Peppermint Slice

Peppermint Slice

• 150g Butter, softened, plus 100g for icing
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1½ cups Flour
• ¼ cup Cocoa
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 1½ cup Icing Sugar, sifted
• 1½ Tbsp Cream
• 1 tsp Peppermint Essence
• 200g Dark Chocolate, melted, for topping
• 
  
• Cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix together until combined.
• Press the mixture into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Cool.
• Filling : cream the 100g of butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the cream and peppermint essence. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled base.
• Set in fridge for 30 minutes before topping with a layer of melted chocolate. Wait for the chocolate to set before cutting the slice into small pieces (for a perfect finish, use the tip of a sharp knife to mark cutting lines in the chocolate topping just before it sets).

Fruit Tart

• Fruit Tart
• 
  
• 425g can fruit (apricots, pears, plums, boysenberries, peaches). I used two tins rather than 1
• 1 ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup coconut
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 200g butter

 

1. Method:
2. Drain boysenberries and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease or line a 20cm round  cake pan with baking paper.
4. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the coconut and sugar. Rub in butter.
5. Press the three quarters of the dough into the cake pan. Spread the boysenberries over the dough and then crumble over the remaining dough.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with oodles of cream!

August - Here-turi-kōkā

We had a few new additions to the family this month....Good George, Flippy Fish and Lovey Lola. So fun!

Introducing Good George, Seth's baby bro

Flippy Fish on the left...the newest member of Dally's Ty tribe

Lovey Lola...Ella's mini me

A sleepover at Gma Rose's. I just had Seth and Dalls with me and  they loved it. They kept saying Grandma Rose is so cute and they love her!

I love that they've experienced the Grandma Rose treatment. Always the warmest, comfiest beds at her place

Tutu-ing with a computer something that Dally brought home after having passion time in her pod

The hair salon set up when Aunty B gave Julie a hair  in the kitchen

Grandie making himself at home and getting stuck in to the clean up after our whānau hui in the staff cafe. Can always count on Dad to get out the broom and wipe down the benches

I had felt bad for the girls that I had to take them to my course for about 2 hours. After Ella saw the lolly bowls in every room she was quite happy to stay all day and I'm sure she'll beg to come every time she hears I've got a wananga day in the future

Family Quiz night. Such a laugh

?!?!?!? Dally being creative with paper and pencil after finishing her homework

Pre-haircut

Post hair-cut

On Dally's trip to the Stardome

At our digs at the Mt for our weekend doing the 5.5km fun run

Ormsby cemetery

Gran and Grandad's gravesite at Pye's Pa

Hangarau Marae at Bethlehem

What a view!

This speedy speedster came 31 out of 208 runner, 9th out of the females and 2nd out of the children! And I think she practised with me and Faith 3 times!

We visited the infamous train bridge where Grandie jumped off and hurt his shoulder. (We've got it on a family DVD and the kids love watching it) 

Paparoa Marae in Te Puna

Filling up on a great spread of kai before our drive home. Rise risotto for the win!

Look who we found...Grandad Robert Wattie Ormsby

Faify's birthday breakfast choice. Nice one darling...Mummy loved it!

Āku kotiro ataahua. My beautiful girls, performing in the cultural showcase on Faith's 11th birthday. I ordered bone carving necklaces for them from a gift shop at the Mt and they arrived about 10 minutes before they went on stage!

Our weekday set up. I get their homework activities ready the night before and set them out on the table before we leave for school. They all love it.....kind of!

PJ day for this little puppy

Friday afternoon jobbies. They all have to fold their washing and do one other job before Mum gets off their backs and lets them relax like sedentary couch potatoes for the rest of the night. There used to be tantrums and tears but now there's quick compliance cause they know its better to get the job done. Surprisingly screaming about it doesn't make it go away and there's less chance of getting the device they want. Seth was in for a doozy this afternoon cause I wasn't happy with the state of his drawers so he had to take everything out and start from scratch. Thankfully he asked Dad nicely to help him and they chatted their way through it no worries

And now we're on to spring and some sunny days....finally! Good riddance rain