Long weekend: Cold, Baking, Cooking, Sick boys and work!

This whole weekend was depressing.. the boys were sick. They started getting sick in the late afternoon on Saturday. After we had yum chat at Wealth Garden they were a little tired and said they wanted to go home. So we went home and rested. D helped Mick bake lemonade scones... Seriously if you have not tried this. Do it! Cream, lemonade, sugar, flour.. Mix.. no rubbing the butter in. I really hate doing that.  Ta daaaa... scones!! So yummy.

We has scones!

I have to confess that I had something on my mind regarding work on Sunday so I was rather upset already. Then the boys were really sick and we could not go anywhere. We had breakfast at Lip Cafe in Ivanhoe off the beaten track of Waterdale Road. Dukkah on poached eggs anyone? Shame about the potato rosti, it wasn't crispy and a little too thick. I did not like the texture. Great service though and we were not 'neglected' even though we were sitting in the rear. 

Lip Cafe Sourdough Toast

After breakfast, we were "stuck" at home. So I became a crazy woman.. and when I go crazy upset about something. I bake and cook like a Betty Crocker. I am convinced this is why women in the 1950s' did so much around the house. They were frustrated! 

I didn't know what I want to bake, but I just wanted to bake. And I am not sure how I googled and suddenly remembered Gingerbread cake. I made this when I was in high school! I remember the taste and it was yummy. It has been more than 10 years and I still remember the taste. I vaguely remembered the ingredients and I found a recipe that was similar! OMG it was so MOIST and so yummy.

Zomg gingerbread cake

And then I proceeded to set up my lasagna. Check this out!! Assembling starts, sauce, white sauce, dried pasta! I only use Barilla and this is the best. No I will not make my own pasta.. it involves dough and I have to confess that I do not do dough or pastry very well.

Assembling starts!

And ta da... my dinner!!! And my lunch for today! Seriously people, whack an apron on me and call me Betty Crocker!

Oh hello.. eat me

So I swapped my public holiday to work today as I have global deadlines this week. And anyway... the boys went out to Masters which is like the most giant hardware store ever. I think this is what Walmart looks like! Anyway, D said that he wanted to come home as he was not feeling well. But he saw Northlands and he said, Daddy that market! So they stopped and had a hot chocolate. D doesn't like hot chocolate so he only had a little taste. But Pickles is my sweet tooth boy. :)

Little Picks has hot chocolate

The poor boys had already gone to bed at 6pm.. Well except Pickles, he protested and now is awake and being incredibly cute. Now I am feeling a tad guilty for not spending today with them. So I had a bit of a snuggle with D in the evening. He was lying on my lap and resting before asking to go to bed.

End of a long weekend!

Leaving you with a pic of sunset.. But now let me go tickle the Pickle!

Random score: Gossip Mags on the Train!

You know when you are looking over someone's shoulder to glance at the gossip mags that they have? Yeah that! So I was the one glancing... I have not bought a gossip mag in ages. I dig through the ones in the library and laugh at the old ones. Kim Kardashian having a bridezilla moment. Ahhh woman you have no idea. Is whatstheotherone's name pregnant? No she wasn't!

Anyway you get the idea.. as a result of being tight, it took me about 2 years to realise that Eva Longoria had a divorce. Where was I??? Probably digging through the old library magazines still publicising her wedding pictures. HAHAHAH.

I was sitting there wondering if I had missed my stop and was in a complete panic when I heard ... You have take them if you want. I thought she was talking to me so I looked up and saw the guy opposite me was glancing at the magazines she put next to him. He was on the phone so he ignored her. She said... "Or you.." to me. And I was like huh? She handed them to me. 3 gossip magazines. I cannot tell you how excited I am... Famous, Who and New Idea! SCORE.

I have concluded long ago that I have the best train line. I never had a problem getting a seat given to me when I was pregnant. Very very very rarely did I have to stand all the way home. And this just confirms it even more!

The CLAW: Hello Darling Just a Touch of Frosting

CLAW: Just a little Frosting

I am in love with this colour.. This was taken in the night so I had to turn my lights on. It is not glitter but my goodness it is shiny!! And honestly I think this is comparable to Gem Crush except it is smooth. I think Gem Crush is a glitter shade. It is a gorgeous shade of purple and not in your face. But seriously loving it!

Claw out in the wintery garden

This is a new plant that Mick has planted. I think the purple flowers compliments this shade. LOL! It was really cold today and there was no sunlight. Unfortunately this does not do justice to the colour.

Edited: Adding this pic as the first was a little blurry

Mega scary Jumbo Eggs, St Kilda Market and Beef Casserole

Kicking leaves

My ornamental pear tree has been shedding leaves everywhere. Mick would rake it into a pile and the boys would stand, jump into it and kick it around. I stood there laughing and taking pictures. D said that he was stuck when I showed him the pictures later.. Oh no Picks is stuck Mum Mum!

Jumbo eggs are jumbo

We went to St Kilda market on Saturday to pick up pastry from Paterson's Pastry and sliced ham and a giant pork chop rib from Greenvale Meats. YUM YUM.... Check these jumbo eggs from Green Eggs. Thou shalt not be greedy and purchase jumbo eggs in future. I could not even close the carton. Check these out!

Football at St Kilda

We had about 15minutes left on our carpark ticket and we stood at the oval and watched a bit of football. Well.. the boys did, I just stood there!

I do cook ya know!

You know what.. with all the freezer convenience meals I had been reviewing lately. I feel obligated to post evidence that I actually do cook. I really do cook for the boys - just for myself - it's a let's squeeze as much I can do as possible at lunchtime. Anyway, I made the BEST beef casserole ever on Sunday. It was stay at home and laze about day because Mick was at an adventure race. The boys played with their trains, I had Cars the movie on repeat or something. Everytime I tried to change the channel I got yelled at and handed the remote to put it back to Cars. They would watch for 2 minutes and go back to their trains. By 3pm, I thought the boys would be leading a revolution against me from boredom. But they were happy. Except every noise that D heard, he thought it was his Dad coming home. Sad face when I had to tell him it was not him. The beef casserole was so rich and yummy, I really believe it was the faux Le Creuset from Aldi that I used for the first time to cook this. I have not done casserole in so long as we had fallen out of the cycle of going to the markets. I had a great time hugging and snuggling both boys to be honest and just between you and me. I spent the day in PJ bottoms. Loved it. :)

Leaving you with the sunset view yesterday.. it was orangey red.

I love Aldi: Chicken Risotto Frozen Meal Review

What Aldi say it should look like

I had a busy day - story of my life. My handy freezer meal came in handy again. I had to run out to get nappies. Otherwise there is pandemonium like world falling apart trouble. So back on the freezer meal at the laptop for me today. I am sure that everyone is starting to think that I do not cook and I am one of those ones that eat really badly. But if you do.. so what!?

What it actually looks like

Honestly this one doesn't taste bad. You know when have low expectations of freezer meals? Yeah that. But this one is decent and I was pleasantly surprised. I am wondering when I will give up and go back to instant noodles again. I sense that time would be near....

Price: Tick
Appearance: Tick not that bad!
Taste: Tick. It actually taste really good. Do not forget the white pepper though, I am a white pepper fiend. Not salty, just ok.. moreeee chicken pieces pleaseeeee...
Will buy again Factor: Yeap.. except I still have not learnt and I want another one after. 2 Serves for this girl thanks!

P.S: This is not a paid post. I had shelled out $4 for my own meal.

Parcel Day - Dinosaur Hoodie

Oh hai I is Dinosaur

I am one of those Mothers.. yeah whatever. You know you want one too! D has a Monkey ear one and this one.. OMG dinosaur thingees? Want want want want! I ordered this for Pickles but he would not leave the hood long enough for me to take a picture. That was one reason why D is modelling but also because Pickles was yelling CHOO! CHOO! CHOO! at me. He means train. Train on the phone. YouTube to be more precise. Do not ask.

Ordered these from Next Direct last weekend on Saturday. I never received a notification for shipping or tracking number for DHL. The next minute, a van drives up, there was a knock on my door. And I thought huh? It was my Next Direct Package. Woohooo!!! Awesomeeeeee...

Bought some PJs for the boys too but they look like it will take another 2 years to fit into them. Oh dear.. I still have not got used to their sizing!

What I hate about the site is that there is no order history - Or I have not figured it out yet. Which is really annoying.

Call me Lingy from the Block Aldi $25 velour tracksuit

JLo rang and she wants her velour tracksuit back. She also took back all her gold bling so I am not wearing big gold hoop earrings or giant necklaces.

I went to two Aldi stores near me to look for this. The first one had sold out, not one single piece was left! Bestie K said there were only Sz 10s left at her Aldi. BUGGER. The second Aldi I went to had a sz 8 hoodie but no pants. Really people, stop stealing one part of a two piece item! I took the hoodie to the cashier and said I cannot find the pants. He asked the manager if I can have it at half price, so I bought the hoodie. Somewhere someone has a sz 8 of these pants and you should be ashamed of yourself.

So I went home and said only got one half of the suit. And lovely @notthatcate said she would go and find one for me. Cate managed to find one in Sydney for me, Sydney people.. this operation find tracksuit went interstate. She braved a huffy Aldi employee and getting the set thrown at her to get me this. Thanks CATE!! The pants are a little short when I sit down and I am not that tall. Maybe I just have super long legs which you so cannot tell in this pic. I look very compressed in it!

Everyone has been laughing at me and my velour fascination at work. They think I am kidding, but I am a Juicy Couture fan. There is something so tackilicious about Juicy. It's appeals right to us Chink's heart, you know us Chinks love the PJs and Bling. WANT WANT WANT!

So need to stop going to Aldi, I went again on Saturday to get these $7 thermos. One is of food and one is for coffee for Mick. $7 each! He is currently using one that we somehow took from my grandma at a Singapore trip that I took when D was 3months old. Grandma had lost her some of her memory even then. She claimed that that flask was used when I was a baby. It wasn't... She bought it when I was like 10 or something from good old CK Tang (rebranded Tangs now).