Working on Ornaments for the Craft Sales!!

Michael's had these chipboard albums last year, so I turned them into ornaments (I got the idea from Sugar Sugar), she sold them on her website. Mine may not be as knockout pretty, but I think they come close!

What do you think?
Cheers,
Viviana

Got Some Cards Done, Finally!

The fact that I have been busy making cards can only mean one thing, winter is coming....oh and having a cold means I'm housebound only motivated to create, not clean or do housework....yeah!

It feels good, it makes me happy!

Cheers,
Viviana

The perfect Cinnamon Scone, right in my own kitchen!

The hunt for the perfect recipe was brought on because of a bakery called COBS, which makes the ridiculously delicious cinnamon scones. Of course, in my weakest moments I have had to run over there and buy 4 (you get a deal for bulk purchases), and since I am of the thrifty nature, I thought what better tan to figure them out to make for myself.
Now the key ingredient is cinnamon, which to me is one if not THE most amazing of all spices!

So I decided to use a basic recipe for scones, I found one on the Taste web site, which looked easy enough, though instead if greasing the cookie sheet I would have used parchment paper. Then I came across this web site, Scones.Org.uk, which made me jump for joy!

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 30g butter at room temperature
• ½ cup milk
• ⅓ cup water

Simple ingredients, simple instructions, minor alterations. 

I wanted the little burst of cinnamon the Cobs scones had, but I didn't want to mail order the cinnamon flv-r-bites, I wanted them now. So I created my own by blending 3 tablespoons of cinnamon with 2/3 cup sugar and some water. I used the same technique used to make sugar roses (or sugar shapes for tea parties), except I didn't mold them, I just spread the sugar out on a plate to dry over night.

The result was perfect, except for the middle bit which I had to scrape off with a spatula because it sort of adhered to the plate quite nicely.

• Preheat your oven to 210 degrees Celsius and prepare a baking sheet by greasing with butter or oil.
• Sift flour into a mixing bowl.(At this point add sugar/cinn mixture and stir well)
• Chop butter into small pieces and add to flour.
• Make a small depression in the middle of the flour and butter mixture.
• In a small bowl, combine milk and water.
• Slowly pour liquid into the depression made in the flour.
• Mix all ingredients with a flat knife until a soft dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth.
• Roll out the dough to form a 2cm thick round.
• Cut the dough into individual scones approximately 5cm in diameter.
• Place scones on baking sheet and glaze with milk.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until scones are golden brown.

I added the sugar crumbles to the flour and mixed it well before adding the wet ingredients.
It looked wonderful, and baked perfectly !

I didn't separate the individual scones though, I didn't want them to dry out at all.

I also decided to add a little glaze made of icing sugar, cinnamon and milk  and I drizzled it over the still warm scones.

They were the perfect accompaniment to my coffee, and my son thought they were awesome with soy milk.
So now, although I can always run out to the store to get my cinnamon scone fix, I don't have to...specially if the craving strikes at 9 pm!

If you try, let me know how they turn out.
Cheers,
Viviana

The First Day of Grade 1 has Arrived!!

So this was it, he picked his own outfit (black jeans, a white t-shirt and vest, and a hoodie with a skull and wings on it), he's perfecting his rock and roll style, and was ready and willing for his first day of Grade 1. What a trooper too, first day at a new school and on top of it all, his 2 friends Eric and Tara, who come to my dayhome, are not in his class! 

I'm sure it all went well, or I'll find out in an hour or so when they get out. 

I have to share these other pictures too, they were just too funny not to. He is such a clown!

If anyone has seen Diary of a Wimpy kid, you might recognize who he's being today!

Cheers and happy days,

Viviana