Homemade Pasta

The other night I helped Mum make some Pasta for dinner. We made the Pasta dough then rolled it out on the bench and cut the pasta into squares. Then we pinched the pasta and put them into a pot to cook. While the pasta was boiling we made some pasta sauce. We used tomatoes, herbs, seasoning, spices and vegetables. After it had all cooked we were left with -

Oh, and I can't forget we also sprinkled some homemade goats cheese on top!

Cracking Chocolate Chip & Apricot Muffins!

Every week back at school we had Tech, we rotated through 3 classes, cooking, woodwork and sewing. But, because of Covid - 19, we can't go to school or have our sewing, woodwork and cooking teachers teach us. So, most family's are making there own Tech. Mrs Bennett set the challenge of an invention test. We could choose to incorporate Eggs, Chocolate, Fruit or Cheese. You had to a least chose one or more. I chose to use Eggs, Chocolate and Fruit. I made Chocolate chip and Apricot Muffins. Here's how to make them I also took pictures of each step. 

This recipe make 12 muffins
Ready in about 30-35 mins 

Ingredients -
1 3/4 cup flour 
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of sugar
2 Eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup of oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips 
2/3 dried apricot (cut coarsely) 

Directions -
Preheat oven to 176 degrees Celsius
Grease or put liners into 2 muffin pans  

In a small bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder

and salt.

In a larger bowl mix the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and 

vanilla.

Mix in the dry ingredients until combined. 

Then fold in 

the apricots and chocolate chips.

Then scoop the batter into the muffin pans

and sprinkle sugar on top

The final product should look like this -

YouTube

The Summer Learning Programme challenged us to pretend that we created our own YouTube channel, what it would be about and what kinds of videos would we create and post. This task was easy for me because I already have an actual YouTube channel about . . . Wildlife, Photography, Cooking, Art, Survival and making things (My YouTube channel is pretty much about my hobbies).  If you had a YouTube channel what would it be about???

5 Pleasures!

Outdoor Activities such as - Kayaking, Swimming, Fishing, Boating, Snorkelling, Biking, Running, Gardening, Environment work, etc

Travelling - I love travelling to new places on planes, trains, cars, trucks, buses pretty much any transportation. I love trying new activities, cuisine and learning new facts and information to share with my family and friends. Do you like travelling???

Sports - I love, love, love doing fitness and sports! When I am running it makes me feel like I am free and wild! It also gives me a nice feeling and it helps that I am really good at it naturally (I must take after my dad) Do you enjoy sports??? I really enjoy travelling to new places and events to run and do other sports.

Family & Pets - Without my family I would have survived my 11 years of living because they have supported, loved, they buy my needs and clothing etc. My grandparents, parents and siblings are all so AMAZING!!!! My pets and my grandparents pets always make me smile whether it's when I throw the ball for them or they do a somersault they are all so funny!! I especially love celebrating Christmas and special festive seasons with my family and pets. Do like spending time with your family??? How to you celebrate Christmas??? Have you got any pets???

Photography - I am obsessed with photography!!! It makes me feel calm, relaxed and when I get the perfect shot it makes me really happy. I will be posting a blog about my photography soon!
Those are some my five favourite things in life and because I enjoy life so much 

I just couldn't list five of them so here are some more . . .
Art, Cooking, Racing, Camping, Playing the Ukulele and Singing, Driving & Motorbikes, Filming - And I am finally getting better at this because I now have a YouTube channel, hunting, sew and create things, school, reading books, looking after little kids and toddlers (at school the little ones always run up to me and ask for a piggy back or to play with them and sometimes parents will ask me to look after there babies because I take care of them really well), looking after animals (I am a big animal lover) etc. What are some of your favourite things to do???

Happy festive season and happy new year!

Here (below) are some pictures of me doing some of my hobbies . . . 

                                               Me looking after my pets at AG day

                                         My looking after my pets again at AG day

Lemony Lemon Cordial

Yesterday, my Nan and I made Lemon & Orange Cordial. We started by chopping lemons and oranges in half then squeezing the juice out of them. After we had a 5 litre pot full of juice we added 3.6kg's of sugar. After that we stirred the mixture until all of the sugar was dissolved. We carefully poured the syrup into bottles and let cool. Have you ever created a drink like this? Here is our final product...

Medicinal Uses For ...

A few weeks ago, a small group of 5 children from our class went to a harakeke & medicinal workshop. They learnt how to create ninja stars and flowers out of harakeke. We tried making the ninja stars here in class, (it was TRICKY!) When we cut the flax or harakeke here at school we were told by the children how went to the workshop that before you cut the flax you need to say thank you or do a karakia, afterwards they told us that there is 3 lengths of harakeke, the baby, the parents and the grandparents they told us to only cut the grandparents and to cut the flax at the base on a downward slope. There were also some other rules like not to drop or step on the flax or put it on the ground. After we created our flax creations we put the leftover flax under the bush we cut it from. You have to respect the harakeke.

They learnt how to plant kumara in a plastic tub, we also tried it here at school. We started by adding a layer of stones then grass clippings, soil and sand on top. we then cut the two ends of the kumara and buried the ends into the sand and soil. The Maori used this recipe to grow the kumara all year round. Hopefully, our kumara will grow.

Two girls from our class, Sophia and Liana showed us how to create Kawakawa syrup. We used 5-6 leaves, 1 tsp of garlic, 1/2 a tsp of ginger and 1tsp of honey then we simmered it for 30-60 minutes. + the Kawakawa leave picks you the one with the most holes is better because it has more nutrients.

                                                         Simmering the Kawakawa syrup

                                             Holes in the Kawakawa, adding more nutrients

                                                                     Cutting the flax

                                                                  Planting the Kumara

                                                                             weaving 

Sizzle, Pop, Crackle Cooking!

Every Wednesday in the afternoons our class goes to either cooking, sewing or woodwork TECH. We rotate to a different TECH each term, this term I was in cooking with the other year 6's in my class along with with my teacher . . . Mrs Bennett! This term, we have so far created . . . Cinnamon scrolls, sausage rolls, pizza, Louise slice, Winter pesto tomato sauce pasta, Crunchy Lemon muffins, Double chocolate muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins, Potatoe curry with chapatis, corn and bacon fritters and bread-based pies, Banana Choc-chip pancakes and Nachos. I find it interesting and fun learning new skills like knife skills/cutting skills, baking, pancake-flipping skills ovens skills and using the elements . . . I find that the recipes are sometimes really different from what we cook at home as a family. Here are some videos and photo's of me at TECH!

                                                            Here is us making Curry!

Here we made sausage rolls 

                                                                   Pancake-Flipping
At sewing TECH with Anne Tohill, we had to pass our sewing licence along with making a stuffed toy the girls made bunnies and the boys made monkeys. I made a pink bunny with white and gold spots! It's so cute. When we go back to sewing next term we will be finishing off our moccasins. Here is a picture of my bunny and I . . .

I hope you enjoyed reading my latest blog post!
Ma Te Wa,
Hayley :)