Mini Mathilda's...

Princess Ratbag

In keeping with today's Royal Wedding excitement...

have a look at these stunning things for your very own little Prince or Princess!

Naughts and Crosses

Please Eloise

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Get your children in the mood for all things British 

and excited about the Royal wedding on Friday with these examples of fun crafts to do.  

We've found some great ideas for you from designing their own stamp, 

making a regal crown, a postbox, a wedding cake to stick stickers on to decorate 

and even a red phone box!  You can find these and more ideas here.

Have fun!!

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

One of our dinner favourites!

Stuffed potatoes

...simply microwave or bake a whole potato, 

cut in half and scoop out the flesh 

leaving about 5mm or so with the skin so it doesn't fall apart!

Mash the potato adding whatever your family loves - 

milk, butter, cream, bacon, mushroom, onion, cheese, parsely, tomato...

then spoon back into the potatoes, overfilling a bit and sprinkle with extra cheese.

Bake at 180c for 15 mins and serve with lamb cutlets and salad 

or for something else, 

try filling the potatoes with taco mince, topping with cheese and sour cream!

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Off to the hardware shop today for craft!!!

Grab some paint chips and let your imaginations go wild...

bookmarks, paper chains, bunting and egg-shaped rainbows are just some we've found.

Make sure you tell us what you came up with!

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

The perfect thing to make today - Anzac day...

Anzac Biccies!

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

125g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp bicarb

Method

Combine flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl.

Melt the butter and add the golden syrup and water, then stir in the bicarb into the mixture.  

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.  

Place small balls on a greased tray and bake at 175c for 15mins.

Just divine when still warm and a bit soft...

enjoy!

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

Happy Easter to you all - enjoy a safe and relaxing long weekend (and some chockie!)

Here's a treat to surprise your kids with for breakfast...

pop an Easter egg inside a hot X bun, 

zap for a few seconds in the microwave or 

warm slightly in the oven to make the egg just a bit 

ooooeeeey goooeeeey scrummy yummy  :)

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Shhhh, this idea is one to do FOR the kids this weekend!!

Every year I make a stencil out of newspaper and sift flour over it repeatedly to make a trail of Easter bunny footprints leading to their eggs...(what isn't in this photo yet is the chocolate-covered licorice bullets I sprinkle around as bunny poo - my two eldest think it's hilarious!)

Whatever you do, enjoy a special time and the magic children bring to it :)

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Today we just couldn't resist sharing with you what the creative girls 

at Mondo Cherry have been up to with their children for Easter! 

Pop over here to see the full 'how-to' and 

see all their gorgeous artworks and cards too!!

Just lovely x

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

After some Easter activities for your mini Mathilda's this week?

First up, make a fun memory game with plastic eggs and toy animals from a $2 shop...

...then, try some jelly bean bangles - 

just push a  needle and thread through your choice of 

coloured jelly beans and let your kids wear them and then eat them!...

...finally, using some of the plastic eggs from the memory game, 

pop one and some blobs of paint on a sheet of paper in a serving tray or baking sheet

and watch them make some of their very own 'marbled' paper to use for Easter gift-wrapping.

Have fun!

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

Cute Birdy Nests

Ingredients

bag of Chinese noodles (the crunchy ones)

bag of chocolate chips

Baking paper

Jelly beans, easter eggs or other 'egg-shaped' lollies

Method

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on low power. 

 Once melted, add the crunchy noodles and coat 

completely so they look like little twigs and sticks.  

Remove from heat and let set for no more than a couple of 

minutes so that it starts to harden.  Using a tablespoon, 

scoop out a portion and place on the paper.  

Use the back of the spoon to make an indent on the top 

so you can have a place to rest the eggs.

Repeat this process until mixture is used up.  

Once the nests have dried, 

place the eggs on top and 

there you have it!!

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

Thanks to all your input recently on our facebook page,

we can now reveal the most popular playdough recipe!!

2 cups plain flour

4 tbsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp oil

1 cup salt

2 cups boiling water

food colouring

Just pop it all in  a mixing bowl and mix!

At first it will look like it's not going well, but hang in there, throw it out onto the bench 

and knead and it will come together perfectly...you can add glitter too for an extra special touch, 

and peppermint oil to make it smell nice AND last even longer - 

just pop into zip lock bags to store.

Happy playdough-ing!!

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Time to get out the cereal boxes!

This has to be the greatest idea I've seen in ages...

simply cut one side of the box off and cut that into 3 lengths.

Cut a small hole at each end for the marbles to fall through and then adhere to the walls of the box with sticky tape.  Finally, make a hole in the top to start things off and get those marbles rolling.

You could also get the little ones to customise their marble runs by decorating the background with pencils,  stickers and whatever their imaginations come up with!

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Want an easy, no mess activity to keep the kids busy today?

Join me and get out all your paintbrushes, fill up some buckets of water 

and set them loose to 'paint' an outside wall, your deck or even the driveway!

You can even pretend to be shocked when they 'paint' each other!!!

Mini Mathilda's Makes...

Envelope Bunnies

One great way to have fun at  Easter is to make some cute paper envelope bunnies -- bearing treats, of course!!

1. Seal the flap of an envelope, and draw bunny ears on the sealed side, as shown below. 

2. Cut along the line through both layers of the envelope. 

3. Flip the envelope over;  what was the side of the envelope becomes the bottom of your treat holder. 

4. Cut pink and brown cardboard or paper to make eyes and insides of ears, and glue them on the front of the envelope. 

Use a coloured pencil for the mouth; glue on a pom-pom nose. 

Fill with yummy Easter treats!

 

Mini Mathilda's Bakes...

If you haven't heard already....

we are are doing two weeks of special daily posts starting today -

full of all things fun, fabulous and fantastic for you 

to do with the kids these Easter school holidays!!!

So, today we're making biscuits...

for some non-cook ones - copy these decorated arrowroots above.

Simply spread with melted white chocolate and then sprinkle with 3 different-coloured sprinkles!

If you feel like baking,  try these Caramel Biccies below.

60g unsalted butter

115g golden syrup

60g brown sugar

225g SR flour

8 soft jersey caramels, halved

Heat oven to 180.  Place butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool.  Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.  Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and place on lined baking trays.  Press to flatten and top each with a half jersey caramel.  Bake for 10-12 mins or until golden.  Cool on trays.  Makes 16.

Enjoy and see you tomorrow for another idea or two!

Mini Mathilda's...

YIPEEEEEEE!

Shame all the states are a bit different, 

but for my 2 oldest crazy kids, 

today is the first day of school holidays!

Make sure you tune in daily for the next 2 weeks

as we will be posting a new idea to do with your mini Mathilda's every day...

it may be craft, cooking, activity or just a surprise...but most of all,

lots of fun!!!!

Getting to know....

This week we're in love with the classic 

vintage-inspired range from 'Little Chillies'.

You can find them at our next Melbourne market.

Just too cute for words!