MONDAY MUNCHIES - Christmas Edition

Tis the season to stuff your face and forget the calories.
Surly one day cant hurt...

Yesterday I took command of the kitchen for one of many days of festive cooking for the week ahead. I have a list, a long list that seems never ending at this stage of the game, but I know that come Christmas day all will have fallen into place and I will have been stressing for nothing.
I hope...

RUM BALLS

* 250 grams arrowroot biscuits
* 395 gram condensed milk
* 1 cup of coconut
* 1/4 cup of cocoa
* Rum (to your tasting)

* Extra coconut for decorating

In a large bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well.

With wet hands, roll the mixture into small balls then coat in the extra coconut.

Refrigerate or freeze for later.

EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE

* 395 gram can condensed milk
* 125 grams butter
* 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons golden syrup
* 155 gram milk chocolate buds (or chocolate of your choice)

Combine condensed milk, butter, sugar and golden syrup in a heavy based saucepan.
Stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.

Increase heat to moderate, and cook stirring for a further 10 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat.

Add the chocolate buds and stir until all the chocolate has melted.

Pour into a greased, lined, square cake tin, and set aside to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.

Turn fudge out onto a chopping board, and cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas

beck xx

MONDAY MUNCHIES - Chicken Cacciatore

Easy meals, they are my favourite. Especially in summer and the lead up to Christmas. I'd rather be sitting around the pool enjoying a nice cold glass of bubbles then slaving over a hot stove. Having said that, my tribe still expects to be fed.

This recipe is a quick way to enjoy a great Italian meal without to much fuss. Served rice, pasta or potatoes and salad, it will surely please the fussiest of eaters.

INGREDIENTS 

* 1.5 kilos of chicken pieces
* 2 onions sliced
* 1/4 cup red wine
* 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
* 200 grams sliced mushrooms
* 2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
* 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
*  800 gram can dic d tomatoes
* 1 cup sliced black olives / optional

Spray a large non stick pan with spray oil. Brown both sides of the chicken, remove then cook the onion until soft.

Return the chicken to the pan and all other ingredients.

Cover and cook at a simmer for half an hour or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Enjoy, and have a fabulous week.

beck xx

A "SWIFT" TRIP TO MELBOURNE

The count down to Christmas is on,..
I am still way behind schedule, but now ready to busy myself with all that needs to be done before the big day arrives.

This week my son and I took a 'SWIFT' trip to Melbourne. Planned almost a year ago, I had every intention of being organised for the festive season before jetting off, but alas it was not meant to be. However as that plane touched down on the tarmac, all thoughts of Christmas and what was left to be done at home took a back seat in my mind as I got ready to party and dance like it was once again 1989.  It was time to  shake it off  with Taylor Swift...

We had a fabulous time dancing, singing, laughing. The show was amazing and didn't disappoint. Taylor is magnificent live and truly does deserve the explosive applause.

Covering almost all the tracks from her latest album 1989 and a few hits from the past, a moving high rise catwalk and a team of fabulous dancers. Taylor put on a show that rival the best of the best.

We had fabulous seats, and were even lucky enough to see Taylor before she even hit the stage. My son was in his element, and his excitement as well as the crowd was infectious. So many people dressed up. There was even a couple that went as Romeo and Juliette in full on period costume to celebrate Taylor's song Love Story. It was an amazing atmosphere.

As it turned out, the quick pre-Christmas getaway was just what I needed before I plunge myself into the thick of the season.
So thank you Melbourne for hosting Taylor on her 1989 tour, you helped revive this tired old body and help prepare me for the festive season...

beck xx

A BELATED WELCOME TO SUMMER

I have barely had time to think this week let alone stop and welcome Summer to our shores.
Summer, here already, seems like we just bid farewell to the long hot days, yet here we are again. Bright, intense and steamy in all your humid glory. It's funny, at one time I welcomed summer days, now I can only take it in small doses. How I wish Spring time lasted a little longer.

With the new season comes Christmas. CHRISTMAS people, it's three weeks away !!!!!
I am SO far behind this year. More so than any other.
My craft is ready to begin if I can only find the time 
The ingredients for my Christmas baking still on the supermarket shelf
My Christmas blog posts are all just ideas in my head waiting to be taken notice of

Its all just coming on way to fast.
But at least the tree is up if nothing else.

We celebrated another birthday here this week. I now have two sons in their twenties. Can you even imagine. I am blown away by it.

For the first time ever, I didn't get to celebrate with him, he was on his first ever self funded holiday without parental supervision. I'm still coming to terms with having grown up children. Some days even though they are few and far between I don't feel like a grown up myself.

Linking up this week for the first December FYBF of 2015 with.... With Some Grace

Have a fabulous weekend, and hopefully I can get myself all caught up and back on track before the jolly old guy begins his decent down chimneys for 2015...

beck xx

MONDAY MUNCHIES - Porcupines

Winter time is when I crave this sort of comfort food dish. But when your son comes home for dinner and requests that you make it because it "just doesn't taste the same when I attempt it mum", you just have to brave the heat in the in kitchen and make his wish a reality.
That is just a part of motherhood when one of your chicks leaves the nest. Making their favourite dishes when they come home for a feed.

Making porcupines is easy. Served with a big dollop of creamy mash, it will satisfy that comfort, carb craving at the drop of a hat.

INGREDIENTS

* 600g Minced beef
* 1 large diced onion
* 1/2 cup of rice (uncooked)
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 egg
* Large can of tomato soup
* 1 cup of water

Preheat oven at 180 degrees and grease lightly a deep oven proof dish.

In a large bowl. Mix together the mince, onion, rice, flour and egg.

Roll the mixture into balls, and place into a deep oven proof dish.

Mix the soup and water in a large jug and microwave for three minutes or until just heated through.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover and pop into the oven.

Bake for 3/4 of an hour, or until cooked through.

My boys devour this dish, and its not often we have any leftovers, but on the odd occasion that a meatball or two does survive until the next day, they make a really good tasting toastie with a dash of hot sauce.

Enjoy and have a wonderful week.

beck xx

A FINAL HOORAH TO JUNIOR HIGH

We have barely recovered from last weeks grade twelve graduation and all its emotional ties , when BOOM,  it's time for our youngest to attend his grade ten semi formal and bid farewell to another year of schooling. That's it for us, our final hoorah to junior high. We are on the home stretch now, only two years to go and we are done.

My youngest boy is all grown up.

From a mischievous toddler...

Into a mature young man with the world at his feet.

He is our 'little old man'. Fifteen going on fifty. Serious most times, but a whole lot of giggles and fun at others. He puts his whole heart and soul into everything that he does.

He makes us so very proud.

Ben, you were the final piece to our family puzzle. A tiny bundle that bought with him so much joy. Though the years have passed by so much quicker than I would have liked, I look forward to watching you continue to grow and strive to achieve all your dreams. The world is your oyster, grab all that you can with both hands and never let go.

Linking up for FYBF with -  With Some Grace

beck xx

WHITE RIBBON DAY

Today is white ribbon day.
An international day to raise awareness and prevention in the violence against women.

As I write this I am wiping tears from my eyes, my heart is beating fast, and although calming, my sadness and rage is still quite raw.

I just now finished reading A Mothers Story by Rosie Batty.

I can't even begin to imagine what Rosie, and women just like her go through on a daily basis. The constant fear of what's next, never knowing if they or their children are about to take their last breathe. It sickens me to the core.

I am one of the lucky ones. Growing up in a violent free environment, now married to a wonderful kind and gentle man. Never have I lived in fear. As I said, I am one of the lucky ones.

When I became the mother to four sons, I made it my life's mission to teach my sons right from wrong. To respect all women, to be kind and gentle, to never raise a hand with the intent to strike. To choose their words carefully before they speak and to remember that emotional abuse is just as bad, if not more damaging in some cases then physical violence.
If I have done my job well, and my sons take these values with them into their future, then I know in my heart I have raised them well.

Life Line   131144

Australia - NATIONAL 
1800 RESPECT (1800737732)

www.1800respect.org.au

NEVER ALONE Luke Batty Foundation

Www.neveralone.com.au

Helping women and children affected by the trauma of family violence.


Today, on white ribbon day, I wish to send an angel out to those who are in need.

RIP Luke Batty