notsmokinjo

Get well soon Roz...hoping it stays mild. Despite being tripple vaxed I still opt for a mask at 5he shops. I don't care if it's not mandatory, I feel better with it. I'm guessing BINAXX tests are what we call RAT Tests down under. The kids all have to do 2 a week before school, Monday and Thursdee mornings. Most of our restrictions are gone now but numbers are higher than they have ever been. Worse still we are preparing for a really bad flu season.

7. Slash someone's tires. Not saying I would, but you could ya know.

7. Poofs

Gingernut snap

3. Scale a fish

Guess wot... for something new I'm baking bickies....lol. special request from one of the blokes at work for his daughter.... here's a pro tip though....when stiring boiling butter to see if it's burnt enough DO NOT splash yaself cos it burns like buggery.

So happy mothers day to me, and all the other mums... I'm about to make some thick gravy (um I think you yanky doodles might call wot we call gravy something else cos your gravy is very pale and lumpy) to mix with the rump I slow cooked yesterday (brisket?).. to make little pies/pastizzi. I've got the roast chook and bacon breadbaskets in the oven... the vegan spag bol mix is cooled and ready to go into the vegan pastizzi...ice coffee bickie (cookies) dough is in the oven just chillin and I'm about to start the medejaci (Serbian honey biscuits). But right now, this second, I'm having a cuppa.

Oh I omly bake at 3am because of insomnia. Got a request for fairy bread bickies from the guy at works 3yo...so cute...will whip some up before work Monday. Will be a big baking day tomorrow for the mothers day hampers for my mum and my ex nanna, She is the kids Great Nanna so I still get her stuff.

Baking....cos wot else does one do at 3am on a work day.... although reckon I should made something Mexican themed instead of Vietnamese Ice coffee bickies (cookies).

1. Chrome.... if you were desperate for a high.

Sending healing gibes across the sea to Linda and her fur baby. Also trying to convince my little sisters to come play in a masters softball tournament with me...probably will be my last hurrah in the sport because my body is too decrepit.

It's nearly over but with today being one of the most significant ones on the Aussie and Kiwi calenders I wanted to post up some songs to honour all those who served, especially those who never came home. Standing at the cenotaph for an hour or so on a cold Melbourne morning once a year is never enough to honour those who have sacrificed so I might have the life I do. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest We Forget. Cos the only Navy songs I know are about Teddy Shean and I've posted them all before.

NOPE..... special shout out to @Cbdave....thanks for your service mate always send a thought your way while I'm standing at the days service.

8. Lock up the zips on your travel bags so no sneaky drug dealers can put stuff in.

2. Hold the Chrissy lights in place when you string em round ya veranda.

Um make some? Or pop on a plane, assuming you meet whateverand vaccine rules we have, and pop on down.

@DenaliBlues good choice, oh and so nice to know I'm not the only one who switches up song lyrics to get through the tough times. It just socks that for some reason we can't access some songs down here... it's a killer on my heardle stats...lol.

Not sure what DenaliBlues posted because it's not available down here....but here's another one... Just saying, 30 years ago the old bloke in this was the hot new thing in Aussie Country and he even had a cross over top 10 hit in the pop charts.

4. Do some batik dying of fabric

Lamenting the fact egg dying kits were not a thing down here...I feel like my childhood was deprived. Also, watching Malcom and wondering how the frick Colin Friels never made it in Hollywood.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CLOUDS *Gluten free* Ingredients: 4 egg whites at room temp. (I use 1 yolk for snickerdoodles and the other 3 either go in scramble eggs or to the fur babies) 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 cup caster sugar (you can use monkfruit sugar or granulated splender, etc, to make it even healthier but I think it tastes different) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cooking cocoa (or for a healthier treat cacao powder, which I use because it has an iron content plus other goodies) 200g (7oz) chocolate chips (I use vegan ones, but you can use any that you want. Method: Preheat oven to 160c (300g) and line baking trays with paper or silmats or wotever) In a large bowl (glass is best, I dunno why but it is...don't use a metal or plastic bowl for this recipe) add the eggs and cream of tartar. Beat with a hand mixer until peaks form. Gradually add sugar beating well between each addition until glossy and thick and sugar dissolved. (So I beat it in in 4 batches then for a good 2-3 mins after the last of the sugar goes in. Add vanilla and beat. Add the cocoa and beat. Fold in chock chips. Drop spoonfuls of mix onto the tray and bake for 34-40mins. Cool on tray. Once cool store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. @d2e8b8 here are some I baked this morning... They are sort of crispy and chewey.

I used to be able to eat everything except things with blue food colouring.... I'm not actually allergic to anything but due to internal scar tissue and my reconstructed bile duct being too close to my stomach outlet I have to avoid a lot of things because the side effects of eating them are pretty unpleasant. It's hard to eat out, unless I go Asian. But I'm a bit of a foodie so I think that's what makes it hardest. It could always be worse, plus I have discovered a whole trove of things I'd never have thought to eat before.

Eggs - some people are allergic and supposedly egg yolks have fat...ironically I can't eat these because of the nuts, eggs are one of the few things I can eat though. I made my sister (an organic health nut) a batch of these for her post birth, breastfeeding hamper and she would have one or two during her night feeds. Pics - Will have to snap some picks next time I make some and add them. Although next week I will be baking Anzac bickies every day to feed the hordes.

APPLE BLUEBERRY SLICE Ingredients: 3 apples, cored, peeled (optional) and thinly sliced. 1 punnet (125g) blueberries (you could use other berries or a cup of sultanas/raisins) 180g (6.35oz) self raising flour 4 eggs at room temp 3 tbl spoons honey Milk as needed (I use about 1 tbl spoons oat milk) DESTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 200c (390f) Line a rectangle baking tray 35cm x 24cm (13 3/4" x 9 1/2") In a large bowl beat the eggs and honey. Add the flour and beat well the add enough milk to make a runny batter. Mix the apple slices into the batter. Pour batter and apples into lines tray, sprinkle berries on top, poming some down a bit into the batter. Bake 35-45mins until golden on top or skewer comes put clean. Cool, cut and enjoy.

Almond Bickies (Bickies = biscuits = cookies) Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, low carbon. Ingredients: 1 cup pure almond butter 1/4 cup pure maple syrup Destructions: Preheat oven to 175C (350f) line baking tray with paper In a bowl use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients until it gets to bickie dough consistency...3-4 minutes Place 1/2 tablespoon size balls onto tray and flatten slightly (can do bigger but smaller is healthier, you get a treat and it's enough) Bake for 12 minutes, Bickies are done when the tops are dry and have a few minor cracks. Cool on tray, will be soft but get harder as cool. **You can use other nut butters, but almond is the best. You can not substitute the maple syrup for honey, it just doesn't work.