Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To All

Well I hope everyone had a Great

Christmas, I know we did.

We had friends fly up from

Pittsworth near Toowoomba in QLD

to spend a couple of weeks with us.

It was so great catching up with the Glasgows

who were good friends of ours when we all

lived in Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria

in North Queensland.

Jim worked with my husband on a couple

of occasions, Cheryl taught both of my

boys at some stage and our boys are

all around the same age and all used to

hang together.  Over the years

we have all kept in touch,

especially Will and Jay and I

have posted of escapades from these

pair in the past.

Anyway we split our holidays between

Koolpinyah and the block at Dundee Beach.

Here is our old wagon loaded no jokes to the roof in the back

 and backseat with a space left to fit 2 large dogs (just),

 then loaded the trailer with the quads and swags.

On top of this Jim's car was loaded fully and then

 my wagon Cheryl and I filled

with Groceries on the way out of town!

On top of that Margaret turned up with

her little car filled to the roof with yummy

goodies and Christine and Mark

turned up with Phoebe (Christine's car)

actually  more a mini bus filled with a Queen Bed

I bought and lots of alcohol!!!!!

So we were pretty prepared for the 4 1/2 days

we were spending there and I'm pretty sure

we would have had enough to last us for

a longer period if the so called predicted cyclone

had hit us which thankfully it didn't!  There

was a couple of indepth conversations as

to where we should go if a cyclone hit and it

was decided one of the shipping containers would be the go.

All I could picture was one of these being picked up

in the air and flying around with 12 of us inside.

I think I've been watching too many twister movies!

Here's the Glasgow's

Tyger, Sam, Cheryl, William and Jim

We hadn't seen them since end of 2006 but it was like we had seen them yesterday.

Jim looked exactly the same, boys were so much bigger and Cheryl so much

smaller (well done Cheryl you are an inspiration!) but apart from that so much the

same.  They are the sort of friends that just fit in and we really

enjoyed their company!

Here's us on Christmas day.

John reckons Jay looks nothing like him.  But they say a

picture tells the story.

We have some really great neighbours at the block, and dropping cooked crabs off for us

on a daily basis was part of our Christmas.  This view was a

common occurance and I just had to get a photo of all

chowing down on Crab claws.

Fishing was a daily occurance but they were in short supply.

We had to land fish as with the cyclone hanging around

the sea was a bit rough and dirty for the boat.

The boys got out over the new year period but

fish were in short supply, not sure whether it

was still run off from the cyclone, tides or what.

They caught enough for a feed which was good.

That's Todd above catching live bait with the bait net.

Here is the spot we spent Christmas Eve fishing.

And that is my gorgous husband going for a walk.

This is the mouth of a creek aqnd he is walking towards the

beach and sea.

So as you can see we had a ball with too much

alchohol drunk and toooooo much

food eaten.

Now everyone is gone including my husband who has

headed to Karumba to do work on our

house with Jay.

Todd and I are left here to caretake.

I am trying to find myself a new job and the enthusiasm to

Clean my house, really need to get myself organised

so New Year Resolutions.........

Ok here it is........

Well here is the lemon meringue cupcake.

Terrible, terrible photo but they tasted oh

so good!  We had visitors who were

hanging to eat them, so the photo was

very quick.

Now it doesn't look so great, my oven

only cooks on high, so I was hard

pressed to be able to get the meringue

to cook through without the tip

burning :-(

And I should have cut one in half

to show the lemon butter, but like

I say people were waiting.

I made 14 cup cakes and an

apple slice.

Left over about 3 pieces of

slice and 2 cupcakes, between

8 people.  So I'd say the verdict

was they were pretty yummy!

Now to the recipe.

The only thing the same in

the recipe from kokken 69

was the meringue.

I used my basic cupcake recipe

that I use all the time.

Then I used Woolworths homebrand

Lemon Spread.

Followed by Kokken 69's meringue

on top.

Keep an eye out over the weekend

and I will post my basic cupcake

recipe which I have been

using for over 20 years.

So that's the October Pinsperation

Done & Dusted!

Oreo Cheesecake

This is not my photo, this photo and recipe came
from 6 sisters blog, which is a blog that is put
together by 6 sisters as a way of keeping in
touch with each other.  I came across this
recipe on Pinterest.

Bec (Todd's Girlfriend, who loves Oreo's) and
I made this on the weekend as a treat for Bec
before she heads back to Rocky.  John and I
had a sliver each then Bec and Todd ate the
rest over the weekend.  Because I headed off
for the weekend I missed out on a photo, but
I can reccommend this recipe it was easy and
delicious.  I have to admit though I am more
a fan of the non-baked cheesecake, but it is
good to come out of our comfort zone now and
then!


CRUST:


1 (1 pound) package Oreo cookies

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



FILLING:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature I used a 250g pkt
3/4 cup granulated white sugar castor sugar

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).



2. Make the crust: Place 28 Oreos (I just put the whole pkt in) in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.



3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.



4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight)



5. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

YUMMY!

Pinsperation for October

Well I just realised I have to do my pinsperation

for October!

Now I was going to attempt something

crafty but the month has gone so QUICK!

So I thought I would go another cooking insperation, and have chosen the following:

Lemon Meringue Patty Cakes - OMG!

The above photo and recipe was taken

off Pinterest and originated at

kokken69 blogspot.

So Emma that's my inspiration

for October.  Does anyone

else want to join in?

I still have a couple of days left

in the month on the weekend so

will see how I'm going for time

and I may also pick something crafty

to try and get done :-)

My sisters pinterest attempt....

Well I called for others to link their pinsperations and this is what my sister decided upon -

These beautiful cupcakes you can find over at sweetapolita.

http://sweetapolita.com/2011/08/licorice-delight-vanilla-almond-anise-cupcakes/

Here is my sisters attempt Emma made vanilla cupcakes with buttercream icing and
iced them the same.  Don't they look great!

Emma is a professional photographer head over to her new blog Beaumont Photography for a look at some of her work.

My Pinterest attempt..........................

Well here is my attempt.  It doesn't look as stunning as the eg. below, but John is pretty happy with
the taste!  Me I found it waaaayyyy to sweet, you only need a tiny square with a cup of coffee.
Over again I would halve the mint filling as it is very thick and as I say very sweet.

I wouldn't mind trying it again with their base, mine wasn't too bad but I found it to be a bit hard,
not sure if it's because my gas oven here will only cook on full bore or whether it's because what
I usually use it for has a fruit filling put on it and it's rebaked which softens it up again.

Here is the base I used:
1 pkt homebrand chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup coconut
4 tablespoons melted butter

Worth a try and will try again with a brownie or choc slice base.  Would be good with a coffee after dinner!

My first pinspiration is.................

This beautiful looking Mint Slice from

sisterstuff blogspot.  They actually call

it a mint brownie,

I'm going to change it a little.  I make an apple

slice that uses a pkt cake mix in the base, which

is verry yummy, so I thought I would give

this a try using a pkt chocolate cake mix.

Sooo I will make this this weekend and post

back to you with how it went......

PINSPERATION

Soooo now I've introduced those of you who weren't aware of pinterest to it, here is the next step.

I was discussing with my sister the other day (who introduced me to pinterest) that we do a hell of a lot of pinning but not much of anything else.

So we decided to set a monthly challenge.  We originally thought fortnightly but the way our lives are so busy lately thought monthly better, than this gives us the option that if we have the time to do something else we will.

So that is my challenge to you! 

Message me with a link to what you have picked to make/do from your pinterest board this month, when it is completed email me a photo of the finished product.

MMmmmm (Kristy deep in thought here).  Will have a look through my boards and get back to you with what I have chosen :-)



PINTEREST

Have you heard of this.  Pinterest is a virtual pinboard.  You sign up for an account and open

your own pinboards, then as you see things on Pinterest or anywhere else on the internet you

can pin it to your board.  This means you can find it at anytime and it also notes the original

destination it came from.

But I'm warning you................

IT IS SO FRICKIN ADDICTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

(SOURCE)

Here is the main site, you'll need to join or be invited to join.

http://pinterest.com/all/

Once you join here is the link to my page and as you can see I am very addicted~

http://pinterest.com/kristyjane/


Here is what they say on the main page:

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.

PINTEREST Mission

Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.

or heres an explanation I find on Pinterest

                                                                                                        (SOURCE)

REMEMBER

YOU HAVE BEEN

WARNED......

Over a month since I posted....

Well it's just been over a month between posts.  In that time I have had my plaster taken off.  My foot has healed really well and I am now employed with John on the station.  This has been a bit exhausting for me as though my last job was very mentally tiring, exercise was non-existent, then in plaster for nearly 15 weeks!  I have been finding the days really long as you still need to get done around the house what you normally do and be out doing physical work all day.  John's been great with this by giving me a bit of extra time to do that sort of stuff, but I have to admit being unfit as I am I have been exhausted at the end of each day.

Needless to say I have done NO craft and only cook meals, nothing exciting or special.

We have got Todd also employed here now and Jay home on holidays, which is great but the cooking and washing is doubled.

John and the boys have headed to Dundee for 4 days break and to get some fishing done, I've opted out this trip, I was so looking for some me time, plus I am hand feeding a calf at the moment and it saves taking the dogs.  I am actually excited to just sleep in, cook for no one, catch up on all the washing and house work, get some baking done and in the freezer, catch up on my blog :-) , catch up on my card swaps, and get some sewing and card making done..........Mmmm sounds so relaxing :-)

I am meeting Chrissie in town on Saturday for a massage and she's coming home with me for a girlies night and then we are off to the markets on Sunday for brekky and a look, which will be lovely.

I have been slack with the photo taking but will have to start taking a camera with me as I see some great sites.  Keep an eye out over the next couple of days cause like I said I'll be updating the blog!

Mmmmm Pikelets - Gluten Free as well.

I LOVE PIKELETS!

Especially with strawberry jam and cream.

I found this recipe, which is so easy, I made 2 batches

one using gluten free flour and one using normal flour.

I was amazed how beautiful they come up using the SR Flour,

normally it is hard to get a rise out of any food using this flour,

but these came up perfect.

I ended up making extra and freezing them so I could just

grab them and zapp them in the microwave when needed.

Recipe below.

PIKELETS

1 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 egg, beaten lightly

3/4 cup (180ml) milk, approximately


Combine flour and sugar in medium bowl, gradually whisk in egg and enough milk to make a thick, smooth batter. Drop dessertspoons of mixture into greased heavy-base pan; cook until bubbles begin to appear on surface of pikelet, turn, brown other side.

Enjoy!

Morning all

Apart from the ATC swaps I am in, it has been so long since I made a card.

I bought this set Make a Monster off SU earlier in the year as it really appealed to me,

it is so cute and having 2 boys it seemed to grab me.

I wanted to make a card out of it for a "client" of mine, that

has just ordered some SU products off me, to thank her

for her order.  She has 2 girls so it made me think out

of the box.

So here it is done in girly colours, with a big monster bite

at the end of the patterned paper and googly eyes :-).

The front of the card say's Happy Birthday

and is followed by human on the inside.....

Thanks for looking.

Hope everyone has a great day.  Check back later for a great easy recipe.

Not another Jewicide!

We had a great weekend at the block, we never stopped the whole time but

it was really relaxing.

John got his new door welded up and I painted it, we just have to put the

iron on the front of it next trip and then we'll be able to leave the boat

on our block.

We spent all day Saturday doing this as looked like it might have been

a bit windy on the water.  We were supposed to have a day off

on Friday and head up to the Perrons and overnight on the boat

but due to a fire here John ended up backburning most of

Thursday night and needed to keep an eye on it on Friday so

we gave it a miss, will be better fishing in September anyway.

We got out fishing on Sunday morning.

Got the boat in the water by 8am (John slept in :-)

Had both of these in the boat by 9am!  Time to go home.....

A Beautiful Jew Fish

Then about 15 mins later.........

You got him..............................

Yeah Baby!!!!!!!

Thanks to the great and skilled person on the net, we landed

this beauty!

LOL none of me.  I was so pleased for John, but jealous into

the bargain I so wanted a big fish! We caught a lot more but after

those two we just threw them back, a few fingermark, grunter

of course Rock Cod and lots of stripies.  We were home by 2pm.

Talking about throwing them back.......

We had this dolphin come up beside the boat and stuck with us most of the day, we think that is why a lot

of the bigger fish stopped bighting, I think he spooked them.  He had the top of his fin missing and a bit

out of his lower back and tail poor thing.  They were healed so it looks like it had it for some time.

Didn't seem to worry it, but it was alone, which is strange and seemed to have to come up for air

quite a bit.  We were throwing our smaller fish to it, which it would just race up and grab.

So anyway their is a bit of eye candy for all the fishos out there, and it is so nice to have

the freezer full of fish.  (Even if we have given a lot away already).

Can't wait for the next trip.

Check this out!

Don't you just love this tyre cover?

It is beautiful and I know if I was following their van, this would certainly bring a smile to my face!

Check out photo's of the tyre cover and others of Kate and her families travels over at

Foxs Lane.  Kate has a very understanding husband who "helps" put her lace

decorations up!  Kate has done their van up so pretty.

I can't see John being so agreeable to so much prettiness if we had a caravan, but I think

in Kates family the girls outnumber the boys, where in ours it's just little

old me that likes the pretty stuff.

Thanks for sharing Kate and enjoy the rest of your trip.

My Favourite Biscuit Recipe

I Lurrrrv this recipe.  I have used this recipe for years.  The best thing about it is you can

do what you like with it.  This recipes doubles, triples etc. perfectly. 

Another good thing about it is you can freeze it, either in dough mode (wrapped in glad wrap)

or biscuits ready made.

You are only limited by your imagination.

BASIC BISCUIT RECIPE

5 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg

1 3/4's cup SR Flour

The original recipe says to beat butter and sugar, then add vanilla essence and eggs then your SR flour.

Me - I throw the whole lot in together and beat!

If it is a small batch I do it in the food processor.

When it is all mixed do what you would like to do with it.

These are choccy rocks.  This time I made it a little different by adding one of the large

white choc chips in the middle and rolled the dough around it.

Other wise normally I crush up about a cup of cornflakes and add a cup of mixed fruit,

some don't like mixed fruit so just add sultanas, then if like add little choc chips.

Bake until cooked

Good old jam drops!  Roll the dough into a ball, place on tray and then press a whole

in the centre with your finger.  Fill with jam of choice and bake until cooked.

This one, roll the mix into a ball, then I flatten it with the base of a glass.

Place in oven and cook.

When cooked let cool then cover with glace icing and dip in hundreds and thousands.

Like I say you are only limited by your imagination.

Add cocoa and make chocolate, add nuts, coconut, drizzled chocolate over the finished biscuit, add

ginger powder, add cinnamon, add dry fruit like apricots (with white choc chips).

Do you have any ideas for me?

P.S.  This is also great as a pie base or a slice base.

Catching Crocs

                                      Koolpinyah has a permit to catch crocodiles that are a

nuisance to cattle.  These crocs are relocated to Crocodilus Park

in Darwin.  If they are suitable they are used for breeding, if not

they are used for meat and skins.

About the 3rd week that we started here this croc was caught in a tiny little dam.

The photos aren't great as I had a plaster on and was on crutches, then my battery ran out.

The photo above are the men ontop of the cage. The men pull the nose up and tape it shut.

The crocodile is then dragged a little bit out of the trap and kept pinned with the gate. 

Remember it's nose is taped shut and it also has a rope around it's nose as well.

They then tape a hessian bag over the crocs eyes, apparently if the croc can't see

it settles right down.

The croc is then pulled the remainder of the way out and it's legs tied.  It is then put on

the back of a truck and taken off to the the croc farm where it is weighed and measured.

This croc was just under 4 metres, but the tip was missing off the end of it's tail

so they said it would have easily been 4 metres.

There was actually a shot of me on the croc taken, so when I get it I'll post it.

Hope everyone has a great day.

 

Say Goodbye............

It's time to say goodbye! Hundreds of products from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue are retiring, and now is the time for you to get them before they're gone.



 You can access the list here.  You have until the 31st August to place your order, but from past experience I would not leave it that late as products go fast.  Some products have great discounts on them!

The new catalogue is out on the 1st September.  Pretty exciting hey!

Please contact me if you would like any products ordered.

Cheers,
Kristy

DId I say off our front verandah!

This is the view off our verandah at sunset.  It is so nice to sit out in the arv and have a drink.

Now you may have noticed the talk on the move so I figured I needed a new look

for the blog.  Do you like it?  I wanted something a little less busy.

Is the writing easy to understand or should I go with a simpler text?

Please let me know.

Anyway I am heading back to my craft room to start making a card!

Shock I know, enjoy the rest of your afternoon and thanks for

coming over for a look.

Off our front Verandah

Sitting having lunch the other day and the birds at the lagoon

out the front of our house were going ballistic!  When

we looked out there were 3 buffalo running across the dirt

ledge on the lagoon.  You can't see the bull in this shot he was

back a little.  They tried prawn farming in the dam at some

stage so there is this division going across the front of the

lagoon.  We think maybe a croc had a go at them near the

beginning and forward was the only way they could go, so

they were very nervous with the whole idea of it and were

going flat!

Here they are a bit closer, the cow looks to be in calf and she

is followed by her weiner calf.

So that's off our front verandah!