Pulled between the urgent and the important

or rather the urgent/important and the important

11 days to go, minus the 2 days taken up by family gatherings over the Christmas weekend, and Pete, the kids and I are catering for a group of 17 over 12 days on a Blue Moose summer mission.

9 days left to get everything sorted

Over 700 individual serves of food

I laugh at that number because it's a whole lot easier than 700 looks or sounds

I promise it is

Much to do of course, many lists to be made

but all up, easy done

I just need to be and stay organised

Keep a steady pace

Focus on the urgent/important things

Trust that things that are 'just' in the important list will wait

LOADS of shopping to be done

Groceries for the trip. Clothes enough for us to all be away that long with minimal washing

Cat food, chook food, baby food

Systems to have in place for milk deliveries, mail, chooks, cat, bins etc before we go

A garden that needs to be planted out this weekend so it can be at least a little bit established before we go away, or we won't be having our usual summer bounty of vegies over the coming months

Preparing the house for a potential house sitter

Hoping we get the house sitter

The back up plans of friends and neighbours if we don't

Family needs, hubby time, playgroup break up, thank you gifts, optometrist appointments, resting

People needing to hear back from me

Me not doing so because it's yet to hit the urgent/important list... it's only on the important list

At least I haven't put them on the not important and not urgent list :o)

Hindered by health, the increase of MS symptoms that has come with finishing pregnancy & breast feeding, the arrival of summer, and whatever progression might happen otherwise.

Fatigue. Brain fuzz. Visual disturbances. Bumping & falling.

Stressed?

No

Just aware

All enjoyed

Awesome opportunity for self development, training the hearts of my children

For serving Him

Taking the time to blog about it using up precious energy and focus?

No

It gets that out of my head, which has been going around and around all day

Freeing that thought space instead for the processing of the next packing list

Shopping list actually

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VERY Naughty Cake

What's left of the Naughty Cake

I made this cake yesterday on a whim, just to see what would happen and 'would it work?' It did. And it tastes sooo good it can't be good for you... so it's been named 'Naughty Cake'

I had some mixed frozen berries that needed using up, white chocolate in the fridge and wanted to try cooking with almond meal... I might be able to come back with a recipe - but will need to make it again to get the recipe, as it was random amounts of each ingredient. I'll need to weigh the ingredients as I go next time... actually I will make it again for sure... I have my bible study girl friends coming over this week for a games night and I think they would LOVE this! The white chocolate caramelises and goes oh sooo yummy. Pete had *3* pieces in one sitting!!! Yes, Pete!!!

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Summer fun

It's our annual weekend to have my sister's boys here - we have them more often, but always this weekend in December for their wedding anniversary. Sadly nap time is no longer needed for most of the kids... so I'm keeping them busy and the house quiet another way

(leftover face paint involved!!)

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Home Ed Camp

Last week we went to Karnkendi Camp in Nelson, near the South Australian border. I have no idea how many there were all up, maybe 50-60?? Anyway the kids had a ball. NO photo's were taken of anything camp - ARGH - but Pete did take a few pics of the day he took our kids to Mt Gambier(ish). I don't know exactly where they went but I know they had fun!

I LOVE this photo of our 3 eldest

While on camp I got to know a few of the other mums. No other dad's stayed the whole time but 3 others were in and out as work allowed. It was an absolute blessing for me to have Pete there as my MS fatigue hit BAD and I spent much of the time sleeping... only doing bare minimums by cooking meals (self catering camp) and feeeding Charlotte... and then off to bed whenever she went!

The kids spent hours playing outside in the bushy areas that were on the property - easily making friends with the other home ed children. Melinda also managed to read a couple of books - it would be more of a surprise if she didn't, really. Pete took the kids on the canoeing excursion - older children went on a 4km paddle, which I think M & Nj will be ready for in another year or two. Our guys just played around with the canoes in a 'safe spot', learning the ins and outs of going straight ahead and turning.

We saw quite a few wild emu while driving which was really cool. Especially the mum or dad emu with 4 (large) chicks tagging along. Pete and the kids happened upon this echidna which hid as they got close but then peeked out to see if they were gone.... this is the peeking photo

Pete also took the kids on a tour in the Princess Margaret Rose caves. I haven't spent much time looking at those photo's... they all thought it was really really cool... but all I could think of after seeing this first pic, was those GROSS anti smoking ads

see what I mean?!!

They were trying to tell me the cave was BEAUTIFUL! Ha!!

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Spelt Bread

First mix together
1.5tb dry yeast
1.5c warm water
1.5c warm milk
1/2 cup honey
1tb Celtic sea salt
5tb oil - I use 3tb coconut oil/2tb olive oil

Then stir in 8 and 1/4 cups of freshly milled spelt flour (if you are not milling your own flour, you will only need about 6 and 1/3 cups of spelt flour as it is more tightly packed.)

It makes a sticky wet dough and is not something you could knead.

Make sure the mix is in a large container as it will rise to 3-4 times it's size, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise and then flatten (2-3 hours). Once it has flattened, keep it covered and place in the fridge. Use it in the next 5 days for 2-3 loaves depending on the size of your bread tins.

On baking day, scoop out enough dough to fill your tin 1/3-1/2 full. Keep your hands wet while handling dough so that you don't get too covered in it. Pull dough from the top and tuck it underneath, rotating as you go, forming a loosly shaped loaf and place it in your tin.

Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to come to room temperature for about 2 hours if your tin size uses half the dough and about 1 hour 40 mins if you'll get 3 loaves from the dough.

20 minutes before baking, heat the oven to 170 degrees.

JUST before baking, make sure your middle shelf is clear for the bread and place another oven shelf under it with a tray on it that you have poured 1.5 cups of HOT water into. If you'll get 3 loaves from the dough, you only need about 1 cup of hot water.

Bake in the oven for 45mins to an hour, it will be a nice dark brown. Cool completely before slicing.

After I've removed it from the fridge

One portion in the tin ready for it's rising time

2 hours later it's ready for the oven