WOYWW #235

Just a huge mess on my desk of shopping and dumped stuff and things to do.

It's very hot here today, wind is blowing and steam is coming out of my ears lol

Are you ready for Christmas? I'm not!!

As you can see I have not started anything Christmassy yet, shame on me

Hope on over to Julia's stamping ground to see more mess and creativity

7 Layer Dip

Well I have loved this recipe since I was introduced to it

at a workshop by Debby M, although everytime I make it

I eat way too much as it is soo moorish. 

Today was one of those days.

I thought I would share with you all so you can

 make it yourself and enjoy it as well.

 I made two dishes today, one to take to an all day craft

and one for home, I dont think I could face the one at home.

Here are some sites with the recipes of varying ingredients

and titles.

Quick 7 Layer dip

7 layer taco dip

Carole Ann Sluchinski

My variation is putting the cucumber in  as well,

gives a nice crisp crunch to it. I also add

shallots or scallions to mine.

ENJOY!

2 avocados

1 tsp lemon juice

garlic seasoning to taste

1 tin refried beans

1/2 jar salsa

1 cup sour cream

taco seasoning

grated cheese

1 tomato

1 lebanese or telegraph cucumber

2 sprigs spring onion

1/2 cup chopped olives

extras our cream

sweet chilli sauce

Mash avocado with a little lemon juice

add garlic seasoning to taste

spread onto bottom of glass dish.

Mix refried beans with salads

spread over the avocado.

Mix 1/2-1 cup soup cream with

taco seasoning, add a little at a time

until you get the taste you like.

Spread that over the refried bean mix.

Sprinkle grated cheese,

 then finely diced tomato and cucumber

chopped spring onions, chopped olives

and garnish with a little sour cream and

sweet chilli sauce.

Serve with your favourite corn chips.

T for Tuesday-Risotto recipe-cheap heating

I treated myself to a birthday present I thought would benefit everyone in the house, bought myself an electric Pressure Cooker. The regular ones scare the heebeegeebees out of me. My friend used it the other weekend when we went to stay with them and I was sold. Two days later I went to our local Spotlight store which is similar to JoAnns or Hobby lobby but way way smaller and lo and behold they had one on sale for $75, I snapped it up. They also had a convection oven which I have dreamed of owning but was too expensive, on sale for $85 so I snapped that up too lol. 

So my friend made risotto in the pressure cooker and it took 6 minutes. That's what sold me, now that I am working shift work and full time I need to be able to make nutritious and quick meals. 

So here is my risotto in my favourite cooking implement with my cup of tea, a must have when I am cooking-this flavour is Rooibos which doesn't have any tannin in it.

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth's T for Tuesdays Meme

If you live in Australia and are a card maker or not a card maker please read my request for Cards for the Troops and if you can contribute I would be ever so grateful.

Risotto recipe:

2 cups arborio rice (the cup that comes with the cooker)

5 cups water (same cup from cooker)

2 stalks shallots

200 grams diced bacon 

1 small carrot diced (or frozen)

100 grams frozen peas

1 leek diced

3 cloves of garlic crushed

50 grams butter

100 grams grated parmesan cheese

1 sprig of parsley chopped

30mls cream

Switch cooker onto sauté  melt the butter and add the garlic and leek, cook, stirring occasionally. Add bacon, carrot and peas, stir. add rest of ingredients. I also add some chicken stock (powdered) to your taste, the first time I cooked this I forgot to add the seasoning but it didn't really matter, the parmesan cheese seems to be enough. Stir all the ingredients until mixed. Shut the pressure cooker lid as per instructions, if yours has a minute timer put it to 8 minutes, my Kambrook one doesn't have minutes it has numbers so I chose 4. When it turns off, switch it off at the wall and wait 10 minutes then release the steam, open the lid very carefully. 

The first time  I gave myself a fright and almost burnt myself from the steam, so use an oven mitt to turn the knob to release the heat and open the lid. Enjoy and tell me how yours turned and what ingredients you used.

Cheap heating idea

Found this wonderful idea for cheap heating after I got a shocking $500 heating bill this winter gone. I tested it out and it works brilliantly. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHqBcZqNzE

You'll find many more great ideas at this website:
http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com

I've testing it out and will probably need 3 pots in my craft room to heat it up.

WOYWW 232

I've been AWOL for a few weeks, too busy at work and no time to play, although my craft table is busy and I do have something on the go but I can't photograph it as its for a display of sorts. I also acquired a Mac desktop and the day after my laptop died, so I've been fighting with this Mac and not being able to find my photos etc, very frustrating indeed. I know when I eventually learn how to use it it will all be ok, consequently I have had to revert to the windows portion of Mac each time I want to do something with my photos. I need more patience LOL

I had a birthday last Saturday so I wanted to show you what I got myself for my birthday with hubby's permission (well its too late now for him to back down hahaha, well I do earn my own money so its half from him, the approval half).

Dies I thought were too cute to resist

Embellishments to die for

Love this local stamp company, they have some great illustrators

More stamps

..and washi tape

Then to bring me down to earth I drove into the garage door last night and damaged it, we rent the house so now we have to pay for it. 

I am upset that I was too short to life the door up enough so it wouldn't slide down.

I am upset that the owners did not fix the electrics on it when we moved in and still haven't and maybe this wouldn't have happen.

I am grateful that it only  hit the roof rack on the car and didn't damage the car.

Well that makes hubby and I on an even keel now cos he put a huge scrape down the wheel arch one day and didnt tell me LOL

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground to travel vicariously around the world and see some wonderful desks and craft items.

If you live in Australia and are a card maker or not a card maker please read my request for 

Cards for the Troops

and if you can contribute I would be ever so grateful.

T for Tuesday

I have been laid down with a late season flu, only in Canberra do we suffer from flu in the summer months sheesh. To top that off it's hay fever season as well so I had a double dose. So what better way to chase the lurgys away is to make chicken soup with my favourite additions-creamed corn and corn niblets. Threw some fresh parsley from the garden for good measure. That cup of tea has gone cold hahaha you can see the pooling of the milk when it goes cold uuuggghhh.

I am getting too OCD for my own good having to paperclip down the scribble pad under the keyboard LOL

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth's T for Tuesdays Meme

If you live in Australia and are a card maker or not a cardmaker please read my request for Cards for the Troops and if you can contribute I would be ever so grateful.

T is for Tuesdays

We visited for the first time since we have lived in Canberra a place called Tulip Top Gardens. It only opens one month in the year when the tulips flower. It was a gorgeous place but I didn't think I would find this tree lol so perfect for this meme.

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeths T for Tuesdays Meme

Hubby stood in my photographic way so I took a shot of him lol.

WOYWW #226

 Got myself some new goodies, Christmas stamps, 

stencils all very yummy. (I apologise for those of you who have vertigo, I tried to take the photo from the opposite side of the table for light purposes and ended up looking like I am teetering on the edge of a mountain hahhaaha)

Then I found this storage box for my dies and embossing folders.

Linking up with Julia at her Stamping Ground.

T is for Tuesdays

One of my favourite breakfasts, Peach and Mango tea and eggs on toast.

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeths T for Tuesday Meme.

Orange you glad its Friday #57

This sea of orange tulips can be found at our annual flower festival called Floriade. There are over 450,000 planted for this event each year. At the end of the festival the volunteers get to take home the bulbs and the flowers get taken to hospitals and retirement homes. 

Linking up with Orange You Glad It's Friday Meme.

Random 5 Friday

1. Each year around this time we have a flower festival called Floriade here and people from all over Australia come to visit and see all the beautiful flowers that have been planted for this occasion. Then there is the traditional gnome painting and I came across this boatload of gnome rowers that were just the cutest.

2. Still getting used to working full time and short work on a rotating 7 day roster. Been spending my days off catching up on sleep.

3. Enjoying having my husband back home after he worked away from home for the last two weeks, it strange how you get used to having them here then not having them here then having them back again. Either style is cramped lol.

4., Missing my daughters and realising that I won't be able to see my eldest as often as she has moved interstate and its a 15 hour drive.

5. Enjoying chilling out and not feeling terrible about having time to myself or worrying about stuff that needs doing, it will get done and I will survive.

Linking up with Random 5 Friday

WOYWW #225

I have been AWOL from desk hopping for a few weeks because I've had nothing to show as I haven't been creating but busy getting used to working full time on a rotating 7 day roster.

I went down to my craft room dundgeon this morning and found my desk as I had left it a month ago lol. Pringles containers saved to make something with, Spellbinders dies I have to pack into their containers, new papers I bought yesterday for Christmas projects.

I did want to share our beautiful annual flower show called Floriade that is held in the first month of spring. A sea of tulips are amongst the many beds of bulbs planted especially for this festival.

Amongsth this bed of white flowers was a blob of red, I dont know if it was deliberate or a mistake and someone go the colours wrong but it looked beautiful.

I believe they are planted at different times so they bloom throughout the whole month of September as some bulbs were close and some fully open.
The week before I tried to go and take photographs but had to sit in the car for an hour in pouring rain and drove back home. This is what the weather looked like outside my car. This guys umbrella didnt stay like that for long and a strong wind came and blew his umbrella upside down.

Joining Julia's Stamping Ground to showcase our desks weekly.

Wordless Wednesday, Floriade

This is the scene at our annual flower show Floriade, people taking photos of the gorgeous flowers. I couldn't resist and took a photo of this lady who was as colourful as the flowers themselves.

Joining up with Wordless Wednesday at Create with Joy

T is for Tuesdays

We went to our famous Annual Floriade Flower show on Saturday. The tea on the left is a white tea and doesn't have any tannin. The tea on the right is a sweeter tea and is really yummy, I will see if I can find some cinnamon and add to it to make apple cinnamon tea which I love and cant find here but I tried it in the US. 

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth's T for Tuesdays Meme

T for Tuesday

I love my mugs, especially ones with writing on them and this one I bought from our annual craft show. I normally only see this quote with coffee

 The only downside is the black inside, I don't like black inside my cups because I can't see how strong my tea is when it is brewed. The cup on the right was brewing a Forests Fruit cuppa.

I usually drink all my tea with milk except the Asian teas, I think as is, without sugar or milk. Well this Forest fruit tea was a disaster with milk LOL. On the left I saved some to drink as is, on the right I added milk, it does not taste nice with milk and looks gross LOL

This is the new range and they are yummy. Next week I will show you the yummiest tea I have found IMHO.

Joining Bluebeard and Elizabeths T for Tuesdays meme.

T is for Tuesdays

I think I have found a replacement for my broken teacup for my favourite teapot. I found it in my teacup cupboard, its not the same design but the same size so I am lucky. At one stage I was into wide mouthed cups and they were bone China so the tea tasted lovely. Now that Early grey loose leaf tea I got from Aldi's is not nice, will never be the same as Twinings Earl Grey. I loved the tin it came in but this will be the one and only I will buy from Aldi again, as you can see the tea is very pale (I like dark strong tea). Putting more tea leaf makes tea bitter so I try and avoid that.
The tea towel in the background was from my mother, bless her heart but would be nice if it was tea themed as I dont drink coffee. Which brings me to the point that I can find lots of stuff with coffee on it but hardly any with tea, harrumpf. I think I am too English for Australia hahahhahaa.

Joining Bluebeard and Elizabeth for her T for Tuesday Meme.

T is for Tuesdays

 Love my vegemite and avocado morning toast that my daughter showed me

  I love collecting tins, these were from a tea shop called T2 that I love to browse in and smell the aromas and try their tea out.

Just showing you a comparison on last weeks cups with a miniature cup I also had and my hand in there for size comparison. I have started the coin collection in the humongous mug. A $2 and $1 coin to the left shows the size of the inside of the mug and later I found a purse with gold coins and 3 x $50 notes I had give to my daughter to take her cousins out to lunch last weekend and she didn't use it all-cheap lunch they had on $20 for 8 kids

Join Bluebeard and Elizabeth for her T for Tuesday Meme

Friday Smiles with Annie #33

This post came about whilst multi tasking as one does when working a full week and having no time to play. Saturday morning and hubby was cooking a lovely breakfast in the kitchen. He makes lovely meals out of left overs. So its my duty to make 1st generation meals and lots of it so he can make 2nd generation left overs hahahhaa. This one was no exception, but the funny part is I left the two pieces of toast ready to photograph for this post, went to make my cup of tea to go with breakfast, got side tracked and had a shower as well, came back and ate my breakfast and suddenly realised I hadn't taken a photo of the two lovely pieces of gourmet breakfast. So this is the result...but wait there is more!!!

I found this photo in my camera, talk about Old Timer's disease...so I did take a photo before I got side tracked. So the gourmet meal consists of left over picca de gallo (Indian style), chick peas and tomato curry, mushrooms, eggs and sour cream. I told hubby it was the best left over breakfast he had ever made (ahem thanks to me tee hee).

So while I was multi tasking and surf webbing I came across Bluebeard and Elizabeth's Friday Smiles post and thought I'd share this funny for Friday Smiles with Annie Meme #34

Spellbinders is going to the Emmy's Awards

Spellbinders is going to the Emmy's Awards.

Stacey Caron is inviting you to walk the red carpet virtually as Spellbinders attends the Emmys. They'll be hosting fun events, sharing tutorials and giving away fabulous prizes all month long.

Check out the details HERE

WOYWW #221 Emma's 21st birthday cake

This is what was on my craft desk, hidden away from my 21 year old daughter, that we threw a surprise party for. 

 The cake and its additions travelled by car 3 hours and survived

 Here are the cute little cameras that went on each cup cake

 Gorgeous cupcakes and just as yummy

The cake with camera on it but the wrong make, my daughter has a Canon. We had a good laugh!!

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground so you can travel around the world vicariously and look into those creative desk and homes.

T is for Tuesdays

Found this humongous cup with a blackboard speech bubble on it yesterday and I just had to have it. Not to drink out of it (will probably drown in that amount of tea hahahaha) but I know it will come in handy someday as well as a storage point for my coins especially our $2 and $1 coin that are so heavy and make a fast saving plan.

The normal sized tea cup to the left I got from our craft fair two weeks ago, I just had to have it as well for the saying on it.

Joining Bluebeard and Elizabeth for her T for Tuesday Meme.

WOYWW #220

 Look what I found in my craft room this week!! My sister who lives in New Zealand came for my daughters 21st and she wanted to play in my craft room. I was too tired to craft so I just sat and watched her. You can see progressive photos of the surprise party Food cooking preparation 1st post and 2nd post and 3rd post and 4th post

I went to our yearly craft show last Thursday and went to a make and take class of hat pin beads, it was nice to sit there and make something. Aren't they gorgeous?

I made my lamb shank soup for my family and it was a hit, I didn't make enough because I didn't think anyone would like it, well obviously when its made the night before it tastes really good. This time I made it on the stove and I had no potatoes so I put in Dalo which we had left from the Lovo (well if you follow the link, its says dalo is a herb, we eat it like a root crop similar to potato).

Here is the recipe from my dear friend Sandra

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHANK SOUP           

This quantity makes a 5 litre slow cooker

½ cup dried soup mix                                                 ½ cup green soup mix

4 beef stock cubes                                                       7 cups boiling water

2 lamb shanks                                                             3-4 potatoes

2 x 500g tin Rosetta condensed tomato soup             2 chopped onions

½ cup celery (optional)                                              1 kg frozen mixed vegetables

Place ½ cup dried soup mix, ½ cup green soup mix, 4 beef stock cubes and 7 cups boiling water. Cover with lid and set to high.

I usually do this at least 8 hours before adding the next ingredient. I have often left this cooking longer depending on when I have time to proceed to next step as it doesn't seem to make any difference if it is cooked longer but it does make a difference if not cooked long enough. I have left it cooking for 24 hours but dropped the setting to low for this length of time and it is O.K. at this stage.

I usually add the 2 lamb shanks and 1 X 500g tin of Rosetta condensed tomato soup when I first get up in the morning set on low. Make sure that the soup is mixed in well. Stir occasionally but remember to keep the lid on.

Late that night (usually when I get home from work), I add 3-4 potatoes and 2 chopped onions — leave setting on low. Optional to add ½ cup sliced celery if you want to.

Early the next morning, microwave I kilo of frozen mixed vegetables and add to the soup and cook on high setting with the lid on for a further 2-3 hours, stirring frequently as the soup can stick if you don't!!!!

As the slow cooker is usually pretty full, I add a second 500g tin of tomato soup after all cooking is finished. Remove from cooker and store in the fridge.

Thanks for all your wonderful caring messages about my thumb, it's healing well but taking an awfully long time, tendon injury takes forever to heal but I am really glad it isn't broken or fractured.

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground so you can travel around the world vicariously and look into those creative desk and homes.

T is for Tuesdays

So the big secret last week was a surprise 21st birthday party 
we held at our house for my youngest daughter Emma.

It went off really well and she was utterly surprised and nearly in tears, each hour the surprise got added to as each member of the family arrived from far and wide including 
New Zealand, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
It took me 2 weeks to prepare the house, get all the beds made,
the clean up was easier as I had help, hubby cleaned the
outside and I cleaned the inside, but the washing of bedding
and towels will take a few days. The food was prepared
on the day, I believe the cake took 2 weeks to make.
I survived on 3 hours sleep each night

You can see progressive photos of the surprise party 

Food cooking preparation 1st post and 2nd post 

and 3rd post and 4th post 

I love this teapot, sadly the cup that goes underneath it broke so I only have the teapot which I love using to brew my leaf tea.

There's my teapot playing host to my family, it served many a Jasmin tea all weekend.

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth, travelling vicariously around the world for more T for Tuesdays

It's a Surprise 21st party for Emma

I didn't realise I had bought so much drinks until the teenagers commented that they had never seen so much drink for such a small party-we had 26 guests in all coming and most were teetotallers lol. Thats my eldest daughter Keira pretending to eat the fresh salmon that my brother hung up to dry.

Here's the birthday girl with her cakes in a silver, black and purple colour scheme.The cake had a Nikon camera (she uses a canon LOL)

Here's my baby girl with her cakes, bottom left is her and I and middle bottom photo is me, Emma and Keira.

She was overwhelmed as each relative and guest started arriving the day before the party which was Friday. It certainly was a wonderful weekend but I am so tired as I survived on 3 hours sleep each night.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING EMMA