9 easy recipes for Chinese New Year

Xīnnián hǎo or Happy Chinese New Year! 2015 is the Year of the Goat so people born during those years are believed to be gentle mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic, amicable, and brimming with a strong sense of kindheartedness and justice. Unfortunately that's not me but Chinese New Year is a wonderful time to celebrate the Chinese culture and enjoy some of the flavoursome cuisine of Chinese cooking. It's such a quick and easy cuisine to prepare, using the freshest ingredients you can find and full of flavour. I don't cook it as often as I should but I'd like to share with you my top  9 Chinese recipes. If you're staying in, give them a try or else get out there and find some Chinese New Year celebrations. It's a lot of fun and the kids will love it.

Asian Style Meatballs on a Rice Noodle Salad

Asian Chicken & Corn Soup

Oriental Fried Rice

Asian Beef & Noodle Lettuce Cups

Easy Beef Chow Mein

Sweet & Spicy Pork with Wombok Slaw

Oriental Chicken Rolls

Sweet & Sour Sauce

Shitake Mushroom Wontons in an Asian Broth

9 easy recipes for Chinese New Year

Xīnnián hǎo or Happy Chinese New Year! 2015 is the Year of the Goat so people born during those years are believed to be gentle mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic, amicable, and brimming with a strong sense of kindheartedness and justice. Unfortunately that’s not me but Chinese New Year is a wonderful time to celebrate the Chinese culture and enjoy some of the flavoursome cuisine of Chinese cooking. It’s such a quick and easy cuisine to prepare, using the freshest ingredients you can find and full of flavour. I don’t cook it as often as I should but I’d like to share with you my top  9 Chinese recipes. If you’re staying in, give them a try or else get out there and find some Chinese New Year celebrations. It’s a lot of fun and the kids will love it.

Asian Style Meatballs on a Rice Noodle Salad

Asian Chicken & Corn Soup

Oriental Fried Rice

Asian Beef & Noodle Lettuce Cups

Easy Beef Chow Mein

Sweet & Spicy Pork with Wombok Slaw

Oriental Chicken Rolls

Sweet & Sour Sauce

Shitake Mushroom Wontons in an Asian Broth

Having "The Time of Our Lives"

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Sometimes producers of Australian television drama get it so wrong and other times they get it right. Each to their own and everyone's tastes are different but sometimes you just like to watch a program and be entertained by it. Not shocked or left saying "is that it". A new program to grace our TV screens is "The Time of Our Lives" with an absolute stellar cast of well known Aussie celebrities. Its a story about the goings on of an extended Australian family living in Melbourne, Victoria, all facing the same issues us everyday people face. As boring as that may sound, it was actually very entertaining. I could easily see a bit of myself in every female character and it made me laugh and realise just how I may have seemed at various times of my adult life.

 Justine Clark (Bernadette) is warm and friendly and the second wife of Shane Jacobsen's character, Luce Tivoli. He has an older daughter from a previous marriage living with them along with their twin daughters. Both characters are warm and friendly and so easy to get along with. The program showed the same conflicts as those with children from previous marriages face.

Justine is well known for being a star from the popular Australian kid's TV program "Play School" and you warm to her immediately. It will be interesting to see where her character goes over the 13 week series. I have a feeling it will be a case of "why do bad things happen to good people".

The wife of another of the Tivoli boys, Caroline (played by the gorgeous Claudia Karvan) is so much like me in regards to her so called 'gifted' son Carmody. I can remember saying, word for word, things she said in the program. Things like how you should word things when you're playing with your children because I had 'read all the books'. It wasn't until a couple of months realising I should just enjoy my child, one day at a time that I realised this stuff didn't matter. I'm sure I'll be able to relate to the pain she feels as shown in the preview of next week's episode.

The two part mini series "Paper Giants: Magazine Wars", also just recently screened on the ABC, was well worth watching too. The tale of two of the biggest names in popular women's magazines, editors Dulcie Boling and Nene King and the emergence of the 'trash mag' here in Australia. Brilliant acting and realistic documentation of the times.

"The Secret Life of Us" was a program that I resonated with when I was in my mid to late 30's and now the co-creator Amanda Higgs and writer, Judi McCrossin have joined forces again in this production. I can't wait to see how the show unfolds and it gives hope to what to watch on a Sunday night. I'll be having the time of my life watching. Thanks ABC for getting it right. Click here for a preview. "The Time of Our Lives" screens on Sunday evenings at 8:30pm on ABC TV in Australia. You can catch reruns here.

"The Time of Our Lives"

source

Sometimes producers of Australian television drama get it so wrong and other times they get it right. Each to their own and everyone’s tastes are different but sometimes you just like to watch a program and be entertained by it. Not shocked or left saying “is that it”. A new program to grace our TV screens is “The Time of Our Lives” with an absolute stellar cast of well known Aussie celebrities. Its a story about the goings on of an extended Australian family living in Melbourne, Victoria, all facing the same issues us everyday people face. As boring as that may sound, it was actually very entertaining. I could easily see a bit of myself in every female character and it made me laugh and realise just how I may have seemed at various times of my adult life.

 Justine Clark (Bernadette) is warm and friendly and the second wife of Shane Jacobsen’s character, Luce Tivoli. He has an older daughter from a previous marriage living with them along with their twin daughters. Both characters are warm and friendly and so easy to get along with. The program showed the same conflicts as those with children from previous marriages face.

Justine is well known for being a star from the popular Australian kid’s TV program “Play School” and you warm to her immediately. It will be interesting to see where her character goes over the 13 week series. I have a feeling it will be a case of “why do bad things happen to good people”.

The wife of another of the Tivoli boys, Caroline (played by the gorgeous Claudia Karvan) is so much like me in regards to her so called ‘gifted’ son Carmody. I can remember saying, word for word, things she said in the program. Things like how you should word things when you’re playing with your children because I had ‘read all the books’. It wasn’t until a couple of months realising I should just enjoy my child, one day at a time that I realised this stuff didn’t matter. I’m sure I’ll be able to relate to the pain she feels as shown in the preview of next week’s episode.

The two part mini series “Paper Giants: Magazine Wars”, also just recently screened on the ABC, was well worth watching too. The tale of two of the biggest names in popular women’s magazines, editors Dulcie Boling and Nene King and the emergence of the ‘trash mag’ here in Australia. Brilliant acting and realistic documentation of the times.

“The Secret Life of Us” was a program that I resonated with when I was in my mid to late 30’s and now the co-creator Amanda Higgs and writer, Judi McCrossin have joined forces again in this production. I can’t wait to see how the show unfolds and it gives hope to what to watch on a Sunday night. I’ll be having the time of my life watching. Thanks ABC for getting it right. Click here for a preview. “The Time of Our Lives” screens on Sunday evenings at 8:30pm on ABC TV in Australia. You can catch reruns here.

Top 5 ways to survive a Disney Live! {Rockin' Road} show

 

 

I should've known. I should've remembered from nearly two years prior at the "Disney on Ice" show we took the kids to, when all the bells and whistles were literally going off. I did forewarn the kids that there would be no souveniers bought on the day but like the siren's song, even Mum can't resist the mass of Tinkerbell cups filled with ice for $15 or the pairs of Minnie Mouse ears for $22 but I did. I was very proud of myself but I know I should've been better prepared.

 

You see, I was very lucky to win 4 tickets to see the latest instalment from the Disney machine, "Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show" on the Mrs BC's House of Chaos blog. I thought I'd try and be a bit clever by entering the competition with a poem and a lame one at that. I said, in a round about kind of way, that I was desperate to get out of the house because the kids were driving me crazy and Pluto and dogs, or something or other. I was delirious at this stage.

 

After I got over the excitement I then thought that maybe my kids, at ages 8 and 6, might have been a little too old for Mickey and the gang but I was pleasantly surprised. The TV ad for the show just happened to come on as we were getting to leave and my son, who gets nervous about trying new things or the unknown, decides he doesn't want to go. (Heaven help me!) I bribed him with playing games on my phone just to get him in the car.

 

After the show started he had soon overcome his fears and was in awe of seeing all the regular Disney characters. I just love that innocence children have when they see these characters from story books and TV come to life. My daughter and her little friend were just in awe seeing Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother as was my son when he saw Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie from "Toy Story". I thought I might've become a bit bored too but the songs were upbeat and who can ever tire of Mickey Mouse?

 

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I asked my daughter's friend what she thought of it and she replied, "I'm speechless. I was spellbound." (She's 8 years old as well mind you.) We all had a wonderful time and topped it off with a trip to that horrible place with the kid's meals in a box. So, if you are planning to go to a Disney Live show anytime soon, remember these top 5 points.

 

1. Stock up on any kind of glow stick, sparkly, swirly thing from Halloween, Christmas or whenever sales and put them away for the Disney show. You'll get out of having to spend the price of a new car on plastic junk at the show.
2. Make sure the kids eat just before you go in. Buying food from the venue will also cost you the equivalent of a small country's annual economy.
3. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the show. They start calling you about 20 minutes before the show starts and if you go the way I went and find road closures, you'll start to stress a bit.
4. If one of your children becomes overwhelmed or nervous at the sight of a human sized cartoon character, give them an electronic game to take their mind off it. They'll eventually come around and enjoy themselves.
5. Remember how excited you were as a child, seeing these characters 'live' for the first time. The look on my kid's faces was priceless!

Thanks Lisa and thanks Disney. I think my sanity has been restored, for the moment.



Top 5 ways to survive a Disney Live! {Rockin' Road} show

 

 

I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered from nearly two years prior at the “Disney on Ice” show we took the kids to, when all the bells and whistles were literally going off. I did forewarn the kids that there would be no souveniers bought on the day but like the siren’s song, even Mum can’t resist the mass of Tinkerbell cups filled with ice for $15 or the pairs of Minnie Mouse ears for $22 but I did. I was very proud of myself but I know I should’ve been better prepared.

 

You see, I was very lucky to win 4 tickets to see the latest instalment from the Disney machine, “Disney Live! Rockin’ Road Show” on the Mrs BC’s House of Chaos blog. I thought I’d try and be a bit clever by entering the competition with a poem and a lame one at that. I said, in a round about kind of way, that I was desperate to get out of the house because the kids were driving me crazy and Pluto and dogs, or something or other. I was delirious at this stage.

 

After I got over the excitement I then thought that maybe my kids, at ages 8 and 6, might have been a little too old for Mickey and the gang but I was pleasantly surprised. The TV ad for the show just happened to come on as we were getting to leave and my son, who gets nervous about trying new things or the unknown, decides he doesn’t want to go. (Heaven help me!) I bribed him with playing games on my phone just to get him in the car.

 

After the show started he had soon overcome his fears and was in awe of seeing all the regular Disney characters. I just love that innocence children have when they see these characters from story books and TV come to life. My daughter and her little friend were just in awe seeing Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother as was my son when he saw Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie from “Toy Story”. I thought I might’ve become a bit bored too but the songs were upbeat and who can ever tire of Mickey Mouse?

 

source

I asked my daughter’s friend what she thought of it and she replied, “I’m speechless. I was spellbound.” (She’s 8 years old as well mind you.) We all had a wonderful time and topped it off with a trip to that horrible place with the kid’s meals in a box. So, if you are planning to go to a Disney Live show anytime soon, remember these top 5 points.

 

1. Stock up on any kind of glow stick, sparkly, swirly thing from Halloween, Christmas or whenever sales and put them away for the Disney show. You’ll get out of having to spend the price of a new car on plastic junk at the show.
2. Make sure the kids eat just before you go in. Buying food from the venue will also cost you the equivalent of a small country’s annual economy.
3. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the show. They start calling you about 20 minutes before the show starts and if you go the way I went and find road closures, you’ll start to stress a bit.
4. If one of your children becomes overwhelmed or nervous at the sight of a human sized cartoon character, give them an electronic game to take their mind off it. They’ll eventually come around and enjoy themselves.
5. Remember how excited you were as a child, seeing these characters ‘live’ for the first time. The look on my kid’s faces was priceless!

Thanks Lisa and thanks Disney. I think my sanity has been restored, for the moment.



Don't get caught up in the buy, buy, buy mentality of Christmas

My daughter's first Christmas 2004

We're well in to the swing of things with the Christmas season upon us. In fact, it's  been with us for weeks already. Each year it seems to get earlier and earlier. To think that we celebrate Jesus' birthday on one day, December 25th, but the celebrations go on for months and months before and cost dollars and dollars. They don't have to. You don't have to get caught up in the buy, buy, buy mentality that consumerism puts upon us.



Christmas Tree

I think throughout the whole of my childhood, my Mum only had the one lot of Christmas decorations. They didn't deteriorate. How could they? They were only used for a couple weeks of the year. We never worried about having matching Christmas decorations or going for a different colour scheme every year. My children don't care about matching colour schemes. They prefer (as do I) to see their handmade decorations adorning the tree. My Christmas tree is about 12 years old and there's not a thing wrong with it. It will probably do us for another 12 years. Don't feel pressured to update your decorations or your tree.

Macadamia & White Chocolate Cookies

Presents

I've succombed to Mummy guilt and have bought my children a Wii for Christmas. I thought we did pretty good to hold out for 8 years on buying anything electronic for them. Besides that and a DVD each and a couple store bought things, my children aren't getting any more. All my other presents will be handmade. I'm not trying to be a martyr or show off by telling you this. I just don't want you to feel pressured into buying everything the store suggests we should buy as gifts. Secret Santas, gift cards, gift packs, teacher's gifts etc etc etc. Keep the money in your pocket. Bake a batch of biscuits and put them on a $2 plate from the op shop. I'm sure the recipient will appreciate that much more than a $40 gift basket of stuff they'll never use and the basket and most of the contents will finish up at the op shop anyway.

Advent Calendars

Looking in the stores recently, I think there's every single character available on an Advent calendar. Even Angry Birds. What's the deal with that? Even thinking you have to buy a gift for every day, for every child in the 25 day lead up to Christmas. We didn't do that at all as kids nor did we miss it. I pressured myself into believing that I should have an Advent calendar last year and came up with this. I spent extra money on Christmas type trinkets that I thought my children needed. They all finished up spread all over the house. I kept most of them to be used for Christmas craft again this year but not again. I was going to do another calendar this year and fill it with a 20 cent coin but why? There's no rule that we need Advent calendars and my kid's lives won't be any richer for having it. It might be a tradition in some countries but I'm ruling this one out in my house. I'm steering clear of any homemade calendars or those nasty ones from the store.

My daughter aged 3 at a work Christmas party

Christmas Entertaining

I remember in my younger days, there was always the work Christmas parties, catching up with that person and this person. I know I would go all out ensuring I had the latest trends in food adorning my dinner table. Don't feel pressured into thinking you need fresh seafood and expensive wines and champagnes to entertain your friends. Follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosophy. You're there to enjoy the company of your friends and relatives not impress them with a feast that set you back $200 on matching tableware that cost you another $200. Keep an eye out for beautiful Christmas tableware at op shops for as little as $2 a piece.

Christmas lunch at my Mum's place last year - everyone bought something

Christmas Dinner

Who's putting Christmas dinner on in your family? Is it you? Your Mum? Your brother's family? Whoever it is don't let them bare the expense of putting it all on. I know that's a tradition from the past but if everyone 'brought a plate' it would cost hardly anything at all. The supermarkets are full of crazy 'cray cray' people at Christmas time, every year, thinking they need a whole ham, half ham, 5 kilos of prawns, piece of roasting pork/beef/lamb, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding blah blah blah. It goes on and on and it can send the most sane person crazy thinking they have to supply all of this food for everyone. Let's break with some of these traditions and use the KISS method again. We're all there to enjoy each other's company not impress them with food covering every inch of the table and the presents piled so high under the tree.

I hope you don't think I sound like Ebenezer Scrooge. I don't mean it to sound that way. I love Christmas more than anyone and have done all of those things above. Things are a little tight in our house and I know I can create the same memories and fun without all the expense and fuss. Even if you can afford it, just think of the affect buying all this 'stuff' has on our environment, and our sanity.

I'm linking up with the lovely Jess from Essentially Jess for her IBOT linky party.

Don't get caught up in the buy, buy, buy mentality of Christmas

My daughter’s first Christmas 2004

We’re well in to the swing of things with the Christmas season upon us. In fact, it’s  been with us for weeks already. Each year it seems to get earlier and earlier. To think that we celebrate Jesus’ birthday on one day, December 25th, but the celebrations go on for months and months before and cost dollars and dollars. They don’t have to. You don’t have to get caught up in the buy, buy, buy mentality that consumerism puts upon us.

Christmas Tree

I think throughout the whole of my childhood, my Mum only had the one lot of Christmas decorations. They didn’t deteriorate. How could they? They were only used for a couple weeks of the year. We never worried about having matching Christmas decorations or going for a different colour scheme every year. My children don’t care about matching colour schemes. They prefer (as do I) to see their handmade decorations adorning the tree. My Christmas tree is about 12 years old and there’s not a thing wrong with it. It will probably do us for another 12 years. Don’t feel pressured to update your decorations or your tree.

Macadamia & White Chocolate Cookies

Presents

I’ve succombed to Mummy guilt and have bought my children a Wii for Christmas. I thought we did pretty good to hold out for 8 years on buying anything electronic for them. Besides that and a DVD each and a couple store bought things, my children aren’t getting any more. All my other presents will be handmade. I’m not trying to be a martyr or show off by telling you this. I just don’t want you to feel pressured into buying everything the store suggests we should buy as gifts. Secret Santas, gift cards, gift packs, teacher’s gifts etc etc etc. Keep the money in your pocket. Bake a batch of biscuits and put them on a $2 plate from the op shop. I’m sure the recipient will appreciate that much more than a $40 gift basket of stuff they’ll never use and the basket and most of the contents will finish up at the op shop anyway.

Advent Calendars

Looking in the stores recently, I think there’s every single character available on an Advent calendar. Even Angry Birds. What’s the deal with that? Even thinking you have to buy a gift for every day, for every child in the 25 day lead up to Christmas. We didn’t do that at all as kids nor did we miss it. I pressured myself into believing that I should have an Advent calendar last year and came up with this. I spent extra money on Christmas type trinkets that I thought my children needed. They all finished up spread all over the house. I kept most of them to be used for Christmas craft again this year but not again. I was going to do another calendar this year and fill it with a 20 cent coin but why? There’s no rule that we need Advent calendars and my kid’s lives won’t be any richer for having it. It might be a tradition in some countries but I’m ruling this one out in my house. I’m steering clear of any homemade calendars or those nasty ones from the store.

My daughter aged 3 at a work Christmas party

Christmas Entertaining

I remember in my younger days, there was always the work Christmas parties, catching up with that person and this person. I know I would go all out ensuring I had the latest trends in food adorning my dinner table. Don’t feel pressured into thinking you need fresh seafood and expensive wines and champagnes to entertain your friends. Follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosophy. You’re there to enjoy the company of your friends and relatives not impress them with a feast that set you back $200 on matching tableware that cost you another $200. Keep an eye out for beautiful Christmas tableware at op shops for as little as $2 a piece.

Christmas lunch at my Mum’s place last year – everyone bought something

Christmas Dinner

Who’s putting Christmas dinner on in your family? Is it you? Your Mum? Your brother’s family? Whoever it is don’t let them bare the expense of putting it all on. I know that’s a tradition from the past but if everyone ‘brought a plate’ it would cost hardly anything at all. The supermarkets are full of crazy ‘cray cray’ people at Christmas time, every year, thinking they need a whole ham, half ham, 5 kilos of prawns, piece of roasting pork/beef/lamb, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding blah blah blah. It goes on and on and it can send the most sane person crazy thinking they have to supply all of this food for everyone. Let’s break with some of these traditions and use the KISS method again. We’re all there to enjoy each other’s company not impress them with food covering every inch of the table and the presents piled so high under the tree.

I hope you don’t think I sound like Ebenezer Scrooge. I don’t mean it to sound that way. I love Christmas more than anyone and have done all of those things above. Things are a little tight in our house and I know I can create the same memories and fun without all the expense and fuss. Even if you can afford it, just think of the affect buying all this ‘stuff’ has on our environment, and our sanity.

I’m linking up with the lovely Jess from Essentially Jess for her IBOT linky party.

Celebrating Spring with strawberries & pansies

It had been absolute ages since I'd seen my aunt. Not since my Mum's funeral back in March. I just get caught up in the day to day busy-ness of life but always thought about my aunt. She was Mum's younger sister and my godmother. Mum and I would often catch up with her like the time we visited the strawberry and orchid farm last year.

We collected my aunt and  headed to the Rolin Strawberry Farm at Elimbah, just north of Brisbane. You can purchase the freshly grown strawberries or pick your own, which is what we decided to do.

The strawberries were in abundance and there were heaps of delicious, in season, fresh strawberries to be picked. At $10 per kilo, they were pretty good value. At least we know they are fresh!

The kids had an absolute ball, checking out how the strawberries grew and eating them at the end. It was a beautiful day for the first day of spring. Not too hot and a gentle breeze blowing. When we dropped my aunt home, she said she had a surprise for me. It was a birthday present she hadn't got around to giving me (my birthday was back in February). She made a pansy quilt for me with her fancy, schmancy embroidery sewing machine. I was in tears. Its absolutely gorgeous.

I'm so tired, I just threw it on my bed to take a quick picture and didn't use a flash so the picture isn't the best. Each one of those large flowers took an hour to make on her machine. There's so much detail in it.  The colours are so vivid. I just love, love, love pansies. (She embroidered Mum a couple of pansy cushions a few years ago and they are still on Mum's bed and I might just have to go over to my sister's house and pinch them.) I feel so lucky to have such a clever aunt. Once I get my 'creative space' organised, I can't wait to start quilting projects and spend time with her, just crafting and quilting.

A wonderful day out, spent with family, enjoying the Spring sunshine and strawberries. (I can't believe my daughter was wearing this exact same top last April when we went. One good thing about her being a fussy eater is that she doesn't put on much weight quickly!)

Rolin Farms
Strawberries & Orchids
Rob and Linda Trost
124-190 Rutters Road
Elimbah QLD 4516
AustraliaEmail: trosty40@tpg.com.au
Web: http://www.rolinfarms.com.au/