I am grateful for

wrinkled toes that have been soaking in a warm bath. 


I love it when my girls are smelling of fresh lavender & are snuggled in warm pjs ready for story time......it means it is nearly time for me to be able to sit & breath & relax while they sleep!


the daily drive to & from school.


I usually take the long way round making sure we get to drive along side the sea & take in the views of the morning sun shimmer, boats rocking in the water & the early birds strolling on the sand. 






more gratefulness over here

Happy Mothers Day

Sending Mothers Day wishes to all the wonderful mothers in the world for this Sunday.


May your day be filled with love, laughter and a beautiful bunch of flowers.


"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers"
Jewish proverb

Images: Sweet Style By Mrs A In the Cove

Leanne

This week I'm grateful for... moments


My boy turned 7 today. SEVEN. How can it be seven years and 2 days since I first went into labour? Yes, you read that right; Maxi took a looooong time coming into the world.

He was probably too scared to come out.

That's my boy, a little bit scared of most things and absolutely petrified of sleep from day one. But each and every year he gets braver and sleepier and more and more gorgeous. He's just a bundle of yum. I am very surprised he made it to seven without his mother eating him all up.

So, this week I'm grateful for...

121. Moments - that moment when I first thunder-clapped eyes on my very first baby.

122. Enthusiasm - if there is one word I would use to describe Maxi at Seven, it would be 'enthusiasm'. It pours out of him like a stream.

123. Reading - and watching my child read his birthday card message all by himself.

PS - Some bike-loving dude won the People's Choice award over at the Sydney Writers' Centre. I can't compete with motorsports. Thanks for voting for me!


So, what's making you smile today? Add your I'm Grateful For post to the list below (and please, we love you, but it really does matter that your post is a Grateful one and not just a random), add the button (grab the code from my sidebar and paste it into your post) and pretty-please add a link back to me.  Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine. 
Happy weekend to you!


Easter chocolate simnel cake

Easter Chocolate Simnel cake


Easter Chocolate Simnel cake (serves at least 10)

Ingredients


Cooking instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 140 deg C (300 deg F)
  2. Line and grease 20cm cake tin
  3. Roll out 125g marzipan to 5mm thick and cut into a circle the same size as the cake tin, leave to one side
  4. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
  5. Gradually beat in eggs
  6. Stir in flour, glace cherries, dried fruit, almonds, cocoa powder and chocolate chips
  7. Divide half the mixture into the cake tin
  8. Place circle of marzipan on top
  9. Spoon rest of cake mix on top
  10. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes
  11. Place cake on a wire rack to cool


To decorate (one cake)

What you will need


Equipment


Decorating instructions
  1. Place cake on stand upside down so top is completely flat
  2. Knead marzipan into a ball
  3. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out marzipan to 5mm thick
  4. Melt the apricot jam
  5. Brush cake with apricot jam
  6. Lift up marzipan using rolling pin
  7. Place on cake and smooth out so entire cake is covered in marzipan
  8. Cut off any excess, leave to dry for 24 hours
  9. Knead roll-on icing into a ball
  10. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out roll-on icing to 5mm thick
  11. Lift up icing using rolling pin
  12. Place on cake and smooth out so entire cake is covered in icing (I use a cake smoother to give it a polish and professional finish)
  13. Cut off any excess icing from base of cake
  14. Spoon green buttercream into a piping bag or bottle fitted with no.233 nozzle
  15. Pipe buttercream grass in a circle on top of the cake
  16. Push fondant bunnies into grass so they form a circle, push one small fondant flower between bunnies, alternating the colour of the flowers
  17. Pipe buttercream grass in a circle on the outside edge of the top of the cake. Push one pink butterfly and three flowers into grass, repeat with blue butterfly and so on, until you have used all the butterflies
  18. Pipe buttercream grass around base of cake
  19. Push three large flowers and two small flowers into grass, repeat until there are no gaps

My Easter Cake
Butterflies on Cake
Bunnies on cake

Have a sweet day!
excited anticipation ...




10 weeks to go and slowly counting...lists are being written and tiny little white baby grows have been washed.
I am on the hunt for a vintage cupboard and waiting the arrival of some gorgeous fabrics...
This "baby button" as we fondly refer loves to wiggle and kick late into the night after snacking on lindt dark chocolate ... and seems to love the sweet taste of raspberries. With excited anticipation we talk and think about you daily.

ps. Tomorrow i have a dream afternoon planned with a very dear friend ... a friend who is just so special you want to hold her close always.
 We are heading to this to be inspired and swept away by the seriously talented and creative Pia...
Pia Jane Bijkerk one of the very first blogs i ever discovered and saved in my favourites bar. Yep from those links you can see ... a dream afternoon in the planning.



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