Meals the Australian Way

G'day, my illustrious pinky-raisers! I've been in Aussie land for about a month now and have observed with great interest the way food is introduced throughout the day.

One starts the day with breakfast. Muesli (pronounced M-you-zlee) and yoghurt is the typical example of the way I break my "fast".

About mid-morning one partakes in morning tea. Or coffee. If I miss morning tea, I can always make up for it by inserting hobbit-ish elevenses into my day.

Then there's lunch, followed (around three or four Post meridiem) by afternoon tea. About this time I'm in the mood for hot chocolate or Milo.

Dinner is followed directly by dessert, and then around nine in the evening, supper is served. Supper consists of the hot drink of your choice and a variety of snacks. I've only had supper once, and it included cookies, cheesecake, chocolate, and strawberries.

There you go-- you should all try it sometime. I love six "meals" a day.

Much love,
"Elnora Birdy"

Thanksgiving Burgers

Last night I spent a memorable evening with my teenage son grilling scrumptious Turkey Burgers aka, 'Glazed Turkey Burgers', pg 316, in Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cook Book. This was more than a mere moment in time, this was a momentous moment in my life, a celebration! Being able to be up and about, of an evening, doing one thing I really love (cooking) was a triumph. Having been in two car wrecks in the last three years, I now know chronic pain and disability and all the life changes that come with that. It is a long journey, of which I will speak more in coming posts, but for now, I want to focus on the seemingly little things in life that mean so much, only after they have been taken away. That is why I have given these burgers a name with a double meaning.

As I was mixing the meat with all the amendments: bread crumbs, eggs, finely chopped celery, snipped dried cranberries and seasonings, I was struck by how many of the ingredients were synonymous with a traditional American Thanksgiving feast. A time when family can come together and remember all the things that God has been gracious to accomplish in their lives.

So, I renamed them to 'Thanksgiving Burgers', and we had a little feast, and time to thank God for how far He has brought us, and all the regular things in life, that I have missed in the last three years, that He has graciously allowed me to enjoy again.

Side Note: inspired by the movie "Julie and Julia", I have made it my goal to attempt to make every recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cook Book. So far I have made about 50 recipes from the book and continue on in my quest for better cooking skills, understanding of flavor profiles, etc. More on my cooking conquests in upcoming posts. Until then, find something to thank God for, a little thing, that would mean so much if it were taken away. And keep on cooking!

So, does anyone relate to this?

Fun, fun, fun...we have a blog now!

Now all our witty comments and thoughts will be heralded throughout the land. Cannot wait to get started. Thanks Tina for setting this up!