Best Ever Choc Chip Muffins!

Ella wanted me to make some choc chip muffins last night for the lunchbox and after school snacks, so I googled and found this easy recipe of Nigella Lawsons! They were so yummy! Infact, we all had one as soon as they were out of the oven, and Phil had another later on! I'm certain they are not going to last long!

This is the recipe I used!

Nigella’s Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

(adapted from The Food Network, Nigella Lawson – Nigella Feasts)
Makes 12

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup caster (super fine) sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• extra 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line standard muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar and salt.  Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
3. Pour all the liquid ingredients, milk, vegetable oil, and egg, into a 2-cup measuring jug.  Using a fork, mix to combine.
4. Using a spatula, mix the wet and dry ingredients together.  Do not over-mix, a lumpy batter makes the best muffins.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Using the remaining 1/4-cup chocolate chips, sprinkle each muffin with a few chips.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy and a cake tester inserted into centre comes out clean.

Sunday Musings!

1. Kate ready for her Year 7 social last week.
2. Traditional Sunday pancakes using a new recipe from this book.
3. Family chocolate cake from this book.
4. Red brightening up the winter garden.
5. Pretty sky.
6. Chickens found the silverbeet!

June already!

There hasn't been much time to blog lately, the days are just whizzing by! I can't believe we are into June already, except Kate is counting down to her birthday, so I am constantly reminded it is June!

The days are mostly warm (still definitely tee shirt weather) but the nights are lovely and cool. Perfect for sleeping! The garden as you can see is loving this weather too. The chooks are laying like it's springtime, getting 3-4 eggs a day from 4 layers.

I hope wherever you are the weather is nice for you whether that be cool or warm!

Ella and her tricks!

My girls love the trampoline! They are out there at every opportunity. They turn the music up and do all sorts of tricks that I used to be able to do, a long time ago. They fight over who had the longest turn. Yesterday while I was out the back, Ella came and and jumped for ages. Kate was busy watching something on tv, so Ella had plenty of time to flip about!

Happy Birthday Littlies!

From this to ...

this!

Happy FIRST BIRTHDAY Happy Feet and Muffin! (Phoebe in the background!)

Easy Chocolate Slice - Perfect for the Lunchbox!

1 cup Vita Brits, crushed
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
150 butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius. Line & grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tray.
Combine vita brits crumbs, flour, sugar, coconut and cocoa in a bowl.
Add butter and combine until all ingredients are moist.
Press into tray and flatten using the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10-15 mins, then cool in tray for 5 mins.

ICING

2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Coconut
1tsp softened butter
1-2 Tbsp hot water

To make icing, sift cocoa and icing sugar, add vanilla, butter and enough water to form a spreadable consistency. Beat well until combined. When slice is cool, pour chocolate icing over the top, dust with coconut and leave to set.
Cut into pieces.

Enjoy! 

Mother's Day 2013

Well another Mother's Day is over. It started early for a Sunday with Ella waking us up, which was fine. We went out to the lounge room and had a hot chocolate until Kate got up. I got lots of lovely gifts from my 3 girls - flowers from Amie last night as I wasn't sure I would be seeing her today, from Kate and Ella - two boxes of chocolates, two Kangaroo Paws from the school stall, a new mug, and a gorgeous chicken doorstop! We visited Ikea during the day(and met up with Amie and the kids) and bought a few goodies for the house!

Out the Back!

Ebony-Rose is settling in beautifully. She's so friendly and cuddly, just perfect for the girls to spend time with.

We have finally had some decent rain which the chooks don't really like. But they did love being able to find a warm sunny spot in their run this morning!

On Wednesday during a storm, Phil added some more protection to their coop. We ran out of shade cloth, so the rest will have to wait until next time.

 Got to love Muffin's face! She's nearly grown all her feathers back now, so should be feeling much better soon!

The garden loved all the rain we had! The passionfruit is doing well and the veges I planted nearly 2 weeks ago are thriving!

Back to school!

The holidays are over! They went too quick! Kate is in full winter uniform for Term 2 and 3. Doesn't she look smart! Not the best photos due to the sun, but we didn't have time for better ones this morning!

 

And this is a photo of Amie taken in 2002, notice the blazer logo has changed?

Gosh, don't the years fly by!

Oh and Ella didn't want a photo taken today.

Moulting

Muffin is the first of our chooks to moult. She's only 11 mths old, so quite young still She's not a happy camper at all hiding away from the other chickens and from us!

I've read that picking them up when in moult causes them pain. It's a bit like lying on a bed of nails for them with new feathers poking through.

She's been loving all the extra protein - scrambled eggs, tuna, sunflower seeds and meat scraps. She's stopped laying eggs for now which I'm pleased about as all her energy needs to go into growing new feathers!