A dear friend and her owner ;-) ... or should it be a dear friend and her dog?!

I've met Kiara the first time a few years ago and it was love at first sight. Having two dogs of my own, she became one of my three "lovies"(my friends dogs, Amy, Kiara and Duke). I just love to see her when I visit with Zelda, begging for a doggy treat to give her if we don't have a scone to share.

... and true to form, I FORGOT THE TREAT AT HOME when she came to the studio for a shoot!

I've always wanted to photograph her and finally got the chance a few days ago. With that soft, shammy like skin, big fat tummy and the most beautiful face she crawls in under your skin and wraps you around her tail... (or should it be paw since we wrap our dads/husbands/brothers around our fingers?)


Well, I've never known that you can tire out a dog with a photo shoot, but apparently I did and she slept like a baby that evening! :-) 

My favorite photo of Kiara :-)

The best ever Shortbread!

WHAT?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO photos this time? Sorry people, the shortbread just didn't survive the onslaught in the Pieters household!

I'll bake some more in the new future, do a couple of pics and re-post, almost step by step, this well worn recipe that I got from my mom.

I don't know where she got it, but i do know over the years lots and lots of batches of shortbread left her kitchen to find home in the happy tummies of friends and family.

Ingriedients:

• 500 g of salted butter - and NO! you will NOT use baking margarine for this recipe or you will never eat it again! (OK, that's a bit dramatic, but you get the point! Please, this is the one recipe where you do no compromise on the butter!)
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 1 cup of maizena  
• 3- 4 cups of flour

Method:

• Beat butter & caster sugar till nice and smooth. (15 - 20 minutes)
• Add maizena
• Add flour 
• Make little balls and flatten OR fill baking tray with the dough and cut after baking.
• Bake for 10  - 15 minutes @ 180 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy the baking and enjoy the eating even more!

xx