One Score & Fifteen...and Bumpy!

So I've reached another birthday..not a BIG one but biggish.

Fisherman in Training

Well, I suppose I had better get used to these early morning fishing trips now.  Dillon loved it - not sure which part though - the fishing or the early morning adventure. 

The First Heavenly Birthday..

Mum, I think of you on this day that you entered this world.  Even though we can’t share any more earthly birthdays with you, your life will always be remembered and celebrated.

You are so loved..and so missed.   

Mummy

Mummy, you've left us a month ago today. I feel like there is a part of me missing. I don't think this feeling will ever go away.

Boy Toys

There was much excitement for the 'boys' on Monday night as Del's Ford Capri fix-it-up project was rolled into the garage.  Perhaps you have to be male to understand any excitement over this:

The Fixer-Upper

Oh, Flush It!

Uh-Oh!  Dillon has picked up a certain not so acceptable phrase.  I'm pretty sure I've heard 'Oh, F*** it' a few times today.  D and I are still in battle over who he has picked this up from - I'm an occassional-something-must-really-piss me off bleeper so I firmly (read 'kinda' here) that it wasn't me.  (If I have to be perfectly honest, I recently had a not so perfect moment when I drove in and saw that Gustav had dug up my plants for the third time!...oops..and I thought I did such a good cover up with 'Park it', lol).  Anyway, moving forward, we are trying to replace the offending phrase with 'Oh, Flush it!'.  Think it will work?

Donkeying Around

Spent some time at Yellow Wood Cafe yesterday.  Here, I got to enjoy the view of the Howick Falls while having my tea and scones. ALL this whilst in the company of some donkeys, sheep, and a kinda scary goat. How cute is this miniature mamma donkey and baby?  :-)  Dillon seemed to love them too at at one point I think he thought he could jump on for a ride!  Oh, and there was the petting of a jealous, attention seeking pig too.

Gee-up donkey!

Donkey, loving a behind-the-ear tickle.

Pig. 'I'm here too!'

Dillon, having a swinging good time.

Chilli Pops

So, one of my latest goals/intentions is to be as least wasteful with food as possible.  This means using/preserving/freezing the produce from my garden, less throw-outs of leftovers and using what is already in the freezer before making a trip to the shops.  Ok, so that said, what do you do with a tub of cream cheese that is near the 'eat-before-date' and you are all cream-cheesed and crackered out? - you make Chilli Pops of course! Now,  this is not an original recipe as I got the basics after a quick search on the Internet but the final touch which adds tons of oomph (if I say so myself) does,  I think, make it mine.  Del called them Chilli Pops so Chilli Pops it is...or Happy Monkey Chilli Pops maybe? :-)

Anyway, I took my leftover Woolies Spring Onion and Chives Cream Cheese (already nicely flavoured) mixed it with some grated cheddar (could be gouda - it was cheese I had grated and frozen but forgotten to label).  Next, I cut the tops of my little mini yellow peppers shook out the seeds and stuffed the cheese mixture in.  I had tossed the peppers in olive oil but not sure if I would do that again as it made it a bit tricky when holding it to stuff.  I shoved these into the oven at about 180 degrees for about half an hour(until peppers where soft).  They turned out yummy but then my eyes caught sight of the honey bottle. A little dollop later and the Chilli Pops went from nice to ooh la la.

Chilli Pops out the oven

                                                             

Sous Sous?...Lets Call Them Vegetable Pears

What do you call this? - I've always known it as Sous-Sous (mind the spelling of course).  Anyway, I've been watching this vine grow all summer and had just about given up hope of seeing any fruit when all of a sudden there was a mass of tiny flowers and next came the beginnings of tiny pears - and now,  I think there are going to be lots!  So, a little research later I find out that all parts of the plant can be eaten, including the seed inside.  It is also called Cheyote or Vegetable Pear and at different stages it can be used differently - when very young it can be pickled, medium growth it can be eaten raw almost like cucumber and larger it can be cooked like a squash.  How fascinating!  This is the very first pear I harvested and not knowing what to do with it, it ended up in a chicken curry replacing the usual potatoes. The result - soft, subtle flavour but delicious!

My Little Man

 Look at my boy in his suit! - Last Saturday Cailin got married and Dillon got to be the ring-bearer at his cousin's wedding.  The shirt that I had so carefully tucked in, was out and the dummy I had tucked out of sight was in his mouth by the time he went down the aisle but it all went well - there was a little detour to the wrong person but he got back on track and delivered the rings to his cousin :-)

The Bride & Groom taking their vows

The Ring Bearer

The beautiful Table Setting

Aunty D and Dillon

Chilli Harvest

Dad planted these and calls them Thai Chillies.  I'm no sissy when it comes to chilli heat but these babies kinda kicked my butt.  These were chopped up finely and put into olive oil. Spaghetti and meatmalls - yum, Spaghetti and meatballs with chilli - Super Yum!

See How My Garden Grows...

What a harvest from my garden! A bowl of Wild Cherry Tomatoes and another of Mini Yellow Peppers.  I just love being able to pick my salad as needed - garden fresh goodness AND a money saver! Talk about a win-win.

Now to think of other ways to use this bounty...

They Call Me Yellow Mellow...

I learnt from Dillon's teachers today that when it is art time, the only crayon colour he chooses is yellow.  He colours with a yellow crayon, puts in back in the bowl and chooses.. another yellow crayon!

Hehe..funny boy!

Words I Always Want To Remember...

Dillon is quiet chatty and has quite a few words in his vocabulary now.  These are some of my favourites.

• Huggie (hug)
• Peas (please)
• Pone (phone)
• Bottie (botttle)
• Doo-Doo (blanket)
• Got (hot)
• Nanna (food)
• Nummy (dummy)
• Hurty (hurt)
• Minished (finished)
• hmmm (lip balm - points to lips and says hmmm)
• Gorse (horse)
• Baww (ball)
• Baww Nanna (grapes and cherry tomatoes)
• Duck (stuck)
• Bunny Nanna (banana)
• Zaner Bokkie (Zambuk)

So cheek-pinching, big-hug-squashing sweet! :-)

Does this Describe Me?...

This week, in the middle of a survey I was filling in, was a surprise mini personality assessment.  So here are the results - the profile of this Happy Monkey :-)

You like quick solutions and to get things done.
You're not over particular and are happy to compromise.
You care for your things and know how to keep them safe.
You're not set in your ways and are happy to try new things.
You're happy to admit when others know more than you and let them worry about what doesn't concern you.
You're not snobby, showy appearances aren't your priority.
You think technology is an adapting tool but the underlying habits and behaviours of people are a constant.

For a test that took less then 2 minutes, I thought it was pretty spot-on!