Slap on an apron and lets do some baking!

I was supposed to bake some muffins for the lads lunches yesterday but with NO EGGS this couldn't happen.  So today when I got home armed with the necessary eggs, I knew it just had to happen.  I have an old favourite cook book that has seen better days, but it is full of favourite lunch box treats.

Good old Alison Holst, a kiwi favourite of simple pimple easy peasy things to bake. My kind of baking.

 

With some Bananas past their best by and more than ready to be put into baking, Chocolate & Banana Muffins were the order of the day.

Step One:  Put 2 cups of self raising flour, 1/2 a cup of caster sugar, 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt into a large mixing bowl and give it all a stir.  This lot are called the Dry Ingredients.

Step Two:  Help yourself to a handful of chocolate chips to make sure they are up to standard.  Quality control is of the utmost importance!

Step Three:  Make yourself a hot drink as this baking lark can take some time.

NOTE:  Repeat Steps Two and Three as many times as you require.

Step Four:  Melt 100 grams of butter and set aside to cool off slightly.

Step Five:  Mash 3 bananas and put to one side.  By now you probably need to implement Step Two again as your sugar levels have probably dropped.

Step Six:  In another bowl, yes more dishes, put 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or extract, 1 beaten egg and those mashed bananas. 

Step Seven:  Now pour the melted butter into the bowl and give it a bit of a stir up so everyone gets to mingle and blend, let's call them the Wet Ingredients.

Step Eight:  Add the Wet Ingredients to the Dry Ingredients.

Step Nine:  Now you get to do some mixing,  but only until the Dry Ingredients are dampened, you don't want it all smooth.

Step Ten:  You can either grease your muffin tray or use paper cups like me.  As I live in a house full of males it only seemed right that I opted for some pretty Pink ones.

Step Eleven:  Spoon the mixture into the cups and then put into your pre heated over set at 220*c.

Step Twelve:  While your muffins are baking away, put that jug of yours on because you will now need to follow Step Three again.

Step Thirteen:  Presentation!!  Make sure you have your freshly baked muffins well displayed so your family can be amazed and impressed with your efforts in the kitchen, which also proves you haven't sat around all day drinking tea and reading magazines!!

Step Fourteen:  The taste test, the most important step in the entire process.  You may as well be first in as you know they will not last much longer than a day.  Mind you, I would rather the baking got eaten than grow mold!!

I pre rewarded myself by going to a couple of Op Shops on my way home from work today.  I love embroidered things so the cloth was destined to be mine at $1.  The skirt on the right is far too small for a buxom wench like myself but I only want the embroidered part.  It is going to get revamped tomorrow as the light has blown in my sewing room so I will wait for the day light.

 

I threw this little lot together today as it was a grey old day outside indeed.  Yesterday was unbelievably gorgeous and WARM!!  I made the most of that weather catching up on washing and taking in my garden through my macro lens.

Promise of good things to come, Daphne, Camellia, and Orchid.

Decaying and going to seed.  I adore skeleton leaves!!

The sun shone all day, the sky was blue until the frothy clouds gathered.

Big has conquered the back yard and now owns it!! He cruised on the deck in the sun with me and the dogs, we played 'happy families'.

 

Mantis, what are you praying for?

Leaves of all colours and shapes.

 Pinks and Reds.

Dew,  Lemons, and Flies!

Purples!!

 Two kinds of Birds!!

 Adorable George.

I'm not a smoker but I do like how it swirls.

 

 Are you in or are you out?

The biggest dilemma for a cat.

Hope you all have an enjoyable week and get to do something that makes you happy.  Remember to SMILE, it is good for your wrinkles!!!

A week full of F's!!

Crikey, it was a week filled up with good times spent with Family and Friends, and of course with my Furry and Feathered ones.I really do not know where the weeks are getting to at the moment but they are full of fun and happiness for me.

Something else starting with F is FOOD and OMG this local Popcorn is divine.  Not the sort of thing you can share easily so best eaten alone in your car while out and about, but remember to get rid of all evidence, that this is what you have done.

Last Saturday TOF and I drove over to Leamington (Cambridge way) to watch Brownie (a friend of the Heirs) rugby game.  The Spare didn't have a game as the opposition threw in the towel and pulled out, must have known they were going to be beaten.  The Spare's team is coming second in their division, this is why we watched another team play and it was a jolly good game, and Brownie appreciated us being their.  We are bloody good FANS!!!

On Sunday my nephew and his girlfriend were over from Whangamata and were good enough to pick up the above Fabulous Find off trade me for me in Waihi en route to Hamilton ($52 total bargain).  When I finally get the spare room back this is going to be the light fitting.  Great to catch up with my nephew as he is always full of fun and good humor, my type of person.

I have worn my multi coloured sari silk knitted snood so much of late, mainly around my neck but sometimes you have to Fark about a bit because a snood has so many possibilities.  Photo 4 will only happen on extremely cold days.

Someone has decided to become a Fence Sitter.

Tuesday was a super awesome day as more Family came over to town, my sister Helen.  She had just bought the Blue Mini and was pimping its wheels to the ones in the bottom photo, snazzy aye!!  Oh and I had to take a selfie in the Mini.  We had a wicked day out and about, cruising in the coolest little car ever.

All my Furry children have been hunkering down inside.  The weather has chilled off even if the sun does appear the air is cooler for sure.  The kittens are fattening up and should be near to moving on from here later this week.

Look at my garden all covered in Fallen leaves.  The colours are definitely more muted these days out the back.  I look forward to something Flowering soon, roll on Spring and then Summer!!!

 

On Wednesday I decided to Funk shit up and wear my Troll tights.  So  comfy and such a good buy.  I don't buy much new when it comes to clothes but when you can get nice thick leggings that are colourful and fun on a 3 for $30 deal, I had to have a spend.  Perfect with all my Pinkness.

FINALLY Big has been brave enough to join us in the lounge at night and is now enjoying the benefits of the gas heater. He is ok with Oscar but still unsure of Sheba as she is so over excited to see him almost like meeting for the first time everytime!!

Thursday was a day for catching up with Friends.  In the morning I went and visited my good mate Leonie and her daughter, my god daughter.  She is back in NZ for just short of two weeks so it was awesome to have a catch up with her at her in laws place.  I Found the wind chime in the right photo for $5 at Habitat, perfect for the tree out the front of our house and it sounds like church bells.

That afternoon I went and visited Sue W and took photos of a Familiar sight, the old barn that I pass on my way home.

Farm Fence wire and Fading plants.

The Farmland out Sue's way is beautiful rolling land, that is lush green at the moment.  I love breathing in all the good country air on offer.

My garden is Full of Fat Sparrows all just hanging out in the trees down by the Chicken Coup, waiting for leftovers from the girls.  I enjoy listening to them chatter especially late afternoon when they are getting ready to farewell another day.

While I was down the back of the garden Big came along the looking all Fierce like a Tiger.  Rubbing up against things a marking his territory how a Big cat does!!

Friday was cold and dull, look at that moody sky!  I had to drag out and wear a long coat all day.  The annual Field Day Farming thingy was on so of course we had Fog and rain, it is what happens every year when this event is on.  I have never been, which is odd as I am a city Chicken Farmer after all.

Speaking of my Chickens, Saturday was surprisingly pleasant, the sun actually came out and warmed things up for  awhile.  The girls were making the very most of the Friendly weather and the dry ground under foot.

They certainly know how to Faff about!

The only things Flowering out the front are Yellow and Orange, but they are bright happy colours that are a very welcome sight among the greenness. 

Oscar ventured outside but mainly found comfy spots on the deck to relax.

He was on hand to supervise the kittens in their travel cage enjoying a bit of outside time too.  Such cute little balls of fluff they are.

 Sheba just lived in hope someone would turn up to play with her.

FAIL ~ no one arrived.

I saw this plant that I have in my garden For Sale and they had called it the Tractor Seat Plant, Funny!!!

 

TOF and I went and watched the Heir play Rugby in the afternoon, we are his No. 1 Fans after all.  Another good win was notched up.

How is this for a good use of a tree stump?  So clever are the Folk that carve such cool stuff like this dog that sits outside a Vet Clinic we passed.

Today, Sunday, has been a relaxing type of day.  One to spend outside with my camera. The Walnut trees has lost all of its leaves now, the odd one that has fallen is stuck in the branches.

I found Flowers!

 I found more Fungi!!

Poor old Cassie is looking about Four Hundred at the moment, she must be at least six by now if not older.  I love her Fluffy top knot.

Meet TOF's new Feathered Friends.  "Bert and Ernie".  We went for a drive to collect them this afternoon, now we are waiting for them to start singing!!

Me and my snood found more colour to get next to in the garden, and I noticed that my Daphne Shrub is smothered in buds, I cannot wait for the Fragrant blooms to arrive.

Finally,

will someone just

FEED ME!!