Happy New Year

The months, since introducing you to our beautiful Matilda back in early August, have absolutely flown by. She is a big girl now. I will post some photos soon.
I can't believe it is already 2012!
To everyone I wish love, laughter, health, happiness and also wealth (threw it in for good measure!)
Keep safe.

Introducing our new little girl....Matilda

Miss Mattie aged 9.5 weeks


Miss Mattie aged 8 weeks


Miss Mattie aged 8 weeks

Fun at the beach....

Look out - I'm coming in....



Ok - had enough - let's head north!



Can you hurry it with the car - can't you see we're all puffed out!

Love is in the air......

I'm not sure but I think these birds are Crested Pigeon's.
They were sitting on the electricity cables across from our house.
There was definitely love in the air on this day, I'm sure he had to be whispering "come fly with me" in her ear.

How things have changed...........

Vlad and his photos!!!!!
He is always working on them. Old, new, he sees something in them and works some kind of magic.
He just gave me this photo, one he took of me a LONG TIME AGO -
All I could say was ..... my how things have changed!

Vlad's trick photography....

What would it be like to have 4 Maccer's sitting in our lounge room?
Vlad made it happen with a little trick photography.
Seeing this photo, made me think, could I handle 4 of Mac? He runs/rules this house as it is....everything revolves around Vlad's favorite boy.
I took a minute to think about it, yes that long, and the answer is a resounding.......YES!
He was such a beautiful puppy, and is now such a LOVING, GIVING DOG.
I also thought back to when Mac and Maesie had their puppies.
Mac was always a paws on Dad, right from the moment Maesie gave birth to puppy number 1, Archie. He stayed right there, alongside her until their 13th puppy, Maurie was born and she was finally done. She rested, but not Mac, he stayed, watching over all of them, with love and absolute fascination. He was a beautiful, beautiful new Dad.
As the puppies grew, it was such fun to watch him interact with them and they in turn, LOVED their Dad.
When the time came for them to go to their new families, I'm sure he missed them just as much as Vlad and I did.
Maesie, well she was well and truly over it all, she birthed them, fed them and then happily sent them on their merry way without even a goodbye lick.
They were good days.......starting me thinking, I might like a new puppy.....

For our family.....

Front right side


Front left side


Back verandah


Beyond the verandah

R. I. P. Giggles - Ohio, USA

This photo of Giggles was taken by her "Dad" Joe Ott.

RAINBOW BRIDGE........
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

There's some baking happening at No. 9

Anyone for a Cinnamon Crumble Muffin?
They're just out of the oven!



Or perhaps you would rather a Vanilla Cupcake?



All made with my favorite KitchenAid appliance!

I hate having my photo taken.....

I don't know when Vlad managed to take this photo of me, or where he was hiding when he did.
I found it on HIS computer last week (that's what he gets for networking our computers!) when I was looking for photos of Mac and Maesie from MY computer.
I love Bee's so he made me my very own personalized photo signature, with my little bee avatar included. I love it.
Thought I would share it with you....

I love you more than.....

A little together time for my boy and girl on our front lawn.

My PocketBook IQ 701 has arrived...

I finally have my PocketBook IQ 701.
I already have a Sony PRS-600 e-Reader, which I love, but I wanted more!
The PocketBook is not only an e-Reader, but it's also a 7" wireless tablet.
I'm hooked!

To Moscow with love - Eugene

It's Eugene's 10th birthday today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - WITH OUR LOVE
Black & White or Color - you choose!

From Moscow with love - our FAMILY

Igor (our cousin) took this photo of Larissa and Eugene when they drove from Moscow, where they live, to Zhitomir, Ukraine to visit their mother/grandmother (our Aunt) for the New Year.

MUSTARD PORK CHOPS with GNOCCHI

Tonight it's MUSTARD PORK CHOPS with GNOCCHI
The pork is cooked for just enough time to take away pinkness but ensure tenderness within. The mustard, cider, garlic, and cream add comfort and piquancy. To soak up the gorgeous juices, serve with a fantastically quick potato substitute, gnocchi.
If you are in the mood, add a green salad, hot crusty bread and a glass of wine or two!


Ingredients
2 pork chops or butterfly pork tenderloin, (around 500 grams weight total)
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup cream
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Preparation
Cut the fat off the chops, and then bash them briefly but brutally with a rolling pin between two pieces of plastic wrap to make them thinner.
Heat the oil in a pan, and then cook the chops over a moderately high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Remove them to a warmed plate.
Pour the cider into the pan, still over the heat, to de-glaze the pan. Let it bubble away for a few minutes, then add the mustard, garlic and stir in the cream.
Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes before pouring over each plated pork chop.
Cook the gnocchi, strain, and add to the pan to absorb all the remaining spare juices before adding to your plates.

Serves 2
ENJOY!

A glass of wine perhaps?

After dinner with some friends last week, when all the cleaning up was done, I found this wine bottle, 2 glasses and the bowl of nuts sitting on my bench top.
I didn't see who had actually put them there, or if they had purposely arranged them to look the way they did, but it all looked good to me.
So for now, they are staying right where they were left....ready to be shared with friends, next time they drop by.
Can I interest you in a glass of wine perhaps?

It's Salsa time!!!!

It's "Salsa" time in our house!
I've got the hankering for corn chips and fresh mouth watering Salsa!
Don't you just love the taste of tomatoes, onions, coriander (cilantro), jalapenos and limes?
Once you add a few other ingredients to the mix, you will never eat salsa from a jar again.
Fresh is best, especially when it comes to SALSA!
I'll post my recipe later....for now, there's housework to be done!

Sheree and her little man.....

Meet Sheree & Geoff's little man - Samuel Geoffrey Gatley Lyon, born 1/1/11 - what a wonderful birth date. He is just gorgeous & oh so tiny.

My Sock Thief

Found....One SOCK THIEF - so that's where the socks go!
Note to self: Do not leave clean/dirty laundry anywhere near Maccers.

My boy Maccers in the park

He's on to something.....

Happy New Year

We wish you health and happiness.....may all you wishes and dreams come true in 2011!

Our Christmas Card....

to you.....

Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

These cookies are perfect for any occasion, just by changing your cookie cutters to suit. Once they are iced, served and eaten, be prepared...everyone is going to want a copy of the recipe. ENJOY!

DIRECTIONS:
1 ½ cups butter, softened
3 cups white sugar (they are called SUGAR cookies)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cover, and chill the dough for one to two hours (or if you want, overnight).
When ready:
Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking tray lined with ungreased baking paper.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
Check often, as they may cook quicker depending of the size and shape of the cookie cutter used. Cool completely.
Ice and decorate to suit the occasion, Christmas, Birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day.
Makes approximately 5 dozen.

The hole in the garden...Don't know anything about it.....Why do you ask??

I don't know where I got this photo from, but I just had to share it.....

It's been a long time....

Here we go again.......

What's on the Menu today - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Garlic Prawns with Chorizo Sausages

2 large Chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 kg (4 ½ pounds) medium green prawns, peeled leaving tails intact
1/2 cup chopped fresh Coriander (Cilantro)
1 tablespoon dry Sherry
Lemon wedges, to serve
Crusty bread, to serve

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat.
Add the Chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the Chorizo to a plate lined with paper towel.
Reduce heat to low.
Add the oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the prawns and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until the prawns curl and change colour.
Add the Chorizo, Coriander and Sherry to the pan and stir to combine.
Divide the prawn mixture among serving bowls.
Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Notes & tips
Omit the Chorizo and dry Sherry. Replace the Coriander with chopped fresh Continental Parsley. At the end of step 2, stir in 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped.

Tip: It's important to reduce the heat to low before adding the oil and garlic to the pan in step 2. If the heat is too high, the garlic may cook too quickly and turn brown, which will make your Garlic & Chorizo prawns taste bitter.

Happy New Year & playing in Photoshop

Here's hoping 2009 is filled with endless opportunities and more of the things that are close to our heart and matter the most!

My first photo of the year is a little different - it's Mac looking at one of the fish in our fishpond, created using Photoshop CS3.

My Christmas Pudding turned into a Strawberry Cheesecake

Ok this year's Christmas Pudding didn't make the grade - I threw it in the trash can late last week. Everything was looking good for a few days there, but tell-tale mould, after some very hot and humid Adelaide weather, suddenly appeared on the pudding cloth and so the decision to toss it was an easy one.

I looked the mould problem up on the internet and found that humidity can cause problems with Christmas Puddings, so I didn't feel too bad, humid conditions are out of my control. I learnt from the experience and as the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained!
So what did I replace Christmas Pudding with? I decided to go with a Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake.
Vlad took photos - IT WAS YUMMY - YUMMY - YUMMY
Let me know if you want the recipe - I made it from looking at quite a few recipes and taking the best ingredients from each.

The true meaning of Christmas - a smile

What is the true meaning of Christmas???

After battling the crowds at Marion Shopping Centre this morning, I'm beginning to wonder if it's all about the outright worship of consumerism for materialistic people!

I did something this morning - every person I made actual eye contact with, I smiled at. It was easy to do, a simple gesture of goodwill, it cost nothing!

How many people smiled back - I could count them on one hand - and I've got to have smiled at lots!

Those of you who did, I wish you love, health and happiness for Christmas and 2009, those of you who didn't......think about it!

Christmas enthusiasm or lack of - A goat, chicken or piglet - it doesn't matter

I'm sitting here after having just baked a batch of cinnamon muffins. They are cooling as I write this.
I've made spaghetti sauce for tonight's dinner, I think my day is organized. I wish I could say the same about Christmas.
My enthusiasm for Christmas doesn't seem to have kicked in this year. Is it only me, or do you feel that way too?
I've got the tree trimmed, the Christmas decorations out of storage and on display and the Christmas cards addressed but as yet not delivered or mailed, this weekend will see them on their way. I've got the pudding made and hanging, looking good too, the menu 3/4 planned and what ever I've had to order to complete Christmas day's menu, I've ordered.
When it comes to Christmas presents though, I always seem to lose the plot. I've got absolutely NO IDEA what Santa should drop off for me, or what he should drop off for Vlad and my family.
Should I do what I did last year?
Last year I gave gifts that can help save people around the world from poverty. Through Oxfam I purchased some goats and chickens, as Christmas presents. No, I didn't physically give gifts of goats and chickens, I made donations in my family's names to Oxfam's Agriculture Program. By now the goats are producing milk and the chickens are laying lots of eggs, gifts that will keep on giving for years to come.
Decisions, decisions, problem solved. Hopefully it's not too late....
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is...........

My cat - Miss Mollie

Miss Mollie surveying her domain from the safety of the front verandah.

Meet Eddie.....Tamara and Damien's little man

Welcome Eddie, we waited a long time to meet you.

Flowers from my garden

Just a few of the photos Vlad has taken of the flowers in my garden.
The yellow rose is "Gold Bunny", the blue flower is a water Iris and yellow rose is "Tequilla Sunrise".

Last year's Christmas Pudding

This is a photo of my first ever attempt at making a Christmas Pudding - I made this for Christmas LAST YEAR!

I made another pudding yesterday. I'm not sure how it will turn out, I'm not so confident this time.
The way I look at it, I had nothing to lose when I made last year's pudding. I had never made one before, so if it didn't turn out, I could easily have said it was because I had never made one, didn't know what I was doing, any excuse really would have worked.
This year, my Mom put her order in, she was so impressed with my effort last year, she said I just had to make another one for this Christmas. I soaked the dried fruit in more sweet sherry that was called for, but OMG, did it taste good when I licked the spoon when I was all done. I mentioned earlier I wasn't so confident, the reason, I cut the ingredients by half this year, and sometimes that just doesn't seem to work when I do things like that with a recipe. Last year it was just toooo big, we've been eating Christmas Pudding just about all year. Vlad said I should just grab some of last years leftovers from the freezer, (it's the same as wedding cake really) microwave it, and put it in front of my Mom on Christmas Day, like I had slaved away all day making a new one. I just couldn't do it. Did I mention Vlad is my Mom's favorite son-in-law (and her only son-in-law), if she only knew hey?
Anyway, today's pudding it is now cooked and hanging to dry. I'll take a photo and post it soon.
Let's hope it's as good as the one in the photo - oh and if you want the recipe, let me know, I may even post it later. It's easy, well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Playing and Big Bear California

Today, I've been playing with trying to make a new blogger template, as well as making a Christmas Pudding (that's a another story though - I'll tell you all about it in the days to come hopefully, Vlad is on annual leave AGAIN - my days or should I say my daily schedule changes DRASTICALLY - just doesn't seem right for me to be sitting here playing).
I took the photo in my header on the way up to Big Bear, California. It is so beautiful there, and the photo I chose, is one of my favorite photos. I think we were at about 6 thousand feet when I took it, it, I can clearly remember the quietness and the beauty. Heavenly.
Big Bear is only about 2 hours from where we lived in Fountain Valley, it's so easy to hop on the freeway and you're there before you know it. Winter is the best time to visit, there's always lots of SNOW and I LOVE SNOW.
I have so many fantastic memories of days spent at Big Bear, playing in the snow, sitting in a cafe drinking hot chocolate or coffee, window shopping, icecream, a meal in one of the great little restaurants, a wine or two.
One of the best weekends I spent there was when Liz and I went for what we thought was going to be a Friday day trip. Unfortunately the weather changed and we were snowed in until Sunday. We had so much fun that weekend. Shopping, playing in the snow, walking, eating, one of the things Liz and l ALWAYS do well. We went to a great little restaurant for a meal and after one too many white wines, decided we should ring Vlad back in Australia. It didn't matter that it was 3 in the morning in South Australia. Poor Vlad, he woke to hear us singing to him, and it wasn't a lullaby he will tell you! We had so much fun that weekend, we decided to do it all over again, the next time I visited, but this time, we were prepared, there was no need to run by the supermarket for t-shirts to sleep in, toothbrushes, toothpaste etc. this time, as our motto after that weekend, ALWAYS BE PREPARED - and - no calling Vlad at 3 a.m. in the morning no matter how much fun we are having without him!
Vlad and I, with Lizzie, have done many day trips to Big Bear over the years, it's always on our must visit list when we visit "our family" in California.
This is a photo of Big Bear Lake, all frozen over, it was so beautiful, but so cold. How I wish I was there right now!

My beautiful girl Maesie

Miss Maesie with a smile on her face - she is so beautiful.

Monarto Zoo Photographic Expedition

A couple of weeks back, Vlad and I were lucky enough to go on a photographic shoot to Monarto Zoo.

One of Adelaide's Photographic Wholesalers put together a field day to showcase various goodies from some of the major Photographic Distributors, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Canon and Pentax. There was 5 million dollars worth of cameras and lenses available for us and the other 298 budding photographers, lucky enough to score an invite, to use.
We all got to experiment and play with cameras and lenses most of us will only ever dream about owning.
It was a great day, a little too hot for my liking, but a great day none the less. To be able to shoot the animals up close and personal, in natural habitat, with the equipment on offer, was absolutely fantastic. I've included a couple of photos I took.