A busy week...

I ordered a Kangaroo Island Relief Hamper through Hamper Emporium - I am really pleased with it for the price.  I paid $100 and I think it is great value.  The wine is a $30 bottle, the shampoo and conditioner are $42/set, 2 x olives at $7.95 ea, olive oil $12.95, rolled oats $6.00, plus the other items so well over $100.  They also give a donation to the KI Mayors Fund...

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We've started doing Meatless Mondays.  This is a Moroccan Lentil Shepherd's Pie, quite delicious and ZERO points.  The roast pumpkin topping was delicious!

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I served it with steamed greens, also 0 points...

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I also had enough for 2 lunches to freeze...

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The weather has been odd of late...very humid with chilly mornings, quite foggy.  Just look how green the park lands are now, after that big rain we had.

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Tuna Tuesday meant I needed to search the WW app to find a recipe.  These are Tuna mornay vegetable bakes...

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Husband declared it the best tuna morney he's ever had...not sure if he was joking or for real but they certainly were tasty...

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Muesli, fruit and half a serve of yoghurt for breakfast...

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I did a comparison of these 2 blueberry yoghurts I had in the fridge.  Bearing in mind the Dairy Farmers is not a low fat one but it just goes to show how you can cut back by using a low fat option.

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The Chobani one is 170 gms and 5 points and the DF one is 150 gms and 9 points.

Chobani - total Fat 0.3, Sat. fat 0.2, Sugar 16.7, Kjs 564.4 and Protein 13.6 

D/F - total Fat 9.3, Sat. fat 6.0, Sugar 20.2, Kjs 822 and Protein 5.7

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Wednesday night, I was a bit over everything so just coated chicken breasts in a crumb coating and baked until tender.  Servied with roasted potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini and sweet corn...

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On my morning walk, I noticed these shrubs which were bursting into bloom...

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I have been told they are Crepe Myrtles, something I'd heard of but never seen in flower...lovely!

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Yummy porridge again...

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Put my car through the car wash on Thursday...

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My nephew gifted us a crayfish so I made 3 salads to enjoy with it.  It was delicious!

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Friday morning, the horizon was cloudy at sunrise, quite spectacular...

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Ugh!  I tried Woolworths Macro Linseed & Sunflower 85% Lower Carb bread - husband complained about it, saying it was not good.   I thought he was a bit whingy until I tried it.  I think eating cardboard would've have more taste.  I actually cut off the crusts so I could chew it!  I did not enjoy it with my eggs at all!  Never again!

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...and after saying my tomatoes would never ripen, I finally had a red one!

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I picked it but it wasn't very juicy...

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We headed off to Adelaide for the weekend.  A special Valentines Day for us and wedding venue hunting on Sunday...the bride and groom think they've found the spot!

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Cheers - Joolz xx

A quiet weekend...

I had a new oven installed last week...my Westinghouse blew another fan element which was going to cost around $200 to fix - I have had that replaced before in November 2016.  I remember saying then, that if anything else goes on the oven, we need to replace it not fix it as we’ve spent plenty on it over the past 5 years.

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So, we bought a Miele.  We have a Miele dishwasher that hasn’t missed a beat since we installed that in May, 2009 so we figured the quality must be good.

It did a brilliant job baking these dinner rolls.  Really even browning which my other oven wasn’t doing.

Next up, a lasagne and again, lovely browning.

Oh, yeah!

We had a rainbow appear at 8.15pm ...

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I know Mason jars have been around a while and everybody has been drinking juices and shakes out of them but I’ve noticed some US homesteaders drink their coffee out of them.  

I thought I’d give it a go with a Rose’s marmalade jar, enjoying a coffee with my poached googs...

I potted up these two teacups to gift to our visitors who are coming for Australia Day.  I think they’ll like them...

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I did a lot of pottering and tidying on the weekend.  I ‘tried’ to tidy the spare room as best I could.  We seem to have suitcases and ‘stuff’ that doesn’t have a home so it gets dumped in the spare room.  Ugh!  I also dusted and made up the beds in the girl’s room, ready for our guests.  Time to rehydrate with a lime mineral water, served in a champagne flute!

This morning, I converted 6 boxes of beer bottles...

...into a crispy $20 note!  Gotta love South Australian recycling - every stubby is worth .10c when taken to the recyclers.  Luckily, the recyclers is about 2 minutes down the road... 😊

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I have a busy few days coming up - working plus doing meal prep for our guests.  

I need to make...

Lemon slice (Tuesday, refrigerate)

Monte Carlo biscuits (Wednesday)

Butter cake for lamingtons (Wednesday, freeze for Friday am)

Flat breads (Thursday morning)

Raita (Thursday)

Kachumber salad to accompany curry (Thursday)

Chicken curry (pm Thursday)

Lamington preparation (Friday am)

Pasta salad (Friday am)

Tossed green salad (Friday am)

That should keep me busy!

Cheers - Joolz xx

 

A new book, a curry and homemade yoghurt...

This lovely book arrived yesterday.  I am excited to try some of the yummy bread recipes in there!

I made a nice chicken curry for dinner, last night.  

I also did a tomato/cucumber chutney (raw) and a cucumber raita.  These team really well with it.

Stay home fakeaway! As good as any takeaway curry! 

I thought I’d give Outback Tania’s homemade Greek yoghurt.  I followed her tutorial ...

...that’s the yoghurt mixed up (I did use my Bamix to really mix well)...then into the EasiYo yoghurt maker...

...and voila! This morning I have a kilo of Greek Yoghurt!  I refrigerated for a few hours before tasting.  It’s quite firm but next time I might use just a smidge less water for a thicker outcome.  Delicious drizzled with lavender honey!  

This is the most successful I’ve been with the EasiYo - I have tried a few sachets but always have had runny yoghurt.  If you have a kit, have a go at this method.

Cheers - Joolz xx

Walking, walking...

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Curried, boiled egg...

I love it on toast or on crisp breads...

I’ve become a sucker for succulents!  I have planted out two more...

This one has babies stuck in there which I can transplant later when they’re bigger...

Thursday night sunset over the Canunda flats...

We’ve walked 4/5 work days this week.  We will increase our walk time by 10 minutes to 40 minutes this coming week.  No excuses, lets get moving!

Cheers - Joolz xx