Family Life

Hi friends, thanks so much for stopping by to have a look at 10 fun things for this week’s Friday Favorites post. I really hope you have had a great week and are excited about the weekend like I am. Weekends always make me happy but it’s kind of weird because lockdown has me so confused ALL THE TIME, I’m never quite sure what day it is! I know you guys must know what I mean from your own lockdown experiences. The only reason I sort of know what day I’m up to is because of my work roster. If I wasn’t still physically going into work at preschool a couple of times a week I would be in an even worse state of confusion. Having said that, I still love the weekends because I know I can stay up super late guilt-free. Let’s get started on 10 fun things I have to share with you today, starting with- #1 Money Heist–  Oh my goodness!! Are you guys watching this? If you aren’t you totally should!! Season 5 came out on Netflix this week and we finished it in two nights. I could have done it in one but my husband said I should sleep. Anyway, it is SO good, and just when you think it can’t get any more exciting and you find yourself gasping it does. Sometimes I have to pause the episode we’re watching to literally calm down before I can keep going. I totally recommend this Netflix series, I would say it’s my favorite ever along with Breaking Bad. #2 Forgive me if you are not a meat eater but I was craving a big juicy steak for ages and so on Monday night we had this. My husband cooked this steak medium-rare to perfection and we had it with the creamiest mashed potatoes ever. I’ll have to share my secret for easy creamy mashed potatoes in the future. Stay tuned!! #3 We celebrated Father’s day on Sunday. I forgot to take photos but we did enjoy a really delicious lunch from a charcoal chicken place called El Jannah before Steve had to go to work. Working in hospitality mean he has to work even on fun days. #4 Summer Fruit!! The warmer weather means all the yummy summer fruit! We have been eating heaps of blueberries because we have been inundated with very cheap blueberries at the supermarket lately. Apparently, there is a surplus of blueberries because the restaurants and cafes are not needing them due to being closed during the lockdown. This means we get to buy them much cheaper. Sometimes they can cost up to $5-$6 a punnet. They’ve only been $1.50-$2.00 a punnet lately. #5 At preschool this week we started “Hearts of Hope”. Currently, we only have about 4 children attending regularly because of lockdown, so we haven’t seen most of the children at all this term. Our director sent out these cute heart outlines for the children to print off at home and decorate. They then had the option of returning it in person if they were out walking past the preschool or sending them via email. They look so good hanging off our front fence. The children have done lovely drawings and some have written nice messages of hope and encouragement. What a cool project! #6 I thought I might give this chai tea a try. Normally I like the Tetley Chai Latte sachets but I haven’t been able to get them lately. I have a weakness for sweet tea. I can do coffee with just milk and no sugar but I just love sugar in my tea. Anyway, this tea was quite nice once I added the sweetness and milk. #7 My neighbor popped around and gave me these lovely flowers from her garden. She likes to arrange flowers and she is really into gardening. She regularly surprises me with a nice arrangement. I then wash and return the vase. I really love this particular vase, it reminds me of those retro ones my mum had when I was a kid. Not sure what happened to the ones my mum had but I wish we had kept them. #8 I love Cadbury chocolate especially the hazelnut Cadbury block, don’t worry I didn’t eat the whole lot. I spread the joy out over a few nights. Normally I don’t like to buy whole blocks of chocolate as it can be hard to stop at just a small piece. I usually get the bags of smaller chocolates and limit myself to one a night. But hazelnut chocolate doesn’t come in small fun sizes so I’m forced to buy the block. ha! #9 My friend dropped off these bananas. Her husband (another keen gardener) has a banana tree in their garden. They have a very small garden but somehow keep a great big banana-producing tree….amazing!! I’ll have to make more banana bread. I posted a recipe for a super easy and delicious banana bread just the other day. You can find it here. #10 Finishing off my 10 fun things, I’m super excited about tonight because my little cousin, who is a year older than my oldest son has organized us to have a virtual Jackbox games night. Have you heard of Jackbox? My son and his fiancee introduced us to this a couple of years ago. The games are so much fun and we usually laugh so hard we can barely breathe. Jackbox Games offers heaps of super fun game packages that you can play on different platforms. We have played it using our TV with our phones as controllers. All I have to do is download an app called Discord??? I’ll let you know how we go but I’m sure it’s going to be great. I’ll leave all the technical setup to my 16-year-old. I love how my cousins and my own two boys include me (the old girl) in their games. They know I’m an old-school gamer

It’s the weekend! How did the week fly by so fast? I find myself saying this all the time but this week it really and truly did!! I have so many fun things to tell you about. It was a week where I was really blessed with kindness from some of my favorite people. Number 1 Yes, it’s the weekend but it’s also finally Spring and I am so happy! Spring is my favorite season and I just love how the days are getting longer and the flowers are starting to bloom. There’s a real sense of joy in the air once we hit September. Number 2 Last Saturday I made some chicken wraps with Mexican corn salad and tomato rice. I really love this Mexican corn salad and I have made it many times before. It’s a real on repeat favorite. Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the ingredients that give this salad its zing! Not going to the supermarket regularly means I am constantly running out of things or I don’t have all the ingredients I need. This Mexican corn salad needs coriander but I didn’t have any so I had to use parsley from our garden instead. I also didn’t have any red capsicum so I substituted it with tomato. In the end, it was still good but not great. However, we did enjoy it plus I even high fived myself for being creative and flexible. Ha! if it wasn’t for covid I would have been running out to the shops for all my missing ingredients! Number 3 Sunday was quite cold and we ordered some lunch from ‘The Fish Box’. It’s a small fish and chip shop about ten minutes drive from where we live. I had the clam chowder and so did Steve. It comes with this delicious bread bowl. It was so hot, creamy, and tasty that I didn’t want it to end! Sam had the fish and chips which he thoroughly enjoyed. Lunch from the ‘Fish Box’ is definitely a family favorite! Number 4 Sunday afternoon I was getting some things out of my wardrobe ready for my fashion and styling blog post when I pulled out this top complete with tags. I had completely forgotten that I had bought this. How does that even happen? I guess maybe because I haven’t gone out anywhere for so long! Anyway, I was really surprised and happy to rediscover this top and I look forward to wearing it once lockdown ends!! Number 5 I worked on Monday and it was nice to see the two children who attended preschool. It was a lovely sunny day for the last day of winter and the day seemed to go faster than when it’s cold and miserable.  I love the preschool where I work but honestly, it must be the coldest place on earth in winter!! My friends had planned a trivia game on zoom for the evening but first, my friend surprised me by bringing us dinner. That’s right she brought over dinner complete with entree AND dessert. She’s so kind! Later on, she joined us on zoom and we played trivia with her, her husband, and another friend.  It was a fun night even though we lost, I have no clue about Greek Mythology!! Number 6 On Tuesday Sam had an appointment for his first shot of Pfizer. We headed to the local aquatic center where they have set up a big vaccination hub. The NSW Government is setting up easily accessible venues and doing everything possible to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible. The vaccination hub was impressively efficient and so well organized. There was some navy personnel helping out with marshaling and directing. When Sam was finished we walked out and we were given a bottle of water and a chocolate. How nice was that!! Number 7 Sam received this in the mail from his school teacher. I thought it was such a lovely kind gesture and I was so touched by the lovely note. Sam goes to an independent Christian School and after this year he only has one more year left. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like it was only yesterday when he was starting school! sigh.  We are very happy with his school and we will be sad when he finishes. My oldest son went there too, so this school has been a big part of our lives for a long time.   Number 8 Look at this!! I found this on my doorstep, and I was so completely surprised and emotional. It was from a very kind and thoughtful friend and her beautiful daughter who I had the pleasure of having in my preschool class a couple of years ago. This just made my day, I was so overwhelmed at their kind gesture and I got very teary when I read the card. I really miss them and sadly I haven’t been able to catch up with them because of Covid lockdown grrrrrr.  I have such a special bond with my friend’s daughter and am super excited that her little boy will be in my class next year. Number 9 I was so happy to go to work on Friday, that’s right I was happy because it meant I got to work with my bestie. I hadn’t seen her in nearly two weeks. We are on a roster at work because we have very few kids attending this term so this means I see less of her than I usually would. She was so kind and was able to get my little cat her favorite cat food from a supermarket close to where she lives. For some reason, I had been unable to buy this saucy cat food (Sushi’s favorite) from my local supermarket. She also ordered this cool mouse and pad for me. I love how they match and they were super cheap from Kmart. I got to see her and get all

  Well Hello there and thank you for joining me for Whats up Wednesday! where I get to show you a peek into what’s been happening during the last month. I can safely say that not much has been happening AT ALL. Yes friends we are still in lockdown. While the rest of the world seems to be opening up, we are now experiencing some of what most of you went through last year! The good news is that thankfully nobody seems to be going toilet paper crazy. That’s right, everyone has been calm about that situation, and that’s one thing to be very thankful for. Ok so first up let’s look at What We’re Eating~ I should really say what are we not eating? because that’s all we seem to be doing! We are still enjoying all the glorious carbs and hot drinks. This week it’s been really cold, rainy, and windy. So spinach and ricotta pie, Chicken schnitzel, gravy, and lots of potato a hundred different ways were on the menu! I also made this super delicious Goat Cheese, Potato, and Onion Tart the other day and it was a big hit. You can find the recipe here. What I’m Reminiscing About~ I’m really missing my oldest son and his lovely fiancée. Waaaahhhhhh!!! They live about forty minutes away by car and before lockdown, they would often come over for dinner. I haven’t seen them for ten weeks.Sniff. What I’m Loving~ I love coming home from work to find my online shopping has been delivered. I was so excited today to finally get my beautiful Ecoya candle and diffuser plus my white quilt cover. What a haul!! What I’m Dreading~ I can’t say I’m really dreading anything at the moment. Although, I am getting my second dose of Pfizer soon so I’ll be relieved when that’s over and done with. My youngest son Sam is getting his first shot next week so I’ll also be thankful when that’s out of the way too. What I’m Working On~ I’ve started doing some fun fashion posts. On Monday I did a post about how to style a simple Black and white T-shirt in different ways. I really enjoyed doing this post and I think that from now on I will be doing more of them. What I’m Excited About~ Spring Spring Spring! Yes, it’s now closer than ever and I cannot wait! I am so over being cold and I am so excited for the warmer weather and longer days. What I’m Watching~ We are still working our way through ‘The Durrals”. This is such a lovely series based on a true story about a family who moves from England to the Island of Corfu. We have been taking our time with this series and I think it’s because we don’t want it to end. My Bestie recently finished it and she went through the post-series blues. It is such a great show and I really recommend it yet again. What I’m Wearing~ I seem to be spending a lot of time wearing my beloved Peter Alexander robe. It is so warm and cozy! In the evenings after a shower, I slip into my pajamas and this warm robe. I don’t think I would have survived winter without it.   So I guess that’s about all for this short Whats Up Wednesday post where I am linking up with Shay. I hope you are all well and staying safe!        

It was a fun family weekend at home. We all feel like we will be in lockdown for a very long time. But thankfully the weather this weekend has been absolutely beautiful!! and it has lifted everyone’s spirits up. It’s been absolutely glorious blue skies and sunshine making it feel just like spring. I’m a bit worried I’ll get used to the warm weather and then Bam!! the cold will come back! A Fun Family Weekend with lots of sunshine! Warm sunny days like these mean I have been sunning myself on the verandah a whole lot! The sun just invigorates me completely. Every day I go outside to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. I really like seeing our neighbours outside enjoying the sun too. Lately, we have been having great but very socially distanced conversations with them. The funny thing is that we have all been neighbours for a very long time. I have seen their kids all growing up and they have seen ours. But I don’t think we have ever had so many long chats with them as everyone is always so busy doing life. Ha! lockdown has its bright side I guess! Friday I had the day off from work on Friday and I concentrated on getting most of my household chores over and done with before the weekend. Later, in the evening I cooked a delicious roast beef with veggies and my family enjoyed the tender and juicy beef. So it was definitely a thumbs up from everybody! Unfortunately, I am absolutely hopeless about keeping hydrated and am sadly very inconsistent with my water intake. Only once I start feeling headaches do I realize that it must be because I haven’t been drinking nearly enough. Saturday morning I pulled out this lovely cup my very special little preschool friend gifted me a couple of years ago. I am trying to motivate myself to drink more and I’m hoping that this cup and straw will do the trick! Saturday In the afternoon I tried a new recipe for orange cake and I am happy to say that it turned out moist and delicious! So stay tuned for the recipe. Around the same time, my friend messaged me to say she was making my Apple and Berry gluten-free loaf and I was happy to hear that it was a big hit with her and her family. My friend and I have started calling each other ‘The Wonder Twins’, from the old 1970’s cartoon. We often say the same thing at the same time or are thinking the same thing. Now we are baking at similar times!! I was craving a latte and luckily I had these Moconna sachets. Have you tried these? I really recommend them because the coffee is so delicious and creamy. Before lockdown, I would sometimes enjoy going out for coffee but now this is no longer possible so I am enjoying these instead.  I only have them occasionally as a treat just like I would if I went out. I had the last piece of raisin toast to go with my latte. What is it about raisin toast that makes me so happy in the morning? Probably the juicy raisins right?? Sunday Sunday I indulged in a bit of online shopping. I have been very good and have not done any for such a long time. Then the other day I was chatting to my lovely friend (the wonder twin) on messenger and she was telling me about her online shopping and how fun it is to get stuff delivered. Well, that was all the motivation I needed and I was onto it!! I ordered a white quilt cover as well as European pillowcases, and regular pillowcases I was running low on these lovely candles Plus I also needed this reed diffuser. The French pear smell is my favorite! I’m looking forward to receiving these soon. Sunday night my cousin surprised me by dropping a big slice of her partner’s birthday cake on my doorstep. Lockdown means no visitors so she gave me a call to say the cake was outside my door. The cake she ordered was way too much for just the two of them. It was a win for us as the cake was a really nice rich chocolate cake with layers of cream. She sent me a photo of what the cake looked like before it was cut. It was a Pokeball!! Ha! My cousin and her partner are huge Pokemon fans and have been since they were little. My oldest son is too even though they are all just about to turn thirty soon!! That’s about all that has been going on this weekend. Although it was certainly very quiet it was still a fun family weekend. I am thankful we are all safe and praying that life will return to normal soon so friends and families can be together again. Please take care and I hope you all have a great rest of the week! Linking up today with My Glittery Heart and The Other Side Of The Road

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are all ready for a new week. We’re still in lockdown here in Sydney so we have just been staying home and staying safe. About the only things we’ve been up to around here are eating and watching either The Olympics or Netflix. During this weekend the weather has been quite pleasant and we have had some very beautiful sunny winter days. I tried to sit on my verandah as often as I could during the day to soak up the nice warm sun. Sometimes my neighbours come out and we have a very socially distanced chat. Other times I wave and say hello to the people walking by. Everybody is missing their loved ones so It’s nice to reach out to people by being friendly during this difficult time.  Weekend Happenings~ Saturday I enjoyed a really nice warm cup of lemon and honey. Being home for most of the time means I’ve been drinking more tea and coffee than usual so this was a nice refreshing change. I bought a bag of lemons at the fruit shop the other day and they have been so juicy. All I did was squeeze some into hot water and added a dash of honey (well, more than a dash if I’m being honest) it was so delicious and sweet. For dinner, I made a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta. Winter is just such a great reason to indulge in all the carbs. I love carbs and eat them all year round but carbs in winter equal less guilt. For this recipe, I used a light cream to try and keep the fat and calories down a tiny bit. I served it up with a side of broccoli and cauliflower and a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It was so good and my whole family loved it. I really miss going to cafes and eating out on weekends. I had this incredible craving for a strawberry milkshake on Saturday night! Lucky for me we had some strawberry flavoured syrup so I could satisfy this craving. I also added a couple of fresh strawberries too. Although my milkshake was very enjoyable, I am still really looking forward to when we can go out again. I will never take a milkshake at a cafe for granted ever again, that’s for sure!! Sunday Sunday morning I discovered we had run out of Weet bix and our favourite Granola. So I quickly made a nice fresh batch. This recipe is super easy and lasts for about two weeks. It can keep either in the fridge or cupboard and it’s great for breakfast or as a snack. You can find the recipe here. While I was making the Granola, I listened to our Church sermon via Zoom. Sunday afternoon Steve went to work and I had a super late lunch while I did some work. I made myself a tuna and mayonnaise sandwich with half a leftover potato ha! I told you I love carbs!! To go with my lunch I enjoyed a delicious lemon and barley cordial. I think I must be having a lemon love affair at the moment. This Bickfords cordial is my favourite. The barley is very subtle but I think it makes the cordial less tangy than when it just contains lemon. You can add as much as you like depending on your taste. I like mine on the sweet side. Sunday night Steve got home late from work and we enjoyed a small cheese plate while he made burgers for a very late dinner. We happily stayed up late because neither of us had to go to work on Monday Yay!! My goodness, those burgers were good. I just love burgers with all the fillings. Mine had pickles, lettuce, cheese, tomato, mayonnaise, beetroot and lots of tomato sauce. Steve added pineapple and egg to his burger too. He’s braver than me. Winding up a low key weekend~ In the evening we caught up on one of our favourite shows FBI and we also watched an episode of a British crime show called Vera. It was a very intense episode and one of the major characters got killed. We were not expecting that at all. I had a final cup of hot sweet tea and kept warm with my soft blanket. It was such a cosy night and a perfect ending to every low key weekend. Much to be thankful for!! Wishing you all a happy Monday and fantastic rest of the week. For today’s post, I linked up with My Glittery Heart    

Hi All I hope you are all having a great week so far. I’m super excited to be linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this fun ‘What’s up Wednesday’ post. So let’s kick off! What We’re Eating~ Well, what can I say? Lockdown has us eating everything! My goal is to try super hard to not get stuck into too many treats this week. Is it me or is it an excuse? I just think Winter makes me hungrier! I always try and make sure I eat lots of veggies and I serve them up with every meal for the whole family. My Simple Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry is loaded full of delicious veggies. Certainly, a huge hit when I made it last week!! Delicious homemade Focaccia has also been on repeat around here and we are loving it! Recently, I discovered this! Slow-cooked pork shoulder with BBQ sauce. This was half price at Woolworths. So delicious and easy peasy. You just pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat up and that’s it! We’ve eaten it in wraps with coleslaw for lunch and for dinner we’ve had it served with baked potatoes or rice and of course, veggies. A nice easy lunch or dinner for sure. What I’m Reminiscing About~ I’ve been thinking about all the fun times before lockdown when we were able to catch up with friends for dinner! We used to get together about once a week at a friend’s house and it was usually for ‘Mexican Monday’ or a ‘Friday Feast’  She would cook up some very delicious food and it was just so good to be together. We had so many laughs on those nights. I’m really missing this. What I’m Loving~ The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!! Yes indeed! I just love the Olympic games, so many sports I would never normally watch. I have to confess that I’m not at all a sporty person, No Sir, I am not. But I do love watching The Olympics. I’ve also been really loving this Bio-Oil I bought it originally for my sixteen-year-old son. He fell off his scooter and scraped off a massive amount of the skin on his elbow (shudder). It is supposed to be really good for scars. I started using it recently as my skin has been just so dry. Probably a combination of the cold weather and ageing (sigh) Anyway it’s been really great. My skin feels much smoother and hydrated. Really recommend it. I don’t receive an affiliate commission for this, just letting you know about a good skin product that I’m loving. What We’ve Been Up to~ Not a whole lot really. You know, Lockdown. I guess I’ve just been enjoying staying home and keeping safe. We’ve been catching up on shows and eating. Yep, lots of eating! What I’m Dreading~ Thankfully I’m not really dreading anything at the moment. Other than the State Ministers 11 am Covid updates every day. I dread hearing how bad COVID  is at the moment in Sydney. I’m still in disbelief as I never saw this coming. Don’t think any of us did! What I’m working on~ Still working on this Blog! I think I’ve been blogging for about six weeks and really enjoying the challenge. Not so much the technical side of things, but I think I’ve developed some new neural pathways as a result, so that’s most definitely a bonus! What I’m excited about~ Spring! I’m pumped for spring and I’ll keep saying this until the end of Winter ha! I like this quote, I think it’s quite true! What I’m watching~ I’ve been going down memory lane and watching ‘The Golden Girls” on Stan. I just love having something on as I’m folding laundry or cooking. This show is so funny and I just love all the characters, they are each funny in their own unique way. This show holds a special place in my heart because I used to watch it as a kid. I  was about 13 when my mum and I visited my Uncle and Aunt who were living on Long Island NY at the time. Every night after dinner we would sit down with dessert and watch an episode. They were special times. What I’m Wearing~ Other than pyjamas and work clothes on workdays, it’s usually just Sloppy Joes and leggings, I think my American friends eat Sloppy Joes but in Australia we wear them. I’m referring to long-sleeved warm fleecy tops. like this one What I’m Looking forward to next month~ To tell you the truth not a whole lot! I’ve got my first Pfizer jab scheduled for next Tuesday. And this morning, The Premier of NSW announced that we were going to be in lockdown for a further four weeks. Stephen and I will still be working as we are classed as ‘Essential Workers’  and Sam will be doing school online. If we weren’t in lockdown I would have been looking forward to seeing ‘Hamilton’ at The Sydney Lyric Theatre. We had tickets I was given as a present for Mother’s day. But sadly it got cancelled, never mind maybe we’ll get to see it later this year or the next. Well, that’s about it for this month’s What’s up Wednesday. I really hope you have a fantastic rest of the week!!    

Hi all Just thought I’d stop by and share a few things I’ve been up to for the last four weeks, since the beginning of lockdown. I am currently only going in to work about two or three times a week instead of the usual full-time. This means I have so much more time.  It is just so surprising to me how much I have been cramming into my everyday! Up until now, that is. Enjoying a couple of Books- I have this beautiful Chanel book sitting on my coffee table and I have only just started reading it. It not only has beautiful photographs and drawings, but it also delves into the history of Chanel’s creations and iconic style. I have also been spending time sitting in the sun reading ‘Finding Freedom’ Harry and Meghan’s biography. Very interesting! Especially since I watched that interview. Shows I have Been Watching- I have a list of shows I have been wanting to watch. I thought I would have to wait until I was in the nursing home before I would ever get to see any of them. The Office- Now this is one funny show. I had not seen a single episode until recently but now I have started. I can NOT stop! Mother and Son- This is a very old Australian show and it is hilarious and a bit sad at the same time. I like to watch this one with my own mum. She thinks it’s funny too! It’s about a son looking after his ageing and forgetful mother. 9-1-1 Lone Star- I’ve only just started watching this and it stars Rob Lowe, my eighties crush. Hasn’t he aged well? Anyway, back to the show. Yes, it is full of drama and has me gripped. Virgin River- I started this a couple of times and could not get into it. To be fair, I kept falling asleep. Not from boredom, only from exhaustion. I have restarted and now I’m understanding why everyone loves it. Seinfeld- Ok, so this is my all-time favourite show ever!! But I have never watched all of the episodes. So I am now! I just love all the characters so much. On a side note, I am waiting for the Seinfeld Lego set to arrive in Australia. I can not wait!! Cooking- I am enjoying cooking without rushing to get dinner on the table! Usually, I come home from work and it’s a mad dash to get dinner ready. This I am not good at. I am always determined to cook from scratch, but the downside is that it takes so long and dinner is usually late. Sorry family. I have been leisurely cooking AND making dessert. We probably won’t fit into our clothes once lockdown ends. But dessert in winter is soooo good! Cleaning and Organising- I love a clean and tidy home. I have this routine where I do a bit every day so I can keep on top of everything. It works very well too. But now with all this extra time, I am not rushing to get it all done. Plus I have been able to re-organize things like my linen cupboard and wardrobe. Chatting to Friends and Family- As everyone is mostly home, I find we have been reaching out more. Normally days would go by and I wouldn’t chat with any of my friends and family. But now with lockdown, I find that we are all checking in with each other more often. It certainly doesn’t mean that this is in any way ideal as there is nothing better than getting together. But it is nice that we are trying hard to connect. The Hard Part of Being in Lockdown- Lockdown is hard friends. Maybe not so much for me as I am definitely more of an introvert. But it is sad to watch the news and see the stress and isolation it is causing so many, not to mention the financial hardship that many are facing. My younger son like so many other young people is missing his friends and going to the gym. I guess up until now we had not truly felt the hard impact of COVID for such an extended period of time. This Delta strain has hit us hard and we are facing many more weeks of lockdown. Something I think none of us living in Sydney thought we would see. I guess we are all trying to make the best of it and doing everything we can to stay safe. Take care everyone.

Hi All Well, this lockdown has definitely taken us all by surprise. We are now in week three and facing two more. Although I strongly suspect that it will be much longer just based on the number of growing COVID cases. This has changed my shopping habits and as we are under strict ‘stay at home’ orders I am only shopping once a week. Consequently, we ran out of bread, we actually ran out of a lot of things. I tend to shop after work so we rarely ever run out of anything and this was a new experience. Anyway, I thought ‘Hey, lets make focaccia’ So we did. I found this super easy recipe here. And now I have to confess that I actually didn’t contribute much to the focaccia-making process as my husband did most (nearly all) of it. But I have to tell you, the focaccia turned out absolutely delicious and he will definitely have to make it more often. It was very easy too, which surprised me as something that has such a fancy name should surely take ages to make. But no it didn’t at all. This was my contribution. I grated some fresh garlic and chopped up rosemary from our garden and added thyme (not from our garden because we’re not that good). I gently fried it in Olive oil. Oh my goodness it smelled so good. Steve mixed the rest of the ingredients, kneaded it, and left it to rise covered under a warm damp tea towel. We love olives so we added them! Into the oven, it went, and then it came out all golden, crunchy, and smelling divine! You have to try this recipe. It was really super easy and the focaccia was absolutely sensational. I wish you could have heard us all ummming and ahhhhhing as we tried it!! A big winner! Hope this post inspires you to try making some for yourselves, you will not regret it.