Love Hearts All Around

I don't like the ants eating the pears but the love heart is cute 😍

Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World

We had a gorgeous day out yesterday with homeschooling friends at Maleny. It's a beautiful spot overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains; the view is amazing and I could've spent all day just gazing out to the south. We walked around, chatted and laughed, explored secret gardens and ate some really good scones with jam and cream. Our admission included entry to their giant bird aviary filled with friendly birds from all over the world. I have a hard time seeing birds in cages but this one was pretty big and the birds were absolutely beautiful. We all got pecked but at least not pooped on this time!

Thanks for organising this, Jo 😊 xx

Green Mountains Camping Trip

We went to Green Mountains with Grandma and Grandpa. We camped in a tent. I climbed a humongous strangler fig tree which was hollow. I learnt to tie my own shoelaces. We made friends in the campground and we played hunting bush turkey rump. We went for a long walk to the waterfalls and Grandma gave us a chocolate at the end because we did a very long walk. By Jimmy.

I liked camping at Green Mountains. I liked playing with all the friends we made around the campsite. We saw lots of cute pademelons. They're like these kangaroo type things, just a bit smaller. And we saw a really big brush tail possum just near our tent. A bird flew onto my shoulder and did a poop on my shirt and for Jimmy, it did a poop on his head. I caught a Lamington Spiny Cray with my bare hands and I almost caught an eel but it was too slippery. I'm the one with the red hat. We camped but our Grandma and Grandpa stayed in a hotel room. The camping toilets stunk so I had to wait until 9am so I could use Grandma's toilet. We used their spa and the sauna too. I loved staying up with Dad, having a cup of tea and looking at the stars. I got freaked out climbing up the treetop ladder because it was so high. I dropped a boulder on my toe; it was extremely painful. The bandage on my toe was so big I had to wear Mum's joggers for our bushwalk and I was so embarrassed. At night our tent was cold and stunk like farts and Jimmy weed the bed for another thing, so now Mum wants to get a caravan. By Kees.

Autumnal Toowoomba

Too many photos, I know. But it's been a while, my friends! It was such a beautiful weekend. Xoxo Catherine

Summer Mangoes

Living in the subtropics, we have a magnificent mango tree in our backyard. Sadly, the mangoes are really gross. The only thing I can do with them is make green mango chutney if they fall down at the right time, otherwise they are stringy, rotten-tasting and usually maggoty. 

But the tree next door is a different story. It was planted a few years after ours and is a Bowen. The mangoes are just scrumptious. Luckily our neighbour is a bit fussy and a bit generous; we happily take any mangoes that have scratches or damage by possums or fruit bats. I chop off the bad bits, cut up the rest and freeze it in takeaway containers. We then have delicious mango ready for ice-cream for months!

This is how we make our beautiful and healthy mango ice-cream: take two peeled and frozen bananas, chop roughly and put in the blender, food processor or Thermomix until whizzed up. Then chop up your frozen mango and whizz it in too. You may need to stir it in or add a little yoghurt or water if it won't blend properly.  Then, scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy! 

I get a lot of satisfaction from making something full of goodness from our own bananas and our neighbour's mangoes. It's FREE and the mangoes would have been thrown out if we didn't take them. I can't stand waste and I enjoy putting in that small bit of effort for a big reward. Yum yum :0)

Warning: mango ice-cream could turn you into a fruit loop...

I Love Oma

For Josee and our beautiful Dutch family! Oma would probably hate this photo but I love it. We went out for lunch on the weekend :0) xx 

I'm Mobile!

Well friends, it's been an awfully long time, but I'm back! Now I can blog from my phone, I know it will be a much more manageable task. I'm looking forward to getting back into it and sharing our days with you. Talk soon! Xoxo Cath