A SAD DAY

This morning our friend T died in a car accident. I will probably be going soon to be their for W.

W has had a hard time and things were finally looking up. W had to go and identify T this morning, the horror of it.

To my fellow Queenslanders, it happened on that terrible stretch of the Bruce Highway(QLD's major Hwy) near Gympie.

The 3rd fatality their this WEEK alone.

Thank you to everybody that has entered my 100th blog giveaway, obviously I will not be attending to this for a few days yet. Sorry but I hope for your understanding.

If you have not entered as yet & would like to. Please read my post below.

CAROLINE xoxo

MY 100th POST & A MYSTERY GIVEAWAY!!

I can't believe I 've done 100 posts already!!

Doing my blog has given me so much pleasure. I am fascinated that anybody even wants to read about me, my life & I. When I first started my blog it was really only just for me a record of happenings a view of where I was at that time in my days & something for my family & I to reflect on.

Fortunately though it has become much more than that. I have "met" some wonderful wonderful people, one I have had the pleasure to met in "real life" and hope to meet up with again soon. Despite being warned by DD15 that it could be a dangerous axe murderer. (you know who you are & I'm sure we will laugh about that for many years to come)

To my wonderful 29 followers I cherish each & everyone of you. Thank you for showing such interest.

So to help me celebrate doing my 100th post I am having a mystery giveaway.

Well mystery to you that is.

One lucky reader will be the winner of my mystery parcel, regardless of where you are in the world I will send it. So international bloggers please comment too.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which out of my 100 posts has been your favourite.

CAROLINE xoxox

RIGHT!! SO NOW IT'S FREE ADVERTISING

Don't know if the horse was for sale

or he is advertising himself for sale along with the block of land.

or

Maybe he is the new public relations officer for this real estate.

What ever he is he's doing a crackin job of it!!

Took this photo while we were out Sunday driving, when I saw it I just had to turn around and go back. You couldn't have staged it this well if you had wanted to!!

Oh and I guess someones getting free advertising via my blog now. Geez hope they sell it. Just a pity I can't remember where it was though???

SAVOURY IMPOSSIBLE PIE

This is our recipe for Savoury Impossible Pie. It's one of those things I can make when I haven't begun to think about dinner till 5.30pm. When the kids were little they used to call it pizza pie as they never knew what would be in it(whatever is in the fridge) and what colours would be in it.



5mins prep, 45mins in the oven, toss a salad together & you have a nice,easy,quick dinner.





INGREDIENTS

4 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1 1/2 Cups milk or 1/2 milk 1/2 Cream

1/2 Cup Self raising Flour

1 Chopped Onion

Grated Cheese

Sliced Tomato

Salt & Pepper

YOUR SELECTION - Bacon or sml tin Salmon, Asparagus, Sliced Mushrooms, Capsicum, Shopped Silverbeet, Corn, Grated Zucchini. Whatever you like.

Pre-heat oven to 180c and grease a pie dish. Into a mixing bowl add the lightly beaten eggs, butter, milk and/or cream, flour, onion, salt & pepper -Combine. Then add you selection of ingredients & mix through well.

Pour into the prepared dish, sprinkle with cheese & top with sliced tomato. Cook for approx 45Min's.

Some of our fave combo's are-Salmon & Asparagus, Bacon & Corn, Silverbeet,Feta,mushroom & capsicum(vege) the list is only limited by your imagination or what's in your fridge/pantry.

DOLMADES

In keeping with my last post-

For those of you who have emailed/commented me asking What are they??

Here goes-I hope I do this post correct & do justice to what is a national food to some, I am sure you will let me know if I don't. Anyway this is how my family like them- except Emerald that is.(Please read last post)

Stuffed Vine Leaves

Dolmas-Turkish

Dolmades-Greek

Admittedly the picture is of canned ones they do not look as good as the fresh ones as they pack them in oil. But yummy they are!!

Dolmades are little parcels of rice, mincemeat, sultanas or pine nuts rolled into vine leaves. I serve them with a dipping sauce mostly yogurt, garlic & cucumber but sometimes Baba Ganouzh. Personally I have never done any with mincemeat but I have tasted them & they are quite nice. I prefer to cook other things with my mincemeat.

To use fresh grape vines leaves pick early in the morning, wash well sprinkle each leaf with salt put them in a bowl with a weight on top. Next morning rinse leaves & blanch lightly. Drain & cool.

OR

Go to your local deli and buy a packet of preserved ones.

I no longer have a grape vine but if you have, please try doing your own as they are far superior.

Also please use fresh herbs as it is really much nicer.

In a fry pan gently fry 1 large onion that you have finely chopped along with some garlic(to your taste) in a little Olive oil.

Add 1 cup of rice and approx 3 tablespoons of Pine nuts(I add more, I love them but I don't use sultanas as I don't like them in dolmades) stir for a minute or so.

Add 3 tablespoons of parsley & 2 tablespoons each of dill & mint, salt & pepper & 2 tablespoons of sultanas.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock-you may need to add a little water.

Cook gently until liquid is absorbed. (Remember gently is the word)

To make the rolls up. Place the vine leaves smooth side down. Place approx 1 Tablespoon at base of leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold each side over and roll up into a little parcel.

Repeat until all you filling is used up.

Line a large pot with your remaining leaves and pack the rolls in on top of leaves. Sprinkle the juice of 1 lemon & a little olive oil over the top of rolls.Put a layer of vine leaves over the top of each layer of rolls & one on top when you finish. Add a cup of water and simmer lightly with a tight fitting lid for about an hour.(gentle that is) Do not go and watch your fav soapie on TV as you will boil the pot dry, yes that means you may need to add a little more water. And yes I am speaking from personal experience about the TV.

Allow to cool & serve with yogurt sauce & lemon.

They may seem like a bit of mucking around the first time but you will find it dead easy after that.

Enjoy!!

CAROLINE

BRIBERY OR ENRICHING HER??

THIS LITTLE VENTURE COST ME $5

And that wasn't the cost of the Dolmades

It was how much it cost me to get Emerald to eat one!!

I guess she thought she really needed the money

Ahh!! all gone. Money please Mum.

Funny thing is she used to love them when she was little.

Go figure??

BUSH FIRES & FLOODS

(Click on picture for enlarged view)

Devastating Bush Fires in Victoria.

Torrential Flooding in Queensland.

Australia sure is a big country.

I have had a few people email me this week from other countries. They are very concerned about our welfare because of the fires, apparently it has been in the international media alot.

However it is very hard for them to comprehend that fortunately, I am thousands of kilometres away and that Australia is quite a big place compared to the countries where many of my readers live.

I hope the above picture is helpful to you & explains things a little.

(Click on picture for easy viewing) It is quite amazing how Europe fits into our country isn't it??

CAROLINE XOXO

VALENTINES DAY & A BUSH FIRE

If you and your loved one will celebrate Valentines Day this Saturday think about postponing or doing without this year.

Instead donate the money you would have spent on Flowers, Dinners, Cards & other Trinkets to the Victorian Bush Fire Appeal.

After all Valentines Day is just a day. It can be celebrated on any day of your choosing & is in fact shown every day with our thoughts,feeling and actions towards our loved ones.

Maybe you could make your partner Breakfast in bed, Do a load of washing, Look after the kids for a while, wash the car or maybe just tell them how much you love & appreciate them, because this year on Valentines Day in Australia their will be many people wishing they could have been with their loved ones.

DEVASTATING BUSH FIRES

Start by doing what's necessary

then what's possible

and suddenly you are doing the impossible -Saint Francis of Assisi

I am absolutely uplifted & astounded at the bravery and spirit of the victims of The Victorian Bush Fires. The stories and pictures of hope, bravery & community spirit is what makes me proud to be an Australian. Australia is behind these people all the way please continue to give what you can. Some Queensland flood victims have been donating their relief money to the bush fire victims in Victoria. Such generosity and support from these people going through their own hardships.

DEVASTATING BUSH FIRES

On Friday as I finished working for nine days straight I thought about today & how much I would enjoy blogging about my weekend as I had decided to have a weekend away.

However that has now changed & I will post that at another date.

I am unable to post of my fun filled weekend when Australia has gone through days of absolute heart wrench & loss.

The Australian Bush fires are shaping up to be the worst in history. The Red Cross are running an Appeal & if you are in a position to be able to help please please do.

Donations can be made at The Red Cross, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Banks & Bunnings Hardware's there are possibly other places to they are just the ones I know about.

When I contacted the The Red Cross they said they had put out an urgent request for more blood donors. However they said at this time no donated goods please as their op shops are full and they need the volunteers to attend to more valuable things at this time.

The last report I heard was that 131 lives had been lost, and they are saying this number will continue to climb as the fireman are able to move into areas to search that they have been unable to so far. It has also been reported over 750 homes have been lost.

Please send your prayers & blessing to the people of these affected regions and to the emergency services & volunteers that have no doubt left their families to help fellow Australians.

CAROLINE XOXO

FROM DAISYMUM'S BLOG

daisymum did a post on her blog this morning asking people to post

a photo of how they feel!!

Well here is mine can anyone guess what it 'means' my feelings are??

Scroll a little further & you may find out.

Guessed it yet??

It means I feel like I have "Foot in Mouth Disease"

You know!! When you feel like you've put your foot in it and said the wrong thing.

Could be worse!!

I could have posted a photo of a pile of horse manure. Now I wonder what that would mean??

Tsk.Tsk. daisymum told us we must be good.

She also said the criteria of the photo is that it must be a natural photo I think I have done okay

& "well" horse manure is kinda natural hey!!

Have a good weekend

CAROLINE XOXO

OOPSEY'S HOLIDAY BEGINS!!

The Chaperone has been drawn for Oopsey

her grand adventure begins

she will now travel to a country that I have never been but would love to go.

Gill -That British Woman from Canada has been drawn as the first holiday destination for Oopsey to travel.

Gill we are so pleased to say she will be travelling from sunny Queensland, Australia to the cold cold of Canada.

Please show her the sights then when the time is right send her on her way to see some more before she travels safely home to us.

Thank you to everbody that wanted Oopsey to visit you never know she just may get to your place yet!!

CAROLINE XOXO

OOPSY WANTS A HOLIDAY

Introducing the lovely & one and only "Oopsy" bear. Oh and the blue bear is the awfully grumpy, "Grumpy" bear.



My darling son Lane won me both these bears way back before Christmas. In one of my rare weak, trying to earn brownie points with son who was sick of girl shopping moment. I let him play one of those crazy games that eat your money real fast. You know the ones you put $2 in and before you know it a neon light is shouting at you "GAME OVER"



Well let me tell you they didn't have an inkling of what they were up against letting Lane in charge of that crazy claw. He not only won once but did it again and won all in the same game.



Now folks by then I was feeling real proud & cocky. Why of course Lane's siblings can have a turn. Quick run and get more gold coins we have this blasted claw beat.
Say's Mum thinking she is now Wonder Woman with Superhero kids.



Alas we didn't win anymore but to cut a long story short. Ever since the bears have arrived home they have been wanting to go on a holiday. You see they soon discovered the world was bigger than their perspex box. So here is where I need to enlist the help of my blogging buddies.



If you would like Oopsy to visit you (Grumpy is staying home) so she can see the world (yes international bloggers please apply) Oh and all the lurkers I know your out there. Please leave me a comment & if you get the draw Oopsy will be at your home before you know it. Then you must of course be a good host and show Oopsy around your place/town or maybe just your kitchen she loves to cook, taking lots of photos of course. Post these on your blog and then you & Oopsy bear get to chose from your commenter's who she will holiday with next. The only rules are that you must send her on (NO kidnapping) and show her holiday pictures on your blog with a link to me. Easy Peasy

Hopefully she will get to see & great many countries & places before returning to tell me stories of far away places.


CAROLINE XOXO