Queen's Birthday Long Weekend... sorry it's late!

 Sorry, I have been absent so much from the blog - it's just been hectic at work (end of financial year stuff) and with my Mum.  This is a bit of a catch up post.

Both our girls came home for the Queen's Birthday Long weekend (8-9th June), which was lovely.  Bri was off to visit her friend Maddy and her family on Saturday so I made some scones and sent some strawberry jam and tomato chutney for them to enjoy too...

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 ... can't forget the cream!

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 I made garlic bread out of my last French Baguette...

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I also made these Muffins that taste like Donuts!  So good!

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Muffins

(that taste like doughnuts)

1 1/3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp b powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/3 c oil

3/4 c wht sugar

1 egg

3/4 c milk

Combine dry ingred, mix liquids, beat till well mixed. Add to dry ingred and mix till just blended. Put into muffin tin and bake at 350/F for 20-25 m min.

While muffins are hot dip into butter and roll in powdered sugar or sugar & cinnamon.

1/4 c wht sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

melted butter or marg. ~

I also filled them with strawberry jam!

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 Sunday we drove to Coonawarra and had lunch at Fodder...

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 Lemon Curd Syllabub - a close second for my favourite dessert (Creme Brulee being my first favourite!)

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At the bottom on the glass, there was the most buttery, crisp shortbread crumbly bits... 

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Wood fire baked apple crumble (Angus)...

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 Passionfruid Semifreddo wth cats tongue biscuits (Brianna) ...

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 Wicked chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet (Kirby) ...

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 Bri had the honour of driving us home in Gus' new GT Falcon - I still haven't had a drive!

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 Can't recall what meat we had for dinner but we had this pear, walnut, parmesan and rocket salad with this dressing ...

150 mls olive oil (or walnut oil)

50 mls balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

- Mix all ingredients in a jar and give a good shake!

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 Sunday morning I made pasties using veal mince (all I could get at the supermarket) and a packet of Continental Curried Mince flavouring together with diced carrot, potato and zucchini...

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and I made some Weekender Biscuits - they look a bit different each time - these were rolled in cornflakes whereas the linked ones don't look like they were...

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In other news, we had put Mum;'s name down at the local nursing home after she decided that if her health didn't improve that it would be for the best.  Since her fall at Christmas, she had had quite a few health issues and a couple of overnight hospital stays.  Anyway, 3 weeks after putting her name down, they rang to say she could have a bed the following Wednesday - one week away!  My two sisters moved her in on the 12th and so far she has had up days and down days.  It has been a big transition but we know she is safe there and getting very good care.  The facility is extremely well run with attention to cleanliness, friendly professional staff, exellent meals and lots of activities to keep minds active.  We hope she will settle in well over the coming few weeks.

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Cheers - Joolz