Fairies in the garden...

Hello!

Just a little photograph of my own little sweet pea fairy. My best thing about this photo is the teeny snail shell she is holding in her right hand. Her absolute favourite thing to do at the moment is to collect different stones and shells from around the garden and place them in special new places. 

© Madeleine Wheal 2013, all rights reserved.

Collecting... making collections...that's what we do isn't it? We take something from somewhere and rearrange it in a new and inspiring way, from that small process it can evoke a huge amount of new energy and creativity. Random objects suddenly become everything, they're personal and emotional. It's lovely to watch my fairy creating her own personal special spaces. 

Maddy 

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Crocheted Photo Album Cover!

© Madeleine Wheal 2013, all rights reserved.

I have been learning to crochet (thanks to the ever-so-lovely Sofie at Sewfie!) for a couple of months now and I am well and truly 'hooked'! It's sooooo much fun and I'm finally able to create all the lovely things I am inspired by or make up in my head. This was a present for my lovely mummy-in-law-to-be and covers a 6"x4" photo album.

© Madeleine Wheal 2013, all rights reserved.

I've envisaged a photo album like this for a while now and I'm more than thrilled with how it turned out! For a first attempt at creating something without a pattern I feel very pleased :)

I can't wait until my little girl is old enough to make things like this with me! 

Maddy

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Healthy Fruit Cake Recipe!

Copyright Madeleine Wheal 2013
I created this recipe for my daughter as we wanted to raise her (for the first two years of her life at least) wheat-free, sugar-free and purely organic. It's actually pretty tasty!! Especially with a bit of butter :) This is a great cake to make and freeze in thick slices ready to take out for your baby to nibble on when out and about. Beware though it can be pretty crumbly!

Suitable for when your child is ready and well established with finger foods. I have used organic ingredients when making this cake however that choice is up to you and it won't alter the taste should you choose otherwise. 



Ingredients: •   approx 250g Wholegrain Spelt Flour (an ancient unprocessed form of wheat ... easier to digest) •   100g Butter (un-salted) •   2 tbsp Maple Syrup (much more nutritious than sugar)  •   100g Fruit Puree (I used ready-made organic apple and apricot) •   1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda •   400g Dried Fruit (I used apricots and raisins) •   Spices to taste- Cinnamon and Ginger  Method: •   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees •   Add the butter, dried fruit, maple syrup, fruit puree and two cups of water to a large pan •   Bring the mixture to boiling point then let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the fruit has re-hydrated •   Add the half teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda and the after mixing thoroughly take off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before slowly adding the flour. You want the mixture to be firm whilst still easily dropping off the spoon. I do this by gently adding flour until it reaches the right consistency however it is approximately 250g •   Pour the mixture into a lined baking tin or ceramic dish and cook at 180 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the centre.

...ahhh and that concludes my first blog post on "Our Fairytale Homeschool"...it's going to be an amazing journey! Let me know if you try out the recipe!

x Maddy x