notsmokinjo

Um make some? Or pop on a plane, assuming you meet whateverand vaccine rules we have, and pop on down.

@DenaliBlues good choice, oh and so nice to know I'm not the only one who switches up song lyrics to get through the tough times. It just socks that for some reason we can't access some songs down here... it's a killer on my heardle stats...lol.

Not sure what DenaliBlues posted because it's not available down here....but here's another one... Just saying, 30 years ago the old bloke in this was the hot new thing in Aussie Country and he even had a cross over top 10 hit in the pop charts.

4. Do some batik dying of fabric

Lamenting the fact egg dying kits were not a thing down here...I feel like my childhood was deprived. Also, watching Malcom and wondering how the frick Colin Friels never made it in Hollywood.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CLOUDS *Gluten free* Ingredients: 4 egg whites at room temp. (I use 1 yolk for snickerdoodles and the other 3 either go in scramble eggs or to the fur babies) 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 cup caster sugar (you can use monkfruit sugar or granulated splender, etc, to make it even healthier but I think it tastes different) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cooking cocoa (or for a healthier treat cacao powder, which I use because it has an iron content plus other goodies) 200g (7oz) chocolate chips (I use vegan ones, but you can use any that you want. Method: Preheat oven to 160c (300g) and line baking trays with paper or silmats or wotever) In a large bowl (glass is best, I dunno why but it is...don't use a metal or plastic bowl for this recipe) add the eggs and cream of tartar. Beat with a hand mixer until peaks form. Gradually add sugar beating well between each addition until glossy and thick and sugar dissolved. (So I beat it in in 4 batches then for a good 2-3 mins after the last of the sugar goes in. Add vanilla and beat. Add the cocoa and beat. Fold in chock chips. Drop spoonfuls of mix onto the tray and bake for 34-40mins. Cool on tray. Once cool store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. @d2e8b8 here are some I baked this morning... They are sort of crispy and chewey.

I used to be able to eat everything except things with blue food colouring.... I'm not actually allergic to anything but due to internal scar tissue and my reconstructed bile duct being too close to my stomach outlet I have to avoid a lot of things because the side effects of eating them are pretty unpleasant. It's hard to eat out, unless I go Asian. But I'm a bit of a foodie so I think that's what makes it hardest. It could always be worse, plus I have discovered a whole trove of things I'd never have thought to eat before.

Eggs - some people are allergic and supposedly egg yolks have fat...ironically I can't eat these because of the nuts, eggs are one of the few things I can eat though. I made my sister (an organic health nut) a batch of these for her post birth, breastfeeding hamper and she would have one or two during her night feeds. Pics - Will have to snap some picks next time I make some and add them. Although next week I will be baking Anzac bickies every day to feed the hordes.

APPLE BLUEBERRY SLICE Ingredients: 3 apples, cored, peeled (optional) and thinly sliced. 1 punnet (125g) blueberries (you could use other berries or a cup of sultanas/raisins) 180g (6.35oz) self raising flour 4 eggs at room temp 3 tbl spoons honey Milk as needed (I use about 1 tbl spoons oat milk) DESTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 200c (390f) Line a rectangle baking tray 35cm x 24cm (13 3/4" x 9 1/2") In a large bowl beat the eggs and honey. Add the flour and beat well the add enough milk to make a runny batter. Mix the apple slices into the batter. Pour batter and apples into lines tray, sprinkle berries on top, poming some down a bit into the batter. Bake 35-45mins until golden on top or skewer comes put clean. Cool, cut and enjoy.

Almond Bickies (Bickies = biscuits = cookies) Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, low carbon. Ingredients: 1 cup pure almond butter 1/4 cup pure maple syrup Destructions: Preheat oven to 175C (350f) line baking tray with paper In a bowl use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients until it gets to bickie dough consistency...3-4 minutes Place 1/2 tablespoon size balls onto tray and flatten slightly (can do bigger but smaller is healthier, you get a treat and it's enough) Bake for 12 minutes, Bickies are done when the tops are dry and have a few minor cracks. Cool on tray, will be soft but get harder as cool. **You can use other nut butters, but almond is the best. You can not substitute the maple syrup for honey, it just doesn't work.

So....been trying to mix up my baking with some healthier options....didn't say they were healthy, just healthier....anything you bake that's not to bad to eat?

Tomato Soup and cheese toasties (toasted cheese sandwiches)... This was one of the first meals I learned to 'cook' and it's the first meal i taught the kid....she just sms'd asking if we could have this for dinner...27C ain't really soup and toasty weather but guess that's wot were having.

5. Knit a beanie

G'day an welcome aboard. Take your time to look around, there are heaps of resources here. We come from all over the world so it's very rare to not have someone around if you need support. There is the daily NOPE thread and we even have an SOS thread. You feel like smoking and think you might cave, pop in there and sing out your sos...peeps will come talk you off the ledge. Be kind to yourself, you have 9 years of addiction to undo so make sure to reward yourself. Just take it 1 day at a time, before you know you will be a year or more in.

Making wabbits

RIP Chris Bailey....

Election has been called...off to the polls we go Sat 21 May.....democracy sausages here we come! 1 down, 1 to go..... could still be a little Anzac Day baby.... Right now... I'm sitting in me car listening to the footy....

Waiting for the big announcement....oh...um...waiting for the 2 big announcements... 1. The birth of Baby Boo 2 2. The Aussie election Both are going to be any day now....I dunno if my nails will survive it.

Baking almond gluten free cookies as party of baby sisters birthday pressie. Already made berry protein balls and chocolate crackle protein balls, once the biscuits are done it will be sugarfree choc chip clouds.... then I have to drive 2 hours from one side of Melbs to the other to meet her for dinner at all you can eat Japanese....worth it to get to nurse her gorgie bubba.

Well this is it for my 2022 Train Day songs....well the downunder ones...sure you northern mob could add some too... Happy Birthday QT....saving the smokers of the world for 8 long years and still spreading the good word.

Oright this one says its Paul Kelly... but it's really Paul and Troy Cassar-Daly.... so here ya go some Aussie Country.... Paul's playing the harp...although considering how often I post his stuff you probably all know that.

Ah a two up from the Pigrim Brothers and it ain't even Tuesdee....

Gee those Waifs sure like singing about trains...

It's Train Day...

Oh... nowhere random thought.... are snickerdoodles North America's version of the pavlovs?.... I've seen these cinnamon delights referred to as both Canadian and American in origin.... so down here those pesky little brothers of ours in NZ are always trying to claim they invented the pav, they didn't but because of the underarm incident we tend to humour them and sort of pretend they have a claim to it. But when they come for our laminations, thems fighting words...gees Louise they'll be after claiming Vegemite next.