Make your own chalkboard, paint and all {tutorial}

- See this post on our new website -

Yesterday was a rainy day in Cape Town, and since I have a week of holiday, it meant that there was finally time for me to do a craft :) This is a simple way to make your very own chalkboard paint, choosing your own colour. I was inspired by this post.

What you need: White grout, Acrylic paint, wood (or whatever surface you want to paint), paintbrush and measuring stuff.

Make a mixture of the grout and acrylic paint in a ration of 1:8. I used 1 tsp grout to 40ml acrylic paint, and I had loads left over!

Paint your surface. I did a few layers all in one go and smoothing it out as much as possible with the last layer. Using a light sandpaper can help to smooth the board a bit, then go over it lightly with chalk.

Have fun!

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns {recipe}

Yes, this is my second chocolate chip recipe post. I like chocolate. A lot.

So, in the Easter spirit, here is my hot cross bun recipe, with a yummy twist.

I used the bread machine that I got for my 21st (Mellerware Ma-baker). It works very well, but the recipe book/instruction manual doesn't work quite as well. For a start it leaves the yeast out of the recipe for the hot cross buns. So this is my adjusted and updated recipe:

1 cup water
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups white bread flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
a little all spice
(well basically add spice to your own taste)
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp yeast

Topping:
egg, for glazing
Flour & water for cross
Warm sugar water

Place all ingredients in the bread machine, in the order listed.

(Without a bread machine try knead 20 mins, rise 30 mins, knock down, rise in warm place 40 mins)

Remove dough, divide into 12-16 pieces, roll slightly and place next to each other (almost touching) on a baking tray.

Preheat oven to 190C
Allow to rise again, in a warm place (e.g. warming drawer) for 30 minutes.
Glaze with beaten egg.
Make a mixture thick enough to hold its shape for the cross and then pipe a cross over all the buns.
Bake for 16-18 minutes

Enjoy!