Bestest easiest chocolate cake

I just love this recipy because it is so easy to make and requires such basic on-hand ingredients. It is really a huge brownie, and can defnitely be made as such. People always think it contains chocolate, (and you can certainly add some chunks, but it is not neccessary. I either make it with the heart stencil icing sugared on the in or outside (just remember not to knife-test the middle of the cake if your icingsugar is going on the outside! I have, when we just moved into a new home with a "new" built in oven, doubled this recipy and made it twice, creating a 4 layer cake for my son's 4th Birthday. So. easy.

Here's the link: http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/01/r-2.html

Recipy | Granola bars

I made these bars a while ago. Found the recipy somewhere in an old magazine. We all love them so much, and they're quite healthy as a snack, so I thought I'd share them.

Granola bars:

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups Rice Crispies
2 cups oats
1 cup dried friuit bits
1/2 cup sliced almonds.

1. Set oven to 180C
    Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Two sheets at right angles.
2. Melt the butter and wisk in sugar, honey, flour, vanilla & cinnamon. Add the remaining ingredients & mix
     well.
3. Transfer the mixture to the pan. Press it all firmly to a flat even thickness.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, till golden brown. Lift the granola out and let it cool on a wire rack. Once              completely cooled, cut into bars. (Mine ended up being more bits and pieces than bars).

I think they would be nice replacing the dried fruit with cranberries and dipping the bottoms in some melted white chocolate or even dark chocolate.  Enjoy!

This weekend | Neighbourhood Spring Party

Since moving to Johannesburg just over a year ago we have been most impressed by two things: #1 is the weather - Jhb has the best weather. Months of blue sunny skies. And #2: the people. Joburg has a seemingly endles supply of  interesting, warm friendly people. We are in a church filled with absolutely awesome people. People who made adjusting to a new city just so much easier.

And we must have the greatest neighbourhood in Joburg. Nice people who care about the community and the environment. (One neighbour for example washed and desanitized the entire street's rubbish bins after a municipal strike a while ago.) Parents who want to create a place where kids can (occasionally) play carefree and safely outside in the street - like we used to as kids. We all realize we have something special here.

Anyway, long intro...This weekend we had our Neighbourhood Spring Party.

We braaied in the circle,

The kids had a jumping castle,

did some colouring in,

 and played till after dark.

I made some Rainbow Lollies for the occasion. The recipy, (via Pinterest) can be found here: http://sandytoesandpopsicles.blogspot.com/2011/03/rainbow-fun-part-2-rainbow-pudding-pops.html

I think any vanilla pudding will do. I used small plastic cups iso the paper cups and the lollies came out quite easily. They were just a bit too much for the kids. I'll use the small yogurt cups as moulds instead next time we make something like this. They are just so easy and fun!

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