Thursday 29 March 2018

Happy Easter!

Hello everyone!  I'm taking a quick opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful, safe and blessed Easter.  May you have a beautiful four days of catching up with friends and loved ones.


Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Do the hokey pokey

Today I am sharing a VERY easy, but also delicious biscuit recipe (cookies for my north American readers) beloved by my Cheeky Monkeys; a recipe for Hokey Pokey Biscuits.  It's so easy, in fact, that my Monkeys can bake these themselves, only needing supervision to ensure they don't leave a complete mess in my kitchen!

hokey pokey biscuit cookie recipe

This recipe has been adapated from Slices, Biscuits & Cakes: 101 Fastbake Recipes by Robyn Martin, and I've also included alternatives to make them more "allergy friendly".  Let me know if you try baking some!

Ingredients
- 150g butter
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons (40 ml) golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon (20 ml) milk
- 1 3/4 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.  Put butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan that is large enough to hold and mix all of the ingredients.
2. Heat the contents of the saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly until the butter melts and the mixture is close to boiling.  Allow melted ingredients to cool slightly.

3. Dissolve baking soda and baking powder in the milk and add to the butter mixture with the sifted flour.  Mix well with a wooden spoon.

4. Roll tablesppons of mixture into balls and placed on baking trays lined with greaseproof baking paper.  Flatten dough balls with a fork.  Bake biscuits for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden.

5. If you can wait, cool biscuits on a rack, then enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee and a nice chat!

Alternatives
- For those who can't or don't eat butter, alternatives such as Nuttelex spread, regular margerine and cholesterol-lowering margerine work well and don't alter the flavour too much.
- Gluten free and wholewheat biscuits can be made by substituting buckwheat flour or wholemeal flour, though this will affect the flavour of the biscuits somewhat.

Thursday 22 March 2018

Easter Baking Roundup

Long time readers of this blog will know that I am a HUGE fan of baking and that Easter is a time of year that means a lot to me and my Christian faith.  Which means that in the lead up to the celebratory Easter long weekend, I'm always on the hunt for luscious-looking recipes to bake for my friends.  These six are all on my "must try" list - let me know if you try them out!

easter baking recipe diy cake tart biscuits

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Sparkle in Swarovski

two cheeky monkeys swarovski crystal ring art deco nouveau

Just a quick update today to let you all know that our popular art deco, Swarovski rings are back in stock in a range of colours!  Along with the topaz brown colourway that has been available in-store, there are now pink and blue colourways too.  Which is your favourite?

two cheeky monkeys swarovski crystal ring art deco nouveau

Thursday 15 March 2018

Unicorn DIY Roundup

I'm continuing the unicorn theme this week with a roundup of fun unicorn-themed DIYs for both big and little people alike!  There's no rule that says adults can't enjoy unicorn creations too, so jump in and have fun creating these darling items!

unicorn diy tutorial craft glitter rainbow

1. Adorn your bedside table with your very own unicorn lampshade!
2. A unicorn pinata is the cherry on top of a perfect party for your little one.
3. Glitter playdough in a unicorn jar makes for fantastic party favours.
4. Too beautiful to eat?  You might have to close your eyes when you chomp on a unicorn cookie.
5. De-stress with a fun unicorn stress ball.
6. Easy unicorn headbands are sure to delight any little girl!

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Be a unicorn in a field of horses

You probably have to be living under a rock not to know that a craze for unicorns, especially rainbow-coloured ones, has been around for some time and doesn't look like ending in the foreseeable future.  My Cheeky Monkeys are also huge fans of all things unicorn (and panda and Pusheen, but that's another story), so I was inspired to create our newest locket necklace range!

locket necklace quote be a unicorn in a field of horses botanical floral two cheeky monkeys

The new range contains our two most popular locket styles, one in silver plate and the other in antiqued brass.  Inside each locket is the quirky quote, "Be a unicorn in a field of horses".  To emulate the supposedly multicoloured nature of unicorns, each necklace comes with a choice of bead colours; also making every necklace unique from others created!

locket necklace quote be a unicorn in a field of horses botanical floral two cheeky monkeys

So let me know, which of these lockets do you prefer?  And which leaf and flower bead colours would you choose?

Thursday 8 March 2018

Host your own high tea - Pt 2

Following on from our last post about decadent high teas, today I am sharing a roundup of scrumptious recipes to whip up for your next high tea.  Serving up these treats will guarantee that your high tea will be a culinary success - enjoy!

high tea recipe roundup cake sandwiches quiche tart macarons

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Host your own high tea - Pt 1

domum vindemia cupcake stand server high tea vintage crockery upcycled

I don't know about you, but I am a HUGE fan of luscious high tea, especially when enjoyed with good friends or family.  I am, however, NOT a fan of the exorbitant prices that most high tea venues charge.

domum vindemia cupcake stand server high tea vintage crockery upcycled

Which is why hosting your own affordable, yet still decadent, high tea (like the women's group at my church does every year) is gaining in popularity each year.  Besides having a host of delicious recipes for finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, the other key ingredient to hosting a fantastic high tea is, of course, darling serving dishes!

domum vindemia cupcake stand server high tea vintage crockery upcycled

There is nothing more fun than having a range of small trays and cake servers filled with treats on the table in front of you, each one carrying a tempting array of mini desserts and savouries.  Which is why Domum Vindemia is being restocked with a range of vintage chic cupcake servers created from orphaned porcelain crockery.  I have my favourites, which are yours?

domum vindemia cupcake stand server high tea vintage crockery upcycled

Thursday 1 March 2018

Easter DIY Roundup

With Easter exactly a month away, I thought I'd share a roundup of beautiful Easter DIYs for those who love to celebrate this Christian season.  Each DIY is easily achievable in an afternoon - you could host an Easter crafternoon for your creative besties and get creating!

easter craft diy handmade