Updated inside garage/upstairs pictures

Here is link to the pretty-well completed garage pics (Rick, this will save you going to the end of the other kodakgallery album!).

CJ / Bella playing

A series of some quite funny pictures we took last week of Cooper chasing Bella with the hose (until he wound it around the post and went flying off in another direction!). She did have the hose for a while, but not for long....

The almost final moment we've been waiting for....

The garage doors happened today!! They still need a clean and the inside paint razor-bladed off the windows but I HAD to take some pictures! They are SO heavy but the electric opening thing seems to lift them effortlessly and with minimal noise. I put both cars in so when Jamie got home (on his bike!) they were nicely tucked away!

Pics

Here are some Cooper/construction pictures with plenty more to be added into the gallery when it's not midnight as it is now.... Click here

Booktagger

I've been meaning to post about www.booktagger.com for quite some months now so that our non-Australia-based friends can check it out and join up. It is becoming very popular in Australia and is a way of keeping track of the books that you read. You can also join virtual book clubs and in some cases, get free books to review directly from the publishers (at the moment the free books seem to have been only in Australia but I'm sure they will soon be available in other countries). There is a myspace application and soon to be a facebook application. Check it out! (BTW the booktagger-blog is very cool)

Recipes as requested....

....by one of our other avid readers Kim and her sis-in-law Sam who was very hospitable the last 2 weekends in hosting quite the Camp-meeting crowd!

The first is known in NZ as "Afghan Biscuits" (here is a link to the interesting history of the name) but everyone last weekend at our picnic called them "Little Bits of Heaven". I did Americanize them a little - adding Splenda-sugar mix (cup-for-cup not halved) to increase the sweetness a little (you will note the from web-link that they do tend to be not very sweet and in my experience Americans don't like most of our NZ/Australian 'cookies' so much because of that) and I also substituted chunky-chopped pecans for the walnut halves on top. I also see when searching online for 'afghan biscuits'' online that some people add desiccated coconut in there too.

200g butter (about 8oz)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa (I added a little more - about 1/3 cup probably)
2 cups cornflakes

chocolate icing (icing sugar aka powdered or confectioners sugar here in the US), butter, hot water and cocoa)
nuts on top.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (definitely one for the kitchenaid electric mixer)
Sift flour and cocoa and then stir into creamed mixture
Fold in cornflakes
Spoon mounds of mixture onto a greased oven tray (aka cookie sheet!) - note that they do not spread or rise much so make them about the shape that you want to end up with)
Bake at 180 C (355 F) for 13-15 min.
Ice with chocolate icing when cold and deccrate with 1/2 walnut (or pecans!)


The second recipe is called 'Joan's Coleslaw' in our recipe collection as it was given to us by a co-worker of Jamies. I'm told that 'The Metro Crowd' whom we picnicked with has dubbed it 'Victoria's Asian Coleslaw' which is fine with me!

1 package pre-cut coleslaw mix (yes this is America!!!)
1 bunch green onions (we call them spring onions in NZ)
1 package slivered almonds
1 package of Ramen noodles (2-minute noodles)

Toast almonds in for about 5 minutes until turning brown but not burned, turn oven off and sprinkle crushed up noodles on top (throw away seasoning mix) of nuts and let sit in warm oven for 5 minutes longer.

Dressing:
1 cup oil (I used about 3/4 cup as it seems a LOT)
6 tbs rice vinegar (I used 5 tbs to make it similar proportions to the oil
1 tsp Lawry's season salt (I'm not sure what the down-under equivalent it - this was a new one to me here - if anyone wants to make it let me know and I'll send you some!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (I uses about 1/3)
salt & pepper to taste

Mix coleslaw mix and onions together
Immediately prior to serving (dont do it sooner or it will all go to a soggy goo I imagine) mix in almond/noodle mix and then dressing.

Enjoy!

V. x