Busy weekend

It's the CNY and Valentine's weekend and although we haven't got much festivities here, we did go to the city where there was a little bit of CNY atmosphere which was nice. There were lion dances going on around the shops at Chinatown and ear-drum bursting firecrackers going off. I seem to have accomplished quite a bit at home though.


Balsam flowers sprouting!


Made a simple skirt for me...


...and a new handphone pouch.


Tried out a sponge cake recipe with the rice cooker. This turned out a little like steamed cake. I know someone who will like this!

We also wanted to arrange a bunny date for Pixie with a bunny that needed a new home. But his owner eventually did not get back to me. So no bunny friend for her this time. I have been toying with the idea of getting her a companion but the thought of what if they don't get along does make me a little hesitant. I thought perhaps that was a sign that I wasn't ready yet :P

I love hay

The hay we got from Karen came in such a large bag, I thought it would definitely take a while to finish. But it looks like Pixie is going through it quite quickly. She even helps herself in the hay rack sometimes :)

Plants on our balcony now

My plants are currently not doing too badly after a spell of no plants and everything drying up. I even had a couple of nasturtium flowers. :)

The cutest face

This has been the cutest face around recently. That's Samuel, my dear nephew. I don't get to see much of him in person so we "converse" on Skype :)

Cheesecake

Attempted a recipe that came with our new rice cooker. Doesn't look too bad!

Visiting bunny friends

We visited Karen and Nimal at the Do Hop Inn today. We went round to get hay for Miss Pixie because she loves the hay they have since she boarded there.It was amazing! All her bunnies are so big and lovely! And they are everywhere in the house. Hehehe! I really do admire their dedication to the bunnies. Look forward to going to visit again but there is so much hay it will be a while to get through.

Cranberry, chocolate honeycomb biscuits

With Christmas around the corner, there are lots of nice recipes popping up in all the newspapers. These sounded so yummy I had to try them out.

Ingredients: -
125g unsalted butter
150g soft brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 white chocolate, chopped
60g dried cranberries
60g chopped Violet Crumble
2 tbs water

Method: -
* Cream butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract beating until thoroughly combined. Using a metal spoon, stir in flour sifted with baking powder, chocolate, cranberries, Violet Crumble and water. Mix well.
* Form mixture into a thick roll. Wrap in cling wrap and screw ends tightly to make a plump sausage. Label and freeze.
* Preheat the oven to 185C. Line baking trays with baking paper.
* To use, leave at room temperature to soften slightly then pinch off pieces of dough and roll into small balls the size of large marbles. Arrange on baking trays, allowing space for spreading during cooking and flatten slightly.
* Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Leave on baking trays for 2-3 minutes then remove to a rack to cool and crisp. When cold, store in an airtight container.

I didn't freeze all of the dough because I couldn't wait to bake some so I've got some to eat now and some in the freezer for later :)

Lovely glasses

We got these pretty Japanese glasses from Charli a couple of weeks ago. How nice of her to send them all the way to us!

Ladybug

Saw 3 ladybugs in one morning on the balcony. They are not the type of insects you would squish so when I found one in my veggies, I had to let it go outside.

Green food!

Felt in the mood for jelly yesterday when I saw the jelly packets in the supermarket so I got one - it's a lime flavour which explains the glowing colour. Hahaha....


Also got another Caramel Corn flavour - Matcha Kuromitsu which is black sugar honey syrup (yum!)

Cartoon bunny

Hehehe! Found this website while trying to find something to make Christmas cards. It's quite impressive!

Spay done

I got Pixie spayed on Monday! Something I had to make myself do however hard it was. She now has a shaved belly and a tattoo in her ear to show for it. When she got home, she didn't want to be locked in the cage and kept trying to find a way out. I let her out and she was all over the place like she didn't just have a major surgery. Had to keep her locked back in the cage because she might tear her wound. :S

So far it looks like she is doing ok. She does not want to eat her hay and pellets but she'll have papaya tablets, hay cubes, oats and coriander so that is not too bad. Still watching for more poop though...


An impatient patient


Tattooed girl

False pregnancy

I think Pixie is going through a false pregnancy phase! This morning I woke to see her busy carrying her fleece blankies around and planting them in the hay rack. When I took the blankies out, she would carry them back in again. Later on, there were even bunches of fur! :S

It was cute to watch her running around with the blankies and bunches of hay in her mouth but seeing the fur is quite heartbreaking. Luckily she has her spay booked in next week.

Clever bunny

We keep the hay in a laundry basket and Pixie goes in there to get her own hay sometimes. It is quite funny to watch because she will come flying out of the basket when she hears a noise.

Good news

"What's this news I hear?"
Today marks a day we all change our status in life. My sister has become a mommy, parents have become grandparents and I am an auntie. Pixie bunny has a human cousin (hehehe! according to a fellow bunny lover). Can't wait to see the baby!

Caramel Corn Cola

Another new flavour! I wonder if this will be fizzy?
There was Vanilla Soda but I didn't buy it :(

Pixie relaxes

This is not a common sight as well. Pixie is a skittish little bunny so seeing her relaxed is a treat. :)

Once in a lifetime

I got into work today and noticed that it was 9am on 9/9/09. I missed getting a photo of the time because it turned 9.01. Then I thought 9.09 was even better!

Spring!

We are officially out of winter! But it's not like it is warming up too quickly anyway. There are a few more sunny afternoons but it is generally cold still. Some people put snowmen around Melbourne yesterday just to remind people that winter was going to be over. That was quite cute.


Oops! I've dropped my nose!

Bunny flop

So far I have seen Pixie bunny flop only twice and once right in front of me! She is a nervous little fella so flopping is a really good sign. She has woken us up at night crashing around in panic at the drop of a pillow or whatever else has made a noise. Wonder what to do to make her less panicky...