Friday, October 29, 2010

Looking forward to the Long Weekend.....

Wow a four day weekend and we want to achieve soooo much.

I am working in the morning which will be the first Saturday since February. I wouldn't actually call it working - infact I am driving the front end loader at Lysterfield to gain experience loading trucks. I will spend a few hours loading the bin truck! I am really looking forward to it as I am enjoying the new experience of sitting behind the wheel of a huge tonka truck

Saturday afternoon will be some grocery shopping. Oliver is off to a birthday party and Alex has invited a friend over (but we haven't heard from her yet). If her friend cannot make it we may just take Alex to the movies or something else nice.

Sunday I want to finish planting all the seedlings we purchased so not quite sure what else we will do - hopefully some relaxing and quality family time.

Both Noel and I have Monday off work. The kids still have school so it will be a day for the two of us to enjoy each other.

Tuesday is then the day that a horse race stops the nation. It is Melbourne Cup Day and we are off to a bbq at Pete and Tanya's. The team is Aussie so we are going to dress up. I am taking a salad and dessert and champas!! Should be a great day.... I hope Alex is in good tipping form - like she has been for the last few years.

The main thing I want to do however is NOT argue with Noel. We have spent much of the week arguing about one thing or another and have wasted so much time by doing so.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Menu Plan Monday (23rd October - 29th October)


The weekends are becoming a blur. As you know we have been busy for the last few weeks but the calendar doesn't have many blank days on it coming up either..... oh well I guess we are on the home stretch now to the silly season.

On the House of Murray Menu Planner this week is:

Dinners:

Saturday ~ Barbecued Half Bird, Moroccan Couscous Salad
Sunday ~ toasted sandwiches (we went out for lunch)
Monday ~ Eggs, Beans and Chips
Tue ~ Chargrilled Steak with Potato, Carrot and Onion Bake, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Wed ~ Chicken and Spring Vegetable Pasta
Thu ~ Chinese Roast Pork served in Rice Paper Rolls with salad
Fri ~ Parmesan Crusted Fish with Crunchy Potatoes and Salad

Baking:
Mixed Chocolate Chip Muffins

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,



Woosh there goes another weekend.....

Surprise surprise... another busy weekend for the house of Murray!!

It all started with a doctor's appointment Saturday morning to get the results of Thursday's blood test. Thankfully all was good and Dr Botrous was happy with the results. No obvious signs of heart disease, pancreas all good and as we already knew the ECG results were normal also.

Saturday evening, Mat, Anne Maree and the kids came over for dinner. Strangely the camera didn't come out which is sad really as they are about to start a new life as a family in Mackay, Queensland. We had a brilliant evening, all laughing and reminiscining etc.

It was Sean's birthday yesterday and lunch was at the Chelsea Height's Hotel. I came across a brilliant deal while looking at the internet in the morning - 30% of each main meal over $15 if we printed out coupons, which of course we did. I am sure that everyone appreciated the deal we had found (I know we saved nearly $30 on lunch just the four of us!)


Opening the presents....
Lunch was going great until Christmas was brought up for discussion. In fact there wasn't a discussion to begin with and it turned sour from there. The rest of the luncheon was quite quiet and to be honest I was glad when it was over. When we finally got home, more harsh words spoken and Noel took off to Dave's leaving me fuming and with the kids.

So what better to do, go to Bunnings, buy lots of seedlings and do some gardening even if this was at 5pm!! Oh well at least the kids and I had a pleasant and productive evening..... we now have mint, basil, coriander, curly parsely, flat parsley, sage, oregano, firecracker chilli, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, capsicum, baby spinach, cucumber, mixed lettuce and strawberries growing plus a few punnets of petunias and snap dragons!

Noel didn't get home until later!!!!

I guess the Christmas saga is to be continued..... another time!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Menu Plan Monday (16th October ~ 22nd October)



Our menu this week started off with a feast to mark Pam and Dennis last night with us. Starting with some fresh seafood and then some Kangaroo Fillets followed by a huge cheese platter, their first time trying it which Dennis enjoyed but Pam wasn't that fussed. It is a stronger taste than beef etc but it was good that they were both happy to give it a go.

With it only being a few weeks until Christmas I need to pull my finger out with some baking and also stick to our menu plan which is based on low fat cooking. God knows I need to combat all our upcoming social events.

On the House of Murray Menu Planner this week is:

Dinners:

Saturday ~ Family Feast (oysters, prawns, kangaroo fillets, etc - for full menu read previous post or click here)
Sunday ~ dinner at a Thai Restaurant
Monday ~ Roasted Lamb Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Vegetables, Gravy and Mint Jelly
Tue ~ Slow Cooked Pork and Sweet Potato Casserole
Wed ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise, Garlic and Cheese Bread
Thu ~ Chicken and Macadamia Stirfry with Steamed Rice
Fri ~ Curried Lamb and Couscous Filo Rolls with salad

Baking:
Mixed Chocolate Chip Muffins

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,

Desserts, Dragonflies and Sad Goodbyes

Another busy weekend - infact I cannot remember the last quiet one or cannot foresee when the next one will occur.

Friday night was spent at the Beretta's Langwarrin Hotel, with Pam and Dennis taking us out as a thankyou for their lodgings.... they didn't have to but it was an enjoyable evening. The meals were fantastic and we will definitely be going there again. Oliver's meal didn't arrive with the others only to find out that they had overcooked it and there would be a wait. The bistro manager, along with apologizing brought two mammoth pieces of cake and two bowls of icecream in way of compensation - all for FREE!! Definitely no arguments from everyone about that generousity!


Mammoth wedges of Mars Bar Cake and Lemon Meringue

Saturday we all went into the city. We were on a mission for Pam to buy some souveniers for the family back home so the Queen Victoria Market was our first stop. Mission completed and we all hopped on the City Circle Tram which is a free tram looping the outer areas of the CBD and is narrated with local facts both present day and in the history of Melbourne. Pam and Dennis thought it was great. The weather wasn't the best on Saturday with it raining on and off so we didn't hang around in town for too long.

Walking back to the carpark from the tram Alex managed to befriend a dragonfly which sat on her belly for the best park of walking 3 city blocks. She loved it and wanted to take it home but both Pam and I agreed it was not coming in either car.


Saturday night we had a final feast together as Pam and Dennis were leaving for New Zealand the next morning. On the menu was:

Entree:
Natural and Vietnamese Oysters
Fresh King Prawns with Seafood Cocktail Sauce
Wonton with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Main:
Mustard Marinated Kangaroo Fillets
Pam also had Pan Fried Swordfish
Roasted Sliced Potatoes
Chargrilled Capsicum Strips
Salad

Dessert:
The kids had meringue nests with icecream and topped with a Hersey's Kiss.
The adults had a cheese platter with various cheeses brought from the Queen Victoria Market.


Saturday evening was brilliant. Pam and Dennis trying Kangaroo for the first time (I just had to cook it for them) and the oysters were delicious. They had been freshly shucked at the market so you really cannot get better than that. Pam purchased some swordfish from one of the fishmongers at the market. Noel and I had never even tried swordfish so we tried a little and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. I believe we will be purchasing it in the future!

As the evening drew to a close the feeling of sadness started to linger. Not wanting to have a late night as they had planned to leave by 6.30am we all got to bed at a fairly decent time (I think!!)

Sunday morning was the time for goodbyes. Pam and Dennis are such beautiful hearted people and as they are family it was without saying that it was very hard and it wasn't a dry farewell with tears flowing from most of us. It has been an absolute pleasure having them stay with us and of course I wished it was for longer and we did more things. With working we really only saw them in the evenings but I know they enjoyed the stop at ours as they got time to relax and just chill out.

I dwelled on their disappearence for awhile after, the quietness of a house that has been full and bubbly was deafening, I had a few giggles with the kids about the last few days and we all have memories to hang on to. It turned into a very lazy day for us, pottering around the house, a little bit of shopping and then Noel took us all out for dinner to a thai restaurant in Frankston.

Reality - back to work this morning!!!!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

More welcomed visitors.... Dennis and Pam

What a truly enjoyable evening last night was.... Dennis and Pam have finally arrived at our house looking well but weary from their journey so far.

Dennis and Pam have been travelling around Australia since September. Starting in Cairns they have made their way to Bribie Island to see Mam, Sydney, Adelaide and now Melbourne. They are staying with us until Sunday morning when they are then heading off to New Zealand.


Laughter, stories, memories, smiles and cuddles filled the room last night - bloody hell it was BRILLIANT!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Menu Plan Monday (9th October - 15th October)


Busy busy busy is the best way to describe us at the moment...... the weekend disappeared as usual with Megan and Rob's wedding, shopping, visiting friends and cleaning. Hence my menu plan Monday is now being posted on Tuesday!

The wedding was beautiful as was the food. The kids spent the evening at Vera's house which was a blessing as our babysitter cancelled early Friday morning.

As of today, Tuesday, my cousins Dennis and Pam are coming to stay with us for about a week. They are from Wales and are currently travelling around Australia. They have already been up to see my mam in Queensland so it's our turn now. I am really looking forward to seeing them as I think it's been about 11 years since they last came out to visit.

Anyway here are the meals we have planned this week:

Dinners:

Saturday ~ Megan and Rob's Wedding/Kids at Vera's
Sunday ~ Thai Pork Wraps with Satay Sauce
Monday ~ Pesto Fettucine with Chicken and Zucchini, Garlic Bread
Tue ~ Chargrilled Scotch Fillet, Creamy Peppercorn Sauce, Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Vegetables
Wed ~ Baked Lemon Chicken with Proscuitto and Fresh Herbs
Thu ~ Pork Tikka Masala with Steamed Rice
Fri ~ Out for dinner with Dennis and Pam

Baking:
Hummingbird Cake

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,

Mr and Mrs Godfrey....

On Saturday Noel and I attended Megan and Rob's Wedding.

Of course this meant dressing for the occassion - I think we scrub up ok?


Megan, is one of the ladies I worked with at Harkaway. She kindly invited us to her wedding, which I must say was beautiful.


Megan looked absolutely gorgeous and Rob was very much the handsome groom. The wedding and the reception was at Michelangelo's in Aspendale Gardens. The food was great, the atmosphere was great and hopefully both the bride and groom enjoyed their special day!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Size does matter....

As you all have read I have been learning to operate a front end loader as part of my job.

The kids couldn't concept how big the machine was so I took these photos for them, and to be honest I was actually surprised at the size difference also.



Mine is the black ford sedan... not a small sedan by any means. Its a larger passenger vehicle but as you can see it's not as big as the 980H they are trusting me to drive.... lol!!!

Monday, October 04, 2010

Menu Plan Monday (2nd October ~ 8th October)


Well once again the week started with a busy weekend.... so busy we had takeaway and then ate out the next day. Must stop doing this as it's no good for my waist nor my wallet but it is good fun!!

Eggs, Beans and Chips must be had this week otherwise Alex is going to scream - I have planned it for the last 3 weeks and she is loving the idea especially as Mam is going to cook chips - something that rarely happens and when it does they are healthy oven baked! In fact I think the dish is making my mouth water also as I was arguing yesterday that it should be on this weeks menu and we have been putting it off for weeks.... LOL!!!

The other thing that keeps getting put off is baking. It's something that Alex really enjoys doing with me and I have to say I enjoy spending the girly time together also. With us being busy most of the time it always gets put on the back burner and then sadly, never done. I have to make it a priority but it is hard as I myself am not a huge sweet lover.

Anyway here are the meals we have planned this week:

Dinners:
Saturday ~ Take Away Pizza
Sunday ~ Late lunch at New Graziers Steakhouse, Stamford Inn
Monday ~ Eggs, Beans and Chips... yummm
Tue ~ Barbecue Mustard Veal Cutlets, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Vegetables
Fri ~ Tandoori Chicken and Rice High Pie

Baking:
Nothing planned for this week

As you have probably gathered by now, I LIVE for menu planning! By menu planning it ensures that we have a weeks worth of meals organised which is especially useful Monday through Friday when there is not much of the day left after finishing work, picking up the kids from school and having to deal with the tasks of homework, clothes washing, showers, etc., and to do without the hassle of worrying WHAT we are cooking for dinner each night. Honestly if I left deciding what’s for dinner until I go home we wouldn’t eat until midnight!!

I know that our week starts on a Saturday but that’s just for the ease of fitting in with my grocery shopping which is normally done on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. As usual more great menu ideas can be found at Menu Plan Monday over at I’m An Organising Junkie, don’t be shy pop over and have a look at other’s menu plans. You never know you may just find something different to have for dinner.

Some recipes for things we cook can be found over at our cooking blog, A Dash Of Flavour, normally posted after they have been cooked or just click on the links for each meal when they appear.

Happy cooking,

A whirlwind weekend... again!!

The weekend started with my usual Friday afternoon activity.... front end loader lessons - here is the proof that it is actually me behind the wheel of such a HUGE machine. Now that the nerves have slightly disappeared I am enjoying it.




Saturday morning saw the household on a cleanup mission especially with Pam and Dennis arriving sometime next weekend. Finally got my wish and re-arranged my bedroom and I am really happy with it... This was all done while Noel was at work so I was pretty pleased with my efforts.

The Grand Final replay kicked off at 2.30pm.... happy photo's before the game but sadly no happy photograph afterwards as the Saint lost (and lost badly)!!



Sunday we went to the Carribbean Market, a large market selling produce, clothes, computer accessories etc. It has been a long time since we have been there but honestly it never changes. Lots of duplicate stalls all probably run by the same people!! But saying that we managed to buy a few things so that was good. Fresh laid farm eggs jumbo size, Alex brought some nail polishes and an anklet and the kids both got some DS games.

After the market we headed to the Stamford hotel where we had a late lunch. I tried to get a nice photo of Noel and I and this is what happened...


We spent the afternoon at the Le Mans Go-Kart track in Dandenong. Clearly I stayed on safe ground and took photos but everyone enjoyed the afternoon.




 

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