You don't have to be a size 8 to be HOT!

Now that I have your attention.......I'd like to share that I have discovered something very important.  Sexiness, healthy body image and confidence don't come from having a size 8 supermodel figure.

SHOCKING I KNOW.

And well I can't actually confirm this in the sense that the last time I had a size 8 figure was when I was 8 years old.  But for most of my life I have always been concerned about how I look.  Even when I got married and was probably at my slimest I was still worried. 

The thing that hit me yesterday was that I had been in town, on my much needed day off, I had make up on, was wearing heels and a skirt and just had my haircut and (brace yourself) I got a couple of "looks" from some not bad looking specimens of the opposite sex. 

Before this goes to my head I hasten to add it wasn't the new haircut, clothes or heels but the confidence I had with myself.  It literally shone through all the other stuff.  I was, am, happy.  You could be in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and still get the same effect because how you feel about you on the inside.

Okay so I hear a collective sigh....yeah yeah heard it all before but it's true.

I'm prioritising what's important.  Eating well, living well and knowing that I'm not always going to be in control of things but that it's my attitude that will dictate how I handle what comes at me.  And I never knew before that having that state of mind will affect everything.  Especially how I feel about the way I look!  Talk about light bulb moment!

So I'm loving my curves, in fact while watching Bonanza (yes the old TV show ......) the Farmer mentioned about the curves on that actress which sparked a conversion regarding the kind of actress/role models around for women today.....we decided that girls with curves are way hotter.....that's what being a woman is all about!  Which means the Farmer thinks I'm HOT.  What more could a girl want.......?!!   hmm perhaps just a phone call from Johnny Depp?! Ha!

“I didn't discover curves; I only uncovered them.”  Mae West

Making Icecream

So Master Seven made Ice cream with his Gran at his last visit to the Farm.  And it reminded me that there was a recipe from Shonagh Koea book I needed to try.......thus......

Ice cream from the book: The Kindness of Strangers – Kitchen Memoirs

by Shonagh Koea

2 large eggs, separated

100 grams of icing sugar

Three tablespoons of Cointreau (we just used vanilla essence with all the lovely little seeds!)

300 millilitres of cream

Grated rind of one orange

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in half the icing sugar to form a white opaque meringue which holds in peaks.  In another bowl beat the egg yolks with one teaspoon of the Cointreau and the rest of the sugar till very light in colour.  In a third bowl whip the cream until it holds its shape, then lightly stir in the rest of the Cointreau.  Gently mix the egg yolk mixture with the cream, then finally fold in the whisked eggs whites.  Turn into a 1.2 litre (two pint) mould – a loaf tin or cake tin or plastic food container is fine – and put in the freezer with the orange rind sprinkled on the top.  The only disadvantage to this recipe is that it creates quite a lot of dishes to wash.

 

Janes' review:

1; being a sucky flop 2;definitely do this one again  3; being add to your repertoire immediately

Taste: 3 - Quite possibly the best ice cream I've ever had!

Ease: 3 - took 3 bowls and Master 7 got tired arms (toughen up!) but otherwise pretty simple!

Brown Sugar Shortbread

So I'm still plodding on with cooking these recipes and here is the lastest installment...........

Brown Sugar Shortbread from the book: The Kindness of Strangers – Kitchen Memoirs

by Shonagh Koea

250 grams of butter

One cup of brown sugar

One and a half cups of flour

Half a teaspoon of baking powder

Half a cup of cornflour

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder and cornflour.  Spread out in a sponge roll tin and bake for twenty minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.  Cut the shortbread carefully into finger shapes as it is cooling in the tin and remove from the tin when it is cold.

 Janes' review:

1; being a sucky flop 2;definitely do this one again 3; being add to your repertoire immediately

Taste: Very nice aroma while cooling - 2

Ease: Took just minutes to get in the oven - 2

Taste testers aged 7 and under – Quite yum and yum

Taste Tester 35 and over – a bit dry

Overall quite nice – I’m not very good at making shortbread, not sure why, but this was probably my best attempt.......

                                               

Falling off the wagon and hauling my arse back on again.......

So confession time.  My grand plan of not drinking for the entire month of January dissolved in a torrent of "are we there yets?; I'm feeling sick; I'm BUSTING" en route to our camping holiday.  By the time we had the tent up, the Farmer was choking in my dust as I lead footed to the nearest bottle store for beer and wine.  And may I add that both the beer and wine, never tasted so good.

The camping holiday was awesome (after the first 6 hours of nerve-racking-annoying-whining from my precious children) and we all came back feeling refreshed and with stories of sand castles, boogie boarding antics and fleeting sightings of dolphins.

The Farmer and I made an executive decision that even though we weren't  away we were "still on holiday".....so the wine and beer was enjoyed .....and drunk with gusto.......but after falling off the wagon (with a THUD) it's now time to climb back on again.

New rules. No week day boozing.  Friday and Saturdays only.  For at least the duration of February.

I'm sure we'll survive this time.  We both have a list of things we need to do so even though we haven't got TV we have limited our "box" time (DVDs from Fatso are a wonderful thing) to one night a week.  I'm thinking by this time next month I'll be so gosh darn organised I'll be unbearable to live with.

My halo has been restored and is gleaming with pride.  I just hope temptation stays FAR AWAY, my rubber arm is my weakest link!

10 reasons why Johnny Depp and I would never work

It's been playing on my mind a bit recently with that Johnny Depp and I just aren't suited - so in logical fashion I thought I'd make a list to work it out.....


1. Obviously the main issue would be that ....... well he's older than me.......really at my age I'm just a spring chicken, not saying he's "old" but the gap perhaps is just too wide?  Crap does that rule out Keanu Reeves as well?!

2. We both like wine

2. We are both SO exceptionally good looking the paparazzi would hound us for photos all the time

3. There would be huge pressure to have a brood of good looking children

4. I like travel, he travels alot.....

4. He earns more than me, I don't know if I could manage being a kept woman.....

5. He's the person I'd most like to meet on my bucket list.......implying that I'm about to kick the bucket which I'm not......perhaps I could remove him from my bucket list and live happily ever after?!

6. My friends would probably be jealous.....

6. I'd have to make new friends

7. His wardrobe is probably far more extensive than mine

8. I don't know if he has any good room on his fantastic skin to "ink" left for me.......

9. He has is own island, which is somewhere hot and sunny and I'm really worried about my fair skin.....(doh I could wear sunblock.....)

9. He smokes

10. I'm married?!! (although the Farmer and I have always maintained that our out clause is Johnny Depp for me and Penelope Cruz for him........Ha liked he'd have a chance with her!!!)


So you see, it mightn't work out, but hey I'm an optimist and I think that in all fairness to Johnny (God I would hate to break his heart....) I'll try to make it work.......that just the kinda girl I am.

What is creativity?

I wonder sometimes about being creative and what that means.    

I like to let the kids be "creative" and I guess that means with their drawing, art and creating.  They both have scrap books (not like albums just the old fashion sort) and I leave them to it.  I'm not one of those mothers who insist their books are to be precise and tidy, they are theirs to do with as they please, and hopefully look back and think I did this.

I have some remarkable creative friends.  One is a WOW (World of Wearable Arts) winner.  She has a mind that thinks so far out of the the box it's unreal.  Another is a superb painter.  She has a talent for a number of things but her paintings blow me away.  The Crafter, well she can turn her hand at anything!  She has the patience of saint for all things fiddly and beautiful.

The reason I am thinking about what creativity is all about is I've heard it used such a lot when it comes to food, photos, writing and well just generally.  It's one of those words that can mean so many things but what strikes me is the amount of people who say they are not creative. 

Surely everyone has a bit of creativity.  Obviously there are lots of different levels and for those of you baulking at the idea and thinking you don't have any - in my humble opinion, your wrong. 

Can you appreciate a beautiful photo? Admire a work of art even if it's not your cup of tea? Enjoy the meal that you've just had....perhaps not the type of thing you'd cook....so in trying something new, you've appreciated someone else's creativity.

We can't all be painters, poets, songwriters and musicians.  But we can recognize the value of their work.  And this in turn makes us creative.

This is my challenge to you, the next time someone says how creative you are, absorb the compliment and say Thank You.  The next time you appreciate something, it may be as simple at beautiful sunset, acknowledge the fact you've just seen the creative beauty of the changing world we live in and it makes you creative too.  It feels good, it makes you humble and that can't be a bad thing.

Getting my groove back!

Thank goodness for holidays! 

It's my first day at home since, well at least this week and it's just lovely!

Okay so the washing has been hung out, kitchen tidied and I'm about to start packing for camping but seeing as it's just me and Miss Four today we are going to do some scrapbooking together.  Love it!

I've got lots of scrapbooking to catch up on and with the new camera lots of photos that I want to scrap so bring on the creative groove!

I've feel the most relaxed I've been in ages!  And it's so nice to be back to myself.....

Lesson for the year....I'm important too!  A break is the best medicine ever!

So no fantastic resolutions about weight loss, lists of things I MUST do or people I MUST see  Just take the time to be good to me which in turn will be good for my family and will flow on to all other parts of my life.

Oh yeah.....my groove is totally back.  Look out 2012!

(and looks like Johnny Depps relationship is on the rocks so basically I 'm in.......wicked!)

Thank Goodness for friends!

It's a miserable day here....wet, gray, windy but my friend (who shall be called 'The Crafter' from now on as she is just so gosh darn clever with all things crafty!!).....has lit up my day with her sunshiny personality!

The Crafter and I spent a lovely morning having High Tea at Port O Call in Napier.....china tea cups, mini sandwiches, Earl Grey Tea, chatting and laughter!  My mood went from crappy to chipper within a few hours.

The value of friends cannot be measured by any normal means.  In fact they are the biggest asset in your life and I am blessed with many fine friends.

Thank you to The Crafter and to the rest of my friends, who I value so dearly xx

Sucking Lemons?

You know that feeling......the sucky one, where you are holding on for the other person to "man up" but have realised if you want to move forward that it's got to be you...........well, that's the feeling I have right now.  And it's a little disappointing.

Especially when, given the bigger picture, they have been missing out on something special and things may never be the same.....insert large sigh here.

I think I will always be destined to be the one to suck it up.  And maybe in doing so, I am the better person.  However if that's the case why do I feel so pippy about it?!

Whats news for 2012.....

I've been contemplating 2012 for almost a week now.

No thundering flashes of lighting with premonitions from the sky, no winning lotto ticket and no booze!

Okay step back for a minute.....let me fill you in. 

I've been working in childcare for almost 2 years now and this year I am contemplating stopping work to study full time for 3 years to be an early childhood teacher.  Commitment, mega commitment.  I've been hoping that I would get a thunderbolt premonition to say - Yes, do it, it's your calling....or some such nonsense, but 6 days in and nothing. Feck.

As to the lotto ticket, well with winning from Christmas scratchies we went all out with a Triple Dip Lotto ticket.  The money was as good as spent.  Alas, nothing.  Oh wait I tell a lie, a bonus line on strike next week....hold the phones people.

And Booze?  No booze?  If you've read my blog at all you'll understand what an important part of my life is......a cold beer, big fat oaky chardy or stiff rum/gin/pimms can be for me.  However, all the extra appears to have relocated to my waistline (I reckon I'm carrying a keg there at the moment) so drastic measures have been taken.  Both the Farmer and myself are booze free for the month of January.  And so far, no worries.  No issue when it comes to who is driving, money in the bank and lots more jobs done....ie no blobbing on the couch vessel in hand.

So I guess OVERALL, not a bad start.....there is time for the winning lotto ticket, time to think about career pathways and certainly 11 more months for drinking......you never know I might stop all together...............nah, I don't think so!