Gina's gone to France!

Just like her Mama, Gina has gone to Europe when she is 16.  Gina will explore France and England for 5 weeks.  Bon voyage!

Paris in the early evening

Home for the week

Who does this child belong to?

Zombie Tighe

Food adventures

The boys wanted Donuts for afternoon tea, so I found an interesting recipe for donut balls.
2 tsp of Baking Powder and 1 tsp Cream of Tartar - seemed an extra amount of excessive rising required.
Dropping the batter into the hot oil is facinating.  The non descript shape of batter puffs up and the whole donut rises to the top of the oil, when it is ready, it rolls itself over, and cooks the other side.  These are balls of delight, with horns.   All we had to do was spoon them out when they were cooked, roll them in sugar crystals, and eat them....

The boys want them for afternoon tea tomorrow as well. Makes about 40 balls which is plenty.

1 egg - lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar 
1 Tbsp Oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
Oil for frying
Icing Sugar

Combine the egg, milk, sugar, and oil in a large bowl.
Sift the flour, spice, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt, into the egg mixture.
Stir until well mixed.
Heat oil.
Carefully drop batter by small spoonfuls into oil.
Remove with a slotted spoon when brown on all sides.
Drain on a paper towel.
Sprinkle with icing sugar while still warm.

Update Note:  If Quinn suggests doubling the recipe - DONT!

Tighe's 6th Birthday

 Tighe's fascination with Ancient Egypt, had him asking for a pryamid cake for his birthday.

 I hollowed out the centre of the cake and added treasure - Whitikers mini bars, Turkish Delight, Eclairs, and "eskimos" masquerading as Mummies.

Front view of the cake

Side view of cake

The desert sand was brown sugar

Tighe is described as a Loaf of bread, diagional stripes, flower pot, house plan, and a flowering reed.

Moved In

After much planning, demolishing, building, painting and some unpacking, we have all moved in together.  At this stage the cats are still hissing at each other, and the wardrobe doesn't fit all my clothes.

Snow in the hills

The Walking School bus

Snow on Backpack

Snow around the side of the office

It's meant to happen once every 40 years, but it snowed on the lawn at the house.  The kids played in the snow at school and I froze at work.  There was a great pile of ice on the trampoline after school, so we all had snow ball fights until our fingers became frozen.  It was the first day for the walking school bus as well, so they got to walk to school in the swirling snow.

Oscar with snow in his hair, and trying to eat it.

Carrots for dinner

Just don't ask Tighe to help peel the carrots.  His one is on the left.  Gina peeled the other one.

Thanks for your help Tighe.