A good catch

Master J and My Mate went on their Annual Father-Son Camping trip over to Stansbury on the Yorkes Peninsula.
Previous years have not been so lucky with the fish biting!
BUT, this weekend they got a good catch.

2 Squid and 12 Blue Swimmer Crabs.
The good Mother that I am, felt obliged to cook them up!

I made salt and pepper squid.

Cleaned and cut up the crabs.

And made the most delicious Singapore Chilli Crab.
Recipe from Taste.com.auIm going to use the same sauce with prawns over summer.
The crabs are a bit too fiddly for me..... too much work for little reward!
But, caught by my boys...Delicious!
Master J is looking into buying a vintage caravan so he can go more often.

Pizza night

Friday night is pizza night at our house.
It used to be Friday night take-out night, but it often led to expensive, dissapionting quality food.
So......Friday Night Pizza Night was born, and its here to stay!!!

Ive indefinitely borrowed my sisters bread maker (the revolving bread maker that has been to everyones house for a stint, but rarely used and then returned.)
She is on a health kick and is not eating bread so....its mine again.
It makes light work of the dough.
I put it in around 11am and just leave it there to rise all day.
I use Pioneer Womans recipe.

My Mate rolls the dough out really thin.
We always have the same toppings.
Organic tomato sugo, mozzarella cheese grated, fresh tomato slices, mild salami, kalamata olives and when cooked a sprinkle of fresh basil and danish fetta.

I dropped a friend of Master J's home after a play day, and they have pizza nights too!
Only they were roasting tomatos with garlic to make their own sauce......show offs!!!
I bet it was delicious.
I think we need to combine our pizza making efforts one day and have a non-competitive cook-off.

Granola

This granola is good.

Recipe from Ivy nest. I love her blog.
Super easy to make and drop dead delicious.
I may add coconut, chopped dates/apricot and maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon next time.
But it is really good as it is.
Give it a try.

Apple Pie

I made pastry!!

First time ever!
I knew I could do it but just never had.
Thought it would take a long time and it didnt.
Cant be bothered rolling it out, but it didnt take long.
Not sure it would be worth the effort, but it sure was.

Free form tarts always look so delicious.
Ripped this recipe from Australian Womans Weekly July 2011.
Looks just like the photo!


Ice-cream and custard. YUM.

Chicken Curry

This is one of my easy meals to put together if Ive had a busy day.

This brand can be hard to find, so when I do I stock up a few cans for the pantry.
Then all I have to buy is fresh chicken thighs and Im good to go.

Malaysian Chicken Curry
This recipe came from an advertisment for Ayam Brand curry sauce in a magazine.
1 tbs peanut oil
650g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
1 brown onion cut into wedges
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1x 250ml Ayam Malaysian Curry Sauce
1x 270ml Ayam Coconut Milk
1/2 cup water
Steamed rice, raita, mango chutney and papadams to serve.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
Add half the chicken and cook until golden.
Transfer to a plate.
Repeat with other half of the chicken.
Add the onion and stir fry until soft.
Add potato and stir to combine.
Add curry sauce (I tip the extra layer of oil off the top), coconut milk and water.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until potato is tender.

Raita
1 small tub natural yoghurt
1 lebanese cucumber, grated
sprinkle ground cumin

Grate cucumber.
Squeese out excess liquid and discard.
Mix all ingredients together.

It tastes good.

Roses

This burst of warm weather, along with some good rain over the past few weeks has produced these beautiful roses in my garden.

Yellow skirt

I was given this dress, a hand-me-down.

Fine on its own, but it was screaming to be cut up into two skirts.
I love the pleated detail along the bottom of the skirt.

I cut the skirt section off at the gather.
Cut off the buttons and cut out the side seams.
It yielded 2m x 60cm of fabric, 2 pockets and 8 buttons.

I sewed gathered skirts as per usual.



2 skirts for free. Gotta love that!

LCM bars

I dont buy my kids the "real" LCM bars!
These on the other hand are delicious and I know whats gone into them.
So with school going back next week, heres a good quick recipe for the lunch boxes.

LCM Bars
This recipe came from my friend Sally who has it in one of her Thermomix books.

110g butter
100g sugar
2tbs honey
1tsp vanilla
150g rice bubbles
50g coconut

Melt butter, sugar,honey and vanilla in a saucepan.
Mixx into rice bubbles and coconut.
Press into a lined slab tin.
Refrigerate until firm.
Cut and eat!

Smurfs at the Drive-in

This is what a family of five looks like at the drive-in!!!

We took plenty of snacks, swapped seats regularly and made 2 trips to the toilet.
A really fun night out for the family.
We were first-timers.
The seasoned Drive-in goers reverse the car in and sit in the back of the station wagon or 4 wheel drive, take sleeping bags, deck chairs, friends and wine.
Will do this next time.

School Holiday Fun

Although I have 3 children at home to feed and entertain during the school holidays, that does not negate the fact that I get to sleep in until around 8.30.....or whenever I start to get the guilts that My Mate is up, dressed and trying to get out the door to work, and is having to get the kids breakfast! Not that he would complain....but it is a bit lazy isnt it??!!!


We have planted our summer vegie patch. Mixed lettuce, truss tomatoes, beetroot, basil, snow peas, beans, corn, cucumber, strawbwrries and rockmelon.

The kids got their bathers on one warm day and played on the trampoline.

A trip to the beach, walk/skateboard along the promenade and compulsory coffee.

We also made delicious burgers! I found a wholesale butcher who makes their own Wagu burgers. $10 for 4 huge patties. Bargain and they are great.

We have also had a few days at the beach house.
A good time had by all.