the fifo wife

This sweet cottage is somewhere in the beautiful country side of Launceston Tasmania. I came across this via Home Life. Images by the very talented Sharyn Cairns.

xx Deb

I made this yesterday afternoon when I realised it was almost school pick up time and I hadn’t baked anything for afternoon tea or school lunch boxes for the week. The original recipe is here and it does say to cream the butter and sugar but once I sifted the flour I just put everything in the bowl and beat until the mix was smooth.

Its a nice easy cake, moist and light. Viola..ice with what ever you like or dust with pure ice sugar

One bowl vanilla cake.

What you will need.

• 1 1/2 cup(s) Sifted Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt
• 1/2 cup(s) (125g) Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 cup(s) Sugar
• 2 large Eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup(s) Whole Milk

How to:

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Lightly coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Beat remaining ingrediants on medium-high, until smooth. Do not overbeat.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean — 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Ice with what ever you like or dust with pure icing sugar

I think it would be a perfect morning tea cake..

xx Deb

Husband has been gone two weeks I think it however feels longer. Being four and half hours behind He is unable to call when the kids are at home or awake and so we have our ‘misses’ more frequently than ever. Again it’s not crying or whinging just B2 repeatedly telling me ‘I miss dad’ buts it’s more frequent than what I anticipated or like. So we have been creating more welcome distractions than ever before but daddy will be home in 10 days he will be here before we know it.

On a happier note the flu has gone, I have lost some ahem ‘weight’ and I’m even healthier than ever having given my whole diet an over haul trying to kick it’s the flu and its bacterial mates the kick. I got ‘drained’ and loved it. If you are unwell get drained…

So without getting all hippy on you here are the few things running through my head.

1. The meal plan for the week is Monday Chicken Soup and Rice, Tuesday Spaghetti Bolognese, Wednesday Chicken Stir Fry, Thursday take away, Friday hot dogs, Saturday Freezer Meal, Sunday Roast Beef. What’s on your meal plan for this week?
2. My neighbour has had his voice box removed because of cancer and it has amazed me that if your really listening to someone words are often the last thing you need.
3. I was talking to a another FIFO friend on the weekend she was building a sandpit whilst her husband was at work but soon realised she need his muscle power but as determined as ever pushed on. It’s funny how independence and determination can often give you a warped sense of what you are able to achieve in terms of strength and know how. It’s like the beer goggle effect for us FIFO wives inevitably we always press on and get it done.
4. Its mother’s day this weekend. Do you celebrate? Husband is at work Neh…I have already brought my mother’s day gift it’s a new frock…thank you boys and husband you chose beautifully.
5. May is national masturbation month in America. It’s not important do with it what you will although there is a masturbate a thon but I thought it was funny enough to tell you you can read more about it here
6. The latest fad diet is the 5:2 basically for two days of the week you cut your calorie intake down to less than 500…read more here. I’m not endorsing diets I don’ believe in them I just needed a number 6.
7. A 35 year old meth using grandmother has been charged in the US with manslaughter after her three year old grandson shot himself in the face with her gun…apart from the fact why did she have a gun in her back pack… I have been trying to work how old she was when her daughter was to have a child and how old was she…I hope out of tradgedy a terrible circle has been broken…read more here
8. Gwyneth Paltro says that getting down on your knees is one of the secrets to a happy marriage…you know she is right dont you…read more here
9. These parents have parenting down pact read more here
10. I have started back at the pool swimming. I swim in shorts and a rushie but the number of plus size ladies (I hate that word) that rock a full piece and a two piece leaves me jealous. Jealous. Have a look at Gabi. She has rocked the internet because as a plus size girl she wore a two piece.. OH the scandal not…come on really…who cares but Oh I  want a piece of that confidence.

Do you celebrate mothers day? And whats the biggest project you started and couldn’t quiet finish? Have a great Day sweets.

Xx Deb

Once upon a time, in a tower near you, Lived a sad princess; the Princess Sue. “Some day,” she sighed, “my prince will come, But I wish he’d move his royal bum.” But when Princess Sue’s prince finally does arrive, he’s not quite what she had in mind. Find out how the feisty princess escapes the clutches of her twit of a prince in this funny twist on the traditional princess tale.

I’m a seeker of good kids books. They must be beautifully illustrated and they must entertain me to a point; yes I know selfish but I’m the one doing the voices and actions.

The Worst Princess has all of this it has a gorgeous quirky illustration, beautifully rhymes and it has a twist that I love.

Available here and here.

xx Deb

Sue was my childhood neighbour and one of the women I spent a good many hours with at her home in Darwin after school and on the weekend while my mother worked. Thinking about it now my mother did, in fact, have a village helping her raise me and I wonder if that’s how she saw it then regardless of Sue was my girl crush as a child.

She always looked beautiful, always had a tale to tell of her life in England, she drove a sky blue 1950’s MG, had short bobby blonde hair and an English accent that was straight from a movie set. She was everything muggy, barefoot singlet wearing, timed slowed Darwin was not and for me, was the epitome of beauty and class. She was like a mirage in the humidity to me and probably to most blokes in Darwin too and to top it off she made a fine Sausage Roll. She made them every time she threw a party and played Doctors Hook “walk right in” which was often typically she loved an intimate party or two.

As a child I always thought the Sausage Roll was an Australian thing and I thought it was ironic that she an English woman had taught me however as I have come to understand nothing is as it seems and they were, in fact, a French treat taken by the English as there own so perhaps Australian after all {Pavlova casein point}.

Sue’s recipe was a lot simpler than this one and it didn’t have any breadcrumbs in it but then she didn’t need to stretch the recipe out for she never had any children of her own with exception of a standard black poodle named Brittany. This is her recipe altered and changed over the years to become mine.

These are perfect frozen and stored for when you have one extra child at the table.

Sausage Roll

What you will need:

• 5oog sausage mince
• 300 g beef or chicken mince
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup (80ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 onion grated
• 1 teaspoon of mixed dried herbs (optional)
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 500g or 3 ready-rolled sheets puff pastry
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
•  sesame seeds to sprinkle

How to:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Combine the mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, carrot, onion, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Roll out the pastry to 3 mm (1/8 in) thick and cut into 12cm (5 in) x 24 cm (10 in) pieces or cut each ready-rolled pastry sheet in half. Divide the sausage mixture into six equal portions, roll into sausage shapes and place down the centre of each piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, placing the pastry seam underneath.Cut the sausage rolls into thirds and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

These can either be a snack, put in the kids lunch boxes or make a little bigger and plate up with salad for dinner.

Simple and easy.

x Deb