A day at the waterpark

Rebecca's idea of the best of days in the summer...

Chocolate chunk biscuits

125g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
1 cup bran rich self-raising flour (or normal s/r flour)
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 slab of dark chocolate

Using a large knife cut the chocolate slab into smallish chunks. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add egg and mix in. Next add the remaining ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon (I end up using my hand, it works best). Roll mixture into balls (about a tablespoon of dough at a time) and flatten slightly. We also cut out a few Christmas shapes.

Preheat the oven to 190 deg Cel. Bake in the pre-heated oven on lined baking trays for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.
Optional: You can melt another slab of chocolate and dip half the biscuit in chocolate and let cool.

For double chocolate biscuits, use a slab of white chocolate/white chocolate chips and then dip outside in dark chocolate.
Serve with hot chocolate! Makes about 20 biscuits

These are the biscuits we have been eating during Christmas. Delicious!!

Merry Merry Christmas

A very happy Christmas... may this day be filled with love and much merriment.
And enjoy the Gift... and may Holiness adorn your home.

I made the usual Christmas biscuits but Rebecca made an excellent batch of chocolate cookies that her aunt declared were better than ones she had at a fancy coffee shop earlier in the week.

Many Blessing!!

Morning and Night

I don't see her from my chair in the morning, but I hear her as she tears open the little treat buried in the advent calender... in the evening the candles are lit and the songs are sung, a few minutes of sparkle before bed. How can a baby girl not sleep well after a happy chorus?

Vegetable patch

She picks them early... so that we can have lovely and cool salads in the heat.

The Christmas plan

What a wonderful time to reflect on the golden thread that runs through scripture... hundreds of years apart... old and new testaments, different people, with diverse backgrounds all looking toward the One King and His grace, thanking the Father for His redemptive plan.

Foretold
"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given... His name shall be Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Born
They followed a miracle star.... the choir of angels sang with gusto... the time came for the birth, and his mother wrapped up her King and laid Him in a manger.

Lives and breathes into our lives today
"God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son"
"Now to Him Who by the power that is at work within us, is able to do super-abundantly far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think... to Him be the Glory."

A Christmas concert

Rebecca was in the church's Christmas production this weekend...

Festive and fun...

Christmas carols

Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King!
~ Charles Wesley



"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" Psalm 100

A full week of singing carols, baking, sharing and practicing for our Christmas concert!

A robe of virtue

"People notice peacemakers because they dress funny. We know how the people who make war dress - in uniforms and medals, or in computers and clipboards, or in absoluteness, severity, greed and cynicism but the peacemaker is dressed in righteousness, justice and faithfulness - dressed for the work that is to be done."

~ Walter Brueggemann

A necessary respite

Good coffee is so welcome in the midst of Christmas shopping.

Class of 2011

Rebecca had her class over on Saturday for a final celebration before wrapping up the year... and it was messy (the boys were a laugh) but fun.



On Wednesday they were scientists for the day... making rubber balls, quick sand, explosions...
the Instructor kept saying "Please don't put any of the ingredients in your mouth", just in case anyone thought the sodium polyacrylate was sherbet.



Today the holidays began.

Yoghurt

I've always made plain yoghurt, but I tried a batch with flavouring...

Caramel and Banana, who wouldn't love that. It did not last long.




and Strawberry, which has such a fresh fruity flavour.

Joy to the world

... the Lord is come, let earth receive her King.

Every morning Rebecca races to adjust the count-down clock.



Then its off to the tree to turn on the twinkling... she enjoys it regardless of morning, noon or night. Next stop is turning on the Christmas carols and opening the next window of her Advent calender.

Caprese Salad

A simple assembly and you end up with a flavourful, beautiful plate. Ripe tomatoes, soft mozzarella and basil.