the fifo wife

I love dates ( both the outing and the fruit) and so love sticky date pudding. Sticky Date {please excuse while I have a mental image a childish giggle of what a sticky date could mean of the outing kind} was the first cake I had when I started going to the first cool cafe in Darwin where I grew up all those years ago. The name of the cafe gone but its sweet introduction of cafe culture forever captured in my mind with that first taste of a sticky date and coffee latte.

So the Sticky Date is special to me it reminds me of my well spent youth and with a bit of time on my hands this afternoon spent thinking of my glorious days of youth I wanted to share the Sticky Date with my boys. However knowing cupcakes are more their thing I prowled the net until I went with this cup cake recipe..Its a bit finicky but worth it and I will admit that I much prefer the sticky date with the caramel sauce as a pudding but there is never a substitute for first loves is there?

What you will need: 

1 1/4 cups pitted dates, halved (175 grams)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
100 g unsalted butter, softened and chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar, measured firmly packed (165 grams)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (225 grams)
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Caramel icing
60 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, measured firmly packed (110 grams)
1/4 cup pouring cream (60ml)
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted (120 grams)
Demerara sugar, to decorate (optional) or raw sugar (optional)

How to: 

Preheat oven to 180°C Line 18 holes of muffin pans with paper cases. This recipe uses ‘regular’ muffin pan size.
Combine the dates and 1 1/4 cups boiling water in a small saucepan, Bring to the boil over low-medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and mash lightly with a potato masher. Stir in the bicarb/baking soda and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Stir in the butter and brown sugar into the warm date mixture until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the eggs until combined.
Sift in the flour and ginger, then fold in with a metal spoon until combined.
Divide the mixture into the paper cases and smooth the mixture over with the back of a spoon.
Bake 15 minutes or until the tops are firm when touched.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing- combine the butter, brown sugar and the cream in a small saucepan over a low heat, stir until the sugar dissolves.

Bring the mixture to just below boiling point, then reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and gradually beat in the ising sugar until smooth. Spread the icing onto cakes and decorate by sprinkling with the optional sugar.

{image source from here Iam not a food stylist, photographer nor baker}

Its Monday I’m running late, I’m covered in chicken poo havent made the beds and yet the day the week however is progressing well and I couldn’t be happier.

The weekend went off without a hitch it rained all weekend so to break cabin fever we headed into the city for a stroll around the shops.We brought nothing generally don’t but just looked while the woman in Myers hyper ventilated each time my boys picked up a toy to look at. The boys had their hair cuts looked incredibly smart for twenty minutes then proceed to act like country bumpkins ooohing and ahhhing at the elevators,escalators and bright lights and reminder perhaps I need to get them out more.

We went to the local leagues club spent a small fortune on pizza but they got to play the wii in the kids club and I got to sit back and watch. All to turn around and come home only to realise that we have more than one week before dad is home in fact it two weeks.

So today as I sit for the first time since 430 listening to the silence these are the few things running through my head.

1. Last week was horrendous and it’s not that it was one thing it was a series of things and it’s not that those things are devastating or hard it’s that you are despite all the support your husband is giving you you are doing it on your own. And so you either crash and burn or like me you crash and get angry. At everything. Angry at others for disappointing you, being dumb asses, being manipulative, not cutting you some slack and not cleaning pee of the toliet seat. Or for not taking care of you like you do them but it’s always that way isn’t it there is no point getting angry the only solution is just start taking better care of yourself. You are the only one who can.

2. Rant over thanks for listening.

3. B3 caught me with my hair down out of its usual pony tail yesterday. I never see you like that why don’t you wear it like that. You look better like that. You look prettier. I love his honesty. My hair is thick heavy and I have to much of it. Its time for a cut.

4. I’m trying to work out what to do this swing home. I want to go away with my family. Perhaps a road trip just a little one.

5. Did I explain why  I was covered in chicken poo? My chickens escaped due to my neighbours new puppy wanting to play tip chasey with them. So as result I have been rounding them up out of people’s yards of a night have placed them in a dog crate which got full of chicken bits. Needless to say when I went to clip their wings this morning I got covered in more than the proverbial. Noice but job done only four more chickens to find..

6. A flying apartment here the soloution for FIFOers red eye delimma..Qantas perhaps?

7. Some sweet celeb interviews from the Met Ball here.

8. Those swedes so clever here.

9. Five diet fixes that will instantly make you feel better here.

10. I thought these DIY fashion tricks were cool here.

Have a great week and if you missed anthing from last week and want to improve your sex life head here or try and look more awake because time doesnt permit but I highly recommend getting some rest head here.

xx Deb

{Image source with thanks from here}

How can you talk write about these sorts of things she asked me. Well for starters I can’t talk about these ‘sorts’ of things with just anyone friends yes family no mother and father that’s awkward on far too many levels but funnily enough I can write it. Well it’s not funny it’s the beauty of anonymity because recently the beautiful folks over at ABC asked me to do a video and I had to say no. Shame prevented me. Type and write about it, spill it on to paper no worries. Talk with just anyone –no.

But in answer to her question I write/type about it because nobody else can will or wants to in a bloggers capacity anyway. So here we are.

So what are exactly these sorts of things? Sigh…Sex…the dirty little secret we all do behind closed door that nobody wants to talk about because when it comes to sex we are all still 15. But as I have discussed before sex is important for a good relationship otherwise your room mates and I don’t care what you say. And to be honest my highest rated page was this one. It gets read more times than any other page it’s also the reason why I get so much spam on how to make your husband penis bigger which I will add can only be done with surgery but as they say it’s not the size it’s what you do with it…sigh.

So a regular column is now ensued…

First up how can you make sex better than what it is? Well here are a couple of hints that I researched and diligently tried out some more with my poor ever forgiving husband. However remeber everything is only as good as you want it to be.

Make sex a game…sex should be fun…if it’s not find a way to make it fun bring out naked oiled up twister while the kids are out and the shutters are drawn. Who says sex has to be at night, in the dark or even in the bedroom. I draw the line at the kitchen bench top…food has to be prepped the people.

Being in the moment if the mood takes you whilst brushing your teeth do it then and there…if the mood takes you whilst at 9am Woollies perhaps wrangle that mood in with some hand holding ear whispering and some car fondling until you get to a spot where you can let the ‘mood’ take over and you won’t be arrested or have your mother in-law bailing you out for indecent behaviour.

Experiment with what gets you going…people change with time…massage…candles…oysters…slap and tickle…it’s fun remember and it’s a game. If you like a little fantasy divulge in that too. Your partner’s fantasy might be you taking charge and that’s got to be win-win. Go buy a new toy can’t go in store buy online and head to our cheeky treats or pop on over to my first little guide to erotica here for some great ideas.

Clear your mind of everything else but what you want to do with your partner remembering that sex is a game it’s not necessarily going to have two winners so it’s the pleasure not the orgasm that’s important. Although it’s got to be the only game where coming a draw is better than having a winner. But if you must have a winner a woman’s chances of orgasm increases greatly with 21 minutes of foreplay just saying.

Take care of yourself physically. When you’re feeling well and healthy your desire for sex increases and viola you last longer making the game even better but if you need some advice on how to help you and your partner last longer head here.

So go forth and tell me what you think…

Xx Deb

It feels like you havent slept in weeks and you know it because people stop you in the street rub your arm and say..Oh you look so tired which in reality its Oh..you look like tired and unwell.  Now I dont know about you but after the third person that stops me and I know (I know)  its out of concern it makes me either more tired as the boot sinks lower or cranky becuase I already know I haven’t had a decent sleep I dont need someone to tell me or feel sorry for me.

So what can you do that will take literally five minutes to look more awake..

1. Want to look more awake? Use a lighter brown or bronze eye liner or eye shadow shade on the bottom actually opens up your eyes. Now this comes with health hazards and I know its a struggle when your half sleep not to poke yourself in the eye but give it ago.

2. Want to glow..Exofliate..but not to much..you’ll end up looking like you have been drinking..catch 22.

3. Want to glow some more hydrate drink water not alchole of coffee…this is good for the skin and its better than coffee to give you a boost.

4.Wear a tinted moutsuriser..it hydrates and gives you a bit of colour something that you lack when your sleep deprived and wear a tinted lip gloss.

5. And I know its the last thing you want to do but exercise even just five minutes running on the spot. Apart from giving your skin a boost it realses all the right chemicals in your brain and may help lead to the sleep you get being just what you need.

xx Deb

xx Deb

Autumn is here. Well I hope it is I know they are saying its a cold snap but I’m just hoping that it hangs around because Summer I am done with you for now.

The weekend? It was love hate love. Normal enough for a weekend on swing but the same can’t be said when husband is home but as the weather changes it makes you think of them more you wish that he the radiator was sleeping beside you because the dog has stolen all the blanket.

B1 headed for a sleep over whilst the rest of us hung back waiting for his return waiting for the return of boys is the story of my life.

So the few things that ran through my head as I too and fro-ed over what was husband doing as what was B1 doing are here.

1. B1 stayed with a vegan family..he ate all their food..and loved the vegan bacon most. Which is great love the fact that he just became part of their family and wasnt attended to but here is my question and its about the fake bacon whilst not animal which I am all for but the chemicals involved in making it taste like bacon? Isn’t that catch 22? And beside the point? Or is their another natural bacon flavour that I can I get a hold of?

2. I am watching the voice auditions I only watch the auditions then I can’t watch the rest. How about you?

3. Got my first writing rejection..are you sad husband asked? nope I got one which means they took the time to read my stuff how many can say that.

4. Started writing a book. Started is the word.

5. I miss my husband. Simple.

6. Women are getting surgery on their feet so they look better here.

7. Make up tricks you apparently should know. here.

8.Want to live longer here.

9. She beat the bully here.

10. Your horoscope here.

xxD