What a day.

Yesterday Lara, Paige and I spent the day on the Wellington foreshore. We parked on Oriental Parade, walked long the foreshore, stopped at the park, then went and watched Silas play soccer. Lara really enjoyed being out, and even more so being able to see Daddy.

Morning cuddles

Paige sleeping on the walk

A new building on the waterfront-something to do with the RWC

Lara on her bike

Zoooooom

Stunning day

Still sleeping

Love my buggy :)

On the way back to the car

Art on the water front

Again

Ask for a smile and this is what I get!

It just tastes better with BUTTER!

Butter

Milk

Cheese

Sour Cream

Yoghurt

Ice Cream

*Sigh* I need want it all. This dairy free thing is doing my head in. I am craving a big glass of cold milk, with a side of hotcross buns smeared in butter.
I miss milk in my coffee-soy milk is ok, but its not the same. I miss butter on my sandwich ( I don't do margarine so there goes putting something on before the other spreads) I miss my pasta with dinner (they require milk in the sauce) I struggle watching Silas drown his muffins in yoghurt.
But it does seem to have lessened Miss Paige's spilling so I guess I have to stick with it.

(By the way-the chocolate cake recipe I posted is great! I've made it three times now-twice as muffins. It is super easy and makes a really moist cake/muffins.)

Dairy free recipes?

Miss Paige seems to often have a upset tummy so I have begun eliminating dairy from my diet. But when dairy goes out the window so does yummy things.
Silas and Lara did the grocery shopping this weekend and came home with a packet of chocolate biscuits-Lara thought she was being so nice offering to share. They've been taunting me in the fridge (I am such a sucker for chocolate!!) so tonight I went searching for a dairy free chocolate cake.
One of my buddies on FB popped this one up for me, and its currently in the oven now. (Would have been there 2 hours ago but Paige hasn't been sleeping this evening-instead she has been screaming.)

Ingrediants:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

2 level tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup oil

2 tbsp vinegar

2 cups water

2 tsp vanilla

And the super easy directions:

Preheat oven to 180degrees C.

Sift dry ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.

Place in a greased lined tin and bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Now I'm not sure how big a tin I was meant to use, I hope it doesn't over flow my tin! Will let you know how it turns out.

Do you have any great dairy free recipes you would love to share? Biscuits, cakes any would be great :)

If only I had a sewing machine!

I have a few things I would love to make-but I don't have a sewing machine :(
So while I wait (and drop as many hints as possible to Silas) I'm going to write a list of things I would love to make.

1. First off I need to make myself a bag-I just broke mine :( Needs to be big enough for a bottle of water, wallet, nappies, wipes, change of baby clothes, couple bars of food, camera and other random things that end up at the bottom of a bag.

2. A nappy wallet-to keep nappies/wipes etc all together when in my new bag. (Like this one.)

3. Crayon Caddy. I have a few birthdays coming up and would love to make some of these as gifts.
(Tutorial here.)
4. Soft baby blocks with tags. Would love to make some for Paige, and other baby friends. (Like these ones.)

5. Maybe some cushion covers like these here.

6. Wheatbags (Pattern here.)

7. A quilt for Paige's cot (once she is in it)

Thats my list for now-Im sure I will find more things to add to it.

Things I'm loving

Today I am linking up with PaisleyJade with a post about the things I'm loving.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is. 

Crochet hats! I love these sooo much. I wish I was talented enough to be able to make them myself, but I will have to settle for purchasing them off Trademe for now. They look delicious on Lara and Paige. Sadly the bottom three are almost to small for Paige :( Time to start saving up for some more.

Paige fast asleep in the bassinet mum used with me. Took me a few decent attempts to strip it, sand it and spray paint. But now it looks amazing, and even more so when there is a beautiful sleeping baby in it.

Lara taking pictures of her pictures. On the left is herself, and the right is Paige.

I hope I have managed to link up to the right place (I'm a little nervous! and have no idea if I'm doing it right)

Wordless Wednesday-Early love

These pictures require no words at all. 

Lara (3yrs) and Paige (5weeks)

All taken by Sharyn.

Hot Cross Buns-Recipe Review

Yesterday Lara and I set out to make some Hot Cross Buns. After a little searching on the net we found this recipe.
I enjoyed the process of making them-I find something therapeutic about kneading.

Ingredients:
Bun Ingredients

15g dried yeast
300ml milk
4 cups plain white flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
90g butter cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup dried sultanas (I didn't add these-I have a thing about fruit in bread)
1 egg

Cross Batter
1/2 cup flour
5 tablespoons of water

Glaze
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Heat milk until just warm in a saucepan. Remove from heat and sprinkle yeast over the milk and set to the side on the bench.

2. Sift flour and cinnamon. Add butter and rub in using your fingers until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Then add sultanas and sugar.

3. Whisk egg into milk and yeast. Then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until combined.

4. Place mixture onto lightly floured board and kneed until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place. It is ready once it has doubled in size, which should take about 45 minutes.

5. Punch down dough to release gas and then knead for a couple of minutes. Cut dough into 16 pieces of the same size. Knead and form into balls. Place balls together on a greased tray. Cover and place in warm spot and allow to double in size.

6. Turn on oven and preheat to 220 degrees C. Whisk the cross batter of flour and water together until smooth. Place in piping bag. (I use a small plastic bag and cut off a small bottom corner). Pipe on the crosses. Bake at 220 degrees C for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200 degrees C and bake for a further 10 minutes.

7. Place glaze ingredients in a sauce pan and bring the boil stirring constantly. Then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes. Brush liberally over buns once they are removed from the oven.

Enjoy!

While it was nice and easy to make these they tasted soo wrong. They were overly sweet and well it tasted as if they were missing something (and don't say the fruit cos I know that!)

Do you have a favourite hot cross bun recipe?

(Photos by Lara-clever little girl)

Ginger Kisses or Ginger Pancakes??

Three times I have attempted to make Ginger Kisses-and each time they have come out looking like pancakes! I even went to the trouble of buying more Baking Soda and Baking Powder incase it was something to do with them. But no, they won't rise. Or maybe the problem is the recipe I'm using?

Do you have a recipe worth trying?

My Beautiful Girls

I don't have anything to write about today-I've spent the day stuck at home feeling like I'm coming down with a cold. So for today's blog post I'm going to put up some of my favourite pictures of the girls.

Paige-less than 24hrs old. Photo by Sharyn.

Lara-Shorland Park. Photo by Sharyn.

Lara-Shorland Park. Photo by Sharyn.

Paige. Photo by me :)

Supporting Canterbury

12.51pm on February 22, 2011 Canterbury was struck by a devastating earthquake. New Zealand's Garden City changed for ever. The earthquake killed more than 160 people, destroying many homes and heritage buildings and affecting tens of thousands of citizens. 


I, like many other New Zealanders sat glued to my tv as it showed me the hugely devastating scenes, in shock. I didn't want to watch it, but I couldn't turn it off. I sat in my comfy couch crying, thinking of all the people out there struggling to get to their families, parents trying to get across town to fetch their children from child care/school/kindy, not knowing if they will find the building in one piece. 
I spent a lot of time crying, and feeling helpless. I couldn't get a hold of my brother or his fiancée. I wanted to help, but had no idea how. Finally Mum rung to let me know my brother and fiancée were safe. Sadly the same couldn't be said for others. Lives lost, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children-gone. 


It is in this time of need that we have seen countless acts of human generosity. Company after company donating time, resources, people and money. People collecting money, food and goods, churches organising collection points and of course the countries who sent their search and rescue people. Then there are the people who donated their time, the ones cooking meals and delivering them to peoples doors-or of course those who work in the rescue forces-fire fighters, ambulance crews, doctors, army and navy men/women. Those who risked their lives to save the lives of others. 


Canterbury still needs our help. 

Welly walks the walk for Chirstchurch-26th March 2011. People will be walking 10k to raise money for the Red Cross-do your bit! I will be out there walking with my two girls. If you can't make it-donate :)

Or if you are in Auckland you could do the walk organised there. Details are here.

This weekend is the Kilbirnie Fair. Make sure you check out these stalls.

phil & ted will be selling gears at silly low prices with 100% of the $$$$$ going to Christchurch
(You can also purchase and donate online at www.philandteds.com)

Mokopuna Merino will also be selling stock at low prices. All $$$s will be winging its way to Christchurch

Mountain Buggy will be doing its bit to help, low prices with  100% of the sale going to those in Christchurch.

These three companies where at the Newtown Fair doing the same thing and managed to raise over $1500. Read about it here.

Welly walks the walk for Chirstchurch-26th March 2011. People will be walking 10k to raise money for the Red Cross-do your bit! I will be out there walking with my two girls. If you can't make it-donate :)

Or if you are in Auckland you could do the walk organised there. Details are here.

If you know of other great fundraising going on leave a comment-share it with me (and those who read my blog) please.

*Doh* Mummy Brain!

Lara + Backpack-Check
Paige + Car Seat-Check
Mel + Handbag-Check
Place handbag on front of car, put Paige in car, Lara jumps in with her backpack, buckle her in.
Get to kindy and what did I forget...............






My handbag I'd placed on the bonnet. Whoops! Thankfully when I got home it was sitting on the footpath. It slid off the front as I'd reversed away.

Many thanks!

Many thanks to a fellow Cheeky Monkey member who designed me a new header. It looks awesome and is much better than I could have done.
Check out Krya's blog here.

Birth Story-Paige Madison Avery 3rd Feb 2011

Woke on Wednesday (8days overdue) with a really sore back, but thought nothing of it. Dropped Lara at kindy and headed off to coffee group. Sat there feeling sore and uncomfy but not to bad. 

Once at home I had my first contraction around 11.30, but wasn't sure if it was anything. Didn't want to get Silas's hopes up and thought I'd wait it out. Silas rang his sister and sorted what we would do on friday (should I get that far and need to be induced) 

Around 2.30 contractions where about 15mins apart so we let the Jefferson tenants know that Silas wouldn't be coming around and let the night sitter know we would need her.
Sitter arrived around 6, helped us put Lara to bed, then we sat round for a bit chatting (which slowed my contractions down gah!) 


Headed off to the hospital at 9.45, once there MW hooked me up to the CTG monitor. Bubs heart rate was good so she did an internal. She told me if I was less than 4cm she wouldn't break my waters. But I was 7cm, at which I declared she could break waters. After breaking my waters she put me back on the monitor and filled the bath for me. Once in the bath she offered me the gas, which I tried for a few contractions but wasn't really getting the hang of. Got out of the bath after all of ten mins as I needed to go loo, but once I got there my contractions where suddenly on top of each other. Started out lying on the bed but wasn't comfy so I jumped up on the bed and the MW offered me the gas again, this time coaching me through it. Was on my hands and knees leaning over the top of the bed sucking on the gas like there was no tomorrow. (Things start to get very blurry round about now-I was rather high)

Wasn't comfy leaning over the bed so rolled back over. Was crushing poor Silas's hand ( I said to him at one stage-I can't see your face, but I know Im hurting you, which makes me want to hurt you more )
Silas got in trouble a few times, cos I was sucking on the gas so much I was getting really thirsty-but each time he gave me water he was putting it straight in front of my mouth which I hated. Told him to put it in my hand so I could do it my self-otherwise I was searching for the cup and would get annoyed (I kept my eyes closed the entire time I was using the gas)

Some time later on the midwife did another internal only to tell me I was 8cm. I wasn't impressed as she'd blimmen hurt me while doing so-she mentioned something about my cervix and having to do something to it-I'd almost kicked her trying to get away. 
Things go blurry again and suddenly I needed to push. MW told me it was 11.57 and if I wanted baby tonight I had three mins to get her out. 
After a few pushes Miss Paige was born (12.11am) Due to her being born so rapidly she wouldn't feed-she was trying to get up all her mucus, so after a hour of cuddling I handed her over to Silas and went to shower. Once out of the shower she decided she would feed. Finally made it to the ward just after 2am. Was sharing a room with a lady (duh) and her bub who was wake a few times that night. Paige slept until 7.30am-which is when I woke her to feed her. I hadn't slept at all so decided I would go home as soon as I could. 


So that is story of Paige's birth.

Last bump pics-taken the day before.

Lara and Paige

Home :)