Friday, December 31, 2010

Flash Game Friday

SpongeBob Boat o Cross

I heard of this through Know Your Meme, who named it as possible the hardest game around...


You know you need to try it now.


Yep, that's what I said too.




My top score was 380 by the way.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles

Just in time for your NYE parties...

These were snaffled up too quickly for me to get a photo of the finished product, and of course, were too chocolatey in the making of, so you'll have to use your imagination for these. Or alternatively, look back at the time we made these in strawberry flavour or regular flavour. The only difference in these were that I bought Chocolate Creme Oreos instead of the other flavours. I have to try these with the peanut butter and chocolate flavoured ones next I think...


If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.


Monday, December 27, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Veg Overload Bolognese Penne

Tuesday
Party Pies (I'm not lazy, just had a craving, that's all!)

Wednesday

Hawaiian Pizza

Thursday

Sausages, Fried Potatoes and Veg

Friday
Freezer Suprise

Saturday
BBQ

Sunday
Fried BBQ leftovers :)


Check back during the week for the recipes, and as usual, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please come back here for Kids Cooking Thursday when we make Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles. (Last truffle post for a while I promise!)

Friday, December 24, 2010

Flash Game Friday

Merry Christmas

You're going to hate me for this one. I mean, it's Christmas Eve, and if you aren't organised like I am, you have presents left to wrap (or buy) and food to prepare... and here I am giving you another flash game.

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is this feverish clicking game comes from the 5 Minute (in a hurry) category on Miniclip, and requires only one action from you - a mouse click, over and over.

The bad news is that even though the game only lasts about 10 seconds, you'll be playing over and over to try and beat your score. Yes, I'm evil. I'm not bothered. With the way the economy is these days, coal is probably worth more than presents anyway. Take that Saint Nick!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: Choc Mint Truffles

There's a friend in my Facebook feed who has a secret recipe for Choc Mint Balls. Every time she makes them my feed goes a flutter, with everyone talking about them, and making excuses to go visit her. I thought perhaps she made Cheesecake Truffles with Mint Slice biscuits instead of Oreos, but she told me she doesn't use cream cheese, she uses Sweetened Condensed Milk. That was all the information I needed to hit up Google. I came up with this site, where if you scroll down six recipes you'll find Aileen's Peppermint Xmas Roll. I don't know if this is the recipe my friend uses, but it sounded so good I had to give it a try. I messed around with it a little, to make it easier for KCT, so what follows is what we did.

As Good as Sai's (?) Choc Mint Balls
2 pk chocolate ripple biscuits
2 blocks peppermint chocolate (the flowing middle type)
can sweetened condensed milk
choc pareils

Blitz biscuits, chocolate and milk in a food processor to get coarse lumps. You may need to do this in two batches, unless your food processor is huge. Roll into balls and then coat with pareils or coconut and refrigerate on foil tray. That's it!

I started ours a few days before, and had trouble getting the pareils to stick because the biscuit crumbs had absorbed the sticky milk, so we coated ours in chocolate. (Hence the lateness of this post, sorry!) I had trouble restraining myself from eating the mix while it was sitting in the fridge waiting for us to roll into balls too. Like I said, I'm not sure if this is my friend's recipe, but it's soo good you won't care!


If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Teriyaki Hamburgers on fresh home made Tarragon Rolls

Tuesday

Tuna Salad Wraps

Wednesday
Freezer Suprise

Thursday
Hot Dogs and Chips

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Sandwiches

Sunday

Burrito seasoned Chops, Spuds and Broccoli


Check back during the week for the recipes, and as usual, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please come back here for Kids Cooking Thursday when we make Choc Mint Truffles.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Flash Game Friday

Kettle

Trap those filthy protesters! Don't they have jobs to go to?
An cynical little puzzle game, where you control the fuzz with arrow keys, to box in pixelated protesters.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: Aztec Truffles

Adapted from Allrecipes.

Aztec Truffles
200g Chilli Dark Chocolate (we used Lindt)
100g Maya Gold 55% solids chocolate (use regular semi dark if you can't get this exotic Green & Blacks flavour)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
good pinch Dutch cinnamon
cocoa (or pareils or coconut) to roll

Melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk on lowest microwave setting in a heatproof bowl. Try 1 minute on LOW and then 30sec bursts. When melted and smooth, stir in cinnamon. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.
Shape mixture into small balls and roll in cocoa.
Refrigerate in a tightly covered dish.

Sorry for no in process pictures today again, but rolling sticky balls of chocolate goop between one's palms is not conductive to responsible camera handling. If your truffles are destined for the family cookie plate, or you have slightly older kids home from school already, you might want to pass that job to them. Master Two was quite adept at shaking the dish with the truffles and cocoa in it, and Miss Five was quick to point out any that weren't fully coated. Both had a good stir of the mixture, and enjoyed the tasty job of breaking the blocks of chocolate down into pieces. So even though our truffles were destined to be a gift, and needed to be adult rolled for the slightly improved shape and size uniformity, there was still lots to be done for little fingers.

It goes to show, never judge a recipe as too complex before giving it a try. Odds are, even the youngest child will find a step or two they can help with.


If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Sausage and Broccoli Noodles

Tuesday

Penne Bolognese w/ Turkish Garlic Bread

Wednesday

Teriyaki Beef, Sugar Snap Peas & Chips

Thursday
Pizza

Friday
Pies

Saturday
BBQ

Sunday
Sandwiches


Check back during the week for the recipes, and as usual, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please come back here for Kids Cooking Thursday when we make truffles for Christmas presents.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Another Hidden Treasure

Because I'd started to forget about them, but I only had eleven left, so it's high time I finished this goal.


A little noisemaker from a party favour bag, 'planted' in the fork of a tree.

Status: 33/43

Friday, December 10, 2010

Flash Game Friday



via BoingBoing

It doesn't take long to get the hang of this politically incorrect, yet addictive, little flash game. On my second round I got a score of 220650. You play an escaped mental patient trying to avoid sadistic nurses and thug like interns (who you have to hit twice, but then they explode). All you need to do is left click to flail your straightjacket sleeves, either directly at the enemy, or into a laudry trolley for a distance attack.

So tell me, what was your high score?

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: The Rainbow Connection

Another birthday round up, this time for Miss Five. I can't believe she is going to school next year already!


Rainbow Cake


Rainbow Clouds (just add food dye)


Rainbow Butterflies


Rainbow Jellies




If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Freezer Suprise

Tuesday

Sausages & Potatoes, with onion gravy

Wednesday

Tomato & Cheese Penne

Thursday

Onion Burgers

Friday
Homemade Pizza so good I didn't get a photo before it was all gone

Saturday
Takeaway (at the Birthday Girl's request)

Sunday
Sandwiches after lunch at the ILs


Check back during the week for the recipes, and as usual, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please come back here for Kids Cooking Thursday when we round up Miss Five's Rainbow Birthday Party.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Flash Game Friday

Gateway II

The sequel to last week's short but sweet game - this time a little harder. One from Master Six's repertoire.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: Anzac Bars

Anzac Bars (not biscuits) from the Coles Recipe website - so simple a two year old can make them!








If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

My Monthly Reads - November

Bloodthirsty - Flynn Meaney
The Passage - Justin Cronin

Monday, November 29, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Penne Bolognese

Tuesday

Broccoli Spaghetti in cheese sauce

Wednesday

Rissoles with veg and spuds

Thursday

Beef Satay Rice

Friday

Homemade Capricosa Pizza

Saturday

Lamb Chops, spuds & veg

Sunday

Chicken Parmagiana & Spaghetti


Check back during the week for the recipes, and as usual, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please come back here for Kids Cooking Thursday when we make Anzac Bars.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Flash Game Friday

Gateway

One of Miss Five favourite's, although she can only get through a few levels on her own until she gets stuck and needs help. Much better for a five year old's brain than a barbie dress up game though. Or for a twenty nine year old's brain too for that matter.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Kids Cooking Thursday: Strawberry Coconut Cake

Just a little something we whipped up for afternoon tea. I saw this recipe in 4 Ingredients 2, which I had borrowed from the library, and couldn't resist giving it a try.

Strawberry Coconut Cake (adapted from the 1,1,1,1 cake in 4 Ingredients 2)
1 cup coconut
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup SR flour
a few drops each strawberry essence and pink food dye

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Sneak a handful of batter while Mum is distracted with the camera.

Insist on adding strawberry essence and pink food dye because everything is better pink, and with strawberries. Mix through.

Pour into a paper lined loaf tin and bake at 180°C for 40 mins. Allow to cool slightly in the pan, then slice and serve warm spread with butter.

If you'd like to join in with Kids Cooking Thursday please leave a permalink to your own Kids Cooking Thursday post, as per the rules.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Mince, tomatoes & Onions with potatoes

Tuesday

Broccoli Pasta

Wednesday

BBQ Vegetable risotto

Thursday
Freezer Suprise

Friday

Mushroom Omelettes

Saturday
Chicken Fried Rice

Sunday
BBQ at the ILs

It is great to be back online and posting again. I've managed to build up a bit of a buffer with photos I took while offline, but hopefully my computer is not going to need replacing for another five odd years! No recipes coming for a bit, because I can't remember how I made all the meals for the last month, but I will be posting all the regular features including Kids Cooking Thursday again.
Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for literally hundreds of other menu plan blog posts, and please do come back for Kids Cooking Thursday when we make Strawberry Coconut Cake.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

More Rainbow Cake!

This is the first of a few rainbow themed posts I had planned for the lead up to Miss Five's birthday. Instead, I'll be posting them in the next couple of weeks. After the enormous success of the rainbow cake I made for my brother-in-law's birthday party, Miss Then-Four wanted to have a rainbow party, so she could have one of those cakes.

Of course, since she had separate parties for kinder friends and family, that meant I had to make two of those cakes. Meaning 14 bowls to wash up. And way too much food dye consumption. But everyone was thrilled by the suprise colours inside again, even those who were expecting it. I decorated the "fluffy white cloud" icing with a sour strap rainbow to throw people off the scent. You can never have too many rainbows.


See, it's all deceptively plain and sneaky

Rainbows make me happy. And they do the same to Miss Five and Master Two as well. (Master Six is ambivalent). I didn't take photos of the process like I did back in January because I was racing the clock to get cake in the oven before Kinder pick up time, and before I needed the oven for dinner. But I used the same method as last time so I guess that will have to do.


This was an entry for Sugar High Friday, started in 2004 by Jennifer, the Domestic Goddess, and hosted this month by SoufflĂ© Days with the theme “Desserts with a Hidden Surprise.”