The week that was

This last week was so very busy,

Monday night we said goodbye to my sister who had very kindly made the trip to look after  the 2 young ones whilst we went to New Zealand- this never eventuated due to the Ash cloud from Chile. Ho Hum.

I did A LOT of baking for my kid's school's P and F as they were catering for 40 people one night and I was given the job of desserts. I decided on 2 baked cheesecakes, 2 pavlovas, 2 pineapple syrup cakes and my latest and greatest discovery, Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings, using puff pastry instead of crescent rolls. I was told there was plenty of leftovers for the following day's morning tea. I have NEVER been one to undercater anything. This was a busy Wednesday night and Thursday morning with a few extras baked for my own household and work morning tea on Friday. Thankyou FF for the yogurt cake recipe, I have made it twice this week alone.

The one above used berry yogurt and raspberries

It worked really well doubled in my favorite Bundt tin.

This one was not such a hit, it used vanilla yogurt and canned prunes.

This is my weapon of choice: 

 It's a Kenwood Major,and I can double most recipes very nicely in it. I've had it for more than 12 months now and it has made literally hundreds of cakes and dozens of pavlovas(2 at a time, 16 egg whites and a Kg of sugar) It was a good investment. I did a lot of research as everyone seems to have a kitchenaid, but went with my own past experience, I had owned a Kenwood chef for 20 years until it blew and I still have my mum's 35 year old one as a backup plan. I can most highly recommend Kenwood!

Though it would not be unusual for me to buy the Kitchenaid as my 2nd mixer!!

On Thursday I had a trip to a town 120 Km away for some dental work. May I just say that in coordination with my jewellery, Gold is involved in a custom made article, that no one will really ever be able to see. Unfortunately, no diamonds can be set in the said item. I think I shocked the dentist when I asked if I could select the colour of the gold! Even princesses must get to choose the colour of these items!

Thursday night saw my eldest son come home on the bus from boarding school for his holidays. He actually enjoyed the ride this time compared to past ones. He had the longest mop of hair I'd seen in a long time. Last holidays in Sydney a hairdresser actually spent so long checking him out, before cutting, for non-existent creatures that it was incredibly embarassing, I think she must have thought he was a hobo. We won't ever go back there! He now sports a very short, extremely lovely do which makes him look and feel so much better.

On Friday Mr MDK had a few scares in his piloting. He was on his way home in a big headwind when his plane told him that he would not have enough fuel to make it all the way so he turned back to get more fuel in a little outback town. He refuelled and then made the decision that it might take him longer to get home and it would be too close to dark so he was going to stay the night. hmmn I was a little worried about this as he had nothing with him and nowhere to stay. When he called I was also in the process of trying to explain to my son that he could not shave his head and that I would not let it be too short as he would be sent home from school until it grew to an acceptable length, couple that with the fact that the last time he had his hair all clippered off he stared in the mirror and cried for an hour. I reminded him of this, though he said he could not remember it. I didn't tell him he was only 2yrs old when it happened. Well I must have given the impression to Mr MDK that I wanted him home, so he checked out his flight plan and started to taxi etc.

Along the runway he blew a tyre.

Thankfully it happened when it did and not at the point of take off or at the other end when he landed. He then had to wait for someone to fly out in the morning and replace the broken one.

So he got his night away from home, sleeping in a converted shipping container and listening to campers tell tales around a campfire, whilst consuming plenty of cooling/warming beverages. His idea of a great night out!

He arrived bearing this to the saturday party.

Saturday saw us attend a friend's 40th and his daughter's 2nd combined birthday parties.

Here's what Bush kids get up to when they're sick of the Wii.

The big kids loaded the little kids in the toddlers cars and off they went.

I think the aim was a race, though to us adults it looked like a type of super noisy, destructive, break the cars game. Yes, there was blood involved, but the bleeder was tough and there were no tears.

The blue car was a write off at the end, perhaps that had more to do with the large load that was being pushed along and the ruts in the road!!!!

It's Stuffed!

Today I am going to implement the decluttering of shoes and clothes and cleaning ensuite policies.

As these little beauties arrived this week (purchased due to the recently changed shoe policy at work) and I need somewhere to put them.

I wore these yesterday and can say that there were no blisters or sore feet to be had.

AAh the only flowers to be found around here in the dead of winter!!

Strawberries.

And one lonely Pierre de Ronsard!