The Delight Of Holidays and Other Such Stuff!

Ten things I'm thinking about right now:

1. These days, I have to fight a couple of children to get on my own computer! Go figure! The joys of motherhood and kids getting older and more computer savvy!

2. We are on holidays now and are loving the sleep-ins! While the kids usually complain about being bored on holidays, it hasn't been so bad this time....perhaps because the last holidays were so full on!

3. I love, love, love the new Australian drama, Offspring! I have always loved Asher Keddie. She plays the slightly neurotic, nervy type so well......maybe I relate!

4. I spent a mini fortune at Ikea over the last week. It is a good 45 minute drive to the nearest Ikea for me but it has been worth it. Miss Ten now has a brand new desk and hutch! Hooray! Her room is looking neater and I have overhauled it with lime green trimmings! Pictures would be on the way, except that a certain Superteen decided to 'borrow' the batteries from my camera without asking! :(

5. Speaking of 'Superteen', he has just celebrated another birthday making me feel decidedly older but still proud of him, despite his total teenage attitude! (Ok, the teenage attitude is driving me round the twist but they tell me that I only have a few more years for him to grow out of it! Greeeeeattttt!)

6. The dogs are doing fine! I am currently looking for a good kennel to board them in over the Christmas/new year period so if anyone knows a good one in the greater Brisbane area, please let me know!

7. I really should not have eaten those last two chocolate koala biscuits!

8. Speaking of food....we are having visitors for tea tomorrow night. What to cook? Bbq sounds like a good idea and perhaps chocolate coated strawberries (chocolate done in slow cooker, of course!)

9. I am currently listening to fabulous music by Mark Seymour. I think he sounds better than his Hunters & Collectors days! Check him out here!

10. I have just clocked over 20 000 visitors to my blog! Hooray! Thanks for visiting!

Farewell To The Finger!

Most Australians have heard of Powderfinger! And if you have lasted with me over the coarse of my blogging years, you will know that I love them! You will also know that my dear son was in their video clip some years ago and you will know that they recently called it a day and are currently on the very final Australian tour....ever!!!

So last Saturday night, we treated ourselves and our son to a ticket to one of their final Brisbane concerts. Us and thousands and thousands of other people braved the gray skies to stand on a hill next to the Brisbane River to hear our favourite band play one last time!

On arrival, we were treated to the poppy sounds of Operator Please - a young Australian band who are currently most famous for a song about ping pong than anything else. I liked them! I predict more hits for them if they stay together!

After that, we were witness to the amazing spectacle that is Brisbane Riverfire! Twenty full minutes of massive fireworks filled the night sky, along with the awesome sight of three F1-11 fly overs (the final ever, too as the government is retiring this particular aircraft), dumping fuel as they went to form a massive fire-ball tail on their aircraft! Amazing!

Following the fireworks, The Vines took to the stage. Now, I am not a young, hip teenager but am not completely mega-conservative in my music tastes, I don't think. The Vines, however, made me feel about a hundred years old as apparently, screaming into the microphone is far better than actually hearing lyrics! Ok, there were some songs that were alright but I think I'll leave their music for the young 'uns in future!

Finally, Powderfinger began. They offered, as usual, a full night of entertainment....performing songs that we all knew, had grown up with and could sing along to! To see these guys in full stage flight is really a treat! Their heavy guitar-based sound brought back memories of smoke-filled concert venues of years gone by! At one stage, they left the stage, only to arrive on a second stage at the top of the hill a few minutes later (much to the delight of the crowd at the back, I'm sure!). We were thrilled, actually, when they ran right past us to return to the main stage. No super-special pathways for these normal blokes....just a quick dash with a couple of security back to where they began the concert! And to top it all off, Bernard Fanning played one of my all-time favourite songs when he arrived back on-stage....a little number called 'Whatever Makes You Happy'!

The Superteen, at his first ever concert was impressed. Although he did not want to rage in the mosh pit, he enjoyed the music and came away more of a Powderfinger fan than he was previously. He was disappointed, however, that they didn't play 'I Don't Remember', the song that he played a younger version of one of the band members in the video clip!

At the end of the night, and after two encores, they sang their swan song....These Days.....one of my all-time favourite PF songs! I admit that it was here when I started to get a little emotional. They say that all good things must come to an end, but this song signalled, not just the end of the concert but the end of seeing Powderfinger in concert again! (They do have a return trip in November but we don't have tickets!).

So, from this little Aussie fan, I'd like to say thanks Powderfinger....for the songs, the experiences and the memories! I will miss you!


(Apologies for poor photo quality. I forgot to bring my camera so ended up trying to take a few snaps on my mobile phone. Seriously waiting for my phone plan to end so I can get an iphone!)

Easy Peasy Banana Pikelets with a Twist

Are you one of those people who avoids cooking pikelets because you just cannot get the cooking part right? Are you sick of pikelets that burn on one side and yet are soggy in the middle? Or do you have pikelets that become a concertina fan as soon as you try to remove them from the pan?

If you answered yes to any of the above then you are not alone. In fact, that was me until I discovered a fantastic and idiot-proof way of cooking pikelets. Here is my favourite banana pikelet recipe made on my sandwich press:

You need:

2 1/2 cups self raising flour (I combine wholemeal and white)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
3-4 very ripe bananas mashed

What you do:

1. Beat eggs, sugar, milk and water in a bowl.
2. In another bowl mash banana (I use a fork) and add the bicarb so that the banana mix expands slightly.
3. Add the banana mix to the milk/water/egg/sugar mix. Stir.
4. Add the flour to the bowl and combine. (you can add a little more water or milk to make the mix slightly on the runnier side).
5. Drop tablespoons on the preheated sandwich press. I do not use cooking spray but rely solely on the non-stick surface of the press.

6. Lower the lid so that it sits just above the pikelets. After about 30-60 seconds, drop lid onto the pikelets.
7. Your pikelets will spread so start with smaller sized spoonfuls until you get the mix correct.


8. After about a minute, lift the lid. You may need to lift them off the surface with a plastic spatula.
9. Enjoy!

Chocolate Decadence In the Slow Cooker

It's been a while since I posted a slow cooker recipe. It's not that I haven't been using my slow cooker, just that I have been slack at posting! Lol!

This one is fantastic for the kids and grown ups alike and makes a quick and easy dessert which is not only delicious but not as bad for you (ok, minus the chocolate and cream) as some! It's also great for us Queenslanders who are currently in the middle of strawberry season!

You need:

1 packet chocolate buds or buttons. I used a large packet of dark chocolate
1 container thickened cream
Fruit pieces including strawberries, bananas etc. You could also use marshmallows or assorted lollies.

Turn slow cooker on high and fill with some water.

In a heat proof bowl put chocolate buds and cream. The ratio is about 4 : 2 tablespoons (ie for every 4 tablespoons of chocolate, put in 2 tablespoons of cream). Mix together.

Sit heat proof bowl in the water that is in the slow cooker (so make sure that your bowl fits before starting this recipe).

Place lid on slow cooker and heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

When melted through, serve in a bowl so that fruit can be dipped into chocolate. We used skewers to handle the fruit pieces.

Enjoy!

I Wonder If His Nose Twitches, Too!

Our family was lying on the bed, doing what families usually do (talking and laughing) when Miss Ten suddenly changes conversation topic......

"Mum, who are you going to vote for?"

For those of you who don't know, our federal elections are coming up in less than a fortnight and at the moment, our televisions are saturated with coverage of the two main campaigners - current prime minister Julia Gillard and leader of the opposition Tony Abbott - vying for political kudos!

"Gee", was my rather shocked reply, "I don't know" (ie, me the fence-sitting, swinging voter!). Then Miss Ten looks at me in the most innocent, wide-eyed way and says:

"Are you gonna vote for Tony Rabbit?"

Naturally, I burst out laughing and then went on to explain that his name is actually 'Abbott' and not 'Rabbit'.

"Oh, I know that!" she calmly replied. "I just call him 'Tony Rabbit' because he has big ears!"

Leave it to kids to say the very obvious!



Photo courtesey of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CROP_Tony_Abbott.jpg

Rocking In Rome!

The final leg of our holiday was Rome. It sounded like such a wonderful place, however even before our arrival we had an idea of things to come when people starting talking about a 'heatwave'.

And heatwave it was! After leaving our train from Florence and walking into a wall of heat, we arrived at our apartment only to find that there had been a mix-up in times with the owner and we had a two hour wait with luggage and children! Thankfully, things picked up after this and the apartment owner was fantastic following her error and offered us a bottle of wine and a little economic saving on the rental agreement!

Our apartment's position was amazing. It was literally a five minute walk to both the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps and overlooked Barberini Piazza. And to make it even more pleasurable...it was air conditioned!!!!!!

We once again took the option of an open bus tour of Rome to help us find our way. We also managed to take in the obvious sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican and because of the heat, we booked ourselves on a bus tour to Pompeii and Naples for a day. Pompeii was incredibly hot once we got off the air conditioned bus and this did somewhat spoil our visit to this incredible place.

Finally, after a week, we waved goodbye to Rome and began our long voyage home to Australia. It definitely was an amazing holiday!

BEST SIGHT SEEING EXPERIENCE......the Vatican. Without a doubt St Peter's Basilica was the most beautiful church I have seen. It literally took my breath away. We joined a tour outside the Vatican which did help us avoid some of the waiting crowds. The Vatican museums were very interesting but because of the volume of people, we felt like cattle being herded through it. St Peter's Basilica, however was the opposite......no rushing, temperatures cool and architecture that was completely stunning.

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....the Colosseum (btw, only EU children get a child's entry price here....totally unfair if you ask me!), the Pantheon (lovely), Pompeii (hot), Naples (did not appeal to me), and my 'Roman Holiday' experiences....the Spanish Steps (loved these), the Trevi fountain (beautiful) and La Bocca Della Verita...the mouth of truth (which was closed by the time we got there but we still managed to snap a photo!).

CULINARY DELIGHTS......gelati! We had one every day! We did try some of the pasta dishes which were ok but we all loved the local prosciutto which was far, far better than any we've found at home!

THE KIDS RECOMMEND.....Villa Borghese is a huge park that has a zoo, which we went to and where you can hire bikes, which we did! In fact, we hired a four-person bike for an hour and laughed our heads off for most of that time!

BEST TIP......You can fill up your water bottles at many of the fountains in Rome. At first we were worried about what the quality of this would be like but after we started seeing locals doing it, we figured it must be ok. The water was cold and tasty and my family preferred it to most other water.

NEXT TIME....We would not travel in the middle of summer!!!!

Flouncing In Florence and Pouncing in Pisa

We used Florence as a stop-over for a day trip to Pisa. We arrived there early evening after our horrendous exit to Venice thanks to a national transport strike.

Our hotel in Florence was fantastic. I cannot say this enough. We were hot, tired and stressed when we arrived at the hotel and were thrilled when they offered us a complimentary welcome drink. The room was a family room but was one of the few hotels where my kids had genuine single beds (no pull out/fold out sofas or cot beds!). The staff were friendly and helpful and gave us fantastic tips on getting around. The breakfast was delicious and the owner even went out of his way to drive us to the train station on two occasions. I cannot recommend this hotel more and suggest that if you are taking a trip to Florence then book the Hotel Giglio.

We found Pisa - like most of Italy - hot! I bought one of those lacy tourist fans for a couple of Euros in a stall across from the Leaning Tower and declared that it was the best two euros that I'd spent on the whole trip. The tower itself was interesting although we decided not to climb it. We did take the 'holding up the tower' pictures that every tourist puts on their 'must do' list when visiting there.

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE......We loved the markets in Florence. Fantastic shopping to be had!

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....We went to Pisa by train then took a bus to the Leaning Tower.

CULINARY DELIGHTS.......We had dinner at a restaurant called 'Trattoria Da Tito'. This was a recommendation from the hotel that we stayed at. It was a great place to eat with friendly, helpful staff who delighted us with a complimentary tomato bruscetta to go with our meal. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends.

THE KIDS RECOMMEND......The markets in Florence. The spent a lot of money there!

BEST TIP.......Buy leather goods in Florence. This was by far the place that we visited that sold the best price and quality leather. There are so many to choose from as well so you can afford to be picky and bargain with the sellers.

NEXT TIME....We would definitely stay longer in Florence. We didn't even get to see a lot of the main sites in this city. We had intended to see the Statue of David but were too hot and tired to bother in the end and went back to the air conditioning of the hotel.