A busy week and I'm a year older...

My computer went on the fritz last week so I'll go back to Sunday morning.... all peaceful and quiet - just me and my breakfast - 2 poached home grown googies and a cup of coffee in my Mum mug! Kirby came home from Uni later in the day and is here for the whole week. Yay!
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She travelled back via the Coorong so she picked up some Coorong Mullet from the road side stall (we call it the Roach Coach!). Angus cooked them 'en papillote' which means to encase in parchment to steam the contents. It worked beautifully and the fish was really tender and juicy...
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On Monday afternoon, we went to see Bridesmaids. Funny movie - see it if you like gross sillyness!
Butter chicken for dinner...
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On Tuesday morning, I got straight into making some cherry biscuits for my friend, Helen. It's her birthday! I received a text from another friend saying we were all going out to lunch so that's just what we did! Great to catch up with the girls!
Lamb steaks dusted in Moroccan seasoning, grated parmesan cheese and plain flour - fry in a little oil in a fry pan - Yummo!
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Wednesday was just work, work, work! Kirby picked up some lamb parcels in MtG so that's what we had for dinner.
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Thursday happened to be my birthday so I was totally spoiled with my favourite perfume from Angus and the girls bought me some Peter Alexander PJ's and lovely necklace. And Kirby made this awesome Donna Hay chocolate cake. Actually similar to last years but a different recipe. So rich!
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For dinner, we had pre-dinner champers then Gus put a spice rub on some nice steaks and the girls did a salad and potatoes...
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This is very standard fare at our house - a salad full of veggies and potato & sweet potato cubes, oven baked with a seasoning. So easy...
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Yum! This is just what I ordered for my birthday dinner!
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Friday morning we headed off to Melbourne by air. We had to pick up a vehicle that we had bought at auction then go get another vehicle we had transported over to Melbourne, have it washed and sparkling clean so we could deliver it to the gentleman who bought it. Once that was done, we went out to dinner at a Teppanyaki Japanese restaurant where they cook all the food in front of you, on big grills.
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(all pics in Melbourne via Nokia E71 phone - forgot my camera!)
We ordered Teriyaki scallops, Ginger Chicken and Wagyu steak, Kobe style with vegetables. The chef puts on a bit of a show in front of you, clacking the pepper and salt shakers and finely slicing the meats and flicking things about - very clever and entertaining.
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This is a rock lobster that some other gentlemen were having for their dinner. This poor critter was moving as he cut it in half then covered it with a lid. Two minutes later the chef removed the lid and its legs were still moving!
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Delicious, fresh scallops. At this point, the chef thought I was being a bit rude, taking photos so I stopped. :(
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Saturday morning, Gus went to check out some auction houses for vehicles and this gave me time to do a bit of shopping - only a bit, mind you!

I bought this Pandora charm for my bracelet - my Mum gave me some birthday money.
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I visited the Lindt shop and bought some chocolate balls for the girls - Kirby had Ultra Dark, Dark, Dark Peppermint, Cookies and cream and Raspberry and Brianna had Peppermint, Cookies and cream, milk and white and orange. They are total opposites when it comes to chocolate tastes.
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Then we were off to the footy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to watch the Carlton Blues play the Collingwood magpies. We go for carlton but they played like tired school boys and lost! This the meat pie that I had for lunch. It was good.
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This is the MCG from the city end - it is a huge stadium and there were about 85,000 people there.
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Dinner on Saturday night was as Ecco Restaurant on Toorak Road. I had a Cappriciosa wood fired pizza...
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Angus had the Duck Risotto...
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I snuck a picture of the wood-fire oven just has the dude was putting another pizza in - it's a bit blurry! Lol!
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We drove back home on Sunday, through Victoria. We left Melbourne in sunshine but it was down to 9C when we got to Ballarat (Hi, Tatersmama!). When we got to Hamilton, it was 8C - we had a quick Subway lunch then onto home.
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We had 'Mexican Potato Casserole' for dinner - one of our all time favourites!
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Hope that has everyone caught up on what's been happening in my neck of the world - thanks for the comments about missing me! I was still reading your blogs even if I wasn't commenting much.
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Cheers - Joolz

Back in business....

My computer is fixed and I will be back soon to fill you in on my busy week, last week.

Cheers - Joolz

Saturday again?

(Bonnie, having an upright snooze in my overgrown garden)
Wow, another working week over! This week has been a bit of a blur with lots of re-filing (out with the old, in with the new), debtor statements and more reconciliations for the end of financial year. I haven't done much at home apart from cook dinner each night and wash clothes and watch them hang limply under the pergola. Any wind we had only bought rain with it.
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My menu for this past week:

Monday - Beef Stroganoff (Gus said the leftovers were even better for lunch on Tuesday)
Tuesday - Pork cutlets, tomato & zucchini bake, sweet corn on the cob and baked potato fries.
Wednesday - Southern style oven baked chicken strips, salad and potato
Thursday - Mac n Cheese for Bri and Me! :)
Friday - Devilled Sausages, mashed potato and green beans (Gus got home late from Adelaide so I had something hot in the pot for him)
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Sorry, no pictures at all! My computer man is coming on Monday morning to sort out my pc. It has scrubbed some files so I am hoping he can restore all of that and have it back to me on Tuesday. He is really good and reasonably priced.
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Bri is now on 2 weeks holidays then goes back to do her 4th term of Year 12 (she started Yr 12 in the 4th term last year) then in actual 4th term they revise and study for their exams. It just gives them more time to cram all of their learning into the 4 whole terms. She bought home a brilliant report so I think she is on track to complete her studies and do well and hopefully achieve a good ATAR score for her South Australian Certificate of Education.
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'Schoolies Week' is celebrated here at the end of last term in November and Bri was planning to go to Torquay in Victoria with some friends and rent a house for 4-5 days and chill out. That seems to have fallen through so they are going to stay closer to home and do the same thing. That makes me happier!
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Kirby comes home tomorrow for a week of her Uni holidays. She is in for a busy second half of the year (the final year of her degree in Marketing (Management) as she has been chosen to do a business practicum and is also a 'mentee' with a 'mentor' from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra where she will see how the marketing is handled for the ASO.
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Some baking is on the agenda this afternoon - some Choc Chip Cookie Bars and I promised Joe, at work, some cookies for his kids as he has been supplying me with farm fresh googs! I also want to spring clean Kirby's room before she gets home tomorrow. Plus I have plenty of washing to deal with too.
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Wishing you a restful weekend (although mine doesn't sound it)
Cheers - Joolz

My PC is unwell...

I've contracted a 'virus' so my pc is out of action for a few days. Still reading blogs when I'm at work, just not blogging from home. Curses!
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Cheers - Joolz

Weekend roundup...

I woke up at 4.30am to the wind howling and whipping around the house, settled back down knowing I had another 2 hours wonderful, snuggly sleep ... 6.13am we had the biggest crack of thunder I have ever heard, it seemed like it was right above our house and I almost hurt my neck when I sat up suddenly! Then the rain poured down for a few minutes and the wind continued to howl. A few more cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening and then it was all over. The pic above was taken just after 8am when it poured down again, this time with some small hail. I do love winter in the South East!
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We had a car to deliver to Adelaide so we headed up on
Saturday morning and stayed with Kirby. She worked until 8.15pm then we went out to dinner at Georges on Waymouth.
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Kirby and Angus had the Hervey Bay scallops, Jerusalem Artichoke veloute, za'atar for entree (not pictured) then Kirby & Brianna had the Tortellini of duck, woodear mushrooms, cavolo nero, pear and olio santo...
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I had the pork belly confit, celeriac, apple candy, vanilla and cider reduction. So much flavour, wow!
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Angus couldn't pass up the special, which I believe was schnapper - the details I cannot remember...
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For dessert, I chose the vanilla bean pannacotta, rhubarb, mandarin jelly... so smooth and full of flavour...
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(apologies - the photos are out of my NokiaE71)
Brianna had the chocolate souffle, balsalmic icecream and slow roasted strawberries.
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On Sunday, we visited a friend who is battling cancer and we were quite shocked to see how he had deteroriated. Once a big strong brute, he is now a shell of his former self. He had complications after his operation and is finding it hard to rally and gain strength. He needs to get stronger before he can have any more chemotherapy. Sadly, things do not look good.
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Tonight, it is back to reality - something to warm our bellies and quickly - I worked all day and only got home at 5.45pm so it's easy to get onto a plate - it's Beef Stroganoff with mushrooms served over pasta with crusty bread rolls. Twenty minutes from start to finish!
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More wild weather coming our way - it's nice to be inside listening to it, all warm and cosy.
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Cheers - Joolz

Changing skies...

Every morning brings a different sky...

brilliant colours this morning...
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Wednesday morning was foggy with a low slung sun, burning it's way through the cloud...
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I bought a bag of mandarines the other day and hadn't eaten any of them so I decided to juice them. Very nice!
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I made Apricot Chicken for dinner Tuesday night. I think it is my all time favourite winter dish but Bri is not a fan and so we probably only have it once or twice.
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Roast roll of pork and roast vegetables on Wedesday night - this small roast takes only 1 hour to cook.
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We've had really cold mornings then bright sunny days so this winter weather is tolerable at the moment. I love it!
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I spent the Wednesday reconciling our business superannuation and finally got it to balance in the afternoon. I have numeracy dislexia, I am sure! More audits and reconciling tomorrow, - oh, joy! (Added: I must have overdone it on my desk calculator - it blew up and refused to work so I had to buy a new one!)
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Today is the 1st of July - a new financial year so I will spend the day pulling out all of my files at work and relabelling new ones - my life is so exciting, eh?
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Cheers Joolz

Remembering Diana...

Diana would have celebrated her 50th birthday today has she not been tragically killed in August 1997. This is a cross stitch I did not long after she passed away. I have a box of books, videos, coins, stamps, magazines and paper cuttings to remember her by.