Today....

Our rustic rain gauge...

measured 5mm (20pts) overnight....

Woo Hoo, the plants have sprung to life....

Bird of paradise...

Beautiful raindrops on everything....

Got my ANZAC biscuits done...

My recipe is:

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup plain flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup coconut

125gms butter

2 tblspns golden syrup

1 tspn bicarb soda

3 tblspns boiling water

Preheat oven to 180C

In a bowl mix together dry ingredients.

Then the rest.

Spoon onto a greased oven tray and flatten slightly.

Cook for 15 - 20 minutes.

A zucchini slice with our lovely home grown eggs...

thanks chookies!

Zucchini Slice

375gms zucchini, grated

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 bacon rashers, finely chopped

1 cup (125gms) grated tasty cheese

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup oil

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Grease a 19cm x 29cm rectangular slice pan.

Mix all ingredients together well.

Pour mixture into pan and bake in moderate oven about 30 minutes, or until well browned and set in centre.

Serves 4-6

End of day.....

Beauty....

Enjoy your weekend,

xTania

ANZAC Day

Tomorrow in Australia is ANZAC day.

In remembrance and thanks to all our diggers who gave up their lives to make ours better.

For More information about our ANZAC's go here:

xTania

This to that

I can't believe I have managed two posts in one day!

I got to and tidied up outside under our shaded area. It was starting to annoy me, looking out my kitchen window and seeing a mess.

I swept up a heap of leaves and dirt that had built up over the last month, moved the boxing bag that never gets used...why do we think we want something and use it for a while and then the novelty wears off and it collects dust? I would like to put this in my rumpus room that was previously used for Family Day Care. I still have a lot of left over stuff, mainly toys out there, so that will be my next job, hopefully I can get started tomorrow. I also moved some of ds's things that had been collecting up in a nice pile.

For a while I have wanted this area closed in so we can set up the old wood-stove that we have out in the shed. I would really love to be using it. Hopefully hubby takes the hint when he sees what I have done to make it look better. The north wind really whistles through here, hot in Summer and cold in Winter so it really needs to be made more comfortable. It is good at the moment because being Autumn there is not much wind about. The weather is still quite warm here with today being 32C (89.6F).

I have moved some of my pot plants that were struggling out the front of the house to under the shade. Along the retaining wall I have tried to grow some herbs. Some have been successful but others have died. I will plant some more soon and hopefully they will grow this time.

Hubby made this little bike for me. I have potted some mint and so far it is still growing.

Some of my plants look a bit sad so hopefully they will soon pick up.

It will now be a lot more pleasant to sit outside with a cuppa.

Wishing you all well,

xTania

Recipe: Baked Lemon Cheesecake

Updated: ds wanted to know where the jelly stuff was on top of the cheesecake? So I added a lemon topping made up with the juice of 1 large lemon, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 heaped tbspn each of custard powder and cornflour. Put in saucepan and heat, stirring until thickened. Apply to top of cheesecake.

Hope he likes it, will be picking him up from school shortly so I will soon know lol.

After a lot of nagging I finally got around to make the cheesecake that ds had been asking for. The recipe can be found in the booklet from the Australian Women's Weekly June 1993.

BAKED LEMON CHEESECAKE

(can be made four days ahead)

2 Cups (200g) plain sweet biscuit crumbs

125g butter, melted

3 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup castor sugar

3 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened

3 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/4 cup lemon juice

Lightly grease a 20cm springform tin.

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter in bowl, press evenly over base and side of prepared tin; refrigerate 1 hour

Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until pale and thick. Add cheese, rind and juice, beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into prepared biscuit crust, bake in moderate oven about 1 hour, or until firm; cool in oven with door ajar. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight.

Decorate with wiped cream, and lemon pieces and mint, if desired.

Serves 6-8.

Suitable to freeze

Not suitable to microwave.

* * *

The sunset last night....

Have a great day everyone,

xTania

Funny kinda day

The temperature today was 31C (87.8F).

In the distance I watch the dust,

it was dead calm at our place...

I thought it was going to go around us....

The clouds were very black and storm and flood warnings issued for our area....

Hubby was busy chopping up the tree stump of the tree that fell down in a previous storm.....

I looked up to see it coming....

A mad rush followed with me quickly grabbing all the washing off the line. I had not long finished hanging it up....

Some views of the dust from the top of our house....

It was coming from the north....

Black clouds on all sides of us...

It looked very promising....

Good I won't have to water the garden....

but alas we never got a drop!!

I need to remind myself never to ask hubby to help me prune back the Jasmine bush that had got out of control...

He started off with the pruning shears but next minute he disappeared and came back with the CHAINSAW! AHHHHH!!

xTania

Rock The Mount

We have had a fun filled, wonderful weekend....

We made a last minute decision to go to the Rock the Mount country music festival at the nearby town of Mt Remarkable, Melrose. Friends of ours were traveling up from Port Lincoln to attend, so they stayed with us Friday night and then we all traveled together on Saturday. We live about 45 minutes driving time away from Melrose.

Camped out over night and slept in our swag...

Our camp...

The view from our camp....

plenty of neighbours lol...

This is Mount Remarkable...

From the arena....

My ute...I wish!

The arena this morning, very quiet compared to last night.

Campers and the arena in the background.

The stage with Mt Remarkable as the backdrop.

The big screen with new comer Marcus Meier performing.

The McClymonts were fantastic...see them on you tube here:

Lee Kernaghan on stage.

And he can be found on you tube here:

On the big screen...

Absolutely awesome performer....

if you ever get the chance to see him live, go.

We are very tired today after such a big couple of days and night. Feeling my age after getting next to no sleep in the swag. The noise of the young ones having a great time partying after the concert echoed all the way around the campers, until finally at some unheard of hour of the morning they went quiet. I bet there wasn't too many of them at the 7.30 breakfast this morning.

Hope you are having a great weekend,

xTania