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the today show

February 20, 2012 By corrie 24 Comments

Ok, now assuming I don’t get bumped off by a more important story, I’m supposed to be on the Today show tomorrow morning after 8am. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. Excited to see my gorgeous family on tv and which shots they’ll use because they did so much filming but nervous about how many chins I will have or how will I look and sound on tv. I’m sure I’ve gained as much weight as some people gain their entire pregnancy and I’m only half way.

But fingers crossed I’m on tomorrow and hopefully a video of it will make it up on their website so that I can share with you all. Now please excuse me while I call the grandmas and text my friends to tell them to watch it too……………..

Filed Under: I love tv, mummy blogger

last market

February 19, 2012 By corrie 14 Comments

Well I’m nursing some seriously sore feet this morning. Retro daddy has the sore head. I’m on the social committee at school and we had our biggest event, the school cocktail party last night. I was on my feet from 6 till 12 and am pooped. I am so glad it’s over and will sit on my hands when the twins are in year 1. But since it’s the most gorgeous day today I plan to unwind in our pool this afternoon. But there isn’t too much rest time for me as next Saturday will be my last market.

It’s also my birthday! I know! I’m going to be working on my birthday but will celebrate on the sunday. Retro daddy keeps asking me what I want. A house! I’m not joking, all I want for my birthday is a big family house. But back to market talk. So I’m finding the weekend markets are just getting harder to do with all the little ones and their activities on saturdays and our growing family full stop. So I’ll have loads of stock including dresses to clear out. All fat quarters will be $3 and older charm square packs will be $10.

this was my helper…..until I offered her a square of chocolate!

Time to ship it all out. Retro daddy couldn’t be happier. He wants our weekends to ourselves again and our house free of big towers of market stock. I do love markets and meeting you all so who knows if I might do them again when everyone is bigger but for now it’s a bit too much work and I’m looking forward to my last……………..

see you there……………….

Filed Under: markets

Win a $100 Big W voucher to dress your little ones in style!

February 15, 2012 By corrie 87 Comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang

Would you look at my little stud muffin? I got a little teary when the super talented Rachel Devine of Sesame Ellis sent me back the photos from a recent photo shoot we did for Big W and Nuffnang. Yes, I know I make extremely attractive children (kidding! no actually I’m not, they are very attractive offspring!) but I’ve never had a picture taken of my twinnies looking so gorgeous. Finn looks like he stepped right out of an upmarket kids magazine

And you might remember my Big W $100 shopping challenge. Hard to believe Finn’s outfit came in at $25. He looks a million dollars to me. $17 jeans and $7.96 for the tee.

We met up with the lovely Rachel at my favourite spot in Sydney, Clontarf Reserve on Sydney’s northern beaches. After a week of rain the sun was out and the twins were happy to be out and about. OK, well Tillie was happy to be out but immediately started saying no photos and running away from the camera. She has her moments and was definitely a little drama queen. But I’m so glad Rachel managed to capture some of Tillie so beautifully too.

Tillie’s outfit you might remember came in under $35 for the lot. $9 skinny jeans, $5 long sleeve rib tee and a $19.99 cardigan. I am just loving her outfit. It’s something I’d pick up for her from a much more expensive store. In fact that’s what I love about these outfits. You would never know I dressed the twins for about $60 combined. I would normally spend more than that on one outfit. Ask retro daddy, he’ll tell you how much I spend on dressing 4 children. But these photos prove that you can still keep your little ones looking gorgeously stylish for much less. Retro daddy might be giving me my own $100 Big W challenges on a regular basis in the future.

But of course I love to share! And I have a $100 Big W voucher to giveaway to one of my lucky readers so that they can go and dress their little ones stylishly this winter too. Just tell me what you’d buy at Big W for your little ones (or your grand little ones) and why and you’re in the runnning. Now be creative as the most creative and original entry will win. The competition is open to Australian residents only and get creative! $100 goes a long way at Big W. Full T&C are available here and the competition closes February 29!

Thank you Big W and a huge thank you to Rachel Devine for these photos. I’ve already told her she’ll be photographing all of us when baby number 5 arrives.

Filed Under: big w, twins

Happy Valentines Day – it’s time to get a pap test

February 13, 2012 By corrie 37 Comments

salted caramel and macadamia brownies

February 11, 2012 By corrie 11 Comments

Did that grab your attention? It sure did when I found it in a new cookbook I bought this week. I’m not quite sure how I snuck ANOTHER cookbook into the house. I’m sure retro daddy would have made a comment about how I have more than enough cookbooks for one person. But anyway. He wins with deliciously homecooked food. And here is the latest addition to my library, Tenina’s latest book for the Thermomix, For Food’s Sake.

You’ll find the brownie recipe in there as well as on her blog here. Wow is all I can say. I know that salted caramel is very trendy right now but I’ve actually never tasted it before. I loved it but will keep the extra salt for the top off next time, it was a bit too much for me but the overall brownie is amazing. Your lovely thermomix will make the caramel for you in 15 minutes and you add the rest of the ingredients.

Bake for 20 minutes and voila……salted caramel and macadamia brownies. Definitely give them a go. Amazing. I’m so glad I made these AFTER today’s open house because I managed to open a new box of cocoa and get it everywhere.

Filed Under: baking, thermomix

Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Sheet Cake

February 7, 2012 By corrie 27 Comments

On a diet or health kick at the moment? Then DO NOT MAKE THIS CAKE! It is pure evil. I had to run out to the shops to buy more butter annd sugar once I started pulling out ingredients and realised I didn’t have enough. But the taste. Oh. So good. And it’s super easy to make and makes a big large cake perfect for a crowd, or a big family or yourself. And if you have a thermomix it’s super easy as I did the whole lot in it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you start to read the ingredients. It’s a special treat.

OK let’s get started. If you don’t have a thermomix then the full recipe is here on Pioneer Woman’s fabulous blog. I can’t take credit for this recipe, it’s her amazing recipe. I’ve just converted it for my lovely thermomix owners out there. Man, I can’t wait till her new cookbook is out. Ok back to the recipe. You’re going to make the cake first and then you’ll do the icing while the cake is baking and the icing goes on the hot cake.

the cake

2 cups plain flour

2 cups caster sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

1 tsp baking soda

225g unsalted butter

4 heaped Tbsps cocoa powder

Place raw/white sugar into your TM bowl and process for 9-10 seconds on speed 9. Set aside. Now place butter (cubed) into TM bowl and melt for 2 minutes at 90 degrees on speed 1. Add in cocoa and process for 10 seconds on speed 3. Now pour in 1 cup of boiling water from the jug and leave for 1 minute. Tip in flour, sugar, baking soda and a pinch of salt. Process for 10 seconds on speed 3. Now add in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and process for 10-15 seconds on speed 3 until well combined. Pour into a large baking tray ( I used a large rectangular cake tin) or baking sheet and bake in a 170 degrees oven for about 20 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Now my oven is hot hot hot so if yours is slow then bake in 180 degree oven.

the icing

200g butter

4 heaped Tbsp cocoa powder

6 Tbsp milk

1tsp vanilla

500g icing sugar

1/2 cup pecans

Now make your icing sugar in 2-3 batches by processing for 15-20 seconds on speed 9. Don’t overdo it as the bowl tends to warm up. Set aside. Place nuts in the bowl, closed lid position and press turbo button once and not too long. Don’t press it twice. Made it too fine. You want some chunks in there. Now set aside and rinse out your bowl. Place butter in bowl and melt for 2 minutes at 90 degrees and speed 1. Add in cocoa and process for 10 seconds on speed 3.Add milk and vanilla and icing sugar and process for 15-20 seconds on speed 3. Scrape down bowl inbetween if you need to. Now add nuts and processs 10 seconds speed 1.Now set aside.

When the cake comes out of the oven pour icing over the top. No need to spread just make sure entire cake is covered. Leave to cool then enjoy. So good. The icing is runny and oh boy. Seriously good cake. I hope retro daddy is reading this from Brisbane and wishing he was home with us.

And let’s just get a close up. Mmmmmmm, doesn’t that look good? So give this a go and tell me it’s not the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had. Thank you Pioneer Woman for your good recipes. This was a winner.

Filed Under: baking, chocolate, recipe, thermomix

relaxing…..a little

February 6, 2012 By corrie 21 Comments

I don’t think we’ll really relax until our house is sold and we’ve bought another one. Unfortunately it’s also retro daddy’s busiest time of year as they go through a major restructure at work. I’ve never seen him busier and have been secretly sending him through job ads during the day. I don’t think anyone should work until 2 or 4am in the office on a regular basis.

So yesterday we spent the day away from the house, I didn’t clean, retro daddy didn’t paint and we just took a well deserved break. We had a fun photo shoot with the very talented Rachel Devine for an upcoming sponsored blog post, mass down in Manly and fish and chips for lunch at a local cafe. Man, I love being pregnant and throwing my diet out the window.

everyone wanted to sit next to their daddy

and the funniest photo of the day! Well it would have to be trying to get the twins to smile together and Finnie pulling this face. I’d love to know what he was thinking. Maybe he had a little bit of attitude after his photo shoot?

And that was one relaxing sunday. Until retro daddy went back into the office at night to print off documents. Oh well, I got to watch Homeland in peace and quiet (loving that show, just loving it)

Filed Under: retro daddy, twins

one very clean craft room

February 5, 2012 By corrie 14 Comments

Oops! I realised this morning that I hadn’t shown you any pictures of my craft room looking all sparkling and clean. Something that is very rare. Now, obviously I am not sewing or doing any actual craft in this room because it’s way too clean for that!

sewing room all ready for the open house

We had hoped to paint the dresser white to go with the room but totally ran out of time. Painting cornices and skirtings took priority over that. And I placed a few quilts and books around to give the impression that someone sews here. The reality is that I boxed up over 20 boxes and tubs of craft stuff and put it into storage BEFORE the open house.

and a bed was made up to show how spacious the room is and that, well you can fit a bed in there. I’ve obviously been watching a few too many home shows but think for a spare room it looks respectable. Especially since a spare room in this house quickly becomes a dumping ground.

And some of you might remember this is Keira’s quilt that I made after Christmas. Unfortunately Keira saw it and almost had a meltdown that her quilt and pillow wasn’t on her bed. I promised she could have it after the open house and all was well. I really hope I can make a similar quilt for Finn.

Filed Under: craft, homes

almost there

January 30, 2012 By corrie 26 Comments

late nights, painting, cleaning, scrubbing, painting, moving things, finding homes for things and more cleaning. Today the photos were taken of the house and I can’t wait to see them (and share them). But till then here are a few shots of one very clean house!

and this would be the ‘no lying on the couch until the photos are taken on Monday’ shot!

Early to bed for me tonight! If you’re following my facebook page then you will see there has been drama after drama today but I’m going to think about it all tomorrow. I’m just exhausted!

Filed Under: homes, kitchen

Power of Moms Sydney retreat giveaway

January 26, 2012 By corrie 25 Comments

I first found out about Power of Moms when I started reading the gorgeous blog, 71 toes. A few of you told me that I had to start reading 71 toes since I love large family blogs so much. And I did. And it quickly became one of my favourites. And I discovered Power of Moms along the way and wished that they would come down to Australia. And then I heard rumours. And then it was true. They were coming. So I booked myself as soon as tickets went on sale.

image source

Power of Moms is a retreat for mums (well we’re aussies here so we’re mums!). Some time out for yourself (don’t I need some of that), to learn how to strengthen your family and get together with lots of other like minded mums and learn from them over the weekend. Now I’m sure that everyone goes for a different reason. Me? Well I’m a full time mummy and plan to be for life. And I want to get organised. I feel like I went from 1 to 4 children in no time and have no household organisation at all. I’d like to start a few more family traditions, be a better mummy, teach my children about money and that they can’t have everything they see (I give in way too easily to my little ones to keep the peace) and of course I would like a little time out for myself. I think of it like personal development for this mummy.

image source

The Sydney retreat is being run from Friday 16th March to Saturday 17th March in Glenhaven (north – west Sydney). On Friday the sessions will run from 1pm – 6pm and be followed by dinner and on Saturday the sessions will run from 9am – 5pm and include small group discussions. I like that I can go home after each day and you have the choice of attending Friday or Saturday or both. I’m doing both! The lot! Everything!

And I’m so very excited to be giving away a free pass to attend either Friday or Saturday of the retreat to one of my lucky readers. Woo hoo! All you need to do is spread the word by sharing a link to the retreat on your blog, facebook or twitter page and leave a comment here telling me that you’ve done it. Too easy. The link is here. And if you’re already going then let me know too. I know about 2 people attending so wouldn’t it be nice to know a few familiar faces before we go. And if you don’t win then be sure to buy a ticket. I know it’s going to be a great weekend.

image source

Now you can find more information on the retreat here (including the schedule) and there is also a Gold Coast retreat too (9th + 10th March) if that’s a little closer to home. Naomi of seven cherubs will be giving away a pass to attend one day of the Gold Coast retreat so keep an eye out on her blog next week.

And let the countdown begin………………………..I’m so excited.

Filed Under: power of moms

happy australia day

January 25, 2012 By corrie 16 Comments

Well it’s Australia day here today. A day off work for most, but not retro daddy who is up working in Brisbane. So we are having a home day, George the renderer is working some magic where the old kitchen was pulled out, we are going to bake a cake, have some sausages in bread and some lamingtons (well the 4 that are left from yesterday) and hopefully I’ll get some time to clean too.

So Happy Australia Day everyone………………I hope you enjoy this very australian knit as much as I do. So very 80’s. It comes from a big woman’s weekly craft book that I picked up at an op shop. The sad thing is that I remember in primary school when this style of jumper was very fashionable.

Filed Under: knitting

cinnamon roll city

January 24, 2012 By corrie 19 Comments

If you were on facebook today then you’d know I made cinnamon rolls. Man, they are good. Too good. I use PW’s famous recipe which is available on her website here or from her book. I have to say that making these the second time was so much easier and faster than the first time and I’ve taken a picture of each step in my new kitchen (it was certainly a lovely baking experience) and put some helpful tips!

First up, get all the ingredients out and ready. Pick up some bbq/alfoil trays to bake your rolls in. It makes it easier to store in the freezer and give away. Yes we use homebrand products here. I never realised how many until I looked at this pic.

Find your largest saucepan. I had to upsize twice when I first made the rolls but this time around went for my largest pan and did all my mixing in it and proving too.

I took some time to admire my subway tiles. I will definitely be putting these exact tiles in my next kitchen. I just adore them.

Clear out and wipe down a big space while your dough is proving. This is where it was so much easier using my island.

melt a 250g stick of butter before you get your dough out to roll it. It just means once your dough is ready that your butter, cinnamon and sugar are all ready to go.

I just use regular sugar in my rolls and they were great. The recipe doesn’t specify caster or regular sugar so I’m happy with my finished result.

get out some clean tea towels to cover over your rolls when they are in trays as they will prove for another 20 minutes in their trays while the oven preheats.

to make the icing you will need 5 cups of icing sugar. I made my own in the thermomix but do it in 3 batches as it’s a lot of sugar in the bowl and the bowl starts to warm up if you take too long on the high speed. I left out the coffee today without even noticing so don’t feel it’s essential. I didn’t do the recipe in the thermomix because the quantities are so huge and I knew they wouldn’t fit but there is nothing stopping you from reducing all the quantities.

Now I ended up with over 60 rolls from 6 trays. That’s a lot of cinnamon rolls. We ate 2 trays today. What? Are you judging me? Don’t judge when it comes to cinnamon rolls. There are 6 of us and 1 growing in my tummy. I also gave one tray to a friend up the street and popped 3 in my freezer.

Now to freeze them I bake them, glaze them, leave them to cool for 20 to 30 minutes, cover tightly in foil and pop in a plastic shopping bag and freeze. They stack up nicely in the freezer and make the best breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. You’ll also be the best guest ever if you go to someone’s house armed with these. Put them in your friend’s oven and wait for the compliments.

I know the recipe looks like a lot of work but if you’re having a home day they really are worth it. I baked these surrounded by most of our furniture as our new floors are going down and I had a few tradespeople here so it was a great way to beat the noise and chaos. And I used just over 1 stick of butter today and I think spread over 60 rolls is ok. But don’t make these if you’re on a diet, you’ll never be able to stop at one……….or two.

Filed Under: baking, cinnamon rolls, kitchen, pioneer woman

the slow way to knit a baby cardigan

January 23, 2012 By corrie 8 Comments

I’ve come to the realisation that I am definitely an all in one knitting fan. Don’t ask me to knit anything in 5 pieces like my current baby knit! I started this in march and it’s still going. It’s been dragging on. Some nights I knit a couple of rows and then realise I still have the other side to do or the other sleeve and my eyes get tired so I put it away. But it has special memories as I knit the entire back piece while my mum was in hospital for the last time.

Thankfully I’m now in the home stretch now that I’m up to the last sleeve but it’s been a struggle to get this finished. And let’s hope I’m having a girl because this was supposed to be for Elodie as a size 6 months but it won’t fit my delicate little flower now. And if you’re a patient or fast knitter then the pattern is from Patons Book 1306 Retro Babes (Australian Patons btw).

But to keep my spirits up I’ve already picked my next project, an all in one raglan cardigan from a cute little book 60 Quick Baby Knits. It’s a great book if you love knitting in 10 ply for babies. Quick. The ravelry details on that cardigan are here.

Filed Under: knitting, ravelry

progress on the house

January 22, 2012 By corrie 13 Comments

Well you might have noticed that things have been a little quiet here on retro mummy but that’s only because behind the scenes we are madly emptying rooms, packing up stuff and cleaning. I can’t believe that the house goes on the market in 2 weeks and we still have bits and pieces that require painting, new floors to be laid, the old kitchen to be rendered, a gardener to tidy up the gardens and a house to be cleaned top to bottom.

But there is nothing like a tight deadline to get us working. And by us I mean retro daddy and myself because trust me my little darlings are nothing but mess makers. The girls room was looking amazing but at least the toys have been culled so there isn’t too much they can pull out. And this would be homeboy Finn who has decided he is a rapper and breakdancer today.

To add to the work, half of the downstairs is receiving new timber floors which means everything has to come out for the new floors to go down. And of course retro daddy will be in Brisbane when the floors go in. But I’m feeling more positive that we are going to pull it off. The craft room has never looked cleaner…..or emptier.

And even our bedroom is looking lovely. This is the Sheridan bed set that retro daddy wanted for Christmas. When we first put it on the bed I wasn’t in love with it as much as I thought it would be but we went back to the shops for more pillowcases and now I love it.

And so do the kids. Since someone always ends up in our bed each night.

And even my chest of drawers got a big makeover. Gone are the teddies and jewellery boxes (yes I keep my favourite teddy bears on my dresser, don’t all grown women?) to the kids room and replaced by some perfume and beauty products (and the baby monitor, of course).

And even under the stairs which normally collects junk and dust got a total makeover to store wine and spirits. I have to laugh when I look at this because neither of us are really big drinkers and the spirits are all used for my baking and cooking.

And I look forward to showing you photos in 2 weeks of an immaculately clean show home of a house!

Filed Under: homes, renovation

The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt

January 20, 2012 By corrie 16 Comments

Well it all started here…………………when I found this quilt on pinterest. I remember Kristine had been talking about the farmer’s wife sampler quilt on her blog but I obviously thought it was a project too big for me. But I’d been thinking I’d like a big project for 2012 now that I’d finished all the paper piecing of my hexagons.

found on my beloved pinterest here, original source here. Oh the picture with her grandma, adorable!

Isn’t it stunning? I tracked the book down and knew I had to have it and it comes with a CD that has the piecing templates. All 106 of them. But what I realised is that I don’t have to make all of them and that I could turn individual ones into different things if I wanted. But when the book arrived I realised the real joy lies in reading the letters. The letters from 1920’s farmers wives (from the US by the way). Here is a little excerpt from one of them:

My daughter, married to a farmer, would be the real centre of her home, the real partner of her husband – and each would be so happily busy in their little world that love triangles and divorce mills would have small chance at them…………..

The letters are so sweet and traditional and I’m itching to take the book up to bed tonight and read it cover to cover. Definitely one for the craft shelf (or bookcase if you’re like me). You can find more details on the author’s website here and the flickr group here is full of inspiration too. I picked up my copy on fishpond for $20 something but I see it’s on amazon here. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me. A lovely book that I’ve instantly fallen for.

Filed Under: quilting