Summer holidays

Hello! Did you have a great Christmas and New Year? We did. We have eased ourselves in to 2012 with a week long road trip across some of NSW and back home again. We have another small break coming up – a new adventure. Stay tuned.

The vegie garden has gone mad with pumpkins and zucchinis taking over now that the beans have finished.

We worked into the twilight tonight picking all the blood plums, and hunting for wild blackberries.

I love summer produce. Bring on the tomatoes. I’m not even sick of zucchini yet (tonight was roasted zucchini with parmesan and herbs).

 

 

Tags: blackberries, blood plums, vegie garden

Pics by Ari

I synced my phone recently and found some sneaky pics taken by Ari.

 

 

 

 

 

Making me smile today…

* This vimeo via Amanda’s tweet. Lovin’ the dance.

* Florence and the Machine tix purchased for May 2012. Whoot!

* A milestone by Claire.

* 3 days left of school for us. It seems every day I have to prep either:

a) a plate of food for a celebration. Notice given: less than 12 hours

b) a costume of varying degrees of difficulty made from things found at home. Notice given: 2 days

c) a Kris Kringle gift of $5 limit for a class mate. Notice given: 2 days

d) an emergency gift for a teacher. Notice given: 1 hour in the morning by the 9 year old

We’re on the home straight. Let me hear you say “Christmas!”

Icing frenzy

I am over Royal Icing. We have just finished the frenzy of baking, preparing and dropping off our entries for this years local Horticultural and Agricultural Show (or as everyone calls it, ‘The Show’). Ari has submitted his first ever entry in the Preschoolers section of Decorated Marie Biscuits. Love it.

I forgot to photograph Mia’s entry of decorated biscuits (which will no doubt be pointed out to me by Mia). Other family entries included a clay lizard, a painted clay girl and dog, a knitted cardi, a quilt, a patchwork scarf, three types of jams, a jar of pickles, and a loaf of bread.

Fingers crossed for favourable judging! It costs to enter in The Show, and considering you don’t win any prize money it is not all that economical. We are just happy to be supporting the local community, and helping to keep a local institution going. We do hope someone comes home with a certificate and a ribbon though.

Below is Ella’s entry of decorated cupcakes. If you can stand how darn cute they are.

 

Garden Guests

Mr and Mrs T. Frogmouth

Tags: tawny frogmouth

Nesting squares blanket

Hello! Still here. I’ve been knitting, and sewing a quilt top. This blanket is for my shiny new nephew born only 9 days ago. I love the autumny colours, and enjoyed knitting this blanket. It is the Nesting Squares Blanket from More Last Minute Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. It will tough to part with this blanket, but for a new nephew…….well, I can let it go. And cast on another blanket.

Reining it in

Keeping things quiet.

Trying to stem the tide.

Getting a handle on new situations.

Waiting for things to happen and to stop happening.

That’s where we are at in this moment.

Taking some moments of:

Beauty

Good food

Togetherness

and celebration.

Menu plan

Do you menu plan? I can’t live without muy menu plan. I have been menu planning fornightly for years. I used to plan weekly, but I just hate supermarket shopping. I tried monthly, but kept leaving items out and having to go back to the shops for one or two items.

I find it a drag when I sit down to write out a menu plan for the fortnight. It all becomes worth it when 5pm arrives every evening and I don’t have to think about what to cook. I customise my menu plan to make things easier for nights when there are after school activities, and for some early meal prep during the day when I am not so rushed (and don’t have a toddler clinging on to my leg!).

This photo was taken in the gorgeous sunshine we had this week. I get out a few cookbooks, and work my way thorugh them. I also have a folder of firm family faves. My favourite books are by Bill Granger. I have all his books. Unlike other chefs, I find I can cook all his recipes without disaster (not so for Jamie Oliver’s recipes).  I try to spread out the meat, vegetarian, fish and chicken meals to a few each week. I shop once a fortnight and twice weekly for fruit and veg. Do you menu plan?

Tags: bill granger, menu plan

Seven = Snow

Where do you celebrate your birthday during the school holidays in Winter? At the snow! Mia turned 7 last week, and we spent a day at the snow celebrating.

The weather was less than perfect, and even worse once we arrived. The 40 km/h winds slapped us in the face the minute we stepped from the car, and within 15 minutes I couldn’t feel my toes. I spent an extra long time in a snow fort, pretending to play cubby with Ari, sheltering from the bracing wind.

But we forged onwards, as there were new skills to learn

and snow men to be made.

Later at home the chilly theme continued with ice-cream cake. Happy Birthday Mia!

Tags: birthday, cake, mia, snow

Peekaboo!

Just when I try to get some R & R, something always pops up.