Summer blossoms...

Dandelions...

Cat fountain?

:: Hmmm. Whose ears are these? ::

:: Funny pussycat sleeping in the fountain ::

Birthday party!!

Last week, my sister Hannah turned 8!

She invited a few friends over and we celebrated with a party in our orchard

We baked a 'White Chocolate and Strawberry Gateau' for Hannah's birthday cake

And I made this cute pink bunting-

It was a lovely afternoon!

Our Snow Holiday...

In late September my family and I drove down to the Snowy Mountains where we stayed for 5 days. It was such a lovely time! We stayed in a beautiful big home, which used to be a post office.

This is the view from out the back door-isn't it pretty? ♥

It was spring, but there was still plenty of snow! Some of us went tobogganing...

And some of us (including me!) went skiing...

Here are a few other pictures of the place where we stayed.

And this maze we went to was a lot of fun. :D It took a while to get through!

It was a fantastic holiday!!!

Spring again!!!

It is spring again! The flowers are blooming, the bees are humming busily, and outside, there is a blue and sunny sky. Here a few pictures I took of some of our lovely flowers.

~Elizabeth~

Apple Pie

I made this really yummy apple pie a few weeks ago-I thought I would share the recipe. The crust is really spicy and rich. :D It can be a bit fiddly, but it turns out great!!

Dusky Apple Pie

8 tart green apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

2 tsps. lemon juice

2 thin slices of lemon zest

55g castor sugar

♥♥♥

Pastry

250g self-raising flour

185g brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamonn

1 tablespoon ground ginger

125g cold butter, cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

♥♥♥

This is what you do: Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4 and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Place the apple slices in a saucepan with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning the apples often so they soften and cook evenly. Set aside and let cool. To make the pastry, put the flour, brown sugar, and spices in a food processor and process for a few seconds to combine. With the motor still running, add the butter several cubes at a time. Add the egg and 1-2 tablespoons of cold water and process until combined. The dough will look dry and crumbly. Transfer to a bowl and knead to form a ball. Wrap the ball in clingwrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut the dough into 2 portions with one slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece of dough between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper and use it to line the bottom and sides of the prepared tart tin. (handle the pastry with care, as it can be quite crumbly) Trim the edge of the pastry to fit the tin. Spoon the apples on top of the pastry base. Roll the remaining pastry to a circle large enough to cover the base the base and place it on top of the pie, trimming the edges to fit. Use a small, sharp knife to make several slits in the pastry. Put the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until the pastry is dark brown. Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting into wedges. You can serve it with whipped cream, custard, or ice-cream. ♥♥♥

Enjoy!!!

Holidays...

I have really enjoyed this past holiday-we went to a beautiful beach-side town called 'Hervey Bay' where we stayed for 3 days. We went for a 26km bike ride, went for a walk on the pier, had fish & chips, and collected shells on the beach. I had such a great time! :D

~Elizabeth~

Homemade lemonade

Last week I made some lemonade with some lemons from the neighbors. It was really easy and delicious too! So, I thought I'd blog the recipe I used:

HOMEMADE LEMONADE

1 cup of lemon juice
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1.25l of soda water

Method~Heat the water on the stove, and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Leave to cool. Next, strain the lemon juice into a jug/jar, and pour in the cooled sugar syrup.
Serve with the soda water. (use the lemon mixture like cordial)

I am Diana!

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