Making progress on the cleanout/downsizing!
I cleaned out the linen cupboard yesterday and have 3 more bags of 'stuff' to take to the op shops!
Unreal how much 'stuff' one can cram in a cupboard - stuff that never gets used because you can't find what you need!
Also went through all the pillowslips and made a pile of odd ones that can go to the local wildlife rescue organisation - pillowslips are used as pouch liners for Joeys, so don't throw them out, pass them on, they will be put to good use!
The same goes for old electric blankets (the wool ones) - they pull the wiring out and turn the blankets into pouches for the little ones - wool and other natural fibres are great for the bubs as it breathes.
So there ya go, another way to recycle items you no longer need, but want to see go to a good home. :-)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Waiting, waiting, waiting...
Dear hubby, and resident gourmet chef, was given a fantastic gift - a KitchenAid stand mixer!
I can't imagine many things he would enjoy more! He's already plotting which recipe out of his 'Heston Blumenthal at home' cookbook to try first. :-)
Now, the hard part - waiting for it to arrive. It had to be ordered as they didn't have the colour he wanted in stock - red, of course, as it goes faster!
This appliance is a blessing to us for sure! Over the last few years we've been slowing upgrading to more efficient items that will serve us well for years to come. This was one on our list, but WAY down on the list as other things needed to be sorted first.
So many thanks to the angels in our lives - you know who you are - you are most appreciated!
I can't imagine many things he would enjoy more! He's already plotting which recipe out of his 'Heston Blumenthal at home' cookbook to try first. :-)
Now, the hard part - waiting for it to arrive. It had to be ordered as they didn't have the colour he wanted in stock - red, of course, as it goes faster!
This appliance is a blessing to us for sure! Over the last few years we've been slowing upgrading to more efficient items that will serve us well for years to come. This was one on our list, but WAY down on the list as other things needed to be sorted first.
So many thanks to the angels in our lives - you know who you are - you are most appreciated!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Creating a Vacuum
Moving to the next stage in one's life can have advantages!
We now have the opportunity to downsize and pass on the things that we no longer require - and create space for the Universe to bring in new things.
One discovers that one does not need nearly as much for two people - except plenty of space for books and kitchen gear - two things we both love, reading and cooking!
Truthfully, this 'downsizing' bit is pretty darn cool!
It's very satisfying to be able to create space where there was none - and to be able to find things!
Goodness that's a good feeling to know exactly what you have and where the blooming stuff is any time you want to use it!
It's a work in progress at the moment, but progress is definitely being made - and that's what counts. :-)
We now have the opportunity to downsize and pass on the things that we no longer require - and create space for the Universe to bring in new things.
One discovers that one does not need nearly as much for two people - except plenty of space for books and kitchen gear - two things we both love, reading and cooking!
Truthfully, this 'downsizing' bit is pretty darn cool!
It's very satisfying to be able to create space where there was none - and to be able to find things!
Goodness that's a good feeling to know exactly what you have and where the blooming stuff is any time you want to use it!
It's a work in progress at the moment, but progress is definitely being made - and that's what counts. :-)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Time to move forward...
Well, after a long period of absence, it's time to get back to my blog, and get on with creating the life we want to live.
It's been a challenging couple of years, with lessons learned, and paths changed.
We are now 'officially' empty nester's - having slogged the hard roads with my husbands two youngest children, and have seen them set off on their own paths in life - and their own lessons to learn.
One finds that you can GIVE children the opportunity to rise above the mentality of welfare dependence they were raised with in their mother's home - but you can't make them TAKE the opportunities. Many times people find it easier to continue on the familiar path, rather than choose to step outside the box and do something different with their lives.
As my very wise mother would say, 'it's not your path to walk', so we must let them return to the life of living with one's hand out, rather than grasping the offered hand up.
Do I sound jaded? Well, yes, I probably am - after four children through our home with the same unfortunate result - one does get that way. You can show them other ways of doing things, and expose them to the many opportunities that this wonderful country offers, but the choice is always ultimately theirs.
So, you send them on to their greater good - and hope to goodness they find it at some point, rather than follow the path laid out for them by their other parent.
As a woman who comes from a LONG line of very strong women, I cannot imagine living the rest of my life blaming others for my misfortunes and lack of opportunities - all the while refusing to see what is placed in front of me for the taking, if I only choose to reach out and grasp it.
Now we let them go, and get on with creating the life we want to live - and as the old saying goes about one door closing and another opening...
Well, we've opened that new door. :-)
Onward and upward...
It's been a challenging couple of years, with lessons learned, and paths changed.
We are now 'officially' empty nester's - having slogged the hard roads with my husbands two youngest children, and have seen them set off on their own paths in life - and their own lessons to learn.
One finds that you can GIVE children the opportunity to rise above the mentality of welfare dependence they were raised with in their mother's home - but you can't make them TAKE the opportunities. Many times people find it easier to continue on the familiar path, rather than choose to step outside the box and do something different with their lives.
As my very wise mother would say, 'it's not your path to walk', so we must let them return to the life of living with one's hand out, rather than grasping the offered hand up.
Do I sound jaded? Well, yes, I probably am - after four children through our home with the same unfortunate result - one does get that way. You can show them other ways of doing things, and expose them to the many opportunities that this wonderful country offers, but the choice is always ultimately theirs.
So, you send them on to their greater good - and hope to goodness they find it at some point, rather than follow the path laid out for them by their other parent.
As a woman who comes from a LONG line of very strong women, I cannot imagine living the rest of my life blaming others for my misfortunes and lack of opportunities - all the while refusing to see what is placed in front of me for the taking, if I only choose to reach out and grasp it.
Now we let them go, and get on with creating the life we want to live - and as the old saying goes about one door closing and another opening...
Well, we've opened that new door. :-)
Onward and upward...
Friday, November 11, 2011
We Haz Goatz!
Well, we took delivery of two goats - both boys - last Saturday.
They are settling in nicely and slowly but surely getting used to us and all the other critters.
We have a 2 year old black/brown named Lucifer - yeah, it suits him!
Plus, a 6 month old white named Crowley. Ok, way too much Supernatural for us! LOL!
Here's the handsome lads:
They are settling in nicely and slowly but surely getting used to us and all the other critters.
We have a 2 year old black/brown named Lucifer - yeah, it suits him!
Plus, a 6 month old white named Crowley. Ok, way too much Supernatural for us! LOL!
Here's the handsome lads:
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Chickens.....
Finally!
Back to my blog after a long break and the upheaval of moving house one more time - that's 5 moves in 3 years. I don't want to see another moving box for a VERY, VERY long time!
Unfortunately, it was all a necessary evil due to the circumstances, but lessons learned, and onward and upward to bigger and better things.
Like chickens!
Now that we're on acreage - nearly 900 acres to be exact - we have free ranging chickens! I do love my chookies, they are such characters!
We have Roscoe P. Chicken, the Silkie Rooster - he's a rescue from the soup pot, now living the high life on the farm. Then there's Wesker the other Bantam Rooster and his two 'wives' Alice and Margaret (two little Pekin hens) and the 'kids'. Each little hen has 4 chicks at the moment, about 2 weeks apart in age, so the older batch is at the 'ratty' stage and starting to get feathers. They're all very cute and are great at doing bug patrol in the lawn and gardens.
What fun these guys have been to watch over the last few weeks! Now we're just hoping for more hens than roosters in the batch of chicks! :-)
Back to my blog after a long break and the upheaval of moving house one more time - that's 5 moves in 3 years. I don't want to see another moving box for a VERY, VERY long time!
Unfortunately, it was all a necessary evil due to the circumstances, but lessons learned, and onward and upward to bigger and better things.
Like chickens!
Now that we're on acreage - nearly 900 acres to be exact - we have free ranging chickens! I do love my chookies, they are such characters!
We have Roscoe P. Chicken, the Silkie Rooster - he's a rescue from the soup pot, now living the high life on the farm. Then there's Wesker the other Bantam Rooster and his two 'wives' Alice and Margaret (two little Pekin hens) and the 'kids'. Each little hen has 4 chicks at the moment, about 2 weeks apart in age, so the older batch is at the 'ratty' stage and starting to get feathers. They're all very cute and are great at doing bug patrol in the lawn and gardens.
 |
| Roscoe P. Chicken |
 |
| Wesker and Family |
What fun these guys have been to watch over the last few weeks! Now we're just hoping for more hens than roosters in the batch of chicks! :-)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Cobbler for a Crowd
Well, I love a good bargain, and food is no exception!
I picked up two daggy looking packages of nectarines on the clearance stand at the local fruit market for $2.50. Out of those I got a 2 liter bowl full of sliced fruit - not bad!
Now what to do with the fruit.....
Cobbler! A BIG Cobbler!
Oven to 180c
In a 9" x 13" x 2" cake/roasting pan place 250g or 2 sticks of butter - put in the oven to melt
Meanwhile...
Get a large mixing bowl and mix together the following:
2c sugar
2c plain flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2c milk
Remove your pan with the melted butter from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, then pour your batter over the top of the butter - DO NOT STIR!
Scatter the sliced fruit over the top of the batter evenly
Take 1 cup of Brown Sugar - sprinkle over the fruit
Bake for at least an hour, or until a knife comes out clean and the batter has cooked and turned a lovely golden colour.
Now, my cobbler took closer to an hour and a half to completely cook as my pan was FULL, so it was quite thick. I just kept checking it once I'd passed the hour mark.
Serve hot with ice cream or custard.
Enjoy!
We did! It was yummy!
I picked up two daggy looking packages of nectarines on the clearance stand at the local fruit market for $2.50. Out of those I got a 2 liter bowl full of sliced fruit - not bad!
Now what to do with the fruit.....
Cobbler! A BIG Cobbler!
Oven to 180c
In a 9" x 13" x 2" cake/roasting pan place 250g or 2 sticks of butter - put in the oven to melt
Meanwhile...
Get a large mixing bowl and mix together the following:
2c sugar
2c plain flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2c milk
Remove your pan with the melted butter from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, then pour your batter over the top of the butter - DO NOT STIR!
Scatter the sliced fruit over the top of the batter evenly
Take 1 cup of Brown Sugar - sprinkle over the fruit
Bake for at least an hour, or until a knife comes out clean and the batter has cooked and turned a lovely golden colour.
Now, my cobbler took closer to an hour and a half to completely cook as my pan was FULL, so it was quite thick. I just kept checking it once I'd passed the hour mark.
Serve hot with ice cream or custard.
Enjoy!
We did! It was yummy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)