Here's my weekly contribution to SkyWatch!
Back in early November, with our typical windy weather, the boys decided that they should invest in some new kites. Whilst they did the flying, I laid on the ground and tried to capture some photos of the the kites flying against those fast moving clouds & gorgeous blue sky!
Have a great day!
Shirley
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More delicious smells coming from our Kitchen today with a Chive & Bacon Damper coming out of the oven! Mmm - it smells so good!
I've decided to declutter some of my old recipe books BUT before just culling them, I'm going through them to see if there are any good recipes that I should note down! Would you believe this recipe came from a Australian Women's Weekly 'Babies & Toddlers Good Food Cookbook'! Whilst I used this cookbook heaps when our boys were younger, they're now nearly 13 & 10 so I don't think this is one of my cookbooks that I need to hang onto!
Anyway - whilst flicking through the pages, I did come across this recipe and thought I'd give it a try . . . here's the recipe I used!
Chive & Bacon Damper
Cook the bacon in a frying pan until browned and crisp; drain on paper towel and crumble into small pieces.
Place flour in a large lowl; rub in butter; stir in cheese, chives & bacon. Add milk & enough water to mix to a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead until smooth. Shape into a 14cm round and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Mark a 1cm deep cross on top of the dough; brush with milk, sprinkle with a little extra flour and bake at 180 - 200 degrees celcius for 25 minutes or until golden on top. Pull damper into pieces to serve.
Mmm - so good . . . I have to confess I did forget to score the top of the damper before baking BUT I don't think it made a lot of difference - perhaps just the presentation! This would be really nice accompanied by my Pumpkin Soup OR even my Pea & Ham Soup - I must keep that in mind the next time I cook up a batch of soup! Mmm - yum!
Have a great day!
Shirley
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With an abundance of large fruit on our Lemon tree, it's time to start getting busy in the kitchen!
Today I decided to whip up some homemade Lemon Cordial!
I wasn't happy with a recipe I used last time I made Lemon Cordial - I had to add more sugar and even then, the balance just didn't seem right. This time around I did a little searching online and decided to try a modified version of a Stephanie Alexander recipe - I don't really like grated peel in my cordial, so instead I steeped strips of the peel in the cordial for 30 minutes before removing & bottling. I think it worked it a treat! It has the perfect balance of sweet & sour!
Here's the recipe I used!
Lemon Cordial
Combine the Sugar & Water in a large pot and over a gentle heat, gradually dissolve the sugar until completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the Citric & Tartaric Acids, along with the Lemon Juice & Peel. Allow the mixture to steep for 30 minutes, before removing the Peel and bottling the cordial.
I ended up getting two bottles of cordial which I'm now storing in the refrigerator. I'm not sure how long it will actually keep for BUT I know it won't last all that long anyway with a family of 4 enjoying it so much!
Mmm - it's so good! You just can't beat a glass of cold icy homemade lemon cordial! Mmm - yum!
Have a great day!
Shirley
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Despite a relatively coolish start to our Australian Summer, the season has now taken hold with us enduring some days mid to high thirty degree temperatures. Whilst I've been getting out into the garden nice & early - before the heat takes hold, we've spent the afternoons indoors - PS3, iPod Touch, Computer and Board & Card games all come in very handy to keep everyone occupied!
Here's a blast from the past with my old game of CLUEDO!
Online Image
I think it took Adam a little while to grasp the concept of the original board game, but I think he enjoyed playing the 'real thing' as opposed to the computer version that he's played in the past.
Another game we've had fun with is the game of UNO STACKO - a new one that Adam got for Christmas! I wasn't too sure what it would be like BUT we've had lots of laughs so far!
Build the tower of UNO Stacko blocks and then take turns to remove a block - one hand only - from the tower & place it onto the top - it might at first sound like an easy game BUT remember in UNO you have to match a COLOUR OR NUMBER AND also someone might get nasty and play a DRAW TWO, in which case you have to remove two blocks & replace them onto the top.
As the game progresses, the tower becomes more & more unstable as it's foundation is tampered with and blocks are precariously balanced until ultimately the tower tumbles down!
I have to admit, despite lots of wobbles, the tower did get a lot higher than I thought it would! Oh - and I don't think MAX our Miniature Schnauzer really liked all the noise when the tower did finally come crashing down . . . he may be going deaf BUT he still heard the noise everytime!
Before I sign off for today, I want to take this opportunity to wish two dear friends - Heather & Maree - a very Happy Birthday for today! I hope that you both have the most wonderful day and that you get spoilt rotten too!
Have a great day!
Shirley
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Today is my Auntie Sheila's 80th Birthday! What a milestone! Not that she'll read this BUT I do wish her the most wonderful day . . . Happy Birthday!
This year I thought I would give her an extra special Birthday Card and so decided to use one of Maxines Melange Card Kits for the occasion, adding of course a few details to make it special for the occasion - namely the number 80!
I love the colour combination on this card - the soft & subtle creams work so well together!
Of course I couldn't resist adding a little hand stitching to the original design too . . . yes I know . . . it's one of my trademarks - *grin*
In other news, I tackled my 2012 Diary today and wrote all my birthdays & anniversaries in to it. I like having them listed in my diary so that hopefully I don't forget any! Well - that's the plan anyway! I've also marked all the Public Holidays as well as all the School Holidays too! Yay! I'm all set for the year ahead now! Well - hopefully anyway!
Actually . . . that makes me wonder . . . are you a Calendar kind of person or do you prefer to use a Diary? I know my Mum has always used a Calendar BUT for me, I prefer a Diary because I can take that with me anywhere and add to it at any time - it's just a bit more portable for my liking!
Have a great day!
Shirley
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2012 has arrived & what a year it is going to be!
2012 will see me increasing my hours of work from 1 day to three and after a 13 year absence I'll become a 4-Year-Old Kindergarten Teacher once again. With the increase in hours & responsibilities, I've decided to decrease some of my voluntary roles - there's only so many hours in the day and I know I won't be able to do everything! Yes . . . I am being realistic! *grin*
2012 will see the continuation of my Longford Crafters group. We'll still have our fortnightly get togethers, but we'll now be meeting on a Friday . . . stay tuned for this section of my blog to be updated to reflect this change & also to advise when our first get together for 2012 will be! I can't wait - I know this is going to be a wonderfully creative year for our members!
2012 will see Adam step up into Grade 4 & James will make the move from Primary School to Secondary School - my goodness - I'm still finding that hard to believe! In only a few short weeks we'll be collecting new uniforn & books and preparing for that 'big' day! The years sure do pass by quickly don't they?
At home, well - 2012 is going to be a year that we finish more of those uncompleted jobs around the place and tackle a few that have been on our 'To-Do-List' for quite some time. I want to continue to simplify & organise - be creative (something I haven't done a lot of recently) - get back to blogging (something that I've truely missed) AND re-assess we're I'm at with our Family History Research too!
MY INSPIRATIONAL WORD FOR 2 0 1 2
B E L I E V E
I believe I can be a better mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, work colleague & friend.
I believe I can better organise myself & feel more in control of the things that I need to.
I believe I can continue to lead a healthy lifestyle & provide a good role model for my family.
AND
Above all, I believe in ME!
So . . . what does 2012 hold for you? What are your dreams for the year ahead?
Before I sign off on this post, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my family & friends a very Happy New Year! May 2012 bring you much happiness, good health & all that you secretly desire!
Stay tuned over the coming days for a little creative sharing. I know I haven't done much of that of late BUT I do have some photos of creative projects that I did before Christmas that I'd like to share . . . better late than never hey?
Shirley
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Life is busy at the moment, so this is just a quick post to let my Longford Crafters group know that their section of my blog has been updated with information on our upcoming get together and the project / workshop we have planned.
Here's hoping you have a great week!
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Just a quick post to let those in my Longford Crafters group know that their section of my blog has been updated with information on our upcoming get togethers and the projects / workshops that we have planned!
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Well, we're half way through the month of July and James is very proud to say that he's going great with his MS Readathon goals for this year! You can take a peak by clicking here!
This is the 7th year that James has participated in the MS Readathon and each year he has been setting himself a higher goal to work towards - both in terms of actually reading more AND in raising more money as well!
There are some additional features on James' homepage this year which allow us to acknowledge everyone who have currently sponsored him, given donations or offered their support & encouragement for his efforts. Thank-you one & all!
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Yes, I've been browsing again! Yes, I have another YouTube Video to share with you again! Yes, it's another Hero Arts one too! *grin*
So simple!
I hope you enjoy this one!
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