Homemade chocolate.

The chocolate eggs I made at Easter were pretty poor, dull with honey crystals through them. They helped ease my need for chocolate but certainly didn't have good mouth feel. So it was time to try again and this is what I ended up with, nice shiny chocolate with reasonable mouth feel. I added roasted almonds as it was a little sweeter than I like, the honey flavour was there but wasn't too strong.

Thomas enjoyed helping with the clean up, as did all the other children.

Notice the chocolate drip on the chin! He is busy playing a Nancy Drew computer games, they love those games.

Chocolatey kisses.

Poor James was running a very high temp so missed the pleasure of clean up with the others.

This one would have eaten the lot in one sitting I'm sure. I think I may need to make the next batch when they are all sleeping and hide it away! Sure doesn't last long.

No Longer a Teenager.

My first born turned 20 this week, no longer a teenager, I think he is a little reluctant to leave those years behind him but I try to assure him life really gets richer as the years roll by. We all love it when he (well now when they) come to visit, there is always so much excitement in the house as everyone waits the arrival of biggest brother and his lovely girlfriend.

J

James has drawn some stars for Zac.

 This game was never finished as no one could remember how to play, we must download some instructions.

 James doing his first ever sewing.

 Daniel making a special gift for someone he loves and misses.

 I love to see them getting on so well, I wonder just how tall she will get.

 Zac is holding his gift from Serena, rosemary and thyme potted in boots and Nina is holding some lacto fermented radishes. 

We enjoyed a quiet afternoon together just enjoying each others company. A game of Mousetrap was started, and some stitching done. One brother spent the day on the couch most disappointed with himself for being unwell on the day his brothers comes to celebrate his birthday with us. But all in all it was a lovely afternoon. I'm very much looking forward to having all of me children together in a couple of weeks.

Happy Birthday Precious!!

17 times you have been around the sun. 17. What a delight you have been.

God blessed our socks off when He gave us you. You are such an amazing, interesting, big hearted person.

It's been wonderful to watch you grow, you'er growing in wisdom and  developing a lovely character.

I can't wait to see what you do with this life you have been given, I know you will continue to embrace it and live it well.

We have missed you so much this year but know that you have a wonderful opportunity to learn and stretch your self where you are.

Some new books and a Sri Lankan dish cloth.

After reading this post http://lifeasmom.com/features/booking-it-in-2011I had a little spend up on books online and then had the pleasure of parcels arriving in the mail...all for me! I have so far read 'A Sane Women's Guide to Raising A Large Family', which I enjoyed reading I wish I had taken notes so I could tell you more about it but I mostly read while getting the little one to sleep and taking notes then is not possible. Sometimes it felt like I may have written the book myself as the author sound very like me and sometimes I thought "yes that is an area I need to work on". I'll have another flick through with a pen and paper when I finish the other books that are inviting me in. A lot of this book was written for people deciding if a large family was for them or not, so really didn't apply to me.

I'm currently reading Organized Simplicity. Again it's an easy enjoyable book to read. I wondered at first if there would be anything in it for me, at first it seemed to me the author was saying growing your own food and using cloth nappies are extreme and that prickled me a bit but as my reading progresses I can see she isn't saying that at all. She is catering for a wide audience is all, and these things are not essential, though to me they may seem to be. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book and will attempt to take notes this time.

Cooking for Celiacs, Colitis, Crohn's and IBS, arrived this week and has been a real winner. It's pretty much a GAPS cookbook. Last night I made Sri Lankan feast which was great though as usual I was a little heavy handed with the spices and our 'eyes bled' a little! Still we all enjoyed it and I will make it many more times. There are so many great recipes in there, the children have been drooling over them so I'm using many in my latest menu plan.

I still haven't finished Gut and Psychology Syndrome, partly because I do need to take notes with that one and partly because I have picked up much of the content on the internet already. It's a book I will refer to often and lend out regularly.

Down To Earth recently held a Dishcloth Swap (my first swap)  and my swap partner Dhilma send me this lovely dish cloth and locally made coasters. The dish cloth was quickly put to work and only rests while in the wash or on the line. I really like using it. All of my past handmade ones ended up with holes from washing knives carelessly and I'd forgotten how much nicer hay are to have around than the squares of blue cleaning cloth I have been using. I wasn't a very good swap partner, my cloth was a very plainly knitted bamboo one and it was posted late but still I enjoyed knitting for a new friend and I do like knitting with bamboo, it's so soft and lovely.