The Big Sister has always been a patriot. At four her party trick was to sing the national anthem. By six she put the adults around her to shame by launching into the second stanza while they mumbled and took a sudden interest in the toes of their shoes. We're on a family holiday at the moment, cruising to Sydney to spend Australia Day in Sydney Harbour. I've been sheepish about ...
Gardening
Are you an Aussie Food Expert? Take our Australian Food Quiz
How did your Australian Food knowledge stack up? True or False? Tim Tams were named after a horse. True. Tim Tams were named after the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 1958. True or False? In the 1920s Vegemite was called Parwill True. For seven years during the 1920s Vegemite was rebranded "Parwill". In an attempt to outsell Marmite, Vegemite was renamed and marketed with the slogan ...
rich
We had some fantastic neighbours growing up. Their little family of four were already living in the house next door when we arrived at our acerage block in Manly West, Brisbane. Mr Williams was a small business owner and Mrs Williams was a nurse who'd turned stay at home mum after the birth of their daughters. Their girls were younger than us - the eldest daughter the same age as my youngest ...
christmas rum balls
So this is Christmas... OK. Not really. Christmas is still twelve days away but now is the perfect time to get ahead of the Christmas crazy and make rum balls. There's a few things to note about rum balls: it's only advantageous to make them in advance if you don't eat them all before 25 December. mixing weetbix and rum is a crime against Christmas cuisine. rum is an essential ...
the book launch
On Thursday night we gathered with friends and family to celebrate the launch of my cookbook. There were a few hiccups - including a 'Home Alone' style missing child who decided to play hide and seek in the corridor as we waited for the lift - but as far as I'm concerned the night was perfect*. It was wonderful to celebrate this monumental achievement surrounded by the folks who make our ...
you can’t sugar coat MS, an update
Last Tuesday I found myself sitting my neurologist's waiting room alone. In my horrible gastro haze I'd muddled my appointment time and arrived thirty minutes late. The receptionist made no attempt to constrain her extreme displeasure despite my profuse apologies. The kids had gastro the previous weekend and I'd come down with the super-duper immune compromised version on Sunday night. I'd ...