Finally a Graduate

It's been a long time since my last post but nowhere near as long as this event has been in the making!

Well, it was 7 1/2 years in the making... I took my time, but this Tuesday I finally graduated from a double Bachelors degree in Science & Arts with First Class Honours. I can't believe it is over! I wouldn't and couldn't have done it without the guidance and gentle pressure of my ever-loving family, the constant support from my wonderful husband and the helping hand of my God. This is your degree too!!

Generally, the expected emotion at a graduation celebration is that of excitement and anticipation. Mine however, was relief. So much has happened in my life since I started my university degree back in 2003 and life along the way hasn't always been easy - but then it's not supposed to be is it? It's been a pretty long hard struggle with a lot of stress and sadness but with many pockets of extreme joy along the way (such as various family milestones, our wedding in 2008 and first anniversary in 2009, and the births of niece Yasmine Abigail and nephew/cousin Charlie Zane in April this year) all of which have kept me going. I hope and pray that the next seven and a half years are full of even half as many joyful events as these!

Birthday Baking

Last week it was my great friend (and cousin) Heather's birthday, her first birthday as a Mother!

She invited us out for lunch to celebrate and I wanted to make it special for her. So on the recommendation of our mutual friend and amazing florist, Linda (more on Linda's flower shop La Vie En Rose later), I replaced her Phalaenopsis Orchid that had died. The original plant was a present from Linda when Heather's baby, Charlie, was born! I also made matching cupcakes, because lets face it, what's a birthday without cake??

The recipe for these yummy cupcakes can be found on my Baking page!

At her lunch out, I took some pictures of little Charlie and his friend Mia 

(more of which can be seen on my Little Ones page)

Charlie Zane

Mia Grace

Midnight Snack

I've never been one for midnight snacks.

Luke told me the other day how when on holidays as a child, he and his brother  (Ollie) used to buy lollies and then wake themselves up and midnight to eat them just so they could say they had a midnight snack.

At first, I found this concept quite amusing but given a while to reflect I have a vague recollection of doing something similar with my brother... and since it is now 12:14pm and I'm about to go to bed after staying up late editing photographs AND theres a naughtily chocolatey brownie that I made earlier sitting on the bench, I think I might just try the midnight snack on for size...

(I posted this late last night, but have now updated it with photos to make you drool!!)

Chocolatey Midnight-Snack Brownie

This brownie is richly chocolatey, smooth and dense yet incredibly moist. Reduce the cooking time for more puddingy, gooey goodness.

CAUTION: may make the prosepct of sleeping soon after consumption quite impossible!

Ingredients

180g block of good quality dark chocolate

180g unsalted butter

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 eggs (beaten)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup natural yogurt

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup of nuts, dried fruit or raspberries (optional)

Method

1.   Preheat oven to 180 degC

2.   Melt butter and chocolate together

3.   Stir in sugars, vanilla and cocoa

4.   Stir in yogurt

5.   Stir in eggs

6.   Stir in almond meal and flour (followed by optionals)

7.   Pour into slice-tin lined with baking paper

8.   Bake at 180 degC for around 15-20 minutes

9.   Dust with icing sugar

10. Eat warm with icecream, chocolate sauce, raspberry coulis or my personal favourite - frozen raspberries straight from the freezer!

Beginnings

Well I suppose I'd better start off this blog by introducing myself. My name is Katie Anne.
I love some of the simple things in life; baking, capturing moments through photographs and sewing. I guess at the root of these loves is creation. Expressing the love you feel by creating something beautiful. Just the way that God created this world an creates every one of us - in love.

There are a great many things in this world that I love and that inspire me to show love and by capturing or creating beauty.Births are one of these things. The moment when a new little person breathes their first breath and each and every moment after that are so very precious and for the most part lovely.

I have been continually reminded of this in the last year or so with the births of my niece Yasmine Abigail, nephew Charlie Zane and the bubs of my family, friends and colleagues; Indiana, Abalone, Salomay, Jasper Peter, Reuben Alexander Wardrop, Grace, Jude, Levi Lucas, Isla Kathleen, Clyde, Rosalie Joy, Maeve Margaret, Hester, Eden Grace, Mia Grace, Willow Piper, Zipporah Jaiel, and the latest, little Polly. Just to name a few - sorry if I've missed your child, there are just so many!

My profile picture is of me with baby Charlie at his mummy's birthday this past weekend. He had a pretty rough ride into this world but his mother and fathers strength and this tiny helpless little bundle inspired me to focus my photographic attention on capturing precious moments of these little lovelies! Conversely, my sister-in-law had a pretty rough pregnancy but baby Yasmine (pictured right) entered the world with complete grace and poise. Two very different experiences but both with the same glorious end result. A perfect little person so completely unaware of the love they are inspiring in the people around them.

Well I think that's enough blubbering for one post! Don't you?

Much Love,
katie anne