Holiday Cooking

Day 7 of holidays and we are all truly relaxed. We have had 5 days of beautiful beach weather and the last 2 days has been cool and miserable weather. We have been lucky enough to get a few fine moments to venture out for some little walks, girls have gone for a ride, Josh has gone fishing, I have caught up on reading and yes, typical of me, some baking! In the middle of writing COTC #2 and I simply can't seem to shut my mind down from thinking about recipe ideas! I went to the shop the other day and bought some muffin trays and have a batch of Apricot Muffins cooking as we speak! It seems to be on of my releases, and somewhere where I have come to feel so comfortable, in the kitchen and cooking. Who would have thought the Collette of years ago that couldn't even cook a stir-fry could become so obsessed with cooking, let alone write a book!
I have bought along with me some of my favorite cooking equipment that I just couldn't go 2 weeks without! Scanpans, knives, mini food processor, potato peeler and a few other things! I am frustrated though with a fridge that is only just keeping things cold and a freezer that is not freezing...cooking up a heap of chicken tonight that froze but then started defrosting and had to throw out a box of icecreams for the girls. Hopefully the real estate can do something about fixing it tomorrow.
Josh has been heading out most afternoons to do a spot of fishing, not having too much luck though. I have had fresh fish 2 nights (although i think his dad caught it) and I must say there is nothing better, you can certainly taste the difference. Hope he has some more luck
today!
Well, my muffins are ready and smelling amazing and my little girl is waking, so time for me
to keep moving.....

Take Care Of You
Xxx

Holidays!

As I sit here blogging and catching up on emails and Facebook, I am finding myself in that calm holiday mode! Each year we pack the family up and head 4 hours away to spend 2 weeks by the beach, to do nothing but relax.
What an event it was this year packing for the 6 of us. I have done well and not forgotten too much - my joggers and hat were the main things! I must say though I made up for it with the things I packed that we probably won't need! I had a minor dilemma with misplacing my bag of swimmers at home (the joys of not having enough cupboard space for 6 people is that clothes can go in bags and tubs!) and left for holidays still not being able to find them! Luckily though I bought myself a nice one piece before we left and knew where they were, and it just means I will have to head down to all these beach side shops and buy myself another pair, I'm wondering if you can pick up the disappointment in my voice!!!!
Anyway, we are here, we spent out first day on the beach yesterday, which was the twins first time, so super exciting. We have my inlaws that are here for a week of our holiday, and other friends Al and Al that are here the whole time, and then some great friends The Kerrigans which came down just for one night to see us....it's great to catch up at the beach every morning, sit back and relax and watch the kids running around (or in the twins case just sitting there) and enjoy those peaceful moments in life where you realize life really is good and appreciate just how blessed you are to have health and happiness!

Oh what a productive day......

I love days like today....so productive.....I cant beleive Im not passing out from exhaustion as I normally feel like doing this time of the night....I woke this morning at 6am (after getting to bed just after midnight) to feed little Miss A, and with my mind then wide awake and not willing to shut down, I started my day....I made myself a cup of Rooibus tea and curled up on the beanbag in front of the heater to type up a dozen or so recipes, ready for COTC#2! 
730am came around and hubby and all 4 kids woke....by 845am they were all fed and off to work or school (except the twins of course) the twins were happy playing, so washing got done, emails got answered, figured out how to set up my printer (I surprise myself sometimes), book orders got packed, had a friend call in for a cuppa and by 1030 I had acheived pretty much everything on my to do list for today! LOVE IT! 
My afternoon was just as productive with a slice being created (yummo jam and coconut) with only a few "tweeks" needing to be made, had a meeting with Melody (my dear friend who is one of these people who inspire me with tasty food ideas) and have come to an agreement with her to write approximatley a dozen recipes for #2! As I am allergic to tomato also, I am completley trusting in her with these recipes, plus a few exciting, mouthwatering ideas she has! 
After school I gave a dance lesson (Physical Culture) for eldest daughter Miss C, came come home to create a FAB Chicken and Corn Soup for #2! As I cant have corn either (!!) I have attempted a rice crusted pie for myself for dinner....and once again with a few "tweeks"  its going to be great also.....
Waiting for hubby to do a few things and then we are going to curl up and watch
"127 hours"  that I hired for tonight....only to fall back into bed after midnight again.....I can only hope I have as great (and hopefully productive) day tomorrow....dont know what has got into me, but Im loving it....lets hope this high continues.....(and all this on only 1 coffee!!)


Take Care Of You x

My day ......

My days seem to be hectic...I think I am like any normal and organized busy mum who writes a list in the morning (or the the night before) of what I need to acheive that day...my list can sometimes be 12 things long....there are days when I get only one thing done...and days when I get them all done....I am learning not to beat myself up about it if I dont get them all done.....however I DO get SUPER excited when I have nice little ticks next to them all! Today was one of those days, we are heading off on holidays in 1 week and I have a heap to do, plan and make sure is up to date. My older 2 girls are off sick so that added to my list too.
Simple, mind numbing things like washing, folding, cleaning the bathroom and  removing winter clothes and replacing with spring/summer clothes can be an all day even when you have 8 1/2 month old twins! But I did it! I stopped at one stage and had a laugh to myself as I was huffing and puffing trying to get a suitcase of shoes out from underneath my bed! Before kids I had a spare room just for my 200+ pairs of shoes! Now I dont even have a spare bedroom for the twins, who are in our bedroom...and because of that it is so squishy that my shoes are in suitcases under the bed...and there was not enough room to get them out!!!! How life changes! 
I have to say though, I wouldnt change it for the world. With the 6 of us living in our lovely little 3 bedroom home makes me a happier person then I would be if I were to have no kids and living in a multi-million dollar mansion. 


On the HIGHLY IMPORTANT section of my list is cooking and creating one recipe a day for COTC #2 ---- I seem to have recipe ideas flying around in my head and I cant wait to get them down on paper and start trying them all.

I have had 3 successes in 2 days which is fab! Can I get 4 in 3 days??? In fact lets see if I can acheive 2 tomorrow which will make it 5 in 3 days.....the challenge is on.....now add that to my "to do"  list .... remind me to only blame myself when I say the list is too long......

Will let you know how I go....

Take Care Of You x

Good Morning Sunday and Good Morning Sunshine! 

Had a wonderful day yesterday, I went to Kariong for the open day of my Chiropractor - the sun was shining then too, but the wind was freezing....met some lovely people as I always seem to do when at places selling my book....came home and my wonderful hubby was kind ebough to take the kids for a bike ride whilst I sat on the lounge and caught up on work emails.....30 seconds later I was catching up on sleep!!!!!!

Had a night to remember last night....I went out for the first time in what seems FOREVER....without hubby OR the 4 kidlets!!!!!!! It was a lovely friend of mines (Kate)Surprise 40th Birthday Party....so dressed up we got and off we went.....It was such a wonderful night, they catered for me beautifully and a lot of laughter was had with some truly great friends....came home, watched a movie with hubby and fell into bed after 1am.....only to be up 4 times to my little Miss A by 7am.....lucky she is gorgeous and I love her......

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday....off to shower and try and cover up these bags under my eyes before we head to Church and a friends 30th....then home in time to perfect "fish and chips" for COTC #2 ......

Take Care Of You x

My new bit of technology

Well, I did it. I joined the Ipad2 family! After getting so confused at the shops last night and buying nothing, I did some research today and headed back in with Hubby tonight and bought one. Now I can get on top of all of these recipes I need to type up for COTC #2! 
The biggest benefit for me (and my family) is that i dont have to be tucked away on the office desk to be doing the work constantly....I can now join them on the lounge and work away....sit at sports afternoons and work away.....and *sigh* take it one holidays so I can work  away......although I can safetly say that 2 weeks on the beach coming up, there wont be much working happening! 
So will add this to my "to-do" list of things I need to get sorted....in the mean time unpack my fruit & veg I just picked up, start on dinner, feed the twins and perhaps settle down with a cuppa and a bit of Gerard Butler before hubby is home with the older girls and the telly is taken over with footy! 
Hope my 3 viewers (!!) have had the most wonderful day xxx

I'm starting......

Welcome! Although at this stage I think I am talking to myself!
I have been asked quite a lot recently if I had a blog, so I decided to push the fear of technology aside and see how I go.
First step done - Im here! Next step is to pretty my page up! Wish me luck.....