 2/3 cup of white choc chips.

Melt white choc and butter in microwave or over water bath. Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla in separate bowl then add to choc mixture. Fold in flour and nuts and pour into lined slice tray. Sprinkle with shite choc chips and bake in a moderate oven for 35 mins, until lightly browned. Leave in tray until cold, then slice. Keeps for a week in an airtight container.

How simple are they and believe me when I say they are simply delicious. I found this recipe years ago on the pack of Cole's brand white choc chips that you can no longer buy.

The Brownie recipe I use comes from the AWW Biscuit & Slice cook book.

Please let me know if you make them or better still blog about them and let me know.

September Hexy Swap

This is the lovely Hexy Anne made for me in the Craft Forum's hexy swap. I now have 3 of these beautiful hexies and once I have all 12 will turn them into a table runner. My theme is pink & green.

This is the hexy I made for Anne. She wanted burgundy, dusty pink & cream. I thought for a long time about how I would make these colours into a pleasing hexy. I think this idea of doing a CQ came to me in one of my awake times during the night. I love how this has turned out so much that I am thinking this might become my signature hexy for the rest of the swap.

I am also going to make a few for myself with my many many scraps.

Check out mother's cupboard

Mother's Cupboard is having a sale & a Blessings JR giveaway to celebrate. Sop pop over and check it out here .

Oh what a beautiful Day

Yesterday was Bryce & Al son's wedding - two very special young adults in my life. I met Bryce 3 years ago at Nowra Players during the production on the Boyfriend & Alison I know through church and her grandparents (whom she lived with) live just around the corner from us. The wedding was held in the stunning garden of her grandparents home. What a glorious setting for a wedding. We were in a secluded area of the garden with an arch to the left which had a pond behind it, this is where Alison and her brides maids appeared through. The youth pastor at Bryce's church officiated the ceremony and he did a brilliant Job. Grandad read
1 Corinthians 13 (the LOVE passage) from the message (great easy to understand translation). Bryce & Alison wrote their own vows and they were just lovely. Alison is a very quiet talker and found it hard to do that in front of over 12o people but she did great. Bryce being a performer just put on the performance of his life BUT it was so from the heart, his voice started to quaver at the end, I had to get a tissue out.

Afternoon tea was lovely and there was so much. Bryce's had 2 best men and one of them gave the most amazing, thoughtful & funny speech, reflecting on their lives together from the age of 5 (they are 19 now).

Anyway as I don't have permission as yet to put up the wedding photos I thought I would show you a few pics without them in it for now.

Starting with me. I had my hair cut that morning and am experimenting with mineral makeup so i thought I would show a close up of me.

And a few of me in my glad rags, this is my party dress.

The gift I made for them. A table runner with 1 Corinthians 13 embroidered on it. I was very excited when that was the passage used. I am also planning of making a mini book with their wedding photos once i have some more and have them printed.

A close up of the beautiful, simple & elegant bouquet that Alison carried. Her BM's carried purply black lilies.

And during the speeches we had a visitor. Apparently Kingy visits the garden at 4pm each day. But was was so amazing that he accepted over 120 people and just hung around for his feed. Playing in hanging basket and having a fab time. Sorry the pics not to good.

Anyway that's it for now - I hope to be able to share some of the gorgeous photos I have of the new Mrs & Mrs Halliday once they return from their honeymoon.

Gorgeous goodies, more giveaways & everyday news

If you haven't already visited Among the Gum trees you need to. WHY because all nine designers are having giveaways on their own blogs. YES that's right you can enter NINE giveaways. And these are no ordinary giveaways each one is a very very generous giveaway. I am still working my way through them all and adding them to my blog list BUT if you want to enter NOW just click on the link in my side bar to Among the gumtrees and go to each of the nine blogs from there.

Did I mention how generous each of these giveaways are. Also you do need to keep an eye on the Among the gum trees blog as very soon they will be starting their free Christmas patterns, I am very much looking forward to what they all have in store for us.

I helped my SIL & friend Cathy move her craft room the other night and look what I came home with, lots of lovelies. The bright purple furry fabric is actually Tasha's and I have promised her to make a cushion for her room if I can keep the left overs (I think she agreed as she let me bring it home with me). The fabric next to that is 4metres and will be fantastic for back one of my 4 quilts waiting to be quilted. There are 4 lovely Fq's and the sparkly fabric I will be using when I make more bookmarks for work next week.

So everyday news. Well this week is one of those from one extreme to the others weeks, tomorrow (Friday) I am going to the funeral of my ex BIL's mum (we still friends) and on Saturday I am off to Bryce and Allison's wedding. All I need is for someone I know to have a baby either today or Sunday and the cycle of life is complete (for this week).

Today I am baking 4 batches of my Blondie's and brownies for the wedding on Saturdays afternoon tea, finishing of the stitchery for the wedding pressie so I can turn it into a table runner - I am embroidering the love passage of 1 Corinthians 13 "LOVE is patient & kind. It does not envy or boast, it is not proud, rude or self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS."

If our love & marriage is based on these principles (and others found in God's word) we will have strong marriages that will last the test of time & day to day difficulties.

In other family news Haylee has been off work for a few days as she tripped over at work and has been sporting a very swollen ankle and foot, she got so bored sitting around not being able to do anything that we went and bought her Guitar hero Rock band complete Band. So guess what is going to be happening at our place, bands off between brother & sister. She went back this morning and I am praying that she makes it through the day or is prepared to say that she needs to come home if its not coping.

Well I better go and get baking. Might pop back later with pics and recipes for my brownies as Blondie's as everyone who I have ever given them too raves about them and they might just become a favourite in your baking too.

Hugs & Blessings to all

OH by the way its really nice to hear from you when you stop by so don't forget to leave a message - you can also become a follower so you don't miss out on any of my very important news - lol :-)

You have got to Check this out

Well the secret is finally out. Follow the link on my sidebar to check it out.

And YES it was worth the wait.

ATC swap

You may remember this pic of the ATC's (artist trading cards) that I made for a swap in my craft forum. I sent four of these off to NZ and these below are the four I received back. How gorgeous are they.

I especially love the green goddess and the pearls sewn around the outside of the floral one.

You may also remember that I made some bookmarks to take to work WELL 5 of them have sold - yAYYYYYYYYYY , so if am hoping to find time this week to make some more.