Just Like Martha

"Twelve Days of Christmas".....December Daily

December is in full swing and Christmas is only a short time away....I have been 'enjoying' the season and making sure I capture a "photo a day" (its s easy to get caught up in the panic of Christmas and not enjoy the little things...) so here you have it a 'snapshot' of the month so far...

Day One

Our tree went up early (any excuse really will do - but we were entertaining on December 1 so wanted to be nice and organised)

Day Two

The first of many 'gatherings' to celebrate the festive season...we invited John's "team" over to spread some Christmas cheer..and a gathering deserves the best nibble platter ever!

Day Three

The first of the Chocolate Treat boxes were packed and wrapped...lots of orders this year to complete...

 

Day Four

Taylor has been busy again with her amazing cake creations...this one a custom order for a Family Christmas gathering...what do you think?

Day Five

Lots of Christmas entertaining means lots of flowers...a local gum tree provided me with the base and a bunch of pretty hydrangeas completed the effect!

Day Six

Starry, starry night...a starry display on my entrance table, so pretty.

Day Seven

More flowers...these beauties came from a friends garden...stunning..and the smell...!

Day Eight

A picnic rug, bottle of wine, cheese platter and good friend kinda night...oh and a carol performance in Manly followed by a fireworks display...starting to feel like Christmas!

Day Nine

My mum's famous shortbread has been popular once more this year...lots of orders...lots of amazing decorated boxes...

Day Ten

Perfection in a magnolia flower...wish they could last longer...but hey a day is better than none at all...

Day Eleven

The centrepiece of our dessert buffet this year at our annual Christmas party...introducing RUDOLPH, he is pretty cute (yes the clever Taylor has been at it again)

 

Day Twelve

Every year we try to go to the city to enjoy morning tea and do some Christmas shopping, even more important now as the girls are older and we lead such busy lives...this year we managed to sneak in High Tea at the Queen Victoria Building...John joined us for a few hours and we sat and talked, drank copious amounts of tea and reflected on the year that was...there may have been lots of yummy treats to enjoy as well....after all it is Christmas.

Hope you have enjoyed "Twelve days of Christmas"...I am hopeful my December Daily will continue for the entire month so I'll be back soon with more photos...in the meantime enjoy the Festive Season one and all xxx

 

Another catch up....

Oh dear, has it really been a month since I last spent time with my little ol' blog...I did have the best intentions but time has just slipped away...the good news is I am super organised for Christmas which is just around the corner...so, hopefully that will mean more time to enjoy my blogging and share some Christmas posts!

Spring has been glorious and we have enjoyed getting out in the sunshine...lots of weekend bush walks..along the coastline near where we live...did I mention how lucky I am!

Birthday Celebrations for me were low key this year...just a few quiet drinks and pizza out with my beautiful family (we all got the memo re the off the shoulder top lol)

Well actually, maybe the boys didn't!

There has been a lot of excitement at our place recently with the arrival of our latest addition - a spa!!! We have wanted one for ages and our cruise at the beginning of the year sealed the deal..there has been lots of work to get the garden area prepared, garden beds finished, deck built, even an outdoor shower! The process took a little longer than we hap hoped by wow the result has been worth it....we LOVE it!

Taylor has been busy baking her CAKE CREATIONS, she has become quite the baker and the orders come in thick and fast...

This weeks creation was a very pretty Birthday cake to celebrate a special friends 60th....oh my it was delicious and oh soooo pretty x

Of course we had to take a trip to the Sydney Flower Markets to select the flowers that were going to adorn this creation (any excuse right)

A stop for coffee on the way home is ALWAYS needed after such an early start. We usually leave home just before 5am its easy to think its later as the flower markets are alive and buzzing even at 6am!

I also used some of the flowers to make a cute little present topper...it looked so pretty sitting on top of the present.

And of course no Birthday gift is complete without a Birthday card...

Christmas baking has begun in earnest, and I have been making lots of my chocolate treats and rocky road ready for gifts and sale. Taylor has taken a few large cake orders...our kitchen will be VERY busy over the next few weeks...stay tuned, I promise to blog separately on 'Santa's Kitchen Workshop' x

Thanks for hanging in there with my 'lack of posts'....until next time xox

 

Around here lately....

Around here lately...also known as a "blog catch up"....here goes...

Taylor has been baking and creating again...oh my she is getting so good and the cake this time was delicious (not that the others haven't been lol but this one was hmmmm exceptional!!!)

This was an "order" but lucky for us she experimented with the cake mix so we got to enjoy our very own at home...almond cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting! (okay so ours didn't have all the pretties on top but it still tasted yum!)

Lots of Birthdays over the next few months so I am getting super organised. I am using up lots of my craft stash too which is always rewarding...

My recent scrapbook photo project of our holiday in New York and the Carribbean saw me print out more photos than I needed so its nice to 'share our memories' with some of my card creations..

Last weekend was a long weekend in Sydney, the perfect time to catch up with lots of friends.....lunch with girlfriends on Friday...brunch Saturday morning...dinner party Saturday night...High Tea Sunday morning...friends for dinner Sunday night...hmm maybe I should add gym on Tuesday lol!

John received a voucher for "High Tea" from friends for his Birthday in August..lucky me I got to join him. It was at a venue called Soiree Cakes and was amazing...the food was delicious and we were surrounded by cakes that were truly 'works of art', a lovely way to spend a few hours on a Sunday morning x

There seems to be a cake theme happing here...truly it happened by accident but Sunday nights dinner was to celebrate a Birthday of a dear friend...it definitely called upon Taylor to make one of her creations...(I couldn't go passed another almond cake with cinnamon frosting...yummo!)

I promise you the cake was our dessert AND I did insist that our friend take the leftovers hone to enjoy!

A weekend of entertaining inevitably means a weekend of flowers (lucky me) our home does resemble a florist (not that I am complaining!)

There you have it a catch up on whats been happening around here lately....time for a nap I think!

Around here lately......

Slowly catching up on life in general after a crazy busy few months...so what have I been up to....well here is a little snapshot to bring you up to date!

Our "baby" turned 18 and we celebrated in style at the gorgeous Aqua Dining restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbour. Her 'bestie' joined us to celebrate the milestone... and of course there was a magnificent cake baked by Taylor for dessert.

More celebrations with a friend's 50th Birthday, the theme HAWAIIAN, the invitation stated "no presents please"....hmmmm....perhaps just a "Hawaiian themed flower decoration" might be nice for the Birthday girl...

And maybe cake???? There always has to be cake...right?! 

The weather has been changing slowly, cooler evenings and cold mornings have arrived....along with a few spectacular skies...

BUT still a great time of year when the sun is shinning to enjoy what Sydney has to offer in Autumn...

Last weekend John and I headed north to celebrate a very special occasion...his folks celebrated their 70th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

What an achievement, what a special celebration...

70 years of marriage, 840 months of hugs, 3,650 weeks of laughter, 25,550 day of patience, 613,200 hours of love and a lifetime of precious memories! They celebrated at home with a quiet family dinner then headed out the following night for "dinner for two" at the Pier Hotel in Coffs Harbour and an "overnight stay" in one of their newly renovated guest rooms (70 years ago this is where they stayed after they were married....what wonderful memories)

Even the Queen, Governor General, Prime Minister, local and state members sent cards and letters wishing them the best for their 70th Wedding anniversary - a truly special weekend of celebrations!

So there you are,  in amongst all this there was a wedding in Melbourne (playing with lots of lovely flowers - stay tuned for a post soon), lots of card making (pics soon I promise) and preparations for a HUGE family reunion at Easter....

Thanks for stopping by and being patient whilst I scrambled to find time....xox

 

 

 

Fabulous Find - Naked Iced Cakes

Its been a while since I posted a FABULOUS FIND on a Friday....I didn't have to look far for this one...introducing Taylor...who has developed a passion for making amazing cakes. Check out this creation...SALTED CARAMEL POPCORN cake...not bad for her first attempt!!!!

Oh my when Lilly asked her to make a special cake for her friends 18th not sure this was what she envisaged LOL. Its been on Taylor's "to do" list for some time and just quietly I think she nailed it! The cake was a Martha Stewart recipe (of course), a double layer chocolate speckled vanilla cake, then iced with a "naked icing" and finished with a caramel sauce, caramel popcorn and a sprinkling of sea salt - yummo!

Her Instagram account is worth following, lots of great ideas and some of her creations @morethandesserts...I think we have 'created a cake monster' and she is already planning her next creation (hmm might need to 'up' my gym membership!!)

Pinterest is of course a huge source of inspiration, here are just a few of my favourites (hint hint Taylor)

I am off to make a cuppa...and perhaps have a jog around the block!

Thanks for stopping by x

 

 

 

Kitchen makeover...

Finally some photos to share of our amazing kitchen "transformation"...so, so happy with what we have achieved!

Our kitchen was almost 13 years old and whilst there was nothing really 'wrong' with it, a little tweaking was needed including a revamp of the cupboard doors. We found a wonderful 'kitchen man' that we trusted and together we forged a plan. A few cupboards needed moving to accommodate my TWO (yes you read right lucky me I now have two ovens) ILVE ovens and new 90cm gas cooktop....the roller door that hid appliances such as the toaster and kettle could not be painted so had to be replaced....I had started to hate the open shelving (trendy when the kitchen was built) that I was forever cleaning so decided to build another cupboard to house a fabulous new bin system (is it wrong to love a garbage bin so much LOL)...and of course we decided it was out with the old timber and laminate bench tops.

But first before any of this could happen we were off to choose the new stone for the island bench. I never thought this task would be so daunting but there are SO many to choose from and after a while they all look the same...after a lot of second guessing we decided on "New Romano White" and now that it has been installed I could not be happier!

Once the bench tops were removed we were well underway and it all started to take shape quite quickly...like most renovations its the deciding that takes the time, with good tradesman the actual renovating is easy!

Then the big day, the stone arrived! Our island bench was transformed and became the real feature of our new kitchen, we went bigger so the overhang means we can now sit on stools without hitting our legs on the cupboards underneath. The quantum quartz on the other bench top is subtle and perfect for the look we were after. The electrician came the following day and installed our new hanging lights and the tiler transformed the back wall with subway tiles...we were well on our way!

Now we were ready to paint and once again the process was quite painless...they sprayed all the cupboards onsite...lucky the weather has been exceptional and with all the windows and doors open for a day there was very little smell and a day later I was putting my kitchen back together again!

We still need to purchase some new stools but I haven't exactly decided what to go for...but apart from that its finished...what do you think??? She is pretty special!

 

Cooking up a storm....

Last weekend we headed out early to the Sydney Markets, our home was still looking like a florist after Lilly's musical so we bypassed the flowers and headed straight to the produce area filling our trolley with lots of fresh goodies. A few hours later we were home and cooking up a storm....first up fresh pesto with the most amazing bunches of basil and coriander I have seen in ages...and so cheap!

We LOVE home made pesto, some for the fridge and some for the freezer...so many different ways to enjoy...

Next up it was time to cook up some of the pumpkin, again reasonably priced and so we bought a few and whipped up a batch of pumpkin soup to enjoy during the week.

Plus the pumpkins will keep for a while and we have lots of other tasty dishes in mind...

Who can resist a box of delicious peaches for under $10...lots of delicious stewed peaches in the fridge and freezer (I am a sucker for them on top of my cereal for breakfast and with yoghurt for a 'healthy dessert')

The rest of the family are excited about the prospect of a few desserts coming their way...

Finally it was the tomatoes turn....lovely flavoursome tomatoes delicious both fresh and cooked (great with the basil too)...to bake I simply slit their tops and placed in a slow oven, (their skin peeled off easily) tossed in some fresh garlic a handful of fresh basil and voila a few batches of fresh sauce to go with pasta was created.

And still lots of leftovers to create some more delicious dishes...

Okay my tummy is rumbling now all this delicious food...I am off to get some lunch, hmmm maybe pesto with fresh tomato????

Source: Photos my own / Pinterest

Nan's Marshmallow slice

Nan's Marshmallow slice is ALWAYS a bit hit so when we were asked to 'bring a plate' to share recently for a school Musical Night it was the obvious choice.

With its crumbly biscuit bottom and its soft and gooey marshmallow top once people get started there is rarely any leftovers...oh and did I mention its easy to make.

Last year "Nan" turned 90 and Lilly put together a book of her family recipes as a keepsake. Its a fabulous book with all the children, grandchildren AND great grandchildren favourite recipes from Marshmallow slice to her famous Sausage Rolls. There are photos and stories but most importantly some amazing recipes that will now be enjoyed for generations to come.

The weekend "Cook-a-thon"....

Last weekend we headed off bright and early to the Sydney Markets to purchase lots of fresh fruit and vegetables...the car was filled with lots of goodies and we set off home to begin the "cook-a-thon".

Lucky we had lots of wonderful new cookbooks to inspire some tasty dishes! Gwyneth Paltrow's great book "Its All Good" was a Birthday present, "The Happy Cookbook" by Lola Berry has become a family favourite and last week I picked up "The Chef Gets Healthy" by Tobie & Geogia Puttock and we have already fallen in love with their healthy twist on a few old favourites - definitely a good find!

A yummy breakfast (or Sunday night dinner in our case).... snow pea, pea and feta salad (yummy)....raw beetroot and pine nut salad (there were no leftovers) and lots of marinated yellow peppers (and we still didn't make a dent in the box we bought)!

Healthy sweet potato muffins (divine, they are amazing hot and almost didn't make it into the lunch boxes)....ricotta pancakes which we served for dessert with a honeycomb butter....and plant of protein balls for when we need a pick me up or healthy snack!

The fridge is full, the freezer overflowing and still there are half boxes of vegetables sharing my office space, I can see I am going to have to have another cook-a-thin on my day off tomorrow...hmm back to the recipe books I go to find more delicious healthy creations!

Wintery days...time for hot chocolate...

The weather here in Sydney has been quite chilly...the perfect weather for hot chocolates, cozy blankets and quiet nights at home. Usually we drink cups of peppermint tea in the evenings after dinner but cool nights make my thought turn to yummy hot chocolates...

There are oodles of yummy recipes out there but one that definitely appealed to me was from the clever Emma over at A Beautiful Mess who hd this wonderful delicious recipe for an AZTEC HOT CHOCOLATE that I just had to share...

In a pot combine 6 cups of milk and 10oz of dark chocolate, melt chocolate over a low heat stirring constantly. Once melted stir in 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper (now this is optional but worth the risk, its delicious, why not give it a try). Serve hot with marshmallows and cinnamon sticks...

I dare you, its delicious and perfect for wintery nights.

 

Source: Pinterest/A Beautiful Mess blog