Sunday, 31 August 2008
Saturday, 30 August 2008
PROGRESS AT LAST - OUR NEW HOUSE
We've had so much to do before I felt comfortable enough to blog our block and plans for our new home at Port Mac Donnell. I was afraid to jinx the whole shebang! So we finally have all of our submissions approved, plans finalised, quote accepted and a very keen builder ready to take on our job.
Our house plans started with a pencil, eraser and a math/grid book and progressed to formal drawings that we poured over and made changes to until we were happy with the final product!
We have been dealing with local council, builders, surveyors, dept of lands etc etc etc and finally have moved a little bit of dirt ready for the sheds, but still a long long way to go.
For those that don't know, we sold our house privately in March and we need to move out by end of October and our new house wont be completed until about this time next year (ish)!
Action at the block.
Earthmoving equipment at the ready.
RURAL VIEW
A view of "Lake Perryman" in our back yard. Our house will be built on the high side of the block and Bev and Bruce (Perryman) our neighbours have assured us that in the 35+ years that they have lived there the water doesn't get any higher :)
Even though we will have wonderful sea views, the rural views on the northern side (back yard) are just as beautiful. During the winter, as you can see, it is a wetland with lots of bird life including black swans. You can see the large nest and the swan sitting on her eggs.
The alfresco area of the house looks out over this.
SEA VIEWS
Photos taken from the back of the ute looking south straight out to sea.
South westish towards Port Mac and the breakwater.
We should have a fine 180 degree sea views from the kitchen, dining and lounge upstairs.
Our house plans started with a pencil, eraser and a math/grid book and progressed to formal drawings that we poured over and made changes to until we were happy with the final product!
We have been dealing with local council, builders, surveyors, dept of lands etc etc etc and finally have moved a little bit of dirt ready for the sheds, but still a long long way to go.
For those that don't know, we sold our house privately in March and we need to move out by end of October and our new house wont be completed until about this time next year (ish)!
Action at the block.
Earthmoving equipment at the ready.
RURAL VIEW
A view of "Lake Perryman" in our back yard. Our house will be built on the high side of the block and Bev and Bruce (Perryman) our neighbours have assured us that in the 35+ years that they have lived there the water doesn't get any higher :)
Even though we will have wonderful sea views, the rural views on the northern side (back yard) are just as beautiful. During the winter, as you can see, it is a wetland with lots of bird life including black swans. You can see the large nest and the swan sitting on her eggs.
The alfresco area of the house looks out over this.SEA VIEWS
Photos taken from the back of the ute looking south straight out to sea.
South westish towards Port Mac and the breakwater.
We should have a fine 180 degree sea views from the kitchen, dining and lounge upstairs.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Our Beautiful Boy - Some More Pics
One of many Daddy cuddles
Looking up at his Nana Kay.
Coole Dude! He usually wriggles around to get his arms out of his blanket like this, he doesn't like to be tucked in tight.
A typical after feed pose!
His little eyes seem to be focussing and following people around already!
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Memories Are Made of this.............
The girls met their cousin Nash today and here's his first welcome from them!
No words are not necessary for the photos below!
It just makes my heart sing - watching my four beautiful grandchildren together AND having them all together for the first time.
Here we are!
No words are not necessary for the photos below!
It just makes my heart sing - watching my four beautiful grandchildren together AND having them all together for the first time.
Here we are!
Saturday, 23 August 2008
IT'S BOOK WEEK!
The theme "Fuel Your Mind".
Steve put his mind to work and came up with three amazing creations for the girls for the Book Week Parade.
Baie's costume or creation the "Brain Box" was very apt for her!
Here's Tulle and Rori lined up in the parade in the driver's seat of their vehicles!
A couple of late nights were spent by Steve building the cars and brain box and he almost missed his plane finishing off Rori's car!
Steve put his mind to work and came up with three amazing creations for the girls for the Book Week Parade.
Baie's costume or creation the "Brain Box" was very apt for her!
Here's Tulle and Rori lined up in the parade in the driver's seat of their vehicles!
A couple of late nights were spent by Steve building the cars and brain box and he almost missed his plane finishing off Rori's car!
Roast....................Corned Brisket! Hmmm
Was I looking forward to our roast dinner Wednesday night? Yes I was! After a hard day at the office! and the drive home in the rain, I walked in the back door to a delicious if slightly 'unusual' aroma of roast beef and all the trimmings.
I changed my clothes and walked into the kitchen where Dad was carving the 'roast' and Allan serving the vegetables - looked great - hang on, let me look again!
The meat looked rather pink! I commented, "Has that roast been cooked ong enough, it looks very pink? or................................hmmm, looks a little like a piece of corned meat that has been roasted!"
Allan (the chef)'s response, "What? You're Kidding? I #@**%#@!!!!
This was the third time he had either roasted the corned meat or boiled the roast!!!!
After a few more self depreciating expletives we settled down to eat our roast corned brisket, it tasted better than it sounded, but not quite as good as the photos show it looks!
I changed my clothes and walked into the kitchen where Dad was carving the 'roast' and Allan serving the vegetables - looked great - hang on, let me look again!
The meat looked rather pink! I commented, "Has that roast been cooked ong enough, it looks very pink? or................................hmmm, looks a little like a piece of corned meat that has been roasted!"
Allan (the chef)'s response, "What? You're Kidding? I #@**%#@!!!!
This was the third time he had either roasted the corned meat or boiled the roast!!!!
After a few more self depreciating expletives we settled down to eat our roast corned brisket, it tasted better than it sounded, but not quite as good as the photos show it looks!
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Dear Auntie Cherylynn
A precious email from my little niece as dictated to her mummy.........
Dear Auntie Cherylynn
Monday, 18 August 2008
OUT OF THE BLUE
"Out of the Blue" is a cooking show made in SA, the guys (can't remember their names) travel around South Australia cooking using local seafood, cooking outside usually.
Earlier this year they went fishing with Allan, Adam & Steve and then Steve was involved in the filming of the cooking segment. I think they also had footage of the day at sea catching the crays.
It may be the Angelakis Brothers???
Anyway, we haven't seen the show yet, it has been on in Adelaide and friends of ours phoned one day quite excited to say that it was on TV. Can't wait to see it for my self!
Earlier this year they went fishing with Allan, Adam & Steve and then Steve was involved in the filming of the cooking segment. I think they also had footage of the day at sea catching the crays.
It may be the Angelakis Brothers???
Anyway, we haven't seen the show yet, it has been on in Adelaide and friends of ours phoned one day quite excited to say that it was on TV. Can't wait to see it for my self!
A Nash Update
Starting with a couple of early photos where he is very very new. One that Adam took in the delivery room and a couple taken on day one, including my favourite - the one with the little hat on.
Very very new......
In the bath
After his bath
My favourite
And a gorgeous little hand holding his Daddy's thumb!
Very very new......
In the bath
After his bath
My favourite
And a gorgeous little hand holding his Daddy's thumb!
Sunday, 17 August 2008
ABOUT THAT CAKE!
Here's the cake! Now it's NOT just your ordinary cake, and it is definitely NOT a store bought cake - Our family definitely does NOT do store bought cakes for our special occasions or any occasion really. NOT that I can remember in the past 30 years or so!
Here's my boy, he's the one up the back behind his wife and crazy off-spring!! He made the cake which is actually a sponge cake. It's the first time (I think) that he has attempted a sponge cake.
It was delicious, especially with the fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit, yummmmmmmmmmm. So here is the rest of the story.
Many years ago, before moving back to the SE, the sponge was a family fave and my speciality. The recipe came from my high school cooking book, the orange edition of "Cook with Confidence" that still takes pride of place amongst my many dozens of recipe books that 'decorate' my shelf. Books with recipes inside that look sooooooooooooo good that I'm sure I will try every single one and....................well one day! Then we built our new home and put a new fashioned all the rage just gotta have one fan forced oven AND my sponge making days were over. Sponge cake does not respond well to fan forced air.
Steve phoned up, "Mum, do you still have your sponge recipe?"
Mum, "Sure do, why?"
Steve, "I'm going to make it for Jaime's birthday cake".
Mum, "Give me a minute and I'll email it to you."
Now, I normally don't give away famous family secret recipes, but considering that every girl in every high school in SA during the 50s, 60s and 70s and in fact a lot earlier than that, would have had one in their possession at some stage, means it's not exactly our family recipe, so if you feel the impulse to bake a sponge, give this one a go! Then let me know, how you did go!
Here's the famous recipe as emailed to Steve, note hints added for good measure!
THE BOOK
Here's my boy, he's the one up the back behind his wife and crazy off-spring!! He made the cake which is actually a sponge cake. It's the first time (I think) that he has attempted a sponge cake.
It was delicious, especially with the fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit, yummmmmmmmmmm. So here is the rest of the story. Many years ago, before moving back to the SE, the sponge was a family fave and my speciality. The recipe came from my high school cooking book, the orange edition of "Cook with Confidence" that still takes pride of place amongst my many dozens of recipe books that 'decorate' my shelf. Books with recipes inside that look sooooooooooooo good that I'm sure I will try every single one and....................well one day! Then we built our new home and put a new fashioned all the rage just gotta have one fan forced oven AND my sponge making days were over. Sponge cake does not respond well to fan forced air.
Steve phoned up, "Mum, do you still have your sponge recipe?"
Mum, "Sure do, why?"
Steve, "I'm going to make it for Jaime's birthday cake".
Mum, "Give me a minute and I'll email it to you."
Now, I normally don't give away famous family secret recipes, but considering that every girl in every high school in SA during the 50s, 60s and 70s and in fact a lot earlier than that, would have had one in their possession at some stage, means it's not exactly our family recipe, so if you feel the impulse to bake a sponge, give this one a go! Then let me know, how you did go!
Here's the famous recipe as emailed to Steve, note hints added for good measure!
----- Original Message -----
From: A & C Perryman
To: MAYOR
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 12:17 PM
Subject: Nanny's Sponge Cake Recipe from Cook With Confidence (school cook book)
This is a double sponge recipe, either 2 x 8" round or the bigger round tin. Can use rectangle, cut the sponge in half and put on top!
You will have to do the conversions if you don't have a scale with imperial measurements.
4 oz Self Raising Flour
1 oz Corn Flour
5 oz Caster Sugar (best to use, but I've made plenty with regular sugar)
4 eggs
6 desertspoons of hot milk or water (think I've mostly used water)
pinch salt if you remember
Whisk egss and gradually add sugar until thick and creamy (this is the most important part of the whole thing, get the eggs fairly fluffy before SLOWLY adding the sugar. Check with your fingers, rub a bit of mixture between them and see if you can feel the sugar - it's ok if you can feel a tiny bit of grit).
Mixture needs to be really fluffy and not drip off the mixing thing - need to be able to make peaks).
Fold in the sifted flours - carefully and don't over fold/mix.
Add the hot water down the side of the bowl & fold in.
Pour into greased and paper lined tins and bake for 17 minutes at 350 degrees - don't use fan - make sure oven is correct temperature before putting the sponge mix in. May be less than 17 minutes if you are using a pan that is not high sided, the shorter the pan the shorter the time to bake.
You can tell if it is cooked by:
Colour, should be yellowish (depends on eggs!)
Comes away from the pan on the edges
Run a knife around the edge if you haven't used baking paper before bringing out of pan.
GOOD LUCK!
And for future sponge makers, if you can get duck eggs, you will make the bestest ever sponge cake - I can guarantee it!THE RECIPE
The real recipe is actually inside the book, I just re-wrote it to double the recipe, inside the cover! The ink from another recipe on the other side of the page has leeched through and the recipe is barely deciferable! All class hey? I'm sure Gordon Ramsays' recipes are stored in exactly the same way!
The real recipe is actually inside the book, I just re-wrote it to double the recipe, inside the cover! The ink from another recipe on the other side of the page has leeched through and the recipe is barely deciferable! All class hey? I'm sure Gordon Ramsays' recipes are stored in exactly the same way!
THE SHELF
THE BOOK
THE END :)
Jaime's now the Big Three Oh!
We celebrated at "The Bean"
With friends and family and food (all the greatest "F" words!) and of course these days...........
LOTS OF KIDS!! And here's a few of them enjoying thier icecream!
The girls joined Mummy blowing the candles
While Dad (baker of the cake) looked on.
Then it was time to cut the cake and make a wish
And this is just me with my scrumptious Rori :)
With friends and family and food (all the greatest "F" words!) and of course these days...........
LOTS OF KIDS!! And here's a few of them enjoying thier icecream!
The girls joined Mummy blowing the candles
While Dad (baker of the cake) looked on.
Then it was time to cut the cake and make a wish
And this is just me with my scrumptious Rori :)
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