Food Fight Friday!

I suggest you take cover,
find something to hide behind,
run for the door...
Or just put on your rain gear and take it...

Cause today I'm slinging a rhubarb and custard parfait at you!
I'm also mad as a hornet so things could get Messy!

First - why am I in such a mood?
Could be the full moon,
Could be the state of my house post Hurricane Jax,
But it more than likely is the text message I got from Fhubby last night!

Last I updated you he had finally left Mexico and was headed for Panama.
No problem..they arrived last Friday and have spent the week waiting for the Boss to arrive and their time slot through the Locks. Argggg wait wait wait....
They were booked to go through yesterday...Yay Yay Yay.

Beep Beep ..You've got Mail...

(I will not re post it here as I wouldn't want to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities)
In Brief: The boat was struck by lightning the night before and the entire Nav. system is fried!
At this point I don't even want to speculate how long that will take to fix,

I give up counting...
I concede...
You win Poseidon!
bastard!

Okay so onto the comfort food...
Whaaaaaaaaaaa I want my mummy!
Sadly, Canada's a bit too far away so I've have to settle for a good ol' childhood favorite.

We had the BIGGEST rhubarb patches in our garden growing up. I couldn't get enough of it. Mum used to make a rhubarb custard pie that I still dream about. But alas my New 'real shaped' Pie Plate is stuck in Panama with the Fhub, and I'm feeling depressed and therefor Lazy.. So here's a quick substitute.

Easy peasy this one,

Just take approx 6 cups rhubarb (cut in small chunks)
(I used frozen cause it's all we can get here)
Place in a Large pot and add 1 cup water
and approx 1 cup sugar (you can adjust to taste, some like it tart, some like it sweet)
Cook on Med heat whilst stirring continually until rhubarb has broken down and resembles a pudding (some chunks are ok)
At this point I add 1 Tbsp of Cornstarch
(mix your cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of cold water before adding)
Continue stirring to incorporate cornstarch and remove from stove.

Spoon into whatever dessert cups suits your fancy
I use my wine glasses, hey I might be depressed but I still like to be decadent!

Now the Custard

I cheat, I admit it.. I use Birds Custard

We grew up on it so therefor it is essential to the whole comfort level.
SO at this point, you can either go off and google some fancy smancy homemade custard recipes... or grab a packet variety and make according to brand.

Once you have your custard made, just spoon over your rhubarb and place in the fridge to cool down awhile!

Slinging a hot parfait at you would just be dangerous...and Rude!
I'm not that mad!

Of course if you're like me you've licked all the bowls clean
and should therefor be satisfied to wait until they cool...
If not...at least wait until the steam settles!

Here's hoping my own steam settles soon...
Happy Weekend!

Pay it Forward...

Today Choochmagooz is...
Paying it Forward

According to Facebook (Did I just say that!)
Today is the day for the Global Pay it Forward Project.
seriously, I can't believe I've just scheduled something around Facebook,
however, it was extra motivation to get my own project done...
so whatever works!

I'm participating in Craft Hope's project 7,
The Liberian Orphan Education Project.

In brief, the project is to make educational beanbags to be included in mobile classroom kits.

I can't think of anything more worthwhile, especially as I'm listening to my daughter waffle on about this thing she wants and that (you know the commercial break banter!) and can she have another freezie pop and maybe some popcorn...and can I can I can I...
Whilst here I sit making sure not to fill my beanbags with rice as it would be highly offensive to even consider precious food as a toy filler. Sometimes we really need a slap upside the head to focus on reality! Be sure to drop into their links if you feel the need for a head slap yourself!

Fortunately I just happened to have bought some small aquarium gravel for our Fairy Garden, and we were gifted 2 huge bags of BeanBag beans from a friends now defunct chair. So yay...re purposing too! and it solved my shipping dilemma as they are super lite.

The deadline for project 7 is May 15
so if you're crafty, and quick...
(and don't need to factor in 2 weeks shipping)
you've got time to join in too!
The gals at Craft hope have been ever so kind to
include tutorials should you need them.

When 30min of cutting + 2 hrs sewing =
a lifetime of education

That's good Math's to me!

Woodchuck Wednesday - Pixie Perfect

Angel of the Landscape

Oh My Goodness...Is it really Wednesday again!?!
Already!

Well fortunately I found a very timely (it's fairy week at our house!) Woodchuck,
A lovely Husband and Wife team in the Czech Republic, who truly are
Living the dream!
Renata designs the sweetest little fairies, gnomes and angels
whilst René makes them come alive!

Dandelion sisters

Grape Hyacinth

Bluebell

And as a bonus....at the moment they are offering
worldwide FREE shipping on all gnomes and fairies!

That's what I call a little pinch of Pixie Dust!

Click to enter shop

Try your Luck Tuesday - Wear your Heart!

Shouldn't everyday be Mother's Day?

If you're British you've already celebrated it,
If your American, Canadian or Australian
you have to wait until the 9th of May.
And if you're Spanish it's just around the corner on the 2nd of May.

So what happens when you're Canadian,
with a half Australian Child
living in Spain!?

You celebrate it everyday!

Today's amazing giveaway is over at
Make it and Love it.
I Love Ashley's Blog...chock full of good ideas and projects

One of her newest Sponsors, Julian & Co. is giving away this amazing
Scrawling Locket.

Click photo to enter contest

The perfect gift to celebrate motherhood anytime!

But Hurry Hurry....
giveaway ends tonight at midnight Mountain Standard time

Go on...Try Your Luck!

Ahoy Mateys

We've decided to join the party over at
The Girl Creative



So Behold the
Bidet Batteau Regatta

Now let me first say...this Bidet has NEVER been used for it's intended purpose so therefor No, I am not letting my daughter play in the toilet...we call it the foot bath! It's in a ridiculously awkward place, has no jets just a tap..and wastes water. So Jax and I can't be more thrilled to have finally found a use for it!
Now she can have races whilst I shower in peace and don't have to worry about which part of the house she is destroying.

We nicked the bark from our parks flower bed (shhhhh...it's the closest to nature we have at hand) and used some of my fabric scraps for the sails (Unfortunately they capsize after a while if the sail gets wet so I would recommend a nice big leaf sail...I just didn't want to go back to the park for a second stealth mission!)

Fhubby is heading through the Panama Canal tomorrow, so we're going to try to make our own locks and float the boats through. Jax is pretty excited that Daddy will finally be in the right ocean!!! Hehehe...

Wishing you all Smooth Sailing for the week ahead...

Do you Believe in Fairies?

Jax and I spent Friday tiptoeing through the tulips at the garden centre,
We finally found all of the little plants perfect for our fairy garden.

I had been surfing the web looking for inspiration and
who should pop up with the most gorgeous little fairy garden...
The Magic Onions!
I knew I loved their Blog!
She has a great tutorial in her side bar on just how to
make one yourself!
I didn't find that until after we'd already put ours together,
so may have added a few too many plants,
but I kinda like the jungle effect.
Reckon we did pretty good!
And coincidentally we already had a similar barrel...
Which housed a Carrot fail from last year and really needed something lively to redeem itself!

It's a Work In Progress as I have a few extras to add,
like a gazebo over the pond, and some fences and ladders.
So I'll update you as we progress.

It's been fun!

Sure hope the Fairies enjoy it as much as we do!

Food Fight Friday!

So shall we try this again!

Okay...Duck......
Swedish Kladdkaka slingin your way!

300ml Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Sugar (or 1 tsp Vanilla extract)
1 pinch Salt
4 Tbsp Cocoa
150ml Flour

3 Eggs
100 oz Melted Butter

That's it...Easy Peasy, Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl, pour into tin (I use a standard springform and grease it) Then bake at 175 Degrees (Celsius) for 25 - 30 min.

Then SMOTHER it in Whip cream and Strawberries and
Kiss your hips goodbye!
I was introduced to this recipe by my Svelte Swedish Friend Veronica...
Who goes hiking and skiing and climbing and.....

obviously doesn't make this cake as often as me!

Cést la Vie!
Today we planted a special little fairy garden
and thought some chocolate cake would help entice the fairies...
But of course ate the cake ourselves...
Hmmmm....So far no fairies...

I'm NOT making another cake!

Happy Earth Day

Respect It...Rejoice in It
and Run through the Raindrops Because of it!
Weeeeeeee....

Woodchuck Wednesday - Block Heads!

My Credit card is weeping!
Okay...It's sobbing...
It's so stuffed it can't possibly eat another bite...
But how oh how can it walk away from these!!!

Block Bot in Blue or Pink


You know I Love it!!!


Say G'day...or have your child's name custom made

Sometimes simple...is simply sublime

Photographer and world traveller William Dohman
creates all of these gorgeous treasures from reclaimed wood.

Excuse me whilst I sneak off to shake my daughters piggybank!

Shameless!!!

Go on..grab the piggy and run,

Try your Luck Tuesday - Celebrate Earth Day!

During my blog wanderings I was fortunate to discover a Blog wholly dedicated to living naturally, authentically and with conscience versus consumerism.
My kind of Blog!

I dream of the day I can live that well, with dedication.
I'm a long way off,
I feel weighed down and it's a slow crawl out of the muck,
but I am crawling!

So today we take you to the Magic Onions.
I love what she has to say about Commercial products vs. Handmade
(took the words right out of my mouth!)

In cooperation with the Etsy Natural Kids team
they are giving away several homemade goodies
in celebration of Earth Day.

Go on...Try your Luck...

click the button to Try Your Luck

and discover a wonderful new Blog at the same time.

Food Fight Friday!

Hmmmm...Well I WAS going to sling some chocolate cake at you today...
But it actually became a brownie...
and then we smothered it with strawberries and whipped cream
and ate it!

Jax and I wanted to make one of our new favorite chocolate cakes for a friends birthday yesterday but as is the case in my house at the moment...the recipe was MIA!

Now normally my memory would be good enough to pull it off but as it's had a beating this year...ummm NOPE...Chocolate Fail!

I can't even sling some flour at you as we used the last of it and we're now waiting for a boat load from Mexico!

Yes you just heard that right...My flour is on it's way from Mexico...

Actually it's from San Diego but has been stuck in Mexico for the last 3 weeks!
(It could be just me but I find the flour here heavy as sand and not easy to bake with, so I've asked Fhubby to fill the bilge with good ol' all purpose flour from America, it's an experiment!)

well, after all the excitement that Fhubby was actually setting sail last week, they got 2 hours out and had to turn back in to Cabo due to a problem with the Generator and Auto pilot.

Harrrrrrrrrrrrumph!

So apparently, they've now finally left (again)
If I hear otherwise during the next day or two I suggest you hide behind your sofas...
food won't be the only thing I'm slinging!!!

Happy Weekend Lovies,
I'll try hunting down that recipe for you!

Woodchuck Wednesday - Toot Toot

A friend recently cried out on Facebook....
"I hate all these rubbish toys for kids!...I don't want any of them!"
Plastic might be fantastic when it comes to the handy credit card..
however as a kids toy, I have to agree...
Most of it is pure Rubbish!

So I'm happy to report that after a wee holiday break with her family,
Ann the woman woodworker is back in her workshop
producing sturdy, whimsical, and lovingly crafted
natural toys for tots!

Oh bless you Ann and thank you for saving us
from the heartless, plastic, mass-produced, Rubbish trying to invade our toy chests!

Toot Toot Toodle on over to her shop

I'm so diggin' her retro camper and truck!

Try your Luck Tuesday

I thought I'd try to bring you something new on Tuesdays.
There are just so many wonderfully creative and generous people out there in Blogger land.

So far we have won several lovely goodies and Jax just loves when the post arrives just for her!

So todays offering is from a fantastic new site I've discovered called Tip Junkie!
Seriously chock full of good tips, giveaway links and Mom-preneurs!

They'll be giving away over $6,000 worth of prizes all day today so get in quick...you've still got the time zone on your side!

Click on the button to Try Your Luck!

Food Fight Friday!

Today I'm slinging a Fresh Berry Pavlova at you!

Or was it at me, or was it all over my little mucky moosh mini me?!

Jax has been asking for pavlova for weeks, as soon as she heard that Uncki Greg from NZ was coming for a visit. We made him a pink one for his birthday last year, minor disaster in trying to be culinarily creative, and she has never forgotten it!

So in honor of his Visit and in honor of my Aussie Fhubs finally leaving Mexico, Pavlova it is! We'll let them duke it out as to which country it really originates from...I'll be busy eating!

Now I've made Pavlova with a hand mixer and it turned into Marshmallow Fluff NOT Pavlova, so I highly recommend a good mixer...unless your trying to teach yourself and your 3 yr old patience!
I've also used various sources for recipes but can never come up with one that is the same so I'm just giving you the combination I've found works for me.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup fine sugar (castor is best)
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Preheat your oven to 130C or 250F, rack in middle.
line a baking sheet with baking paper and draw out either one large circle or approx 8 smaller 3" ones.

Beat your egg whites until medium peaks form
Continue beating whilst gradually and slowly adding your sugar.
When you've got Stiff Peaks, use a spatula to fold in the vinegar and corn starch.

Either spoon or pipe onto your circles leaving a slight indent in the center to hold the fruit later. (just like a big serving of mashed potato's with a place to hold the gravy!!!)

Now place in the oven and set your timer for 1 hour.
After the hour...Turn off oven but do not remove them from the oven, just place a wooden spoon in the door and walk away again. (this is seriously where the patience thing kicks in!)

After about 45 minutes they should be sufficiently cooled and ready for anything!!!

Vanilla whipped cream, forest berries, drunken strawberries, peaches and kiwi's, passionfruit and mango....

What they're not ready for is the devouring ability of a 3 yr old on a sugar mission!

Some days it's good to be an irresponsible mother!

Good Things

Ahhhhhhhhh..... Lovely Lovely Spring!

And finally able to wear her cutey patootie upcycled skirt that we won from the talented Mz Beatrix at Kindershop Online.

We also had some fantastic news from Sea
(remember when I said the Fhub was going to be away for 10 wks!)
Well that was 6 wks ago already and they've been stuck in Mexico,
so it's been a bit crunchie around ours lately.

But YAY... finally they're off!
Leaving today and heading to the Panama canal,
then off to the Caribbean and finally north for
HOME!

So I'll whisper this... with any luck he'll be back in 6 wks!

Just in time for the first round of weeding!!! hehe

Woodchuck Wednesday - Wee Wonderfuls!

As we move into Spring and shed our Winter clothes I can't help but be grateful for changing Seasons.

It's the time to get back out into the fresh air, work in the dirt, start the planting, and fire up the bar-B-Q and marshmallow pit.

So whilst I was pondering the seasons and fun ways to teach Jax, I came across Zoo Loo Naturals and was astounded by the handiwork of proprietress Lizz and her family.

She recently produced these amazing Dancing Elemental Gnomes as a custom order.

Ohhh what a Lucky recipient!

Her shop is chock full of amazing natural items and these adorable Math Gnomes too!

Learning really can be fun!

I'm in a Chocolate Coma!

....so no exciting post from me today!
just the words of a 3 yr old...

Wow Mum...look at all the eggs...Holy Crap!


Also thought I would share a few pics from the Spring Fling Re-Launch.

Thank you to all who stopped in when you could have been at the Beach on such a gorgeous sunny day!

Check out my hedgehog head!!!
So much happier blonde just now ( oh soooo cliche! )

Wet Bunnies!

It's true...Bunnies don't like rain!
And neither do I!
Jax has been desperate to get her rain gear on and go hunt for eggs, however...
Chocolate doesn't like rain either,
So we're postponing the hunt until tomorrow.

Instead Jax is busy making and creating,
and I'm trying to make a dent in my craft room.

Spring Cleaning indeed!!!
I can nearly make it back to my table!
After moving everything out of my dining and living room to host our re-launch, and then moving the SHOP back into the craft room..
It's gone a bit mad hatters in there!
I had closed the door and vowed to give myself some time off but just can't seem to do it...
My fingers are itchy!

So whilst I have nothing new to show you,
I did come across something old that me thinks needs a revisit!
My much loved Winsor & Newton travel watercolour set!

(obviously this isn't mine...it's far too clean!)

Oh how I remember the days of traveling around beautiful villages, luscious islands and everywhere in between. Stopping when my muse gave me a tug (and sometimes a thump) sitting at cafes and on the pavement to capture a moment.

Oh the Bliss of it!

Don't get me wrong..I Adore photography and cannot live without digital...and have even been known (gasp) to paint from my pictures as I was in too much of a hurry to stop! But having found my stash of postcard size paintings amongst the paint supplies...I cannot help but love the organic, fresh, sometimes hurried and childlike quality to some of my work. It gives me hope to what I could create if I actually put some time and concentration to it.

But for now stolen moments are enough.

So I'll leave you with a few to judge for yourself, and Jax and I will go steal a moment in the rain after all!!!

La grande Fontaine, St. Paul de Vence, France

Eglise St Pierre & Cathédrale de Vence, France

Cimetíere St. Paul de Vence, France

Celebrating the Fools amongst us!

So according to my Fhubbies - Uncle John's, Extraordinary Book of Facts and Bizarre Information;
It was traditional to celebrate the New Year for 1 week ending in a great big party on The first of April. However in 1564, some braniac decided to change the calendar, making the 1st of January the New Year. Anyone who had forgotten this change and showed up for the party on April 1st were henceforth considered Fools!

Well harrrrumph I say!
As today is another celebration in our house,
So frock me up in medieval garb and call me a fool...
Just make sure you're armed with a cake and some candles and no mention of my impending wrinkle collection!

Unfortunately there's no way to fool the laugh lines,
But that good ol' blonde in a bottle sure helps fool the grey!

Happy New Year to Me!
Thanks Mum and Dad