News & Updates from Helen Howell Designs · Page 7
In Australia we have a tradition of having Christmas in July, this is done because it is our winter season and December is our summer season.
I think the reason being is that in December it is sometimes too hot to enjoy the traditional fare of Christmas, so the Christmas roast gets repeated in July.
In our house we dont go the whole hog, I just put up the miniature Christmas Tree with decorations for the day, we do exchange presents, but not expensive ones.
Roast pork and trifle was on the menu.
My little granddaughter who is not quite 3 years old came dressed as an elf and she looked so cute.
All in all it was a very happy day with my family.
My little granddaughter Alyssa is now just over two and half years old. She came to stay with me for a few days and I thought it was time we cooked something together.
I picked something easy that I thought she might be able to participate in and decided on cheese and chive scones.
Standing on a steady stool, apron tied around her we began. I placed the food processor in front of her and measured out all the ingredients, she then with my help placed them all into the processor and was allowed to switch it on.
Her excitement was joy to see when she saw the food processor mixing everything together. Then we rolled out the dough, to which she said, Nanny Play dough, No, Alyssa, I replied, Scone dough. She did the cutting out with the scone cutter and I placed them on the baking sheet.
Under my instructions she brushed each with egg wash, scatter cheese on top (and ate some of the cheese for herself ^_^ ).
She took a peek through the oven door every now and again to watch them rising and when they finally came out she declared Scones!
I hope she and I will have many more cooking adventures together.
I had my toddler granddaughter staying with me over the weekend, she is always on the go. So I bought her a bubble blowing seahorse which can push out dozens of bubbles in one go.
Well, of course she loved this and we had to sit out on the verandah for a very long time while she played and blowing bubbles.
As the bubbles rose in the air and she watch them sail away, she would shout look theyre going! I loved blowing bubbles when I was a child and I think they still are very popular with todays children.
I guess were pretty lucky in Australia as Autumn is a lovely time of the year, cool mornings and evenings and pleasant sunny days (well most of the time.) Nice enough to take my little granddaughter to play on the beach, not warm enough to go in swimming but paddling can be fun.
She loved paddling and we had the time of our lives splish splashing in the water.
On Thursday last week my husband and I went to see the Garden Show, the main one for the year.
Its been a couple of years since I had been to this show. There were lots to see, gardens to inspire, plants and bulbs for sale.
Of course I didnt come home empty handed, making a choice was the difficult thing. The sun shone all day for us which completed a very pleasant outing.