Pavlova, Anzac biscuits, Lamingtons, BBQ shrimp : these are the foods I associate with Oz, based primarily on my former love of the hit soap opera Home and Away. I thought about making one of these for the latest leg of the 12 Dishes tour, but we're away from home, in someone else's home, so I thought should keep it simple. And Damper bread really is simple to make. Originally made with flour and water, this bread was made by the Jackaroos on … [Read more...]
Arizona: things to do in the Grand Canyon State
1. Um, Grand Canyon. It's a long schlep from pretty much anywhere but is a must on everyone's list. Which explains why it's so rammed with tourists. To be honest, I felt it was a lot like the Mona Lisa: you know that it's significant, so you go to see it, but it's an anti-climax. I'd definitely recommend driving in from the East along the 64 (stop at the Craft stalls on the way for native American Indian crafts. I got a fabulous pair … [Read more...]
100 things to do before starting school
A couple of weeks ago, one of Mari's posts caught my eye: she found a great list of things your children should do before starting Kindergarten. As DH was peering over my shoulder, we printed off a copy of the list and set to work seeing whether we had provided our children with productive Pre-School years*. And it turns out that in terms of experiences and achievements, our Little Misses are well-placed for when they start back in … [Read more...]
Sudocrem Sunscreen Mousse
There's something about Sudocrem and child-rearing that seem to go hand-in-hand. There was always a jar at the NCT mum houses after our babies were born, fresh from their Hospital gift pack, if not purchased in advance of their impending arrival. There are still a few jars lying around at home. Dimples is slowly discovering them all though. Sadly for me, I only seem to discover this after the fact and have to spend the next twenty minutes … [Read more...]
Things to do in Phoenix with children
Did I mention we are in Arizona? On a House Exchange? Did I also mention the pool? The Monster Truck? Don't get me started on the supermarket baking aisles will you? Travelling with children is always challenging, particularly when they are quite young. I try not to think about the last time we travelled to America. With a baby and a two-year-old. By the end of the flight I wanted to gouge my eyes out, especially when someone, as … [Read more...]
Pixum Photo Book Review
We're currently enjoying the insane temperatures in Arizona on our fifth house exchange. It's bliss, and we are having a great time, not least because there is a pool in our backyard and a 'monster' truck in our garage. But as I sit typing at a very smart Mac that is literally thousands of miles away from the laptop I could use in my sleep, it makes me realise how many things there are that are particular to your home and your way of life that … [Read more...]
Tots 100 Home Club: Garden Challenge
The weather this year has not been brilliant: it has rained relentlessly since the day they banned hosepipes in the South East. The legacy of all that wet weather is a lush green garden. A garden that hasn't seen that much action this year, due in part to the weather and in part to the building of the Man Cave. Happily this month's Tots 100 Home Club Challenge is of the garden variety, not that there is anything common about it (see what I did … [Read more...]
