The family photo shoot that rocked

Hugest thanks to Nikki at Virtual Memories Photography. Super happy with the photos and the service you get for your money is exceptional (definitely not a paid ad I really am super happy) Here are some of my favorite pics (you try picking from 155 or 310 if you include b/w photos)

Wordless Wednesday

Banana bread with Mr Thermie

I bought some almond milk as it sounded so delicious, in truth it's the nastiest stuff I've ever drunk. Who in their right mind drinks such a horrid concoction I'd rather starve.

Got me thinking on needing to use this horrible yuck and thought it might go alright in some Banana bread.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
• 150ml Milk
• 150ml Almond milk (or 300ml normal milk if you too think almond milk is nasty)
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 240g Self Raising Flour (You Can Use Wholemeal)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/3 cup Soft Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Mixed spice
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1 Egg
• 100g of nuts I used almonds, cashews and macadamias

True Thermomix style (or is it Tracey Style?) chuck in all in the bowl in the order listed then mix on 6 for 30 sec. Use a lower speed if you want chunkier nuts but I have kids so wanted things well blended. Add the oats at the end and mix slowly if you want them whole.

If you don't have a Thermie well you miss out. No not really you may need to soak your oats, mash your banana by hand and chop your own nuts but then you should be right to mix in a bowl. Sweat and love makes a cake taste better right?

Pour into greased and lined loaf tin and bake for 45mins on low to moderate oven try around 180C

NB I forgot the weigh as I went so I will update the recipe with weights next time I make it.

I hate foxes

Last week we found the most beautiful cockatiel in our vegetable garden. After contacting the neighbours it become our new bird. Igloo named it K Air Puff. It was such a lovely friendly bird.

We had one day before we had to go away for a week, so I rushed around like mad and found a nice sized cage that we couldn't afford to keep her in. I spent far too long setting up a lovely home for her when I should have been packing.

We test the cage we get the kids to test the cage and it is steady and sturdy.

Fast forward to Saturday, the day before we get home from our trip. The day before K Air Puff would be in a safer position. And a bloody horrible nasty creature of a fox knocks his way into the cage. The poor terrified bird tried to escape and met its fate into foxes mouth.

So now we have a cage that we couldn't afford sitting empty without the money to fill this cage with a new bird.

I am so sick of these foxes. They come in the day time up to our back door. They walk up to Damien while he is outside. They get so close that he can kick them.

While it would be illegal to use fox poison without a license we did try and google a recipe. But apparently there is a cocktail called fox poison so we got no where. Thanks Mr Google :/

Eventful Day

Today started like any normal day, the sun was peeping through the clouds and fog. I figured the weather was done and the drama was over. Oh how wrong I was.

These two photos are from Saturday morning.

These photos are from this morning.

Our waist high letterbox is underwater roughly in the middle of this photo.

This is the tree that decided to fall down, just missing the house, swing set and cars parked out the front. One car which had just been unbogged from the driveway. Not our car. Needed a tractor to get this one out. We have a lot of holes to fill in once we dry out.

3hrs + 4 x 4WD + 8 people = 26 Sandbags

I had been wondering what I was going to write about for farming Friday. I had nothing prepared. Nature kicked in and helped with a story.

The carport.

The carport 1 hour later. It did get higher but I was far too busy by then

Where it flows after the carport.

The carport again after I wasn't so busy and the water had gone down a little bit

Our Road

Driveway

A few of the many trenches we had to dig to divert water from the house. This first trench is about 50cm deep. It took some digging to the water rushing over the pavers and into the laundry and sewing room.

The garage floor level is lower than the level of this water. There was about an inch of water in the garage.

4WD 1 to bring us sand bags

4WD 2 to save 4WD 1?

4WD 2 being saved by 4WD's 3 and 4

The mess 4WD 2 left

4WD's 2, 3 and 4 set up to rescue 4WD 1

4WD 1 half way out

The sandbags now doing not much as the rain stopped before they got there. Much more rain is predicted so I am sure they will be needed overnight.