Something yummy. . . .

I found this recipe recently when I was browsing around Pinterest.   When I saw the list of ingredients I thought there is nothing wrong with this:

How can you go wrong with a dessert when these are the three main ingredients?  

First mix cake mix, 1 stick butter (125g softened), and 1 egg together and press into 9x13 in casserole dish.  Helps to butter up your hands because it's a bit sticky.

Crumble up one sleeve of Oreo's and sprinkle over brownie cake mix.  

Next pore the sweetened condensed milk over it:

If this isn't wonderful enough, throw on some chocolate chips.

Then place it in the oven 350 degrees or 180 for those on the metric system for 20-25 minutes until nice  and ooey gooey.  Delish!!!

Go ahead lick the spoon while you wait, that's what we do around here anyways.

We were so excited when they were done that I forgot to take a finished product picture, so you will have to make your own to see that. :)  I now refer to this as the trifecta dessert and have already had multiple request for it.

***Side note:  it really helps to use the cake mix made this way instead of a regular brownie mix, tried the other and the SCM just oozed to the bottom during baking.  

Go enjoy something sweet for me!!

Let me know if you have tried any wonderful desserts lately.  I'm always looking for something new to bake.

Christmas is coming. . .

Christmas is fast approaching and I again find myself not nearly as prepared as I had planned to be. Christmas always sneaks up on me here in Australia, I don't know if it's because it's hot, or merely because our lives are so busy, but it feels like I blink and there is December yet again.

Christmas in Oz is hot so Santa dresses accordingly :)

Last year was our inaugural year for our advent calendar.  I decided to try this for two different reasons.  1.  As the kiddos are getting a little bit bigger, we wanted to start establishing our own Christmas family traditions. I wanted our focus to be on friends and family and spending quality time with both.  2.  In Australia christmas time is so different that what I was use to and it never really felt like Christmas here.  The first couple of years we lived here we didn't decorate or anything, but with the kids we've decided to embrace the differences and celebrate anyways.

 Even though we fell a little behind using our calendar last year and probably only did 1/2 the days, using it really stretched out the celebration.  It changed the focus from one day of presents to a month of spending time with friends and family and doing special things together.

For our advent calendar I started out by brainstorming ideas for each day, what were traditions that I wanted to keep, what were special things we could do as a family?  Here are a few of ours:

1 Decorate Christmas tree

2 Make cinnamon ornaments for the tree

3 Open a special present

4  Go on campout with family

5 Unwrap a book to read

6 Go to get picture with Santa

7 Make Jammie and Papa and Nana and Grandad Presents

8 Make Christmas cards

9 Make gumball Christmas tree

10 Go to the Christmas party at church

11 Night out seeing Christmas lights

12 Make ornaments for tree

13 Have a family Christmas movie night with treats

14 Go to carols by candlelight

15 Open Christmas Eve gift and read Night before Christmas

16 Make goodies for neighbors

17 Bake cookies and decorate them with friends

18 Have lunch at a special restaurant with our family

19 Go for a picnic at the park

20 Make rice crispy trees to take to kids at church

21   Polar Express night 

22 Read a Christmas story together

23 Open presents and Call grandparents on Skype

24  picnic and play at the beach

I haven't finished our list yet, but thought this was a good start.  

What sort of things do you do as a family to celebrate the season?  

Fairy Princess skirt

Matilda's 4th birthday party was 'Fairy Themed".  Being the crafty DYI wannabe momma I am, I wanted to make her party unique using as small a budget as possible.  I had Matilda search through Pinterest with me (I know I'm starting her early aren't I), and we found several ideas for decorations and favours that she liked.  I'm not sure if it is the same in America as it is here in Australia because we didn't have children until we moved here, but it is standard to give gift bags/favours at birthday parties.  Instead of the standard bag of lollies (candy) we decided to give each girl a fairy skirt and headband to turn them into little fairies for the party then could be taken home as the gift.  

I love tulle tutu's and you can easily do this same skirt with tulle, but it cost around $8 a meter, and we had 12 little girls to make skirts for, so that made that idea out of our budget.  Instead I began looking around the house, and found heaps of leftover fabric from various projects, so we altered the design and instead of making tulle tutus we made fabric strip ones, and ended up decluttering lots of fabric I had lying around and not spending extra money. . . my kind of project.  

It gave a different look to the skirts, but they ended up being adorable on all the girls.

What you'll need:

Per skir (for approximately 3-5 year old):

1- 1 1/2 meters of ribbon

2 meters of fabric

(and in my case a wonderful sister who helped me make them)

The easiest way to cut the strips is to fold the fabric in half long ways multiple times.

 Next cut strips 2 inch strips.

Then unfold and cut these strips in half (or if you want them longer leave them as is because they will end up half the length.

 Next take your ribbon, measure about 10 inches in to leave room to tie a bow,

Fold strips in half, loop the loose ends around the ribbon and through the looped in, pull tightly, repeat with all the other strips.

 It is a GREAT skirt pattern because you can mix and match to suit your color scheme, use tulle or fabric, make them longer or shorter. In other words, very versatile, and most importantly the kids loved them.

Even Nate, he saw all of the girls dressing up and wanted to join in.  At least he came out roaring at everyone and whacking the ground with his fairy wand.

What has been one of your DIY projects that has come out great?  Any great party ideas to share?

6 Years and counting. . . . .

November 16th, 2006 we arrived for our new life and work in Australia.

I still can easily recall the feelings as we packed up, sold off/stored all our worldly possessions, and loaded our suitcases.  We stood looking around our home, as we prepared to leave, experiencing both a sense of fear and uncertainty and an overwhelming sense of excitement. We were about to begin a life and ministry that we had both desired long before we knew each other, and that we had prayed for since being together.  We stood there knowing we were headed to a place we had never been, to live around people we had never met.  Ed was nervously fluttering around the house trying to remember all the last minute things he was sure he had forgotten.  My nerves wouldn't attack until later.

 As we made our way through customs my knees were shaking, and I was so nervous I could hardly speak.  Here we were, about to meet the people who would fill our lives for the next few years.  After we were cleared to enter the country, we manned our backpacks and our suitcases and began to head through the doors. Unfortunately,  that is when my bags became tangled and toppled over and Ed proceeded through doors, not knowing I was scrambling to get my stuff together.  After finally managing to reorganise everything,  I looked up and Eddie had disappeared, what was I going to do but but walk through those terrifying doors all by myself.  What a way to start our journey as a team :)   Luckily we were greeted by a wonderful, loving group of people.

Kangaroo Paws

 We originally had agreed to dedicating two years of our lives to the work here.   Little did we know then what adventures lay ahead, that 6 years later we would still be here, and that those people would be some of our dearest friends.  It has been the hardest, most rewarding thing we have ever done.

the barrenness that is the center of Australia

Our time here has taught both of us so many things.  I have learned the power of prayer, and seen God working in our lives and others around us.  I have learned patience.  I have learned what it means to be hospitable and to serve others (though I am a constant work in progress with these things).  We have dealt with the hardships of infertility issues, and were able to experience the joy of parenthood.  I have learned that I can do nothing through my strength alone but it's God that works through me.  I have learned that "home is wherever you plant your feet" and that nothing great comes without sacrifice.  I have discovered remarkable friendships from people of all ages and backgrounds.  I've learned that I am made of tougher stuff that I had imagined before.  I have learned to discover my faith and beliefs for myself not just because I have always done it that way.  I have learned that sometimes we have to take steps into the unknown to experience God's greatest blessings.

This is the sand outside Uluru, now you know why they call it the 'Red Center'.

 

 It has been an amazing and incredibly challenging 6 years.  I am so thankful for the sacrifices our families have made by us living so far away, the prayers that have gone up on our behalf (please keep them coming), and for the love, support, and encouragement we are blessed enough to experience working with this group of believers here.  We don't know where our lives will lead from here or how much longer we may stay in Australia, but we are thankful to God for the opportunity he has given us here and now.

Fauna

When most people think of Australian animals there are two that typically pop up first, kangaroos and koalas.  These two, I have to admit are pretty amazing creatures, but Australia  in chock-a-block (another aussie slang word for you) with interesting, unusual animals that you can only find here.


There are animals that you are sure God made just out of left over parts that were lying around.

Animals that look like they must be a direct descendants to dinosaurs.  This is a Cassowary.  We were able to see them in a wildlife park in Cairns, Queensland, which is their native habitat, the rainforest.  Sidenote:  These birds make the strangest drumming vibrations in their chest when they get angry.

 These Gallah's are very common around here and happen to be Tilly's favourite bird, why you ask?  because they are pink of course. :)

Another aussie animal we were able to get up-close and personal with in Cairns were salt water crocs, aka salties.  These monsters kill people.  In northern Australia you don't go swimming in any billabong or river you happen to come across.  These are one of the few creatures on earth that actually hunt people, they see us as potential prey.

Australia's very own turkey, the bush turkey, though I don't think anyone stuffs these for dinner.

Finally. . . .


 No animal post on Australia would be complete without our two Australian icons.

Koalas are one of my absolute favourites.  Their fur is incredibly soft and they smell like Eucalyptus.  They are the only animal I know of that you want to smell their breath.

Then of course there is the Kangaroo.

In Western Australia we see lots of roos.  We see them driving to the shops, when we are out bush-walking, at cemeteries, golf courses, and pretty much anywhere you have open space and grass to eat.  Don't get me wrong they aren't hopping through our neighbourhood, but we don't have to drive very far to get a peak at these Australian icons.

There is also a park that is a few minutes away that is a wildlife centre only for native animals.  It is one of the must see sites when we have visitors because it gives them a true taste of Australia.  You can get up close and personal with the kangaroos, pet a koala, crack a whip, swing a billy, and get to view lots of Aussie wildlife.

Nathan with a wallaby

Australia is chock-full of amazing animals that you can't witness anywhere else.  Come on over and see, we'll put you up.  

Ode to OZ

Aussie Slang 101

A few of you have read  a bit of Aussie slang before with the hubbies website, for you this will be a boost for your memories. :)

I think some of our friends and family are a bit dismayed that we don't have more of an Australian accent, but it's mainly because we revert back when we are home.  In every day life here we have found more and more Australian terminology and rhythm of speaking slipping into our conversations.  The following words are ones that we use here every day.  They are words that have replaced their American counterparts in our vocab.


First tip, if you read Aussies and pronounced it with an S you sound like an American.  If you wanna sound like an Australian pronounce the "ss" as "zz"  like "Ozzie".

1.  Good-on-ya:  One of my favourite Australian sayings, used to tell people, 'good job'.  You say it quickly like one word.  Funny thing is that Aussies often shorten even more to 'On ya, mate!'.

2. Flat out -- the whole phrase is actually "Flat out like a lizard drinking"  but people tend to only say flat out, it's means crazy busy.

3.  Strewth-  a form of exclamation when someone or something surprises you.

4.  Ranga-  a nickname for a redhead

5. Pram -- stroller

6.  Whoop-whoop--  far away, in the south we would say they live out in the sticks

7.  knickies-- short for knickers though they pronounce it more like knickahs, it's really cute when Tilly talks about getting her knickies on.  This lends to the popular saying, 'Don't get your knickies in a twist!'.

8.  brekky-- short for breakfast

9.  arvo- short for afternoon

10. ooroo (also sometimes pronounce hooroo)-- means goodbye or see you later.  This is an example of slang developed in the country areas, so its commonly heard in the outback, but rarely in the city.

11. Ta- Thank you, usually used for just a small thanks

12.  Dummy-- pacifier

13.  Nappies-- Diapers

14.   And last of all (this is not one that I use, but thought it was funny)  :  nurse--

When we had Matilda, I  had one of those experiences you sometimes have while living in a foreign country, where you hear a word you know used completely differently that it takes you a minute to compute.  An older man in our congregation was holding Matilda and one of the ladies came up and said "Isn't it cute seeing Ron giving Tilly a nurse" I stopped short because for me, nurse had always been associated with breastfeeding so to hear it used in this context brought a smile to my face.  Here it is used in the broader sense of holding/cuddling a baby.  I still kind of crack up inside when I hear people use nurse in this way.


Venture forth and add a little Aussie slang to your day, see if anyone notices or gives you strange looks, let me know if you were success.

All things OZ

Australia is an amazing place.  Next week (November 16th)  we will have been here 6 years.  In so many ways it has flown by, and yet it doesn't feel that long ago that my knees were shaking as we were waiting in line at customs to walk through and meet the people and place we were dedicating the next few years of our lives too.

It has been the the most challenging and rewarding adventure of my life.  I remember, at the beginning of our time here,  Eddie and I would look at each other and say we can do anything for two years (which was our initial commitment).  Little did we know then that 6 years would quickly pass and here we would remain.

The next week and a half will be dedicated to our lives here in Australia.   People often ask us what are the things we like about Australia, and what are the major differences we notice.  It is not really the big things that make living here so different, those are the things that you are prepared for, it's more the 1000's of little things that really make you feel like you are living worlds away.

A couple of things I never get tired of seeing:


1.  It still surprises me to see colourful exotic birds flying outside our home, or around us when we are out at the park.

This is a red winged cockatoo

This handsome devil is a rainbow loorikeet

2.  I still find it fascinating that we get to see kangaroos and how plentiful they are around here.  As you drive to the shops you see them out lounging in fields like you would see deer back home.  I never get tired of watching them hop away either.

In all things Oz week what would you like to hear about?  Food?  More on animals?  Aussie slang?  The church here?  What brought us here?