So you remember how I had that migraine....

...it was actually the start of something different altogether.

Chicken Pox. Yep, you read right. I'm 34 and have Chicken Pox.

I'm not well, with a nagging headache, a sore hairline, a sore throat and itchy blistering welts that cover my body. URGH!!!

Adult bloody chicken pox, was the diagnosis this morning at the doctors.

Great.

Lucky for me, my parents arrived yesterday for their planned 9 day holiday, so they are looking after Monet for me. They're currently at the Playground.

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling like I had a big hangover, yet I hadn't touched any alcohol since Wednesday. Yesterday morning I woke to an assortment of welts on my torso, arms and hands. This morning I woke to them reaching from my scalp to me knees. I look revolting. I feel terrible.

I hope to feel better soon. I want to get back into the 'swing' of things.

Keeping Everyone Happy?

Kids love playgrounds, don't they?

And their mother's love taking photos of their children playing in playgrounds...

We parents especially love good, safe, enclosed playgrounds when they are in the section of an open-aired pub. Playgrounds in pubs are quite common in this corner of the world and I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing... Hmmm?

I must note here, that Pubs in Queensland are basically cigarette-smoke free. There is usually one area which smokers can puff away on their cancer sticks, but no food is to be consumed in that area. All areas indoors are smoke-free.

Choc, Apricot & Almond Slice

Having bought the oats to make the previous recipe of Anzac Biscuits, I looked around for other 'oat' recipes. This one comes from the pages of 'Woman's Day' - top, quality magazine (tongue in cheek there). Not the best slice I've ever made, but still nice all the same.

Ingredients

125g butter, chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbs golden syrup

2 cups rolled oats

100g milk chocolate, finely chopped (or use choc chips)

1/2 cup SR flour

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm slice pan.

Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium pan. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until sugar dissolves.

Transfer butter mixture to a large bowl. Add oats, chocolate, flour, apricots and almonds. Mix well.

Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden.

Once slice is cold, cut into serving size pieces and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20

Morning Antics of a Little Cutie

I have been feeling a little under the weather this morning (and last night), but I am beginning to feel better, thanks to the codeine pills given to me by my pharmacist. *hehe* Monet's been a very girl girl this morning whilst her mother dealt with her slight migraine which has practically disappeared. *phew*

Monet came into my room this morning whilst I lay in bed.

"Mummy just wants to lie in bed a little longer this morning, okay?"

Out she walked into the living area (our bedroom has double sliding doors which lead out into this area). I heard her sit on her Dora beanbag and she was busily chatting away to Pickles, her teddy. (She didn't even turn on the television!!)

As I dozed I heard her in the kitchen. She then came back into my room, holding up one of her bowls, one of her spoons and a box of All-Bran cereal, which Lyndon would have left out on the bench before he went to work at 6am. She wanted some.

"Remember you have tried that before and you don't like it", I reminded her.

Out of the room she disappeared, taking with her the box of cereal, her bowl and her matching spoon.

I got out of bed about 10 minutes later, entered the living area and saw this...

...and laughed. A lot. I had too.

Very apologetically, she said "Sorry Mum". I was too busy giggling and taking photos to care. I even forgot about my headache for a mere second!

We both sat on the lounge and had a yogurt each. Monet is very much 'into' yogurt at the moment. Thanks to the marketing skills at Nestle and Dairy Farmers, Monet has each morning a 'Hi-5' yogurt, or a 'Princess' yogurt or a 'Dora' yogurt or a 'Happy Feet' yogurt.

10 minutes later she did this...

Must be good for the skin. I know it must have felt nice because she kept on doing putting it onto her legs.

It wasn't till a while later when I went to one of the utensil drawers in my kitchen that I saw this...

Life with a two and a half year old can be very amusing. Even with a migraine.

Prune Feet.

Do you think someone has been in the pool for far too long?

We're trying to make a deal with Monet, that when her feet become all prune-like, it's time to get out of the water. Well, the dealing hasn't worked yet. I usually have to bribe her with the promise of a little special treat or otherwise she'd be in there all day. I mean it. All day. If she could, she would.

We usually play/swim/paddle in the pool for a good half hour at a time, though I reckon yesterday it boarded on an hour. People in the apartment came and went, some just doing a lap or two and then quickly getting out. It's a big pool, not huge by any means, but big enough to share with other apartment dwellers. I don't see the point of jumping in for a one minute lap and getting straight out. But then, that's me.

Ohh, and can I tell you just how stunning the weather has turned? Pretty stunning. No wonder we are utilising the pool! *grin*

How about you? Do, or would you, go in the pool for a quick swim or for a decent wade until your feet and hands become prune-like, like us?

(Blogger not liking paragraphs today! Urgh!!)

Anzac Biscuits

These biscuits were made by the Australian mothers/sisters/wives of the 'diggers' of WW1, and sent over to them. Hence the name, Anzac Biscuits. They keep really well and are very delicious. For a cruncher biscuit, bake for a few minutes longer...

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup desiccated coconut

125 g butter, chopped

1 tbs golden syrup

2 tbs boiling water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease (or line) 4 baking trays.

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, sugar and coconut.

Combine the butter and golden syrup in a small pan. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until melted.

Combine water and soda in a small jug. Stir into warm butter mixture. Pour mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.

Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture into balls. Arrange on prepared trays, leaving a space between each to allow for spreading. Press lightly to flatten.

Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

makes approx. 36

ANZAC Day Morning

What a way to see in the day....

The 25th of April each year is dedicated to the Diggers, a date each year that we pause to remember the ANZAC's (Australian and New Zealand troops) and to remember those who have fallen and those who are still fighting. 'The Anzac Spirit' is still alive and well today and is a saying still used. Just ask my dad.

We mark the National Holiday on the 25th of April because that is the date, 92 years ago, when the Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallopoli in Turkey, to fight in the 1st World War.

Over 60,000 'diggers' died in that war. 400,000 young men volunteered, in a population that had less than 3,000,000 males. For a young country the toll was enormous. It still is an enormous toll, I can't imagine that happening to our country now....

Most places across the country hold a morning service on the 25th of April to mark those who have fallen. The original time the young Anzacs landed at Gallipoli was at dawn. This is the time the service is held across the country.

Over 30,000 went to the service at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

Here, at 'the Northern Beaches', there would have been over 1,000, which is a good showing. And I love the fact that the crowd is made up of all ages. Babies, toddlers (hi Monet!), school children, young adults, adults, the older generation.

Each year, across the country, the numbers of people who go to these services rises, which I think is terrific.

So today is Anzac Day. A day to remember who fought for the freedom of this country and who helped shape Austrlaia. We also remember those who have fought in battles since the First World War.

Lest We Forget.

'yes' Optus?

'No' thanks.

We've been loyal Optus customers (Telephone company/Internet provider) for quite a few years now, but when the letter arrived in the mail this morning from them, we've decided 'no more'. That was the last straw.

From the 1st of July, the minimum package they are offering all their customers over the board, is to go on a $55 monthly home phone plan, which includes the line rental (usually $26-odd) and 'unlimited' local phone calls. Hello? We don't make any local calls. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

Now, I'm no mathematician, but aren't 'local calls' roughly 30 cents a call, which means roughly $29 worth of local calls which means roughly 100 'local' calls within a month. (What a rough sentence!)

Who do Optus think they are kidding?

Hot tip - Not us!

We make roughly $20 per month of interstate calls but I think we have decided to scrap the home phone altogether if possible. We'd like cable Internet... (Mmm...wouldn't that be nice?) That means no home phone needed.

Lyndon and I have a bit of research to do on the matter.

'Yes' Optus? No, I don't think so anymore...

The Story of How The Jet Ski Turned Into A Boat

So, Lyndon wanted to buy Monet a 'pool toy', so we stopped at one of those cheap 'Warehouse' stores, which sell everything from 50cent books to $15 towels. You know the kind of store.

They have one whole aisle committed to pool toys. Well, practically one whole aisle. He walked out with a $15 'blow-up' jet ski.

After coming home and blowing it up (lucky we have an electric-type air pump!) he gave it to Monet who thought it was the best thing she had played with ever.... well, for the day anyway! She played with it like you would a rocking-horse.

And she thought it was just as much fun in the water too, with Lyndon helping her and our friend who stayed for a couple of nights whom I will call Joel. (Because, well, that's his name.)

I'm not sure who had the most fun playing with the blow-up jet ski.

I'd probably say Lyndon and Joel. Even one of our neighbours who was laying by the pool asked the same question of who was enjoying the new jet ski more.

Lyndon exclaimed it was the best thing he had ever bought, he was having so much fun. Joel commented that 'imagine how much fun you'd have if it had a motor!'

I haven't laughed so hard in ages watching the antics of all three in the pool with the jet ski.

I especially laughed the hardest when the jet ski actually 'blew up', literally. It was like a bomb went off when Joel attempted (and was successful) in doing a backwards somersault from the side of the pool and landing on the jet ski which was in the pool. He (literally) popped it and the noise was so loud, it was pretty hilarious. I swear most people at home in the apartment complex would have looked up from what they were doing, wondering what the loud explosion was.

So the jet ski turned into a boat.

I think Monet thought that was, if not as much fun, even funner than the jet ski. (And yes, 'funner' is actually a word from the Melody dictionary, if you were wondering!)

My Little Gecko Catcher

Well, kinda. She was all prepared to catch the naughty baby Gecko which had found its way inside...I had spied a tiny Gecko on the wall, near our balcony door, but before I could think twice, it had darted up behind a print we have hanging on the wall.

Urgh. Do you know how much they make my skin crawl? Do you? I seriously don't mind them outside, where they belong and catch and eat the nasty green ants, the tiny moths, the flies etc., but inside I can't stand it. I know I would not be able to sleep soundly if I knew a Gecko was lurking around indoors (along with the GIANT creepy-crawly cockroaches we have up here). Bloody tropics.

Not that I'm whinging. Oh no, you all know I *love* it up here.

Lyndon happened to ring to say he was running late home from work but when he returns he'd get the Gecko. He knows I'm not the biggest Gecko fan.

I was going to be brave. I was. I was going to try and catch it and free it outdoors. But I think even Monet knows me too well.

"Don't worry Mum. I'll catch it....Here Gecko..." she said. True. She can be awfully cute sometimes. And then she did her Gecko impersonation which is something like a "Ttk, ttk" noise she makes with her mouth against the roof of her mouth. Yes, awfully cute.

She decked herself out with the fly swatter and a container. Too cute. Too funny.

I put her on "Gecko watch, if you see the Gecko, let me know" I told her, as I went to check on dinner in the oven.

And she did a damn fine job, my Monet Lulu.

"I see it, I see the Gecko!" she exclaimed after watching the print on the wall for a few minutes. Ahh, that's me girl.

She went and grabbed the long handled broom for me and I encouraged the baby Gecko to sprint its way outdoors. Monet helped by telling the Gecko to "go outside", which it obligingly did, with a little 'sweep of the tail'...

She couldn't wait to tell Lyndon what she did when he walked in the door. Somehow she was telling Lyndon that she caught the Gecko and put it outside, but we know the real story, don't we? (The real story being that Melody Mum is a big scaredy cat of a tiny gecko and Monet is a very Brave Gecko-loving girl!)

Gee, just as I go to post this post (!!) Monet calls out "I can see a Gecko". Another baby one. Inside. At least Lyndon is home. But Monet, being the big Gecko catcher she is, used the fly swat.... Maybe you can guess what has just happened...

Roasted Vegetable and Gruyere Pasties

I couldn't find celeriac anywhere so I used some sweet potato instead. I also couldn't find Gruyere cheese (! I know!!) so I used some good old tasty. No jap pumpkin here either, so I used Kent (which I prefer anyway!) I don't own a food processor, so I used my mix master on extra low speed, using dough hooks, to mix the pastry together. But after all that, it was pretty simple really.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
Pastry
3 1/3 cups (500g) plain flour
1/2 tsp table salt
3 tbs olive oil
1 cup (250mls) cold water

Filling
3x2 cm slices jap pumpkin, cut into 1 cm pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
70ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
5 golden shallots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp ground fennel
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
150g grated Gruyere
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g ricotta
1 extra egg, beaten with 1 tbs olive oil
sesame seeds (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 165C. For the pastry, combine flour and salt in a food processor and, with motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Add water and pulse until mixture just comes together. Knead gently on a lightly floured work surface, then wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

To make the filling, combine the pumpkin, carrot, potato, parsnip and celeriac, in a large baking dish. Add 50 mls of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Turn off oven and leave vegetables inside for 1 hour (they should shrink and intensify in flavour).

Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over low-heat. Add shallots, garlic and leek and cook for 8-10 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Stir in ground fennel and parsley. Add roasted vegetables and stir gently to combine. Stir in Gruyere and beaten egg. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Preheat oven to 200C. Divide pastry into 4 pieces, making 2 slightly larger than the others. Roll the 2 larger pieces on a lightly floured surface to 5 mm-thick ovals. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on each, leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter ricotta over vegetables. Roll remaining pastry into 2 thin ovals and cover vegetables. Press and twist edges of pastry to seal and glaze tops by brushing with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and salt and pepper. Place pasties on a large baking tray lined with baking powder. Bake for 25-30 mins or until cooked and golden. Remove from oven and leave for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 2 large pasties.

Serves 6-8 as a light lunch

Bumps In The Night

...CLUMP...

I have heard that noise a couple of times during the night since we moved to our new abode. I have investigated to find Monet on the floor. Yep, the good old fallen-out-of-bed noise. Poor love. The last time I heard her (it's only happened twice mind you) I found her standing with her feet firmly on the carpet and her head on the bed, asleep.

So we went and invested in one of these...

...A Bed Barrier. It has been worth the $40 investment.

We've had the barrier firmly stuck under her mattress now for 2 weeks. And I haven't heard a thing from her bedroom during the night. She's been sleeping the whole night through - no crying, no getting out of bed to visit us (which gives you a hell of a fright at 3am in the morning to see your little one staring at your face!) and no falling out of bed. That's the most important thing.

I love the fact that she still calls me in the morning to get her out of bed. She knows she can get in and out of the bed with the bed barrier in place, but she still calls me to help her out. Maybe its for the big "Good Morning" we give each other with our big morning hugs. (Oww, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now!)

*smile*

Somebody Doesn't Like Getting Out Of The Pool...

Monet could stay in the pool half the day, given half the chance. I was like that as a kid too.

Seems rather cruel doesn't it, when mum and dad have had enough?

Just For The Record...

...tonight was the first night, for the first time this year since I have put on a long-sleeved jacket. Yes, I am feeling rather cool. In fact, I think it is the first time I have worn a jacket since my visit to Melbourne in early Novemeber.

True.

All The Way To Millaa Millaa

Ever since moving up here to Cairns a year ago, I have been wanting to visit Millaa Millaa Falls, a good hour and a half (at least) drive south west of here. You can buy postcards up this way with the Falls on the front and it looks beautiful and very, very photogenic.

Well, I can tell you, it is a beautiful place because Lyndon drove us there today... *yippee*

Having a full day on a Saturday with Lyndon are pretty rare (he usually works till about 6am till about 1:30 on a Saturday), but he had today off and wanted to do something. A family drive was in order.

I was glad to hear that Lyndon thought he might drive to Atherton then across to Millaa Millaa. (We had to avoid the notorious Gillies Highway somehow! In case you don't know, the infamous 'Gillies' is the Highway from hell - it is such a windy road throughout the mountains I have never, ever felt sooo carsick before! Urgh. The thought of that road makes my stomach churn, especially when I look at that photo of that Meat Pie Pizza from my last post!!)

Let me tell you, the little hamlet of the Falls name sake was a sorry place. Everything and everyone had seemed to have moved on. The cute little, yellow cheese factory was boarded up, along with the bakery. But the Falls, less than 5 minutes drive from the hamlet was jaw dropping. So, so beautiful.

Here, see for yourself...

Pretty hey? Doesn't look real does it?

And because you've all been loyal readers, here is a piccie of Monet and I in front of the Falls (lucky you hey?!)
Where did your last drive take you?

I'll Pass Thank You...

Aussies (which we proudly call ourselves)*tongue wedged firmly in cheek* are pretty much known for beers, BBQs and Meat Pies. But who ever thought up with the following pizza topping must be a HUGE meat pie fan. You can probably guess now...

Yep. Meat Pie on a Pizza.

The very thought makes my stomach churn. If I want a meat pie, I'd go and buy a meat pie. I wouldn't want it as a Pizza topping.

Some bright spark from Domino's Pizza in Australia thought it was a good idea and apparently has spent over $3,000,000 marketing it.

The pizza topping is made up of minced beef, gravy, mozzarella cheese, onion, fresh tomato, peas, shortcrust pastry and finished off with a swirl of tomato sauce. I'll stick with my regular toppings on my pizza and my regular meat pie thanks.

Have you heard or seen of any disgusting pizza toppings lately in your part of the world? (But then, it is probably hard to top (geddit?) the Meat Pie Pizza!)

The Whole World In Her Hands...

Monet's current obsession (besides the swings in the nearby playground, but that's an entirely different post!) is my World Globe. I have always been interested in maps and the like and I think Monet might be following my lead.
She says so proudly when pointing to Australia, which she has picked out on the Globe and says really loudly, "AUSTRALIA". I ask her to point to where her Grandparents live, which she does successfully, and then to where we live, which is another successful point.

Now she is learning where Auntie Kim lives. Currently she points to the Arctic Circle (she does know she lives 'up near the top') and it won't be long before she'll be pointing to England.

I guess she will be learning in the near future where all you guys live too!

1500 Recipes in Three Books???

Can you believe that the three little books in the photo below hold 1500 recipes?It's true. And they are great books if you are looking for a particular cupcake, cookie or appetiser recipe/idea!!

Stella Mania

If you live in Australia, you would know all about the pandemonium that hit Target chain stores across the country on Monday, March 12th. If you don't know what happened, because you don't watch the news or read the papers or live outside of Australia, it had to do with Stella McCartney. She had been approached by Target to design a one off collection of affordable clothing for Australian women... Click here to see the whole range...

When the doors of target opened across the country on that Monday morning, shoppers went crazy. Some stores said it was the worst they had ever seen in regards to a rush of frenzied buyers, even worse than the notorious Boxing Day sales...

There were women punching and shoving one another to get their hands on the designers clothes, ranging in price from A$29 (for a silk scarf) to A$199 for a trench coat (all the rage!) Most stores sold out in a matter of minutes, grabbing and buying anything, even if it wasn't in their size. Unbelievable. It was actually pretty embarrassing to watch on the telly, how women can behave when it comes to shopping... A lot of these items have now appeared on eBay asking for much more than they were bought before.

Can you imagine my surprise when I wandered into my Target at Cairns Central on the Tuesday (the 13th) to see a huge range of Stella McCartney clothing on the racks. What the? When walking up to the doors I noticed the big placards that cover the security screens advertising the designers clothes. I was going to say to the Target employee they have standing a the entrance "Shouldn't these been down?". But then I saw the display. I think Cairns must have been the only place in Australia still with stock available. Far North Queensland residents aren't the most stylish (as compared to Melbourne for example) but there are some pretty fashionable people around. I guess this is a rather large international tourist town who would rather spend their dollars on bikinis than trench coats.

I rummaged through the available stock (including about half a dozen of the much sought after trench coats that were the first to go everywhere else across the country!) and went and tried on a t-shirt which I liked. It fitted so I grabbed another in a different colour walked out after my purchases a very happy girl indeed.

Whether or not you like the range or Stella McCartney, I can tell you that I have been pretty happy with my purchases, 4 weeks down the track. My tees wash and and wear really well... I love that.

Makes Me Hungry Just Looking At My Photos...

Feel Free To Come Over...

...and share in the 'Rainbow' Basic Butter Cake I made this morning. You can view the recipe here. (Kimbofo - stop laughing, I can hear you from here!)

Basic Butter Cake

My sister will laugh when she sees this recipe posted... We used to make this cake allllll the time when we were old enough to be let loose in our mother's kitchen, usually after our weekly Saturday game of Netball. I have great memories of the colourful cakes we used to make and she reminded me of this a few weeks ago... I decided to make a rainbow cake with Monet's help late this morning, though Monet got all grumpy when I divided the mixture up and went loose with the food colouring... She didn't seem grumpy when I dished her up a slice though, later on!

To make this Basic Butter Cake into the 'rainbow', after all ingredients are mixed, simply divide into the required number of bowls and go for it with the food colouring. When all of the mixture is coloured, simply place heaped spoonfuls into the prepared pan...

*Taken from the Australian Women's Weekly 'Cake & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Stir in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire to cool. Ice as desired. (I iced mine using a thick butter icing).

Keeping time: 2 days

Woodland Walls

Lyndon was the one who did all the hard work on both Saturday and Sunday, but we are really happy with the result of his painting efforts...

The colour is called 'woodland' but the photographs don't really show the colour too well. It is kinda like a 'camouflage' green colour. We love it. Beleive it or not, the colour is the same on both walls but in the photos they look like different colours, but they're not.

The lounge feature wall... and our bedroom feature wall...
Our bedroom leads out with double doors into the lounge/dining/living area. It is the first time we've actually had a bedroom that is to be constantly clean without storing 'junky' items in it. We bought the bed as a housewarming gift to ourselves (it is soooo comfortable - you have no idea!) and I had to buy a new doona cover last week as the other one I loved to use didn't reach the sides of the bed! Those are new funky bedside tables too. We just need a couple of new lamps to finish off the room. Oh yeah, and we are flirting with the idea of replacing the horrible vertical blinds (we HATE verticals here - urgh) and the venetian blind too...but that is down the track...

We are in the process of making our apartment into 'our home'. Yippee.

Easter Sunday, Our Way

Monet slept in this morning, she was a 7:30 am riser today! But when she woke and told her that we thought Easter Bunny had been, well, didn't her eyes light up. They even lit up more when she noticed the trail of six gorgeous little Easter Puppy Toys leading down the hallway to a Dora Toiletries Bag and a Princesses Bowl and Spoon... Her eyes seriously got so wide I thought they might pop out of her head!...

Monet 'woofed' down in quick succession, three Easter Eggs before moving onto her normal breakfast of Yoghurt and Toast, which took her to lunchtime to eat...
Lyndon spent the afternoon painting the feature wall in our bedroom (lounge was done yesterday) whilst I spent the afternoon 'supervising' (someone has to do it!)

How did you spend your Easter Sunday?

Mental Note To Ones Self

...it is a good idea to avoid Bunnings Hardware on Easter Saturday in Cairns.

Cairns has a population of over 125,000 and only has one LARGE hardware store (Bunnings). I think every man and his dog were there this morning. And every woman and child whilst I think of it.

We arrived at 9:45am to a nearly full car park. When we left 20 minutes later you would have been lucky to find a park. Urgh. Don't you hate that.

At least we knew what we were after and weren't wandering the aisles aimlessly. We wanted a paint roller on a long handle, a paint dish and some plastic sheet covers. Maybe you could guess what we will be up to this afternoon....

At least we didn't have to line up to buy the paint there (there were a few in the line waiting for their paints to be made up). We had liked the paint samples from the Bristol Paint store, further down the road....where no one else was (they were all at Bunnings of course!)

Stay tuned to see our results...

Hush, My Banana-Cake-Eating-Babe

Eating Mummy's Banana Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (view recipe here), after a swim in the pool, can have this affect on you...Now, can I have a big Awwwww from you all please? *grin*

(By the way, those cushions she was lying her head on, usually have covers. I was washing them, okay?)

Banana Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The original recipe had a chocolate frosting, but I have omitted the chocolate and added extra icing sugar... Yummy. A delicious and easy recipe without the use of nuts (how come most banana cake recipes have nuts in them??)

*Taken from Australian Women's Weekly's 'Cakes & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients
125g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-for frosting-
125g packet cream cheese
30g butter
2 cups icing sugar (you may need more)

Method
Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, line base with paper; grease paper.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time; beat until combined. Stir in half the banana with half the sour cream and half the sifted dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining banana, sour cream and dry ingredients. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Beat until thick.

Keeping Time: 2 days

Kitchen Appliances (part II)

I'm in love with a few things in my kitchen today.

First thing. My new measuring cup. (Thanks Marianne!)

Can you see how clever it is? You can read it from the side AND the top. I love that.

My Mixmaster. How easy is one of these things to operate to mix ingredients? And lastly, my dishwasher.Do I have to explain why? I love the fact that now when I bake, it doesn't matter how many utensils, bowls, cups etc., I use, because I don't have to wash them.

I'm in love with those items today.

How about you?

Sometimes I Don't Mind Early Mornings

We've been waking up here pretty early, the last few mornings. Lyndon is usually out of the house by 6am (like always) and Monet and I both tend to get up between the hours of 7 and 8.

But not this week.

Monday and Tuesday morning it was 6:30am.

Today was just after 6am.

I don't really mind that much, being up at that hour. I used to start work at 6am (so I was up at 5am) for many years, so as I said, I don't really mind that much.

Especially when you are greeted to the day with this view out of my kitchen window...

...and this view off our back balcony... (I love these birds! - I hope you can spot him)
Ahh...ain't life grand? (but still hoping Monet rises a little later tomorrow! *fingers crossed*)

What time do you usually get out of bed?

A Post About Take Away Food

We feel as if we have hit the jackpot at our new home. In the group of shops up the road is a 'Kebab/Fish'n'Chip' shop, a 'Thai' takeaway and a 'Pizza joint'. We've tasted all three and all three are very delicious! No regrets. No awful pizza, no terrible thai, nor no soggy chips...
How delicious do they look? We had some the other night and trust me, they taste better than they look!!!

In Cairns City we had a lousy choice of good takeaway food. We had to drive to a 'fish'n'chip' shop and were always disappoointed with some aspect of the food. Our local Thai place was nice though and there was a good pizza joint down the road but it was really pricey.

We love good (inexpensive) takeaway that is within walking distance of our home.

Do you like take away food? If so, what?

Where Does She Get Her Beanbag Style From?

Sometimes Monet seriously makes me laugh...

Look at what I spied last night when she was in her room...
Yep, that's her, in her pj's, sitting on her Dora Beanbag (thanks for that Nanna) reading 'The Biscuit Bear' (thanks for that Auntie Kimbofo). After a 'trying' afternoon with her (you have no idea!), it was good of her to give me a big belly laugh... *big SMILE*

Higher Ground

It's not everyday that you receive a Tsunami Warning. Yes, you read right. A Tsunami Warning. It has been a long time since I have felt so scared. A. Long. Time.

The Solomon Islands had a 8.1 earth quake just before 7am (our time) this morning. An hour later, via the television they said that a Tsunami warning was apparent for the North East part of Australia. My part of the world. My section of paradise. Low lying, near the coast. *danger, danger*

Not knowing what to do and being told via the tv that people in these areas were to immediately vacate and get to higher ground I rang Lyndon. To be honest with you, I was kinda besides myself. "Come into my work, if you can", Lyndon told me. I grabbed Monet, Pickles and Heidi (her beloved teddy and doll) and the nappy bag which I hastily packed. The road into Lyndon's work (about a 20 minute drive south) was (unusually) busy.

Lyndon works on a building construction site in the City, so my car was safely parked on the 4th level and we waited in an (empty) apartment with the remaining workers. (After the initial warning, at least 150 workers on the site disappeared home!) And we waited. And waited. At least the view was pretty spectacular...

Monet spent the time waiting eating a Dry Biscuit...

The warning had said that it was going to hit Cooktown (about 150k's north of Cairns) at 9:30am and Cairns 20 minutes later. 9:50am passed. 10:00am passed. The warning was cancelled. I have never been so relieved.

This was the first time that Queensland, let alone the Eastern side of Australia had ever received a warning of an apparent Tsunami. I hope it is the first and the last.

Beaches from north of here, all the way down to Sydney were closed (the warning actually went right down to the most southern of Australian states, Tasmania!) and the rest of today had a creepy kind of feeling to it. Schools were closed for the day in Cairns and most shops didn't open their doors until after midday.

So our first year anniversary of living in Cairns was marked with a Tsunami warning. When Lyndon first moved up here, two weeks before Monet and I, Cyclone Larry hit. I hate to think what will happen this time next year. You must stay tuned for that!!!