A Collection of Thoughts

Mish mash

of things...

random really.

firstly YAY Miss Jill  who is now part of the American Crafts Design team - so pleased for her :)

If you haven't already signed up for the class Kim is running over on her site - head on over - It's awesome really - can't wait to share some of my sneaks with you

In my new job I'm on the road alot between meetings running all over  the place - today I had a health forum down at Robina - really cool things about to happen for students interested in the health field- but even more cool I arrived early so had time to go to the bookstore - to get breaking dawn ...aggggggghhhhh doesn't arrive till 12.00pm  what ??? so I headed back there once the forum was over to grab a copy only to find out that if you haven't preordered you can't have one
what the ?? I texted Ngaire complaining loudly LOL and then sent another mad text to someone else to grab me one form another store - which they did so now in possession in Breaking Dawn -  wow its thick! I am avoiding all the spoilers that are popping up everywhere and I am going to go to bed early do I can read for an hour or two :) or three...

I love blog lines - seriously I have only been using it for about 3 months but it has changed my  blog surfing ..If your not doing it I recommend it highly - you get to see so many great things super quickly...

so my top 5 for today  - just for fun...

lovely news that makes you go awwww

so beautifully written and oh so true

lovely craft items especially this

I don't scrap graphic and couldn't keep a straight line if you paid me but i am still seriously considering this- it draws me in

and finally some of are heading to this even in brisbane - can't wait.

Project Runway tonight  -Love mondays!

Chocolate

So while quickly checking bloglines tonight before going to bed and found  Mel had posted this- it moved me so much I have stayed up a bit later to pass the post on.

I had no idea and have followed her links and read more into it .. If you want to know more there are some links below.
 

In 2005 there was an estimated figure of 12,000 children who had been trafficked into

Ivory   Coast

to work as slaves on the cocoa plantations. The children who pick the cocoa beans earn nothing, sold by the trafficker and made to suffer.

In 2006 the chocolate industry had a reported turnover of $39,585,800,000 from just the top 10 companies.

They promised in 2001 to eradicate the worst forms of exploitative labour from their industry by 2005. They failed. They promised to do it by July 1st 2008 by putting in place certification of each farm that it was slave free.

Tragically they have redefined certification so it now merely means surveying the situation. On top of that they target only 50% of the cocoa producing regions in

Ivory Coast

and

Ghana

instead of the required 100%.

Industry has already begun to say they have met their obligations.

Industry can already tell us if our chocolate is additive free, sugar free, fat free or colour free. But they will not tell us it is slave free because they can’t.

It isn’t.

Source: http://www.stopthetraffik.org/media/press270608.aspx

 

 

 

 

http://consumption-rebellion.blogspot.com/2008/07/updating-my-list-of-slave-free.html

ANTM Week 11

So we had tears and disaster in our house with the finale - Talia wanted Alex to win and Sofia wanted Demelza to win - we did lots of talking around that all week knowing that there could be only one winner...

and the quote of the night came from a sobbing Miss Talia -  But Mumma its not fair she looked so good in Alex Perry- at this point Richard just rolled his eyes and left me to it . Sofia on the other hand was chanting I knew it I knew it I knew it... which didn't help.

She did perk up at the ads for Americas Net Top Model - don't know if i can go straight into another season - may not have a choice though.

on the menu

 
ZERT
This one comes from www.taste.com.au  - It  as highlighted in their email and caught my eye - so I gave it a try - and its yum really yum

Caramel Apple Pudding
Ingredients (serves 6)

    * 5 large golden delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1cm thick
    * 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
    * 2 tsp baking powder
    * 250g caster sugar
    * 200ml milk
    * 150g unsalted butter, melted
    * 2 eggs, beaten
    * 1 cup (200g) light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
    * 1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup
    * Icing sugar and thick cream, to serve

Method

   1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly butter a 2.5-litre baking dish.
2. Place apples in the prepared dish. Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl of an electric mixer, add caster sugar, milk, butter and egg, then beat until pale. Spread mixture over the apples.
   3. Place muscovado or brown sugar, golden syrup and 300ml water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil without stirring.
   4. Pour over the pudding batter, then bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden.
   5. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

No pictures sorry - I'm only had time to throw it in the oven

Busy bees

My camera is chocked with photos that I should share - but I'm too tired to download and edit -so just a few quick things and hopefully tomorrow I'll be bouncing  back to my normal self...

Tonight we were surprised with free tickets to Disney on Ice - a friend from works mother in law won a family pass and they live in yeppoon -too far to travel to brisbane just for a show and the friends children were too old to really enjoy -so she rang this morning to offer them to us - It was such a nice way to start the holidays.

The girls had a great time and we enjoyed it too.

WARNING
the rest is random now ( edited to add - very random )

This chickie cracks me up- she said weeks ago I think I'm going to do video blog entry - I why not? - she's finally done it - shes so cute. Check it out here

This chickie never fails to amaze me - Have you seen what Miss Mel Crafty Mumma extraordinaire is up to at the moment??
Stolen straight from  her blog .. is this image - check it out here

Absolutely on my to do list - which is increasing I have to say .

I noticed sneak peeks for cha are starting - haven't seen anything that makes me go yay yet - so no links  - but no doubt they will come.

This enabler - told me I had to order some stamping up stuff from her - and I did - LOL so I am waiting on my goodies to arrive - apparently they are already in the mail- Can't wait to get them.

Our favourite Thai restaurant just changed its menu

.. so not impressed - the other one was waaaay better - I'm in denial as to what on earth I'm going to do for take out one night a week - ( or sometimes two depending on how desperate I get! - They also do 20% off before 6.00pm for take out - Its seriously cheaper than maccas!)

Okay off to play with some fabric from this months collection and make an OTP- I have three projects on the go at once this month - very unlike me - but I'm loving the pizza box so much .. Stay tuned for some sneak peaks of projects over the next few days. The Tari girls never fail to amaze me. ( PS June is totally sold out  - no inspiration collections left - all orders placed now are for July- which goes on sale from the 1st .)

Thanks  for visiting

A farewell

Today marked the end of a long and emotional week.  6 weeks ago I applied for a dream job in regional office and on Wednesday after much toing and froing and a final interview I found out I had been successful. So I have had two days to close down a job that I have been doing for 6 years in a school that I have been in for 14 years.  I started as a first year teacher and moved on to become a year coordinator  then a head of department of LOTE and Special Needs and finished now as Head of Senior Schooling - Hard to leave mid year with a cohort half way through - Hard to leave my senior Japanese class and hard to not say goodbye to the students in my English Comm class. Almost impossible to imagine what its  going to be like to not drive to the same place as I have each day for 14 years and not to be able to laugh and cry with  some special colleagues who are like family. I'm tired and over emotional about the enormity of the decision
I know its the right thing to do - these opportunities don't come very often and it was laid out for me to take-  Unbelievable working conditions in a corporate environment -  a 12 month position with the option of  continuing  - moving to something else or returning to school. New staff who are lovely and welcoming -a phenomenal budget to implement change and  I had to say yes. Ill be working across 15 schools developing programs to further educational and training  opportunities for young people. Its an extension of what I have been doing at a school level. Its exciting and challenging and I hope will be very rewarding. I'm ever so grateful for this.

dinosaurs take 2

so tonight Sofia comes home with this...

don't worry If you think your seeing double or reading an old post - you are not - The joys of twins :)They are in the same class at school but different groups - they do a rotational activity daily around the theme they are working on -
and here is Sofia's take on her project

I made this dinosaur place with  two dinosaurs.  Two dinosaurs are plant eaters.  Its got a volcano and trees. Its  got sand and its got paper grass and some real grass. The Cherry triplets    ( one of the groups - Sofia is in Baby Blueberries) and Mrs D got the grass. I stuck the lava on. When I made the  dinosaurs was my favourite part.  I used sticky tape glue and paint and it has paper lava. The lava is red and the grass is green. I painted it with brown paint. Mrs E  painted the sticky tape in different colours. I finger painted the volcano. It has a lake of water. Stegosaurus is coloured in and the triceratops skeleton is collaged with purple paper.

( phew that was long!)

I am still amazed ( the second time round :)) at the fun things they are creating and learning.

continuing

the dinosaur theme

Talia came home last night with this

and here is her description

It has a volcano.  Mrs D  put the lava in and I painted the volcano part. There is grass. I got the sand from  the sandpit.  Mrs D said I could. I made a T Rex and a triceratops skeleton. It has trees. It has a lake of water so the dinosaurs have somewhere to drink.I liked painting the land and doing the lake and doing all the lava.

she was so proud of her creation - I was amazed at all the little details.

I love this age - Its just so full of magic.

Back later with  the top model post.

Random stuff

shipping update

leaving tomorrow -
ALL remaining I want it alls

Enabling you ...
Pumpkin Patch online - sale -  lots of goodies and an extra 20 % off with a code - I don't know the rules around the posting of codes - but it has come out on their bulk email  - Im guessing that its okay to add it here ...

OCSJUN08  will get you an extra 20% off at checkout

Tights ... $3 ( carnation and grey are $3)

and these cute pinafores .... $22.00

and this skirt  $19.99

and take another 20% off bargain!

On Sunday we went to the Out of The Box Festival in Brisbane - such a fabulous idea for little people- so much to see and do and everything aimed at them.

We saw Gondwana - the girls have been studying dinosaurs at school so this was perfect - If you get the chance to see it - I believe they tour round -well worth the visit! You can see more info here

a quick recipe - perfect for busy weeknights Mushroom soup- not going to kid you the girls won't eat it but we love it - they have baked beans on toast on our mushroom soup nights.

in the cockpot of course

750 gms sliced mushrooms
4 litres chicken stock
1 cup grated carrot
2 diced potatoes
1 grated onion

simmer all day  then use your breville stick? hand puree thingy to much it all up - add in 2 cups of milk and allow to heat through - about 30 minutes

serve with a dollop of cream and bread rolls - Yum!

Project Runway Tonight - can't help myself  will have one eye firmly on the gossip catch up show while i wait for next weeks real show and I need to know who the  Fan Favourite is though I suspect its most likely Christian - hes very talented.

I leave you with some sneak peeks of Teckni for this month ... I ll know tomorrow if i have any left just waiting to hear back from  a couple of people.

Enjoy your night!

typepad

just ate my post ...
and I don't have time to start again
so just saying hello
more tomorrow

packing packing packing

ANTM Week 8

with only 5 left on the comp ( well 4 now !) the excitement levels at our house are gaining momentum each week. Here we have the "in the ad breaks quick quick  do some poses Mumma take a photo" - Sofia and Talia

Dinner tonight was on the run throw together but a good one worth sharing

Woolies rissoles - beef and honey - I bake them in the oven - easier they don't burn you don't have to remember to turn them - about 30 minutes

Mashed potatoes - I  make the girls mash them - they take turns when they get tired and it leaves me free to serve up

Peas - and honey carrots - carrots steamed with a tablespoon of honey - usually I add sesame seeds and a teaspoon of butter but that was too much effort tonight

and our favourite Apple and Balsamic sauce

ZERT - Waffles Bananas Ice Cream and HOME MADE Caramel sauce - this is my grandmas secret recipe ( not so secret any more hey ? ) filled with butter nad cream and is definitely not good for you in any way but it tastes fabulous - I also use this on  our pancakes as a real treat  - the left over sauce keeps in the fridge - just reheat - who am I kidding there is never left over. Takes less than 10 minutes to make so worth it.

150 gms  Butter  3/4 cup brown sugar  1/2 cup pouring cream 1 cup BOILING hot water

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan

You don't need to stir much - let it go brown and caramel- takes about 3 minutes - boil the kettle in the meantime then pour a cup of hot water straight in

It will fizz right up like this - don't be alarmed - let it do that  give it a stir  ( with a wooden spoon)

as sson as you remove it from the heat - it will settle to this very quickly. Now stir in your  cream

Pour it into a jug

Heat your waffles - add banana and ice cream and a generous helping of caramel sauce. YUM