Venus Flytraps - How to grow & all that stuff!

How to grow Venus Fly Traps
Venus flytraps are the most fascinating of plants.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
  They are carnivores.
Resembling little aliens with their bi-fold jars and spiky teeth, 
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
When a fly or small bug lands on the pink-tinged centre, the 'jaws' snap shut with lightning speed.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
Venus flytraps' botanical name is 'Dionaea muscipula'.
They are perennial plants which are native to the bogs of Coastal North and South Carolina in the US.
They are perfect for terrarium growing.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
And can be potted in an acidic soil or sphagnum moss.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
Which is what I grow my plants in.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
I filled my terrarium with sphagnum moss...How to grow Venus Fly Traps
Make a nest of it, and then carefully place the venus flycatcher in the middle.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
They must be keep moist and have access to sun.
Water with distilled water or rainwater,
as tap water may contain too many chemicals for this special plant to cope with.
If grown outside, bring the pots indoors over the winter.
Venus Flytraps have a period of winter dormancy.
And it is best to reduce watering during this time of rest.
But if grown indoors, and the conditions are to their liking, they tend not to completely die back.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
Venus flytraps are carnivorous, eating flies and small bugs.
They can go a month or even two without food.
If grown outdoors, they will catch their own prey.
But if grown indoors, you may need to help by putting small live flies in their terrariums and placing a temporary cover on top until the prey is caught.
How to grow Venus Fly Traps
As a child we had so much fun with these little alien plants,
And I am sure your children would too, just as mine did, and even as adults still do!
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Valentine's For The Kids: : Strawberry Icys & Berry Flower Cupcakes...

Sharing Valentine's love with the kids is a simple as this:
Valentines Food For Children
Berry Flower Cupcakes...
Valentine's food for kids
And Strawberry Icy's!
Valentine's food for kids
Not only will they LOVE to devour these treats,
they will want to help make them too!

Valentine's food for kids
Just whip up a batch of your favourite vanilla cupcakes.
And cool.
Valentine's food for kids
Drop and swirl a large teaspoon of raspberry flavoured icing on top.
Valentine's food for kids
Pop raspberries onto the centre of the cupcakes, and slice petals from strawberries.
Place as shown.
Valentine's food for kids
Next:
In a blender place 2 and half cups of milk, 3 scoops vanilla ice cream,
 and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Valentine's food for kids
And a good cup of ice.
Valentine's food for kids
And 1/2 cup chopped strawberries. Whizz and serve with the Berry Flower Cupcakes.
Valentine's food for kids
Valentine's food for kids
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How To Create A simple Valentine's Vignette...

DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
Bring a little love in the home décor for Valentine's Day with a vignette.
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas 
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
On a sideboard, Dining table or side table, this vignette is very simple to create.
I used a ceramic double vase, but you could swap that for a tall white jug for the heart branches, and a matching white shorter style vase for the roses.
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
The wooden letters were sourced at the dollar store, and cost $3 each letter.
The bonus is they were already painted and dotted with spots ready to use.
But you could buy undecorated letters and paint then in your own design.

I used free online small heart templates.
There are many heart shapes to choose from.
Just Google search 'Free Heart Templates' and choose the style you like.

Use the printed heart templates as a stencil to cut using some pretty papers.
Or print directly onto A4 size coloured paper.
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
Use as many hearts as you desire...
I used 32 hearts on my branches.
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
Punch a small hole in the top of each heart... 
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
and string with ribbon.
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
Hang your hearts onto the branches,
DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
It did take a while (yes we are talking an hour!) to cut out and hang the hearts.

DIY Valentine Day Décor Ideas
But don't they look cute?
Valentine Day Décor Ideas
The finished Valentine's vignette just shouts out 'LOVE'!

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Passionfruit & Pistachio Slice...


Unbaked Slice recipes
I know I say it all the time but...
Unbaked Slice recipes
this slice is DELICIOUS!
(But that could be because I LOVE passionfruit!)
Pistachio Recipes
It's an unbaked slice...
Pistachio recipes
It has pistachios and biscuit crumbs in it...
Unbaked Slice recipes
Combine those flavours with sweetened condensed milk 
and passionfruit...
(I have adapted this to use passionfruit topping but the original recipe uses fresh passionfruit.)
Unbaked Slice recipes
And you have 'eat it straight from the bowl' deliciousness.
Unbaked Slice recipes
But if you are well-behaved, you will press the mixture in a slice pan, 
and ice the top with creamy passionfruit icing.
Unbaked Slice recipes
Then wait an hour or so, before you slice it into little squares.
Unbaked Slice recipes
Unbaked Slice recipes
This Passionfruit & Pistachio Slice will be devoured with glee...
Unbaked Slice recipes
It is moist and moreish!
Unbaked Slice recipes
I'm sure this recipe is one straight from Grandma's handwritten cookbook.
I like to imagine that it is.
_____________________________

PASSIONFRUIT & PISTACHIO SLICE

 Base:

2 x 250 gram packets of plain vanilla biscuits (5 US Cups) finely crushed to crumbs

2/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

1 x 395 grams (1.29 US cups) of sweetened condensed milk

200 grams (7.05 ounces) of melted butter

zest one lemon

Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm (about 11 by 7 inch) slice tin.

Combine all ingredients.

Press into slice tin.

Place in fridge while making icing.

Icing:

Sift 2 cups of icing sugar (fine powdered sugar)

Add 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of diced soft butter.

Add 3 Tablespoons passionfruit pulp or topping.

Mix and add milk to make a spreadable consistency.

Put on the slice and refrigerate until set. Cut into pieces.

_____________________________
 
An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE
Click HERE for the printable recipe.


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