Saturday 23 March 2013

Watch our Cakes

This week we put the finishing touches to the final set of hubcap flowers made from the recycled pallet wood which was recovered from the back of the Orangery. Also we managed to continue working on some ideas for self portraits on canvas which we hope to expand on. But the most popular activity by far had to be the fairy cake making and a crash course in Rock cake making. The latter so good the recipe will appear on this blog. We are back on the 18th April,2013 so come and join us and bring your ideas.
 See you all soon.
 In the mix
 The Garden
 with added chocy eggs
 The remaining hubcap flowers
 Growing nicely
 More fairy cakes
 Freshly grown
 Awesome Shield!
 Flower power


 More finishing touches

 The dragon lives....
 nearly finished
 quick canvas finished
Rock Cake Supreme's
For this recipe you will need the following ingredients
225g Self Raising Flower
1 tsp baking powder
110g/4oz Soft butter
35g/2oz castor sugar or unrefined sugar
bit of mixed spice/ nutmeg/ cinnemon
40z mixed dry fruits / 55g/20z currents
1 medium egg ( dont be afraid to put a large one in)
walnut pieces and some poppy seeds.
1 - 3 tablespoons of milk.

How to make these beauties.

1) measure out flour and sugar and add to bowl with baking powder.
2) add butter and mix into flour until it becomes like a crumble consistancy.
3) add mixed spice/ nutmeg/ cinnemon, poppy seeds, 1 egg and a bit of milk and mix well until its like a dough.
4) now add mixed fruit/ currents / walnut pieces and if you need to add milk put some in but you want it to have a sticky dough consistancy.
5) put baking paper on tray and place table spoon sized blobs evenly spaced out.
6) put the trays in a pre heated oven of 200 c for about 15 - 20 mins.
7) when they are light brown, take out of oven and let cool for 5 minutes before you put them onto a rack.
8) Always serve with a nice cuppa and friends.

Saturday 16 March 2013

All aboard the Notre Dame Express

This week was so busy we almost didn't know when to stop. We managed to more or less finish the wooden hub cap flowers which will be put outside soon and also some of the small boards being painted . One big canvas was painted with an amazing portrait of ' Hattie', a lovely dog belonging to one of the young people here. We also had guests join us all the way from India to help out with the decorating.
Outside Bonzai has added some new  art to the yard as well, all this and its not even mild yet! Whats going to happen when we get a dry spell? Just watch our space and join us on the Notre Dame Express....we're not stopping.




















Tuesday 12 March 2013

Works in progress.

This week we continued to paint and decorate some items for outdoor and the garden. There are still a lot of things to make and we are making steady progress with the decorations. Our friend Jestr from South Africa painted a couple of pieces on wood for us and he has left us now to go travelling. TWe have some new creative artists waiting to join us so all we can say is ' Watch Our Space'. And do join us on Thursdays. x