homemade flatbread

I am totally addicted to making this flatbread at the moment! It's from Donna Hay's A Cook's Guide and it's the quickest and easiest flatbread I've ever made. If you'd like to try it but don't have this cookbook, I've added the recipe to this post so you can enjoy yummy hot flatbread too!

You will need:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon olive oil and extra for brushing

sea salt for sprinkling

Place the yeast, caster sugar and milk in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, table salt, oil and yeast mixture in a bowl and mix until a smooth dough forms. Turn the dough onto the bench or a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour to the dough if it is sticky. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Press the dough into a lightly greased slice tray, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt (at this step I also add freshly minced garlic).  I've also tried this flatbread with fresh rosemary and parmesan or olives - equally as delicious! 

Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown.

Serve hot or gather your favourite fillings and make yourself a Mediterranean focaccia. My absolute favourite combination at the moment is roasted capsicum, feta and slices of fresh mushrooms, red and green capsicum and red onion, toasted in the sandwich press. Try it, you wont be disappointed!!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my lazy Sunday! 

Bye for now...

Michelle xx

handmade cards - they don't get simpler than this!

I've shared some simple handmade cards in the past, but this next set of cards are even easier! Better yet, they were made using materials destined for landfill! I used small leftover pieces of blue spotted wrapping paper and glued these onto white cardstock. Then for the butterfly embellishments... these were salvaged from my ma's - cut out from a card pillow box her pj's came in! I added a pearl here and there and they were done! 

 

Next time you think about making a card of your own, have a look around your house first. You'd be surprised at what you might find and what you could create with lil' bits and pieces found around your home! 

Happy cardmaking!

Michelle xx

a gift for lil' cupcake

I attended a baby shower this weekend for mummy-to-be Michelle, who loves all things cupcake. Of course I followed the cupcake theme, and this is what I made to celebrate the coming arrival of lil' cupcake:

A cupcake onesie - I used spotted pink corduroy fabric to make the cupcake pan and then gathered and sewed lace onto the onesie to resemble cupcake icing. I added a lil' bow and it was done... easy as that!

Stretch headband - I used stretch lace for the headband and then gathered some pink lace into a rosette. I added a pearl to the rosette and hand sewed it to the headband.

Sock cupcakes - I used 4 pairs of Bonds Bamboo cuff socks and interchanged them so there was a glimpse of white and pink in each cupcake. I think they're perfect for a cupcake themed baby shower!

I think they look so cute together!

Cupcake card - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed a cupcake onto plain white cardstock. Simple yet effective. 

Wrapping - I had intended to use pale pink ribbon but out of the hundreds of ribbons in my drawer... not one in pale pink! I had to turn to Plan B - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed 2 straight lines down the length of the fabric. I pulled the thread at each end and voila, instant ruffles. I'm so glad I didn't have any ribbon because I think this looks so much cuter!

So there it is, a little handmade addition to Michelle's baby shower! It was a lovely afternoon and I loved all of her handmade touches too!

Michelle xx

winnie the pooh party

Before you read on and question "Hang on, I thought you were a Social Worker?!?" I should let you in on a little secret... I'm a Social Worker by day and a secret wanna-be Event Stylist by night! 

With my secret exposed, I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite recent briefs. A gorgeous lil' man was turning 1 and his party was themed around his favourite character, Winnie the Pooh. With brief in hand, this is what I created:

A couple of dozen handmade cupcake toppers...

The handmade personalised sign and the candy table...

'Piglets strawberries n' cream' and 'hunny bears' (honey gummy bears)...

'Meringue hives' (lemon flavoured meringues) and 'Tigger's red balloons' (jaffa's)...

What bear doesn't love 'hunny joys'...

And I would never style a party without my signature Oreo pops...

Lemon cupcakes with the handmade cupcake toppers and strawberry flavoured jelly in Winnie the Pooh themed paper cups...

Personalised giant lollipops...

And a matching card...

And present, for the gorgeous lil' birthday boy...

Happy Birthday Dimitri - I hope you loved your candy table as much as the adults did!

Michelle xx