Mucking around with flowers...

These flowers are great for floating arrangements...

Woops, a little lizard was resting inside....

Oh pretty...

Tackling a coconut!

Wanted to try grating a coconut!

There is a special tool and I'm surrounded by experts, but I wanted to be all independent 

and not ask for help!

Hence the kitchen looks like a disaster zone!

Coconut everywhere!



The struggle was worth it... Love my coconut threads for my muesli!

In the mood for muffins!

Mixed Berry and White Chocolate Muffins

Some frozen berries that needed using up and some white chocolate from our last trip home.  Good old google for the ingredients and these showed up... http://food.ninemsn.com.au/recipes/ichocolate/8336702/mixed-berry-and-white-chocolate-muffins

1. 

Great combo taste of sweet and sour... delish!

Big eyes!

Clever carving

Island boys...

Season for lilies

Sprinkles!

One of the kids helped me with my baking today...

Mini chocolate cupcakes

• Ingredients
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water

       Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180.
2. Place cupcake liners ion a tray.
3. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk together well.
4. In a separate bowl combine milk, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla; mix well. 
5. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix together until well combined. 
6. Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter, mixing well for about 30 seconds. 
7. Evenly distribute cake batter into the prepared molds; each cupcake liner should be about 3/4 full.
8. Place pan in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
10. Ice with chocolate frosting, then decorate.

Adapted from bakerbynature.com recipe

Then the fun really started...

Glimpses of paradise...

 

Sorry...

Sat at the bedside of a dying man today. Thin and sick in his small shack. Too sad for words... Cant get used to these moments here....

Picture courtesy of http://becuo.com/eye-crying-drawing

Saturday flower market

An old leek...

Came across an imported leek today.

That kicked off a whole crazy frenzy of soup making! We have some precious chopped up celery frozen in small packets in the freezer, so with that, the leek, and a couple of other hard to come by ingredients (a carrot and a couple of potatoes), I had all the ingredients to make a chicken, potato and leek soup!

http://victoriamcginley.com/2011/12/15/recipe-chicken-and-potato-leek-soup/

Ok, eating soup in a tropical country just doesn't have the same appeal as the winter scene, fireplace, cold outside thing going on.  But hard to explain how cooking with vegetables that are only distant memories and cranking up the aircon almost makes the taste just as good...

Sleepless night...

Homemade noise making last night... Banging rocks on poles, waving roof sheeting and big shouts... 

Have to remind myself why I live here...