Belgium Biscuits - the fast and easy way

Our whole family love Belgium biscuits but they take so long to make. Rolling out, cutting, baking, sticking back together ......

So I tackle it a different way and make it in a slice tin. Just as yummy but four times as fast to do.

I use the Edmonds recipe but double it. This will then make a slice in a sponge roll tin. (this has already been doubled)

First cream the butter and sugar well, then add the eggs one at a time. Sift the dry ingredients into this and mix until the crumbs are sticking together and looking chunky - like this

Press just over half the mixture into a baking paper lined tray (I use an old fashioned sponge roll tin)

Soften the jam in the microwave with a good squirt of lemon juice. This should make it runny enough to just pour on and have it easy to move around the slice. If you don't do that the jam is very hard to spread on the biscuit base. Traditionally the jam is raspberry jam - but we ran out of the homemade stuff months ago. What I do still have in the cupboard is blackcurrant jam and that makes a gorgeous tasting slice. Use what jam you like. Pour the rest of the biscuit crumble onto the jam.

Smooth out the crumble and press gently. You want it setting together but not so hard that the jam oozes up through this layer. Bake at 180C for approx 20-25 minutes. Until slightly golden and looking cooked all over.

It is important to add a runny icing as soon as you take it out of the oven. I then sprinkle a packet of jelly crystals on top - just because this is how I have always made it. But you could do hundreds and thousands. Or nothing at all. Once cooled but not cold, cut into slices. 

Belgium slice
250G butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
4 C plain flour
2tsp baking powder
2tsp cinnamon
2tsp ground ginger
2tsp mixed spice

3/4 cup of jam and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Pink icing made how you like to make icing.
Packet of blackberry jelly (optional)

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Zakka Style

 A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a challenge from The Make Cafe in Christchurch. You purchased a 1/2 metre of linen and they added a couple of off cuts and sent them in a package. You were then meant to make an item "Zakka Style". (there are lots of craft books with the Zakka name and it looks like smaller items using bits and pieces you have around. A lot of the use the base of linen)

Now this coincided nicely with two baby showers booked on my calendar. Two of my quilting buddies and good friends, are having babies and I wanted to give something made by me. Both are set up for children as this is not their first so my idea was to make something for the Mum. I will pop a couple of little gifts inside.

In order to fit the Dresden Plate design I made these ended up being very large!!!

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I always link with Crazy Mum Quilts for finish it up friday.
Also posting this with Lil Pip Designs on her Spring has sprung week. I feel new babies certainly give you that spring feeling. I feel the need for some photos of little lambs!!!

More Christmas Presents

Well I was inspired by a blogger I follow ____________ (please you NZ bloggers tell me who it is. I have spent the night going through everyone's blogs looking for the right blog to reference) and have done a little ceramic painting.

This blogger had some features of her gorgeous painted mugs in the NZ House and Garden magazine too. So I have been collecting white plates, cups etc and last night before the rugby I started to tackle the project. Mine are a lot more "primitive art" but I am thrilled with them and I know the kids will too when they get a personalised cup and bowl for Xmas.

As instructed I found the pens in Spotlight in NZ. Only $9.95 each. But you do need to shake the packet and make sure you can hear the ball bearing clattering in the pen, if not then that pen has dried up.

The porcelaine pens

A lot of bowls to do

A pile of cups to finish

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The Madness of Spring

I am blaming this all on spring. A spring that has sprung about 4 weeks early. All the daffodils are coming out. I picked a bunch of traditional yellow ones and lovely creamy jonquils to add that gorgeous scent. I put them by Aaron's bed as they are his favourite flower (after the poppy - but the sensible poppies realise it is not yet spring and only one is out).

All this madness has extended to my stubborn, obdurate, immovable, mulish (I had to look up synonyms in word to find all these) husband. Or you could put it in a positive frame - persevering, committed and resolute.

Yes we had AGREED - I stress that word - that when our new Canadian Cedar Hot Tub arrived that we would not attempt to put it together but would pay someone. We had the someone lined up. I cam home from soccer this morning to find him very unhappy (and that is putting it mildly) as he had been attempting to erect this hot tub himself!!! Hmmmmmmmmmmm.. It kept falling apart etc. So two hours later with the help of me and the boys the hot tub sides are up.

The half completed hot tub

Now what does this mean? It means that Aaron missed the Opera. Yes this is the New Zealand Opera that came to Christchurch. He has really wanted to go and booked for himself. And he missed it!! Why - because he wanted to get the hot tub up. And he had Really Really wanted to see it.

The bits still left to do.

Well we are going out to dinner tonight. His obstinacy has saved us quite a bit of $$$$ (and we are all pooped.) so we will treat ourselves with a little of that saved cash.

As we have only a half finished hot tub I am going to go and have a relaxing bath. Whew I feel I deserve it.

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3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Devine Chocolate Mousse

This recipe takes all of 5 minutes to make. It is my favourite chocolate mousse as it is quite creamy and smooth. This is not a dark chocolate flavour.

I have no idea where the recipe came from as I have been making it since I was 17 and have never had a written recipe.

Chocolate Mousse
150g of dark chocolate - I used 70% cocoa solids
200ml whipping cream
3 eggs.

Melt the chocolate (if doing it in the microwave you can put a wee knob of butter in and it will stop the chocolate getting overcooked).

While chocolate is melting use a bowl to whip the egg WHITES to stiff peaks. Once chocolate is melted add the egg YOLKs to the chocolate and stir well. Then add 3 tablespoons of the egg whites and mix to soften the chocolate. Add the rest of the egg whites and carefully fold them in. Use the egg white bowl to put the cream in and whip the cream. Add this to the chocolate mixture and fold carefully.

Put into pretty glasses and refridgerate for four hours or more (will keep in the fridge for up to four days and be lovely).

3 ingredients

enjoy it.

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This is how we roll....

With piles of paint. Anyone who follows my blog will know that when Aaron goes away - I paint. This time though he knew about it as we have had plasterers in all week. - yay for having our EQC claim paid out.

Rolling , rolling, rolling

The plasterers finally finished on Friday at 1pm.

So that was when I started.
2pm Friday - Sand, prep, gap fill etc all the lounge, kitchen and laundry. Paint the undercoat sealer.
Decide that I was just too tired to continue on and start with the colour (as did not finish until 9.30pm)
Saturday morning - start painting the colour. Finish at 2pm Saturday. Whew!!

mmmm chocolate mousse

I amazed myself as in among that I still made a good healthy dinner on Friday where normally I would resort to takeaways when doing painting. Then this morning after the big rugby club finals day, I decided that I was going to paint the hallway too - it too has been plastered but is a big mission as there are 8 doors and door frame in our hall - aaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh - lots of brush work and edges.

To make me feel better I made some chocolate mousse as a reward for when a layer of painting was done.

The hall so far today has taken four hours and all I have done is prep and undercoat. Eli was very keen to help me and so I put him on the end of a roller. Though I was very quickly abandoned as the company of his brother (who was on the Xbox) was apparently far more interesting (and he told me his arms were tired!).

I am not looking forward to continuing on... but it will happen. Because all the other things have to happen too - school lunches, lots of washing, making beds .................

I had to pop this photo in as part of the EQC work we have fixes to do in the bathroom, cracked floor etc. So we were in Mitre 10 looking at new showers etc and Aaron had to try out this bath - When I took a photo I was advised that it was not to be on my blog - but I am not always known to follow advice.

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All my own design

I have been working on this quilt since 2010.

Well to be honest I parked it since May 2011. When I last blogged about it - here.

I started it when I went to an amazing day in CHCH that was with Leanne Beasley and Rosalie Quinlan. The most fabulous day in the world. Leanne taught how to put a quilt together, how to design it, layout etc.

Rosalie taught hand applique - in a method that has not pins and is so easy.

I got inspired when I got home and started this. There is a lot of embroidery all designed by me, heaps of blocks in miniature (finished block size 4.5") and a lot of applique, also designed by me - in fact the entire quilt is a Karen Schulz original.

I parked and did not finish as there were two blocks to stitch. But finally I realised that this needed to be finished and so I decided not to do any stitching but just assemble it. So I sewed it together, put on the border with flying geese just in the bottom left corner. I am loving it. I pinned it out last night and now it is ready to quilt. Hmm there is so many other things going on in this quilt that I think I may just have to be stitch in the ditch. Hopefully I will not park it too long but actually get on with quilting it.

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It just happened

Another quilt for Hope Homes International

Showing the borders

This is the first time ever that I have been surprised to finish a quilt. A while ago I found the middle blocks at an Op Shop (charity store) for $5. When I took them home to turn them into another quilt for Hope Homes International, I found that I was struggling to get material that would go with the blocks.

While on my quilting retreat, at Living Springs, Hazel passed me some leftover strips from one of her gorgeous quilts she made. As soon as I looked at the material I knew that it would go well. Thanks heaps Hazel.

So yesterday I had an hour before the kids came home from school. I pulled out the ironing board and ironed and sewed some seams. Then I rifled my stash for another material to make it bigger (the big bright outside border) - cut some 5" strips, sewed and realised that the quilt was heaps big enough. Just like that!

All I need to do now is sandwich it and quilt it (and bind it...... oh it will take a bit more time). I felt very productive.

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The Linen project with the Make Cafe

This is the lovely bundle from the Make Cafe for the Linen Project

Well over at The Make Cafe the challenge went out to make a Zakka style something with a wee pack they made up. This was to celebrate them stocking a new linen range. So I popped over to their website (Sew Pretty) and purchased a pack. For only $12 I got half a metre of linen plus three little pop fabrics.

I have added three of my own and a bit of other decoration. I am actually going to make two of the same thing as I have two baby showers to attend in the next wee while. So the plan tonight is to get it all cut out and sorted as there is a bit of hand stitching to do.

I love the Make Cafe and the awesome prices at Sew Pretty (this post is NOT a sponsored post)

The bits that I have added

DIY in my DNA

NOT!!! But today I have been trying out my DIY again. I am pretty happy with the result. I cut, measured, sawed, sledge hammered and nail hammered. As a result I have a pretty square netting support. It is in an L shape along the fence.

 This will have bird netting over it in the summer to protect the red, black and white currents nestling under it. No more pegs and cloth getting caught up in the bushes.

This is my best DIY yet. Another job which I have procrastinated for about 5 months but really only took an hour.

I am pleased but the whole time I had Aaron telling me, that is not right, don't use the hammer that way..... aye aye aye....I told him to go away as I do believe that I have done as good a job as he would have!

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Black and White Quilt done.

Last night I worked on quilting and binding another quilt for Hope Homes International. The quilt was made from a pile of blocks given to me and other black and white material. Thanks heaps Julie.

I was a bit worried that it looked quite adult so I fished through all the donated material and found the soft cuddly flannelette. A dramatic contrast to the quilt top but it makes it a lot more child friendly.

The quilted verse

On the blue borders I quilted "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path", a favourite verse of ours.

The bright backing

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and finish it up friday with Amanda- Jean