Today is your birthday!

Happy birthday! This is just in case our text didn't make it across the water. We love you!

What's Cooking Good Looking?

Mixing, pouring, whisking and rolling seems to be happening a whole lot around here lately. I've started doing a weekly menu again and it's inspiring a bunch of madness in the kitchen. As always I have my trusty assistant on hand to grab, lick and taste (he's the one doing it, I'm not grabbing, licking or tasting him!).




Here we have mostly-topped pizza, Langlan stole the salami and the little sprinkling of cheese? That's the pizza done in Langlan's mind.




And just for interests sake, we made 2 of these to drop around to friends. We made the bases (Jim Lahey's of course), par baked them til they were firm, topped them, then dropped them. A nice little change on dropping off lasagna or shepherd's pie!








We've also been whizzing up homemade lemon cordial (thanks to Mum for passing on the ABC recipe) on my new-to-me juicer ($5 at the oppy!).




We just sometimes have to remember to not juice our hands.








This gloriousness was made with the help of 2 little boys who ended the cooking session as sticky as could be. Just the way we like it around here. We used this recipe for the cheesecake (double yum) and swirled some of this ontop.




And just in case you doubt that I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world, here's proof. I had a pretty icky day yesterday. Andrew came home from work, bundled me off to bed, and made melting moments with Langlan. They're delicious. And so is my husband.












And today? Langlan and I made stromboli. It's hanging about in the fridge right now and we'll be popping it in the oven for tea.
Had to leave you with a laugh: on Sunday I was packing up some meat to take for a BBQ. This was my classic thought: I never realised spare ribs have bones in them. And then I thought about it. They're RIBS. Der.

My New $6 Do

News

Every week Kenzi has a topic given to her that she needs to talk about in front of her class. It's a great take on the old news break when kids bring in their stuffed toys and talk about them! There have been many and varied topics. One of my favourite to date is the time when she showed our blog to the whole class.
However, I think tomorrows may be just as great. Kenzi this week had to make up an imaginary animal. She had to describe it and also draw a picture of it. After tea we always have a bit of a practise for the next day. Here is how it went.
Kenzi: "My imaginary animal is totally invisible. Nobody has ever seen it. Nobody knows what it looks like. They see where it has been because it leaves a slight heat haze in the air when it dashes away."
She then proceeded to hold up a blank A4 page...a hand drawn picture of her invisible made up animal.
The funny thing is that she asked us why we were all wetting ourselves laughing. In her crazy, creative,  imaginary world this was a totally valid description and picture. I love this kid. She is a crazy mix of blessing and challenge to parent, but I would not change that for the world. She is a joy giver this girl of mine.

Things happening and Promises of things to Come

Term 3 is a super busy term for us. Church is busy, School is busy, home is busy. But in all of that there are things like this. Beautiful bright orange blossoms adorning our garden shed, lent to us by a house that is two doors down. Kenzi prays regularly that the house 2 doors down will never cut down their vine.
And there is these, which we look at as a promise of what is to come. My jasmine bush that was bought years ago in a small pot, planted and forgotten about. Every year it buds and than bursts with all sorts of wonderful smells and flowers that make me think of fairy dances and full moon frolics.

Busy is just how it is for us at the moment, but in all of that God sends us reminders to STOP and smell the roses, or jasmine in our case!

Outer HUnter fun ;-)

Gloucester, Ryan, Sunsets, tall things and FUN!!!!

Tradition

Andrew mentioned last night that we've been doing our weekly date night for over 5 years. It's a tradition that happens every week. It's definitely flexible, it often jumps around nights, or weekends, but it's a highlight of our week that I love.



It's changed a little with the addition of Langy G to the club, but it's still a slice of our week that is dedicated to Andrew and I hanging out and enjoying each other.



Last night we did a few dessert drop offs to friends and then headed off for our own dessert, along with the little man. We still stick to a budget which makes us have to be a little more creative. Last night it was buy one get one free Baskin Robins ice creams off the back of a shopping receipt. Last week it was a special treat at the cafe at Andrew's work. And the week before? Playing an awesome retro game of Tiddly Winks on the lounge room floor in front of the gas fire.

I wish I'd kept a diary of our date nights, such rich and fun memories. Maybe it's time to start one...

Oopsy

While Langlan was sleeping this afternoon I wrote a mammoth blog post. It's now disappeared. So I'm going to redo it, but in chunks.

Here's the first chunk...












Lately, when I tell Langlan that it will be nap time soon, he runs away to find somewhere he can claim to be his 'bed'. This was his bed for today. Sweet smelling dreams amongst the thyme bushes...

when everything is tidy

There are some small moments in time when my kitchen it tidy. The dishwasher is unpacked, all the washing up has been put away and the benches are shiny. That moment actually happened yesterday....UNTIL, we needed costumes for backyard kitchen wars. Yep, it is not enough that we have a dress up dresser that is full to overflowing with fabulous dress ups. The kitchen just seemed the place yesterday for the best backyard armour. And you know what, I didn't mind one little bit. Lots of people can have a tidy kitchen...only I have backyard warriors dressed in colanders and saucepan lids and chopping boards.

In the Kitchen with Connor and Kenzi

Yesterday we played Master Chef. And might I say that both my young chefs pulled off absolute winners.

First they chose the recipes.

Next they sifted, mixed and licked.

After the baking and the cooling the products produced were drool worthy and simply divine. Kenzi was crowned the Chocolate Mousse Queen and Connor was knighted Sir Melting Moments. Kids in the kitchen...I say yes please! (now I am off for a jog!)

boys room inspiration

just because i love love love this. i think i'm going to make a lumberjack pillow for connor to go with his star wars pillows.

Project Spray

We started a project this morning. We will reveal it in little bits...or maybe all together, because you see it's holidays and on holidays you get to do whatever you please. That includes changing our mind 100 times a day. It also includes being so relax that it doesn't matter.

My Beautiful Sunday

.....Andrew taking photos along the river.....

Our weekend rhythm continued it's beautiful, steady rhythm these past few days.

Movie night finished early because the sleeps overtook me, being curled up on the lounge next to the heater with a tummy full of pulled chicken quesidillas was too much for me!

Saturday was organising, plastering, washing and all that.


.....rugged up and loving walking by the river.....

Then today we had planned to make scones and take our little gas cooker down to the river and have breakfast with yummy hot drinks but we woke up to a pretty serious frost so we adapted our plans.


.....Langlan and Andrew sitting between the palms watching the helicopter take off.....

We had scones at home and then took our steamy, warm drinks on the walk. We got home in time to go to church but the sleeps got the best of me again, and Langlan, so we snoozed the morning away.

Lunch followed and then a tour of the birthing suites at Geelong hospital (they've got birth pools, yay!). We then meandered along the waterfront and watched the helicopter and seaplane come and go, had some nibbles then came home.








.....Langy G and me, and my lovely 24 week bump.....

We'll church it tonight and then hit the sack after a beautiful, beautiful weekend.

Saturday Night Sojurn

                                                                           We cooked tea tonight and headed out to the light house. 

We thought we would try something new and eat out every Saturday night....well not eat out like normal, regular people do, but eat out Pobjie style.....meaning bake at home and bundle it up and drive to an exotic or mystery destination.


That's how we eat out. Tonight was our first night. It was cold but fun.








We even found a teepee that we explored in the dark.




















Hopefully more instalments to come as we explore our place and eat out in style!

Oh, you like how the photo's are all over the place...yes it is my special talent, not understanding how to work this new crazy photo placement thing!