A family weekend

I am ever so grateful for my family. 

It has been a family orientated weekend and it couldn't have come at a better time.

It was Mum's birthday yesterday. My little sister came over from Gippsland with her family, a surprise for Mum. 

Earlier in the week my son come to stay at his Nannas. Lets just say he needed to be around family.

Saturday night we had a pizza night at Mum's house. We gathered and stuffed ourselves silly, told stories that has us all in fits of laughter and I can't say anyone left without feeling happier than when we began.

I cherish these times. I am ever so thankful my girls will have these memories to look back on. The family all eating and laughing together. The time with their cousins. I wonder how life could be any better. 

Little sister couldn't resist but to cook one of Dad's chorizos near the coals

Not everyones cup of tea, but the roast pigeon with green sauce was amazeballs. 

Izzy and Summer playing with their cousins. Having a ball making tents and
jumping on the bed in Nannas spare room.

Do you get together as a family often?
How do your gatherings go?
Do you always leave happier than you arrived?

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Dad's hot red wine

I know for shizzle I am so over being sick this week. Sick of us all having a cold. It really does suck. What's worse is, no one gives a shit I am sick. There is no one to look after me! Except me that is. 

I know I still forgot to buy tissues. Summer and I used a full toilet roll between us on Wednesday. Summer got a hold of a full toilet roll yesterday when I wasn't looking and unravelled it all over the kitchen bench.

I know it's a public holiday on Monday(God save the Queen). I wonder when the Queen isn't Queen anymore we will stop having the Queens holiday. Will it be King Charles' birthday? The 14th of November. That would be cool. My son will have a public holiday for his birthday! But not cool because the Queen will be dead, or retired. I remember when the Queen's mother died. We were staying in a caravan park. Jake and another boy ran around the park yelling, "The Queen mothers dead, the queen mothers dead". Sigh....., memories.

Having been sick this last week, reminded me of the hot wine drink Dad used to make. He swears by it, and recommends it to treat a cold or cough. 

The only problem is I had no idea how he made it. Funnily enough the day after I reminisced about it, he asked me if I had 'done the wine'. 

Now Dad said to just boil the wine with some honey for a couple of minutes and then drink it.

However, as always, Mum puts her two bob in, and corrects him. She says to put in a tablespoon of butter and then set it alight to burn off the alcohol.

Although I do remember seeing Dad light up the wine when I was a much younger girl, after I had boiled the wine for a couple of minutes, I couldn't get a flame from it. I do remember having a taste when I was a kid, making this and drinking the cup brought back good memories of smells and tastes.

It's supposed to be drunk as a nightcap before bed. It's warming and soothing, and according to Dad, you should wake up feeling great.

1 cup red wine

1 big globby tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of butter or marg

Place all in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Let boil for a couple of minutes.

You can try light it up if you'd like. 

Tip the saucepan to the side and use a lighter at the edge or use a match. Be careful.

Serve in a heat proof glass or mug. Enjoy the warmth.

Winter flowers - firsts and lasts

The winter bulbs are just bursting into flower, the jonquils first, relishing in the colder days. I look forward to this as much as the warmer days of Spring, when the garden comes to life.

There's the hardy daisies that bob their happy heads just about all year round.

I look at my rose bushes, they are begging to be pruned. The last flowers bloom lonely, still as beautiful, on long bare canes. Just have to wait a week for green bin day, when the bin is empty I can fill it with rose prunings!

Carnation

A double jonquil about to open, with a cheeky snail trying to hide.

The house of sick

I've been knocked over with the sick. In fact, all of us in the last week have been knocked for six with sick. I am just a bit over it. A fine welcome to winter.

I noted yesterday, about lunch time, that while Brett, Izzy and I were crook, Summer was happy, singing, dancing and full of beans. 

By tea time she was tired, hot and fell asleep before she had any dinner. We were at mums. On the way home, to dose her up on Panadol, she spewed all over herself and the car seat. She fell asleep straight away. I armed myself with disinfectant and cleaned the car.

She spewed because of the fever. Thankfully it is not gastro. We have been so lucky in this household, that gastro hasn't taken hold, yet. Apparently it's going around.

Double thankful, that Brett and I got a night away on Friday amidst the sickness. We had a nice night out at an Egyptian restaurant and a motel stay in Mt Gambier. We didn't end up seeing a movie, opted for the heated pool and spa! 

Motel room selfie, fighting fit!

We've all just had a cold. It just affects all of us differently. Of course Brett seems to have contracted it in it's deadliest form.

Mine is all in my sinuses.

Izzys was in her chest, coughing and stubborn phlegm.

It seems to have hit Summer like a ton of bricks. Poor mite, I do hope she wakes up happy.

I decided to make some flu killer soup for lunch yesterday. I am hopeful the four onions, six garlic cloves, three hot chillies, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and a knob of ginger are enough to fight it. I used some leftover BBQ chicken, a small head of broccoli(and the stalk chopped up) with a couple of mushrooms.  It really wasn't bad soup.

Hoping you don't have to make it actually!

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