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

It started...countdown to 21....3rd post

These stones will go into the hole to be heated up and that's what cooks the food in the Lovo

The digging of the hole continues on Friday with the arrival of my brothers from Brisbane and Melbourne

Most of the cousins, brothers and sisters together (the rest couldn't make it for various reasons) 

Back left: Ivan (my brother), Jeremy (my cousin), Keira (my oldest daughter), Roger (my cousin and Jeremy's brother), Vivian (my sister), Emma the birthday girl, Ilona (my niece and Vivian's daughter),
Front from left: Me, Ian (my brother and the twin of Ivan).

It Started...countdown to 21...2nd post

My brother's are in charge of the shopping list, they told me I needed 4 large pumpkins, luckily we had a great crop this year. Can't wait to plant more this year and watch my babies grow.

Chairs and ice boxes ready

Found this in a party shop, as I don't drink-I don't have shot glasses. For my 50th birthday they used my glass beaker as a shot glass lol, this year I am prepared for the Y Generation!!!

The coconut cream is going in one of my favourite dishes Palusami, recipe HERE 

We are going to cook ours two ways, wrapped in silverbeet leaves and inside a pumpkin...yummmmmmmmm

This corned beef goes into the Palusami, I love the large tin, now what can I do with it when it's empty tee hee, will have to make sure no one throws it away.

Nibbles

So it's a secret surprise 21st for my youngest daughter Emma, she will know as soon as she gets here in a couple of hours, in fact she will get an idea when her big sister takes her to the airport and picks her cousin up from New Zealand and they drive 3  hours up to us where the party will be held. I hope they have gotten some sleep because there won't be any sleep happening when they get here. They will be taking their cousins shopping tomorrow to get some silver, black and purple clothing/accessories for the colour theme of the party.
Busy day today as everyone is arriving, airport trips to pick up and more shopping and cooking the curry chicken tonight yummmm!!!!
She's on the road now and she doesn't read my blog, at least I don't think so lol.

It Started...countdown to 21...1st post

What's the big secret about? Here's a photo, I can't say much yet because its a surprise. I know, its killing you huh, well it's been killing me for 6 months now and I've nearly let the cat out of the bag a few times LOL

That's it, I am not saying anymore, you can guess if you like but I'm not telling, more photos to come.

T is for Tuesday

I bought these wonderful home made sauces last week. My friend gave me some chilli jam to try in her lamb shank soup. I [promptly came home and made my own below, you will find the recipe HERE. I love mint in my tea, I pick a few branches and put them in water and take a leaf each time I make a cuppa. 

This tin has tea leaves in it, I love tea leaves when I have the time to brew it, it just tastes so different to tea bags.

I am very busy this week but I cant tell you until next week what I will be up to as its a secret. Stay tuned..there will be lots of photos in maybe a few posts.

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeth travelling vicariously around the world for more teacups

WOYWW #218

I have not been in my craft room for ages so I have a boring craft desk. However I'd like to share with you a surprise parcel that Ginny of Maxam Made, another WOYWW sent to me that contained these gorgeous papers. I know she has a wonderful giving heart to send a stranger something so beautiful halfway across the world.

Thank you Ginny!!

To the left are my work rosters. 

Ginny made this gorgeous card for me as well. I am so blessed to have met people so nice, from around the world.

I store all my stuff on a usb stick so I can free up memory on my laptop, I had a 32gb usb stick that finally got fully so I bit the bullet and went and got a 64gb one. This is how long it took to transfer my 32gb over to my 64 gb LOL

My friend Celina fed me this wonderful soup made with lamb shanks  well I just had to go home and make it myself and ended up with a pot full to feed an army lol. Sorry its not nice to take a bite out of the toast before I offer it to you is it!! I've written the recipe HERE so I can remember how to make it next winter but you are most welcome to try and make it yourself and let me know how you go.

This plaque is so true, I usually give my creations to people who really appreciate what goes on behind the scenes

Join us for our weekly stomp around the world with Julia's Stamping Ground to see more desks

T stands for Tuesday

This week I will show you my tea cup collection, it takes up a whole shelf in the pantry and is double stacked 

Then I have a special tea cupboard above the bench so I can reach up and make a cuppa without having to traipse halfway across the kitchen

One of my favourite teas

T will always stand for TEA for me as I am a Tea addict.

I don't drink coffee or liquor so its Tea and Tea and more Tea.

Linking up this post to Bluebeard and Elizabeth's T stands for Tuesday Meme