It was crazy hot today, the pump on our pool is currently busted. Lucky for us, it's a quick drive to the beach!! So after school, Rin and Bec came to visit, and we met them at Avoca. While the big kids were on their boogie boards in the surf I was hanging with the twins by the river. They were having a funny chat about Sienna's new hair-do!!
My video was cut short by a dog, and his owner!! But that is another blog!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Chocolate!!
Anyone who knows me at all, knows I am completely in love with chocolate!! I love chocolate in almost any form. Some of my favourite chocolate things are chocolate mousse, chocolate cheesecake, anything dark chocolate, and chocolate icing!! YUM!!! Here is a little video blog of me making some chocolate coconut slice, with some very sensational icing!! The slice is super easy, I am sure your kids could even make it!! So give it a go, and let me know what you think :)
125g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup self plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon coco
1 egg
melt butter, add all other ingredients mix with a spoon, press into a lamington tin, bake in moderate oven for 20min, or until just firm to touch. Spread with icing immediately, stand 10min then sprinkle with coconut.
Icing (the best bit)
45g unsulted butter
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons coco
combine butter, water and caster sugar over med heat in small saucepan, once sugar is dissolved add icing sugar and coco, set aside while slice cooks, ice immediately once slice it cooked!!
125g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup self plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon coco
1 egg
melt butter, add all other ingredients mix with a spoon, press into a lamington tin, bake in moderate oven for 20min, or until just firm to touch. Spread with icing immediately, stand 10min then sprinkle with coconut.
Icing (the best bit)
45g unsulted butter
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons coco
combine butter, water and caster sugar over med heat in small saucepan, once sugar is dissolved add icing sugar and coco, set aside while slice cooks, ice immediately once slice it cooked!!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Back to School!!
I know lots of mum's can't wait for the holidays to be over!! Not me, I love school holidays. Sure some days I want to run away for a while, but over all I love it. I love having my kids all to myself. I love having no routine. I love hanging by the pool, or going to the beach, baking treats, watching movies and I especially love it when Dame has time off and we can all hang together.
I would love to pull the kids out of school for 6months, get in a big motor home and tour Australia with my family. That is one of my dreams!! Hopefully one day we can make that happen.
My kids were very keen to head back to school today, the first day is always so exciting seeing all their mates again and getting new teachers. So they were all up very early and ready this morning. This is the last year they will all be at school together for a long time.
Laith is off to high-school next year, the twins start kindergarten. That makes me sad. I don't want my kids to grow up.
It was nice to watch the 3 big kids all head off together this morning. It is very comforting knowing they all have each other. Big families are the best!!!
I would love to pull the kids out of school for 6months, get in a big motor home and tour Australia with my family. That is one of my dreams!! Hopefully one day we can make that happen.
My kids were very keen to head back to school today, the first day is always so exciting seeing all their mates again and getting new teachers. So they were all up very early and ready this morning. This is the last year they will all be at school together for a long time.
Laith is off to high-school next year, the twins start kindergarten. That makes me sad. I don't want my kids to grow up.
It was nice to watch the 3 big kids all head off together this morning. It is very comforting knowing they all have each other. Big families are the best!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Australia Day Breakfast!!
Dame and I woke at 6am to hear clanging pans in our kitchen, it was still quite dark in the house so Dame headed down to investigate. He found Laith our eldest preparing some Australia Day breakfast. When we woke again we were instructed to wait while Laith finished making his buffet breakfast for us. I snuck down to take a few pics. At about 9:50 we were finally allowed to come down stairs in a line of youngest to oldest. Laith was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to greet us with a "Happy Australia Day" sign stuck to his yellow t-shirt!! He said Happy Australia Day and gave us all high fives! then led us to the table where he had set out the food for us. Fruit Kebabs - on straws, because he couldn't find skewers! Damper he had made himself, chocolate pancakes, vita- wheets with vegemite, lamingtons, yogurt ice-blocks, and ice-cream sandwiches!!
It was quite an amazing sight!! I asked how he managed all of this, and he whispered to me he had been up and preparing since 3:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I could manage as a response to that was to laugh and laugh and laugh!! All the kids wanted to know why I was laughing and I said I couldn't believe he had gone to so much effort for us! They were all begging to know and Laith was saying "No dad will be really angry." I said "No he won't, will you Dame." So reluctantly Laith said "3:30!" Dame said "WHAT???? What were you thinking?" Laith replied in a defending tone " I was thinking I knew it would take me this long to make and I was right!!"
I am feeling very blessed to be an Aussie today, and very blessed to be a mum!! I am so touched he would go to such lengths to surprise me, and to make it a special day. He is such a great kid!!
It was quite an amazing sight!! I asked how he managed all of this, and he whispered to me he had been up and preparing since 3:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All I could manage as a response to that was to laugh and laugh and laugh!! All the kids wanted to know why I was laughing and I said I couldn't believe he had gone to so much effort for us! They were all begging to know and Laith was saying "No dad will be really angry." I said "No he won't, will you Dame." So reluctantly Laith said "3:30!" Dame said "WHAT???? What were you thinking?" Laith replied in a defending tone " I was thinking I knew it would take me this long to make and I was right!!"
I am feeling very blessed to be an Aussie today, and very blessed to be a mum!! I am so touched he would go to such lengths to surprise me, and to make it a special day. He is such a great kid!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Nonno!!
Being a true blue Aussie chick, there is not a whole lot of culture in my family!! Marrying my Italian stallion gave me new heritage and traditions! I love being an Aussie, I am proud of my accent. I love Vegemite and meat pies, and all things Aussie. However I now consider myself to have Italian heritage too. I love my Tucci name, I love the Italian people, I love their language, I love their fashion, the beautiful parts of Italy I have visited, and especially..... the food!!!
Giuseppe, Johnny, Joe, Dad, or as my kids call him Nonno, could make anyone love Italians. He is warm, always smiling, charming, cheeky, hard-working, very fit, and an incredible cook!! Every morning at their house I wake up to a hot lemon honey drink, and a fruit platter. Lunch consists of anything from egg and ricotta frittata and salad to fried up veggies and leftover meatballs. Dinner always includes pasta, and salad. He makes schnitzel, lasagna, and stuffed eggplants, and grows most of his own veggies, and bottles his own pasta sauce! One of the family favourites is - crispelli Italian doughnuts!! When they are hot from the fry-pan we love to smother them in jam! Nonno lives in the kitchen, he loves to cook and fuss, and look after everyone!! When he is not in the kitchen he is on the phone, (the speaker phone) calling all his relatives!! I called him tonight to read him my blog, he chuckles and says to me in his Italian accent "Ow Jessic (he always leaves off the a) wow that is great, don't stop there....just keep on going." I could keep on going! At the end of every conversation he says to me "Love you Bella, Ciao" He loves life, and when you are around him that yest for life and deep love he has for everyone is contagious! He is awesome and I would struggle to find a better father-in law!!
Have a look at the pics and try and guess his age??
We love you Nonno!! Thanks for always taking such good care of us.
Giuseppe, Johnny, Joe, Dad, or as my kids call him Nonno, could make anyone love Italians. He is warm, always smiling, charming, cheeky, hard-working, very fit, and an incredible cook!! Every morning at their house I wake up to a hot lemon honey drink, and a fruit platter. Lunch consists of anything from egg and ricotta frittata and salad to fried up veggies and leftover meatballs. Dinner always includes pasta, and salad. He makes schnitzel, lasagna, and stuffed eggplants, and grows most of his own veggies, and bottles his own pasta sauce! One of the family favourites is - crispelli Italian doughnuts!! When they are hot from the fry-pan we love to smother them in jam! Nonno lives in the kitchen, he loves to cook and fuss, and look after everyone!! When he is not in the kitchen he is on the phone, (the speaker phone) calling all his relatives!! I called him tonight to read him my blog, he chuckles and says to me in his Italian accent "Ow Jessic (he always leaves off the a) wow that is great, don't stop there....just keep on going." I could keep on going! At the end of every conversation he says to me "Love you Bella, Ciao" He loves life, and when you are around him that yest for life and deep love he has for everyone is contagious! He is awesome and I would struggle to find a better father-in law!!
Have a look at the pics and try and guess his age??
We love you Nonno!! Thanks for always taking such good care of us.
Date night!!
While we were living it up in Melbourne. We managed to have a night of grown-ups! After putting the 9 kiddies to bed. (Quite the process with way too much chatting and excitement in a room with 5 cousins!) We snuck out with Nath and Emily to go to Dame's favourite place, and the only place open after 11pm in the suburbs!! Pancakes!!
On the drive to Pancakes Dames brother Tony called. After much persuasion (being so late, and the fact they had already eaten) and a detour to their house we convinced them to join us. Having 2 boys who are in their mid and late teens, Tony and Janet have the luxury of heading out any night they want on a hot date!! For us, and Nath and Em, these nights are rare!! I don't think we have actually ever all been out before, together, without kids!! So it was only fitting we should choose a very grown-up venue!!
As we were waiting for our food, Tony and Nath sat down to play a game of chess, there was a sign below the table, that made me chuckle! I didn't know chess was so hazardous!
We had a great night. Dames siblings are all very easy going and great to be around. It is a new years resolution for us to make more efforts to be closer to them.
Since moving away from my family our date nights have become less frequent. Occasionally we will drive to Sydney and bring my nan up for the night then drive her home again! I am going to get more creative this year and find ways to date my husband in my own house after the kids are in bed! We have movie nights together but I need to find other ideas. If you have any great tips, let me know I would love to try them!! I think date nights are a key ingredient to a great marriage!!
On the drive to Pancakes Dames brother Tony called. After much persuasion (being so late, and the fact they had already eaten) and a detour to their house we convinced them to join us. Having 2 boys who are in their mid and late teens, Tony and Janet have the luxury of heading out any night they want on a hot date!! For us, and Nath and Em, these nights are rare!! I don't think we have actually ever all been out before, together, without kids!! So it was only fitting we should choose a very grown-up venue!!
As we were waiting for our food, Tony and Nath sat down to play a game of chess, there was a sign below the table, that made me chuckle! I didn't know chess was so hazardous!
We had a great night. Dames siblings are all very easy going and great to be around. It is a new years resolution for us to make more efforts to be closer to them.
Since moving away from my family our date nights have become less frequent. Occasionally we will drive to Sydney and bring my nan up for the night then drive her home again! I am going to get more creative this year and find ways to date my husband in my own house after the kids are in bed! We have movie nights together but I need to find other ideas. If you have any great tips, let me know I would love to try them!! I think date nights are a key ingredient to a great marriage!!
Melbourne and the Tuccis!
This year we were not sure if we would make it to Melbourne to see Dames family. His brother Nath, and wife Emily and their 4 kids, were heading down and staying with his folks. We were worried there would not be enough room. Dames parents are waiting to move into their new home, and are currently renting a smaller house! We decided to all squish in and see how long we all lasted! It was actually great. There were 15 of us in a small 4 bedroom place, we had camp bunks for the kids and a blow up mattress for Dame and I. With Dames dad in the kitchen, I got to relax and play 'way too much tetris!!' But hey you gotta do what you gotta do!!
We were there for just over a week, we swam, shopped, had the worst hay fever of our lives!! Had a night out with Dames brothers and their wives. Caught up with some great friends, met some non-english speaking Italian relatives! Went to about 7 skate parks. Took the kids to 'Fun-fields' maybe the smallest theme park I have ever been to!! Hung out on Dames sisters property, where I patted a big black bull while I was wearing a red t-shirt!! And ate, and ate, and ate!!
The kids had an absolute ball. There are 6 kids in Dames family, and 20 grankids, that means lots of cousins and lots of fun, and anything Italian involves lots of food!! I love the Tuccis. One of the things I love most about them is they all love to be together. Big Families rock!!
We were there for just over a week, we swam, shopped, had the worst hay fever of our lives!! Had a night out with Dames brothers and their wives. Caught up with some great friends, met some non-english speaking Italian relatives! Went to about 7 skate parks. Took the kids to 'Fun-fields' maybe the smallest theme park I have ever been to!! Hung out on Dames sisters property, where I patted a big black bull while I was wearing a red t-shirt!! And ate, and ate, and ate!!
The kids had an absolute ball. There are 6 kids in Dames family, and 20 grankids, that means lots of cousins and lots of fun, and anything Italian involves lots of food!! I love the Tuccis. One of the things I love most about them is they all love to be together. Big Families rock!!
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