Brownie-in-a-cup Recipe

Microwave Brownie in a cup!
So easy and prefect for when you need a quick fix dessert.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Water
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla essence
A dash of salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa
4 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Plain flour

Method:

In a bowl/ small jug whisk together well the oil, water, and vanilla essence.
Add the cocoa and sugar and whisk well.
Add flour and give it a final well whisking!
Put the mixture into a microwave safe mug and microwave for 1 minute on high.

This method makes around 1/2 a mug of brownie, just enough to top with ice-cream!
If you're more keen on having more brownie in yo' mug, double the recipe, and microwave instead for 1.45 minutes.

- Bee

Jaimee's DIY Corner update!

The drilling is in full swing today!

Cocoa and Mt Vic

Friday night we went with a few friends to drink cocoa and look at the lights of the city. How beautiful they were!

Wellington harbour from the Mt Vic lookout

Mikey, Will, Scarlett, Leah, and Jaimee

City lights

- Bee

Bits and bobs

Hi there!

Here are a few bits and bobs that have been happening around Little House lately.

Leah covered in polystyrene bits.

Lauren came home after work one night to find Twiggy napping inside some old boxes.

New-old tablecloth scored for $4.00 at our local Salvation Army Store.

The weather this summer in Wellington has been ALL OVER THE SHOW. This photo was taken on one of our still sunny days from the top of our Garden. 

Who has a blackberry bush? HOLLA! This is our very first berry of the season. Woop woop!



- Bee

25 ways to wear a scarf in 4.5 minutes

Frankie Magazine shared this neat video! These ideas will make this weird Summer weather we're having here in Wellington a lot more enjoyable!

Also my cousin Sian shared this song - I had forgotten how much I admire Josie's voice! Can you believe she is only 12 years old?!

- Bee

MAN STYLE: F/W 2012 street style via Isaac Likes

I came across Isaac's post on his blog today regarding his favourite menswear street style shots for the Fall/Winter season in New York.

Needless to say, Isaac's favourites are really great, So I thought Id share some of  them! something a little different :)

You can read the full post HERE.

This is my favourite!

Twins!

Casual laughs at a cafe.

(SOURCE: www.isaaclikes.com)


- Bee

The Joy of Books

A little bit of crazy-cool stop motion for you!

- Bee

Savoury Bready Cups

A wee recipe I adapted from Sophie Gray "Delicious"

6 slices of bread with the crusts removed
Tomato paste
any toppings you like (I used ham, tomato, pineapple and cheese)
egg and milk

roll your slice of bread with a rolling pin, spread with tomato paste and pop into a muffin pan, one  per slice.
mix your egg and milk in a little jug with salt and pepper
top with your chosen toppings
pour over your egg mixture and top with cheese
bake in the oven for 15 mins
eat :)

I made this for Bridget and I to eat for lunch today, they were scrummy! Three each was just right :)

have a go for yourself!

-Leah x

Sad Day

picture source

Friends and family spent the weekend farewelling two lovely folks, Chrisjan Jordaan and Alexis Still. Chrisjan and Alexis passed away tragically in a hot air balloon accident on January 7th 2012. I went to their funerals over the weekend, it was lovely to be with friends and see just how many lives these two people touched in their short years on this Earth. It's comforting to know that even though it is so sad that they are gone, they are in Heaven with Jesus, having a wonderful time. This photo brings me so much peace, taken the morning of the accident. The stripes of the balloon arch over them like a rainbow: A symbol of God's promises, His peace and His love. I know I'll see them again someday.

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2

- Leah x

Flat Date "Out on the Town"

'So what are you ladies up to tonight?' The chap at Kaffee Eis asked us.

'This! This is it!' We replied.

The guy serving us gelato was I think a little surprised to hear that our idea of a big night out was coming in to the heart of Wellington's nightlife scene to have gelato and a cup of tea!

Crazy party animals we certainly are not, but the four of us here at Little House had a grand time on our Friday night :)

A few snaps from the night :)

have a great weekend!

-Leah x

Lemony Lemonade

My home-made lemonade!

When the weather is hot hot hot like it was today, I like to make bottles of icy cold home-made lemonade!

 here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

(this recipe makes roughly 3 litres of lemonade)

1 - 1&1/2 cups white sugar (depending on how tart/sweet you like your lemo-nard)

6 medium lemons

3 litres of cold water

ice

Juice the lemons, making sure to remove the pips from the juice.

Stir the lemon juice, sugar, and water in a large jug until the sugar is entirely dissolved.

Garnish with ice.

Boom.

- Bridget

Check out our cat

Twiggy hasnt been featured for a while, so this is her today, relaxing on Leah's bed.

- Bridge

So much to tell you

Hello, Happy past holidays, and Happy New Year from Little House!

Well I have so very much to tell you.

First of all - an apology. One really must think a lofty craft commitment through thoroughly before embarking upon a craft blitz during the silly season. So obviously we didn't quite make it the whole way through the craft and recipe advent deal we had going.

It is sad.

We had some really great ideas lined up - but sometimes people get busy. And sometimes those people who get busy, are people like us. And sometimes those people who get busy, are people like us, because they are us...

AND BOY DID WE GET BUSY HERE!

December in my memory is a whirlwind blur of craft, baking, photos, art, birthdays, Christmas, and New Years, as well as many other things I cant recall right now.

ANYWAY.

This post I wanted to share with you what we got up to during our mad month of December!

LAURENS 23RD BIRTHDAY TWO DAY BONANZA!

The celebrations of Lauren's birthday started the day before her actual birthday, we kidnapped her in the afternoon and took her to a secret location!

The secret location was...The Wellington Botancial Gardens! HOORAH! Jaimee made this yummy venetian chocolate nut cake.

The weather was beautiful, such a great way to start celebrating the birth of a great lady!


Later  on in the evening I set up a treasure hunt around our yard with clues as to where and what we would get up to late that night!

First stop: The Telecom Tree!
Second stop: The Library for sorbet!
Third stop: (We intended to go to Alice's but alas, it was closed) so on we went to Hawthorne!

On Lauren's actual birthday we had a pretty relaxed day, she got a tattoo, we shopped a little for Christmas presents, and we surprised her with a dinner picnic in the yard for the finale. As you can see below, telling Lauren she has 5 minutes to dress fancy results in a ball gown, David Bain style sweater, and a vintage lambs wool coat.
Wow what a birthday!

CHRISTMAS TIME OH SWEET CHRISTMAS OF MINE

Next on the agenda was CHRISTMAS!!!WOOO YEAH!!!
Leah and Jaimee headed home, and Lauren and I lingered on at Little House.
Poor Lauren had to work! lame-o.o.o.

I spent Christmas for the most part with Will, Scarlett, and Rachel.
We headed round to Will's parent's home since Will had the place to himself.
We kept it casual, walking the dog, eating outside, opening the odd gift, cooking up a mighty feast, and watching The Grinch.

BRIDGET'S 23RD BIRTHDAY

Yep, you betcha. Another birthday.
My birthday was filled with op-shopping, a record player, brown paper, records, hydrangeas, cake, carrot soup, glass bottles, pepperoni pizza, friends, embarrassing stories, and a whole lot of joy.
It was a great day spent with some of my very favourite people.

I am blessed. 

TAME NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS 

The weather packed it in over New Years, but that didnt spoil our fun!
The Little House crew headed around to our friend's whare on Owen Street for some Singing in the Rain before the countdown, a tipple, and Olie Bollein (Dutch fruity bready fried ball things! nom nom!)

Alana made the Olie Bollein, aint she a cutie?

PHEW!

That my friends, was a lot of information (A LOT)at once!

The main theme in each of these oh-so-fun events is that special occasions are best shared.
Make sure to make the most of the time you have to spend with family and friends during the year ahead, value your relationships.
That is a good resolution to make!

WELCOME TO 2012!

- Bridge (who else puts together such spastic posts?!...)