Leftover ham

Just what to do with leftover ham from Christmas?  I have tried a little something new today.  I was a variation on a recipe I had.

Zuchini and Ham Bites


You will need....

2 zucchini grated
440g of ham
1 egg white
4 tbls cornflour
2 tbl of mint and pastley
salt and pepper to taste
spray oil for pan

Now you need to...

• Place all the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly combine.  Be careful not to add too much salt because ham is quite salty. 
• Heat a pan lightly sprayed with oil.  Place large spoonfuls of mixture onto the heated pan. 
• Cook

This recipe is easy and fresh on your pallette

We ate these with new potatoes and green vege blanched.

Project 365 April

I know my blog has been lacking some attention as of late but here are project 365 pages for April.

They are all made with products from Weeds and Wildflowers.  The templates from the Everyday life template pack and the SS10 kit for the rest.

I am slowly getting these loaded up. I am thinking about what my project for 2013 is going to look like so if you have any ideas then please let me know.

Fridays Fabulous Five # 28

Here we are nearly at Christmas with life really too busy to think sanely.  But here are some links that might just be worth a link.

• tagxedo is a little fun for those that liked wordle
• Some Christmas tags found on How about Orange blog.
• Here is a post about keeping some sanity at this time of the year.  (I think I must need to read this everyday.)
• I really love this project.  I am wondering if I am dedicated enough to work on a cookbook like this one at Clover Lane.
• I love going to Katie the Scrapbooking Lady.  She has a great blog and the way she approaches her scrapbooking sure makes it easier.  Go take a look

I hope you have a great week.  Please link me up if you have anything you think I would love to read.

Project 365 March

Here are my pages for March. 

These pages come from Weeds and Wildflowers.  The templates are the Everyday life set and the kit SS 9 and a little Everyday Life kit 1

Wordless Wednesday 5 December

Andre had his birthday party on Sunday.  His birthday is in January but we are away.  I took Andres closest friends to Tree Adventures.  They all had a fabulous time.  It was hard to take good photos but here are some to give you the idea of what it was like as they were about 3 - 4 meters in the air.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

November in Numbers

I can't believe that November is now gone and  the end of the year is looming quickly.  Here are my numbers for November.

• As a family we started Orienteering in the summer series.  It took 3 of us (2 children and me) 37 minutes to complete the first weeks course.

 

(Credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi)

 

• Unusually for me, because of my disabled son, I have worked all but 1 day this month.  It has been hard work as all the things I have to do for my son sometimes get a little out of control but needs must at times.

 

 

 

 

• November was a dry and cool month.  We had 50% less rain and we were about 1 degree cooler according to the met service.  I know it is spring but I sure could do with summer arriving quickly.  My clothes line sure could do with a little more use too.
 

 

 

 

• Our Christmas tree went up on Thursday 29 November.  Brandt was going to be overseas a lot in the next month so this was the best time to get it up. So 3 children and 2 really tired parents undertook the traditional tree dressing process.

 

 

 

• The roof began the painting process.  So with 320 sq/m of roof to paint it was water blasted by us, and the painting process began. In my weekends I was helping DH paint and as he does not have weekends like me he was painting while I was at work.  The roof is now about 2/3 painted so I am happy.  Of course I will happier when it is all done. That is the walls and the 150 sq/m of decking.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Well thats it for this month.  I am linking this post to Notes on Paper

 









Monday Menu 3 December

I can't believe that it is December already.  So thinking that I am really tired and busy at the moment the meals I have reflect that.

Monday  cold chicken with baked potato and pea.

Tuesday  chicken curry pasta

Wednesday  spaghetti bolignaise

Thursday Hamburgers homemade

Friday soup and toast

Saturday  bbq kebabs  with green salad

Sunday Leftovers.

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie

When Teaching Tweenagers that Everything Costs Something.

'When I get a touch phone I will be able to get free internet.' was what my 11 (12 in 6 days) daughter promptly told me when she got off the school bus.  Now I know that the hours ride on the bus gives plenty of time for talk amongt the girls but free internet promptly got me thinking about the value of things and how to teach the above 11 year old that everything costs something.  Luckily just a few days later the right moment to make my point came about. 

As I have mentioned before I have been very fussy about my daughter having a phone.  Firstly she did not need one and only wanted one and secondly I did not have clearly in my head what rules I would need in place before such a device would be in her care.

For months and months I with stood the ..'but everyone has one'.....taunt.  I promptly replied the standard ...' when you can pay for one you can get one.  I don't see why you need a phone.  I will reassess it when each needy moment arrives.'

October bought about that moment to get the phone and I bought the cheapest one with the basics on it.  Nothing fancy at all.  6 weeks later it is lost.  Hmmmmmm not a happy mother.  I then went to the ...'well you were not responsible'.....'and I am not getting another one'...mode while secretly thinking well I suppose when the new school year comes around I will give it more thought especially as she had come home sick (vomiting) that day and I had a little empathy for her.  To my surprise my 11 year old said that ....'the phone I had bought her was a piece of junk'.    Well any thought of me replacing the phone prompty went and a whole week went by before I decided that if she was to have a phone she would need to buy it herself secretly hoping she would not have much money and the basic phone would be what she would be able to get.

I must say she was happy to spend what she had in her 'spending' (as opposed to her savings) stash leaving no money left for anything and she bought a phone.  Hmmmm same rules in place.  The plan came with a data package, calling minutes and a txt 5000 plan.  So I quickly rang the phone company just to confirm that this phone would not let said daughter spend more credit than she had and while I acknowledge that the phone was a good deal it was still not necessarily teacher her that everything costs.  Hmmm my plan was backfiring.  Then to my disgust she told me that the headset that came with it was a piece of junk not as good as the ones she lost. Lesson still requires some work I am thinking.

All I can say is thank goodness she has only a few days of school left and she still does not know how to tap into the wireless system we have at home.  That is giving me time to work out how to change the passwork for when I need it.

Project 365 February

Here are my February pages.  I guess I won't be finished by the end of the year but I am giving it a good go

Credits for these pages are Everyday life template set, Sweet and Simple kit 2 and Simply You Simply Me from Weeds and Wildflowers

Fridays Fabulous Five # 27

Here my links for this week.  

1. I am sure going to try and give this photography technique a try in the next week.  Moving lights.  I can't wait to see what I came up with.
2. I think that this is just perfect for my children to have a go at when they wrap the gifts this season.  I love visiting How about Orange's blog
3. If you are looking for a quick advent calendar then the very retro blog Meet me at Mikes is worth a look.
4. Here is some subway art which I thought might be worth a look again and instead of thinking I might just go to spot light to have a look for a frame and do it.
5. then there is this post about tweenagers and their pocket money is spent is well worth a read.

Please feel free to post a link or two of your favourites.

Wordless Wednesday 27 November

During the summer we participate in orienteering as a fimily.  Out where we live the club runs a very family orientated summer series which is why we give it a go.  McKenzie is not confidently reading the maps and way faster than me.  Andre just loves running along with her.  I am usually encouraging Hayden to run along with me.  If you live out my way then you need to check out the Counties Manukau Orienteering Club.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

When Painting the House

We have begun plainting the house outside.  All 320 sq/m of roof, 150 sq/m of deck and house walls to match.  Thats just this summer.  The inside will need doing to but that will be the next phase.

So the tin roof is a constant work in progress.  It can only be done when it is not too hot and needs a double coat so the roof and walls are both in progress. 

We have tried to be a little less traditional with the wall colours but at the same time not offensive to the main population.

I have been helping during the weekends and my husband is painting all the days when he is home from work.  I love that DH is beavering away at it while I am working hard to pay for all that paint.  I am sure there will plenty of posts about this project as we go.

Here is part of the house front.  Lets call this the before photo

Here we are in the shade doing the carport wall last week.  The photo makes the paint look grey but you can take it from me it is a pastel shade of teal.  I guess that will be for another post.

 

You will note the small part of me showing has my hair totally covered.  That is because it costs me heaps to colour my natural greying hair and don't want to add freehand splatters to the piece of art on my head already.

Mondays Menu 26 November

My blog took a break last week and I really missed my menu so I am back to it this week even though I am posting a little late

Monday  easy fried rice

Tuesday  spaghetti bolignaisee

Wednesday  crockpot beef with a combination of whatever I have in the pantry

Thursday  creamy coconut stirfry noodles and vege

Friday  Asian chcken wraps

Saturday  bbq chicken with salad

Sunday party food.

I am linking this post I'm an Organising Junkie

So I did it

So this year I got back on the photo a day band wagon and decided to put a page a week together again.  My children love the books I have made from other years it seemed that I should make an effort.  So in between all other projects I have on the go I am going to post them up so I can keep track of what I have done.  With out fail here is my first installment.

January pages are all made with Everyday Life templates and Sweet and Simple 8 kit all from Weeds and Wildflowers.

I am hoping to get all of these posted before the end of the year but I will see how busy I get.