No bake muesli bar

I recently made this nut bar, it's super simple and doesn't require any baking. Plus it's healthy...

No bake muesli bar:
-2 cups soaked sunflower and pumpkin seeds (soaked overnight)
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 cup dates (chopped)
- 1 cup crispy sunflower and pumpkin seeds (toasted until golden)

Mmm, yumminess!

Place soaked seeds in food processor, blend until mushy.
Meanwhile melt butter, coconut oil, honey and chopped dates on low heat. Leave for 10mn, then add to soaked seeds in blender. Blend some more.
add sesame seeds and crispy nuts, pulse until well blended.
Spoon mixture into a baking dish (aprox. 15x20cm), flatten well with the back of a spoon then place in the fridge for a few hours.
NOTE: I tend to add very little sweetness, so if you'd like it a bit sweeter, put 2tbsp of honey instead.

As you can tell, I only just managed to take a photo before the muesli was all gone. I just made another batch, so I will try to update the photo! I also added a pinch of cinnamon and ginger in it, just to spice it up a bit. This recipe could work with any blend of nuts too, just experiment with what you've got on hand!

The Christmas market in photos

Wow, it's actually happened. The days preceding the market were quite frantic, the weather forecast was terrible and there were a lot of last minute calls from people wanting a stall. We had to make sure it would all roll smoothly on the day. Come Saturday, and I lay in bed at 5.30 listening to the rain falling on our roof. Couldn't have been worse. Well yes it could have, there could have been lightning and thunder.

The car had been packed the night before, we got the kids up and took off.
When we got to the park, it was still raining, if somewhat lightly, I didn't think anyone else would turn up! The look of relief that must have been on my face when the first stall holder came to set up!
As it turns out, the rain stopped, most stall holders turned up (the ones that had gazebos mainly) and it ended up being a good morning for sales. We had lots of traffic from the Farmers' market and for a few hours it was very lively indeed. Unfortunately we had to cancel the old school merry-go-round, the grounds were too wet (and it does get boggy at the bottom of the park). It's a shame but hopefully next year we'll have more luck.
Yes, you read well, we're hoping to organize one next year. Josh has got big plans, and this time we've got a year to get ready!

Meanwhile in the garden

Bumblebee on spring onion

mandarins! Plenty of tiny green balls on the tree, can't wait!

Our second lime... how do you make mojito again?

Courgette flowers stuffed with homemade ricotta... it's been one of my favorite meals

Nasturtium capers ready to be bottled

we've got lots of little green tomatoes popping up everywhere

Sunflower, almost in flower

lettuce and more tomato plants

Corn (with spring onions in the background)

Courgettes, beans, rhubarb, sunflowers

Took the broad beans out, this empty patch is waiting for the next crop....

cape gooseberries

Dill flower

our first beans!

The newly dug out artichoke patch (with sunflowers, beans and rockmelons thrown in the mix)

Lemon verbena in flower. One of our favorite summer herbal teas

Purple dahlia

Our first raspberries!

Ode To The Sun

Saturday is the big day for us, our first ever Christmas market!
I am hoping it will all run smoothly, the past week's been crazy busy, there has been so much interest and there are so many interesting crafts that are going to be on display, I can't wait to see them all!
Now, the only thing I can't really control is the weather of course, and I've been picturing a nice bright sunny day to send some positive thoughts out there.
So here's a couple of Odes to the sun, Sun hear me now, please show up on Saturday, it should be a fun day, there'll even be a good ol' merry go round!



Ode To The Sun by GeorgeK
O glorious dear sun, sovereign of the day, in the sky above
you're one whose radiance resembles a little of God's love;
by nurturing all creatures in the world with your unique rays
and setting such a high standard that homage everyone pays.

The Earth and all known planets habitually revolve around thee
as children do their parents whose offspring they happen to be.
Your emissary in the night sky, the moon, a bright reflection is
serving us as a reminder of thy glory while displaying all of his.

You shine on one and all and no discrimination ever make
regardless of who they are and what they do for their sake.
It is no wonder then that people have worshipped you as a deity in the past
and even now continue to do so in ways associated with the weather forecast.

When your light is obstructed by clouds all seems to be sombre and grey
but when the sky is clear your majestic presence illumines the whole day.
The whole world in fact dances to thy rhythmic score which has been set
and plays itself out daily as the dawn and dusk through a yearly quartet.

You have such a strong influence on all life as we know it here
that whether we like it or not you're a symbol of hope and cheer.
Though it has also been noted that you sometimes have an extreme side
but this depends on the whims of nature to which all things must abide.

All in all to the naked eye you alone reign supreme in the sky's vast firmament
but to those who see further you're one of countless others which you represent.
The stars in the night sky are your brothers and sisters no matter how distant they be
some being greater and brighter, but made of the same basic stuff, in the cosmic sea.

There are so many secrets hidden in your bosom which are yet to be revealed
that if and when the time comes much is to be known about life still concealed.
In fact the power and energy that flows to us from you I daresay has a divine source
because you yourself are a centre and beacon of a universal benign and creative force.

And just as you really give so much and seem to ask for nothing in return
I humbly offer this ode to you in praise which by your inspiration did learn.
And although most intelligent creatures hold you in such high esteem
please also acknowledge our debt to you for allowing us to daydream.

Tahi's Bday present

I almost forgot to mention the (awesome of course) cap I made Tahi for his birthday. Not that he doesn't already have some, but he's been so fussy lately about what he wants to wear that nearly all 3 hats are in the "not cool" category. I had a 50/50 chance of his liking this one of course... So I made sure it was his favorite color of the moment (yellow) and we also had a look at two different hat designs so he could choose the one he liked. He had a choice between a boy's sunhat hat and an engineer cat. Guess which one he chose? The engineer one!

Both tutorials are pretty straight forward. With the engineer one there was even a pattern to download. I usually don't bother, mainly because it means I have to print something on paper, but this time I did, hats are quite tricky (for me anyway, my first and only attempt ended up in the scraps bin).

I used a tea towel found on Trademe that just happened to be the right color, as well as a cool design (even a throwback to Tahi's chinese descent, flash flash). The only thing I regret not using was some interfacing for the visor part. I used a scrap of coffee beans jute bag instead, thinking it would do the job. Don't try it, as soon as it's wet it takes the shape of whatever position you put it in, hence I will now have to iron it to try and make it straight again.

Otherwise it looks pretty cool in my opinion. Birthday boy was happy, put it on straight away and deemed it good enough to be a dancing hat. Yipee!

Crappy pictures

I'm supposed to be working... instead I'm surfing the net, as you do. And I've found a hilarious parent's blog: Parenting Illustrated with Crappy Pictures. Very funny. I wish I had as much humour, luckily someone else does and it makes parenting seem so much easier.

On saturday

Tahi was overexcited (as any 4 year old would be at the prospect of a party held for their birthday). The dog was too.

"I wanted to make the kids laugh"... tahi's comment on the photo

Cooling off in the bathtub

Hot dogs and trampolines

barbie mate 

Musical chairs

Josh outdid himself making an awesome cake (and I am officially off cake-making duty).

The cake: a replica of Brian May's guitar (guitarist of Queen of course!)

The kids had great fun playing musical chairs. Jade (a little 7 year old friend) lost her first tooth biting into a pita bread (homemade). The food was ace, everyone had a good feed. The weather was lovely and we all hung out on the deck and in the garden.

A great birthday party!

ROck it!

It's Tahi's birthday on Monday, we're having a party this Saturday, should be lots of fun! Tahi decided it was going to be a Def Leppard party...