Vintage Dreams ~ sneak peek

Good Morning~ 

Are you ready for a sneak peek, at the beginnings, of the Vintage Dreams collection?

Are you curious?

Image via Pinterest

Have a glass of water while you're waiting

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Introducing the first part of the Vintage Dreams collection

Apple and Pear pincushions

For the creative person

On this apple, a felt heart has been blanket stitched

Suitable to decorate your home

The Vintage Dreams collection will be available end of May/ early June

Would you like to see a patchwork pincushion added to the collection?

I would like to hear your feedback

Vintage Fabrics and Chickpea Stew

This week I started on a collection using beautiful vintage fabrics. 

Image via Pinterest

The collection will be released end of this month or early June. I'll show sneak peeks along the way. 

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Here's a very healthy, super tasty meal to warm your tummy.

Chickpea Stew

4 brown onions (or use Spanish onions), chopped

Oil

1 cup water

2 containers cherry tomatoes, half are sliced in half

1 cup chicken stock

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 red chilli, chopped, with or without seeds

2 tins chickpeas, drained

1 tbsp turmeric

Salt

Pepper

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

½ lemon, juiced

Olive bread, garlic dip or aioli, optional

Danish feta, crumbled

Using a stove - 

In a large heated saucepan, add oil and onions. Cook until soft, and then add water. Add cherry tomatoes and chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes with lid on, until liquid reduces and ingredients are soft. Add garlic, red chilli, chickpeas and turmeric. Stir together.

Add a pinch salt and pepper and stir. Replace lid back on for 10 minutes. Increase the heat then turn heat off. Add baby spinach leaves. Mix through and add lemon juice. Serve on toasted olive bread topped with garlic dip or aioli and crumble feta on top. 

Lemon wedges and cracked pepper. Nice without bread too! 

Using a slow cooker - 

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 1 hour or on high if you need to cook if faster. Check occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom and stir. Add water and extra chicken stock.

Serve on plates and crumble Danish feta on top. Very healthy. Super tasty!

* This delicious recipe was shared by Skye Tiernan. Please visit her facebook page Little Pearl Designs and let her know Squeeze Cuddles sent you!

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 Today, I'll be creating more items for the vintage fabric collection. 

What are you creating today?

Chicken Pad Thai

Hello! Hope you're having a gorgeous day. We're enjoying a bright, sunny day 

I think it's time I cooked this delicious meal again. It's been a while and it is an easy recipe. Our children devoured it the last time I made it. Think I'll make double, so we have leftovers. It is light on the tummy, healthy and tastes so fresh!

Serves 4

Preparation Time:
 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 
     10 minutes

             

200g rice stick noodles

2 tbsp oil

200g firm tofu, drained, cut into 1cm pieces

1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

500g chicken breast, cut into stir-fry strips

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 green shallots

1 ½ cups bean shoots

1/4 cup crushed nuts

1 bunch coriander leaves

Slices of chilli and lime wedges, optional

Place noodles into a large bowl, cover with boiling water and stand until soft. Heat oil in a large fry pan. Add tofu and cook, tossing, until golden. Drain on paper towel. Meanwhile, combine chilli sauce, lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar in a jug.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan. Add a little oil. Cook egg, roughly break up as it cooks. Cook chicken strips and garlic until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining oil. Stir-fry shallots for 1 minute. Add drained noodles to wok and stir until well combined. Add sauce mixture and egg, toss until well combined. Return chicken to pan with bean shoots and cook until heated through.

Spoon into serving bowls. Sprinkle with nuts and coriander leaves. Optional, some slices of chilli and serve with lime wedges.

Hope you enjoy making this for your family, or friends!

Fun times with family and friends. Our camping adventure!

It has been over 6 years since our last camping adventure, at Neurum Creek Bush Retreat near Woodford in Queensland. It was with members of our church. Our eldest son was 2 1/2 years old at the time and he loved it. Hubby and I enjoyed watching our son have fun playing with some of his cousins who came along. 

We recently got back from our latest camping adventure. Our family went camping Thursday April 25 and arrived home on Saturday April 27. 

Beautiful scenery

We stayed at Captain Logan Camp at Lake Wivenhoe, near Fernvale in Queensland. Great place to take family and friends.

Everyone's tents set up

This camping adventure was the first time for our 5 year old son and our 3 year old daughter. To say they were excited, is an understatement! We were all excited to go camping!

Our campsite

This time we went camping with friends from church and got to meet some of their friends too.  Our children enjoyed forming stronger friendships and meeting new friends. 

We all had a lovely time relaxing, chatting, eating, water activities, playing cricket or kicking around a football, and toasting marshmallows by the camp fire. The kids had loads of fun playing 'hide and seek' each night before bedtime. 

As you can see, we had perfect weather

We saw birds, bunnies, kangaroos and thankfully no dingoes; apparently they are in the area.

Toilet / Shower building. Cleaned daily. Lots of bins and parking 

I have fond memories of camping when I was a child. Our family used to go camping at least once a year. It's so good to get out in the great outdoor, enjoy the beauty of nature, the wildlife and away from technology. 

Years ago we went camping with family at Carnarvon Gorge National Park, it's between Roma and Emerald in Queensland. Another beautiful place to visit. 

We plan on creating fond 'camping' memories for our children. Doing it on a more regular basis!

Good Morning! Spectacular sunrise with mist on Lake Wivenhoe

As we were away during ANZAC day we would like to remember the men and women who sacrificed much for our freedom.

Lest We Forget

Have you been camping recently? 

Where are some great places to go camping?

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Before school pick up I thought I'd make a cake. An afternoon treat! 

I baked one of my favourites, Chocolate Fudge Cake. I haven't made it for so long. 

Before we had our afternoon snack our children said 'Is someone coming over?' Our 3yr old daughter said it was her Birthday cake. 

Please excuse the state of the icing, with the humidity it ran off the cake. Plus, the cake was a touch warm in the centre. We couldn't wait to eat it. 

I added some peppermint essence to the icing. Yum!!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

125g butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

2/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup hot water

2 tsp vinegar

1 cup milk

1 3/4 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

Pinch salt

* Chocolate Vienna Icing (recipe below)

Beat butter until creamy, add sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Blend cocoa in hot water to make a smooth paste. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Add vinegar to milk to sour. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt, and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk. Stir lightly but thoroughly. Pour into two greased 20cm round cake tins and bake in a moderate oven 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed. 

Cool in tins for 10 minutes then turn out and allow to cool completely. Fill and ice with Chocolate Vienna Icing. Decorate with chocolate curls if desired. 

* Chocolate Vienna Icing ~ Beat 125g butter until creamy. Sift 2 1/2 cups icing sugar and blend 3 tbsp cocoa with 3 tbsp hot water until smooth. Add the icing sugar to the butter alternately with sufficient of the cocoa mixture to spreading consistency. 

Recipe from Australian Family Circle ~ Mini Cookbook Series ~ Best of Favourite Cake Recipes

I'm guessing our children liked it. Comments from our boys, 'Can I have more?' 

Our daughter's comment, 'This is the best cake. . . for. . ever!'

Next time I bake this delicious cake I'll make sure it cools for more than 1 hour and make the icing consistency thicker. 

Will you be baking this for your family?