Rainy Day = Crafty Day

Rainy days are the best for crafting and drinking tea.

So today I made some paper love heart bunting, drank some tea and listened to some Jonathon Boulet for some crafty inspiration.  Here's the result, I think it looks pretty darn sweet:

I've used pretty scrapbooking paper, both plain colour and patterned. Its super easy.. fold the paper in half and draw half a heart to create a symmetrical heart:

 Use this as your template to trace the others:

Thread the hearts on to cotton (or twine would work well too). That's it.

x

Baked Treats

Recently I made an Earl Grey Tea Cake, which I came across while reading a food magazine in a cafe. Turns out this cake is a winner! Its pretty much amazing. I'm prepared to share the recipe:

1 cup fresh dates (or 1 1/2 cups dried dates)
1 tsp bicarb soda
3/4 cup brewed earl grey tea (plus some more for you)
2 apples, peeled and grated
1 1/4 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
150g melted butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
Soak the dates in the bicarb and tea for 10 minutes. Blend with a hand mixer.
Mix apples, flour and sugar.
Add butter, vanilla, eggs and date mixture.
Mix well.
Grease a 2.5 litre loaf tin (I made mine in two smaller tins)
Bake for 45 - 55 minutes.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire rack.

Make some more tea to have with your cake.