Children of the New Forest

We are currently reading this book. Only up to chapter three, but greatly enjoying it.

The Garden Room

This is our new place to 'do homeschool'. It's been wonderful this winter, as the sun spills in all day long. We can sit at the table and look over our awesome garden, and thank the Lord for this great spot.

Loving Her Style - Shannon Fricke

How I love this woman's style! Her bed linen is a dream come true. Check out her facebook page. It has oodles of inspiring pics. shannonfricke.com

Two Chipper Chicks

Our lovely white Sikie, Chipper, has hatched two so far. She has been faithful, one hundred percent, by sitting for five weeks! We didn't manage to find fertilised eggs until after she had already sat for two weeks. There were two local Bantam Pekin Buff eggs and six Silkie eggs (posted) placed under her three weeks ago now. Thus far, one Pekin Buff and one Silkie - all crazy and stripey, have hatched. Today is hatching day, so here's hoping!

Hazelnut Biscuits

The beauty of this recipe is that it can simultaneously with the Chocolate Kiss biscuits, using up left over egg yolks.

4 egg yolks
150 grams icing sugar
300 grams ground hazelnuts
100 grams grated dark chocolate
100 grams extra whole hazelnuts

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until frothy
Gently fold in ground hazelnuts and grated chocolate
Leave dough to sit for 30 minutes
With two teaspoons, place mounds of mixture on lined tray
Decorate each with a whole hazelnut
Place in oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius
They should be ready in around 15 minutes
Watch carefully as they tend to burn

Delicious!

Chocolate Kiss Biscuits

4 egg whites
100 grams raw sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
50 grams grated dark chocolate

Beat egg whites until just stiff
Add sugar, beat
Gently fold in cocoa and chocolate

Using a dessertspoon, place mounds of mixture on lined tray

Bake 25 to 35 minutes 130 to 150 degrees Celsius

No Knead Bread

3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 and 1/2 cups water

Combine dry ingredients
Add water, stir until blended
Dough will be sticky and shaggy
Cover bowl with plastic wrap
Let dough rest at least 12hrs, preferably 18hrs, at warm room temperature

Dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles, and is a stringy texture
Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it
Sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball
Generously coat a tea towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal
Put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for around 2 hours
When ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with finger

At least half an hour before dough is ready preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius
Put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven
Slide you hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up
It may look at mess, but that is OK
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes
Then remove lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until loaf is beautifully browned
Cool on rack