Mini Renovation

This week a mini Reno was undertaken in our home. Last weekend Hubby removed the vertical blinds in preparation for the new ones to be installed on Tuesday. The old blinds were well overdue to be replaced as they contained unsafe fibre. 

No blinds.

New blinds. And this time they are hung inside the window surround which adds more room and also aids to keep the the heat in when its cold. (It was minus 2 degrees a few mornings this week.)
The installer was very pleased that the slant of the blinds was correct. Sometimes the factory does get it wrong. When he left he was happy his day was off to a good start. 

And whoo-hoo!!! A Brand new addition to my kitchen. There has never been a covering for this window and already we have noticed that it helps to keep our home warmer. 

Now I have the task of deciding what to bring back upstairs from storage. We love the space and lack of clutter about. Thankfully I can take my time with this, no hurry...Dot

Major Renovations

We decided it was time to replace the carpet throughout the top level of our home. This is the main living area and the rooms to be carpeted comprised of 3 bedrooms with walk-in areas, family, dining and living room, and foyer. We have lived here for over 10 years and over that time we have painted and installed a new kitchen. Re-carpeting was not going to be done until we had painted right through, but there is only the main bedroom area to go. 

Until the carpet company called to visit, we had no idea how we were going to tackle this HUGE task. Of course, they know what they are doing; so once it was explained to us we were ready to go ahead. 

Toward the end of last month over the weekend we moved everything from one end of the house to the other, pulled up the existing carpet and underlay and took a trip to the dump. 

(Can you spot hubby and D2)

Ready to move back in and feeling very sore and tired. 

It is winter but we have had some beautiful still and sunny afternoons. Cold though!!!

And gorgeous sunsets.

....Dot

Things

Hi!! There is always something going on around here but I have taken time to sit and do a blog before bed.

Last month I had a birthday and hubby took us out for dinner. 

Not all the drinks in front of me are mine although 2 glasses are; there was a mix-up. 

The others enjoyed wood-fired pizzas, I went for the ocean trout. We all enjoyed our meals.

Last month hubby helped me make my first batch of laundry liquid. I saved five 2 litre millk bottles as the mixture made up 10 litres. I only need to use about a 1/3 cup per wash and so it is going to last a while. And it washes well. 

Recently I took my sister along to a 'Biggest Morning Tea' outing where we were required to wear our pj's to receive free cake and coffee. We went early and enjoyed a small breakfast before our cake and had a great time together.

 

Now its time for bed....Dot

Days spent with Hubby

For a few years now we have a holiday in our corner of the state for an Agricultural Festival. The festival is held 3 hours away and the holiday is taken on a Friday. Hubby and I decided to go this year and headed off very early in the morning. We had a lovely day together and were able to take in a few delights in the sky on the way.

Above us at one point the sky was tinged with pink. Gorgeous.

The weather has turned much colder recently and so the heat pump has been turned on. Because the heat pump has not been used for a while it had become very noisy. So hubby climbed on the roof and readjusted a few things and put rubber feet underneath and it runs much quieter. 

Since the removal of the trees, some piles of rubble had been collected and waiting for the right time to burn. Hubby decided to light one, and only one, as the wind got up as soon as he lit it. I strongly urged him not to light anymore. 

There was certainly some heat radiating from the pile. He came in for lunch quite warm.

On checking the progress later, I noticed he was down the bank further. When he noticed me present, I did get a cheeky grin!!

He was trying to make a chimney and having trouble getting it to strike. 

And he did get it to go for a little while but thankfully it went out. You can see there the next stack to light when the weather is more favorable.

....Dot  

Anzac Day Holiday

This year the Anzac Day holiday fell on a Thursday and I booked my hubby in to spend some time with me. He was happy to oblige and so I decided to use the electric mincer he gave me for Christmas. I purchased a bulk supply of topside from my local butcher the day prior and we were set. 

All hands were on deck to help get the fresh mince into the base of the bag so the top of the bag was kept clean to allow it to be vacuum sealed. 

It took no time at all and I have since cooked with it and we are all very happy with the mince. 


....Dot

Changes

I don't know how you cope with the change of daylight savings (if you have it), but it threw us around a bit this year. I guess it did not help that we laid in on mornings over Easter and then the following week the clocks were turned back. D3 came down with the flu and once she was nearly recovered, Hubby was hit with it; then the rest of us followed. So today, after a few weeks of laying low, consuming gallons of h20 along with numerous hankies, we are all feeling much better and I am planning for a busy week ahead. 

Recently we have been enjoying using up pears in a tart. It is easy to make, delicious with cream or yoghurt and still nice to serve the next day. So here it is:

(that was quick to download!!! My darling hubby updated my laptop over Easter and the changes are proving excellent)

Pear and Cinnamon Tart

Grease a large quiche dish or lamington tin. Heat the oven to 160 degrees.

Place the following in a food processor:

1 egg

½ cup sugar

2 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb yoghurt

¼ c milk

60g melted butter

1 ½ cups SR flour

Blend together until well combined. Spoon into prepared dish and spread out to cover base.

Peel, core and slice 3 pears and place decoratively on top of cake batter.

Bake for 30 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

Immediately brush the surface with some extra melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon followed by a sprinkle of sugar. Leave to cool in tin. 

Tips: I melt my butter in a small pyrex jug in the microwave and add a little extra butter so there is some ready to brush the surface when cooked. I have used spelt flour and also tried with wheat flour, no different. I have also cooked it on 180 degrees along with a casserole and it turned out fine. 

Gorgeous sunset the other night. 

Until next time, hope you can cope well with changes. Have a great week....Dot :-)

Meal Planning 01

Hi, trust you all had a lovely long Easter Weekend. It was good 'indoor weather' in our neck of the woods, so hubby took to sanding some interiors of windows and re-varnishing. We slept in each morning and all enjoyed time around home.

D2 resting her foot with broken toe.

Dusty job!!

But well worth it. They came up beautifully, thanks hubby xx

..............Back to the subject at hand ..................

On the back on the pantry door next to the planner, I have a 'quick list' of ideas to use over the next few days or weeks. This helps me to fill out the planner and save food waste. After a while, most things are crossed off and I can start again with a fresh piece of paper and new ideas (mine and other family members too).  

In this corner on the pantry shelf is storage for all those bits and pieces that need using up. The dates on food is regularly checked, and if it is looming up close it changes place on the shelf. 

And lastly, another very important 'help point' is the shelf at eye level in the fridge where all the 'stuff' that needs using short term. Again, dates are checked around the fridge and/or when items are opened. 

I love to cook food fresh from scratch but enjoy also being creative with leftovers. Thankfully the members of this home love leftovers and enjoy healthy home cooked meals with stacks of variety. They also help in keeping an eye on food preservation and lend a hand in the cooking. 

I hope my thoughts have inspired you, happy planning...Dot