BACK TO SCHOOL

School Holidays are over and the kids are back to school now until our spring vacation in September. We have all had such a great time these Winter Holidays with a little bit of everything mixed in. We were very lucky at the start to have Soldier Boy come home for a visit and were all able to get away on a short break.

Emerald has worked hard at her casual job these holidays and has just gone out & bought her first car herself. A big pat on the back from Mum for achieving this all before her 16th Birthday & many tears from Em when she suddenly realized that buying her car was the cheap bit it's all the extras that cost-Rego, Insurance etc. Anyway it's 3 mths before she can get her licence so she will have to be happy sitting in the driveway behind the wheel for a little yet!!LOL. Her Car is a little Toyota Corolla Hatchback, it is a manual which is important to me as I wanted her to learn first up in a manual as opposed to an Automatic. Emerald thinks the most important thing is

A. It's Red

B. It has Mag Wheels

C. It has a 6 Stacker CD Player

Can't blame her for that though I probably would have thought the same at her age.(Funny how our priorities change isn't it)

Lane has had a good report from his Eye Specialist and it seems his eyes have improved remarkable in the last 6mths. So much in fact he should only have to wear glasses for another 3-4yrs. He also no longer has to do the sight therapy exercises he was going to have to do. Now that's a saving of about $1 500 for Mum. Pheew So glad I held off on those now. These holidays we also had the trip to the dentist. Lane got the all clear SURPRISE !! with Emerald having to get just one small filling.

I also celebrated my Birthday. Of course I was spoilt by everybody & got some nice little bits & pieces, some I really really had wanted for a while. Thank you everyone for listening to all my hint dropping even if I thought you weren't listening. HA HA!!

My Birthday has always fallen on the winter school holidays even when I was a young one in my first years of school. Why do I remember that you ask?? Cause I had always wanted to take a cake in for my Birthday to share with my class and never got to. Mmmm I try to not let it disturb me much these days!!LOL.

Have to take some photos today so I can share all my lovelies with you tomorrow.......

OKAY Better be off to make some school lunches.

CAROLINE xoxo

LEMON & KIWI FRUIT TART

Here is the recipe for the Lemon & Kiwi fruit tart I mentioned yesterday. I used a prepared pie base just because I had one in the freezer I wanted to get rid of.

Of course if you make your own the taste will probably be superior, but if you are in a hurry with guests coming for dinner and need something for a scrumptious dessert the preparation time for this tart is only about 10Min's with a prepared flan.

2 Eggs lightly beaten

1/3 Cup Lemon Juice

1/3 Cup Castor Sugar

1/3 Cup Thickened Cream

2 Kiwi Fruit, Sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Flavoured Spread

Combine eggs, juice, sugar & cream in a jug, pour into your previously prepared pastry flan. Place flan on oven tray, bake in a slow oven for approx 45Min's. or until set. Cool. Arrange Kiwi fruit over tart, brush with warmed lemon spread. Refrigerate until set.

Now about the pastry for the flan, I keep a prepared flan in the freezer for emergencies. eg-Late notice visitors or if I make my own I cream about 125g butter & 1/2 cup sugar together. Add 1 beaten egg & some salt & vanilla essence mix well. Sift 1 1/2 cups S.R Flour & 1/2 cup cornflour and fold into mixture.

Turn onto a floured board & knead. Roll out the required quantity. Cook at 180' -200' C for 15-20Min's.

This makes more pastry than you need for 1 pie I wrap the remaining in grease-proof paper & store it in the fridge. Of course you can use your usual pastry recipe.

Another thing I do is for making Lemon Tarts, Lemon Cheesecakes etc. I always try to use Bush Lemons as they are far more ... well ...Lemoney.LOL The taste is far different to run of the mill lemons from the supermarket. Bush Lemons are the trees that usually grow wild big thorns-about 2 deadly inches long and rough skinned fruit. I saw in a catalouge recently they are now selling these commercially.

Don't forget to serve it with a good dollop of cream.

ENJOY!!

HOLIDAY'S

As promised in yesterdays post here is some photos of the kids on the horses on our mini holiday. Nothing like a 7 000 acre paddock to ride in.




Since getting back I have been surfing around trying to catch up on a few blogs. Thank you to all that leave me such lovely comments -even when I'm not blogging regularly. I love getting comments it really makes my day.





I am a bit disappointed about missing out on sitting around "The Biggest Kitchen Table" with Rhonda at her blog Down to Earth. I have read back on her posts and will still probably follow through and do my own audit over the next week or so.

It seems despite my good intentions I still need to give myself a shake every now and again as I stray away from my own principles & beliefs.

I don't think I would have joined in on the "No Spend Week" anyhow. Although I do, do "No Spend Weeks" at times.

Sometimes I breeze through and other times I fail miserable, BUT I do try & I think one day is better than none, two is better than one ETC ETC...

Being school holidays it wouldn't have been successful anyway. On School Hols I tend to do my own "audit" of the children's wardrobes and stock up on what they need. Since getting back from hols we have also been to the Eye Specialist, the Dentist & the Hairdresser along with doing a big grocery shop.

I can now proudly say I have for 1 year now (I started 30 June last year) only grocery shopped every 2-3mths(mostly 3mths) the savings on this alone are simply amazing. I still shop for fruit & veggie nearly every week but apart from that we usually try to do without if we run out. I know this is easier for me than a lot of people as I have my own milk, meat & eggs or am able to buy these cheaply from other locals if I am short. I have pulled out the old bread maker and once again am making all our bread. I wish I had the time to make it by hand -simply love the kneading...but I don't. I try not to be to hard on myself if I don't succeed with things at least it means I have room for improvement.

Am off to make a Lemon Tart for dessert tonight I won't be making the pie crust though as I have a bought one in the freezer I wish to use...Homemade ones are better but must remember what I just typed. Don't be to hard on myself!!

I shall take some photos & post the recipe for you all.

CAROLINE xoxo

A FEW DAYS AWAY!!

We have just come back from a few days away. It is School Holidays here at the moment and we were so lucky to have this coincide with Soldier Boy having a few days off.

Wow the chance of that happening in the Army - 1 in a million.

Soldier Boy has been away for a few months so it was wonderful to have him home again. Soldier Boy really did need to come home though, JUST to have some home cooking he has been living on Ration Packs for months and has lost alot of weight. For those of you that do know him, know he has no weight to lose. LOL Only wish his Mum was inflicted with the same thing - All muscle no fat!!

The other kids enjoyed having their Big Bro home & lots of fun was had by all. We went out to a Cattle Station approx - 8hrs from here. No Phones, No Internet, No T.V just each other for company LOVELY!!

MMmmmm no heating though could have done with that one, not a day over 10degrees and strong westerly winds - it was freezing. Luckily as we come from that kinda country we were well prepared. Lots of hot comfort foods and plenty of warm blankets in the swags.

AND....

Just to show we couldn't get away from the technology all together I caught the kids at one time in the back seat of the car watching the Car DVD player. Ha Ha!! On another note, it is so nice now to be able to share the driving on long trips with the Soldier Boy.

See you all tomorrow when I post some photos of the kids holidaying on the horses. Hope you all have a nice evening or day to my northern hemisphere readers.

Caroline xoxo

FRESH ORANGES!!

What a lovely gift

To come home & find a big bag of fresh oranges from a sweet friend of mine.

Am hoping the oranges are as sweet as H****.
Aren't friends just delicious.

CINDERELLA'S PUMPKINS

Well okay Cinderella I am not but pumpkins there are, AND lots of them.

I finally got a day at home that was dry enough to pick them!! What's even better than that is the fact that they got a frost on them last week, so this should ensure they have a good shelf life.



I haven't planted any Pumpkin, Luffa, or Gourd seeds in years. Every year they just seem to self sow themselves and there they are back again the next year. This spring I will be planting some pumpkin seeds though as I would like some different varieties.



Last night we had yummy Pumpkin Soup for dinner. The soup my family like best is when I make it with Coconut Cream and Red Curry Paste. We also had homemade Garlic Bread to accompany. I had made quite alot of Garlic Bread a few weeks ago and frozen it. Even better than our homemade Pumpkin Soup & Garlic Bread was my families company at the table and last night believe me they were in fine form. I think they are very very excited with the School Hols starting tomorrow and the fact that we may be in for a visit from Soldier Boy sometime next week. YIPPEEE!!!



Caroline xoxoxo

THE THINGS KIDS DO......

When your not watching.......

but they should learn not to take evidence Mum may find!!

Ha Ha specially on my camera Duh!!

I have since downgraded my children's status from Kitchen Hygienist's to

Kitchen Festies!!

Doesn't Chloe look so darn cute in these photo's though?? Ssshh... don't tell the kids I said that.

BRISBANE

What do you do when you forget to take your jumper on a trip to Brisbane in the winter time ??

You go to the Brisbane Convention Centre........

And stand over one of the heating vents.... Mmmmm blows lovely warm air up your shirt. So I am told. Personally I didn't try it myself, I was wearing a dress and didn't want to do a Marilyn Monroe reenactment.

I wanted to go on the big sky wheel at South Bank Brisbane, but nobody would go on with me bunch of scardee cats. You can see Emerald standing in the foreground of the photo. I thought it would be good to see the city lights from up high and maybe take some good photos. The sky wheel stands about 60 metres high, weighs 350 tonnes and has about 46 fully enclosed climate controlled capsules that they call of all things "Gondola's". Apparently the views are fantastic as it is right next to the river.

Anyone been on it??

OOPSY HAS ARRIVED......

She's off again this little well travelled bear. This time she rocked up to the Decadent Housewifes doorstep begging to be allowed in. Trouble was she didn't know she was going to have to contend with WOLVES!!!

If you would like Oopsy to visit you on her around the world tour just follow the Decadent Housewifes blog and when she calls for Oopsys next holiday destination leave a comment. Before you know it she could be on your doorstep.

Oopsy would really like to experience some other parts of the world. She said England/Europe really take her fancy and wouldn't mind popping over to Ireland for a while either.

Have a great day I am sure Oopsy will don't you wish you could join her!!

BREAD...

Honest Bread is very well- it's the Butter that makes the temptation.


-Douglas Jerrold.











Have pulled the breadmaker out again of late and am back to baking fresh bread everyday. MMmmm don't know why I ever stopped.......