Belinda | The Lattimore Acre

37

Hello there….. is anyone still out there? It has been while. A long while!

Many many things have happened in the last little bit. One of them was I turned 37. I can’t believe I am middle aged….. how on earth did that happen??!! But anywho I thought I would celebrate the occasion by sharing 37 tidbits of useless information about myself.

Here it goes……

1. I don’t like coffee. I know GASP!! I drink pretend coffee – Jarrah Coffee Sensations French! Otherwise weak black tea for me. My husband is appalled!!

2. My favorite colour is Yellow.

3. I am embarrassed to say but I can’t spell. But you probably already know that if you read my blog.

4. I love living on our acre. If anyone had of told me 15 years ago that I would be living out of town on an acre I would have thought them CRAZY!

5. My two boys are my world.

6. I attempt to cook wholefoods for my family, but some days I fail miserably!

7. I have struggled with my weight everyday for the last two decades. You think I would have sorted it by now!!

8. I am desperate to travel the world….. one day xo

9. I would love to go running. You know one of those Mum’s who jogs! Something to aspire to.

10. My favorite clothes in the world are my Flannel pj’s. Oh so my favorite!!

11. I regularly fall asleep on the couch.

12. I am contemplating a change in career. But maybe I have just forgotten how much I loved teaching.

13. I am a romantic…..HOPELESS romantic. Will someone remind my husband?

14. I love my music loud in the car. Andrew doesn’t agree on my music or the volume heheh!

15. Oh and I love to sing in the car. Maybe that is why I like the music loud!

16. My favorite flower is a Lisianther.

17. I love furniture that does not match. Old style country furniture with chipped paint….. oh lovely!

18. I aspire to be a vegetable gardener. But this season I have failed terribly.

19. I am shy.

20. I love old stuff…… quilts, jars & kitchen utensils.

21. Lego is part of my everyday life – standing on it, building with it, packing it up. I have a five year old boy. It can’t be avoided. I really do love it.

22. I love my house full of family and friends. I love it when friends just drop in and aren’t surprised to see me in my pj’s at lunch time.

23. My heart was broken when I was told I couldn’t have anymore children. It is healing ….. slowly.

24. I have a sewing room. I am just finishing the decorating!

25. I spend way toooo much time indoors. I really need to venture outside more often.

26. I have to be in charge of the TV remote.

27. I am a loyal friend and hurt easily.

28. I love organizing children’s birthday parties.

29. I buy myself toys. At the moment I really want this. Its so cute and pretty!!

30. I love to cook but not when I have to.

31. I dance around the house when noone is home.

32. My dog Bonnie curls up on my lap most nights. She is better than any teddy bear.

33. I kill indoor plants. I forget they need water.

34. I really don’t contact old friends enough. It doesn’t mean they aren’t in my heart.

35. My hair is really light and wavy. Not dark and straight.

36. I wish I read the newspaper everyday.

37. Family fills my heart.

Until next time

Recipe Recommendation

I love recipe recommendations. Belinda (another Belinda) who I went to school with recommended another slice out of our high school Home Economics cookbook – Day to Day Cookery. She recommended the Quick Mix Slice. It is seriously the easiest thing I have ever cooked and also pretty delicious. Ben absolutely loved it (more than the Chocolate Slice). Here it is (Straight from the stained pages. I was relieved to hear that others Day to Day Cookery Books had seen better days…. missing covers and pages!) –

Enjoy and thanks Belinda xo

Linking up with Life Made Lovely Monday xo

Herb Garden

I’ve run out of room in the vegetable garden. It is full…… over full really. We will get to building another garden bed but I just could wait for that to happen before I got some herbs planted. I just cringe every time I buy a bunch of herbs at the supermarket. Not only do I think they are ridiculously expensive but they are never as fresh as I would hope.

Ben and I were watching Play School on ABC 4 Kids a couple of weeks ago and I saw the solution. The wonderful Alex helped me out (have a bit of a crush….. hilarious!!). I also thought it would be a bit of fun to get Ben involved as well. As it happened it ended up to be a whole family affair with Andrew and Ben helping me out.

So we began to make our Colander Face Pot Plants (click on link for instructions or it is pretty easy to follow from our pictures.

Ben’s is a scarey face in case you didn’t know that!

I had grown basil and thyme from heirloom seeds. We purchased rosemary and mint to plant as well. I realise that they will soon out grow their colander pots but by then I will have another garden (please xo).

We added them to the corners of our garden. Ben had the job of watering them. It started like this……

But ended like this…….

Some serious FUN!

Linking with Paisley Jade – Things I am Loving and

12 Years xo

It’s a bit of a soppy one today……

This week Andrew and I celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary….

We met when we lived in a small country town in southeast Queensland. Andrew and I went to the same high school. Andrew was a couple of years older and at school he was a bit of a practical joker. I have to say, if anyone had have told me I would have married Andrew, I would have thought they were crazy. He rolled his eyes back in his head for his year twelve photo…..OH DEAR!!

Andrew’s family built a house on the block of land next to ours when Andrew was away at University – we became neighbours. Our families became good friends – even building a path between the two houses. When Andrew came home for holidays, I used to think he was ‘kinda nice’ and we became great friends. We dated for a while when I was in senior high school but we went our separate ways after a short time, although we remained close friends. He always had my heart really. A couple of years later (I recall it like it was yesterday), Andrew began to have eyes for another girl. My heart sank as I realised how foolish I had been those years earlier. So, in February of 1994, we began dating again and have been together ever since.

In 1996 Andrew proposed…. down on one knee with his grandmother’s ring. Of course I said ‘yes’! In July 1999 we married in a fairy-tale wedding. What I remember the most, was the happiness of our special day. I remember saying my vows and both Andrew and I shedding a little happy tear.

I am so blessed to have Andrew as my husband. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t all been peaches and cream. I am a little fiery at times and Andrew is so laid back. So I am sure that there have been many times he would’ve liked to throw a bucket of water on me and I would’ve liked to light a fire under him!! But, I am thankful that every night one of us always kisses the other goodnight.

These days, I still think he is pretty wonderful. It is now not only the two of us. We have our beautiful boy, Ben. Watching Andrew be a Dad just makes my heart melt. I am sure I have fallen in love with him all over again.

So Honey, I am so glad I married the boy next door…… Happy Anniversary…….. I love you xo

Linking up with The Anderson Crew and Paisley Jade

Cooking with Jamie – The Finale!

$Picnik collage Jamie\'s Ministry of Food Ipswich week 10$

This week was our final week at the Ministry of Food – roast chicken, good gravy, easy chicken stock, and roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots. We cooked roast vegetables, watched how to make good gravy, talked stock while smelling the wonderful chicken roasting in the oven. It all tasted super delicious and I already have a chicken in the fridge to roast this week.

We can’t thank the wonderful staff at the Ministry of Food enough (especially Louise) for their contagious enthusiasm in the kitchen. I used to look at cooking as a chore but it’s amazing what a handful of new tasty recipes will do to spark some excitement. More importantly Louise has helped our little family with a ‘Wholefood’ approach to eating.

‘Wholefood – food that is eaten as close as possible to its natural state, without unnecessary processing and refining…’ Jude Blereau

Wholefood to us is eating good fresh food (like we grew up on) and avoiding where possible highly processed and artificial foods. We have big plans for our garden this spring!!

So thank you Louise, Danella and all the wonderful volunteers. We will miss our cooking classes on Saturday afternoons. Andrew and I have had a fabulous time. We have enjoyed ourselves immensely and are truly thankful for the direction you have taken our family xo

Week 9 with Jamie – Best Ever Fruit Crumble

$Picnik collage Jamie\'s Ministry of food - week 9$

We made fruit crumble this week. Jamie’s recipe is called ‘Best Ever Fruit Crumble’. That comes with really big expectations. It certainly was the best ever fruit….. pears, apples, ginger and lime….. SO GOOD! But best ever crumble……sorry I can’t agree. Crumble just isn’t crumble without oats, brown sugar and coconut…. then it would be the ‘Best Ever Fruit Crumble’. So apart from my difference of opinion with Jamie (heheheh), this week was fabulous fun. Our cooking group and Instructors are just wonderful, so many lovely people. Next week is our last week. It will be sad to finish. Andrew and I have really enjoyed cooking together in class. I don’t think Andrew has made a meal at home yet though…… unless porridge counts xoxo

Next Week – Roast Chook!

Linking up with Heather – Life Made Lovely Monday xo