Tagged - Christmas Dinner

Our table from last year


I have been tagged by Jodie
about our Christmas dinner.

Basically apart from opening Santa's presents we pretty much spend the day at my parents place with any other friends or family who are visiting. This year it will be just my mum and dad plus the Hillbilly's. My brother will spend it with his in-laws.

Breakfast is eggs benedict with salmon and for the non salmon lovers the ham version we normally eat that out by the pool as it is still cool enough.

After breakfast we open the presents

Lunch this year will be cold turkey, ham and pork with roast vegetables, german potato salad, sweet potato salad, prawns, oysters, bugs and crabmeat.

Dessert this year we have 3 one is something with mangoes (cant remember my mum did tell me but I tuned out) this decadent chocolate meringue thing made by my mum for Snr and I am making the Raspberry & Turkish Delight Ice cream cake which is on the front of the Family Circle Christmas edition this year. I made the mango ice cream cake out of last years Family Circle christmas edition (this is a great magazine to keep for the festive season)

Most importantly I have a bottle of Moet chilling in the fridge as I type and this year I am not driving, incubating or feeding a baby and that bottle is all mine. Alllllllllllll mine you hear....

Okay so I tag

Jodes
Mothership
Lisa

A lot to blog about

I have about a million things to blog but just have been really slack. I am really struggling with my lack of enthusiasm about Christmas this year. I want to be excited but just can't for some reason. Oh well maybe next year hey.

While we were away for the week catching up with some lovely friends a parcel arrived for moi from my lovely talented friend Lisa I am guessing it was a christmas present but damn that who can wait so I ripped it open and received this loveliness.




Secondly my darling gorgeous friend Mothership did me a huge favour as I subtley hinted that these markets would be excellent (and apparently they were) to get me this bag from Beckybean I had been eyeing this bag off for ages


and thought I would get Mothership to check it out for me and if it was as cute in real life as it looked on the blog then to get it for me and get it she did all wrapped up gorgeously in brown paper with red string and buttons.

So anyway heaps more to blog (and one is about a big dangerous bloody snake) so will be back later.

Tata

Awww

Who owns those cute clean kids.



Sweet Jnr
Precious Little One
Spirited Baby Girl (tattoo's and all)

Well here they are all dressed up and ready to attend Carols on the foreshore but the thunder and lightning put a halt to proceedings so we took our takeaway pizza and glo stick bracelets home and put on a Christmas CD and did it at home. Not quite the same but you can't control the weather (and if by chance you are reading this and you CAN control the weather can you adjust the temperature gauge it is a tad too high up this way). The tinlids were a bit disappointed but a few tears later and promises of some yummy biscotti all was forgotten.

Last Day of School

Well we have officially survived the first year of school 12 more years to go, well for this one anyway.

It has been a year all of highs and I hope that this continues throughout Jnr's whole school life.

To finish off the year instead of Christmas cards Jnr will give each classmate a gingerbread tree (yes they are supposed to look like trees).



Much nicer to eat than a paper card I think.

From Little Things...

A couple of months ago we were using a section of the vegie patch as a composting area until our new compost bin was built. From that section of the garden with no planting of any kind on our part up sprouted about 1/2 a dozen tomato bushes. From just throwing away unused tomatoes we harvested well over 100 tomatoes.



So apart from the usual eating of tomatoes we have also made some green tomato pickles.

The colour of the green tomatoes when sliced was amazing and I am sure my photos will not do it justice.


It was a 2 day process as the tomatoes need soaking in brine overnight but such an easy recipe.




Now to find a yummy roasted tomato relish.

Taking a moment

I don't know about you but my life seems really really hectic. This morning when feeding the Little One (LO) I took a moment to reflect. I think this is because today I started negotiating my return to work...eeeek. I am so torn I really really want to go back but I really really want to stay at home.

I gazed at my baby girl as I fed her and I told myself that I need to remember that she loves to twirl her dummy in her hands whilst drinking. I often forget this and she will fuss until I remember and place it in her tiny hands. She will also tickle her ears when tired just how her big sister used to do it when she used a dummy.

She hates to have blankets on her just like her big brother and sister. Most of all she loves to just smile at us. She smiles not only with her mouth but from her eyes they sparkle. I hope she keeps that sparkle forever as it truly is a gift. She especially loves to make us laugh and when she does something that makes us laugh she will keep repeating it until after 20 times our forced laughter makes us laugh all over again.

She has been crawling now for nearly 3 weeks and I am afraid to say that she is also trying to stand up. I caught her yesterday when she should have been sleeping standing up in her cot at the rails. Was I cranky that she should have been sleeping, no. Was I shocked that she was standing (well yes a little) but mostly I was just a bit sad that she is growing up so very quickly.

****
Baby Girl who was born to be a middle child is also growing. She told me yesterday in her cranky tone that I am not the Queen of the house she is and that I am just a princess. Apparently she is the Queen. Well we all knew that and to be honest I am surprised she bestowed the title of princess on me and not her royal slave.

Baby girl loves to sing and dance such a stark contrast to her brother who we could not get to wiggle his hips in the slightest as a toddler. She sings for most of the day but will stop and gives us a modest smirk when she catches me drinking her in.

She is an independant soul who really wants to do it all herself but gets easily frustrated when she cant (unfortunately something she obviously inherited from me). She loves to help (when it suits her) and is a keen assistant gardener to Snr. She can name all the vegetables in our garden and loves to eat the food she has helped to grow. She too is growing fast and is starting to make her own little friends which is nice to know that she can do that on her own. Her favourite book is Celeste sails to Spain and Clive eats Alligators (both by Allison Lester) and we can't go to bed until Snr has told a story and sung Advance Australia Fair. She loves to take Jnr to school and looks forward to Friday's so she can go to assembly at Jnr's school.

****

My first baby the baby we never thought we would have is truly the light of our lives. He opened up our world and our hearts to endless unconditional love. He has amazed us every single day of his life.

He is analytical, compassionate, caring and a great conversationalist (he gets that from his father). This week at school (his first year- prep) we attended the Jnr Primary Presentation Evening where our son won the highest award given at the school. It is called the Timothy Award and is for demonstrating a christian attitude, a sevant heart and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. You have followed your teaches direction and learned well, just like Timothy in the New Testament.

To say we were proud is a total understatement. It was a small relief on our part to know that we are doing okay in the parenting department. Whilst we are not religious folk we have decided on a Christian education for our children, one because the school ticked all the boxes for our educational requirements and two because it would open up his mind to the concept of religion which is something he does not get at home. Though this has created many topical discussions on creation vs evolution in our home.


If I could stop time for just a short time that would be great life is good and whilst I often dont stop to think just how damn lucky I am because I am too stressed that I have a sink full of dishes or my floors need mopping I need to come back here and read just how lucky I am.

Take one recycled skirt

And make 4 out of it, for 4 lucky (I think) girls.

Here Baby is modelling hers but apparently (according to her) it needed something so she picked out that lovely button embellishment all by herself and it matches it perfectly.




That was my non school related sewing effort this morning in my very hot and humid sewing room (aka the garage). We are so going to get a big storm this afternoon.

Baby Gift

A new little girl entered the world on the 3rd November weighing 8lb 6 oz.

Hopefully she has now received her box of goodies. A quilt, a taggy blanket and a fabric beach ball using the lovely pattern from Purl Bee.





I was not overly happy with my attempts at the beach ball because basically my hand sewing sucks (no it really really does, I seriously need to look into getting some lessons of some kind) and I nearly wasn't going to send it but at Snr's insistence (why o why do I listen to him) I included it. At worst it will be covered in slobber or hidden at the bottom of a toy box.

So welcome to the world Ashlyn Brynn and congratulations Sean, Annie and big brother Callum.

Bathing Hillbilly Style

This is how we (the kids that is - I would not fit my left buttock into that bucket) bathed last night.

Snr has a theory (he has a lot of them, one for every scenario life throws our way) that showering or bathing during a lightning storm is rather dangerous and because everyone was hot, sweaty and a tad tetchy bathing in a bucket was our solution.

The kids thought it was hilarious and in the process we saved a bit of water.

7 mths old (a bit late)

I am running very very behind this month and have a whole heap of posts to do but I am just purely exhausted. Too many late nights, lots of sewing (mainly school presentation evening costumes...gah) and birthday party madness.

In amongst all of that chaos my Little One hit 7 mths. This photo was actually taken on the 8th Nov and I just didn't get time to take one of her on her quilt (well I did remember but late at night). Still totally delicious but now with teeth. Eating now, but only jars of shop bought stuff will not eat my totally yummy organic homemade stuff. She even has a few words in her vocabulary (mainly just mimic type words) mum, da, yum, dum, bub. LO also crawls and if I put little mops on her hands I could have the cleanest floors in Australia.

Happy Birthday to ya...

Well in this house today means two ya's. That is right only at Chez Clampett could we manage to pull off the quinella. With both Jnr and Baby celebrating their birthday's today. Jnr is 6 and Baby is 3.

If you know Baby and her 'spirited' little personality you just know that her arriving on Jnr's 3rd birthday so that we had to cancel his party and dote and drool over our new baby girl is so her.

Hard to believe really that I have a 6 year old he is the most amazing little boy (to us) and we love him and his inquiring mind like no other.

How to describe the 3 years of Baby. Loving, funny, challenging and tiring. But at the end of the day even when it has been tough we always laugh (in hindsight) at her antics and wonder what the new day will bring.

I wish you both a lifetime of health, happiness and love and no matter what you always have a friend in me.

Today is bought to you by the letter R

Also I have included my current WIP (well one of one hundred but one that will be finished this week.) It is a quilt for a baby that will arrive tomorrow and I so loved this fabric but I truly do question my ability to pick fabrics. This wasn't my original plan for the quilt but due to the busy nature of my fabric choice it has been altered slightly. It is gender neutral as we don't know the baby flavour but the colours are bright and cheery and I am sure will get some good workouts on the floor.


This week will be a busy sewing week as I have stupidly decided that crayon rolls instead of lolly bags was a good idea for Jnr and Baby Hillbilly's party next week so I have roughly 20 or so to make...argggghhhhhhh

Tagged

I have a few of these to catch up on so here goes...

1. Where is your cell phone? Good question I have no idea, I think it is in the car.
2. Where is your significant other? Work
3. Your hair colour? Brown
4. Your mother? Is an excellent Grandmother
5. Your father? Very generous
6. Your favorite thing? A good night sleep
7. Your dream last night? Dont sleep enough to get to dream unfortunately
8. Your dream/goal? To finish all my sewing projects before the fabric gets dusty
9. The room you're in? Kitchen/Family room with old repeats of All Saints playing in the background
10. Your hobby? At the moment sewing
11. Your fear? My kids getting a terminal disease
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Still here but possibly in a new house
13. Where were you last night? At home cleaning, cutting patterns and fabric
14. What you’re not? motivated enough
15. One of your wish list items? 1 carat (eah ear) diamond earrings.
16. Where you grew up? A small mining town in Central Qld
17. The last thing you did? Rang the Dr to see if he is running on time and spewing because I have 2 sick sleeping children and I will have to wake them both up to take them to the said Dr who even though I have been told is running on time will make me effing wait a long time
18. What are you wearing? 3/4 grey/black denim look pants a black polo and this very coolred chunky necklace with my new cool $50 thongs...I know that price is ridiculous but they are very fancy rubber thongs
19. Your TV? All Saints repeat
20. Your pet? None - and it is great
21. Your computer? Is old and covered in dust
22. Your mood? Is okay nothing a few hours sleep wouldn't fix
23. Missing someone? Umm not off the top of my head
24. Your car? Is terribly messy on the inside it is seriously a dumping ground for everything and anything
25. Something you’re not wearing? My engagement ring it isticks and scratchs LO
26. Favorite store? Spotlight
27. Your summer? Will be spent at the beach
28. Love someone? The kids and Snr and my parents for all the help they give us with the kids
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? This morning at Jnrs school as I went to help out with Finger Gym and after their morning story they all get to share something with the class which is usually something that is happening at home one little boy shared how his mummy was sick this morning and I cringed wondering what goodness Jnr shares that happens in our house some days.
31. Last time you cried? About 20 mins something banal on tv. I am the worlds biggest tear jerker I cry at anything and everything.

Pink Ribbon Day

Today is Pink Ribbon Day and unfortunately there are probably far too many of us who have been touched by cancer.

A lovely friend of mine hosted a Girls Night In 2 weeks ago.

We held a little shindig where there were 11 ladies and we raised just over $500.00. I was tickled pink (excuse the pun) at how much we raised and had so much fun doing it.

Far too many grape juices consumed along with some totally delicious food. This is how I recovered the next day with some of my highly coveted goodies.




So I hope you got your ribbon or donated even just a dollar there are so many worthy cancer related charities around.

I lost my beautiful Grandmother at the age of 50 to breast cancer.

R.I.P - Rita Hapgood 09.09.1926 ~ 24.09.1976

You know I love a good test for absolutely useless information

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

So take the test here and tell me how long you could survive.

Just quietly I think we could last longer because technically the Little One doesn't eat but then we don't own a cow so the milk could get us earlier. But we do have our own vegie patch and heaps of seeds plus a new apparently tasty leather couch???

6 Months

Am a bit late this month due to being sick but here she is in all her gorgeousness.

Starting to get very mobile now not quite crawling but somehow moves around the place very phantom like, no sees it she is just there.

Eating solids still on the rice cereal as it is a bit hit and miss one day she wolfs it down the next wont have a bar of it. So we are starting her tonight on organic pumpkin...yummmmm.

And lastly we have two little toothy pegs that popped up overnight it would seem.

She melts my heart.

A friendly reminder friends.

Hi Regular Reader. I have been MIA for a bit due to sickness hitting Chez Clampett. Note to self never brag about how you never got any lurgy's during winter. Because come spring something nasty will come and bite you fair on the arse.

Anyway today's post is a bit of doom and gloom but also a community notice all wrapped up into one.

Summer will soon hit our Australian shores and our sun has quite a bite to it. Can I beg and plead regular reader that you go and get your annual skin check if you have not already. It could save your life...seriously.



I have just had a suspected melanoma cut out and will be getting another done next week.

So get your family done soon. Nag your friends and neighbours. Spread the word even if you have just had summer it is never too late to get your skin check done. And remember SLIP SLOP and SLAP. And if you dont your a bloody idiot.

Hopefully back to normal programming soon regular reader.

Habitual Sundress

Finally I have made the dress that I have been admiring for so long. I am so enamoured with this style that I made both my girls one (even matching and I swore I would never do the matching outfit thing)

So simple to make and it is just simply stunning IMO.

The photo doesn't really do it justice but you will have to wait till morning when the girls are awake to try them on for a photo shoot.

So a huge thank you to Habitual for being so generous and sharing this wonderful pattern for free with us all.

And so it begins....

Much love to my dear friend Jodes over at The House of Chaos for her technical work on the picture for her technophobe friend.

Girls Night In

A great fundraising event being organised by the Cancer Council.

So pull your finger out and get together with a bunch of your girlfriends and raise a few dollars for such a worthy cause.

At the little soiree I am attending we are each bringing some kind of food item and it will be auctioned off on the night. I am secretly hoping someone brings along a homemade Lemon Meringue Pie. I am a sucker for this pie *drool*

Lunch

Lunch last week was this lovely little Mushroom and Spinach Layer Cake. I caught the tail end of it being made on Alive and Cooking with James Reeson.

This truly was a very simple dish to make and was really quite yummy.

The recipe calls for just one large 'cake' but I had 2 other people joining me and decided that cutting into the pastry would be just too messy so I made individual ones instead. The recipe measurements made 3 individual serves just perfectly.

I also pre made mine and kept them in a low warm oven. It melted the bocconcini but I think it made it nicer as cutting into the uncooked cheese would have made it a bit difficult.

Thoroughly recommend this recipe.

Another wrap skirt

I have been sitting on this fabric for a while now. I bought it with the good intention of making Baby HB a little dress but decided it was too nice and had to use it for myself. I was not going to make this skirt reversible but being the modest little thing that I am the fabric was far too see through for my liking so I just bought some lovely cheap dark brown floral for the lining.

Only a minute

I could survive for 60 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

It is always good to know this kind of information, you just never know...

Lego Heaven

That is where Jnr was today.

We spent a large portion of our day today at the Art Centre where we were able to 'play' with the current works.

Olafur Eliasson's The Cubic Structural Evolution Project is in the house.
Literally thousands of white pieces of lego on a large table where all and sundry can make whatever you heart desires.


When we were finished we put our 'art' up for display with heaps of other pieces. So I guess you can offically say that Jnr and I have had our work displayed in a gallery now.

What kind of mother

forgets to take her camera on the first day of Nippers for Jnr.

Why this mum of course!!!!!

Well the Hillbilly's have joined the Qld Surf Lifesaving movement even Snr is getting into the spirit and will be completing a few water supervisors course so he can assist the coaches.

And again this morning after taking all 3 (yes I must be crazy) to the beach this morning I forget the camera again.

Mother England

Last week they held a mini Olympics at Jnr HB's school. Prep 1 were England so we had to present a table of english fare. After much head scratching and lots of lovely suggestions but nothing practical to pre make to have ready for morning tea for approx 100 junior primary students. I decided to make cups of tea which is very english and another mum made scones to go with our 'cups of tea'. So the night before with Jnr and Snr's help we set up a lovely little production line with Jnr salivating at every mishap and wanting to eat all the leftovers (dream on buddy)

The day was absolutely excellent and the teaching staff had put a lot of thought and effort into preparing for the day. There was a torch relay, opening ceremony and medal ceremonies.



For morning tea we had tropical fruit kebabs from Fiji. Meat pies, vegemite sandwichs and lamingtons from Australia. Fried rice and spring rolls from China and greek shortbread from Greece as well as scones and cups of tea from England.


ANd here is one of the Little One in some alternative furniture.

Success...at last

Finally some success in the pesto department.

I went back to a basic recipe and it tastes just lovely.

We used it last night just mixed into some fresh pasta with some finely grated pecorino and was devoured by one and all.

Finally we got it right. Think it might be time to let go of the disasterous rocket pesto now.

Pay it Forward

I received my lovely Pay It Forward gift from the very talented and generous Lisa.

I received a lovely pin cushion and matching little zip bag to store all my sewing accessories in. The fabric is lovely Amy Butler and the little button embellishment is just gorgeous.

I was very excited to receive my pin cushion as it was something I had always admired seeing other people make but never bothered to make one for myself.

There are still 2 spots available in my Pay It Forward so if you are keen let me know.

P.S Check out the big chomping bug that has eaten almost a whole leaf of spinach. Greedy bugger.

Recycling to the extreme

Okay so it is just your generic Australia Post postpak but this little baby will be turning 2 in November and after being lovingly picked up from the post office has lived in Rockhampton, Adelaide and Bargara and soon to go back to what could be its final resting place in Adelaide (its home town) very soon.

This little postpak has travelled approx 7,100 km even lived in a removalist box for a short while (yes I know can you believe I actually packed it up when we moved - okay who am I kidding I never packed it but I did instruct the removalist guy to pack it)

I mean it's not like we can't afford to buy a new one but it kind of became a joke between Emma and I to keep resending it to each other.

So what is your weird recycling story!!!!

More Taggy Blankets

This time I 'had' to make one for my Little One plus I got the bug and made one for a friend using some fabric that I have in my stash which I am pretty sure will coordinate with a softie her little boy already has. The one I made for LO I used some Japanese fabric which I have seen used lots of times in blogland and was never much fussed on it but in the flesh it is gorgeous and think I will have to buy some more to make something to wear for my girls.

I had high hopes of sewing more but I got hit hard on Sunday night with a very sore throat and general unwellness (is that even a word)it hit hard and quickly. All tea and sympathy gladly accepted. I am trying to get as much as I can out of Snr as humanly possible. Somehow I think I will be too exhausted for kitchen or lunch making duties tonight .

From the garden to the table

I am desperately trying to use what I can from the garden so it does not go to waste.

So I have made some mint ice cubes to add to summer drinks. Which I used today in my iced tea with my basil, boccocini and tomato salad for lunch.



Some beetroot dip for a Sunday afternoon wine and nibblies session with our friends. The colour was amazing, hot pink. People kept asking was food colouring added but all natural no additives. Beetroot, greek yoghurt, garlic and cumin seeds.


And tonight for dinner a hodge podge chicken casserole using tins of tomatoes, 1/2 pkt of french onion soup mix and from the garden spring onions, basil, parsely, spinach, baby carrots, zucchini and mushrooms. I will add some cannelini beans in the last 1/2 hour I hope it tastes okay.


And tonight we will again attempt a pesto this time using basil. I hope it works because I have spent a small country in pine nuts over the past few weeks. I want something for my investment. Hopefully it works and we can have a lovely simple pasta dish tomorrow night with a tomato and basil salad.

5 Months Old

Stop the clock!!!

Seriously this is going way too fast. My beautiful little girl is now 5 months old and I have enjoyed every single minute with her even the late nights early starts.
She is an absolute joy.

She makes me want to have another baby.

Green Gift Baskets

Don't they look fab (if I do say so myself)

All grown organically by Snr HB.



Went to lunch yesterday with two very lovely ladies and was able to take these along to each of them.

Sweet Little Dress

I made this today. It is from Leila and Ben . A very simple summer dress which I just love. Can't wait to try it on Baby Hillbilly tomorrow.

Ooh I love it even more now that I have seen it on her. Looks rather groovy with the red tights if I do say so myself.