Well, it's been a while. Blah, blah, blah, skip that part. It's 2012 and already February! I can't believe last year went as fast as it did. Obviously, there were days when it felt like there were 48 hours rather than 24, but all-in-all it went fast. And talk about busy! Whoa. A lot has changed in my life, some good and some not as good all in 12 short months.
My birthday was Sunday. I turned 21 for the second time. I decided last January that I was never going to get any older than 21. Jamie said that would be ok as long as he can live to be 100 and receive a letter from the King (or Queen whichever it is come 2088).
I have a veggie garden that is flourishing in leaps and bounds. The woman at the nursery convinced me to plant zucchini, and since it's just the two of us we have zucchini coming out our noses. Trust me, it's that isn't as appealing as it sounds. I also have five tomato plants with only one tomato growing so far. I call it progress considering I planted broccoli in last year's garden and never saw one head come up.
I might throw it out there that it is summer-time full on right now. 107 *F and 80% humidity. My favourite part is that most houses here don't have air-conditioning including ours. I've gotten used to it for the most part, but forgive me for saying, "It's 2012 PEOPLE!!" I just haven't wrapped my head around why air-conditioning hasn't made a bigger hit over here, but I keep my mouth shut (except on the world-wide-web) because it's a very "American" way of thinking. Australia is a very rich and advanced country, but I just recently learned how spoiled I grew up even in my father's house where the air-conditioning didn't come on until you were drowning in June sweat. I distinctly remember Jodie hitting me once because Dad had finally turned the air on one summer evening and I pulled a throw-blanket out to cover my feet while we watched a movie. "Put that away and get some socks or Dad will turn the air off!" she said. At least we had a swimming pool back then. We have a big garden tub in our guest bathroom here and I fill it up with cold water on the hottest of days and siphon the water onto my veggies when I'm done! Yikes, listen to me complain. My apologies. It's actually been a lovely summer. We've been to the beach several times and I can't count the number of delicious evenings we've spent on the veranda enjoying the sun-set. And!!! Wait for it! I have a tan line! Oh yeah :). I have spent my entire life burning and pealing back to pale as the moon, but now thanks to the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica (so Jamie tells me), I have a proud tan this summer.
I have a lot more to write about, but I'll leave it and force myself to write soon. I miss you all and hope that 2012 has started off for you as well as it has for Jamie and me.
Quote for the day: "You is smart, you is kind, you is beautiful." from The Help
Friday 3 February 2012
Saturday 22 October 2011
You Waskally Rabbit
Right...well it's rabbit season, and the phrase "breed like rabbits" means so much more to me now. They are literally everywhere around our house and neighborhood. Most of the Australians hate them; although, to be fair, I haven't seen anyone trying to kill them except when Jamie speeds up in the car rather than slowing down or swerving. Turns out, there is a huge amount of animosity built up around here when it comes to rabbits. You see, rabbits aren't native to Australia. The "Poms," aka British, brought them over to hunt. When they realized there weren't any natural predators to keep the rabbit ecosystem in check, they brought in foxes. Crazy right? I wish I could say it got better, but how ever many years later, Australia is overrun by rabbits, particularly the small town we live in. I started out thinking they were pretty cute, and they are, but I soon learned that they're pretty sneaky and destructive. I've seen a rabbit jump up on its hind legs and fight a kangaroo. Ok ok, so now I'm just being ridiculous, but seriously, they come right up on our front porch and eat what little of the rose bushes the kangaroos did leave behind. There is a nest of bunnies underneath the foot bridge in our garden and every time you get anywhere close about fifteen rabbits start running all over the yard. Does anyone have a good recipe for rabbit stew?
Secondly, all my followers can post a congratulations. Our yard is starting to look so good. Thanks to Jamie and the rabbits' help with the weeding, I can walk out onto the veranda and proudly smile if the neighbors are waving across the fence line. Also, I'm able to have my hand within inches of our friendly lizards without having a heart attack. I'm by no means getting a tan, but I've been spending at least an hour a day in the sunshine and garden and I expect wonderful results soon.
For all of you who are burning with curiosity about my permanent residency visa, Lord willing after our appointment with the immigration department on the 3rd, our part will be finished. You can't understand how good it makes me feel to finally have all the red-tape and paperwork almost finished. I had my health examination last Tuesday, and four hours and two parking tickets later, I was deemed healthy. Phew! It was a routine check that was necessary before the immigration office can give me a clearance; along with my background check from the FBI. I'm a little nervous about the FBI bit. ;)
That's all for now folks. Tune in next time for more scintillating updates, and until then...
"Don't worry. Be Happy." (sung by that crazy fish that hangs on rednecks' trophy wall)
Secondly, all my followers can post a congratulations. Our yard is starting to look so good. Thanks to Jamie and the rabbits' help with the weeding, I can walk out onto the veranda and proudly smile if the neighbors are waving across the fence line. Also, I'm able to have my hand within inches of our friendly lizards without having a heart attack. I'm by no means getting a tan, but I've been spending at least an hour a day in the sunshine and garden and I expect wonderful results soon.
For all of you who are burning with curiosity about my permanent residency visa, Lord willing after our appointment with the immigration department on the 3rd, our part will be finished. You can't understand how good it makes me feel to finally have all the red-tape and paperwork almost finished. I had my health examination last Tuesday, and four hours and two parking tickets later, I was deemed healthy. Phew! It was a routine check that was necessary before the immigration office can give me a clearance; along with my background check from the FBI. I'm a little nervous about the FBI bit. ;)
That's all for now folks. Tune in next time for more scintillating updates, and until then...
"Don't worry. Be Happy." (sung by that crazy fish that hangs on rednecks' trophy wall)
Saturday 24 September 2011
Weeds...You Goin' Down
Well, not a whole lot has happened this last week, but I think it was probably the best week I've had in a while. Firstly, because I've started going to the gym with Jamie's cousin, Kirsten. She's expecting her first baby in January so she's been going to the gym so she can swim in the heated pool; I'm going so I can drown in my own sweat. I didn't realized until I got on the treadmill how important it is that I should know by now how to convert kilometers into miles. I had no idea how far or how fast I was going. I did realize that after I had run an entire kilometer in less than five minutes that it was definitely gone less than a mile. Just so everyone is clear, one mile is 2.6 kilometers. My next realization was that after being in Australia for eight months I really need to figure out how many pounds a kilo is. I felt like every eye in the room was staring at me as I tried to pick up the 22 kilo dumbbells in each hand. Who knew 22 kilos was close to 50 pounds?! You can only imagine me dropping one and having to use both hands to pick it up and replace it on the shelf. I did have a pretty intense work-out and felt pretty good about myself as I hobbled around the house for the next two days.
On the plus side, day two at the gym was much more exciting. For the first 45 minutes I was probably the only person in the room under 50. It was a nice feeling that all the pain I was going through from my last work-out was paying off as I ran next to a man who was walking at 1.8 miles an hour. Just so you can picture how slow that is, I googled the speed of an average turtle and the first number I saw was 1.0mph. As if that didn't make me feel like a spartan, a lady from Portugal came up and asked if I was a dancer. Keep in mind that the show on the overhead TV was "Dancing With the Stars." I literally laughed out loud and she proceeded to tell me about the free couples dancing classes she's been taking with her husband, and it was a great place to make new friends. Who needs couples dancing when you can meet complete strangers in a gym?
Secondly, I've started weeding my garden. Jamie was able to get the brush cutter(weed eater) working and I hacked away at the jungle in my back yard. In case you've forgotten from my very first blog, the entire yard is called your garden and you have a separate vegetable garden. The lady next door was spraying the microscopic weeds in her yard and since I was having such an energetic week it inspired me to start bulldozing through our weeds. I've put a lovely dent in all the work and then hand weeded the flower beds. Applause is appropriate at this point :). Thank you...
Thirdly, after it rained for almost a week straight, I've finished the laundry. I know it might not sound like a big deal, but we don't use the dryer in the laundry room. Everything gets to hang out on the line, and because Jamie informed me that he was running low on even his "famine" underwear, it was imperative that I get his clothes clean and DRY. When I woke up to the sun pouring through the window at 6:15 yesterday morning, I knew it was laundry day. It's officially folded and put away now so I'll be fine if it rains again starting tomorrow.
I hope this next week will be just as lovely. I've got fairly big plans and goals so with a good attitude I should be able to check everything off my list. Hopefully, your week will be as fulfilling and relaxing as mine was. For those of you who may have just finished a really lousy week, keep your chin up; the rain will clear up soon!
Side note: Jamie and I finally found a video game we can play together!!!!! SingStar Abba! Thanks, Dad, for teaching me what good music is all about.
On the plus side, day two at the gym was much more exciting. For the first 45 minutes I was probably the only person in the room under 50. It was a nice feeling that all the pain I was going through from my last work-out was paying off as I ran next to a man who was walking at 1.8 miles an hour. Just so you can picture how slow that is, I googled the speed of an average turtle and the first number I saw was 1.0mph. As if that didn't make me feel like a spartan, a lady from Portugal came up and asked if I was a dancer. Keep in mind that the show on the overhead TV was "Dancing With the Stars." I literally laughed out loud and she proceeded to tell me about the free couples dancing classes she's been taking with her husband, and it was a great place to make new friends. Who needs couples dancing when you can meet complete strangers in a gym?
Secondly, I've started weeding my garden. Jamie was able to get the brush cutter(weed eater) working and I hacked away at the jungle in my back yard. In case you've forgotten from my very first blog, the entire yard is called your garden and you have a separate vegetable garden. The lady next door was spraying the microscopic weeds in her yard and since I was having such an energetic week it inspired me to start bulldozing through our weeds. I've put a lovely dent in all the work and then hand weeded the flower beds. Applause is appropriate at this point :). Thank you...
Thirdly, after it rained for almost a week straight, I've finished the laundry. I know it might not sound like a big deal, but we don't use the dryer in the laundry room. Everything gets to hang out on the line, and because Jamie informed me that he was running low on even his "famine" underwear, it was imperative that I get his clothes clean and DRY. When I woke up to the sun pouring through the window at 6:15 yesterday morning, I knew it was laundry day. It's officially folded and put away now so I'll be fine if it rains again starting tomorrow.
I hope this next week will be just as lovely. I've got fairly big plans and goals so with a good attitude I should be able to check everything off my list. Hopefully, your week will be as fulfilling and relaxing as mine was. For those of you who may have just finished a really lousy week, keep your chin up; the rain will clear up soon!
Side note: Jamie and I finally found a video game we can play together!!!!! SingStar Abba! Thanks, Dad, for teaching me what good music is all about.
Thursday 15 September 2011
Back Roads and Beaches
Upon my return from my trip to the states, Jamie decided we needed to take a vacation. He's been working so hard and with my being gone he had extra duties around the house that I'm sure were a bit overwhelming. So even though I had technically been on vacation for just under two months, I unpacked and re-packed for a trip to Augusta.
Augusta is the most south-westerly tip of Australia. I heard a tour guide say that it was the closest we would get to Antarctica from this side of the country which I found pretty cool. I know what you're thinking though; it must be cold since it's winter over here. The weather was fantastic and other than a bit of rain here and there it was pretty ideal for a vacation. We were on the coast obviously so it was still a bit too cool to actually play in the water, but as surprising as it may seem the Southern Ocean is pretty warm year round. That statement might be a bit contradictory; I guess what I'm trying to say is even at it's coldest the Southern Ocean is not as cold as the Pacific in the middle of July.
On a side note, we stayed in the Best Western. I thought it was kinda funny that we were staying in an American chain hotel, but then again hotels are a lot different over here. Yes, there are typical three story or sky rise hotels, but mostly when you show up for the weekend, a hotel is more of a motel. It's more like a small apartment really instead of the typical American, Best Western, complete with continental breakfast. By the way, free continental breakfasts are just that, continental. You have to pay for everything in Australia, and while you don't have to tip anyone, it's added into the outrageous prices. I can't complain too much though since I noticed that the economy here is doing much better than what I saw back home.
Anyways, back to the beach; we had a lovely time touring all over Augusta, and Jamie took me to see a lighthouse. It's the tallest building in Western Australia and I think someone said it was the first lighthouse on the west coast. Either way, it was pretty cool that it's still standing and used today. We got stuck on a tour with two 70-year-old couples from Melbourne, and while I don't mind be patient for elders, it took us about ten times as long to climb the stairs as it would have normally. It was pretty cute though because the two little old men were carrying the purses for their spouses and very politely pushing their back-sides up the next flight of stairs. Needless to say, Jamie insisted I stop giggling at all their funny antics.
We also got to go on the cave tours. There are over 300 caves on the west coast, and three of them are world-renowned. The first cave we saw, Jewel Cave, has the longest "straw"(pencil-like stalactite) which Jamie took about a million pictures of. (I'm so glad digital cameras have delete buttons.) Then on to Lake Cave and Mammoth Cave. There were are pretty spectacular in their own way, but of the three I've got to say that Lake Cave was the most memorable. We climbed over 300 stairs to get down there, and surprise, you have to climb them all the way back up. Jamie and I decided that rather than pausing at each level with all the middle-aged couples, we would just take it all in one jaunt. Guess who felt like a 90 year-old woman the next day?! All of a sudden the two little women at the lighthouse had a new level of respect in my book. It's funny how it all comes back to bite you in the face.
We took cereal and sandwich goods with us so that we could splurge a little bit for eating out at dinnertime. The first night was Italian which we both love and just to switch things up since we were on vacation I decided to try something new. With all the cooking I've been doing recently, I've been a bit more brave in the things I try to eat knowing that Jamie has been my guinea pig lately. I had seafood risotto for dinner and just as I was explaining how it tasted too fishy I realized there were three squid in my bowl. Explanation: I love calamari; but this was not calamari. They were still purple complete with heads and tentacles. I did not eat anymore seafood risotto and instead finished my water and watched Jamie eat his mouth-watering lamb shank.
I've saved the best story for last. If you've read this far then I know you'll love this. On the second evening of our vacation, we took a stroll down the beach to the point where Margaret River meets the ocean. It was already a pretty awe-inspiring picture with the sun setting and the salty sea breeze when a dolphin jumped out of the water way out on the horizon. Within five minutes there were three dolphins and they were headed in land as if they were herding some fish for dinner. Between my squealing and tugging on his arm like a child, Jamie's first four attempts at a video were hopeless. It really was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. We ran as fast as we could in the direction that the dolphins were herding and by the time we were stopped and out of breath, they were so close we could have touched them. I was still in shock and wonder when we turned to go back to the car and realized our shoes were soaked since we ran straight through the marshes of seaweed. Gross.
Our trip home was lovely. We took the back roads and got to see some of the farms and country towns we live close too. The flowers and forests were in full bloom and made for a perfect ending to our weekend. I can't wait to take all my friends and family to see all these places when they come to visit someday.
Augusta is the most south-westerly tip of Australia. I heard a tour guide say that it was the closest we would get to Antarctica from this side of the country which I found pretty cool. I know what you're thinking though; it must be cold since it's winter over here. The weather was fantastic and other than a bit of rain here and there it was pretty ideal for a vacation. We were on the coast obviously so it was still a bit too cool to actually play in the water, but as surprising as it may seem the Southern Ocean is pretty warm year round. That statement might be a bit contradictory; I guess what I'm trying to say is even at it's coldest the Southern Ocean is not as cold as the Pacific in the middle of July.
On a side note, we stayed in the Best Western. I thought it was kinda funny that we were staying in an American chain hotel, but then again hotels are a lot different over here. Yes, there are typical three story or sky rise hotels, but mostly when you show up for the weekend, a hotel is more of a motel. It's more like a small apartment really instead of the typical American, Best Western, complete with continental breakfast. By the way, free continental breakfasts are just that, continental. You have to pay for everything in Australia, and while you don't have to tip anyone, it's added into the outrageous prices. I can't complain too much though since I noticed that the economy here is doing much better than what I saw back home.
Anyways, back to the beach; we had a lovely time touring all over Augusta, and Jamie took me to see a lighthouse. It's the tallest building in Western Australia and I think someone said it was the first lighthouse on the west coast. Either way, it was pretty cool that it's still standing and used today. We got stuck on a tour with two 70-year-old couples from Melbourne, and while I don't mind be patient for elders, it took us about ten times as long to climb the stairs as it would have normally. It was pretty cute though because the two little old men were carrying the purses for their spouses and very politely pushing their back-sides up the next flight of stairs. Needless to say, Jamie insisted I stop giggling at all their funny antics.
We also got to go on the cave tours. There are over 300 caves on the west coast, and three of them are world-renowned. The first cave we saw, Jewel Cave, has the longest "straw"(pencil-like stalactite) which Jamie took about a million pictures of. (I'm so glad digital cameras have delete buttons.) Then on to Lake Cave and Mammoth Cave. There were are pretty spectacular in their own way, but of the three I've got to say that Lake Cave was the most memorable. We climbed over 300 stairs to get down there, and surprise, you have to climb them all the way back up. Jamie and I decided that rather than pausing at each level with all the middle-aged couples, we would just take it all in one jaunt. Guess who felt like a 90 year-old woman the next day?! All of a sudden the two little women at the lighthouse had a new level of respect in my book. It's funny how it all comes back to bite you in the face.
We took cereal and sandwich goods with us so that we could splurge a little bit for eating out at dinnertime. The first night was Italian which we both love and just to switch things up since we were on vacation I decided to try something new. With all the cooking I've been doing recently, I've been a bit more brave in the things I try to eat knowing that Jamie has been my guinea pig lately. I had seafood risotto for dinner and just as I was explaining how it tasted too fishy I realized there were three squid in my bowl. Explanation: I love calamari; but this was not calamari. They were still purple complete with heads and tentacles. I did not eat anymore seafood risotto and instead finished my water and watched Jamie eat his mouth-watering lamb shank.
I've saved the best story for last. If you've read this far then I know you'll love this. On the second evening of our vacation, we took a stroll down the beach to the point where Margaret River meets the ocean. It was already a pretty awe-inspiring picture with the sun setting and the salty sea breeze when a dolphin jumped out of the water way out on the horizon. Within five minutes there were three dolphins and they were headed in land as if they were herding some fish for dinner. Between my squealing and tugging on his arm like a child, Jamie's first four attempts at a video were hopeless. It really was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. We ran as fast as we could in the direction that the dolphins were herding and by the time we were stopped and out of breath, they were so close we could have touched them. I was still in shock and wonder when we turned to go back to the car and realized our shoes were soaked since we ran straight through the marshes of seaweed. Gross.
Our trip home was lovely. We took the back roads and got to see some of the farms and country towns we live close too. The flowers and forests were in full bloom and made for a perfect ending to our weekend. I can't wait to take all my friends and family to see all these places when they come to visit someday.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Life as We Know It
It's been a while...I know...let's skip this bit and say it was just yesterday. A lot has happened in the last few months; I'm sure everyone can say that. I'll not bore you with the horrendous details about the plane trip, but I just had a lovely trip back home to see my parents and family. It really was a fantastic trip and it was great to finally meet baby Isaiah. He's such a cutie and I didn't even mind waking up every two hours to his tiny infant screams, and I actually enjoyed him sleeping on my tummy at 5:30 a.m. after his poor mommy was exhausted. Jodie is a beautiful mother and it was such a blessing to spend time with them even if I bawled worse than Isaiah when it was time to leave.
I also got to spend a bit of time with Aaron even though Mom and I had to suck up the tears and send him off to college. I think his roomates thought we were a bit too attached, but they had forgotten all about me apparently because the next time they saw me I was mistaken for Aaron's girlfriend. It had never occured to me that only girls check for other girls wedding rings.
This blog would get way too long if I went into detail about everyone I visited while I was in the states. I think everyone that saw me could tell how happy I was to be back and see Mom and Dad and Papa and Mema. Before I forget, I did get to spend some time in Nathan and Savannah's sweet new house, and just so everyone's clear, Nathan's completely immune to the side-effects of anesthesea. Other than mild rage issues directed at the car he insisted I bulldoze over, our trip home from getting his wisdom teeth removed was ridiculously uneventful. Also, I liked driving his truck. It had been a while since I had driven a good ole American, Ford.
Anyways, it's back to the land down under. I had lots of people remind me that I had a blog and that I needed to keep up with it better. Consider this my reinstatement, and forgive my tardiness.
It's spring here in Australia and as I've heard from the lady next door in about fifty different signals the weeds are really bad this year. I'm not sure if she got the memo that I'm not a professional at this gardening stuff, and she definitely missed the memo that I'm not super-woman and I've been gone for two months. Needless to say, our yard is worse than the Amazon rain forest, and I'm REALLY REALLY embarassed. Jamie and I got up early Saturday morning and we barely had our sleeves rolled up and our hands in the dirt for more than fifteen minutes when I started crying in dispair. The man next door came out to dump something in his compost and asked me how I was doing. I just stood there for about fifteen seconds fighting all the sarcastic things I wanted to say while I was standing in waist high weeds. Let's just move on. (I really hope the man next door doesn't read this what with it being on the world-wide-web and all.)
The dogs are happy I'm home, Jamie is extatic that I'm home, and the house is practically beaming now that I'm back home. I think I'm not over the hill yet, but I think I'm well on my way to settling here in Jarrahdale. Thanks to some encouraging words from my dad and the trip back to the states to check if my family was alright, I can now buckle down and call this home. It is really, and I think a good dose of being a way for a tad bit too long was just the right medicine. I didn't realize just how needed I was here, and while a part of me will always be permantly tied to the places and people in the U.S.A., it's nice to know I can make new ties here. Yes, I miss everything. Yes, I want to come back. Yes, Jamie will have to give me a big box of tissues and then some chocolate every three weeks to cheer me up, but I'm happy. Who knew happiness was a choice?
I'll leave the rest of what's on my mind for next time, but because I miss country music so much, I want to leave you with a song title that means a lot to me :).
"Stand" by Rascall Flatts
I also got to spend a bit of time with Aaron even though Mom and I had to suck up the tears and send him off to college. I think his roomates thought we were a bit too attached, but they had forgotten all about me apparently because the next time they saw me I was mistaken for Aaron's girlfriend. It had never occured to me that only girls check for other girls wedding rings.
This blog would get way too long if I went into detail about everyone I visited while I was in the states. I think everyone that saw me could tell how happy I was to be back and see Mom and Dad and Papa and Mema. Before I forget, I did get to spend some time in Nathan and Savannah's sweet new house, and just so everyone's clear, Nathan's completely immune to the side-effects of anesthesea. Other than mild rage issues directed at the car he insisted I bulldoze over, our trip home from getting his wisdom teeth removed was ridiculously uneventful. Also, I liked driving his truck. It had been a while since I had driven a good ole American, Ford.
Anyways, it's back to the land down under. I had lots of people remind me that I had a blog and that I needed to keep up with it better. Consider this my reinstatement, and forgive my tardiness.
It's spring here in Australia and as I've heard from the lady next door in about fifty different signals the weeds are really bad this year. I'm not sure if she got the memo that I'm not a professional at this gardening stuff, and she definitely missed the memo that I'm not super-woman and I've been gone for two months. Needless to say, our yard is worse than the Amazon rain forest, and I'm REALLY REALLY embarassed. Jamie and I got up early Saturday morning and we barely had our sleeves rolled up and our hands in the dirt for more than fifteen minutes when I started crying in dispair. The man next door came out to dump something in his compost and asked me how I was doing. I just stood there for about fifteen seconds fighting all the sarcastic things I wanted to say while I was standing in waist high weeds. Let's just move on. (I really hope the man next door doesn't read this what with it being on the world-wide-web and all.)
The dogs are happy I'm home, Jamie is extatic that I'm home, and the house is practically beaming now that I'm back home. I think I'm not over the hill yet, but I think I'm well on my way to settling here in Jarrahdale. Thanks to some encouraging words from my dad and the trip back to the states to check if my family was alright, I can now buckle down and call this home. It is really, and I think a good dose of being a way for a tad bit too long was just the right medicine. I didn't realize just how needed I was here, and while a part of me will always be permantly tied to the places and people in the U.S.A., it's nice to know I can make new ties here. Yes, I miss everything. Yes, I want to come back. Yes, Jamie will have to give me a big box of tissues and then some chocolate every three weeks to cheer me up, but I'm happy. Who knew happiness was a choice?
I'll leave the rest of what's on my mind for next time, but because I miss country music so much, I want to leave you with a song title that means a lot to me :).
"Stand" by Rascall Flatts
Tuesday 10 May 2011
What's Cookin'
I haven't been very faithful to my blog. I knew it would be this way, and my sister keeps asking if I've given up on it, but I have to have inspiration. I'm sure you can understand that I don't wake up every morning, crack my knuckles, put on some spectacles, grab a coffee and start writing a novel. It's not that easy to come up with a new adventure every day. I started this blog to give my family and friends back home a little bit of insight into my life since I don't live next door, and so I would have a somewhat consistent routine like my garden.
I think in today's blog I'll start off by giving a couple of tid-bits you may not have known about me. I love to cook. Let me qualify that statement by saying I hate to clean up my mess after I'm done cooking. I'm sure at least a few of my readers can relate to that satisfying experience of cooking a new recipe and being rewarded by someone at the table stopping after the first bite to say, "This is delicious." It's just a warm feeling. Also, let me clarify and explain that I haven't really been cooking for that long. My mother is an excellent cook and of course I was raised to help in the kitchen, but having a big family and a couple of picky brothers, my experiences were limited and usually burned to a crisp. I remember one year, Nathan was giving a sermon in Ozark, Missouri and it somehow tied into his sermon to explain to the crowd that once his little sister had left the sugar out of the cheesecake she made. It was a mortifying moment because all the young men were sitting on the front row and staring straight at innocent me.
Anyways, I've been branching out in the last few years and I've finally perfected chocolate chip cookies. So it's been a bit of an experience being married and knowing that the evening meal relies solely on my talent. It's been a lot of fun so far and if I do say so myself I've done pretty well. At least Jamie is happy, and the few dinner guests we've had complimented me. A huge thanks to my Aunt Dorothy who gave me a stack of recipes before the wedding, and my wonderful mother who put together a book of recipes from my grandma, sister, aunts and friends.
Here are a couple of mine and Jamie's favourites. As it turns out, they are lots of fun to prepare and even more fun to eat. Note: if you ever happen to meet two huge marshmallows from Australia, and they look kinda like what Jamie and Elizabeth used to look like, it's probably us. Ha! Just kidding, but seriously, if you're going to spend this much time cooking and eating, get some walking shoes and take your dogs out regularly.
Can't Leave Alone Bars:
Kitchen of Michelle Nichols Serves: 3 dozen
1 pkg (18.250 oz) white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter, cubed
1. Preheat oven to 350*F (180-200*C)
2. Mix dry cake mix, eggs, and oil. With floured hands press 2/3 of the mix into a greased 13x9 pan. Set remaining mix aside.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk, chocolate chips, and butter. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds at a time stirring until melted smooth.
4. Pour over crust
5. Sprinkle remaining cake mixture on top
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
(Jamie absolutely loves these bars and they are so so easy to make :)
Chicken Parmesan Subs
Kitchen of Jodie Battey/Hernandez (Rachael Ray) Serves: 6-8
3-4 hogie rolls (call them what you want...they're little sub sandwitch rolls)
2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 can chopped/diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
oregano
4-5 thin chicken cutlets (I just use chicken breasts. To make them thinner cut the breasts in half and tenderize them with a meat pounder)
1 c. mozerella cheese (I use more than this but it's up to you how cheesy you want the subs)
1. In a large saucepan, crush three fresh garlic cloves and saute in the olive oil until golden brown.
2. So as not to splatter, carefully pour the can of tomatoes in to the oil and garlic. Add salt, pepper, red pepper and oregano to taste. Let simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Cut the chicken cutlets into strips(kinda like fajitas) and place directly into sauce. Cook chicken until tender or no longer pink
4. Meanwhile, slice the rolls in half and place in oven to toast until light golden brown. Remove from oven
and use remaining clove of garlic to rub on the toast. (this might seem strange, but the garlic melts like butter when you rub it on the bread) Layer half the cheese on your rolls.
5. Spread chicken and tomato sauce on top of the rolls and finish with layer of remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 350*F until cheese is melted on top or until cheese starts to brown.
Enjoy! This is finger licking good!
Chicken Alfredo
(I found this recipe on allrecipes.com) Serves 4
package fettucine noodles
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. butter
1 clove garlic
1 c. thickened cream
2 chicken breasts
1. While the noodles are cooking, saute the crushed garlic in the butter.
2. Add the parmesan and thickened cream, stirring until cheese is melted.
3. Cut the chicken breasts in half and tenderize them with a meat mallet. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place directly into the sauce. Cook chicken through until tender and no longer pink.
4. Rinse the tender noodles and compine with sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle some parmesan on top and serve as is. Enjoy!
I hope if you decide to try any of these recipes that you enjoy them as much as I did. Tonight I'm trying a new recipe for calzones and tomorrow night is cheese enchiladas :). Wish me luck!
I think in today's blog I'll start off by giving a couple of tid-bits you may not have known about me. I love to cook. Let me qualify that statement by saying I hate to clean up my mess after I'm done cooking. I'm sure at least a few of my readers can relate to that satisfying experience of cooking a new recipe and being rewarded by someone at the table stopping after the first bite to say, "This is delicious." It's just a warm feeling. Also, let me clarify and explain that I haven't really been cooking for that long. My mother is an excellent cook and of course I was raised to help in the kitchen, but having a big family and a couple of picky brothers, my experiences were limited and usually burned to a crisp. I remember one year, Nathan was giving a sermon in Ozark, Missouri and it somehow tied into his sermon to explain to the crowd that once his little sister had left the sugar out of the cheesecake she made. It was a mortifying moment because all the young men were sitting on the front row and staring straight at innocent me.
Anyways, I've been branching out in the last few years and I've finally perfected chocolate chip cookies. So it's been a bit of an experience being married and knowing that the evening meal relies solely on my talent. It's been a lot of fun so far and if I do say so myself I've done pretty well. At least Jamie is happy, and the few dinner guests we've had complimented me. A huge thanks to my Aunt Dorothy who gave me a stack of recipes before the wedding, and my wonderful mother who put together a book of recipes from my grandma, sister, aunts and friends.
Here are a couple of mine and Jamie's favourites. As it turns out, they are lots of fun to prepare and even more fun to eat. Note: if you ever happen to meet two huge marshmallows from Australia, and they look kinda like what Jamie and Elizabeth used to look like, it's probably us. Ha! Just kidding, but seriously, if you're going to spend this much time cooking and eating, get some walking shoes and take your dogs out regularly.
Can't Leave Alone Bars:
Kitchen of Michelle Nichols Serves: 3 dozen
1 pkg (18.250 oz) white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter, cubed
1. Preheat oven to 350*F (180-200*C)
2. Mix dry cake mix, eggs, and oil. With floured hands press 2/3 of the mix into a greased 13x9 pan. Set remaining mix aside.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk, chocolate chips, and butter. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds at a time stirring until melted smooth.
4. Pour over crust
5. Sprinkle remaining cake mixture on top
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
(Jamie absolutely loves these bars and they are so so easy to make :)
Chicken Parmesan Subs
Kitchen of Jodie Battey/Hernandez (Rachael Ray) Serves: 6-8
3-4 hogie rolls (call them what you want...they're little sub sandwitch rolls)
2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 can chopped/diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
oregano
4-5 thin chicken cutlets (I just use chicken breasts. To make them thinner cut the breasts in half and tenderize them with a meat pounder)
1 c. mozerella cheese (I use more than this but it's up to you how cheesy you want the subs)
1. In a large saucepan, crush three fresh garlic cloves and saute in the olive oil until golden brown.
2. So as not to splatter, carefully pour the can of tomatoes in to the oil and garlic. Add salt, pepper, red pepper and oregano to taste. Let simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Cut the chicken cutlets into strips(kinda like fajitas) and place directly into sauce. Cook chicken until tender or no longer pink
4. Meanwhile, slice the rolls in half and place in oven to toast until light golden brown. Remove from oven
and use remaining clove of garlic to rub on the toast. (this might seem strange, but the garlic melts like butter when you rub it on the bread) Layer half the cheese on your rolls.
5. Spread chicken and tomato sauce on top of the rolls and finish with layer of remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 350*F until cheese is melted on top or until cheese starts to brown.
Enjoy! This is finger licking good!
Chicken Alfredo
(I found this recipe on allrecipes.com) Serves 4
package fettucine noodles
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. butter
1 clove garlic
1 c. thickened cream
2 chicken breasts
1. While the noodles are cooking, saute the crushed garlic in the butter.
2. Add the parmesan and thickened cream, stirring until cheese is melted.
3. Cut the chicken breasts in half and tenderize them with a meat mallet. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place directly into the sauce. Cook chicken through until tender and no longer pink.
4. Rinse the tender noodles and compine with sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle some parmesan on top and serve as is. Enjoy!
I hope if you decide to try any of these recipes that you enjoy them as much as I did. Tonight I'm trying a new recipe for calzones and tomorrow night is cheese enchiladas :). Wish me luck!
Thursday 14 April 2011
Sunshine and Rain
It's April here in Australia just like it is in America, but being on the opposite side of the globe means we're fast approaching winter. You can't really tell it's Autumn here because the leaves on the trees don't change colour, and so far there hasn't been too many crunching leaves to rake up. Although, I have noticed on our early morning walks that a lot of the gum nut trees are losing their honky nuts (I didn't make that name up; the Aussies really do call them honky nuts). Apparently, we've hit the rainy season, and it couldn't have come sooner because everything was bone dry.
Jamie has a new job now, for which we are so thankful, but just a few weeks ago we had our first real rain storm, and I was left at home alone while the man of the house was on his evening shift. It wasn't really a bad storm, but I don't really do well with thunder and lightning. I've discovered though that if I'm with people, especially little kids, it's not so hard to be brave; there's always someone more terrified than yourself. Even better is the fact that, Felix, our crazy dog, goes ballistic during thunder storms. Sally, the beagle, seems pretty nonchalant about it all, but hey, Felix is running around going bonkers so Sally may as well join him as she usually does.
It took a good ten minutes to chase the dogs down and hide them in the garage. So here I am, holding myself together a little better than our maniac dog, running around the yard packing up lawn chairs, tying down the porch screens, and finally able to grab two smelly wet dogs when the power in the house went out. It wasn't such a huge problem since the sun hadn't gone down completely, but trying to set all the clocks back to military time was a bit frustrating. I've come to appreciate the microwave in the kitchen since it's the only clock in the house I can actually read and comprehend in less than two minutes.
It all worked out beautifully though because just as I was letting the dogs out it was so cool and breezy outside that I put on a raincoat and finished weeding the flower gardens and rock wall in our back yard. Who knew that pulling weeds was a million times easier when the ground is saturated?! Even better was that just about the time I couldn't tell if it was sweat or rain drops dripping off my forehead, I turned around and a gorgeous double rainbow wrapped across the sky in almost a complete arch. It was breathtaking and I remembered just why thunderstorms are so important.
Three weeks and a couple of rain showers later, I have a cute little vegetable garden. I didn't get to grow everything I wanted since it's not all in season, but I have enough to keep me busy. Tonight for dinner we had our first salad with our own home grown lettuce. I'm so proud.
I'm often reminded lately of the song "Here Comes the Sun", because it's just so pretty after a small rain shower.
Jamie has a new job now, for which we are so thankful, but just a few weeks ago we had our first real rain storm, and I was left at home alone while the man of the house was on his evening shift. It wasn't really a bad storm, but I don't really do well with thunder and lightning. I've discovered though that if I'm with people, especially little kids, it's not so hard to be brave; there's always someone more terrified than yourself. Even better is the fact that, Felix, our crazy dog, goes ballistic during thunder storms. Sally, the beagle, seems pretty nonchalant about it all, but hey, Felix is running around going bonkers so Sally may as well join him as she usually does.
It took a good ten minutes to chase the dogs down and hide them in the garage. So here I am, holding myself together a little better than our maniac dog, running around the yard packing up lawn chairs, tying down the porch screens, and finally able to grab two smelly wet dogs when the power in the house went out. It wasn't such a huge problem since the sun hadn't gone down completely, but trying to set all the clocks back to military time was a bit frustrating. I've come to appreciate the microwave in the kitchen since it's the only clock in the house I can actually read and comprehend in less than two minutes.
It all worked out beautifully though because just as I was letting the dogs out it was so cool and breezy outside that I put on a raincoat and finished weeding the flower gardens and rock wall in our back yard. Who knew that pulling weeds was a million times easier when the ground is saturated?! Even better was that just about the time I couldn't tell if it was sweat or rain drops dripping off my forehead, I turned around and a gorgeous double rainbow wrapped across the sky in almost a complete arch. It was breathtaking and I remembered just why thunderstorms are so important.
Three weeks and a couple of rain showers later, I have a cute little vegetable garden. I didn't get to grow everything I wanted since it's not all in season, but I have enough to keep me busy. Tonight for dinner we had our first salad with our own home grown lettuce. I'm so proud.
I'm often reminded lately of the song "Here Comes the Sun", because it's just so pretty after a small rain shower.
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