The reason I seem a little 'everywhere' at the moment.. is because.

I am!

Hello friends!  Hope you're enjoying your public holiday and planning to do some relaxing....If you're up to some cooking - Here's a few little ditties that might keep you busy:

Easter Egg Icecreams
These are quick, effective and a nice alternative to chocolate if you want something sweet but can't face any more chocolate - and there's some adult variations too - you'll find this at www.kidspot.com.au where you will find me moonlighting a couple of times a week!   You can also join their forum - I have started a meal planning group,  a group for Mummies with kids starting school in 2011 plus some others - come over and join me!

Mini Cheaty Vanilla Flans
If you've got lots of milk you'd like to use up, this is for you - it's a very quick and yummy and will warm the cockles on those cool nights we seem to be having....These were one of my Make it from Scratch submissions!

Another one I've contributed over at Make it from Scratch - if you've got a surplus of Easter eggs you might want to consider making some some Spanish Hot Chocolate.  I discovered the Spanish Hot Chocolate during my backpacking travels and the memory will never leave me.  Oh sigh...

Stay tuned for some more!


Don't forget my previous Easter posts too!  

Easter Shrewsbury Biscuits 

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Traditional Hot Cross Buns






Easter Sugar Cookies

And I just love these over at Not Quite Nigella!  I'm a fan of cheating making something that looks like a lot of effort when it isn't!  Using Raffelos and Rondoirs - little Easter Hens!

Make it from Scratch Carnival #156 - last one here!

Some changes afoot over at the Make it from Scratch Carnival!

Sad news, is I won't be hosting the carnival here at Frills in the Hills anymore.

Good News: From April, the MIFS carnival will take place at Make it From Scratch HQ - it will be more immediate and helpful to all!
Even Better News:  I have been asked to become a regular contributor over at Make it From Scratch, so if you're not a follower already, off you go!  I'll be contributing every first Tuesday of the month at minimum!  See you over there!

Now, without any further ado - here is this weeks' carnival!

For those of you in Australia, we call them Spicy Fruit Rolls, but in the States, they're called Fig Newtons - So... here's the recipe to make your own!  How cool is that?  Thank you so much to Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.

Can someone say *drool* ?  Look at these Maple Pecan Oatmeal Scones with Maple Glaze! If you want the recipe, I think you better head over to Farmers' Daughter ASAP.  oh my!

You know over here in Australia, Turkey is mostly really consumed as a packaged good to eat on Sandwiches!  When I read posts quite regularly using turkey meat I asumme it must be as easy to come by like our beef mince.  And looking at this recipe, I'd say you could substitute here.    Sooo.. with that in mind I want everyone to head over to The Family Balance Sheet and see the very colourful and yummy looking Turkey Cornbread Pot Pie! 

What an ingenious little ditty from Heather over at Marine Corps Nomads - Hot Cheesy Chicken Dip! Think this is one I'm going to file away for a gathering in the colder months here - using leftover BBQ chicken I think!

This one is going on my to try list definitely I love Sicilian food! Thanks to Make my own Luck - Sicilian Beef Soup -apparently it got her family through the blizzard... and what a way to do it, it's like you can smell it off the page! 

Ever wanted to make cornbread from scratch?  I haven't done this before but I think I'm going to tive it a whirl thanks to Tiffany from The Crafty Homemaker - check it out!

On a tight budget?  Angie over at Annie's home shares a Frugal Chicken Casserole Recipe she recently discovered that cost her five dollars to make - that's cheap!

Jenn presents How to Make Birthday Cake Petit Fours posted at Frugal Front Porch.   Aren't they colourful?  Easy too!

Nom nom nom. Kristen shares a recipe for Tres Leche at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen - check it out!

Oh I love this submission!  Jaclyn from The Late Afternoon shows us a fabulous way to adorn anything from Easter Baskets to birthday gifts with these beautiful flowers!  I want to give this ago!

Here incredibly clever Recycle Cindy goes again!  She has made from a recycled t-shirt no less, a crochet baby bib!  How incredibly clever AND cute!

Ever heard of Dakota Britches?  Not me!  Now I've had an education on a cute way to give dishcloth gifts to friends thanks to The Lighter Side!

Love this too - at 19 and still alive - Niner shows us how to Make your own French Noticeboard - just as an aside, I have made two very similar to those which I put my little frills' embarrassing amount of hair clips on!  This is easy and stylish and extremely satisfying project!

If you've got a couple of drab upholstered dining chairs or any upholstered cushions - this could inspire you!  At 11th Heaven Homemaking Haven you can find out step-by-step how to re-upholster cushions!

Asthma friendly home-made fabric softener anyone?  Head on over to Savvy Brown to learn how to make your own!

Selina over at Tips and Snippets has submitted a great post this week - How to make your own airfreshner.  Thinking about it - buying this at the supermarket is expensive - she shows us lots of different types for many purposes.  Well worth a looksee!

Eugene presents How To Make Your Own Laundry Soap At Home posted at How to Make You Own Soap.

Savvy Brown has been busy this week!  Now head over if you could use a quick and easy homemade facial scrub - tempted myself actually.....






Now that's it for this week at the Make it from Scratch Carnival - and let's make it this one go off with a bang by sharing with your friends, family and those lovely little social network buttons below like facebook, stumbleupon and twitter!  More traffic to share these wonderful submissions!

Well that's it!  Thanks to Stephanie over at Make it from Scratch for the opportunity to host, and for the new gig as contributor -stay tuned over at the Make it from Scratch HQ for how to submit for the next Make it from Scratch Carnival!

Make it from Scratch Carnival #152 - Celebrate Australia Day!

Yes, today is Australia Day at Frills in the Hills.  It's a public holiday where we celebrate being Australian, usually eat off a barbeque, eat too much, have a few celebratory drinks and enjoy the fireworks.  It falls on 26th January to mark the day in 1788 the first settlers (british that is) arrived at Botany Bay, here in Sydney.

So, what are you up to today? Even if you aren't in Australia or Australian - raise your glasses to our wonderful nation!  I will be when I host our annual barbeque with friends!  Yes, there will be prawns (shrimps) on the 'barbie'. 

Now onto the carnival!

Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker shows us how to make Hostess Cupcakes - with filling.  Oh my.  they.look.wicked.

Cyndi L from Real Food Fast shares her recipe for Cranberry Bread.  That would smell amazing coming out the oven I imagine!

Kristia presents Easy Chicken Noodle Soup posted at Family Balance Sheet.   Nothing better for when you're feeling poorly and have no-one else to make you chicken noodle soup huh?

This one made me hungry looking at it!

Melissa from Until Wednesday Calls gets frugal with her Vegetarian Leftovers Lasagne, looks very cool!

If you've ever wondered how to make your own yoghurt, here you go! Dimes2Vines presents Dimes2Vines posted at Dimes2Vines.

It's a double Whammy over at Funny about Money this week - Vicki shows us how she cooked for one when all alone in the house - Greek Hawaiian Fish and Blackberry Delight.  Yum.  I don't know which I want more - the solitude or the dinner!

And why order in for pizza when over at SimplyForties we can check out Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Dough ?










If you've got a hankering not for pizza but for Mexican - Penniless presents Vegan tortillas posted at Penniless Parenting.  My sister and her family are Vegans so it's always great getting new Vegan recipes! Thank you!

Or, create a chinese takeaway at home - Annette tells us that her  Easy Stir-Fried Vegetables is the tastiest and easiest way to stir-fry vegetables!  Check it out at her blog: Craft Stew.

Now here's one to get you thinking - what do you do with your plastic shopping bags?  Stuff with a purpose gives us 10 suggestions on how to use them after you've bought them home and prolong their usefulness.

Alex presents Printable Valentines Cards posted at Home Life Weekly.
How cute and economical!

RecycleCindy presents Bread Bags Upcycled into a Coaster posted at My Recycled Bags.com.   I am constantly amazed at Cindy's ingenuity!

Savvybrown presents Whipped Shea Body Cream | Savvy Brown posted at savvy brown. To be honest I never thought I could make something like that, but it really doesn't look to hard!

Jessica Christman presents DIY Bath Bombs Using Acrylic Fillable Ornaments posted at Factory Direct Craft Blog.   I haven't used a bathbomb in YEARS.  Ahh for a nice long bath...