A new beginning....and a snivelling mummy......

Hello there....I'm feeling a little odd today....as opposed to every other day?!....

Today is back to school for us and.....my baby is starting prep......gulp.....and breathe......

 
She is very much ready.....I..mmm...not so much.....she has been my little constant companion for the past 5 years and I really do enjoy having her around, however.......

We are now entering a new, and what I hope is an exciting, stage of life where she gets to grow, learn and explore and I get to....well.... I hope to do the same!.......

Ok...I am now off to get a little bit of order happening in this house.......it's much needed.....

Have a lovely day......


                                                   Janelle  xx
                                               
PS...yes that is a caterpillar curled up on our dining table.....he snuck in on the flowers and has now been rescued by the kids....

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Scrumptious ginger biscuits.......

Good morning....would you like to come in for some bikkies and tea?......ok then......

Thought I might share this quick, easy and downright tasty recipe for ginger biscuits today......I'm not sure where this originates from....we used to bake and eat these as kids.....possibly it's come from some fabulous cwa recipe book of my mum's or grandmother??.......anyway here it is......I highly recommend!!.......

                                                                    Gingernut Biscuits

1 1/2 cups SR flour
5 ozs butter
3 ozs sugar
lemon essence (I don't usually have this in my pantry so I either don't bother with it or just squeeze in some                  
                        lemon juice)
1 dessert spoon golden syrup
1 teasp ginger powder
1/2 teasp nutmeg powder

1. Cream the butter and sugar.

2. Add the lemon essence and golden syrup and beat a little more.

3. Fold through the sifted flour, ginger and nutmeg.

                                                                               

4. Grab yourself a couple of greased or lined baking trays.

5. Roll the cookie mix into balls and press a fork into them to make the pretty lines on top!

6. Pop them into a 180degree oven (the recipe says this but I don't usually have the temp this high....maybe
    160-170) for 10-15 mins (I'd check after 10, these were about 13mins and just edging on the dark brown
     side of things!)                                                                                  

7. Place on cooling tray (any vintagey ones lying about?? They look so lovely!?!)

8. Actually try eating these whilst still warm.....yuuuuuuum.

                                                                               
Now go grab a pretty cup and plate and make yourself a good cuppa......

And enjoy.........

                                                                                                                                                                 

Have a lovely Monday.......and happy baking!!.......


                                               Janelle  xx                                                                                                                                                          

An evening's walk.......

Morning......fancy a little walk today??......

I snapped these pics with my phone whilst out the other evening.......

 Everything is soooo dry and .....well......brown looking.........but there's still plenty to look at......and snap at.......

One of the best things I've found about blogging is that it really has opened my eyes to all that is going on around me.....a new found appreciation of where, and how, I live.......and a slight obsession with recording every moment on my camera or phone.......

I have walked this road for most of my life and love how the scenery is constantly changing......and always beautiful colours.....whatever the season......

 
I think we can safely drive down here at the mo........

A little colour amongst the brown..........

                                                                             

 
Right.....time to head back home......loads to do....trying to get somewhat organised for the kids' return to school next week......eeuugh......real life is returning.......

   
Have a lovely Wednesday........


                                            Janelle  xx                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

A pretty cuppa........

Happy Tuesday folks.......

A few pretties to brighten our day?......

Cuppa?........

Have a lovely day.........

     
...........


                                         Janelle  xx

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Around the house.........

Good morning.....are we ready and raring to go for another week??.......although we have just had a fab happy family beach holiday it is always so lovely to be home and back amongst our favourite and familiar things........so with that thought... I am sharing a few pics from around the house today......nothing outstanding....just things that I appreciate and love........such as sleeping back in my own bed.....and bedlinen!!.....nothing quite like that no??........

                                                                             
Enjoying cuppas from my fave pretty cups.........

My bathroom.........

With bath!!!........so much easier to soak sand etc from little bodies........

                                                                               
And of course kicking back on my fave white couch.........although I could do with that gorgeous beach view out the window just to really top things off..........

                                                                                   
See.....all very small and ordinary things yet they mean comfort and home to me........though again.......could really do with those ocean views......anyday!!!!.......

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Anyhoo.......must be off......it's back to a little bit of reality for us this week with swim lessons for a couple of the kiddos.......goodness.....I may have to actually know what day it is.......hhmmmmm........

Happy Monday to you.........


                                        Janelle  xx                                                                              

Life's a Beach......

Well hello there!!!....it seems ages since I've popped in here....probs only about a week or so but seems longer....we have been busy.....doing alot of this.....

  

Yep...hardwork but hey.......happy to oblige........

  

This was our view for the week......not bad........

Even with grey skies one evening it was beautiful......

There's was lots of long walks.........

                                                                                   

                                                 

..swims in the sea...sand castle making...and of course shell collecting.......

    

A simple old-fashioned holiday at the beach..........perfect..........

                                                                                  

It is lovely to be home now tho.....feeling rather re-charged and ready for some plans and projects around the white farm........stay tuned!!........

                                                                                   

Have a lovely weekend..........

                                                Janelle  xx    

ps......yes I have been extremely lazy and used my instagram pics here.....let's call it 'holiday mode'....xx                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

A new old table.........

Good morning.....thought I'd pop in today and share a few pics of our new/old dining table.......which I must say....I am loooooving......first here is a little before shot........

                                                                                 

And here we have a little in-between stripped bare very unprofessional  pic........

                                                                               
And finally.........after a few coats of paint and a little distressing..........she's all yummy and white......we decided to go with a beeswax for the top to retain the sense of 'raw' timber.....I'll get back to you on how that works with a rowdy messy family.........I do like the finish of it though........

                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                    
I  love these old castors.......and of course a bit of white chippy.........

So.....there's another project to tick off the list.......only a few hundred  to go.........

                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                   
I hope you're enjoying the new year............

See you again soon.......


                                            Janelle  xx


                                      
                                                                               
                                                                     

                                                                             
                                                                                  

                                                                                 

                                                                     

                                                                              

Happy New Year and Thankyou........

Happy New Year!!!..........

I hope 2013 brings you all the dreams and wishes you can think of......and more.........

Thanks for coming and visiting me here on the farm.......I have had so much fun hanging out here in blogland..........I'll be popping in and out over January... in between trying to keep children amused and a very-much-excited-about beach holiday....but will be back full time once school hols are over.....I am also having loads of fun on instagram so if you can please visit me there......I'm awhitefarm over there.....funny that......

                                                                                
Happy happy 1st day of a brand new year!.........


                                           Janelle  xx