Cookie Monster.

I suffer most horribly from the dreaded affliction called "sweet tooth". If it's cakes, biscuits or whatever, I feel the need to save everyone by eating all the offending material! (well maybe not all). I am particularly partial to aniseed rings- the more the merrier. Mind you, I don't feel so valiant the next day! Anyways, I was wandering around the other day,( walking = less waist expansion), and I spotted some cookie jars on sale, big cookie jars, and did I say on sale? Needless to say one made it home with me much to Hubby's distain.

Cookies anyone?

Sun.

 Thankyou everyone for your comments during the virtual morning tea. I enjoyed it so much I went to a morning tea today as well. I must confess that on Monday's and Thursdays, I get together with a small group of like minded ladies who all subscribe to the reduce, reuse and recycle mantra. We are also op-shop addicts.

I wandered into one of my local op-shops last week and there, waiting for me, was the linen sun dress of my dreams and it ticked all my boxes. Black, my size and cheap. A match made in heaven. I do have bright coloured clothing, but I have always been very partial to black.

It looks like I shall get a chance to wear it soon as it's going to be 30C here for the next few days, then it's dropping to 19C....ah, such is Spring.

Morning Tea.

Good morning all. I have had the good fortune of being asked to a virtual morning tea with everyone at Mum's Simply LivingBlog . I decided to bring my favourite china, teapot and taiwanese green tea, for the green tea afficionado's out there.

I baked some sultana scones, a selection shown here, and I am bringing a cake.

I look forward to lots of drinking,( tea, coffee), eating,( I can feel my waist expanding as we speak), and conversation.

Weed Wars

Well it's a lazy Saturday, nothing much happening around the place. I  have decided that today is my "I am going to blitz the garden " day. I am going to win the war against those pesky weeds. It is going to be a total WEEDICIDE. First I get the dinner going, a lovely slow cooker meal called Dumaloo. Oohh, I am getting dizzy with efficiency.

I then go and find Baxter and tell him that we are going to destroy the weeds today.

The little bugger actually laughed. Not to be deterred, I gathered my bucket and spade and proceeded to the back door. Who should I see? The female half of those pesky blackbirds looking for a weak spot in my vegie patch defences.

I smirk, my defences are stronger than Fort Knox. Anyway, onwards I say and head out to the first fruit tree to weed around. I only weeded a few weeks ago so there shouldn't be much to do. Oh dear, slight miscalculation.

HAHAHAAAA I told her so..........

End of a Love Affair.

I guess I am still in shock. My big boy Soba had been acting a bit strange these past weeks and last week we thought he had sprained his leg. I made an extra fuss of him, putting in extra soft blankets in his kennel and letting him sleep till late on the carpet at the back door. His leg began to swell and seemed to be getting more and more painful.
So off to the vet today, he was quite grumpy, as you would expect, but he was quite aggressive to anyone coming towards himself and me. He has always been very protective of me and I have always loved him to bits. So after some light sedation, an X-ray was taken and I was told he had aggresive sarcoma of the bone and even with pain medication, he would probably last at most - a month. So I had him put to sleep- no words can fully explain the loss I feel in my heart. It doesn't get any easier.
This is the fourth dog I've lost to age or sickness, not to mention the cats-all of whom died of old age.

I will miss my Soba dog, but I know he is sleeping peacefully now. We will all miss you boy.

Slow Cooker Heaven.

I love food. Usually I will eat anything that's not nailed down, however, as I have got older my waistline and I have begun to have disagreements. I tell it to stay put, it wants to expand and cover the horizon! Having R.A does limit how I can exercise, err, I mean how I intend to exercise, but hey, why not put off today what you can do tomorrow?
One of my absolute favourite types of food are slow cooked meals. I'll get it all going in the cooker and then go off and read do housework. My idea of heaven, and that's exactly what I did yesterday.


Celeriac soup with Roquefort toasts.

The resident evil - Hubby and No.2 son loved the soup but the jury was out on the Roquefort toasts. I love blue cheese but they said they would prefer perhaps a Brie or Camembert. You just can't please everyone.

Humdrum

Today is Bathurst. For those not in the know, it is a 1000km endurance car race at Mount Panorama, New South Wales, Australia. For those not interested, like me, it is the epitome of sheer boredom. It has not helped that it's not the best of days, so escape is not an option. Even Soba has gone to sleep, the cats have disappeared, probably on No.2 son's bed, and Baxter is out the back harrassing everything.
The male beasts of the household, Hubby, No1 and 2 sons, are ensconced in front of the telly. They have been there for HOURS. So I decided to start my spring cleaning as I might as well be productive and bored. As I was rummaging through my wardrobe I found one of my recent op-shop finds that will go with my new op-shop purchase - a lovely brown silk cardigan. Ohhh I'm feeling better already. Hubby kindly took a photo of the skirt just so I would get out from in front of the telly (smirk).

Virtually brand new-perfect for spring/summer

Chocolate brown gorgeousness

Another Bathurst aficionado

Take Home Dinner.

We are a single income family and try as much as we can to live frugally. My vegie patch is ready to go, I make our soap, clothes washing powder, surface cleaners etc. We buy most of our clothes from op-shops, we don't go out very much and I cook the majority of our meals from scratch, including snacks and we have the ladies for our egg supply. So the next step was why not catch some of our own food? Hubby loves fishing and he usually spends hours playing with the fish but none actually come home with him. So I, in my delusional brilliance, said that I would like to fish with him. I mean how hard can it be?

So today was a beautiful day and off we went to fish. He took me to the local dam saying that it would be a good place for me to start. We had to go down the side of the dam to the fishing spot. Not a good idea with my knees, but anything for love and food!

We finally reached the spot.

He set me all up.

I was raring to go and after one hour of casting, getting snagged in grass, in trees and nearly hooking myself, I had enough. Did I mention I also fell on my butt in the water??? So hubby suggested we move to a more open spot on the dam where I could cast more safely. Grrrrr.

Onwards to the dam.
 

So back up we went and drove back to the dam picnic area with lots of open water. It had to get better! We found our ideal spot, Hubby rigged me all up again and away I went. This time things went better and I didn't end up in the water. I only got snagged 3 times and managed to get free but lost the lure when I got snagged for the 4th and last time in the rocks aaargggh....... meanwhile Hubby was fishing away happily.

I had given up and began to take pictures of dragonflies.

Can you see my little dragonfly?

I think Hubby finally took pity on me and suggested we call it a day. So there I was, damp bottom from my dip in the river and fishless.

So Hubby suggested it was a good thing we didn't rely on fishing to eat. But then again, it was my first try and between the two of us surely some fish will be silly enough to be fooled by our lures. After all, again, how hard can it be?

Bye bye fishies - I'll be back.