Mrs BC's House of Chaos

2012-02-10T06:56:00.001+10:00

I love Mix Apparel. I love the way it is fresh & stylish at super affordable prices. I love the way that every time I go to Coles, the clothing just seems to pop itself into my trolley without me (or more importantly, Mr BC) even noticing. I love the sales, & I love that new season's designs seem to come out all the time.

I especially love this $5 off voucher. Help yourself, you're welcome :)

xx
Disclaimer - there is none. I did recieve a $5 off voucher, but you just did too!

10 Simple Pleasures

2012-02-09T11:51:00.000+10:00

Beautiful artwork from this talented artist

The sun is shining! I like weather in all it's many faces, but I am loving this sunshine today.
Rose & Cedar oil in my oil burner, scenting the house with clean, sweet freshness.
The Gentleman settling happily into his new class, loving his new teacher, & even enjoying his homework.
Fresh bread in the kitchen, sweet plums in the fridge.
Friends, old & new.
Watching the garden turn into a lush jungle after the recent deluge.
The smell of warm, line dried bed linen. Thank you, sun!
A weekend with nothing planned.
Stolen moments with my husband...
Having some quality time to spend anyway I like. Squee!

Weekly Menu Planner for the next fortnight or so..

2012-02-06T07:48:00.000+10:00

Now that my Pinterest addiction has me so tired all the time, I've created a really long weekly menu so that I don't have to think at all, because I know I won't have any brain cells to consider cooking at 5pm.. I went & did a super shop to make sure I had everything, so I wouldn't even need to go to the Supermarket. (See, already I am enabling myself)

The weather has been a bit monsoonish, but still warm, so hopefully these dinner options will suit. We are also on a budget so there is nothing expensive here except Chinese Takeaway, & that is totally worth it, right?

Middle Eastern Meatballs with roasted pumpkin couscous, a green salad, & some basil hummus. Basil in the garden is getting beaten up by the rain, so I am using it as fast as I can because it will have done it's dash soon.
Chinese Chicken with rice & steamed green vegetables.
Spanish roasted chicken with potato tortilla, & some small tapas style dishes. I'm really keen to make Croquettes but I don't know where to get bacalao in Brisbane.
Sausages in onion gravy with mashed potatoes, to keep Mr BC happy after all that 'exotic' cuisine.
Homemade Pizza topped with whatever is fresh in the garden.
Risotto - my favourite. I like it with prawns, parsley & chili.
Beef Cheeks in the slow cooker, probably with garlic mash & a green vegetable.
Kumera Gnocchi. I've been wanting to make this for ages, & it will probably be part of an extended 'Italian table' that will include garlic grilled zucchini, caprese salad & a glass of wine.
Chinese Takeaway. You know you want it.
Burritos made yourself at the table, with bolognaise sauce & red beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, sour cream & optional chili sauce. The Gentleman loves this.
I am dying to make a Greek octopus dish with potatoes & chorizo but have been unable to find a decent sized octopus. Hopefully I can find one soon!
In the meantime, I will make octopus out of hot dogs, & serve it on pasta salad as the octopuses garden. I got this idea from Pinterest. Shut up!
Minestrone with some decent bread.
I have this eggplant, Imma make Moussaka. With salad.
I have this idea for deconstructing a Cobb Salad & serving the ingredients & some interesting dressings separately, so everyone can make their own substantial salad to their own taste. I'll see how it goes..

Also I want to make over the next few weeks

some biscuits
a pineapple cake
Asian sago pudding with coconut & brown sugar
some more Donna Hay Chocolate Sorbet because it is so divine!

If anything looks good I will post some photos & a recipe.

xx

Everyday Heros

2012-02-04T03:03:00.000+10:00

Are you familiar with Bass Strait? That bit of ocean dividing Tasmania from the rest of the mainland?

You know - they have that little yacht race every year, the Sydney to Hobart?

Image Credit

It's really dangerous because the weather sometimes looks like it's from that movie Perfect Storm? (Excuse the poor picture quality..what? Where you too busy looking for George Cloony? Me too.)

Image Credit

Oh, OK! I'm exaggerating! Sometimes it gets a little squally!

Image Credit

No, that's bullshit. People have actually died sailing across the Bass Strait. I mean absolutely no disrespect. It is a very dangerous bit of ocean. Which is why I am absolutely in AWE of these guys.

These everyday hero's are paddling over the Bass Strait in KAYAKS. They leave Port Welshpool, VIC on the 14th March, & arrive at Musselroe Bay, TAS, on the 24th March, 10 days later.

This is the route they will be taking.

They are hoping to raise over $25,000 for Bravehearts & you can help them by going here or here to donate. Any donation over $2 is tax deductible. It is a hugely worthy cause, & rest easy, no money is going to be wasted on shark repellent for this brave band of heroes!

Bravehearts is Australia’s only children’s charity holistically dedicated to the issue of child sexual assault. We offer comprehensive counselling and education for children and young people plus parental support for non-offending family members along with advocacy for adult survivors. Bravehearts also invests in extensive training and research developing strategies better able to combat the complex issues associated with child sexual assault.

Founded in 1997 by Executive Director Hetty Johnston, Bravehearts aims to forge a “movement for change” in how paedophilia is dealt with by the criminal justice sector, government and the community at large and to provide survivors with a voice.

Today I am a Guest Poster!

2012-02-03T07:41:00.005+10:00

Check out my so called cool style over at Suger Coat It!

Be kind.

xx

Getting shit DONE! (in my head)

2012-02-02T13:49:00.000+10:00

Pinterest is my crack, yo. There is something so utterly soothing about clicking away, pinning your one true self into neatly organised boards. No fuss or drama. No fighting children. No house flooding in the rain. No mountain of laundry to demolish. No soul destroying daily grind getting you down, just click, click, clickety click, drink the Pinterest cool-aid & zen the hell out.

Breath in, & exha-a-a-a-a-le.

In Pinterestland, my house looks like this. Well, one of them.

My kitchen looks like this. Calm, clean, spacious & serene.

Inside, the decor is both traditional & unexpectedly colourful.

Go HOME, neighbourhood boy!

I have lots of furniture like this.

I sometimes go on holiday to places like this.

But my favourite getaway is my own garden, which always looks like this.

I also have a Vardo in my garden, it's my grown up cubby.

Shut up! You totally want to come in.

My wardrobe is FILLED with amazing outfits like this & I always look super stylish.

I have the perfect shoes with which to rule the world. I have a lot, actually...

I seem to eat a lot of delicious Tex Mex food. Not complaining!

And, you know, I appreciate the arts.

So it's a bit of a rude shock to lift my head & wait for that Pinteresting glaze to leave my eyes, & survey what the house of chaos really looks like.

Holy Shit balls! Where is the gardener? Did someone fire him & not tell me??

Monsoon season comes to Brisbane, again.

Wait a minute, that isn't seafood OR Tex Mex. Waiter!?

Go HOME, neighbourhood children! Oh, wait..

Not Majorca, but a good place to call home.

Even if it's not in Pinterestland.

If you would like to ~~shake your head sadly~~ enjoy my Pinteresting cool-aid, you can follow me here.

If you would like to see how stylish I really am ~~not~~, then come back tomorrow for the link to Sugar Coat It's Friends of Sugar guest post, where my style will be featured. Brace yourself. I like colour, remember.

Image credits? It's all Pinterest, man. But not the last few.

Lazy Bloggers Post Generator

2012-01-29T13:46:00.000+10:00

What a gorgeous orange dress!
Flaming June by Marcello

Dudes I just climbed out from under my rock and realised I have not updated this since last week... You would not believe I spend all my time in front of a computer. Unbelievable.

I am not going to post now with feeding the little people, personal projects, just generally being a mother to my kids, my day is full to overflowing from the moment my children manage to unlock my bedroom door and use me as a jumping castle to 11pm at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am so exhausted. I need some perspective.

I swear to update at least once a week. Honestly! What do you mean you don't believe me?.

xx

Thank you, http://www.aussiebloggers.com.au/blogpost.html

Leibster Blog Love

2012-01-22T15:20:00.002+10:00

A few days ago, the gorgeous Sheri from Sheri Bomb awarded me the Liebster Blog Award, & I am WELL FUCKING CHUFFED, man!

"Liebster is a German word, meaning dearest or beloved, but it can also mean favourite. The idea behind the Liebster Blog Award is that it is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers in order to create new connections and bring attention to these wonderful blogs."

I do love the toughlove sound of the Geman language (Ich liebe Dich, Sheri xx). And also sad panda face that I have much, much less than 200 followers :(......

Being a Leibster entails the following..

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog. (Right click on the award image and save it to your hard-drive and then upload it to your blog).
4. Bask in the leib from the most supportive people on the Internet – other bloggers.
5. And best of all – have fun and spread the leib!
Well, in the spirit of the upcoming Australia Day celebrations, I would like to keep it local just this once. My top 5 Leibsters are;

A Boys Mumma
Accidental Wonderland
Catch
Hello Blogger Events
The one and only...Ozziethriftmumma

Ladies, I leib youse all.
xx

Happy Birthday Taste.com.au

2012-01-22T13:47:00.000+10:00

I am a big fan of Good Taste magazine, but I am a bit embarrassed to say that I didn't know there was a Taste.com.au website. That is turning 5 years old, for god's sake.

Yeah, what a noob!
Call yourself a foodie Mrs BC!

Things that make Taste.com.au such an amazing website

It is a seriously huge website, with over 1.6 million unique visitors per month. (oh for those stats)
They bring together magazines such as Delicious, Super Food Ideas, Country Style, Master Chef & Good Taste to provide an index of over 23,000 recipes.
In the Taste Kitchen section, you can view other members favourite recipes or upload your own.
Marion Grasby (one of my fave Mastercheffers) is the new resident blogger.
They are having an amazing birthday giveaway, with the first prize being a gourmet trip for 2 to Thailand valued at $11,000! How brilliant would that be?

Click here to enter Taste.com.au's birthday giveaway. All you need to do is share your favourite recipe. 2nd prize is a Thermostat, & 3rd prize is an instant kitchen library of 10 cookbooks. (I'd almost rather the 3rd prize....)

Or just go check out the website, because it's pretty awesome!

xx
Disclaimer - there ain't none! This is my opinion which I am happy to share for no money or product. I know, right!

Rich Glen Giveaway Winner

2012-01-18T20:23:00.000+10:00

Thank you to everyone that entered this competition, all of your recipes sound amazing & I will be giving them all a whirl at the Chaos dinner table. After a lot of discussion with Mr BC, the winner of the Rich Glen Olive Oil Pack is...

Woodpuddle!

with her tasty sounding 'Joe's Roast Vegie Salad with Pomegranate/Mango' that had Mr BC drooling..

Email me your address Woodpuddle & the lovely Ros Vodusek will send you a bottle of award winning Lemon Lime infused olive oil, & a bottle of Chaos Household endorsed Poppy's Salad Dressing.

Enjoy!
\xx

Chaos Notes

2012-01-17T22:34:00.000+10:00

I want to say a heart felt THANK YOU to every single person who left a message of support for the Unbloggable Guest Poster. Your lovely words of encouragement gave this mum a big lift, which is just what she needs as she heads into court. I hope & pray that we can hear a happy outcome to this situation one day soon. Sending you love & strength, Anonymous! xx

Meanwhile, in the Chaos Household..

Mr BC is continuing to fish, & sometimes he even catches one!

Prawn pot stickers, rice, Asian slaw & Chinese style pork ribs.

A little bit of heaven.

Donna Hay's Chocolate Sorbet.

OMG you guys you MUST MAKE THIS.

It's like a mud cake had a baby with a dairy free, fat free sorbet.

Dissolve 1 cup of caster sugar, & half a cup of brown sugar in 2 & three quarters of water over high heat.
Whisk in 1 cup of high quality cocoa powder. (Woolworths home brand is the best, truly)
Simmer for about 15 minutes. (Ms Hay says to measure 96C on a candy thermometer but I don't have one)
Churn in an ice cream maker. For some reason, my churn wouldn't churn this so I froze it & kept stirring every few hours. Probably the thermometer thingy..

Still bloody amazing.

Still walking by the ocean as much as I can.

I find the ocean so soothing, it's a spiritual thing.

What? No, I'm not a hippy.

Crazy boys creating their own fun.

Checked out a local park with new equipment. How blue is that sky?

To infinity, & beyond!

The world's proudest banana sandwich chef.

(photo taken by the worlds proudest mum of the banana sandwich chef)

Went for a walk at a local wildlife reserve. This boardwalk snakes around 2 km of mangroves & bushland. There is a bird hide, where you can view lots of different types of water fowl. We even saw a kangaroo bounding through some scrub, very exciting.

Years ago, before the children came along, Mr BC & I used to go wine tasting a bit. We still have a few bottles of red floating around, quite tempting..This bottle had lost it's label so who knew what was inside! I love a mystery & couldn't wait to open it...

Big Disappointment.

but sanity prevails!!

Tomorrow I am choosing the winner of the Rich Glen giveaway, so click this link & leave your best salad recipe in the comments for your chance to win the most amazing salad dressing in the known universe. (as far as my taste buds are concerned).

Guest Post - The Unbloggable

2012-01-13T01:01:00.003+10:00

A few weeks ago Mrs BC offered her blog as a place for anyone who wanted a rant, had something to get off their chest or, just had a story to tell that for whatever reason didn't sit well on their own blog.

First of all, THANK YOU so much Mrs BC!!! There are few things more frustrating for someone who makes sense of the world by writing than to not have an outlet. I'm choosing to post this anonymously for reasons that will become clear. I have a real need to tell my story but again, for various reasons I can't post this on my own blog. It's really hard to know where to start.

Part of the reason for it taking me so long to write is that the story has been evolving and changing direction so fast that my head is spinning. Sadly my story has not reached the end and, whichever way it does, the outcome is not likely to be happy.

So, where do I start?

15 years ago when I met my husband? The intervening years which, although not all unhappy were, on reflection, not happy times.

2 and a half years ago when I ended my marriage? The pain, ill health, emotion turmoil, suffering and punishment meted out during that time?

Or the 23rd of December when I stood barefoot with tears puring down my face in a car park while he smugly smiled as the police woman explained that without a residency order she couldn't prevent him from taking my children from me?

So how, and why did this happen. Questions I'm still asking myself even now the children are (for the time being) safely back where they belong.

Ok, I'll start with how and yes, I know, this IS only from my perspective. I AM emotionally involved. I will only be able to tell you my truth based on my knowledge and experience of this man and my views are not unbiased, I appreciate that.

My views are tainted by the pain he has caused me and my belief that his only motivation was to cause me yet more pain for daring 2 and a half years ago to defy him, to not forgive him, for trying to remove him from my life and for trying to live my life without him.

One thing that should be made clear. My children love their Father. They will forgive him ANYTHING just to keep him in their lives. He has used this to his advantage over the last couple of years.

Refusing to make proper arrangements to see them (and barely seeing them at all in the first year). Keeping them on edge. Waiting for up to 2 hours at a time for him to arrive to take them out, all the while sitting silently on the sofa, peering through the blinds each time a car drew up outside.

Bringing them home early, before I was home and leaving them, without a key, on the doorstep before driving away.

Having my daughters long, strawberry blond hair cut short and dyed black.

Neglecting my son to the extent that he suffered 2nd degree burns after a day at the beach resulting in a week off school and in so much pain that we both wept every time I applied the burns cream. During this week the only communication any of us had from his father was a text to say it wasn't his fault.

Many times they have come home having not been fed all day. They are tired and hungry. Their Dad has gotten drunk the night before and only got up in time to bring them home.

So why not just stop him seeing them? Of COURSE you are asking that, I know I would!

Well, my children are considered young adults, at least to the extent that they are old enough to have their wishes taken into consideration. They want to see him. If I prevent this then not only do I alienate my own children but I face a battle in court.

So I desperately tried to put safeguards in place, to gain assurances, promises, ANYTHING that would show that he had his children's welfare at heart and would take care of them.

I worried every single moment that they spent with him. I stopped going out, even to the shops or walking the dog on the days they were due home to make sure that never again would they be left outside alone.

Again, yes, they have mobile but no matter how many times I asked for a text or a call before they left for the 1 and half hour journey home. No matter how many times I called to find out what time they would be home. No matter what I was told, the situation was likely to change without any warning or notice so I never felt safe.

The children were going to spend this Christmas with their Father. Not something I wanted or was happy about but something he had put to them stressing that it was HIS turn. Last year he told me he didn't want to see them at Christmas or for New Year. He and his girlfriend had 'plans'. I didn't know we TOOK it in turns!

This year his girlfriend threw him out after discovering that he had been persistently unfaithful to her during their 18 month relationship. This year he would be on his own and not be the centre of attention. This year he decided it was his TURN to have our children

And so, because this was presented to me as a done deal. Because my children cling on to any and every sign that their Dad wants them. Because I felt that yet again I was given no option. I agreed.

But then his behaviour became more erratic.

At the beginning of November I received a drunken call from him saying that he didn't want to have the children from Friday night to Sunday afternoon but that he would pick them up on a Saturday morning every other weekend. (there is a back story to him having them on a regular basis and it revolves around a reduction in maintenance payments from him if he has them for a set amount of nights a year). It was shortly after this that I discoved he and his girlfriend has split up.

I agreed to the change in the arrangements but it transpired that he didn't want to pay the higher rate (about £40 per month) of maintenance that he would incur by being in breach of the shared care arrangement. I was to keep quite and continue to allow him to pay the reduced rate or he would stop seeing the children and tell them it was my fault for, in his words, 'being a money grabbing bitch again and making it impossible for him to see them'.

I refused to be bullied by him again. (again there is a back story regarding money that he has refused to pay, has stolen ect) and so I said no. Predictably this unleashed a storm of abuse and threats and bizarrely, photos of him in compromising situations with other women being sent to my phone. At this point I said that the plans for Christmas should be revised.

He had threatened not to return the children. To keep them and try to force me to sell my house (which I had owned for many years before meeting him and for which he has never made a mortgage payment towards).

I said that as he no longer had a place I felt the children would be 'safe' in. Because he was living with a family member he had previously told me took drugs. Because he refused to give me an address. Because I was tired of the years of bullying, of abuse of constantly working my life around his demands even when he was living nearly 100 miles away, I said NO!

I said that he could still have contact with the children by phone and in person but only with supervision and only if he were to travel here to see them. That I would not allow him to take them in a car. I did specify that the supervision didn't need to be by me. That I was willing to arrange for the children to be with mutal friends that I trusted.

But you don't say no to my ex (If I refer to him as my husband it's because we are sadly still married. So far he has ignored 3 sets of divorce papers but the next set will be served in person).

So, how did he come to take my children?

Why did they willing go with him?

Because, as I have said, they love their Dad but also because they have seen him walk away from children from a previous relationship and have no contact with them for 6 years. They know and I know that should they not go along with his plans then in all likeliness he will do the same to them.

I wish to god he WOULD!!!

But they don't.

So yes, they choose to believe that I would stop them spending Christmas with their dad because (as he says) I hate him. They choose to believe that I don't pass on messages or tell them when he has phoned, that I try to prevent them from speaking to him.

The truth is, and they KNOW this!!

He doesn't phone. His only interest is self interest.

He probably does love them in so far as he is able to love but it isn't the unconditional love most of us have for our children. It's a self serving love. A need in him to be loved. A demand to be the centre of attention.

If I were reading this would I be thinking, 'but there MUST be more to this story'? She MUST be a bad mother to have her children say they want to live with this man. There is something she is hiding ...

To be honest? I probably would and I don't blame you if you think the same. To understand you need to understand how manipulative this man is. How he wears down your self esteem. How he makes you feel that his approval is the only thing that matters. How you lose yourself and your self worth.

This is what he did to me and god knows how I managed to break free. I do know that it left me emotionally scarred and physically ill. I do know that the bond I had with him was far more tenuous than that which a child has for a parent.

I DO know that my children know that I will never leave them. That I will never reject them. That I will ALWAYS, no matter what love them.

Maybe this is the key to it all. Maybe this is why they can behave in this (in the words of a friend) treacherous manner towards me. Maybe this is why during this time where I am backwards and forwards to a solicitor. Where I face a battle in court. Where every aspect of my parenting is questioned, they continue to tell me they love me. They continue to behave relatively normally. They continue to laugh, to have friends over, to hug me to be so damned NORMAL at times that I really think that as their Dad keeps suggesting, I may be mad!

Or maybe he's just fucked so much with their heads that they don't know what normal IS any more.

To be honest, I'm not sure I do.

I appreciate there are gaps here. Information and background that were it included would perhaps tie all of this together better but I'm only really getting one shot at this. It's as hard to write as it is to believe.

I feel broken and beaten but, there is still life in me and every moment I have, every breath that I breath is to protect and to love my children. I don't know how this will end and I'm scared.

I'm scared of the damage that's already been done and I'm scared of the damage and pain to come. I do know that no matter how this ends, no one wins and the biggest loser's of all will be my children who I love so much.

It breaks my heart.

Son's sunburn

Thank you Anonymous, this breaks my heart also. I truly hope that the courts, & your children see the truth of this behaviour, & that there will be a happy ending for you all.
Thank you so much for sharing.
xx

Today was not a great day.

2012-01-10T21:06:00.000+10:00

Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso

It was very hot - too hot to be out at the beach or even in the garden. The 50 things to do in the school holiday post mocks me in my humidity induced lack of motivation. Our budget is too tight right now for any sort of diversionary tactics. The boys where bored & in an endless loop of 'antagonise-whinge-escalate' that seems to plague our house every school holidays, despite my best intentions. The constancy of this is such that I can't rub 2 thoughts together in my head - I literally forget what I walked into a room for. I hate feeling so diconnected, so frazzled, so fed up with my kids. Mr BC is back at work so I cannot escape even if I wanted to. Unluckily for him, he works from home most of the time so gets to listen to my whinging in person.

I just need to go & have sushi & read a magazine & have no one talk to me for an hour! I sobbed melodramaticly to Mr BC. I just need to have my head to myself for while! I've been telling you I need some time to myself & I NEED SOME TIME TO MYSELF!!!!

Mr BC hastily checked his calendar, & after some discussion we decided that I could steal $20 from our budget & I could take myself to a sanity break/sushi lunch on Saturday. It's a long time to wait but it's something to look forward to.

I decided that I would get on with some chores, but write myself a list so I wouldn't forget what I was doing. I made Donna Hay's chocolate sorbet recipe, Pioneer Woman's perfect iced coffee recipe, & a batch of Evolution Slice. I did 3 loads of laundry. I cleaned the fishtank & fed the guinea pig. I went through my inbox files to delete anything that could be dragging down the speed of my laptop.....

Wow, 153 items in my Junk Mail File, that's a lot..... I try & check it every couple weeks, I'd left it for 4. There where quite a few emails from 'Foreign Department, Africa' asking me to help them move a few billion out of thier country. Lots of emails telling me I had won the lottery, & apparently I might have been selected to win an ipad at least 7 times.

delete, delete, delete.

I felt a bit of a sinking feeling when I noticed there where several emails from people leaving comments on my blog, despite the fact emails from these particular guys are not normally junked. This sucked, because I really like to reply personally to each comment via email within 24 hours at most.

Then I found an email from a fellow blogger telling me I had won a $200 Coles Myer Voucher! My heart sank when I realised this email was almost 4 weeks old, because the blogger would be well within her rights to a redraw if I hadn't claimed, & until today, I hadn't. (I haven't heard back from her yet). Stupid Outlook.

If you are like me you enter a lot of competitions in blog land, & you'll be especially like me if you don't keep track of them. I clicked over to the blog in question to see what competition I had actually won. I had to leave a comment telling how I was leading a healthier life. This is my answer.

It's a struggle, this trying to be healthy, but I'm sure it's worth it. For me it's portion size, carb quality & excercise. Lately I think mental health is also part of the bigger picture of 'being healthy' - take time to laugh, relax, & spend time with my loved ones. And try try try for quality time to myself!
x

Words to fucking live by. Pass the tissues.

xx

Projects up the Hoo Ha

2012-01-08T13:23:00.000+10:00

Image from this talented artist

It's no secret - I have the nerdy love for a spreadsheet. I kinda think I could manage the world on one. (Well, my world at least although I did once work for a largish company that insisted on managing their world on excel. Hugely inadequate, but we all managed, almost.)

I tell you this because as part of my resolution management, excel is an integral tool. One of my resolutions for 2012 was to totally own my project list. The OGSR went like this..

Objective - Move forward on creative projects.
Goal - Organise projects out of notebook & onto spreadsheet
Strategy - Do one project per week, minimum
Resource - I have enough half done stuff to last all year, so bloody finish it!

So now I have a spreadsheet called 'Master Project List'. I listed each project then put them into a category (Art, Gardening, Carpentry, Upcycling, Upholstery, Organising, Financial, Sewing, etc, etc,)

I made a column for Details of each project, then a column for the Roadblock that was stopping progress on this project. This has given me a good handle on what the hell I am doing with so many half finished projects - I have things listed like 'time' or 'need to do x project first'. To my surprise there where a lot of blank spaces - as in there is no good reason why I haven't finished this project.

I suspected that money was a major roadblock & in many instances it is, but after adding a column for Approximate Cost, I found to my surprise there are a lot of projects that cost $0. Yep, a big fat zero.

So, yay me - I am unfocused & lazy, & I proved this to myself with my favourite toy, the Spreadsheet.

Fucks sake.

On the good side, this list has made it easier to choose a project to do, & therefore keep the momentum going. Feeling cash embarrassed? Choose a free project! Raining? Do an inside project. Want to play with power tools? Choose a Carpentry project.

I have 65 projects on the Project List. I'll try to do at least one per week, hopefully more.

Imma be busy.

xx

Rich Glen Olive Oil - Giveaway

2012-01-06T11:02:00.002+10:00

Before Christmas, I was sent some beautiful Australian olive oil products to try. Rich Glen's Zesty Lemon & Lime Olive Oil, Fiery Chilli Olive Oil, & Poppy's Salad Dressing. Oh, that's nice I thought & got on with the silly season.

I drizzled the chilli oil over a salad made of left over prawns, cold couscous & rocket from the garden. Hmmmm, yum I thought.

I drizzled the lemon lime oil over a chicken roasted with lemons & garlic & thought Hmmmm, pretty good.

And then, I opened the Salad Dressing, & angels sang.

Oh My Heavens MOTHER OF GOD this stuff is GOLD!!!!

It is made from completely natural ingredients, & is utterly fabulous on EVERYTHING. It has been 'tested' (read hoovered up) by every member of this family on green salad, pasta salad, ham sandwiches, egg sandwiches, poached eggs, cold chicken, thick slices of pana de casa, steamed potatoes, BBQ lamb chops, cold prawns & poured into half an avocado & eaten with a spoon. Mr BC has ~~almost~~ been drinking it with a straw. I cannot rate this highly enough, & I am one of those people who doesn't normally like salad dressing at all. At the Regatta Brunch, Kym & I started raving about it like born again dressing lovers to the point where people where giving us odd looks. Now of course I have run out, & you can only buy it online direct from Rich Glen, or here.

Or, you could win some of your own!

I would love it if you liked the Rich Glen facebook page, & I would really love it if you liked the Mrs BC facebook page, but what I really want you to do is give me your best salad recipe. Just type it in the comments & we are good. Sorry, but Australian residents only. Winner to be chosen on the 18th January. Rich Glen will ship you;

1 x bottle of Rich Glen Zesty Lemon & Lime Olive Oil, &
1 x bottle of Rich Glen's Poppy's Salad Dressing so you can hear the angels sing yourself.

Some interesting facts that make Rich Glen Olive Oil products taste even better;

Rich Glen Olive Oil is situated on the banks of the Murray River in Yarrawonga – right in the heart of Victoria’s gourmet food and wine region.
30,000 Olive Trees are tended by 3 generations of the Vodusek family, who all live on the estate.
Ros Vodusek took the estate from just supplying bulk oil to creating award winning infused oils & salad dressings, while bringing up 4 children.
Ros went to school with someone who has the exact same maiden name as me, although it wasn't me.
Rich Glen Olive Oil is cold pressed, & is a vastly superior product than many imported olive oils.
They produce a large range of olive oils, jams, pastes, dukkas & salt rubs, as well as soaps & moisturizers. They sell these goodies online or from their farmgate store.
I would really really like to try their Mandarin Olive Oil.
The Zesty Lemon Lime Olive Oil is used in this award winning recipe.

Disclaimer - I was not paid for this post, although I was sent 3 bottles of Rich Glen's Olive Oils products to preview, & now I am addicted.

Books that should be movies

2012-01-05T01:00:00.001+10:00

Not to be confused with movies that should have stayed books. Obviously.

I am not a 'mainstream reader' whatever the hell that is. I do not really like Chick Lit. I prefer my reading material multi levelled with a generous helping of snark. My favourite authors include Robertson Davies, Kyril Bonfiglioli, & Anne Rice. I also like to read biographies & books about comparative religion. But that's just me.

When it comes to movies I like black humour or supernatural thrillers mainly but I also like some movies for the way they look or the subject matter - for example, Skeleton Key because it is set in Louisiana & is about Voodoo, even though it is fluffy. Occasionally, the planets align & all of these factors create a subset into the perfect movie - Drop Dead Gorgeous, the Big Lebowski, Practical Magic or The Exorcist. Warning: Love Actually is not for me.

There are a number of novels that I believe would be brilliant on the big screen, and they are;

A Confederacy of Dunces.

Written by John Kennedy Toole, & published at the insistence of his mother, 11 years after his suicide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1981. Set in New Orleans (my favourite) it details the story of the outrageous Ignatius Reilly, an educated intellectual mummy's boy slob, prone to ranting & insurgency, who is reduced to selling hot dogs. The story is set in the early 60's & is filled with hysterical characters. As I read this I found myself casting Will Ferrel in the role of Ignatius, & was happy to see on the Internet that a movie of this novel is 'in development hell' & already has him signed. Unfortunately it's been in development hell for a loooong time, & no one knows when it is actually going ahead. Shame. I hope filming commences before Will Ferrel loses interest.

The Mortdecai Trilogy.
Kyril Bonfiglioli wrote 4 books (3 make up the trilogy, the last published separately) featuring Charlie Mortdecai, fictional art dealer, minor aristocracy, ex British secret service, sexually ambiguous anti hero with occasional psychopathic tendencies, who with his thug/manservant Jock Strapp skip through all manner of adventures. These books read very much like PD Wodehouse, with Charlie & Jock very similar to Bertie Wooster & Jeeves. The books are laugh out loud dry satire. I had heard a rumour that Hugh Laurie was interested in playing Charlie Mortdecai, & I think that would probably work, if a movie ever goes ahead. One book alone would make an excellent film, maybe there is an opportunity for a franchise? Looking at you, Guy Ritchie! (don't click to look inside the cover, I got the image from Amazon).

The Witching Hour

My most favourite of favourite Ann Rice novels, & it's not about vampires! It is a saga spanning 13 generations of the extremely interesting, rich & powerful Mayfair Witches who cannot seem to escape their fate; the spirit that haunts them, & the story of The Talamasca, an ancient occult investigative organisation. Anne Rice's rich text transports you from Scotland to Amsterdam to St Domingue to New Orleans (of course), with luscious characters, houses, & scenery. Apparently there were plans to turn this large trilogy into a 12 hour miniseries, but this plan was first put on hold while Anne Rice embraced Catholicism (& thereby refusing any production on any occult material she had written, before changing her religion a few years later) & eventually evaporated after a change of studio head. Booo!! There is a movie of this name starring Micheal Madsen (you remember, the ear cutter from Reservoir Dogs) but it has nothing to do with the Mayfair Witches. It is a very popular 2am drunken conversation - who would play who in a movie of this book. Please not Tom Cruise.

The Lyre of Orpheus
No, not the Nick Cave song. This is the last in The Cornish Trilogy (gosh I love trilogies, don't I?) written by Canadian Literary Darling, Robertson Davies. All 3 books are awesome, but this is the first one I read & it certainly stands alone. It is about a collection of characters who are putting on a theatrical production of the Arthur of Camelot legend. The story works on many levels, & the characters unwittingly act out their own version of the myth. There are gypsies, ghosts, lesbians & all manner of love affairs. It is one of those reads that makes you laugh and think, I love it. I was so sad when Robertson Davies died, I cried. True.

The Lost Book of Salem
Sensing a theme? Well this isn't a trilogy. Written by Katherine Howe about a multi generational family of witches, the novel jumps back & forth between the 17th century & the present day. It tells the story of a woman who was hung as a witch, as well as her descendant, Connie, who is sitting for her PHD thesis (subject: Salem witch trials, yet she doesn't believe in witchcraft).. there is an old house, a love interest, some history & a treasure hunt for a missing book. It is not as heavy going as some of my other choices, but is a definite page turner & almost feels as if it was written for the screen. In the US this was published as The Physik Book of Deliverance Dane.

The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
I don't normally go for science fiction, & I cannot even explain why I read this massive doorstop of a book written by Stephen Hunt, but I did, & even more - I loved it. A group of misfits (a Craynarbian crab woman, a steam punk robot man, & an archaeology professor, a lady who magicians manipulated before she was born to have giant arms) are directed by some dodgy politicians & familial passive aggressiveness to go off on a journey to seek the mythical land of Camlantis, via submarine. I know! You are hooked already, right? There are all manner of surprising twists & turns, before the whole journey ends with everyone in hot air balloons, making you wish this was a bloody trilogy. I loved the disapproving housekeeper who is actually a crack assassin, although I can't remember if she was biological or machine.

So there you have it. Would you agree with any of these novels being turned into movies? Who would you cast as the leads? Or do you have your own ideas about your favourite books?

xx

2012 week 1 in 7

2012-01-04T12:33:00.000+10:00

There has been a bit of slip & sliding. Heaps of fun, & the lawn needs the water. I know that water restrictions have eased up, but I still felt very very uncomfortable watching the water just run into the yard. I really had to stop myself running to turn the tap off.

Walking in a very windy rain shower - look at that brown water churning up in the bay. Bet you where too busy looking at the double rainbows eh? They where vibrantly beautiful & distracted me from the sand getting whipped into my face, almost. I love walking in the rain, but that sand was a deal breaker.

Teenage Daughter dodging the laundry basket to teach The Gentleman how to play Battleship. It's nice to watch them spend time together.

Spicy chook wings, zucchini fritters with creamy mint sauce, garlic butter cous cous & garden salad, with most of the salad ingredients actually from the garden.

Mr BC attending to the garden. Hang on, that is the neighbours garden!

Finally put my blue & white plates on the wall!

I figured out the placement using butchers paper, & it did the trick.

That plate at the top left corner, & it's mini me in the middle right, are all that are left of the service my great great grandmother bought over from England in the 1840s. The oblong shaped dish in the middle was Mr BC's Nana's, but I don't know anything else about it. It's a bit discoloured but I still love it. The other plates are not at all old, but I love them so.

Me, wearing my favourite outfit, trying to look glamorous. Do you want to see the rest of my attire? Well keep an eye on Suger Coat It, it was for an ongoing feature she is working on. She has alot of participants, so scoot over & take part if you like...

Iron man

2012-01-02T01:41:00.000+10:00

The other day, in an effort to avoid The Gentleman's hands actually fusing to the WII controller, I turned on the Kellogg's Nutrigrain Iron Man Series.

Me - Look Darling! The Iron Man competition is on!

The Gentleman - Really? Iron Man?

Me - Yes, look!

The Gentleman - Where's Tony?

He's got a point.

I'd like an Iron Man too.

Wouldn't you?

I like to make resolutions.

2012-01-01T15:12:00.000+10:00

There, I said it. Skipping through blog land this morning I've noticed that lots of people don't like resolutions, because they feel doomed to fail. Also, lots of people had a terrible 2011, & are hoping for a much better 2012.

My 2011 generally sucked. And it sucked for many reasons, lots of them outside of my control. But I sort of think that blindly wishing for a better year this year without making any plans to accomplish this is kind of, I don't know.............short sighted faulty logic?

I get that some things are so huge & so horrible, they just need to be coped with the best they can while they push all other plans out of the way. But not formulating an action plan to achieve your objectives, whilst expecting those objectives to just materialise is nuts. I like to make resolutions. I don't always keep them, but I like to make them.

So, again, my goal setting process and how it applies to 2012 for me.

Image credit here

Think about the Big Picture Objectives I want to achieve. This year I have 6, but for brevity's sake lets talk about 1 - Be Healthy.
What are my Goals surrounding being healthy? What does Being Healthy mean to me? It means;

reducing my weight
proactively managing diabetes, &
reducing stress.

What Strategies am I going to use to achieve those Goals?

reducing weight means diet & exercise, yay.
managing diabetes means I need to plan for taking all of my medication (even when there is a national shortage), as well as going ahead with a new medication my Doctor talked to me about last time I saw her.
Reducing Stress is a tough one, it seems to be my natural state of play. 3 strategies I can do are to do yoga, try & do daily meditation, & continue seeing a psychologist.

How will I know these Strategies are working? How will I Measure their effectiveness? to be honest, I don't like the stress of a 'Measure'. If I am doing the Strategy, then it should fall into place. So to expand....what Resources do I have to help me out/fall back on when the going gets tough? There is no point just writing 'will power' because that is always faulty..

Diet - be stricter on portion sizes, choose high quality carbs, minimise junk & eat well - Don't skip any meals. I can go to Weight Watchers if I want (I don't want to, yet). I can buy scales. I can use a smaller plate & divide the portion sizes off if I want. (maybe..)
Exercise - continue walking at least 4 times per week, even more if I can. Try 1 new thing every month - zumba, karate, pilates...yoga counts here too.
Managing Diabetes. I'm pretty good at talking meds when I am supposed to, but I am always surprised when I run out, so I plan to diarize script requirements so that I can be on top of it. Talking this new medication will require a lot more blood testing & insulin adjustment I think, which will require more attention.
Yoga - I personally know 2 excellent yoga instructors but still can never find the time to do it. I need to commit myself to a prepaid 10 class pass to make sure I go. If I really really can't get there, I do own a yoga DVD, & there are lots of yoga classes on YouTube.
I like the Psychologist I am currently seeing but only have 4 free appointments left on my health plan, so I need to think about the exact areas I want help with & divide that into 4, to ensure I can maximise my time with her. Note to self - don't hold back.
Meditation. Yeah, my head doesn't like this. But I keep reading everywhere how brilliant it really is for stress reduction, so I should at least give it a good try. I can buy a guided meditation DVD, & start with a few minutes a day. Maybe in 6 months I will throw in the towel, but maybe I will be a stress free convert to meditation.

My aim is to have all of these actions interplay with each other to weave a healthier me in 2012. I have gone through the same process for each of my other objectives, spreadsheeted it & printed it out to make sure I look at it everyday, & keep on track.

Do you like this method or is it too hard? I find that concentrating a bit of focus now sort of sets me up for the coming year, & unless there are major external influences, it keeps me on track. I normally do this on my birthday each year (because it is the beginning of my year) but 2011 was such a shit fest that it blew all of my objectives off course. My 2012 objectives are very much a continuance & expansion on my 2011 ones.

Do you have any resolutions for this year, & do you have a process for planning them out?

xx

Happy New Year to You

2011-12-31T01:04:00.000+10:00

From Pinterest, of course. And me. See you on the flip side!

xx

Red Wall

2011-12-30T11:22:00.000+10:00

Well.......................wall is such a generous term for this little space. (We do live in a shoebox after all) But it's the closest thing to a dining room wall we have, so that's it's name. It is practically in the centre of the house, everyone has to walk past it 100 times a day, so it is a great place for notice boards. But it also sets the tone for the house, which is already cluttered enough already.

A white board & a blackboard, because we are an equal opportunity family.

Taking the crap down. 100% better already.

Discovering that the notice boards have been stuck on with liquid nails. Nice.

Removing liquid nails leaves holes in your wall, which need to be puttied up, then sanded.

A few times.

Finally, the undercoat, then the magical blue tape. I love this tape, it stays good for 14 days without leaving it's stick on the surface, unlike regular old masking tape which can only be left on for a matter of hours. Blue tape is the shiz.

After this, about 6 colours of red paint to really get the depth in.

Wanna see it?

Do you like it? I love it. I can't even bring myself to hang anything on it yet.

Soon, heirloom blue & white plate collection, soon....

Next stop, Kitchen makeover!

The Regatta Hotel

2011-12-28T17:29:00.000+10:00

I have a fascination with old buildings - holidays will see me sightseeing historic architecture & places of interest rather than shopping. I know, blasphemous! One of the exciting things for me in moving to Brisbane was the sense of history in the many old buildings that survive today. It wasn't all sunshine & tropical fruit that drew my fancy! I've always been a bit in love with the classic Queenslander (think house style, not Sir Joh) so it was a thorn of annoyance that after 5 years living in this city, I hadn't really had a chance to tour an old building.

Until recently.....

Thank you Regatta Hotel.

The Regatta Hotel, built in 1874, sits on the Brisbane River, where it has seen history flow on regardless of countless drunken nights & quiet rendezvous. It has been flooded SIX times, & still manages to look like a graceful old lady, which is exactly what she is. Flooded in 1887, three times in 1893, 1974 & again in January 2011 - every time her cellars & sometimes even the second floor have been inundated with Brisbane River's murky waters. You can read more about her history here, although one point worth mentioning is that in 1965, 2 women tried to order a beer from the public bar & when they where refused, handcuffed themselves to the bars footrail in a display of feminist insurgency. This protest eventually led to laws being changed that allowed women equal drinking rights to men, so we should all light a candle of thanks to their honor. Or at least raise a toast.

The hotel will be opened in stages throughout 2012, but it was very interesting for me to see the the old glimpsed through the new. These bricks at the entrance will eventually be covered, so I am glad I got to see them before then. Flood Markers at the front will show the water level from each flood once the scaffolding is gone.

Attention Brisbane coffee drinkers - this hotel serves an extremely decent cup of coffee. I am embarrassed to say that I have turned into a bit of a coffee snob & would mostly prefer to make my own rather than drink some disappointingly dirty water somewhere. This coffee was so good I had 2 cups. I know.

The Regatta Hotel treated us to a lovely morning tea, & even put out activity bags for children. Very thoughtful. The children who attended really loved them.

And of course it freed up the adults to chat! Don't bloggers love a chat? Those ladies to the left, hiding behind their iPhones, are Bronnie, Melissa & Kym. Then Steve & his lovely wife, & their 2 gorgeous children.

The functions manager took us on a tour to show & tell what upgrades had happened, & what was going to happen. They have managed to keep many historical elements, which is just as well as the building is classified by the National Trust of QLD, & is also entered on the Queensland Heritage Register. If you are interested, lunch & guided tour packages are available here.

The hotel is named The Regatta Hotel because of the rowing regattas held close by, to celebrate Foundation Day in 1842 & then Separation Day in 1859. In true ~~cultural cringe~~ colonial British style, competitive rowing became the thing to do, with rowing carnivals closing Coronation Drive until the 1950's. These days the only thing that might close Coro Dr would be a flood, or maybe a car accident. Rowing is still a popular activity though, & it is nice to see the Regatta honouring it's past with thoughtfully placed decor. Probably handy in case it floods again, too.

Sitting on the first floor balcony, enjoying that divine coffee, watching the river flow by...

Can you think of anything nicer? OK, maybe a gin & tonic but it was a brunch, people!

This was The Boatshed Restaurant & beer garden, & after the ground is levelled it will again be a fabulous new restaurant with an open kitchen & a lovely beer garden area without hazardous stairs to trip you up. This area used to have a toilet block that was famous for it's 2 way mirrors - patrons couldn't see in but those at the urinal could see out. Until one day, when they suddenly realised that the magic film on the mirror had lost it's magic & everyone could see into the urinal. Woops! I'm told there was a hasty assembling of large promotional billboards ...

Kym and Bronnie looking relaxed & happy.

I was so happy to finally meet Maria in person, who I have emailed with for ages!

Just as lovely in real life.

Hello Jacqui! What is that cheeky grin in aid of??

I took this picture from the City Cat jetty across the road. Not sure who are those guys waving at me, maybe they are telling me the City Cat is about to board? Happy to have their photo taken? Just gosh darn friendly? I don't care, it made me smile :)

After a lovely morning, I headed back into the city. I really love that you can traverse this city via the river, it is restful & exciting all at the same time. Regulars read their books & hardly look out the windows, but I love it, & take photos just like all the tourists. I always find a hundred things to look at.

Back into it!

Thanks Regatta Hotel for an interesting & informative morning.

xx

Disclaimer: I was a brunch guest at the Regatta Hotel. No money was paid for this post.

Goodbye Christmas, see you next year.

2011-12-28T14:10:00.000+10:00

Christmas 2011 feels so last year.

Even though it's not.

So let's wrap it up quickly & kiss it goodbye........

Real tree, surrounded by lots of presents. Monkey boy stays very close at all times.

Getting out the good cutlery. I might keep this out all the time, I love it so much.
It belonged to Mr BC's grandparents, & it still looks brand new 4 generations later.

Hanging up this dead branch, bauble arrangement. I am loving it sick & have no intention of taking it down, although I plan to change the decorations occasionally.

Sprinkling reindeer food on the front lawn before bed.
I wonder if all that glitter upsets their digestion, or if the oats sort of balance it out.

A snack for Santa - Christmas cake, gingerbread, chocolate money & milk.
When I was little we left out beer, but now that we all know the dangers of drink driving no one does that anymore.

And let the day begin!

Hope your Christmas was pretty special, & you are looking forward to 2012 as much as me.
Bring it on!

I've been featured!

2011-12-24T18:44:00.000+10:00

Featured here

One of my posts has been featured on Mum's Lounge, & this is just about the best Christmas present ever for this little blog!

Best wishes to you for an awesomely wonderful Christmas. I hope you spend it happy & relaxed, enjoying a full table & a cheerful family.

See you post yule!

xx

A Last Minute Christmas

2011-12-22T13:33:00.002+10:00

For a variety of reasons, I've left everything a bit late this Christmas - but that's OK, because it was the 'Stress Less' theme this year, remember? We are talking things at a relaxed pace, & overall this is working out very well.

On Monday, I ventured forth to the shops to do the bulk of my shopping. The stores where not that busy, & the people there were not in a frenzy. They were cheerful & civilised. I know, I was shocked too. The store staff where easy to find, very helpful & cheerful as well. The lay by counter at Kmart had no queue, just two friendly helpful ladies waiting for me to give them something to do. The Post Office had one person in the queue ahead of me. All day, I found parking spots with ease! Unbelievable. My cousin asked if I had encountered the Zombie Apocalypse, & maybe I had but I was loving it.

Yesterday was not such a clear run - 2 toilet emergencies from a small child meant plunging into a particular store full of frantic shoppers 3 times before hitting the check out. Going to the chemist to fill a script to find there was a national shortage on tablet insulin. At Christmas. Expected delivery at the end of January. What the WHAT??

Me, wide eyed with panic 'But I'm diabetic! I can't wait that long!'

Unhelpful chemist assistant 'You are not the only one in this boat. You can ring around other chemists but I would be surprised if anyone had any, or any substitutions. You will need to go & see your Doctor & get her to give you a script for an alternative.'

Me, with FFS clearly stamped across me face 'There is no way I can see my Dr at this short notice . It takes months to get an appointment & her office has closed for Christmas'

Lets just call him unhelpful Chemist assistant, I'm sure he was just doing his job. 'Well you will need to see a GP to get a script.'

Me 'Fuckballs.'

My regular GP is super efficient, which is sometimes is a pain. He will send you for every test under the sun before he diagnoses anything, which is theory is great but sometimes all you want is a goddamn script. Luckily I got in to see another Doctor, who is so laid back that sometimes I think he is only pretending to be a Doctor. He had no idea there was any shortage situation, & just wrote me a script for what I'd asked for. So I won't be going into a diabetic coma over Christmas, but now I am well behind my last minute schedule.

But the name of the game is Chillaxxxx, so lets just breathe easy.

I made the following few projects for myself, but they would make lovely last minute gifts, or stocking stuffers. They took no more than 30 minutes each.......because Mr BC worked some magic on my other sewing machine (that is 20 years old rather than 120 years old) & finally dealt with the tension issues...of the machine. What?

I bought this tea towel with the intention of framing it but then it got so popular I turned off the idea. Do you do that too? I am forever loving something only to hate it when everyone else gets wind of it. . See, I am not behind the times - I am super advanced, heheh. Turning it into a pillow didn't seem so expected. I do love the sentiment & it is something that we can all benefit from looking at every day.

I do not love this, despite the cheery hot pink corduroy. I made it because my pins where all over the shop, being a painful nuisance. The felt leaf hides some dodgy glue work.

I do love this. The material I used is sentimental for me, & it is super practical. I love the wonky way it looks.

Ta-DA! It's a needle book!

I didn't really have to tell you, did I? oh, well then....

Moving on to decorations.

It's not Christmas in this house until these candle sticks are out. I hand painted them when Teenage daughter was just born, in time for our first Christmas as a family. There is a northern hemisphere Christmas with Santa & the reindeers having fun in the snow; & a southern hemisphere Christmas with Santa & his reindeers cooling down at the beach..

The themes continue on the back, where Christmas angels hover in the sky. Some people have made fun of these, but I don't care. I love them.

I was getting agitated that we hadn't put up a tree yet. We have a fake tree for emergencies or when we are not going to be here at Christmas, but it doesn't feel like Christmas without the smell of a real tree in the house, dropping pine needles all over the presents. Brisbane doesn't really do real trees, probably because of the heat. The year before last Teenage Daughter & I drove 90 minutes up the coast to spend $120 on a real tree, which was excessive but completely worth it. Leaving it to the last week paid off because we got an awesome tree only 20 minutes away, on the day they had been reduced to $20!! Winning!

Overall, Christmas is coming together without too much drama. The turkey is defrosting in the beer fridge, ready to be brined tomorrow & cooked on Saturday. There is a ham in the fridge that seems to be half eaten, hmmmm. There is pudding, custard, Christmas cake & old fashioned gingerbread in the pantry. All I have to do on the day is make some salads, chop up some fruit for the pavlova, plate every thing & relax.

That red wall is starting to look pretty damn festive....

Merry Christmas to you & your family, hope you have a happy, relaxed, stress free day.

xxx

Bright Light City

2011-12-19T21:17:00.000+10:00

Every Christmas Mr BC & I love to drive the kids around at night to look at Christmas lights. It's a strange pastime for someone who can hardly be bothered to switch on the porch light, although I shared a sense of disgust at someone recently spending AU$250,000 on Christmas lights for their house. (I mean, how many people would that feed or house in Haiti?) I still want to look at their display. I think I have must have some perverted gawker's sort of Clarke Griswold fascination.

We have found some doozies over the years. One of our favourites is the Sandgate Uniting Church at Deagon. It is so miraculously over the top, you can't help but be impressed. Even a seasoned comparative religion hobbyist like me slowly succumbs to the joy of Christmas as I wander & wonder through the church grounds, shaking the hands of the occasional happy clapper, before venturing inside to admire the room of Christmas trees, each decorated to celebrate a particular psalm. There is lots of live music, maybe a sermon going on, a big stall of crocheted coat hooks etc & another stall of jams & marmalades. When you go through to the courtyard there is a sausage sizzle, a Christmas cake/hot doughnut/coffee or tea stand, a raffle, some other thing.....

It's fricken massive.

I love it.

Have a look at that cat in the centre of the picture, do you see what he is doing? The Gentleman was scandalised, he does love Jeebers so. OK, a closer look but it is a bit grainy....

Yep, he is taking a crap. Right in Jesus's front yard, with a crowd watching.
Everyone's a critic.

New Traditions - Bakers Delight Winners

2011-12-19T20:36:00.000+10:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the Bakers Delight competition, I loved your ideas for forging new Christmas traditions.

The winners are;

Kimmie
Sarah
Ozzie Thriftmumma

Congratulations! Please email me with your postal address & I will send you a $10 Bakers Delight voucher pronto.

Merry Christmas!
xx

I am an excellent hair doctor

2011-12-15T22:39:00.001+10:00

My sons are blessed with beautiful hair, but are not at all interested in hairbrushes or shampoo. Look at these two mop headed rascals. Monkey boy can hardly see out of his nose length fringe of ranga madness. To be fair, The Gentleman had been wanting a haircut for a while, claiming he looked 'ridiculous'.

So, Mr BC clipped his hair to a number 4 buzz cut, without breaking the clippers this time..Monkey Boy resisted for a few weeks, claiming he needed to get his hair cut in a 'haircutting shop.' (I know, fancy) Eventually he agreed to have me cut it, so I grabbed the scissors & went for it, knowing that I only had a 10 minute window before he changed his mind.

Ta-Da!

I was so super chuffed with this excellent haircut (which I seriously had no more than 10 minutes to accomplish)........that I cut my own hair. I KNOW.

I just really wanted a haircut, & I didn't want to take $70 out of my Christmas budget, & I don't even like going to the hairdresser, I never walk out happy, so.......I know, I know.

I did some Internet research, & just went for it. It's only hair, right? Right?? I wasn't going to take that much off, & it would grow back, right? If I really fucked it up I could just go to the hairdresser & get a proper haircut anyway, so nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right??

Obviously the boys wanted haircuts because they needed better access to their face...

Ta-Da!

I love it!

(HUGE sigh of relief)

I hadn't planned on the slight layers on the sides, but luckily I love them. Normally I keep my hair long & scrape it back into a bun or a clip. I always think this is a terrible look for me, but I stick with it because it is easy to do & nice in a subtropical climate, to keep sweaty hair off your neck.

The technique I used was this;

Wash, towel dry & comb your hair.
Flip your head upside down & comb out again.
Using your fingers as a guide, gather all your hair together & cut in a straight line.
Trim a small amount first, you can always go back & trim more.
Because your head will be at an angle, you will cut the front part of your hair shorter than the back. If you just want to trim the ends, keep your head way down. The layering along the front of my hair was a happy surprise..

The inspiration for this drastic measure was the photo below. That is me on the far right, wearing white pants & a black shirt. No, not the stylish Zoe in the white shirt & black pants, I am standing next to her. It was the Hello Blogger Brisbane Meet Up last Sunday, held at Amicis at Southbank. I will blog more about this soon, but right now I just want to show you this photo. I had a great afternoon & thought I looked halfway decent, but then this group photo came out & I thought..

OMG, time for a new hairstyle!

And obviously a new diet.

Has a photo ever changed your perception about your appearance? Because I am always horrified..

xx

Pent up with the Unbloggable

2011-12-12T13:07:00.000+10:00

Image from here

Do you have a draft post full of pent up rant, ready to explode across your blog? A slagfest against a boss? A slur on your mother in law? Something so bad it can never see the light of day?

As a blogger, I feel that my blog is my outlet - mentally & emotionally. If I have something to shriek, giggle, explode or crow about, this is where it goes. Right here, for your viewing pleasure. But sometimes....I have something to say that is better left unsaid. Something that might cause BIG ripples if I was to hurl that stone of anger into the pond that is my blog. (Yeah, that sentence totally should have been left unblogged) I have noticed that I am not the only one pent up with the unbloggable.

What I am thinking, is that maybe I could post that rant for you here? It can be anonymous, if you like. You don't even have to link to it. Let it out!

Email me if you have your own story you would like to share, away from the prying eyes of the person it is about. Absolute discretion guaranteed.

You'll feel so much better after.

Weekly Menu Dec 12 (holy crap it's almost Christmas!)

2011-12-11T23:48:00.000+10:00

Pork Satay with rice pilaf & steamed greens from the garden, Tofu Satay for the Vegetarian.
Lamb chops on the BBQ with steamed potatoes & salad. I have this new dressing that can go on anything, so I am keen to check it out with this meal. I'll tell you about it soon, promise. The Vegetarian will cook herself an omelet.
Spaghetti Bolognaise. Oh, shut up, you cook it too!
Vegetarian Lasagna. Maybe. It's only really popular with the Vegetarian & myself.
Some sort of middle eastern inspired beef, with couscous salad, zucchini frittata, cucumber salad & carrot salad. Lets see who likes carrots..
Home made Pizzas. I made this last week with the intention of doing a tutorial as I have spent decades refining it to the perfect crispy crust. Well, pride comes before a fall, because for the first time ever, it was an epic fail! I'm pretty sure the yeast didn't activate. So round two soon!
I am making Samosas tomorrow for lunch. Cause potatoes fried in pastry sounds awesome.
Also, I'll be baking an Orange Blueberry Coconut loaf in an effort to use the blueberry's from the garden. No one seems to be eating them from the fridge.

What are you cooking this week?

Forging New Tradtions. An Oxymoron?

2011-12-11T01:52:00.015+10:00

Christmas has always been a favourite time of year for me. As a child I loved the feeling of excitement in the air as the big day approached, I loved seeing decorations everywhere, I loved the buying & decorating of the family Christmas tree, & of course I loved seeing what Santa had left for my sister & I on Christmas morning. Christmas day itself was a cramped, hot, barely contained argument of 4 generations & a traditional hot roast squashed around the Parker dining table in our tiny kitchen.

Flash forward a few decades & Christmas was a time of The Santa Wake up (Santa would only come to you at my parents house if you believed in him, so I was a believer until I was 26), a huge christmassy fry up breakfast, travelling over an hour in 40 degree heat to my Auntie & Uncles up in the Blue Mountains, where much cold seafood & champagne was consumed. Driving home one year we had to go through a bushfire, & then pull over so Teenage Daughter (not so teenage then) could violently vomit all over the tarmac of a Servo. We went to close friends for Christmas evening, which was a relief of non argumentative civilisation. I was often in tears by the time we got there.

So now. NOW. We live in Brisbane, too far for the Christmas Day commute. As mentioned earlier, we are buying out of the whole family drama & not travelling to Sydney. We are staying put, to forge our own Christmas Traditions. After much thought, our family traditions include;

Having a real tree. We haven't always done this, & might not this year, but it doesn't feel like Christmas unless the smell of pine is in the house.

Cold Seafood for lunch Starters always include smoked salmon. I'm hoping for oysters, but prawns alone would be acceptable. Also cold turkey, cold ham on the bone, & some salads. One year I baked a whole salmon, which might be a wonderful tradition to continue. One year I made reindeer pies out of venison. Pudding with custard &/or vanilla ice cream, Pavlova.

Christmas Drink. As much as I carry on about wine, I don't really drink too much. I do appreciate a cold bubbly at Christmas though.

Crackers. Also known as Bonbons. I must have them. I force everyone to wear those stupid hats, too.

Decorations. I have my own little rituals of decorating at Christmas. There is the Santa collection that is expanded every year. There are always new decorations to add to the tree, every year. I have some deer candle holders that need to be put out &, the most important of all, a pair of candlesticks I hand painted as a new mum, to celebrate our first Christmas as a family. Mr BC won't be happy to know that this year, my Christmas decorating will also include painting the dining room wall.

Christmas Baking. Baking is something I do at all times of the year, because I ~~am a glutton~~ love it. I love giving people what I have baked, as a way of showing my love for them. I love that my family eats every crumb of everything I bake, it makes me feel very appreciated. For a while, my Christmas baking tradition was gingerbread cookies as tree decorations, inspired by Martha Stewart. Beautiful, but not so suited to an Australian Christmas. Every year I bake many many traditional ginger breads, something I still do. The recipe is here. Also, every year, my mum bakes a delicious Christmas cake, which I try & ration out to at least the second week of January.

Because we are not going to spend Christmas with the extended family this year, I am a bit sad to miss out on my mums Christmas cake - but that is OK, because the point I am making is that traditions don't have to stay the same. Sounds like an oxymoron, but I think traditions need to change to adapt to different circumstances - especially family, especially Christmas. I don't have to go without a bloody Christmas cake! I'm a pretty good cook, I could make one myself. OR...

I can buy one from Bakers Delight.

And while I am there, I could grab some of those Lemon Tarts, just as a change from all that ginger & cinnamon & dried fruit going around.

And, I've never been a fan of Mince Pies, but my sister swears that Bakers Delight make the best Mince Pies in the world, so I should at least try them.

Oh, look what just arrived at the front door!

Personally delivered by the cheery lady from Bakers Delight Margate.

I feel so betrayed! I thought they only liked my baking.

My sister is right. These actually are the best Mince Pies in the entire world.

I am a Mince Pie Convert. And I like my coffee to be super strong, OK?

Would you like to shake up your Christmas Traditions & try something new?

I have 3 x $10 bakers Delight Vouchers to help you do just that.

Just leave a comment telling me what new tradition you are starting this year.

Make sure you include your email address.

Australian residents only.

3 winners will be drawn on Monday 19th December.

You can check out the Bakers Delight range at http://www.bakersdelight.com.au/

Good Luck!

Disclaimer - No money changed hands, but Bakers Delight gave me some delicious product to review. All words, thoughts & opinions are my own. BTW, those Mince Pies really are freaking awesome.

1 Week Down, a Retrospective.

2011-12-10T13:11:00.000+10:00

School holidays have started in a relaxed flop of wet weather, sleep ins & snarky boredom. Lucky I made that goddamn list because so far I have needed it. Well, 1 week down, 7 weeks to go.

Wet weather always drives me to bake, so I made some biscuits.

Cream 125g of butter with 1 & a quarter cup of brown sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence & 1 egg, beat well.
Stir in 1 & a half cups of plain flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder & a pinch of salt.
Roll into balls, & press balls into flaked almonds. If you run out, press them into cachous & call them 'Starry night biscuits'.
Bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

We hauled out some board games, so The Gentleman could show off his freaky flexibility. We also played Popping Penguins, which is a rip off of Trouble; & my childhood favourite, Mastermind. It was fun watching The Gentleman grasp the joy of Mastermind, took me back. Way, way, way back.

Monkey Boy had his Christmas concert, where apparently they all sang & danced. All I saw was the green corduroy back of some annoying dumb arse standing up to dance with her grand daughter in the front row, while people around me huffed & puffed in annoyance (OK me too). I did manage to get this snap of Monkey Boy with Santa. Yes, I know that looks like my son is wearing a dressing gown in the middle of the day, that's because he is. I have no say over what any of my children wear, none at all. As long as they are wearing clothes, I normally just go with it.

Santa was Ho Ho-ing from room to room to give all the kiddos a present. I love Santa & so do my children, but I have never taken them to sit on his knee. Call me Scrooge but we spend all year telling our kids about stranger danger, & then at Christmas, we say 'How exciting! Go sit on that strange man's lap!' You can see Monkey Boy looks a trifle non plussed. Not too sure about the look in this Santa's eye...

They loved this Santa though. Parental Back Flip Alert! The council sends this Santa around every Christmas season to hand out lollies to children who skip & shriek & chase him down the road. While the mums & dads stand around thinking how wonderful, myself included. I guess there is no knee sitting to get uncomfortable about.

Teenage Daughter has been experimenting with pen ink, because she is 'thinking of getting a real one'. Not seen - the large & beautiful octopus wrapping around her entire thigh. Bloody hell.

We managed to get a few mums to the Friday Park, but it was a subdued affair. Still, we managed to guzzle wine & the kids managed to go tribal in their weekly crab hunt, so it was all good.

This is the bream Mr BC caught last week, after it came out of the oven smothered in lemon & butter. It was delicious, & probably about 40cm long, so quite substantial. There is nothing better than super fresh seafood, which tastes especially wonderful if you or someone you know has caught it (Finally, after many attempts & 'one that got away' stories...)

Can you imagine what Mr BC is thinking looking at these fish on a recent visit to the aquarium?

Where is my bloody fishing rod??

Finishing Unfinished Projects

2011-12-04T14:50:00.000+10:00

Yesterday morning I was telling Mr BC about my plans for a small section of wall in the dining area (remove the white board & black board, paint the wall red, use the fancy frame from a broken mirror to create a new blackboard & put that on the lower half of the wall, hang my blue & white plate collection on the top half of the wall. The wall we are talking about is really the small side section of the kitchen cupboards, so it won't be too massive a hit of red, but will delineate the space between the kitchen/dining area/lounge room nicely...What? Doesn't your mind gallop along like this? Keep up for heavens sake!)

Anyway. This discussion quickly got a bit heated, with the outcome being that Mr BC thinks I 'Should finish some of the projects I've already got going before devoting energy (he means money) to new projects.'

Well, really! How very dare he?! Then I thought...I know I am but what are you? And then I thought Well for fucks sake OK THEN! I WILL!

So I did. I made some bandanna pants for my children. I know, bandanna pants are so 1997, but I haven't had the bandannas that long, I swear. Maybe only 2 years, no longer. I bought them with the intention of making them into bandanna pants but have been too busy/machine is crap/distracted with other projects to get onto it. Shut up.

There is an excellent 'how to' PDF here, or trawl the net to find other examples of the same pattern. They are pretty easy & if my stupid ancient sewing machine wasn't so crotchety they would have taken 10 minutes each, tops. Because they are 100% cotton, they are perfect for sleeping, playing, getting wet, as well as being cool & comfortable.

Monkey Boy's are a bit on the large side, but being so roomy makes them super comfortable. There are lots of different patterns around, & I guess you don't have to use bandannas, any type of material would be fine. The beauty of using bandannas is that they are already hemmed, so you don't have to sew a bottom or top hem.

So now I am sitting here eyeing off the other projects that are hanging around. Looking at you, coat racks.

I'm still doing that wall though.

Happy School Holidays!!

2011-12-03T06:00:00.001+10:00

Alternative title: Welcome to Hell, I'll be your hostess for the next 8 weeks...

In Australia, school holidays over the Christmas period last for six weeks. Unless you live in Queensland, in which case you can enjoy your little darlings for EIGHT weeks.

Please don't get me wrong, I do indeed love my children, very much actually. But eight weeks of whinge/boredom/sibling aggression is very hard to take, especially after my wallet is sucked dry around week 2.

My plan is to schedule each week so that there are lots of activities to look forward to/use as bribery for good behaviour/actually enjoy. My wallet already looks a bit thin (and it's not even christmas yet) so I have put on my thinking cap to make a list of things that are fun & hopefully inexpensive.

Here are 50 of my best.

Swim at the local pool - early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Swim at a local beach, we are lucky to have a few to choose from.
Print some cool stuff off the Internet to colour in.
Give them $2 each & go to the op shop. It doesn't really matter what they buy.
Tape some newspaper to the side of the house & paint pictures. Use washable paint.
Make play dough & create Dinosaur Island on the kitchen table (thanks Filthwizardry)
Visit the local library & enjoy the air con while choosing some books or DVDs.
Walk on the beach after dinner & collect shells.
Make a shell mobile or shell creatures from your shells.
Visit the Botanical Gardens, most cities have more than one.
Go to the movies.
Read stories together.
Make a collage out of junk mail or old magazines.
Cook something together - cupcakes, jelly, pasta salad, sorbet.
Fly kites. These don't have to cost much money, try the $2 shop.
Go to a Museum - there are lots actually, not just the big one.
Go to an Art gallery. I need to keep this visit short or we get thrown out. Monkeys!
Rent some new DVDs, or download off the net. Have a DVD exchange with some friends.
Buy a VCR & watch some old videos. This would mean I could finally watch my Twin Peaks series again! Hello Log Lady!
Make a movie of your own - use your mobile. Or just Skype with the cousins.
Go to an outdoor cinema.
Go to the zoo, does your city have more than one?
Play dress ups - make your own outfits by modifying what you have.
Go horse riding. Mr BC's family is quite horsey so I'm keen to see if the boys got that gene. I know teenage daughter did.
Go & pick strawberries at the strawberry farm.
Buy a carton of mangos & have a mango festival (we do this every summer)
Send Mr BC & the children camping. I will enjoy not camping.
Go fishing.
Go to a farmers market that we haven't been to before.
Go to night markets - I miss the Noodle Markets in Sydney.
Do a swap with a friend - they take your kids one day & you take theirs another day. Bliss!
Visit the local marina to look at some boats.
Go on a City Cat ride on the Brisbane River, which is sort of the equivalent of the Manly Ferry.
Visit the Planetarium. Are you a South Park fan? Can you say Planetarium without saying Plane-arium in your head?
Visit the Pet Protection Society & choose a kitten (shh don't tell Mr BC that. I've buried this in the middle so he will never see it.)
See what holiday activities your council has planned, sometimes there are fun age appropriate activities organised.
Ditto for your local shopping mall. Westfield always has a kids program going.
Ditto for your local community centre or your local PCYC.
Go outside & play with water pistols. Jon in if you like! Or not..
Ice skating, roller skating, 10 pin bowling. Maybe they'd like barefoot lawn bowls? I do.
Go snorkeling. Wear a rash vest. Monkey boy is a Ranga. Nuff said.
Visit a local wildlife preserve - both boys are fascinated by mangroves & luckily we have a lot around.
Go buy a few seedlings then come home & plant them. If Dad is the gardener maybe he might like to do this? If you go to Bunnings the kids can have a play in the playground while you have a coffee.
Try a new sport - trampolining, break dancing, circus sports..
Before Christmas - drive around looking at Christmas lights.
After Christmas - Actually play with the toys that Santa bought.
Go to a local park. Take a ball to kick around in case the play equipment sucks.
Take the scooters to the local skate park, but pick the times when the thugs aren't around, probably early morning.
Visit the local shipwreck. Yes! We have one, it's called The Gayundah.
Send the children outside to play, pour a glass of wine, & log onto Pinterest..

What are your plans for the holidays to keep the children from ~~being~~ revolting? Please share. Eight weeks is a long time...

xx

Donna Hay Cookbook Winner

2011-12-01T22:12:00.000+10:00

The winner, after much deliberation, is Romina Garcia, who had the following advice...

'I love Donna Hay and all things simple. I'm not a fan of fancy dishes myself. My HUGE secret in the kitchen is a very simple trick to make everything look gourmet. I put rocket salad on top of everything. Pizza, Pasta etc etc. It actually does make a dish go from meh, to wowza. Also good for the intestines ;-) '

Do you know, she's bloody right. Congratulations, Romina! Please email me your address details & I will have this delightful cookbook winging it's way to you pronto.

xx

Weekly Menu November 2011

2011-12-01T12:51:00.000+10:00

later today I will be drawing the winner of the Donna Hay Simple Dinners cookbook, so there is still time to enter if you haven't already.

In the meantime, here is the weekly menu. What do you mean, the week is almost over? Glass half full people!

Ginger & shallot ling pot stickers, oven baked Bream that Mr BC caught last might, steamed Rice & green veges. Mr BC is so excited about this Bream, he claims it's the same one that got away twice before. I better not stuff it up...
Pasta with a choice of creamy mushroom sauce (the vegetarian) or bolognaise.
Steamed rice, nachos made with home cooked beans, sour cream & avocado on the side, salad, & sausages for those that want them.
Turkey meatballs with fettuccine, garlic bread & salad.
Massaman Curry, vegetarian curry, rice, poppadoms & tomato salad.
Veal schnitzels, with green salad & OMG Corn from our garden!!!

Corn ready to eat!

The garden is not very lush & green at the moment, but still manages to produce a small amount of stuff to eat. We have a salad like this most nights, & everything in this salad bowl was grown in the garden. The tomatos in particular have soldiered on like little champs, wonderful considering we didn't even plant them, they just grew themselves. This was the cucumbers last hurrah, though.

I made salted caramels from the Coles free magazine, partly because I wanted to know what they taste like & partly because I had a container of cream in the fridge I wanted to use up...

Use a LARGE pot, because it wil boil up like Mt Vesuvius.

It was pretty easy.

Line a 20cm baking tin with foil, brush with melted butter.
Mix 2 & a half cups castor sugar, 600ml cream, 125g unsalted butter, 2 tsp sea salt & a quarter tsp of cream of tartar in a large pot; melt over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth.
Boil without stirring for 25 mins. If you have a candy thermometer use it, & boil until 122 degrees. I didn't have one, & it turned out OK.
Stir in 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste (I didn't), pour into tin & cool for about 4 hours.
Lift caramel from the tin, cut into pieces using an oiled knife. Wrap in cellophane.

I don't remember putting any Crack in, but these are highly addictive. Highly! You have been warned. I wont be making them again.

What's going on in your kitchen this week?

xx

Get Up

2011-11-28T13:44:00.000+10:00

Tie Die Birthday Cake

2011-11-26T18:37:00.000+10:00

Recently The Gentleman celebrated a birthday.

I wanted to make him a special cake, something colourfull & different, so we decided on

a Tie Dye Cake!

Essentially any plain cake, with lots of food colouring.

Like a marble cake, but brighter colours.

Whoa!

This is the batter before it went into the oven. The standard food colouring packet has a handy chart on the back, to tell you how to make different colours. Divide the batter into different bowls & make up your colours, then plop them randomly into your baking tins.

The cakes after they where cooked, you can see the colours are still very bright.

Assembled into a number, iced & ready to go. I would have gone for white icing to enhance the colours, but it was The Gentleman's birthday so he chose his favourite. (Yes those candles are not box fresh, I am embracing the New Thrift)

We are going on a special outing for his birthday, rather than having a party, so we took the cake to school so that his friends could sing happy birthday, & he could enjoy his cake with them. Actually, even if there was a party a cake would have gone to school - I am a big believer in blowing out the candles on your actual birthday.

Also, I am a big believer in loading kids up with that much food colouring when I don't have to manage the outcome!....except for Monkey Boy.

Monkeyboy kindly models his slice of cake. This was the best shot I could get. The cake went so fast & then kids where fighting over the crumbs, I was lucky to get the photos I did!

Family Dinners

2011-11-22T14:45:00.000+10:00

I blogged about this in August last year, to the sound of crickets. But it's something I love to do every week, so I thought I would give it a go again. Also - I have a few more readers these days.

Hello!!! *waves madly*

Every week, generally Monday, I sit down with a cup of coffee, take stock of what food is in the house, & plan a weeks worth of dinners accordingly. I like this for 3 reasons;

Everyone can see what dinners are coming up, & therefore don't need to fret that their favourite isn't on the horizon.
It forces me to use what we have, & keeps the grocery shopping on track & therefore hopefully in budget.
It eliminates the brain drain of the 5 o'clock cry "Whats for dinner?" because sometimes I just don't have brain cells available at that time to cope with such a question.

The list isn't written in stone, things get switched up or moved around (or occasionally abandoned). Sometimes I plan more than 1 weeks worth: yesterday was such a day.

Roast pork & potatoes, homemade gravy, broccoli, peas & carrots. Monkey Boy loves this dinner, he calls it 'Pig Skin'. I will pan fry some tofu for the vegetarian.
Panzanella (Italian salad of fresh tomatoes, basil, torn sour dough, & a few other things) with BBQ sausages or tofu. I might just eat the salad because,YUM.
Apricot Chicken with Rice & a green vege. How Retro! The Gentleman loves this dinner, he thinks it ever so posh. The Vegetarian isn't so keen..
Honey Pepper Pork (using left over pork from the roast) with vegetarian fried rice (using leftover rice from the Apricot chicken) The Vegetarian will have the rice with an egg on top.
Asian style sesame meatballs with noodle salad. I made this last night & it was delish.
Roast Chicken with Lentils this is a Donna Hay recipe that I am dieing to try out. It looks awesome & I have lentils to use.
Chicken pot pie. Crap mamma has a nice recipe on her blog that I am keen to give a go. The Vegetarian will have spinach & feta instead of chicken under her puff pastry.
Homemade Pizza I think I have perfected my crust, after many years of experimenting. Toppings are generally whatever is available, although are likely to include

Plain Cheese
Salami or Bacon, maybe both?
Bolognaise with cheese
Fresh tomatoes from the garden, feta & rocket.
A Mr BC Special which is anchovies, kalamata olives & rocket.
I'm keen to do a feta & beetroot seeing they make such a yummy salad. Also I have 1 last beetroot in the garden looking for redemption.
My fave of all time is chili prawns with (after it's cooked) avocado & sour cream, but we are on a budget seeing it's Christmas soon ;(

There is a lot of Cavalo Nero to use up so I might make a vegetarian lasagna & have it with a nice garden salad.
This week I also want to make The Gentleman's Birthday Cake, as well as some biscuits & Donna Hay's chocolate sorbet, which looks freaking amazing.

These dinners are served at the table so that everyone can help themselves, generally they will grow to include a few extra small serves of something something..you know I love a 'table'.

So what works for your family dinners? Do you write a list or throw everything together at the last minute? Are you a bit of both?

xx

Donna Hay How I Love Thee

2011-11-20T13:50:00.000+10:00

Donna Hay how I love thee.

Your recipes are clean, fresh, simple, seasonal, delicious & stylish. They maximise the wow factor while minimising the effort, which is something I personally appreciate. They are not overly long & difficult, they encourage shortcuts & remove all snobbery from the kitchen.

But enough worshiping at the alter of cookery, the proof is in the eating. So, some recipes for you!

Pappadelle with chorizo, tomato and basil

vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup basil leaves
3 chorizo, thinly sliced
500g truss cherry tomatoes
400g pappardelle
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 x 125g buffalo mozzarella, torn
finely grated parmesan, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Carefully add the basil leaves a few at a time, as they may spit, and fry until crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

Place the chorizo and tomato on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and roast for 15 minutes or until chorizo is golden. While the chorizo is roasting, cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

Add the olive oil, lemon rind and garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Return the pasta to the pan with the chorizo, tomato, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Divide the pasta between plates and top with the mozzarella, parmesan and fried basil leaves to serve. Serves 4.

spice-baked chicken with tzatziki salad

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon shredded lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 x 200g chicken breast fillets, trimmed

tzatziki salad

½ cup (140g) thick plain yoghurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt
4 cucumbers, sliced lengthways with a vegetable peeler
1 cup mint leaves
½ cup chopped dill leaves

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the cumin, chilli, thyme, lemon zest and oil in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Place the chicken in a baking dish lined with non-stick baking paper and roast for 15 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, make the tzatziki salad. Place the yoghurt, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Divide the cucumber, mint and dill between plates and spoon over the dressing. Slice the chicken and serve with the salad. Serves 4.

baked chocolate and raspberry custards

125g dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup (250ml) milk
1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks, extra
½ cup (90g) brown sugar
¾ cup raspberries, plus extra, to serve
cocoa, for dusting

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Place the chocolate, milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling.

Place the eggs, extra yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Slowly add the hot chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Divide the raspberries between 4 x 1-cup (250ml) capacity ramekins and pour over the chocolate mixture. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour in enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 minutes or until the custard is just set. Top with extra raspberries, dust with cocoa and serve warm or cold. Serves 4.

......................................Nom nom nom nom.................................

I have a copy of Donna Hay's latest cookbook, Simple Dinners, to give away. And because I. LOVE. YOU. ALL. this giveaway is not restricted to Australian residents, I am quite happy to ship it overseas to you, if you win. Tell me what your kitchen trick is - the secret one that is so simple but makes you look like a kitchen super star. One comment per follower, please.

Winners drawn on 1st December & posted the next day, so hopefully you will get it in time for christmas. So go ahead & leave me a comment to enter, & good luck!

xx
Disclaimer - I have been given a copy of Simple Dinners to review, & also one copy to giveaway. All opinions are my own. Can I also please say that Donna Hay is not paying for this postage? Thank you.

Each to his own, but....

2011-11-18T21:51:00.002+10:00

What team are you? Confession time: this is mine.
Before you get all stabby, I have read the books & seen all but the last movie.

R-patz is quite easy on the eye I suppose, & I'm sure he is a very nice person. I thought he was lovely as Cedric. I mean if I was a struggling actor & was offered the starring role in a massive franchise, I wouldn't turn it down either...

But really....

The sparkly thing is just wrong.

And I think the characters are bizzare. Bafflingly strange.
Don't get me wrong, it's completely my genre.

I feel bad about this pic because I am not at all anti gay, just anti Twilight.
But then I thought, every gay person I know would laugh at this, so it stayed.

My point exactly.

I don't understand.

Don't have to be an ex drug addict to know that Bella is a bad role model for teenage girls everywhere.

I'm not sure if this alternate ending was tested on studio audiences, but it should have been.

This one certainly should have been.

See, vampires are my genre.

(But not Tom Cruise. At. All.)

xx
all images via pinterest

The Winner of the Hairy Happy Ending

2011-11-14T21:31:00.000+10:00

And the winner of the fabulous Hairy Happy Ending (Keratinology by Sunsilk Sexy Summer Tresses pack) is.....

Melissa at Sugar Coat it!

Why? Because Melissa truly had the worst hair disaster I have ever heard of...

"...OMG, do I HAVE a story for you. READY!?

I was 18 and I had platinum white hair. Which required loads of maintenance. I went with a friend to her salon to get my roots done. She applied the product and put me under a dryer. I kept getting out from under it. I knew, having sat through my cousin's entire apprenticeship in the chair that bleach activates itself, it doesn't need the heat. ESPECIALLY extended periods of heat. When she finally washed it out pieces of my hair went too and all bar the first 2 inches of my hair was jelly! Ick! the hairdresser attempted to charge me {OMG, WHAT!} and when I refused and walked out she threatened to call the police. I told her fine. I'd wait for them to get here. They didn't come.

The next week I got my haircut in a short, styled bob {cheekbone level} to remove the dead hair. The cut was adorable straight. It was NOT adorable when wavy or curly {as my hair naturally is}. Worst haircut EVER. To this day it is spoken about in the family.

Especially when I can pay my cousin $50 for a full cut, style and blow dry. Damn her moving up north for 12 months! Haha.

SEE, told you it was a goodie. She fried my hair off, than someone else cut it horribly. DOUBLE hair whammy!"

Congratulations, Melissa. It's a miracle you're not bald!

To find out more about Keratinology from Sunsilk, & their fabulous Winnebago, please head over to their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/keratinologyaustralia.

xx

Air Wick Aqua Mist Winners

2011-11-12T20:45:00.000+10:00

Winner of the $200 Coles Myer Card is TAO!
TAO said...

'...Romina I have to go one step further, I think the only way to have a clean, fresh house is don't have kids - I don't think I have been able to describe my house as clean and fresh since the kids arrived. Seriously, because it is too late now and can't send the kids back, I really like the Flylady tip of 'shining your sink'. I think if the sink is cleared of dishes and all clean and shiny the house feels so much better."

Winner of the $100 Coles Myer Card is Danielle!

Danielle said...

"...Hire a cleaner. If your not that lucky split up your house and do a room a day. That way your cleaning but it doesn't feel like such a big job. Folding washing before it comes in the house is a big one for me too. If I don't fold it then it goes into the spare room and next thing I know it's a mountain."

Winner of the $50 Coles Myer Card is Tattoo Mummy!

tattoomummy.com said...

"..My tip? Always have the cushions on the lounge nicely.I'm not sure why, but as long as the throws and the cushions are on my lounge, The toys all over the floor just look like they are there to accessorize the rug ;) "

Congratulations! Please forward your address details to me pronto so I can send your cards to you. Did you know that Coles now carry a range of clothing, Mix Apparel? Fresh & inexpensive, you could purchase a whole summer wardrobe for not much money. Just sayin..

Thank you to Soup & Air Wick Aqua Mist, but special thanks to the lovely readers who entered this competition. You guys rock!

NB I don't know why blogger is having tab issues today, but it is driving me OCD mad!

Fasten your Seatbelts...

2011-11-12T12:33:00.001+10:00

.........we are coming in to land. The end of the year is fast approaching, & I would like to get there without my head between my knees. I am hoping for a smooth descent, with no crash landing!

I came across this turtle on the beach recently, & tears stung my eyes. This beautiful creature was the size of a car bonnet, & here it was, washed up, bloated & dead. (Also it really stank) I realised that I wasn't just mourning for the turtle, it was a reflection of how I felt heading into the end of the year. I feel like I am carrying everything on my back, & it's weighing me down, man! It has been a stressful year, with illness, family drama, financial woes...the list could go on but it won't. I'm sick of thinking about it, I certainly don't want to talk about it.

Just let it all hang out!

So, we have been scheduling more fun into our days. Fishing, walking on the beach before dinner, swimming. I think it might be working...

Fail Whale jumpers courtesy of my clever MIL.

Taking the time to reconnect as a family, to rediscover our shared differences. To focus on strengthening our little family unit. To remove unnecessary drama from the equation.

I know, hard to leave at the curb. But I was strong.

Learning to say NO. No to extra projects, extra financial burdens, extra drama. The sign on this sofa said free to good home, or any home, really! But I said NO, & kept walking. You have to pick your projects. And your battles. Some are not worth winning. Some need to be put on hold while I develop enough resources to deal with them.

Not hormonal.

I don't think any of us have been feeling ourselves. Putting up barriers, retreating into ourselves. Ironically, the weaker I am the more energy is expended putting up barriers that don't even work, they are that weak. It's a complex paradigm, even for someone as psychopathetic as me. The weaker I feel the more keenly I feel the spears that are thrown at me, when those spears would normally glance off or be dodged effortlessly. Time to break down some walls & rip off those disguises, & nurture that inner strength!

Breakfast in the Chaos House.

Snatch the opportunity to relax when we can. Get enough vitamin D. Get into the garden, the house, our projects, ourselves. Part of that is deciding to opt out of the stress & drama of travelling to Sydney this year for a family Christmas. Which is probably a bit of a shock to some, but I am sure that everyone will still enjoy their Christmas without us.

Another part of this is moving forward on things that have been put aside due to lack of funds, lack of energy & lack of motivation. So today....my new dishwasher is being installed! Woohoo!

How is your landing going, heading into the end of the year? Are you charging over the finishing line, arms up in victory? Or are you having a lie down waiting for the stretcher to arrive?

xx

Cook Book Winner

2011-11-10T22:01:00.000+10:00

Congratulations Talia! You have just won yourself a copy of

Entertain, the latest cookbook from Australian Good Taste!

Please email your delivery details asap & it will be winging its way to you in no time.

Thank you to everyone who entered this competition, I so appreciate your love & support (& the wanting of the cookbook, obviously) Don't forget there are two other giveaways that are soon to be drawn.

Keratinology by Sunsilk lux hair products worth about $99 - drawn 14th November.

You have 3 chances of winning either $200, $100 or $50 Coles Myer Cards thanks to Soup & Air Wick Aqua Mist - drawn 12th November.

You have to be in it to win it!

xx

Blind Smell Test at the Friday Park + a Giveaway

2011-11-05T17:18:00.000+10:00

I am lucky to be part of a group of friends called The Gunt Club. (Yes, that is a G, not a C) Our kids go to school together, we sometimes hang out together, we occasionally get drunk & plank together. Every Friday after school we take our kids to a local park, drink wine/tea/soft drink/mainly wine, & have a laugh while our offspring get tribal & hunt crabs.

Yesterday the Gunt Club was transformed into a Blind Smell Test Panel, courtesy of Airwick Aqua Mist, which was something different, & a lot of fun. I wanted to get everyone's reactions to 3 products from the Airwick Aqua Mist Range, their job was to guess which scent was which, & choose a favourite. There was a slight breeze in the park so I ran around our table ~~looking like a dick~~, trying to spray upwind so the Aqua Mist would waft gently in their direction - it was only later that I noticed the label mentioned to not spray directly into anyone's face. Whoops! Please note that nobody had any diverse reactions to getting a faceful of Airwick Aqua Mist, & I suppose we can now say it isn't tested on animals, but it is tested on The Gunt Club.

Thoughtful consideration went into guessing each scent. Note the mini Hench woman who was ready to come down hard if anyone got it wrong. No pressure!

Lucy loved Magnolia & Cherry Blossom the best, & was sure it would be able to eradicate her husbands flatulence. I'll let you know how it goes.....

Julie was a big fan of the Fresh Waters, as am I.

Shandell thought Fresh Waters had enough muscle to work on her husband, too!

Tracey liked the freshness of Wild Lavender & Mountain Breeze.

Jude loved them all, but really liked the non floral scent of Fresh Waters the best.

My mother previously noted that the scent doesn't last long because Aqua Mist is water based, but when I put this to the test, I noticed that the smell lasted at least 2 hours in my bathroom, obviously not so long in a windy park. Fresh Waters became the winning scent with everyone I tested, although lots of sniffers liked Magnolia & Cherry Blossom which surprised me because I thought it was too floral. Some of my favourite comments where;

'Oh, that is really fresh, not overbearing at all'

'Nice, not too sweet or cloying'

'Mmmmm I love that!'

'I really like the larger bottle, it's a good size'

'What? Lisa, this says Aqua Mist, not Fresh Waters. You've got the wrong one.' I love drinking wine with The Gunt Club.

What are your best tips for keeping your home looking fresh? I have Coles Myers cards for the best 3 freshness tips - $200, $100, & $50 for first, second & third place. To enter;

Be a follower of this blog.
Leave a comment with your best tips for keeping your home looking fresh.
For an extra entry, blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway, then leave another comment telling me you have done so.
Be an Australian resident.

Winners to be drawn on Saturday the 12th November. Good Luck!

PS - Please update your profile to include a valid email, or leave one as part of your comment. Mr no-reply at blogger is a bitch to deal with!

Disclaimer: Product supplied for review by Soup & Airwick Aqua Mist, all thoughts, words & opinions are mine unless otherwise stated.

Cook Book Giveaway

2011-11-03T17:10:00.000+10:00

Just in time for the entertaining season, here is a cookbook called 'Entertain'. Let me tell you about my family dinners..

For a while now I have been presenting a 'table' for dinner. Well, most nights,anyway. There are at least 5 people around our table every night for dinner, & each has their own preferences & dislikes. Teenage daughter is vegetarian. Mr BC is a meat & potatoes guy. The Gentleman won't eat eggs but loves mushrooms & avocado; Monkey boy dislikes potatoes, mushrooms & avocado but will pretty much hoover through anything else, I can't imagine where he gets that from. *Shifty eyes* Oh, me? Maybeeeeee. Why do you ask?

Anyway, I find that everyone eats well if I prepare a group of dishes that are randomly grouped. For example; Curry Table might be a slow cooked beef curry, coconut pumpkin, chickpea & spinach red curry, some rice pilaf, poppadoms & maybe a finely chopped tomato salad. The same concept extends to any cuisine you could think of, the dishes don't even have to match. Sometimes it is just to use up stuff in my fridge! I like this concept, it works well for our family.

Australian Good Taste magazine has just produced a cook book with this principle at it's core. There are 14 'tables' that all look amazing, each one includes entree, mains, desert & sometimes a beverage. Literally 30 minutes after the postman had delivered my copy today I had requests for 3 of the dishes. Check out these photos & tell me you agree...

Raspberry Lime (Margarita) Slushie.
Lover, come to me....

I have one copy to give to you, my lovely readers. Winners drawn one week from today, Thursday 10th November. Please leave a comment to enter, but sorry, Australian readers only..

xx
Disclaimer: I've been given a review copy for this post but as always, all words, thoughts & opinions are my own.

WTF moments - exchanges with my children.

2011-11-02T12:24:00.000+10:00

Me in mock horror, gazing at Monkeyboys science experiment toenails: Look at your toenails!
Monkeyboy, clearly horrified: Don't eat them, Mum!*

Later, after they are trimmed & cleaned. Me, tickling his feet: Look at these cute little toes!
Monkeyboy: Careful, Mum, they are just stuck on my feet you know.

The Gentleman, in all seriousness: Was it really all black & white when you where a little girl, Mum?
Me, under breath: For gods sake!!
Me, out loud: Let me show you some photos of Mum & Dad from when we where young, so you can see it's just normal, not 'olden days'.
The Gentleman: Wow! I like Dad's big hair!

Monkeyboy looks sternly across the dinner table: Mum, this is not the best rice, because you have put onions in it.

The Gentleman: Mum, if it snowed, could we wear some of those Ear Gloves?

The Gentleman:When I grow up I'm going to be a scientist & save people from all the Salamis.
Me: Erm, what Salamis, Darling?
The Gentleman: You know, all the water in the ocean just pushes up a giant Salami & it squashes all the towns?
Me: Oh, you mean Tsunamis?
The Gentleman: Yes, that's what I said. Salamis.

Teenage Daughter, in reaction to my delight at a sequined gift box: No one wants to look in your box, Mum.

*Can I just say that I never intended to eat my sons toenails??

xx

A Hairy Happy Ending

2011-10-31T14:01:00.002+10:00

Sydney people get all the breaks. As an ex Sydney-sider I am entitled to say that. OK, OK, they don't get affordable housing. And they don't have supermarkets that close at 5pm on the weekends (different rant, sorry).

Today I found out that Keratinology by Sunsilk, in association with Marie Claire Magazine have transformed a luxury film star silver Winnebago into an uber glamorous mobile pop-up salon, where for $20 you can indulge in the VIP experience of having a professional wash & blow dry using the new Keratinolgy by Sunsilk range, the latest issue of Marie Claire magazine, AND a glass of champagne.

You fucking beauty, I am SOOOO there, I thought. It's my dream to get inside a Winnebago, & god knows my hair needs some professional attention.

And then my dreams where dashed when I found out that this luxury film location Winnebago ‘Keratinology by Sunsilk’ pop-up salon was only going to be at the following places;

Circular Quay, Sydney

Customs House, 31 Alfred St Circular Quay

Thursday 3rd, Friday 4th, & Monday 7th November.

Parramatta, Sydney

In front of Parramatta Town Hall, 182 Church St.

Wednesday 9th, Friday 11th, Monday 14th, & Tuesday 15th November.

Brisbane..........*crickets*

You will need to call 0426 293 611 with your credit card to make a booking, but only if you live in Sydney. Don't they know that we also have hair dye, hair dryers & harsh conditions up north? We even have straightening tongs god dammit!

But, keep reading, because here is the happy ending! As appeasement for this oversight, I have ONE giant product pack to giveaway, even if you don't live in Sydney!

Keratinology by Sunsilk Sun Kissed Colour Therapy Range
Colour Therapy Shampoo, Express Treatment Conditioner & Glossy Mask

Keratinology by Sunsilk Advanced Reconstruction Program
Detoxifying Shampoo, Express Treatment Conditioner, Hair Protector Spray, Overnight Treatment & Hair Spa Mask

To enter, leave a comment telling me your worst hair disaster & how you solved it.

One lucky reader will win all 8 products from the Keratinology by Sunsilk ranges.

The winner will be announced on November 14th.

In closing, I would like to say that both Sydney & Brisbane are awesome city's to live in. I would also like to leave you with this quote, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

“Beware of her fair hair, for she excels All women in the magic of her locks; And when she winds them round a young man's neck, She will not ever set him free again. ”

Heh heh. Obviously never met a brunette :)

xx
Disclaimer - I have received no goddamn Winnebago for this post, although I did receive some gorgeous smelling product to review. All words thoughts & opinions are mine.

Thoughts on Air Freshner

2011-10-31T00:01:00.002+10:00

Normally I am the sort of person who runs through the ground floor of Myer with my hands over my mouth & nose, screeching 'Please don't spray perfume samples on me!!!!' I don't wear perfume (or even perfumed deodorant) myself, I am that sensitive to chemical smells. I really dislike them. Mr BC is on strict instructions to never apply deodorant in my presence. I almost always get asthma, & one time when I thought I'd get all fancy for the school run, a wasp stung me. So when Airwick Aqua Mist recently sent me alot of their new Aqua Mist range to try out, I wasn't too hopeful.

But.

These chemical smells are not too bad. Not too bad at all. There are 3 fragrances - Magnolia & Cherry Blossom, Wild Lavender & Mountain Breeze, & my favourite, Fresh Waters. The scent is really subtle, & because the are part of the Aqua Essences range, it is completely water based so the fragrances just dissipate gently, leaving freshness in the air, without hitting you in the head & making your sinus's bleed.

I have been spraying this around various people to get their reactions, as follows.

My mother - Yes, I already use this. It's water based so the smell goes really quickly. You have to keep sprayng it.
My sister, Cheryl Ann - Yes, that's nice. Yes. Yes, OK. OMG I can't smell that now! I have a hangover & I am trying to clean this toilet before everyone arrives!
The Gentleman - after sneezing violently at Magnolia & Cherry Blossom, loved Fresh Waters. He especially loved the easy trigger pump, & happily sprayed it around, alot..
Teenage Daughter - Sad face at Magnolia & Cherry Blossom, with the claim it burnt her nostrils. Wild Lavender & Mountain Breeze got the quavering hand. Liked Fresh Waters alot, thumbs up.

I am loving Fresh Waters, because 2 months ago when Monkey boy turned 4, he announced that now that he was a big boy, he no longer needed to wear pull ups at night. And therefor he doesn't. I wish he would tell his bladder this, because every night since his birthday he has wet his own bed, then gotten up, changed his pyjamas (sometimes) & come into Mummy & Daddy's bed, which he also wets. I am not at all loving this, or the resulting laundry, but I am loving spraying mattresses with some water based air freshener.

Next stop, the family car which has it's own particular odour after the family drive to Sydney & back last weekend. And then, this Friday I will be treating my Mothers Group/Park Wino/Gunt Club friends to a blind smell test, so stay tuned for the results of that. I promise lots of pictures. And a pretty nice giveaway.

See you then!

xx

Disclaimer - Yes, the product was sent to me for review but all thoughts, opinions & words are mine, even that little gem about leaving freshness in the air. I know, I should be a copywriter.

I don't heart my body

2011-10-29T11:30:00.001+10:00

I read Eden's post this morning about loving her cake of a body (which is beautiful & strong, just like Eden herself) - she has linked up to We Heart Life because today is I Heart My Body 2011 day, a day for bloggers to take a photo of themselves & post it. Every time I read Eden's blog I am very inspired, so I quickly ran to the bathroom & took my clothes off to take a photo & post it, goddammit!

And then I looked at the photo, had a WTF moment, & immediately deleted it.

I am not going to be posting a photo of my naked or semi clad body any time soon.

My body is strong - I walk (briskly, thank you) about 5 kms at least 4 times per week. I have produced 3 children, & breastfed them all (another post, another time). I have used & abused my body for long periods of time - that decade in my teens that I can barely remember, for example. At times my diet has been astonishing. I have half a thyroid, practically no stomach muscles to speak of, high blood pressure, & diabetes. I take a handful of tablets & one needle every day, & my body still manages to function in a viable fashion, living life & looking after a household of chaos.

So obviously I am an earth goddess of the home & hearth, so why, WHY? don't I heart my body?

Sad but true - I don't like the way my body looks. There it is. Pretty shallow, huh? Even my 6 year old will defend anyone who looks different "Everybody has a different look, Mum".

I wouldn't think less of anyone based on their body shape, their skin colour, their ethnicity, their sexual life, their level of education, their choice of car or even the way they vote, so why don't I apply that non discrimination policy to myself?

I think the answer is that I don't think the way I look accurately reflects the way I feel. Some days I feel like Lara Croft, some days like Sophia Loren, some days like Hilary Clinton, some days like Hazel Hawke. But I always look like a close relative of Jabba the Hut.

So, here you are. Slightly hung over after a massive Girls Night In. No makeup, apart from what is left over from last night. Haven't even had a shower or brushed my hair.

Oh take a joke!
Image from here.

The real me.

No bikini, no underwear (no, really, no underwear). This is all you're gonna get for now.

Ask me next year.

xx

Things I did in Sydney last weekend

2011-10-28T14:23:00.000+10:00

Finally gave my gorgeous nephew (who's name may start with B) his birthday present, this lovely coat rack of my own creation. I also gave him a Nerf Gun, 'cause I'm a cool Auntie like that.

The monkeys got a chance to catch up on some quality cousin time, which was awesome. They did all the cousin stuff - fought, stayed up giggling when they should have been asleep, had baths together, watched 'the real' Spiderman countless times, played long involved soldier robot games in the garden, became best friends....

We also got to catch up with my sister Cheryl, except for this one night when she went out to her high school reunion. She may have had a few champagnes, I'm not sure. She sure was loving that midnight toast though.

We actually went to Sydney because Cheryl & I where throwing our Dad a party for his 71st birthday. We where going to do it last year but Dad got bowel cancer instead, so this year was a bit of a double celebration. There was about 60 people who came from far & wide to help Dad celebrate, & we tried to serve Dad's favourite foods, converted to cocktail food. The menu was;

Lobster Thermidor Tartlets
Mini Ham Sandwiches on white bread (it's a Dad staple, most people got it)
Pan fried Kranski sausage on a fancy toothpick (I know! How posh!)
Warm mini crusty rolls with chicken, lettuce & mayo
Rare roast beef on sliced baguette with horseradish
Mini pies & sausage rolls
cheese & spinach triangles
Prawn Vietnamese rice paper rolls
Peking Duck pancakes

There was also a dessert buffet consisting of all of my Aunts specialty's - Tirimisu, Trifle, Pavlova & fruit platter. There was also lolly bags made to look like medicine organisers. We threw in some false teeth lollys for dentures :)

Teenage daughter sorting the lolly bags.

Marilyn Monroe popped in to sing Happy Birthday, much to everyones surprise.

Steady on, Marilyn, he's got a heart condition..

Two of Dads oldest friends (from school! seriously!) gave speeches, & got everyone (including themselves) a bit teary. Old sooks.

Even the paparazzi got a bit emotional..

The next day, we went to spread Happy Dogs ashes to the wind, at a dog park that he loved when we all lived in Sydney. The Dog park is at a beautiful headland, overlooking the beach & a golf course. We all cried like babies but felt really happy that Happy Dog could frolic & galoot to his hearts content, chasing rabbits & playing on the beach without getting in trouble from the ranger.

After this, we spent the rest of the day on the beach, getting a bit sun burnt & enjoying a swim in the icy water. There was hardly anyone there but us.

I do miss Sydney's northern beaches, just not enough to move back.

My beautiful niece. Sweetheart/evil mastermind. She ran rings around the boys. Heh heh.

Finally, we celebrated Mr BCs birthday with fish & chips followed by an ice cream cake. Heaven! Mr BC was so delighted to have an ice cream cake, but I don't know why he was surprised, he has one every year.

I am very glad Dads party went well because there was so much planning involved. It was really great to catch up with my extended family & see the children reconnect with their 1st, 2nd & 3rd cousins, because I always worry that living in a different city would rob them of that sense of family. It was great to finally scatter the ashes of our beloved dog, & get some closure; & hanging out at the beach was wonderful as always. But the best part? Coming Home!

Are you relieved to finally get home from family get togethors? Tell me it isn't just me!

xx

When life hands you lemons...

2011-10-19T23:21:00.000+10:00

All images from Pinterest except the last one. Don't know who Cave Johnson is, but I like his style.

xx

How to never go to work

2011-10-15T14:25:00.000+10:00

Just as I love not camping, I also love not working.

I used to be verrrrrry into my paid gig, which I thought of at the time as my 'Career'. Maybe it was my career, I certainly worked hard at it. I worked 60+ hours every week, my phone rang at all hours of the day & night, I travelled interstate, I had lots of people in various teams reporting to me. I had exciting meetings with major clients. I earned some OK money. It fulfilled most of my childhood dream of growing up to do something 'important.'

After 5 years of this, the gleam had delustered somewhat. All of my salary (& then some) went on childcare fees for children I hardly saw during daytime hours. My family life had become quite compromised by my long hours & trips away. My truly horrible boss had ground the optimistic spark from my eye & my Doctor firstly put me on blood pressure medication & then took out half of my thyroid, which had a produced a non cancerous nodule from an overuse of adrenalin.

So Mr BC & I took a hard look at the direction our life was going in & decided to move interstate, where we could afford to live the lifestyle we dreamed of. The plan was for me to work part time & no more, which I was pretty happy about - I was looking forward to being the Mum I always wanted to be. 5 days before the removalists came, we found out I was pregnant with Monkey Boy. So the part time work idea went out the window & I really embraced being a Stay at Home Mum with open arms.

So now that Monkey Boy is 4, the question on everyones lips is "When are you going back too work?" My answer is ".............................gulp".

The thought of toxic boss syndrome makes me reach for the Avapro. The very thought of performance reviews, WIP meetings, client reviews, on-time reporting (snort), office politics & lunchroom etiquette frankly gives me the heeby jeebys. There must be a better way to pay the bills.

So, here are my ideas for being a profitable SAHM.

Have a big clean out & sell lots of stuff on eBay. Give stuff to charity. Nature abhors a vacuum (as do I) so getting rid of stuff is the karmic equivalent of making room for more stuff, right?
Get all outstanding paperwork up to date. Do the tax returns, etc. Check with Centrelink to see if there are any childcare rebates etc I haven't claimed.
Monetise the blog - look at the top right column, see? I've joined Nuffnang! I thought about it & decided that it didn't mean selling out. I don't expect to be Dooce or the Pioneer Woman overnight, but every little bit counts & is a step in the right direction.
Think hard about a small business that I can do in my own time. This is a whole other post, so stay tuned..
Explore other paid employment that can be done in my own time. I'm thinking Mystery Shopping rather than delivering pamphlets, or starting my own 1800sexymum phone line.
Because I am a little bit pagan, I will also be asking the universe for money making opportunities via the usual channels - tarot, & weekly chats to the ocean.
I think the most important thing is to ensure my head space remains positive about it - being negative & self defeatist really does mean you have failed before you even start. Too hippy? I'll let you know if it works!

So, what are your favourite ideas to avoid going back to paid employment? Enquiring minds want to know!

xx

Roma St Parklands, Brisbane

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000+10:00

In the middle of Brisbane City, on the grounds of an old rail way yard, is a hidden oasis of a park named Roma St Gardens. Sorry to sound so hyperbolic, but it really is amazing. We didn't even know about it for 2 years, despite driving past it at least twice a week. It is gated & fenced, & surprisingly quite large.

The gardens are beautifully planted in a large variety of mass plantings.

This one is New Guinea Impatiens.

It suddenly opens up into a large grassed area that slopes towards an ampnitheatre. Monkey boy can't resist & hurtles off down the hill - Mr BC looks a bit unhappy at the prospect of chasing him.

There are huge trees - this one is a Moreton Bay Fig.

And also tiny vistas like this beautiful fungus.

I wish my Clivea looked this great.

One of the big trees came down in a storm, so they have used the fallen tree to shelter a small Bromeliad garden.

Everywhere, pathways invite you forward.

Lots of water features mean lots of Water Dragons. I've been told there is a Dragon's Blood Tree but I was unable to find it - I'll just have to go again & have another look ..

This large water feature snakes through the gardens from one end to the other.

I love the way plants are used in interesting ways - this Bromeliad planter stand for instance.

Different coloured foliage in a striking display. Wow, I sound just like Allan Seale!

It was lovely to see Foxgloves in flower - I love them but they are so poisonous I am scared to plant them while the monkeys are small.

Mr BC, always on the look out for gardening ideas.

Teenage Daughter camouflaged in the Elk Horns..

Wait, did she go through that door?

This must be the bog garden. It was planted up with Pitcher Plants, which do grow in a bog after all...

The Gentleman was very excited about these stepping stones.

Mr BC's speech bubble should read How do I get this into my garden?? Or maybe he's having a moment from The Party. Birdy Num Num Mr BC!

The Gentleman whispered a wish into a fallen white flower, & tossed it into the moving water.

These photos where taken in spring, & there are lots of traditional cottage flowers.

Lots of plantings on these flower towers. Flower humps?

I do so love a hedge.

One idea I really loved was these floating islands, anchored to the bottom but swaying in the current. If you look closely at the island second from the bottom you can see a Water Dragon enjoying the moment.

Can you see him? He's got a tiny little cocktail & a glossy magazine hidden under those flowers.

The Gentleman likes to be colour coordinated at all times.

Meh, Monkey Boy's not so into the colour coordination. He goes more for exuberance.

Mr BC looks a bit bemused by The Gentleman's Dragon Taming exhibition.

Enjoying the moment. Looking for faeries? Lost in a reverie?

Mass plantings for maximum effect.

My hump, my hump, my lovely floral hump... check it out!

Yes I may have sung that in the gardens. Your point?

How lucky are these apartment dwellers to have this on their doorstep?

And yet if you turn around, the view is completely different.

Down another secret pathway.

And then all too soon you are back on the street!

We spent an hour wandering around & could easily have wandered for another 2.

If you are ever in Brisbane make sure you leave enough time to visit Roma St Gardens.

Craptastic Timing

2011-10-10T11:31:00.000+10:00

I googled pap smear images, & this was by far the nicest.

Last month I screwed up the mental fortitude required to get my pap smear. I think I am lucky they are free under the medicare system, & they are absolutely necessary to detect cervical cancer. But still, eeeewwww. Who wants someone poking up their jacksie?

Anyway, I booked for mid cycle, & fronted up to see a new doctor, who was a lovely Russian babushka, very caring & no nonsense. She talked a bit like Natasha out of Rockie & Bullwinkle.

Boris, get the Moooose!

Anyway.

I am lying there, pants off, legs up, speculum inserted, she has the scrapy thing right in there, & she asks 'When you last bleed?'

I reply 'Ummm, 2 weeks ago? My cycle's a bit erratic lately'

she says 'Well you bleed now'

Crap.

She holds up the scrapy thing to show me the blood.

Crap. (& eeeew! gross!)

Then she says 'You come back in one week, if no result, we do again.'

Crap.

So, I went back & didn't need to do another pap smear, thank heavens, because that wouldn't have been fair. At all.

I just had to share this with you because I need to move on from the whole craptastic experience.

Therapy over.

Thank you!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-10-04T11:01:00.000+10:00

Drum Roll, Please

And the winner, of the

Somerton Indoor Drying Rack from Hills Industries

is....................

(gosh this is exciting, isn't it!)

Sorry about the photo, taken late last night.

JACKIE!!

Please forward your datails to me so that Hills can courier your fabulous new indoor drying solution to you, pronto.

Congratulations!

xx

Cool things that have come in the mail: Part 3

2011-10-03T19:19:00.000+10:00

Cheryl Ann, this is for you x
Image from Pinterest

Recently I was in a bit of a shlump - tired, sad, frustrated...you know what I mean. In the words of the legendary Dr Suess, 'Unshlumping yourself is not easily done'. So imagine my suprise & delight to find a lovely tin of home made chocolate chip biscuits mailed to me by my beautiful sister Cheryl Ann!

Me with the lovely Cheryl Ann. What do you mean, we look drunk?

The biscuits really were extremely delicious, & part of the gift was a pair of beautiful biscuit tins to keep. The biscuits where eaten very quickly (no, not just by me thank you!) so I quickly made another batch to Cheryl's recipe & they where just as good. I think she uses a recipe based on one by Bill Granger, but I don't see him sending me any biscuits.

Cheryl Ann's Choc Chip Biscuits for Sad Arse Sisters

Cream 125g of butter with 1 & a quarter cup of brown sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence & 1 egg, beat well.
Stir in 1 & a half cups of plain flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder & a pinch of salt.
Stir in 1 & a half cup of choc chips.
Roll into balls, & bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Sprinkle with sisterly love (keep it hygenic!) & pop in the mail.

Thank you, Cheryl. You are the best sister ever.

As made by me.

Chaos Notes - Photo Edition

2011-10-02T21:38:00.000+10:00

Driving Monkey Boy to get his immunisation shots.
Standard attire: Swim cap & goggles. Don't ask why, ask why not?

An enthusiastic cowboy singalong.

Making brownies - trick question: Who is the best stirrer?

Making ginger shallot prawn pot stickers.

We have been planting tiny seedlings for the last few years to stop the budget blowing out,
& it is just so wonderful when something finally flowers, such as this Bird of Paradise!

This photo cracks me up! Me, with my super attractive cleaning suit & my miracle glowing bleach about to OWN that bathroom ceiling. We couldn't understand why it was so mouldy, until we finally went into the roof & realised that the insulation had been layed over the exhaust fan. Professional? No, but at least our house didn't burn down.

Look in the bottom left hand window pane - do you see the face of a bearded man peering back at you? Oh, good - it's not just me. This is a photo of the convict built windmill in Wickam Terrace, Brisbane; it was used to grind flour a few hundred years ago. Apparently there are secret tunnels underneath it, but their existence is denied by the government.
Ohhhhh I love a mystery! It makes me feel all Trixie Belden like!

The weather here has been perfect. I do love a sparkly ocean.

Taking the boys to Sushi Train. Check out that mess! The Gentleman was really getting into fish roe until I asked him if he had found Nemo.All 3 boys love sushi, & they especially love that this sushi train also has chocolate mousse as part of it's cargo. Look at that sparkle in Mr BC's eyes!

Going out for a cup of tea with Teenage Daughter.

Statue at the Brisbane Art Gallery, I wish I could remember who it is of, or by..
This guy looks very intense, I think he must have some kind of penis envy. What say you?

I love not camping

2011-09-26T12:01:00.002+10:00

Image via Pinterest

I am not a camper. Not even 'not a happy camper'. I just don't do it, the end. As a child I camped alot with my family, for long stretches at a time (over a month), & although I have wonderful memories of long stretches of time on beautiful beaches I cannot help but recall other simply horrid aspects. Air beds. Sand in your sheets. Queueing for a cold shower at the concrete amenity block. Wearing the same fucking swimmers every friggen day. Never again.

Mr BC loves camping. He camped alot as a child (mostly in his parents holiday house) & he loves it. Our kids love it. So, this past weekend, Mr BC took the children camping, without me. The downside is that he took the larger car (automatic) & left the smaller car (can't drive a manual). For 2 days, I have been left alone without any means of transport .Tragic?

Hell NO!

Day 1

Kiss my family farewell, with stern instructions to NOT swim if there are sharks, & be safe at all times.
Do some yoga with a DVD, then go for a walk.
Spend approximately 6 hours of uninterrupted laptop time.
Make a delicious meal of salmon, asparagus & steamed new potatoes, washed down with my special welcome to spring lemon balm infused vodka cocktail. It's my equinox tradition :-)
Send this photo to my sister, Cheryl, who sends back a photo of defrosting sausages & the message 'I hate you'.

Do an at home facial, make some body scrub & use it, dye my hair, give my toenails some much needed attention. Send photos to Cheryl, who texts back 'Are you bored yet?' Hell No!

Watch Practical Magic, The Craft, a Buffy rerun & then an Angel rerun. My idea of TV heaven.
Go to bed & don't have to share with any other person. I miss Mr BC but not the monkeys lethal elbows.

Day 2

Sleep in. Wake up in a bed that contains no wee. That's a little bit of heaven right there. I swoon.
Go to meet up with some friends for a picnic at the beach. Walk the 20 minutes there, stopping on the way to buy local honey from the farmers market.
Have a lovely time catching up with old friends, meeting some new ones, eating a delicious shared table of all sorts of goodness including this divine pineapple cake. During this time I am not interrupted by any small children, I do not have to take anyone to the public toilets & argue about why they cannot go into the mens loo by themselves, I don't have to chase anyone around the park, I am not required to break up any fights, & I can have some stimulating adult conversation without interruption.

Bring a friend home for coffee & garden inspection, more adult conversation.
Cheryl sends me a text saying she needs a holiday. I reply 'Me too! Exhausted after day at beach!' No reply. Cheryl?
Make a prawn, avocado salsa salad with dinner, washed down with an icy beer because I was a bit sandy & it felt appropriate. Send photo to Cheryl. No reply...

Lots more uninterrupted laptop time, before settling in to watch The Big Lebowski. God I love the Dude.
Go to bed & enjoy same sleeping arrangements as before.
Wake up very late.
Decide to share my weekend with you :-) Don't be a hater!

Jeez I love not camping.

xx

(btw don't forget to enter my giveaway!)

Cool things that have come in the mail: Part 2 (and a Giveaway!)

2011-09-23T14:59:00.000+10:00

I have tried to hide it pretty well, but laundry is my life. I know that you probably love it too. I am sure that it is one of those things that keeps you up at night, especially when it is raining.

We have been lucky to have some beautiful drying weather lately - high 20's, big blue skys full of sunshine, perfect breeze for drying an endless, endless round of goddamn laundry. But I know that luck won't last, we are about to get into the wet season. The season of dryer abuse. Ironically, all that rain is not so eco-friendly for the laundry.

So when Hills Holdings offered me the Somerton Indoor Drying Rack to try out, I jumped at the chance. Because laundry is my life!

See those daggy coat hangers? That was my indoor drying arrangement.Sad, yes? One of our current household goals is to 'refresh' the laundry, but we haven't gotten far. It has had a nice coat of white paint on the floors & the walls, but that is all. The paint happened mainly because I spilled a tin of white paint on the floor. I called Mr BC at work for advice on cleaning it up & he recommended I just grab a roller & paint it out, which worked a treat & is something I highly recommend.

The Hills Somerton comes with everything you need to install it, namely 4 screws with masonry stuff so that they stay in the wall. (note those are not my hairy arms)

Mr BC is quite pedantic about using his spirit level, & took a little while to make sure everything was just tickety boo, which is very important if you are going to drill into masonry. Do you like that mirror? I claimed it from the curb about 20 years ago, when curbside shopping wasn't cool. Such a ~~shameless cheapskate~~ ahead of my time!

Lets take a moment to to look at the 'unfreshened' part of the laundry. Hmmmm mental note: must incorporate cupboard doors. And find better wine storage.

Ta da! All done! Mr BC & I had a small discussion about the height that the drying rack had been installed - he wanted lower, I insisted on higher. It has a rack at the bottom that would be a perfect spot for a hand towell if I hadn't put it so high up! There was method in my madness, & I certainly did appreciate Mr BC spending time on installing it....

Wait, whats this in the box? A placement guide? With a sticky strip so you can just stick it on the wall & have perfect screw placement & not have to muck around with pencil marks on the wall??

Mr BC! Didn't you read the instructions?

I am loving how the shirt can dry on the rack without getting grubby in the sink. Perfect placement ;-)

Would you like to win your very own Hills Somerton Clothes Rack? Of course you would, it's bloody brilliant. It is dead easy to install, can hold up to 5kgs of laundry, has a 3 year guarantee & folds away if you want it to. Also, it's part of the Hills range - very trusted when it comes to clothes drying. How to enter?

Be a follower of this blog
Follow me on twitter or facebook
& leave a comment telling me you have done so.

I will draw the winner on Monday, 3rd October.
One entry per person please!
Sorry, but Hills Industries will ship to Australian residents only.

If you badly need a better drying solution & don't win, cheer up Buttercup! The Hills Somerton is available exclusively from Bunnings for about $30.

Disclaimer - Yes, this is a sponsored post but the words & opinions are mine, do you think Hills Holdings knows anything about the 'freshness' level of my laundry?

xx

The 1000 Plates Project

2011-09-22T23:24:00.000+10:00

Also has some great recipes. Find it at your Woolworths checkout.

I was shocked to discover that two million Australians go hungry every year. I also didn’t know that Foodbank Australia gives 75,000 meals to the hungry each day, & that the need grows every day.

It seems the good people at Good Taste are passionate about raising awareness about Foodbank’s vital work.

A non-profit organisation committed to fighting hunger in Australia, Foodbank distributes donated food from Australia’s producers and retailers to charities across the country. The more we can all raise awareness about this hidden social problem, the more food that will find its way to the hungry.

Please join Good Taste's campaign to feed the hungry. Simply upload a picture of a dish you’ve cooked to The 1000 Plates Project gallery on their Facebook page.

For every plate uploaded, Good Taste will donate a meal to the hungry via Foodbank.

They’re aiming for 1000 plates to start with, so upload as many photos as you can!

What you need to do

Cook something (anything) & take a photo of it.

Go to Australian Good Taste facebook page.

Click on the 1000 plates project.

Upload a picture of your meal to the gallery & tag it with your name.

Tell your friends so they can do the same!

xx

Disclaimer - this isn't really a sponsored post. The PR company sent me a press release with the info & I jumped on board straight away. I even rushed out to buy the magazine, so if I do get sent a free one I will donate somewhere worthwhile immediately.

Cool things that have come in the mail: Part 1 (and an Award!)

2011-09-21T13:11:00.000+10:00

My lovely friend & fellow blogger Sheri from Sheri Bomb recently sent me this amazing GUN! Don't you think that a gun is the best blog collateral ever? I sure do :-)

For when Rescue Remedy isn't working.

How real does it look? It is made of gorgeous smelling soap, did it trick you? I am currently driving around with it in my car, so that I can wave it around during a fit of road rage & scare the crap out of other drivers. I haven't actually done that yet, but it's nice to know that I can if I want, surely? The delicious airfreshening effect in my car is really just a bonus. Sheri has made me promise not to mention her name if I am arrested for any such road rage incident, but I think the police will be too busy scratching thier heads over the scent of rum permeating my car to worry about such things. That's bullshit isn't it, I am totally getting breathalised.

Ms Sheri herself.

Also from Sheri, but not in the snail mail, was The Versatile Bloggers Award! Seriously, I should send her flowers or something. Thank you Ms Sheri, this is high praise indeed coming from someone who I consider to be a gifted writer.

To accept this award, the nominee must do the following things:

1. Thank the person who gave the nomination - done, done & happily done x

2. List 7 interesting facts about him or herself
3. Pass on the nomination to 15 newly discovered blogs

7 Interesting Facts about me

I am not at all drawn to cute furry critters. The Mogwai leaves me cold.
I am fascinated by the Octopus, to the point that I struggle with eating them. Did you know they are one of the smartest creatures on the planet? And they can change colour?
I am pretty sure a ghost has moved into my house recently. I think it's reasonably benign, but it wasn't invited & that irks me.
I don't normally do regret, but I regret not going to uni. Life's not over yet though...
If I don't get enough 'alone time' I start to go a little loco.
I love cooking, one day I want to have a cook book published.
I despise camping. Mr BC & the chaos kids are going camping this weekend - without me! Wooot!

Well, I hope that was interesting - or at least not too boring. Now for 15 7 bloggers to pass The Versatile Blogging award onto! ( I'm not lazy, I'm versatile)

7 Awesome new-to-me Bloggers

You guys all rock my world, thank you.

xx