Quick Biscuit Recipe - Shortbread Cookies

This is the first year my children have been socially out and about.
So, with lots of Children, its Christmas time, and how do I make lots of small treats?
This is an awesome shortbread recipe I found on the side of a box of cookie cutters. So I adopted it as one of my favs - Ive been making two batches at once and get around 120 small cookies or 80 thicker ones.
Decorate as you like - we went for icing & 100s and 1000s  for the dance, as the theme for the disco was *Stars in Your Eyes*
We went for blue icing for the second batch, as that is Mr 12's fav colour.
We packaged them up for his class party tomorrow.

It was hard finding a nice blue, but he is happy with what we did. We ended up painting on the icing, it was the easiest way to get them all done...
In total, I think we ate more than we painted, between all of us :-)
Theyre really easy to make and very tasty!
They also store well and dont go too soft overnight etc.

COOKIE DOUGH - Shortbread
120 grams butter (can be unsalted)
1/2 cup of sugar

1 whole egg
2 cups of self raising flour
3-4 drops of vanilla essence.

Preheat oven to 170C
Cut butter into small cubes, rub into dry ingredients, mix egg in.
Knead together, put in fridge til it hardens a little. (approx 20mins)
Take out and roll flat, use cookie cutter shape if you like, or if youve put it in the fridge in a roll, you can just slice off the cookies, and prick them with a fork (the traditional shortbread way)

Place on tray, Bake around 5-7 minutes til very lightly browing.
Remove and let cool
Ice as you like... vanilla or almond icing is great for Christmas cookies.
Sprinkle with 100s and 1000s
Or coconut... or whatever.

Have been enjoying more strawberries. Its become the favourite thing to do first thing,  the kids checking out the new ones. It was the best thing ever leaving some of the plants to grow their suckers out! We may have a strawberry farm yet! Some potash and some crushed poo has given them a bit more oompf and theyre away again.

Well, another week down, another one on its way... Im loving these beautiful if windy days, roll on Summer :)




Take care,
Oh and if I didnt say it already -
Have a wonderful festive season... Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas!
Love
EB

Family Time... Warm Rain and Show Week!

This week is Canterbury A&P Show and  Racing (Horses) Cup Week. Bring on the Nor' West winds and high blue skies, the pollen that causes hayfever sufferers to retreat indoors, the sunburn for the Race-goers, and you have our usual weather to a T.
 It has been another really busy week, with dentist visits, school awards, Athletics Day, School Fundraising Meetings, and Chisnallwood Community meetings - oh and a trip to town for fishing gear, license and some Christmas shopping. It has been fun, and we are planning to go back soon, before the crowds appear.

Marginal Irises - I dont like them!

On the Garden front, the weather has been rather favourable. Im loving being up early and getting out there, its also very tempting to go out again after dinner while the light holds. But even the Dentist, who is a seasoned gardener, got caught up by the unexpected frost mid-week. He is lamenting the loss of a well-clipped hedge, and blames his *heavy handed pruning approach* - but who would expect it, a zero degree frost in November?... yes, they do happen...
Apart from a few browned leaves on my potatoes, Im lucky I didnt have much of an issue, but its made me wary :) Miss B lost her tomatoes, and I am waiting patiently for mine to grow big enough to be able to plant out. Almost there, but now Im waiting a couple of weeks longer to put them out.




Everything else seems to be growing well.
Ive put in a couple of extra marigold varieties, some rudbeckias and a tonne of carrot (Paris Ball/St Valery/Nutri Red) seed. The Carrot Thief will be delighted!

We have been doing some serious investigating to see when the strawberries and raspberries will be ready, and the boysenberry responded very well to a handful of potash a few weeks back - it is smothered in flowers. It hasnt grown like crazy (yet?) which I anticipated, I have sharp secateurs ready just in case :)

My pretty calendulas have morphed. Some have brown centres this year. They look quite different to the orange and yellow ones that have plain centres. Oh well, something a bit different is okay too.

A striking pink sky tonight, with a light breeze has lead to rain. Its big drops of rain and its not serious at this stage, kind of sporadic so after not getting home fast enough from Fishing to water the garden, its just nice... Not a lot of anything being caught, but there are still a few around. Cant expect to get something every time, and we have had much success this year. Still love the anticipation the lads have, and how they enjoy the thrill of catching something. Doesnt matter what it is, it usually goes back unless its required for the table!

As Im sitting here tapping away, I can hear the Fireworks. Im amazed at how many there are this year.

Its an interesting time, and I do wonder where we are headed - both as a Community, here in Christchurch, and as a Nation. Interesting times ahead Internationally too, Im sure.

Love to You
Take care and Keep Smiling :-)

E BUTTERFLY
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The First of March -
Canterbury's weather, this week, took a turn for the wet and windy, cold and dewy. I cant believe it - it was like clockwork. This week has been very different from the last. I knew darker mornings were to be expected but we havent even reached Daylight Saving and the mornings are already darker, the evenings a little shorter. The dew is heavy and the foggy drippy windows let me know its colder out there...
The North had their first Winter Weather Bomb, a  violent storm that left its mark on gardens and property throughout NZ. We were lucky, we got just the glancing blow. Not so fortunate were our Northern neighbours!

Big Son (18) has had a couple of days off and has been working on my car, and spent his hard earned cash on some neccessities. Bless him. He loves getting in and doing it, reading up on what to do and away he goes...

Hes changed my oil and my oil filter, done a few other things and replaced the rocker gasket, which didnt sound like much fun, but it looks  & sounds so much better and runs nicely! Hes cleaned the whole thing and Im so thrilled and so,so grateful!
Still have to replace a Speedometer cable. Its in such a fiddly place... sigh.
Cars! Cant afford em, cant live without em!?
Thank You Son! Mummy Loves You!

Clutter, Clutter!Im feeling shut in and cluttered already.
It doesnt take much, I dont like being inside when there are things I feel I need to do outside. I can hear my intuition telling me to make a List of things (Im a list kinda gal!) to do when *those* days close in... And I mustnt ignore it this year, as I do tend to get the Winter Blues easily if I cant get out and about in the garden.

Ive started de-cluttering inside... AGAIN.  Its funny how every year, we bunk-in. We change the house around so we can live in the warmer parts of the building during Winter and close off the other parts. This year, with chimney removal and such, cracks in walls, missing putty in windows, holes in stained glass, drips here and there... its going to be interesting to say the least. Theres a ... massive... gap in the front door between the door jam, and where the door closes - in fact, the door barely locks and a good shoulder to the door handle would open it easily. It was a vital part of the emergency repairs that got *overlooked* ... EQC and Landlord *forgot* about that part I guess?
However, its the CLUTTER that does my head in. Why, oh why... do we have so much crrra...rubbish.
Im dealing to it. I simply cant do it fast enough. I hate tripping over stuff, or looking for something you cant find... and it happens here regularly. Old clothes - out. Old plastics - Recycled. Cardboard Boxes - Recycled...
Oh and then theres the school fundraiser - a box of CHOCOLATE to sell... groan. They know my weak spot...Perfect for those cold Winter days and nights...

Good News... and yes, there IS some, Im not just here to whine endlessly throughout this post *grin*, though it might seem that way...
We are getting BROADBAND tomorrow. An extremely inexpensive, good deal + Troublesome and Useless dialup = BROADBAND... As my 18yo said in a text when he heard... Welcome to the 21st Century Ma!... Cheeky brat.

So Im makin' a Youtube list of Things to Watch - Any suggestions?
I need to catch up on a couple of my favourite programmes Ive missed along the way, but Im really keen to view some of the stuff Ive missed for years as people have sent me links to videos, and Ive had to delete cos of my s-l-o-w connection... NOT ANY MORE :-) Can you see me grinning from here?
I resisted signing up for broadband for so long... but anything! for no more dialup hassles. I like learning from Gardening sites, like OOOBY and similar...

So things I can do this Winter if I cant be out and about include... Knitting some winter woollies - Id like to knit some socks, have never tried... Revamping the lounge - making a cushion or something to brighten things... Selling off some of the kids toys/books/baby clothes online... Jam! Preserving,... Making seed envelopes... Some more Prepping... Making some copies of my online Recipes... Im sure I will find more to do, besides Housework :-)

So thats me...
Still here, tidying and passing time til tomorrow at 9.30am or thereabouts...
Love to You and Yours,
E Butterfly
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Happy New Year Everyone... Rock n Roll Around The Clock in Christchurch!

A good nights sleep? Seriously, dont come to Canterbury for one of those at the moment. We get good nights, and then theres Last Night.
We went to sleep just after elevenish. I say ish, because I cant quite remember when, but a goodly time after eleven. Wouldve gone earlier, but with these new type of *creep-up-on-ya* type Eqs, we got a 4.0 at ten pm. It raises the bp a bit, so we sat on a little.
Two pm, and all hell breaks loose. It was a 5.1 and in the dark of night, theyre quite nasty.
Two of us hang on and wait for Number Three to join us. Thank God, she slept through. I have not. Its been a Rock n Roll kinda night.
The unusual thing is, the weather, yesterday was gorgeous - this morning we are in a grey wash of drizzly rain and low grey skies. From the *Earthquake Sky* we  talk about, with high blue sky and weird clouds, to THIS? Odd.
But. The Garden loves drizzle and grey clouds!!
Just not too much of it please, cos we need the heat for our fruiting plants... And our growing ones.
The Pumpkins are looking great, the fruit of which there are two at the moment have other buds appearing...
The Tomatoes are looking promising, some are quite sizeable, though no sign of the blush of red yet.
Speaking of red... Scarlet Runner Beans are blossoming everywhere. I have borlottis sizing up, but they are somewhat hidden by  enthusiastic Albenga Oxheart tomatoes at present.
Our Sunflowers are doing their thing, getting taller and taller. One is well over six foot, and has grown considerably since Christmas Day when we measured.

So while the Earth turns, and the weather changes, and we Rock On, its mainly all good...
I can do without the five oclock starts, or the rolling and rocking, but it does make you realise how lucky you are!

Happy New Year,
I hope 2012 brings you Joy, and Peace, and Happiness.
And that your Garden brings you much the same, and your Gardening Year is fruitful and trouble-free.
Oophs there we go again, Rock On Cantabs!

Love,
E BUTTERFLY
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2011 leaves with a Shake... so what will 2012 begin with?...

2011 is leaving.
Well, ceasing. And The Bitch doesnt want to leave us without a decent farewell - We got that!
Today we had a 4.82 that the USGS recorded as a 5.2! Some serious shaking, more damage for some, liquefaction for others - us, the lucky ones, just a stern reminder that Mother Nature Lives Beneath.
After a drive yesterday, we realised sadly, that yes, there are changes being made in Canterbury, but our neighbourhood is now looking like a series of country lanes, empty houses on funny angles, broken bits and bumpy gravel roads and neglected spaces where gardens still bloom regardless. Sad and Forgotten for the most part. The people who drive by, are just there just to look, to Thank God, maybe, that it isnt them?  and then they drive back from whence they came.

Did the Mayans truly predict that The World Might End in 2012? Im sure the Mayan who was in charge of writing the numbers at the time, lost count of where he was, and then decided, he had to go to the bathroom. When he arrived back, he looked at what he was writing (The Calendar) and shrugged... Meh. It seemed like a good thing to do at the time, but Im over it... and off he went to lunch. Never would he ever guess that he left us all hanging...
Ok, so thats not it at all, but we will never know :-)
Im picking The Changes that are spoke of,  have begun already. Theres an air of unrest right around the world.  Chaotic Economic changes, Natural Change, More water, less food, more people, Earthquakes, Floods, Famine. Civilization is Changing.
It is all part of an energy that means we MUST assimilate Change - Into our lives, our homes, the way we educate our children, technology, it all will change.
Change never happens without some sort of negativity or positivity to activate it. We need to get used to the changes, and its tough!
Its what they say - What doesnt Kill Us, Makes Us Stronger.
Im about as Strong as I can be. No - possibly not, but lets not push that to trial.

... Out with the Old, In With the New...I just want to cruise - no - sleep! through the end of 2011. I do not like New Years Eve at all.
My family are not entirely with me, and never are now theyre older and have Social committments. New Years Eve for me brings back sad memories of people dear who are no longer with us, of past Memories that bring home how much I miss the ones I love.
So Im a sad sack, and I ll be happy just chilling with the littles, watching some TV, then drifting off...

OR WILL I?
This year in Christchurch, it seems half the world wants a reason to celebrate... and why not?
Weve had some kind of wacky stuff to deal with  this year...
On with the good stuff - Celebrate Your New Year Cantabs~!
Parties on each side of the street here, and lots of music.
Someone was jamming on an electric guitar before - It sounded awesome, even from here, and Im picking it was a few houses down. The unfortunate thing, is that next door have Elton John on Replay, and the two playing alongside one another makes me want to run for cover :-)
Shouting can be heard, (the happy kind) and lots of families walking in the night air. It isnt dark or cooler yet, at 7.30pm its a nice time of night for a stroll around our neighbourhood...
Let the celebrating fill your heart, and let go of the fear - not just here, but whereever you are!
We got through, we will continue to make good.

Love, Light and Blessings
HAPPY FABULOUS NEW YEAR

Roll On 2012!!
Love
Earth Butterfly
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FOOD BILL - Dont let this one past or be passed!!

What a grey day. Cant believe its Friday already though?
We have been up since the Sparrows got up this morning. Its pleasant enough out there, and its watering day!
I think we all went to bed and crashed with exhaustion. We had a very long, rocky aftershock just before bed time, so the little guy (big 11yr old guy) slept nearby. It was a rude shock for us both, and insulted us by being just a 4.3 or something *small* but it just kept going, and was quite noisy. A good sleep was had by all though, eventually!
Ive been sorting out my seeds, and what to keep, what not to. The thing is, what do you do with seeds you no longer require? There seems to be nowhere you can give them to... I have visions of sweeping along the riverside, seeds pouring from my hands, but Im picking they ll know soon enough,. most of my surplus are lettuce, capsicums and pumpkins. The area could do with lots of these things growing freely, there are plenty of people who need food. I have asked at food banks, but apparently people want canned foods and perishables, not good healthy seeds that could give them so much more...

I was plodding through an exercise yesterday with my 11 yr old son.

Heres what we worked out...

ONE average sized pumpkin plant can grow an average of 3 or 4 pumpkins ...

One pumpkin makes pumpkin soup for an average of 3-4 people, which may stretch to say, averagely (get it?) two meals, per person?

That ONE pumpkin, holds within its skin, an average of maybe 150-200 seeds.
You dont use the seeds for the soup.
Save the seeds.

You can hull them, and make pumpkin seeds that you can then roast to snack on - full of nutrition
ORYou can dry them, and plant them.

That 150-200 seeds can feed a lot of people!!!! Or, they can feed livestock! Or you can harvest and onsell, or give away, or use for Halloween...Or sell seed...

Arent pumpkins awesome?

The same applies to most vegetables.

Their inner goodness is more than what you eat, it is what you can do to help feed yourself and others with what lies inside!

This is why it is important we stop the Government and other large businesses in NZ from taking away our rights, our freedom as Market Gardeners, Small Garden Business Operators, and Home Gardeners who may sell what they grow, and save seeds to finance their own Vegetable and Fruit Gardens - and have done for years, it is a way of life!.

THIS FOOD BILL has the potential to Stop us being able to maintain and supplement our food supply, and help others.

We simply cannot allow this to happen

GET IN QUICK because this bill WILL be passed if we do not make a statement and register our disapproval and non compliance to this bill!

HERE - READ FOR YOURSELF - THE FOOD BILL

And the Government cant believe the public backlash? - ARTICLE HERE

So - What can we do? START HERE - Petition

Questions and Answers on the Food Safety Website - READ HERE

OOOOBY says TIME FOR ACTION - READ HERE, Join this Gardening Community!

“Liberty has never come from the government; it has always come from the subjects of it.

The history of liberty is a history of limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.”
–Woodrow Wilson

FAMILY INTEGRITY WEBSITE has something to say about it HERE

___________________________________

MY SOAP BOX or rather, My thoughts on this ----

In a world where the reality is that sometimes, we must live by our wits, our intelligence and our clever cunning because noone else will do things for us, noone else will pay our way, or give us solutions, in a world where Money is King, Big Business Rules, Possessions are Important and Brands and Labels seem to define Us -  we simply cannot afford to lose the right to grow our own food.
For some of us - The Battlers, The Ones who Just Get Along,  the Living Simply folk, who live close to, or within poverty, we need to be able to feed our families this way.
If you dont know how to garden, but you want to learn,  please ask. Keep asking!
There are plenty of people who will show you the way.
As I have stated, I have seeds Im willing - nay, KEEN to give away, I have learnt how to Garden and Im prepared to show people how - ASK me :)

If you dont live in Christchurch, we can email and I can send seeds to you. ASK!
THERE ARE COMMUNITY GARDENS IN CHRISTCHURCH!For a small donation of your time, you can taste the benefits!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERES ONE -
New Brighton Community Gardens
136 Shaw Ave New Brighton Christchurch 8083  - WEBSITE NEEDS UPDATING but here it isand Im investigating news of another community garden in Linwood, behind the temporary Library building on Linwood Avenue...

NEW BRIGHTON NEWS -  The Market has reopened!


Well, now the rain has set in. I do not have to water, and the plants will be loving it!
Sometimes my blog starts as one thing, and it finishes as another and today is a classic example.
Im no activist. I simply recognize that we need our voices to be heard, for shame if we lose a fundemental right that other countries have - growing food at home. No, I hear you - Im being extreme. But honestly - do YOU want to read 800-odd  pages of legislation, understand it all completely, and do so in less than a month? ANYTHING that is 800 pages in length is not insignificant, therefore it needs a sturdy reaction.
Why was this kept quiet? ... There was an election to run. They seemingly didnt want it well-known that this bill was even being contemplated.
Actions are better than words.
Id march and show my opposition to this. It stands in the way of my lifestyle. My health, my welfare. I use my food to live...
Id march! Would you? Put yourself out there and show people you care.

Ok, signing off now.

Time to go and ground myself with some housework :)

Love, Light and Happy Gardening!
E BUTTERFLY
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Thats the Last Time I... Early Hosing... Garden Report!




Thats the Last Time I...
How many times do we say that? And usually its NOT the last time, for whatever it is.
This morning, my first thoughts were...
Whats that noise? Why am I awake? Is it morning already?...
Then...

...Thats the Last Time I sleep with the window open!
I bounced out of bed when I realized it was light. I could hear little birds singing their hearts out, so I decided it must be a respectful hour. I had been woken initially by next doors shower, their gas heats the hot water, and when it starts is makes quite a racket... Not that I had noticed before today.
So, up I get.
Greeted by a purry furry cat who wants fed. Nuzzling. But not friendly nuzzling, insistent. I want FOOD Skin-Mother. Food, not cuddles.
My life is easier if I feed the four of them first, so out I go. Cat meat in hand, Cats in tow, and just out the door when an aftershock hits. Gulp. Cats Scatter - no, theyre gone, various directions. It was a bit rocky, but nothing specially big, just a rude awakening to someone who has cat meat all over their hands and is barely awake, a 3.9, centred somewhere in North Brighton, poor Buggers!



Old Soldier Cat

 So. Its watering day. Hose in hand, I make my way through the garden, sprinkling water...
Hmm, pink morning sky, big clouds, easing into golden sunlight and still more big clouds. Then its just greyish dullness, but it gives the impression its going to clear because it is still very warm. Odd for early morning, but great stuff for the task at hand. Exit Jacket. Shorts on. Coffee in one hand, hose in the other. Great Stuff!

I start realizing things... Its very warm, light and rather pleasant. But very quiet for a Wednesday morning. Its Rubbish day, and maybe the rubbish trucks are late? ... Keep watering. Sip of Coffee.
Along one neighbours fence... watering my wee heart out, no noise from them. Hmm, he will be late for work... Other side... Hang on. I wonder...
I wonder what time it is? Gulp. Maybe Im up too early? ... Rubbish trucks are usually here at six.
So I wander back in, feeling very sheepish. Check children, still fast asleep, tucked up all nice and warm.
No movement at all since I looked earlier.
Turn computer on. Note to self - GET A WATCH
It was five thirty. And I had been up for almost an hour.
I can hear the neighbours now, over their porridge or their oat bran, or their Kornies...
Did that crazy woman next door wake you up with her hosing early this morning?
Did you hear her??
- Whats WITH that?
Oophs.
Sorry folks.

Garden Report this morning - MUST WEED LOTS. I have a need to Weed before the weeds breed...
(No? Sounded better in my head!)
This morning my pumpkins have four flowers, three have big bottoms - thats pumpkins-in-the-making right - Im hopeful?
Theyre trailing madly along the pathway now, which is great. Just what I wanted. Theyre Winter Pie, and I hope theyre going to be giving us enough to store for a bit. We love the idea of Pumpkin soup using our own Pumpkins. Also we have a Red Warren plant under my window... Ive mulched him, the smell of the rat is putrid, but once mulched I cant smell it Thank God! Let him rot, and do his job. Feed my Pumpkin!
We have many poppies out today, I didnt count. Miss 5 and I were looking last night and seeing what would be out today, to see if we could guess who would show their heads today. We counted 11...

Our beautiful rhubarb just keeps growing and growing. It is amazing. We cut some off last week, and have three plants. As soon as one gives us a load of yum, the others get into gear, and we are set for more.
Ive stewed it, but unfortunately the children arent as fond of it as I am.
Weve had several handfuls of raspberries. That truly has to be The Taste of Summer, a fresh raspberry!

Boysenberry

Well enough of me... I guess its time to go and hunt some breakfast and decide what today will bring. Im sad it is Wednesday already. The days I have the children home from school are so quickly passing by.

Love to You and Yours,
Hope you are Happily Gearing up for the New Year
Love,
E BUTTERFLY
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