A quick thank you

Thank you to those who posted recipes I can tell you it is Wednesday here and I read this post quite early got in and baked the fruit crumble for breakfast that Tracey suggested as i had all the ingredients on hand!! YUM

I made slab cake on Sunday and iced it differently and used different flavoured cake and that was fantastic - what a simple idea. Fruit slice this afternoon thank Lyn.

Ths is actulaly fun I have made more time to cook these things - so maybe time wasn't the issue perhaps motivation. Whatever it is -thanks girls (and the children thank you)!!

daisymum

PS: The reason I had cake mix in the cupboard is because I make a really simple dessert with it. SO as you shared your heres mine................

Upside down fruit cake:

You need

One packet of butter cake mix
One can of fruit
However many eggs the packet mix says.
spice

How you do it:

put packet mix in a bowl add egg(s) add juice from can of fruit (eg pineapple)
mix
place powdered ginger and cinnnamon in the bottom of a greased cake tin place sliced pineapple on top - put cake mixture on top of this and whack in the oven for the designated time (usually 25 minutes at 180 degrees C.

Turn out and voila Pineapple upside down cake!!!!!!! For about $2.50 Aus.

Use different spices for different fruits eg: pears cinnamon and allspice
peaches star anise.

OR the other favourite quick standby is:

Cherry flat Cake ( not very inspringin but you will see what I mean when you make it)

You need:
one packet of butter cake mix
1 can of sour cherries DRAINED (or a cup and half of frozen berries)
1 250 ml carton of sour cream

whack the sour cream and cake mix in a bowl - mix well

fold in cherries or berries

whack in a greased cake tin and cook for about 25 minutes on 180 degrees C.

It won' t rise (hence the flat cake description) serve cold with cream for a luscious - aren't-I-a-fantastic-cook dessert.

have a great day

daisymum

FRIDAY - Recycling and Recipes!!!

There is nothing like waking up and realising it is Friday - except these days I also work on Saturdays - but Saturday is a different kind of day it is kind of like a free dress day at school!! ( In Australia all schools except some privatley run primary schools have compulsory uniform rules).

I am not commenting anymore on the garbage situation - I think my "friends" jumped too quickly onto the "madwoman" bandwagon - so from now on Joolzmac and I will suffer in silence as we sort other peoples laziness.

But seriously it has made me realise that now I am working full time again how much packaging there is in things. I always used to take my storage jars to the organic shop and get them filled there - they just weigh the jar then weigh it again after it is full of flour or whatever. But I don't have time to do that these days so ther are flour packets, sugar packets the list goes on. As I work more hours I seem to be more disorganised with shopping and food preparation - oh I still cook every night - no takeaway - So no packaging there......it is the biscuits!!

In an attempt to be a good mother I have been buying - buying mind - you biscuits (cookies) for the kids for lunches (hang head in shame ....) and afternoon teas.

So today the challenge for you my friends is to give me your easiest - yummiest - quickest biscuit and slice recipes.

Sunday I am cooking all day to fill the freezer with things so no more bought biscuits and no more packaging.

Can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Daisymum

Madwoman's Garbage

Thinking of changing the name of the blog to Madwoman's Garbage - today is rubbish day - guess what I was doing today????????????

Yes the mad garbage sorter was at it again???????? I know I don't throw out more than half a bin and as I am the only one who Pcks things up where does all this stuff come from!!!!!!!!!!!!


Off to get another glass of wine mutter mutter mutter...

daisymum

Green Streets

I have just joined "Green Streets" and to my delight have found two others in our street who are also taking part.

You go on to the website answer a few questions about how you live eg: how many times per week your family uses public transport, how much non recyclable waste you put out each week, whether you grow your own food, etc etc all the things we are doing anyway. From there you get a score and the aim is to lower the score.

Check it out and let me know what you think. I love the idea of being publicly accountable....for example I answered the question about the rubbish and put down we have about half a bin full each week - that was rubbish day and guess what?? The boys had cleaned their room so there was a mass of stuff in the bin - rahter than put it out and have the neighbours see I had lied I went through the bin added what I could to the recycling, grabbed some clothes for rags, used some of the plastic bottles as planters for the seedlings and it eventually came down to half a bin - then I went back in the house had another quick shower got changed into a fresh set of work clothes and drove like a maniac to get the boys to school on time!!!!! So I saved half a bin of rubbish from landfill, used another 50 litres of water for the shower washed another set of clothes and used a bucket load of petrol speeding.........

Next week I check the bin out on Tuesday afternoon, not on the way to the car for work!!!!!!

Seriously though I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't just filled in the survey and knew that my neighbours would be driving past..accountability it is a great thing.

Have a look at it here................http://www.greenstreet.net.au/

daisymum

A Mummy day

On Tuesday I went off to work sat there for about an hour staring at the computer screen knowing that there were things I should be doing. After a while I realised that sitting there wasn't doing anyone any good so I packed up did some grocery shopping and came home. Now the thought twelve months ago of coming home from an exciting vibrant place filled with interesting people to do housework would have never crossed my mind. But on Tuesday that is exactly what I needed.

I called it a mummy day but in reality as I sit here and write it was a Rhonda Day - those of you who read Rhondas blog Down to Earth will know exactly what I mean.

I swept and mopped floors, dusted, rearranged, cooked, washed, folded, ironed, tidied and gardened. After about an hour of working up a sweat with the broom and vacuum I felt great.

And finally after about 6 weeks there are flowers in my vases again nothing makes me happier than flowers from my our garden inside the house.

Sometimes I think you need to make sure your home is still a haven before you can go out and be constructive and productive in the wider world.

Have a Great Day

Daisymum

Real Estate Sales Me

I know - it has been ages but I have been trying to come to grips with my new role. The new office is wonderful and the staff are all incredibly professional, caring, and generous people..it is nice to be working there.

Work -I have had some mild success I signed up my very first property to sell in just two weeks, and it will be an auction ( so if any of you are looking for a lifestyle change - watch out for a tearoom, residence and vacant block for that organic vegetable garden - all just 35 minutes from Brisbane CBD). Work wise things are great.

House - the dust storm, school holidays and me working my little behind off (more about that in a later paragraph) have taken a toll on my home - remember those "honesty shots" almost a year ago??? Well the sewing room looks not quite as bad as that but the garden is worse. One day a week just isn't enough to keep everything under control.

Vegetable Garden - what vegetable garden? I have a few stalks of silverbeet, loads of Kale - (thanks Rhonda that stuff just grows its head off!!! been using it in spinach pie type things and fritattas.) And there are some volunteer tomatoes which are the sweetest tasting tomatoes I have ever grown so not exactly sure where they came from!!!!

Garden - the roses are blooming their heads off and the hedge row roses have their first flush of flowers - they are so lovely they only flower for about three weeks a years but when they do it is gorgeous, and the jacaranda is coming out in bloom as well so the garden - from a distance- looks pretty good.

Me - I went to the agents launch of a property the other day and was sent some photos - I knew I was fat but oh my gosh so am embarking on a look after me campaign. Started eating breakfast again, packing snacks and lunch, booked in for yoga on Mondays and will walk/run five times a week. My new boss is very keen on the idea of incorporating your fitness times into your weekly schedule - so I booked myself in for a Seasonal Way seminar on Thursday this week a kick start to looking after myself and guess what ? He starts an eight week sales training session that day!!!!!

Sewing - what sewing? The photo at the top of the page is an original design put out under my business name Daisy Mountain Designs - it has sold very well and I love walking into someones sewing room and seeing it up on the wall.....but there are times when I can't believe that I designed it and found the time to stitch it and package it and well be creative.

The Moral of this Post - if health is all about balance and moderation - I am taking up woodwork to learn how to make a big box - because I am going to need it!!!LOL Oh don't get me wrong I eventually get everything done and everything under control but there is always something that has to give including blogging but mostly it is me and what I need or want to do. I think I have discovered that the purpose of my life this time around is learning to find balance - if I was a cynic I would say I might have to live this life a few thousand more times before I get it right.

But as in all large jobs it is easier to break it down so for today I will blog, I will walk/run, I will take my lunch and snacks to work, I will hand quilt tonight in front of tv, I will wash the kitchen floor before I go to work today, and when I bring the boys home from school I will plant the blueberries, cranberries and Taro I bought three weeks ago!!!!

Have a wonderful day...I know I will

daisymum