Star light, star bright! A Christmas wreath tutorial and a new sponsor!

A big hello & welcome to our newest sponsor

Imagine my delight when I opened a parcel from Donna J Craft & this is what I found!!

It was a beautiful star wreath making kit from Kaiser Craft.

This kit is the perfect foundation for a truly magical Star Light, Star Bright Christmas wreath.

It is very easy to make & the hardest part is waiting for the paint to dry so you can turn it on!

First step is, paint all of the stars & the wreath circle with white paint. You could use a can of spray paint for a solid white colour but I chose to paint with an art paintbrush to give it a shabby chic look. Remember that the first layer of paint that you put onto chipboard, will soak in so you may need a couple of coats. I painted 3 layers of white.

I then painted a shimmering layer of metallic paint over the top. I chose to use 3 different colours. This paint is kind of see-through so it gives it a light colour that shimmers when the lights are turned on.

Using glitter, craft glue & a paintbrush…..

I painted around the edges of the stars with the glue, then spooned glitter on top.

I sat the stars on upturned coffee cups to dry.

Once the glitter & glue has dried, you can start to arrange & hot glue gun the stars into their spots on the circle of the wreath.

I then asked my lovely husband, (thanks for the help Mr P!) if he could drill some holes in the stars so that I could poke some Christmas lights through. He did just that for me!

I had purchased some led battery operated lights from Big W for $2!! What a bargain! So hubby drilled 20 holes for my 20 light set.

Once I pushed the lights into the holes, I used blutak to hide the wires & the battery pack. Make sure you put the battery pack where you can easily turn it on. I put this one right at the very bottom of the wreath.

You are then ready to hang your wreath….

& turn it on!!

I am in love with this wreath! Having the kit, made it so easy!

Donna J Craft

has so many of these pre-made kits for all sorts of projects.

Donna J Craft

also stocks beading supplies, candle making kits, kids craft kits, scrapbooking supplies and much, much more!

You can also find out more on the Donna J Craft Facebook Page.

If you are wanting something in particular, drop her a line, & I am sure she can help you.

I love to have Australian small businesses as sponsors on this blog & I love to support women who have made the choice to open online shops,

Donna J Craft is exactly what I love!

Make sure that if you stop by her website that you let Donna J Craft know that you found her here!

Monday munchies! Mixed Berry cake, oh my!

This cake is simply divine!

I came across a recipe for a similar cake online for a blueberry cake but it was a little too much hard work so I simplified it & this is what was the end result.

It is perfect for a morning tea get together or to pack in the school lunch boxes. It is simply delicious straight out of the oven with a sprinkle of Vanilla dusting sugar.

You need

150g of butter or margarine

3/4 cup of caster sugar

2 teasppons of vanilla extract or essence

2 eggs

1 & 3/4 cup of Self raising flour

3/4 cup of milk

2 cups of frozen mixed berries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Line a square cake tin with baking paper

Use an electric beater to beat together butter vanilla & sugar until pale & creamy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after adding each one.

Fold through half of the milk & flour.

When it is combined, fold through the other half of the milk & flour

Pour the batter into the lined cake tin.

Sprinkle the frozen mixed berries on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes the turn it upside down onto a plate.

As you can see, the berries slowly sink into this cake so that there is the berry flavour in every bite!

Serve with a dusting of vanilla sugar & you will be in cake heaven!

Enjoy!

Surf and turf! Yum!! Saturday snapshots

I just had to share this with you all!

It was just too yummy to keep to myself & seeing as though I am the ONLY one in this family who eats seafood…

(shock horror! Did I hear you all say “WHAT!!”)

I had to share with someone!

This is what I just made myself for dinner..

Oh me, oh my!

I am so full!

This was so quick & easy!

Here is the recipe I used..

Surf & turf

Now I did substitute the cream & white wine for 1/4 cup of cheese.

I had forgotten to buy them from the supermarket & really couldn’t be bothered to go back down!

Instead of mashed potato, I served it with a side salad.

Now, there was no time to style this photo because I just wanted to hurry up & eat it!

It had been a long day for us all as we had been to the “Convoy for Kids” truck convoy & show.

As many of you know, my hard working husband is a long distance truck driver. The trucking industry of Australia has many charity events throughout the year & this was one of them! He did not put his truck in this year as he had not had time to clean & polish it after only getting home late last night. Next year, I think we will all be in the truck for this one!

Here is a few snapshots of our day..

Yes, by the end of the day, Kiara & I had had enough & we were looking a little worse for wear!

Now we are going to kick back & watch a movie or 3!

Enjoy your weekend!

Festive Friday. My secret recipe Christmas cake, shhhhh it’s a secret!

Ok, I am going to share with you my very own secret recipe Christmas cake.

I first made this cake for one of my wedding cakes & everyone loved it. The other was a mud cake for those who didn’t like fruit cake.

I had spent days finding the best bits from other recipes, adding a few ingredients of my own & it is perfect!

Christmas cakes taste better with age so if you make yours now, come Christmas, it will be out of this world! It will keep for several months un-iced if wrapped in baking paper then tightly wrapped in gladwrap.

Store it in your pantry & the flavours will be perfect.

Now, my Mother has requested this recipe. That’s right, I have not even given to my own Mother before!

So Mum, this ones for you!

1kg of dried fruit

1/2 cup of bourbon (you can use brandy or rum but I think the bourbon is nicer!)

100ml of tropical cordial concentrate

Mix the fruit, bourbon & cordial in a large mixing bowl.

Cover with gladwrap & let sit over night for the fruit to soak up the liquid.

250g of butter

zest of on large lemon

1 cup of raw sugar

4 eggs

2 cups of plain flour

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

Beat the butter, zest & sugar in a bowl with an electric beater until combined.

Ad eggs, one at a time, until just combined.

Add the butter & egg mix to the soaked fruit.

Add the flour & mixed spice to the mix & fold through until combined.

You can cook this in one large cake tin or as I do, in 2 small tins. I even had a little left over mix which I cooked in an empty diced tomato tin. You could make a lot of little ones in empty tins to give as individual gifts. Make sure to line the cake tins with baking paper & make sure that the paper goes up higher than the edge of the tin. this stops the edges from cooking too fast.

Make sure to smooth the top of the cake batter & drop the tin several times to remove any air pockets.

Cook in a slow oven, 150 degrees Celsius.

A large cake will take around 3 hours,

2 small ones around 2 hours

& individual cakes in tins, around 1 hour.

Oven times may vary so check the cake by inserting a skewer & if it comes out clean then the cake is cooked.

When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven & wrap the cake (while still in the tin) in alfoil & place it upside down on a cooling rack. This gives you a smooth top to cover in rolled icing.

When the cake is cooled, remove it gently from the tin. Keep the baking paper on it & wrap with glad wrap. Store in a cool place.

You can eat it straight away.

Mr P took some away with him in the truck!

As it gets closer to Christmas, I will show you how I decorate it.

Enjoy!