Winter is back!

Winter is back and with a vengeance, it is cold, wet and windy and I am so over it!! Wish I could send the rain to Chookyblue, I don't want it here! Please Spring hurry up.....

Delicious Baklava.

Friends bearing plates are always welcome!!! I have a very good friend who is of Greek descent. She makes the most delicious Baklava and always shares it. If she says she is making it we wait by the door for her to drop a plateful in and it is divided evenly just to make sure no one misses out. Although the recipe will be in the school cookbook I think this is one of those recipes that would be hard to measure up to!

A new project!!

Is it Friday yet????

What a day, been to Warrnambool for work for training and didn't get home until 7pm!!!
(Look at poor Fred's tummy falling through the hole, don't tell him I posted this photo!!)

What I'm watching!

I really enjoyed my television viewing last night. First up was the Renovators which I have only watched if I happen to see it but enjoyed catching up on who was still in and how their houses were looking. Next the highly anticipated first episode of the season of Junior Masterchef and it didn't disappoint. It was so nice to see the excitement of the kids and the positive way the judges interacted with them .I also picked up some cooking tips which was a bonus!!! Next I turned to the ABC and this will be essential viewing on Sunday evenings now ' The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'. A drama set in Botswana. I gave Mum the books for her Birthday but have not read them myself. I loved the show, it was different and refreshing.
Did anyone else watch these???? and what did you think??
It will be Junior Masterchef and the Brownlow count (Aussie Rules football best and fairest) tonight!

Delicious...

This is the bread I am lucky enough to enjoy most days. SH bakes it, a Wholewheat Sourdough. Of course we often have the junior members of the family requesting store bought white bread!!! It is delicious and keeps and freezes really well. Certainly helping us as we continue to attempt to live a healthier lifestyle!!

The Champions!

We left home at 7am this morning and got home again at 7pm after the Interschool horse competition that our school ran. The 'horsey' one competed on Henry, their first outing in the last 6 months since he was injured. She has been having weekly lessons and working really hard riding 6 days out of 7. She was rewarded with wonderful success today. 2 Firsts and a Second as well as winner of her age group and then overall winner of the whole competition. She was also a member of the winning team. Along with her big smile she brought home a swag of ribbons and 2 new rugs. Henry got some special treats at dinner time and I think he was smiling almost as much as his mother!!!!

Garden cat!!!

Perfect Pete in his little garden nest....

Busy .....

I am on a mission! Our school is hosting a horse competition on Saturday so of course the 'horsey' one is competing but it also means I am helping for the whole day. I also volunteered 3 slices for the canteen. Of course I decided to make some extra so we could benefit at home. On top of this a close family friend has her birthday Saturday so I am planning a Birthday cake for her! Why oh why can't I be that person that buys ready made cakes and slices at the supermarket and is happy to say sorry I can't help, I'm too busy! Oh well, 2 Mars bar slices and a Hedgehog are made and ready to be iced and I've decided to wait until the morning to make the cupcakes, honey joys and lemon slice!!! oh and the Birthday cake.
Dinner time and some trashy tv before a relatively early night - Beauty and the Geek and Four Weddings!

Battle scar....

Well the plaster is gone and so are the stitches!!! The skin is scaly and the arm is stiff and wasted but after xrays and a physio appointment today it is looking good and feeling better already. Another physio appointment booked for next week and he will also start swimming the week after. Best news of all is he can drive again and return to work on Monday on modified duties!!!! Hurray, we survived!!!

Home safe and sound...

The 'horsey' one set off on Geography camp on Sunday morning and returned this afternoon tired, dirty, sandy and excited!!! They went to Wyperfield national park. She claims she had 3 'near death' experiences hence the title of this post!! She was stabbed by a stick which involved a lot of blood, stepped on a stumpy tail lizard (but first thought it was a snake ) and had a falling tree in a storm just miss her!!!! After a game of basketball I am sure she will have no trouble sleeping!!!

This was.......

a Mars Bar Chocolate Mud Cake but by the time I thought to take a photo this is all that was left!!!
Our Podiatrist at work turned 40 last week and thought if she took leave and left the country no one would be any the wiser. Of course we found out so I made her this as a Birthday cake and took it to work today. Luckily I got a piece and it was yummy and it is super easy to make.

A busy day!

My day started early. After spending yesterday running around after the 'horsey' one with a riding lesson, the hockey grand final and the hockey presentation night, I had a long and scary list to get through today!! Managed to get HS out of the house at 8 to go to a motorbike competition with a friend (not riding though!!)and the 'horsey' one out at 9 to go on her Geography camp until Tuesday afternoon. Last one out was HS's friend who had to be at work by midday! SH and I plodded our way through the list helped by the beautiful weather, warm and sunny, it was just glorious and good for the soul!
Apparently I have been promising HS meatloaf for months so today was the day. I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe, really good, covered in bacon and basted in a lovely tomato sauce. I certainly earned some brownie points!!

For dessert I made individual lemon delicious puddings. They are a favorite in our home and they lived up to their name - yum!! Even better there were left overs of both for tomorrows dinner!!!

A Grade Hockey Premiers 2011!!!

Thank goodness it's Friday!!!!!

Our new girls!

We have welcomed 3 new girls to our home. They needed a new home so we very gladly said we would have them. It is so nice to once again collect fresh eggs each day and be able to share our vegie scraps! Only 1 has a name so far 'Frankie'!!!

7 sleeps!

An update on HS and his 'broken' wrist/elbow!!! He is being a surprisingly good patient but is very very bored , sleeping as late as he can each day so there is less time to be awake and bored! Not able to drive or in fact do much at all. Spending most of his time watching movies and spending time on his computer. He is desperate to get back to work. 7 sleeps till the plaster comes off and the stitches out. He then sees the surgeon. Optimistically I have made a physio appointment for the same morning..... figure he has had all his bad luck so should be smooth sailing from now on! He has no idea that he may not be allowed straight back to work but figure if need be next Wed is early enough for him to find out! A fortnight ago he had a follow up with the surgeon and thinking he would get a new plaster he let his sister and girlfriend decorate his plaster, he couldn't see what they were doing so didn't realise there are lots of hearts and little animals!!

Off to try and get a Pony club treasurers report ready for the meeting tomorrow night!! One day I won't leave it till the last minute!

Batman in plaster!!!

HS and his girlfriend went to a fancy dress 21st the other weekend. Of course it snuck up on them and HS was not organised with a costume. The 'horsey' one and I had a trip to Ballarat to the orthodontist the Friday before so popped into Spotlight and picked up this costume. We also picked up ears for Catwoman!!! I think they looked great and as most people were in costume they didn't look out of place! Expensive yes but worth it -oh yes!!!!

Aussie aussie aussie!!!

Not happy......my card reader so I can load photos has gone missing again!!!! I am buying a new one this week and you can guarantee the other one will turn up as soon as I do (or be returned if one of my teens has borrowed it!!)

Congratulations to Aussie Sam Stousur winning the US tennis open this morning. She has worked so hard to get to this place and deserves the title. I watched the end of it when I arrived at work this morning, glad she finished it off quickly before our clients interrupted!!!

A new regime in our house this week! A health kick which is very necessary. We are eating better and exercising more. An early morning walk this morning was a good start! We are also trying to become more organised at home, using our time better and decluttering!!! I attacked our walk in robe yesterday which had become a dumping ground for anything and everything. At the end of the day I hadn't finished it but made huge inroads and filled 2 large wheelie bins! Maybe the hoarding gene can be overcome....

September 11

Waking this morning on September 11
I remember ....................