What are you "Happy Feet"

Last weekend my husband took my two boys off camping for the night, so I could have a girls night out. I had huge fun with some great chics, Mon Komo came up with the goods again. When my boys got home on Sunday afternoon, they had with them a tiny little treasure. We will call him "Happy Feet", check out the video below to see why. He is so cute and precious, we fed him chewed up Just Right to begin with, then started Googling, to find out more. My verdict, was that it was a baby Crow, how wrong I was !
Anyhoo, armed with this conviction I called the local "Bird Man" told him I had a baby crow and he promptly told me to head off to get myself some "Ox Heart", little lady - aaaaargh.
A couple of days passed, little man was eating well and drinking from a dropper. However, as the temperature dropped with this rain, he started to cheep a lot, and seemed to be getting distressed.
We had also decided that I was possibly wrong - Never, I said ! But I did start Googling again to try and find out what this awesome little creature was. Frustrated and worried I decided to drop past the bird man and show him in person, and find out finally what type of bird this was. Are you ready??

He is a Curwail ??? So I asked, from the Quail family? We had some thoughts that it could be. When I went home to Google Curwail, I couldn't find any type of quail to that name. I now think he was just pronouncing the word "Quail" to me so I could understand - hmmmmm. So I think its a Brown something or other quail - but I am pretty sure its a quail ???

The Bird Man has our little man (at least we have called it a boy) now, and I cried my eyes out when I dropped him off. I can be such a sook ,but he was so amazingly beautiful and cute. We will be visiting him, to make sure he is ok.

Any assistance or suggestions will be most welcomed xx

Valentines Dinner

Mud Crab or not to Mud Crab ?

My amazing husband took me to our local seafood sepcialist Morgans Seafood Restaurant.
We had our "Omar" (Nanna) sit with the kids, and off we went to our romantic rondevue.  Mr fabulous already had an idea about what he wanted to order, which was, the lobster meal to share. Alas, there was no fresh lobster available, so we discussed the "Mud Crab" adventure. There are heaps of super yummy seafood treats on the menu so I would have been happy with any dish.
The decision was made, Entre - Seared Sea Scallops and Crispy Duck and Mooloolaba Spanner Crab Cakes, to share - mm mm mmmmm.
Main - we opted for the hot mud crab with spicy chilli jam & lemon and herb vinegar. Surprisingly my favourite condiment was the lemon and herb vinegar. I usually add a chilli jam to many of my meals, however I couldn't get enough of the lemon herb vinegar.

Ready and armed with the required untensil to devour this tasty morsel.

The Mud crab "ordeal" was worth it and even though we shared the 1.6 KG muddie, with the entre's, it was certainly enough food. If your going to do the mud crab journey, you just have to dive in. During our meal I was chatting away to my husband when I was using my Crusher utensil to ever so lady like, crack open a claw. Slippery little sucker! Crab juice went spirting into the air ! I caught a gentleman at the nearby table, who had been observing how articulate we were with the dinner, see this happen.  Laughing out loud, I turned back to look at my husband and right on his nose I saw a chunk of mud crab. I couldnt stop giggling and then I did the only thing you can under such circumstances I wiped it off and ate it !!. I guess I could have leaned over and licked it off his face, but that's not manners.

The damage was done, full bellies and lots of laughs, we totally enjoyed our Mud Crab experience. I highly recommend you try it too. xx

www.morganseafood.com.au

Leonard Cohen

I was listening to my itunes endless, mish mash play list yesterday. I just skipped over songs I didn't want to hear, whilst working. Up came my old friend Leonard Cohen singing, "Dance me to the end of Love". Whilst I by no means claim to be a Leonard Cohen Officialdom. I know when I like a song and, usually, I like other stuff they do to.
It's quite an intense song and I really love it, I usually replay it a couple of times when I stumble across it again.
I enjoy so much of his work, it's hard to pick other favourites and I guess it does depend on my mood. I can say I am partial to these as well:
Leonard Cohen: The Gypsy's Wife

Leonard Cohen & U2 : Tower of Song

 

As coincidence will have it, today when I am trolling through the news. I see a side story about a new album by this lovely man. So, what did I do, even though I don't have time? I dive in to check out this new work. Old Ideas is the album.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/review-of-the-week-leonard-cohen-20120202-1qtwi.html

My favourite song off the album is : "Show me The Place", lthough I will need to listen to the album a couple more times.  It's usually the one that hits me straight off that remains my favourite.



If you haven't already made Cohen's music your friend, jump in and do it now - you will not regret it xx

Chicken Dinner in a Hurry !

I don't know about you, but I am constantly disappointed with take-away food ! For me I find it actually quicker and easier to either, whip up something at home from scratch. Or, do a half take-away half home cooked meal. On our way home from the Italian Shoe Fair, on a buying trip, this week, we discussed getting take-away. We were exhausted after four days of buying shoes for the Australian 2012 summer season. With my natural adversity to take-out, I suggested we grab a cooked chicken and add the vegetables at home. I find this works well for me, because I have young children and surprisingly, it is more time efficient. Instead of sitting at the take-away restaurant waiting for my order, trying to amuse the kids, because they are super tired after vacation care. I can already be home, with kids in the shower, while I am whipping up something yummy. Occasionally with a small wine in hand, all is happy in the house! With this in mind I decided to share what I made.

I call it "Chicken Dinner in a Hurry".

As I mentioned we collected a chicken, from Red Rooster (quick, cheap and easy)

 Next, I just grabbed whatever baking vegetables I had in the crisper, this time it was sweet potato, potato, carrots and pumpkin. I chopped these into "quick" baking sizes, with the oven ready on 200 degrees Celsius. Just quickly peel and cut, should take around 5 mins. Then blast the little buggers while you check on the kids.

I find when I use "Carotino" it gives everything a great colour and it is healthy and great for cooking anything. I love oil, so I probably add too much! This is the benefit of cooking at home, you know whats in the food and you can add as much or as little oil and other ingredients as you like.

 I also love greens and I go nuts for nuts, so I grabbed what I had, which was some spinach and zucchini, some tired tomatoes, an half an onion. Chop chop chop, messy don't be fussy, you are in a hurry. Chuck in some oil, garlic and get the onions going. I am checking on the kids while these are heating up and changing into something more comfortable

(and maybe pouring one more mouthful of wine)

Stir in the Zucchini when the onion has started cooking, then add three dollops of a pesto mix preferably capsicum or sun dried tomato. Stir through, when the pan is really hot and about to burn add some water, it helps steam the veggies without the need to add more oil and helps cooking faster.

This time I added a packet of pre-browned almonds. I got these from Aldi, along with the pesto jar (I always have these things as staples in my pantry) cheap cheap and yummy. In the last 5 mins of the veges cooking and setting the table, just bang the chicken in the oven to give it a re-heat.

Serve and you are done !! The kids love it and there are heaps of veggies in the meal.

Hope you enjoy, I have heaps more of these quick cook meals, so I will keep sharing - whether you like it or not - hehe xx

Coke vers Pepsi - The Great Debate

Firstly and straight up I have to say I am a Coke lover, and no diet Coke for me. I want the real sugar stuff,  full strength is the only thing I will have. I would rather go without or reduce my intake than to drink a diet copy !

Same goes for Pepsi, I can not stand that fake sugar after taste !! So I just don't go there. I also think Coke is much classier than Pepsi, if that's possible? Most Pepsi drinkers I have met are total Pepsi drinkers, and like me, will not opt for any other cola.

I especially do not like it when I go to a food supplier that only has Pepsi for sale. In these instances I don't get a drink, I get my meal and then either have water or look for another store nearby if I really need a Coke. I sound like and addict, but I really don't drink that much Coke, maybe two a week. When I do, I have to have "the real thing" , because Coke, "add's life", and you "can't beat the feeling". Ok I'm stopping - "Make it real" - heheh, couldn't help myself.

What do you think, Coke or Pepsi ? What's your poison ?

New Years Resolution - Plan plan plan !

This year I am actually making a New Years resolution, which I dont normally do. I'm not really one to take part in such folly, however, this resolution is more of an experiment. I am about to embark on plannning out the next 12 months personally and for the business. So this means I will be locking in days and dates, events and appointments.
I believe, that if I do this, the year will be much less stressful, and of course more organised and professional. The proof will be in the pudding or Christmas Pudding - because I will find out the full outcome of this experiment at the end of the year, when 2012's Christmas will be a breeze - because I'm so organised !!

To achieve this goal I will also be syncing all our phone calenders, work diaries and calenders and texting friends with these dates as well. I think I am going to be super annoying and quite possibly not very flexible, but I will be organised. I will keep you updated as I travel through the year. Big breath - off I go xx

Aldi - You have to love it !

Yes, I am an Aldi lover, for a couple of years now, it did take some time though! In the beginning I was not very trusting of this new comer on the block. The old saying - You get what you pay for, came to mind several times, as I trawled the store that fateful first day. But I soon found that there was very little to disappoint me, except that I can't do an entire grocery shop here. A couple of my close friends "Get" my Aldi crush. However, most of my other friends, who haven't fallen for the addictive Aldi as yet, just don't understand. It's now a running joke when I offer a delicious morsels of food on my platters, or I get super excited about another cosmetic purchase. When they ask I just say "Aldi" ! More often than not, they say, "wow", I really do have to check it out. Anyway, the reason I decided to write about this ongoing love affair with Aldi, is that I found this, today:

Lacura French Manicure Set - $7.99. So I bought one for my Mum as well (of course).

3 Nail varnishes, 1 nail pencil, 2 rosewood sticks, 1 nail file, 1 toe separator, 100 nail forms in each pack.

I am not showing you my first attempt at application, I am useless because I don't let the polish dry and then I bump it. You simply can not bump any stage of a french manicure - Yuuuk! So I will do a post in my updates page once I get it down pat. I think it's going to look great - hehe.

 Tel me, what are your thoughts and experiences with Aldi - are you a lover ?