My Ukraine

Until recently Ukraine was a country mostly unheard of by Australians. And now it's on the news everyday, and not for good reasons. There has been great unrest in Ukraine from back at the end of 2013 and now it has all escalated to a barbaric invasion of Russia/pro-Russian support into Ukrainian territory escalating with the most recent tragedy and horrific shooting down of the passenger plane MH17 which makes absolutely no sense.

There is so much that I could say of my opinion on everything that is going on at the moment. But while I'm filled with total heartache, horror and confusion, I want to focus on Ukraine as the country I know. For me, Ukraine is my second home. I spent 12 years of my life there with my family as Christian missionaries living for 9 of those years in the capital, Kiev. I have walked the streets around Maidan spuare, had epic snowball fights every New Year's Eve, learnt the language fluently and spent countless hours with friends playing soccer or munching on sunflower seeds.  I have nothing but wonderful memories of life in Ukraine and even though I have now been living back in Australia for close to 8 years, I still have close friendships in Kiev.

In the midst of the current mess, let me share with you My Ukraine. Just over a year ago I was visiting Kiev for a friend's wedding and as always I was swept up in the beauty of the city and the joy of being reunited with precious friends.

Ukrainians love summer and with winter being so long and cold, once the warmer season comes around everyone is out enjoying day light as long as they can. Each weekend the main street in the centre of town is closed to all traffic and is the perfect place for a nice warm evening stroll passing beautiful statues and historic buildings. This never gets old and is one of my favourite things to do when I visit Kiev.

The Dnieper River runs through Kiev and is a very popular place for swimming in summer and fishing in winter (after cutting a deep hole through the ice of course). 

The funicular is much like a single carriage tram which runs up and down the Volodymyrska Hill connecting the more historic Uppertown and the more commercial lower neighbourhood of Podil. I absolutely love riding the funicular even though it lasts for a whole of 30seconds! Riding through the trees from near the Dnieper River up to the streets of cobblestones where you can find long souvenir lined streets. Everything about the funicular ride screams authentic Ukraine to me! The beautiful stained glass windows, the little booth to buy your ticket to ride, rickety sounds of the funicular and bright blue of the carriages! It never gets old!

Ukraine is going through massive turmoil which does not appear to be ending anytime soon. So while I'm over here in Australia, I feel helpless. Going from feelings of wanting to head right on over there and fight for the people and a country that I greatly love and miss to knowing and understanding that God is  in control of it all. And while saying "I am praying for you" seems so cliché, it is far from small. With the war feeling so close to home for me, I have come to understand that prayer is more powerful than we could ever assume! Prayer has the power to soften the hardest of hearts, bring peace in confusion and to shine salvation in completely dire situations and all because the one we are praying to is Lord of all. 

And now I think I'll go search for some salted sunflower seeds as I reminisce my beautiful Ukraine!

Morning specials

Mornings are, well, let's just say I'm not at my best in the mornings... I've always found it so hard to get out of bed when the alarm goes off and we all know it's even harder on a cold winter's morning! So, recently my husband and I have been going out and enjoying something special of a morning, to get out the door and to start the day right. We'll grab a coffee and go for a walk at the local park or share something sweet for our tummies while sharing and praying for each other's lives or pick up some special treats on our way to church. It's these lovely little things that have been making my mornings that little bit easier to wake up to.

And when it's a sunny day with a view like this, it makes it all the more worth while!

What are your incentives or little treats that you give yourself as a reward for getting out of bed? This was mine for today: Adriano Zumbo's Salted Butter Popcorn flavoured Zumbaron. Oh yes!!!

Wintery blooms

Well, as promised, the colourful flower crowns and wintery wreaths that Nia and I created last week. Who said flowers should only be enjoyed in spring/summer?! These beauties bring so much colour and beauty all year round and I've found that flowers actually last longer in a vase in colder weather. ;) 

Making flower crowns is really quite simple! Once you have made a circle out of thin wire to your desired size, secure the flowers and foliage in place by twisting florist tape around the stems. Continue until wire is covered and you have the desired look you are after and presto! Done! =) 

Then you need to find a nice friend who will be your model!

Get creative with beads and lace and just have fun! And the same basics apply for the wreaths too.

Once again, thank you to Nia for the photos! Hop over to Life & Co to have a look a Nia's post of this flowery day!

Flowers, foliage and a friend

 With the warm sun on our backs, tea in our bellies and flowers in our hands, my sweet friend Nia and I pretended to be florists for the day. Our flower crowns and wintery foliage wreath creations will all to be posted soon. In the mean time, let me share a little sneaky tip I heard the other day about poppies.

When we buy a bunch of poppies they usually come with quite a few closed buds which we have to wait to open. But! If you are impatient like me and want to see their beauty right away you can delicately open them up. Peel off the green outside of the bud and gently open the petals with your fingers. Lightly blow on the inside and voila! Now, you can enjoy their beauty as soon as you bring them home! Thank you to Nia for these lovely photos, you most definitely have a hidden talent in photography!

Now, let's just take a moment to admire this gorgeous new blog design! Oh my heart!!! Let's just say it's a complete step up in all ways! You can now actually comment on posts! Phew. Thanks for reading!

Flourless Chocolate Mini Cakes

Ok, so let's talk about chocolate. My husband says that I am 'addicted' but I prefer to think of it as a neccessity rather than an addiction... Nevertheless, I loooooove chocolate! Can I get an "amen sister" to that?! These yummy little cakes were served at a friends wedding and so I thought I should give them a go! We can all thank Donna Hay for this recipe. Oh Donna Hay, you are getting me so well acquainted with the kitchen! 

You will need:

180g (6 oz) butter, chopped

220g (7 1/2 oz) quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups caster sugar

3/4 cup almond meal

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted

5 eggs

12 cup cake cases approx.

Get cooking:

Have the oven preheated to 140 degrees C (280 degrees F).

Place the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and keep stirring until melted and smooth.

Put the almond meal and cocoa in a dry mixing bowl and whisk in the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs gradually one at a time, whisking until well combined.

Evenly spoon in the mixture into the cup cake cases and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Donna Hay suggests to serve with thick double cream or chocolate glaze and fresh berries, but i just sprinkled a little salt on top. Salt and chocoalte might sound crazy, but give it a go! Also, I couldn't wait for these babies to cool down before eating one, and I gotta say, they are definitely better when warm! Enjoy! 

Remembering Summer

Well hello! This is the first ever post for Village Birdy! It's been a little slow process but here we are, up and running. 

Well, it looks and feels like summer has officially decided to leave Sydney! Although that beautiful sun is still shining it is definitly winter time! Jackets out, beannies and scarves on and now to find that electric blanket amongst our still unpacked boxes... It wasn't all that long ago I was enjoying a lovely picnic with some near and dear ones in a local park to farewell summer. There is something just so special about being outside in the fresh air, enjoying some yummy treats and hearing updates in the lives of those we love. Shoes kicked off and tickling my niece's belly - aaaahhh bliss! It's moments like those that make me really look forward to summer's return! I say it's time to start planning those outdoor dinner parties, trips to the beach and barefoot soccer! Who's with me!?

Also, stay tuned for a recipe post of some yummy gluten free chocolate cupcakes which were enjoyed at our little picnic! Key word - CHOCOLATE!