Field of wishes

My place in time #37 - The view from the end of my street

The man who owned this block died last year. It's rumoured his daughter plans to put flats on it, which means the street will be busier. This doesn't really bother me because our house is deep on our block and hidden away from the street. The other house owners at the end of our street aren't real happy though, but that's cookie crumbs for ya.

Our end of the street is in disrepair, pothole city at the moment. Can someone remind me why we pay rates? I wish they'd fix it up, bit of a catch twenty two, because when they do, we probably won't be able to use the driveway. I hope it won't be on shopping day, I may have to wheelbarrow the groceries down the thirty metres to the house! They maybe should have done it properly in the first place.

Back to school and an easy Chocolate Slice

We've just gone back to school this week in South Australia. Izzy started back at kindy yesterday, a full day. Just what you want after two weeks of having both of them home. There's no worrying about if she was ready, I was ready.

We had a great holiday break, got some easter craft done, too much chocolate consumption and a catch up with our mothers group mates. It was great that easter fell IN the school holidays this year.

Sunday I had a bake up. There wasn't much to put in a lunch box. Instead of taking money out the bank to buy stuff they day before our big fortnightly shop, I baked with what I had in the pantry. Simple stuff. Nothing fancy.

I made my sultana loaf. Tea, sultanas, sugar and flour. I used a spiced chai tea in this one, and iced it with half a teaspoon of golden syrup mixed with little boiling water, then mixed with icing sugar.

Homemade crackers, these are very moorish. I will post the recipe soon, these are before I had cooked them.

This chocolate slice is easy to make with ingredients everyone should have in the pantry ready to go. It is also scrumptious.

Chocolate Slice

120 grams butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup self raising flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa
1 cup of coconut

Mix dry ingredients together.
Melt butter, pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Press the mix into a slice tin. I greased my tin with oil spray.

Bake at 180C for 15 minutes.

When cool, ice with chocolate icing, sprinkle with coconut and slice!

Never have a problem finding someone to lick the spoon.

Joining Jess for #IBOT on this very wet tuesday.

Peppi da puppy

My place in time #38 - I'm in a supermarket

Just over two weeks ago this little ankle biter, wee and poo machine, jack russell x foxy came into our lives. 

It was a Thursday, Izzy was at kindy. Summer and I went to our local IGA supermarket to invest in some puppy food, and other puppy paraphernalia. 

It was supposed to be a secret, but I told Summer we were getting a new dog. Then when I picked up Izzy I told her too. I couldn't bloody help myself, besides Summer was telling everyone who would listen anyway. 

When Brett walked in with the new pooch, it wasn't quite the surprise it was supposed to be, but they were chuffed all the same. Izzy had the poor thing tucked in it's bed like a dolly in no time.

He's a boisterous playful little thing, and we've already had tears because of it. He's a right pain in the mornings, anyone and everyone's ankles are fair game and he has sharp little teeth!

Izzys called him Peppi, thats how the vet spelt it on his vaccine card, I was thinking Pepe, but hey, I'm not gonna argue over spelling. 

He may be a pain in the arse puppy right now, but he will grow to be a loyal and loving friend for the girls, like our dear Rosie was for Jakey.

I am quite excited about having a canine vacuum cleaner. I may never have to clean food from under and around the dining table again!

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An InLinkz Link-up

100 Happy Days, Week 1

On Wednesday of last week I started the 100 Happy Days challenge.

I'd been looking for a thankful/grateful project to do for a while, and felt I needed to do something to remind me that good things DO happen, everyday!

Wednesday: The kids went to play next door. They love the kids next door. I had time to get the washing off the line before it rained. I found myself quite happy to stand and watch the rain when it did fall. 

Thursday: When I saw it, I could hardly believe it. A graffiti free skate park, the council did an awesome clean up job.

Friday: This is Izzy dancing, pretending she is a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz. She is such a card, this cracked me up, I laughed so hard.

Saturday: As skeptical as I was when Brett started drilling a hole in my sink, I am happy with my rain water tap in the kitchen, filtered too. 

Sunday: Because, wine.

 

Monday: Brett took the girls out for the morning, I made stirfry for lunch and sat and watched tv the whole time.

Tuesday: I really did have a shit day Tuesday. A walk with the kids, getting some fresh air was just what I needed.

Wednesday: Yesterday I took friends to Keith to pick up their car which had broken down before Easter. It was a 500km round trip. Thankfully my SIL looked after the girls, which made it an easier trip than it could have been. It was nice to go on a road trip on my own. I stopped just before I got back to SILs house and took a photo of the amazing clouds.

Sharing my happy at A Parenting Life

Chilli Oil

I grew one chilli plant this year. One more than I have ever grown. One was enough.

I froze a bag full to use later on for something! I can't see myself using in cooking for all of us. These babies are hot, even the green ones. Maybe when I get the urge I'll make some hot sauce or chilli jam or something.

I do love chilli oil drizzled on my soup in winter, some extra warmth and I love that bit of flavour. It's not too bad on fried eggs either or pasta.

The new and the old(on the right). I made the old with red chillies I got from my sister in laws garden a year ago. I may have used too many chillies in this years, it's a bit hot already.
I just keep topping up the oil during the year as I use it up.

An InLinkz Link-up

Apple and roasted quince cake

I found this recipe on Kidspot. I've changed it to suit what I have in my fridge and pantry like I usually do. The original had buttermilk and butter, which I am not in the habit of buying. But you could use if you do have them.

What I had was quinces given to me. This is a great way to use up fruit that is ripe and in need of being used.

Due to my oven being a total cow, well the oven door which won't close properly to be exact, I cooked the cake for a bit longer than the 40 minutes. When I gently push the middle of the cake and it springs back up, I know it is done.

125 grams margarine
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup apple puree
1/2 cup roasted quince puree*
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
250 gr plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of milk

Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs, puree and vanilla.
Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and bicarb of soda. Fold through flour and milk alternatively.
Bake at 180C for 40 minutes.

*Peel, core and quarter quince, cut quarters in half. Place in a pan, sprinkled with sugar and dotted with margarine. Squeeze over the juice of 1 orange. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours at 150C.

Alternatively you could use 1 cup of any pureed fruit you want. I have used pear and a mix of apple and passionfruit.

It is a lovely cake which is so beautiful with just a dollop of cream.

My favourite shop in the main street

My place in time #4 
A small business

My go to place for gift buying. So much gorgeous stuff. It's Sassi.

It's also where I told Izzy to take her Dad for my birthday and christmas presents, he wasn't listening. Loser ;) Just a voucher would do! I will have to push my case leading up to Mother's Day.

See anything you like? I do!

Graffiti

My place in time #31

***bad language warning***

This made me angry last week. Several little bastards went on a graffiti rampage around town. Apparently the mayor had a few colourful words to say, and when I saw it, I did too.

I hope they catch the little f*&^ers.

It seems as I have got older I have gained more pride for the wonderful town and area I live in. I don't like seeing it being vandalised. 

We have been pretty lucky up until last week that our community buildings haven't been subjected to this sort of thing. It is very disappointing.

An InLinkz Link-up

Lake Mac in Autumn

My place in time #19

Something that was here 20 years ago.

One of the best local places to take kids to get out of the house for a walk around in nature. This is Lake McIntyre situated just on the outskirts of town.

It used to be a council sandstone quarry used for building the saleyards and local roads and streets. In 1991 a committee was formed to create this wonderful wetland.The water comes from the natural water table which rises and falls with the seasons.

The lake is home to, at one time or other, to around 80 different resident and migratory birds. Other animals you might see are tortoises, frogs, swamp rats, echidnas, possums, owls as well as snakes. This is why we don't go for walks around in the height of summer.  

I've been coming here with my kids for the past 20 years. It has become a beautiful place with the work of tireless volunteers in conjunction with the Wattle Range Council. We are so lucky, for such a small community to have such fantastic places like this, for us and tourists to visit.

We found a patch of muntrie berries, I took some home and used them in hot cross buns. This  native berry can be substituted for sultanas in cooking and salads.

So much birdlife around right now, these I think, are straw-necked Ibis. I only know
this from the birdwatching pamphlets at the information bay at the lake.