Showing posts with label A year of doing good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A year of doing good. Show all posts

Sunday, February 5, 2012

A Good Thing

Another version of banana bread......

Just had to make using the over ripe bananas sitting on my kitchen bench.


I used the recipe I found here......
but I can't call mine low fat !
I used whole milk and honey instead, cause that's what I had in the fridge.

My Not so low fat version....


2 Bananas mashed
125g margarine(melted)
2 eggs ,lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey
1 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour

Mix together the bananas, margarine, eggs, milk, vanilla, honey and sugar. Sift in flour and gently combine. You don't want to over beat your mixture just make sure the flour is well mixed in. Now pour into a lined  loaf tin and bake in 160 degrees oven for about 45 mins or until top is brown and cake cooked through. Lift cake out of tin by the paper and cool on a cooling rack.


31/366
The Good Thing:Making banana loaf with over ripe bananas......
The Good Thing For : All who partake!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

A Stranger

A Stranger  - Photo a Day
 
 
 
 {Well some liberties here with interpretation}
Fraser was invited to a little friends birthday party today.....
 
And 
There were plenty of strangers invited to the party...
 
of the reptilian variety!!!











Do you know how hard it is to photograph both a moving 6 year old and a snake!!!!

Me I was more than happy to keep my distance.


30/366
The Good Thing: A reptilian experience and hanging with some friends
The Good Thing for: The little guy.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Words

Words - Photo a Day
I have some priceless letters in my possession.....
68 to be exact....

They are letters written between

16-5-1966   and    17- 8 1967

They were written by my mum to her mum

These letters detail beautifully the first year of my parents marriage.
They went on a travelling/ working holiday around Australia.
 
"Hello, Mmmmmmmm- can you smell it? I have a casserole cooking in the oven for our tea"

Just one of the gazillion insights into precious memories of newly weds exploring this big country.

Do want to know the best bit?
Mum spills the beans on my impending arrival and all the emotions that go with the news of their first child!!!!!

Time to reread this epic tale!!!!
  and      My do good thing for the day


29/366
The Good Thing: Sending my high schooler off on her own today.......wasn't I good? I did walk my little guy to school though. LOL
The Good Thing for: My big girl.  

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

My View Today

My View Today  - Photo a Day 
 
 Today was all about getting these two off to a good start of the new school year......
Meg off to High School and Fraser into Year two.....

Neither were really up for breakfast....but after a little coaxing we managed to calm some nerves....
The more encouraging messages they received  about their day ahead the more they became a little nervous...
I must admit I was a little nervous watching the high school gathering which consisted of 600 Year eight and nine students....
{Yes I did walk my "high schooler" to school and class - I promised her it would be the first and last for the year!}
But pleased to report at this end of the day...
 
all is well and reports were favourable and heading out the door should be quite smooth tomorrow.
Oh how did they both become so capable ready to tackle this new year?


28/366
The Good Thing:  Keeping things calm and slightly organised for the first morning back at school for the year.
The Good thing for :   All of us.


Monday, January 30, 2012

Nature

Nature - Photo a Day


Just a snapshot of our garden......
I'll tell you the story of our "Fairy Garden" one day..... 

25/366
The Good thing:Making the most of this sunshine we've had and combining it with the little "super ingredient"..that is Bicarb Soda and giving my shower curtain a much needed clean.....

The Good Thing for: Our Bathroom and  my domestic goddess status.!!!  



26/366
The Good Thing: Today was about gathering the school supplies, applying names to every book , pencil and marker ready for school return on Wednesday.
The Good Thing for: My kids


Sunday, January 29, 2012

In My Fridge

Inside my fridge  - Photo a Day
Eek what a reminder to get my fridge clean and organised......
Who am I kidding....it will be empty within a few more days!

My growing list of Good Things.....

23/366
The Good Thing:  We resorted to some good old fashioned  some good old fashioned cooling methods yesterday......we made lemonade spiders.....lemonade with a scoop of ice cream...yum
The Good Thing For: My kids and their cousins.
24/366
The Good Thing: We found a babysitter...well grandparents eager to have the kids....and we headed out to the movies with free tickets! afterwards enjoying  fresh made pizza in the cool of the evening.
The Good thing for:  Us !


Friday, January 27, 2012

Australia Day 2012

Australia Day...Our National day to celebrate our Lucky Country......
It began early for us......4.45 am
Off to "The Australia Day Triathlon"
It was a 6.30 am race start which was welcomimg as we knew we had a hot day coming to us......

It was a beautiful venue on our capitals river banks.....plenty of shade from trees that have been there 100's of years, also a nice coolish breeze off the water.....

We positioned ourselves to maximise the spectator watching and maximise the shade......

and boy were we rewarded well....
1st in his age group......

We had a little treat for the kids planned for the rest of the day...

a city hotel stay for the night ....

That included swimming on the roof top pool in temps of 40 c....

Wondering whether we should stay up here to enjoy the evening fireworks show....

We did retreat to the room to wait out the blazing heat.... a game,some reading,TV watching and lazing around....

As the sun went down, the clouds came out and  a thunderstorm was brewing....
But we headed the 200 mtrs to the rivers edge and joined many others to stand in some refreshing rain and marvel at the fireworks display....

What a strange day of weather we "enjoyed" today.......
We had a fun day together......and making another memory to tuck away in the family album that one day will be remembered for the weather and .....

celebrating the victories of the man of the house.....
Happy Australia Day!!

(Just for the record the temp reached 41.6 C)

Joining in with "Things I am loving" here.
and 
adding to my Do-Gooder list.....
The Good Thing: A night in the city  to see the sights and celebrations of Australia Day.Swimming and hanging out.
The Good thing for: Us...the family. 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Something I have made


Something I have made  - Photo a Day

I haven't made this today  but was looking at it sitting in my sewing room....
This was my very first quilt with real patchwork that I made before I even had children.
There was an older lady in my church at the time that over a number of weeks talked me through to the finish.
I then was into cross stitch big time and so made a matching wall hanging .
It became Taylor's cot set and then Meg used it.....
I am hoping one day they will belong to my Grand daughter.....hmm long way of for that I hope.

21/366
The Good Thing: Today I headed off to work and the kids went to my dad and step mum's place.Usually I like to send them with something to share for morning tea or lunch.  I failed today the cupboards were fairly bare and the heat is no incentive to bake.....so I gathered the ingredients and the recipe for 
White Rocky Road and sent it with them to make while there.....cheeky ? maybe!

The Good thing for: My kids and my DAD!


*******Just a little note for us to remember how hot ,hot really was. Today was 41.6 C

Monday, January 23, 2012

Something old and doing good

Something Old - Photo a Day
I have this shirt that was handmade by my mum in her late teens I am guessing.....

My mum went to school in a country town that had a large agricultural school being a farming area.
This shirt makes me smile having only rediscovered it recently....
It is hand embroidered with  a lot of boys names!!!
Hugh
Clarence
Syd
Terry
Brian
Les
Andrew
Wonder where all those boys are now?

Her stitching is immaculate and done as if hand written with ink....
What fascinates me so much more is that I have only just realised since unearthing it recently that they all appear to be Christian names apart from one

Basset   !!!! 
Bassett is the family I married into nearly fifty years later.....
Oh I wish she was around to ask her the tale of this shirt.

(It is currently soaking to hopefully remove the age spots it has acquired.)


and my good things for the day........

19/366
The Good Thing: I headed back to the gym this morning after feeling like my back  had recovered...and my 100 workout shirt was waiting for me !
The Good Thing For: Me and my body heading back to the gym.

20/366
The Good Thing:  I returned our sleepover pal this afternoon and agreed to stay for a cuppa so the kids could grab a quick swim.....it is soooooo hot here!
The Good Thing For: My kids being able to cool off....and me having a cuppa with a friend. 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sleep overs

Do you do sleep overs in your house?
 
We don't do them very often here.....
Friends over to hang out but not many sleep overs......
 
Tonight though a sleep over is in progress.......
I am thinking this is a good thing for the girl....hopefully I will think so in the morning.

The Good Thing:  The occasion of a sleep over.
The Good thing for: The nearly teenager in the house.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Sweet

Sweet - Photo a Day
 
After the man of our house headed back to work on Monday after three weeks ...it was my turn on Tuesday...
 
three weeks "staycation" was divine....
 
On the return to my office I was pleasantly surprised to see this sweet treat still on my desk .
 

It was a pressie to share between myself and a colleague.
So this week as she is on holidays I have been eating my way through what remains!


The Good Thing: We organised a dinner at the beachside with friends who we see once a year....the weather was perfectly balmy and warm and the kids played for hours.
The Good Thing For: Me....catching up with a special friend and her lovely family hanging out with mine for a short while. 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Morning

Morning - Photo a Day
My morning started early today....

This was the time I was awake enough to snap the picture.....so earlier than this.....
The occasion?
Well the hubbie returned to work after three weeks holidays and I ran him into work.......
so sad for us all...we have had a fantastic "staycation" and now it is over....
I return to work tomorrow.....    sigh..... 

The Good Thing: Running the hubbie into work this morning after three weeks holidays....being a one car family ......it was going to be a struggle for him to cycle with all his neatly washed and ironed work clothes that he keeps at work...
The Good Thing for: The hubbie not having to cycle on his first day back at work ..with all his fresh laundry.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Choc Chip Banana Loaf- A good thing!

It wasn't  that long ago that Bananas were a rarity in this home.....
now we have bananas going soft...
Great for 
Choc Chip Banana Loaf
2 Cups  self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 cup choc bits
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, at room temperature
 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup mashed banana
pure icing sugar to serve
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease base and sides of a loaf pan. Line with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, bicarb soda and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and choc bits. Mix well. Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs,oil and banana in a jug. Stir into the flour mixture. Spoon into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 mins or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
3. Stand loaf in pan for 10 mins. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.
 (I made buttermilk by using 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and topping it up with milk to measure the one cup)

I also split mine between two pans and had enough for afternoon tea as well!!
15/366
The good thing : Making banana loaf the night before to be devoured by the smalls early the next morning .
The Good Thing For:  The smalls who were starving hungry for lunch at only 9.30 am . 

Hot Racing

The day began early....earlier than most of us were really wanting for our only sleep in for two weeks.......
But the cause was a good one and the beauty of the morning that early didn't let us down......


Supporting our man of the house was the driver for our early up and out of the house...

triathlon season is here again.... 
The event is always made brighter when joined by family cheering on their man of the house too.....


At least as the sun came out and it became hotter by the minute we could shade under the cool of some nice big trees....
or use the race lake to cool off by.....

Unlike those out on the course, pounding the beat........

It is always great to be there at the end to celebrate the victories....
and be so glad that I don't have the "crazy gene" that requires me to punish my self that way!

So I think this day calls for another count on the "Be a Do-Gooder for a year" challenge

14/366
The Good Thing: Up early to stand ,cheer,photograph and congratulate the man of the house on his achievements.
The Good Thing For:  The man of the house and the benefits we all got for being up so early to enjoy the morning.  
 

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Some sewing and being a Do Gooder

Managed to get another project ticked off my "bookmarked "list
 
Using the inspiration from here and here....

 
Hopefully  the dirty clothes will make it into the bag and not stay on the floor!


13/366
The Good Thing:  Whipping up a simple idea for a laundry bag to place in the kids bathroom.
The Good thing for:  The tidiness of the bathroom and ease of laundry collection for ME!  

No too late to jump on board and be a "Do-Gooder" for a year ...check out here 

 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Where I sleep

Where I  Sleep -  Photo a Day

  
Sorry to disappoint......I know many of you have really lovely bedroom photos....
we are in total holiday mode and that combined with the "back issue" my bed was not made!
So just a peek into our room is all that you get. 


 12/366
The Good Thing : Driving onto the office for an hour today I spotted a lady from church headed to the train station on foot in the heat of the day......a quick U Turn and I was able to offer her a lift and saved her the trek in the sun.
The Good Thing for:  A young lady in need of a lift.

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