Ella

My gorgeous neice, so beautiful, so photogenic and so damn fun !! Aunty Shelley ( SIL ) and Aunty Lisa took her to the park on christmas day to take some photo's of her in her new outfits !!!

Holiday Post 2 - Australia Zoo

And my favorite display of all............. HUMANS in CAPTIVITY

Holiday Post 1 - Underwater World

Ok so there is not a terrible lot to write except that we had a fabulous time on our recent holiday to the Sunshine Coast. Our first Day trip out was to Under Water World at Mooloolabah. I'll let the photos tell the story

And Just for "scale" sake, and to prove what GIANT fish these really are............

Christmas Cooking: The Million Dollar Cookies

OK so the story goes like this ( the vauge version coz i don;t remember names, dates, and times) ......

A few years ago ( see vauge ) a lady was shopping with her daughter in Neiman Marcus, they decided to take a break from their shopping and have coffee and a famous Neiman Marcus Cookie, while waiting at the counter talking about how good the cookies are, the mother wondered outloud " Do you sell the recipe to these?" the cashier at the counter said " well actually we do", the mother, interested enquires " how much is it?" the cashier replies " two-fifty", impressed with the reasonableness of the recipe price the mother hands over her Neiman Marcus Account card and charges her coffee, daughter's beverage, 2 cookies and the recipe to her account, they enjoy their snack and go on their way.

Several weeks later the lady recieves her Neiman Marcus Account and it states that she owes $261.00, she scans the items... Coffee $3.00, Millkshake $3.00, 2x Neiman Marcus Cookies $5.00, Cookie Recipe $250.00. She stops, surley this is a mistake, a mis-entry, a keystroke error, she calls the Neiman Marcus Account department and they confirm to her horror, " No, Mame, that is correct the Cookie recipe is $250.00", the woman explains that the cashier had said "two-fifty", and that she had understood this to mean two dollars fifty, who in their right mind would pay $250.00 for a damn recipe!!!!! She argued the point for 30 mins before finally giving in and accepting that she had purchased the most overpriced recipie in the history of cooking and hung up the phone.

Later that evening while cooking dinner for her family she had a thought, a stroke of genius, she did not want any other person tricked into purchasing the " two-fifty" recipe so she started an chain e-mail, she passed it on to her friends, who passed it onto their friends and so the story goes......

So this wonderful recipe ended up in my lap and of course in the interest of fairness and the season of giving ( and being hounded by everyone who has tried my awesome cookies) i feel it's only fair i share the recipe here too.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Butter

680gms of Chocolate Chips

4 Cups of Plain Flour

2 Cups of Brown Sugar

2 Cups of White/Caster Sugar

2 Teaspoons of Bicarbonate of Soad

1 Teaspoon of Salt

500gms of grated chocolate ( eating chocolate NOT cooking chocolate)

5cups of blended Oatmeal ( this means oatmeal that has been blended intodust in you blender or food processor) ( i use oatbran coz it is already pulverised into dust !)

2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

4 Large Eggs

2 Teaspoons of vanilla essence

3cups of chopped nuts ( your choice, i LOVE walnuts, macadamias or peanuts)

Method:

With Electric beaters Cream Butter, Brown Sugar and White/Caster Suger in a LARGE* bowl.

Add Eggs and Vanilla Essence.

Mix in Flour, Oatmeal, salt, Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda.

Add Chocolate Chips, Grated Chocolate and Nuts.

Stir with wooden spoon or your hands until combined.

Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking tray.

Bake in oven at 180 Degrees Celsius for 10 - 15min or until cooked.

Remove from Oven and stand on tray for 5 mins before transfering to a cooling rack.

WARNING THIS RECIPE MAKES 112 COOKIES APPROX 3INCHES WIDE, THAT IS ALOT OF COOKIES !!!! I only eva make a half batch and they last my family all week AND i take them to work to share at morning tea !!

* when i say large i mean huge, i don;t own a bowl that will fit the whole recipe in

I would love it if other people out there in the universe reading my blog would participate in this festive cooking and recipe sharing adventure with me!!

If you would like to feel free to link back to my blog and leave me a comment on where i can find your awesome recipe !!

Shop Update

Update at Knot Your Nannas Knits

Sunday Races

This is Jarvis and I celebrating out win !!

Today Glenn, Jarvis and I went to the Grafton Christmas Races we had a delightful afternoon with my workmates and even backed a few winners, pity we only

punt $1 each way !!!

Knitting by Candle Light

A few weeks ago the Friday Nite Knit Girls got together at our favourite local resturant and decided to have an impromptu KIP.

My Place and Yours

i have been waiting to play with Pip for a few weeks and this weeks theme was what i needed to get a kick start.

my colection is of vintage books, i heart vintage books, i love that other people have felt the texture of the pages, smelt the printing ink and consumed the words long before i was even born

Fishing with Dad

Lilli and Mummy's sad faces
Lilli catching her first fish

Jarvis patting his first fish

Lilli patting her fish

My Hundredth Post and What a Special One

5 years ago today i was a very nervous, very tired, very hot,blushing bride-to-be, i spent the day decorating my reception venue and making last minute plans for our wedding day.

I really can't believe that it has been five years but looking back at the photo's i can, we look like babies !!!!

I thought today would be a good day to open my memory box and admire things from our special day and the one that struck my heart the deepest was the copy of my vows that i carried around in my beaded pouch aall day, folded, scrunched and read and tear sploched....

Glenn i am so honoured to stand next to you today and pledge my love and my life to you before our family and friends.

You have made my life richer just by being near,

I admire the way you stand up for what you believe in

You have shown me that it is not you that completes me but the love we share

you have set me free proving that i only run back to you faster

Your hugs always come when i need them most

You never miss a chance to say i love you

You have never given up on us

You have proven that some dreams do come true

You always forgive me when i least deserve it

You have helped me discover the magic of intimacy

You have shown me that to fear commitment is to fear finding my true soulmate

All your kisses stir my heart and tickle my toes

And for this i thank you

But most of all, i wnt to thank you for giving part of yourself to me

Glenn, I choose you above all others to share my life with, i promise to care for you, respect and support you, inspire and encourage you.

From this day forward you shal not walk alone

My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home.

Camp Ellie

the passion

my career started as a photographer, i did work experiance with a photographer at high school i did 2 and 3 unit art majoring in photography, i was accepted into a fine arts program at a great university and then the dream was shattered... my UAI/TER was not high enough to get in :(

I still toted my camera around everywhere i went, snapping little shots and catching fleeting moments.

I never really lost the passion it sort of just got taken over by my everyday life and things moved on. recently i have be introduced the the amazing world of photo enhancment/ modification and it has reinvigorated my passion, i snapped a few photo at a friends wedding recently and have had much fun playing with them

DESTASH: Nappies and Covers

BUBBLEBUBS - GNST ( Good Night Sleep Tight)'s

SIZE - M - Average Wetter ( 1 trifold booster )

In Great Used Condition, Minimal Staining - Orange One has some noticable deterioation to interior Fleece Liner ( Fabric is starting to go a bit stiff)

$20 each or all 3 for $50

BABY BEEHINDS - Wool Covers

SIZE - Medium

EXCELLENT Condition

$10 each

BABY BEEHINDS

PUL Covers

SIZE - Small

Used Condition - Some Pilling around the legs on the FOE and on the interior near the washing tabs

$6 each

BABY BEEHINDS

AIO - Smooth (Not a boosted style, sewn in booster)

SIZE - Small

EXCELLENT CONDITION - No Stains

$10

BUBBLEBUBS

AIO - Minky

Brown one is Minky Lined and size M the Blue one is Flannel Lined and is sixe L

The Elastic is shot to shit in these and needs replacing, but the quality of the fabric is still great

asking $10 each

Prices DO NOT include Postage

Postage is in Pre Paid Satchels

I'll do my best to squish as much into a satchel as possible :)

If you think i am dreaming on prices - make me an offer these nappies and covers need to move on they nolonger fit/suit our needs :)

knotyournannasknits@yahoo.com.au