AUTUMN LEAF BISCUIT RECIPE

I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. So I decided to try something less scary and more pretty to bake and enjoy with the family.

I wanted to make something seasonal and thought that after seeing all the gorgeous colours of the fallen leaves in the park, that it would be nice to recreate something tasty and also autumnal that fitted with this beautiful time of year. 

I found some cute Leaf Biscuit Cutters in The Range and they were perfect for my little idea. If you would like to see how to make these cute little leaf biscuits, I've put the recipe below...

R E C I P E 

Preheat the oven - 180 degrees 

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Makes: 20 biscuits 

250g PLAIN Flour

110g Butter

65g Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Tsp of Ground Ginger 

2 Tbsp of Golden Syrup

Renshaw Ruby Red Ready to Roll Icing

Renshaw Pastel Yellow Ready to Roll Icing

Edible Gold Glitter (optional)

 Jam - any flavour(to attach the icing)

T O O L S

Greaseproof Baking Paper

Rolling Pin 

Leaf Biscuit Cutters

M E T H O D

Turn on the oven. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Mix flour, sugar and butter together until breadcrumb consistency. 

Add in vanilla extract, bicarbonate of soda, ginger & golden syrup.

Mix into a dough.

** TIP** if the mixture is too dry add a teaspoon of water. 

Once all mixed together, scoop the mixture out of the bowl and get ready to roll...

**TIP** I used GREASEPROOF paper to roll out the dough instead of putting FLOUR on the kitchen side, it worked really well , there was a lot less mess and the dough didn't stick which, lets face it, is what we all want!

Roll out to around 0.5cm thick. Use the Leaf Biscuit Cutters to cut out the biscuits.

Place on to baking tray & put into oven. 

Once golden brown, leave to cool.

I C I N G  

Cut off a third of the red icing and third of the yellow icing and roll them in to a ball in your hands to form the marble effect. 

Once happy with the patterns, roll out the icing (I used the greaseproof paper instead of flour so it didn't dry out the icing) to around 0.25cm thick and then started using the Leaf Cutter to cut the icing out.

Put a thin layer of jam on the under side of the icing leaf to attach it to the biscuit and leave to set. 

To add some shimmer to the biscuits, lightly spray with edible glitter dust. 

 

And there you have it. A nice and easy little baking project for Autumn. It's great for children too, my 3 year old daughter loved helping cut out all the leaf shapes and rolling out the mixture. 

I would love to know if you make the biscuits yourself, so please leave a comment if you try and tag me on Instagram in your pictures.

Have you made any seasonal bakes this autumn? I would love to get some more ideas :) 

Thank you so much for reading! 

xxx

Easy Steps to Simplify Your Day

Our lives are busier than ever before. We are expected to fit so much into one day.

Working, parenting, eating well, exercising, housework, social life etc etc... It can be hard to unwind and find time to not think about the stresses and strains of everyday life.

We come from a generation, where we strive to have the perfect life. Perfection is the only way to be, or so it seems, which is a strain in itself. We live our lives looking at screens; phones, TV's, tablets, smartwatches etc, which can result in feelings of stress and anxiety.

Recently, I have tried to slow down, cut out what isn't necessary and think more simply.

Here are a few things I do to simplify my day.

ROUTINE
Have a routine - you will know what to expect.

Get up at the same time everyday, eat at the same time each day, go for a walk at the same time each day and relax at the same time each day. 

I find it's good for young children too. My daughter's mood and behaviour always improves when she has a good routine. The expectation at certain times of day helps with behaviour and learning. Having a routine can also help ease the mind, and if a parent is calm the child will be calm. 

DECLUTTER 
Keep the house and your surroundings clutter-free. 

Try not to have emotional attachment to too many material things, take pictures for treasuring the memories instead.

I cannot function properly if things are cluttered. I like to de-clutter at the beginning/end of each season. I have three piles, one for the bin, one for the charity shop and one for Gumtree/eBay.I clear my wardrobe/cupboards/garage etc, and I am ruthless.

I am really benefitting from doing this and so is the bank balance.

More day to day, I make sure toys are back where they belong when my daughter has gone to bed. All clothes are put away from the dryer, which results in a tidy, clutter free bedroom to relax in. The kitchen is clean and tidy before I settle down to watch any TV and this leaves everything fresh and clean for the following morning.  

WANT LESS. BE GRATEFUL
By appreciating the things you have rather than yearning for things you do not have, will result in being grateful for smaller things in life.

Rather than focussing on not liking a part of your body appreciate what it does each day. Appreciate that you are alive, that you have your health.

Being grateful is an important quality. It results in feeling happy and content with life.

QUIET TIME
Schedule quiet/down time every day.

Whether that be alone or with your family. Switch off the TV and talk to each other, even if it is for ten minutes a day. Having quiet time can refresh you for busier times during the day.

My new quiet time, is after dropping my little one at nursery. I walk home, make a cuppa and catch up on YouTube to have some time to myself.

It really makes a difference.

FRESH AIR
Get out in the fresh air!

We love a walk in the park with the pup. Since having him, I have noticed that I actually enjoy walking a lot more than I thought. It helps clear my head and appreciate the smaller things. I usually head out early in the morning or just before the sun goes down and I love it.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LOVED ONES
Eliminate toxic people in your life.

Be with the ones that make you smile, who are positive and genuinely want to be in your life. Friendships and relationships should be pleasurable and not a pressure.


And that's it....I would love to know how you simplify your day.

Thanks for reading.

Michelle xoxox

SEPTEMBER - THE THINGS I'VE BEEN LOVING

Here goes my first favourites.

September is always a month I love. Beautiful sunny days with a chill in the air. The colours of the trees and the fact its usually when we like to go on our holidays.

I thought I would share some of my favourite products and lifestyle bits as its one of my favourite months!

GUMTREE

This is always a favourite of mine, but it really doesn't get enough hype.

After our holiday, I came home with a mission in mind. A mission to clear out the garage and the cupboards of 'junk'.

'Junk' that we no longer loved, needed or in fact, ever used.

There were plenty of people who couldn't wait to get their hands on unwanted 'junk'. I sold so much, so quickly.

I also found a bargain on there myself.

I had been looking for a daybed for our office, and finally found one recently on Gumtree! It was a bargain at £40 (with a mattress that had only been used once).

Some one else's junk is another ones treasure.

ALDI 

I'm throwing Aldi in the mix this month because when you think it'll be the last place to find
something - well, lets face it, it comes up trumps!

Its always good for our weekly shops, but last month I picked up a gorgeous, reasonbly priced, on trend THROW for our living room. In fact, I am heading back to get another one for the daybed!


I have also really been liking their Jo Malone dupe candles, (No.1 is my preferred scent) which at £3 a time is always a winner.

HIGH FIVE ALDI!



WETBRUSH

I have a three year old daughter. She has had thick hair from the day she was born. The worst part of her day is when she is asked to have her hair brushed.

I had tried lots of different brands of brushes;  Tangle Teezers and Ouchless to name a few. None have lived up to their claims of 'no pain' when brushing.

But after seeing a review of the Wetbrush, I thought I would give it a go (I was losing the will and considering cutting off little ladies hair into a more manageable bob). It claimed to brush through hair with no pain even with tangles and knots.

Since using the Wetbrush the hair brushing routine has become a dream rather than a nightmare. Previously, I would be chasing around the house trying to get hold of my daughter to let me brush her

hair.

Now, she asks to have her hair brushed, and she even tries to brush it herself too. This is a massive step in the right direction and a huge improvement for her .

I would recommend the brush to anyone with children who hate having their hair brushed. It has saved a lot of tears in the mornings in our house.

It's great for us grown ups too.

I invested in my own brush. I use it on WET  hair in the shower. It works a dream distributing conditioner evenly, without pulling out my very over - bleached hair. It's fab for using on dry hair too (don't be deceived by the name), there's no pulling or ripping of the hair and leaves hair with a nice shine.

So thats my September faves lovelies.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what has made your favourites list recently!



xoxoxo