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Binge Worthy Shows

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Finding binge-worthy shows can be tricky, especially if I’m having one of my indecisive days. I mean, with all of the choices we have and all of the streaming services available, it should be easier, right? I often think about the olden days when I was growing up, with only four channels to pick from. Life was easier. Less exciting, but easier. Some shows, though, keep me glued straight away, and when I strike one of these, I know I’m set for a good run. Here are a few gems I have found lately, and I’ve grouped them by mood, because that’s usually how I decide what to watch. Binge Worthy Shows Dark and Twisty These binge-worthy shows are for when I’m feeling brave and want suspense, jump scares, secrets, and my heart can cope with the sense that something is about to go wrong. Stranger Things I don’t love horror, but I sure loved this show so very much, and I’m sad it’s over. The biggest appeal for me was the 80s nostalgia. That was my time, my fashion and my music. The nods and subtle references to my favourite movies from the best decade ever were genius. Harlan Coben series I haven’t watched a single one that I didn’t enjoy, so I would confidently say that they are truly reliable binge material. They all have great plot twists I never see coming. The endings are wrapped up nicely, which is so important because I can’t stand it when I invest time and emotional energy into a show that ends vaguely. I hate having to make up an ending in my mind just so I can sleep at night and not lie there wondering. So far, I’ve watched Safe, The Stranger, Stay Close, Fool Me Once, Hold Tight, Run Away, and Caught. I’ve just started Innocent, which is in Spanish, and I want to watch the rest of the international ones too. The Serial Killer’s Wife This was kind of unsettling, but I watched it while I was painting the living room in the daytime. I don’t think I would have liked watching it at night by myself. It kind of gave me the ick, but I couldn’t stop watching and painting. If you can’t stop watching, I guess it makes it binge-worthy, right? Hostage I loved this one! It has a great mix of personal and political drama that really pulled me in. The lead was very likeable. A likeable lead is a must because then you feel all the feels. Ha, at least I do! The five-episode series is about a British Prime Minister whose husband is kidnapped and how she manages her personal life alongside all the political drama. This one is very binge-worthy. European and Foreign Dramadies Borgen I didn’t think I’d enjoy this one as much as I am (I’m still in season one), but again it has a likeable lead. The politics are a bit complex, and since it’s in Danish, I sometimes have to rewind to make sure I understand the English subtitles. Interestingly, the show discusses Greenland and the US interest in it. I didn’t realise this was even an issue back then, and sadly, it’s now a major real-life threat. Baby Fever I love Swedish dramadies, and they’re so hard to find. I nearly skipped this one because the title sounded a bit cheesy. But I’m glad I gave it a go because it’s funny, awkward, and dramatic without being over the top. Pernille Another one with an unusual title, but Pernille, the main character, is so relatable and down-to-earth. You really feel like you’re there with her through her awkward life moments. There’s a lot of major swearing, though! Comfort and Funny Binge-Worthy Shows Watching these is a guaranteed laugh. Seinfeld It doesn’t matter how many times I have watched these episodes, they are still hilarious. I’ve been binge-watching this show since 1993! The Nanny An old, new-to-me show that I’ve been talking about non-stop. Adventure / Reality Fun The Amazing Race Every time I watch a season, I think I’d love to be on this show, and then I remember I can’t swim, I’m scared of flying, and I don’t do heights. I’ll just keep binge-watching it like a champ. Survivor I’m excited for the 50th season! Light, Easy-to-Watch Drama / Gap Fillers These are perfect for my indecisive nights. I like them enough to keep watching, and I guess they’re good binge-watching gap fillers for when my favourite shows are finished, or I’m waiting for a new season of something. The Rookie It’s entertaining and easy to follow Boston Blue I don’t love it like I loved Blue Bloods, but it’s still good, and I like it enough to keep watching. Most Binge-Worthy Shows Shows I absolutely love and could marathon any time. The Gilded Age I love the costumes, the scheming, and Aunt Agnes’s cheeky one-liners. Better Call Saul Brilliant, binge-worthy show that makes me rethink Jimmy every few minutes. One minute I think he’s such a great guy, and then I think, oh no, he really isn’t. A fascinating look at human nature and the sad downward spiral of bad choices. These are my favourite binge-worthy shows lately. What are some of yours? I’d love to hear what you’ve been watching. Linking up with Adrienne, Dara, Joanne and Jen

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, and thanks for stopping by for Friday favourites. I’m so glad you’re here! 1 I can hardly believe it’s already Friday, and this week has gone by so fast for me. I’ve really enjoyed my second week back at preschool so far. We’ve met most of the children, with just a couple more to start, and for the first time in a long time, I have a feeling it’s going to be a good year, even though I’m trying not to say it out loud just in case. I’m not entirely sure what happened over the past few years, but things definitely changed after COVID. I’m no expert, but as an early childhood educator, I really felt the gradual impact it had on children and their families, and I wasn’t the only one. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me who thought this, so I’d regularly check in with coworkers and people I knew in other schools and early childhood settings. Everyone I spoke to said the same thing. Children’s behaviour was noticeably different, and not in a good way. Last year was the hardest in all of my 35 years working with children and very nearly brought me undone. I usually try to soften things on the blog, but sometimes you just have to say it. It’s been rough! Now I feel like we’re finally on the other side of that, and things are settling back to what I guess life was like pre-COVID. I’m so relieved that many of the reasons I loved working with children are starting to come back. For a long minute, I even wondered if I could keep going. I couldn’t remember who that person was—the one who wrote Six Favourite Things About Working in Early Childhood Education. Anyway, I’m happy and very relieved to say she’s slowly coming back, and that is a big favourite. 2 A while ago, I shared that I had this amazing system for remembering to take my thyroid tablet in the mornings. I’d leave a glass out on the kitchen bench as a signal that I’d taken it. I also loved that it killed two birds with one stone. I took my tablet with a full glass of water, so I started the day medicated and hydrated. What a winner! The system usually worked. But sometimes it didn’t. There were days when I remembered drinking the water but not taking the tablet. And last year, for all the reasons I’ve already shared, I was often not sure whether I was coming or going. And I forgot to take my tablet three days in a row more than once. When you don’t have a thyroid, that medication really matters. Missing a dose here and there doesn’t cause instant drama, but over time, especially when you’re already exhausted and stressed, it can start to catch up with you. Without enough thyroxine in your system, you start to fade and flop like a ragdoll. So I took the advice of a lovely reader who had commented on the post where I shared my not-so-great system and bought a pill organiser. Revolutionary stuff! Do you know why I never bought one for myself before, or even considered it? Because I always thought it was for older people. Ha! How ridiculous is that? Anyway, I love my pill organiser, and this Gen Xer better start facing the truth. Feeling 29 doesn’t make it so 😅 3 I’ll finish off my week’s favourites with this refreshing glass of Aperol Spritz I had on Thursday night at Humphreys Hotel. Cheers to more happy weeks at work, and cheers to the weekend! Happy Friday Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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90s Humour That Still Makes Me Laugh: The Nanny

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I was originally going to share a few shows I’ve been watching lately. But then I thought I’d just focus on one: The Nanny, mostly because I can’t get over how funny it is. I really didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, and I still can’t believe I never watched a single episode when it first aired. Watching it now has me wondering how this kind of ’90s humour would be received today. Would it fly, or would it cause a huge fuss? Rediscovering 90s Humour with The Nanny How I Accidentally Started Watching It I started watching The Nanny by accident while we were away in Gosford for our anniversary. It was on the hotel TV as background noise, but then it caught my attention (maybe it was Fran’s laugh), and I thought oh my gosh, this is actually really funny. I didn’t finish that episode, but I filed it away in my brain as something I needed to come back to, and soon. Since then, I’ve been watching an episode or more almost every day. We’re into season three now, and my husband is completely hooked, too. We laugh so much the neighbours must be wondering what’s going on! Watching The Nanny In Today’s World Part of what makes it so interesting is watching it now and realising how PC the world has become. The humour is loud, obvious, and unfiltered. Some of the jokes would probably send the internet into meltdown today and cause a stir. But please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying people should be rude or insensitive. Of course, it’s good to be aware, but sometimes it’s just classic Nanny funny, not mean funny. It’s the kind of humour so many 90s sitcoms had in common, the over-the-top, playful kind that makes you laugh hard. And it makes me nostalgic for a time when we weren’t all so easily offended. Would a Show Like The Nanny Be Made Today? Ummmm, probably not. Classic 90s Humour Haha, I’m laughing just thinking about all the things that make this show so funny. Fran is basically a human cartoon who manages to turn almost everything into chaos. And I especially love that all the characters get their moments to shine. The kids, in particular, are a surprise. I thought they would be unkind, a bit like the children in The Sound of Music at first, but nope. They’re clever, cheeky, sassy, and sweet all at the same time. Mr Sheffield is serious and straight-laced, but he could have been stuffy. Instead, he’s kind, lovable, and endlessly patient. Then there’s Niles with his dry, sarcastic lines, and C.C., always dramatic and clearly wishing Fran had never left Flushing. And of course, Yetta and Fran’s mum—oh my goodness, I want to be just like them when I grow up. Ha! I’m sure I will, especially Yetta, who reminds me a little of my mum with her cheeky humour. The thing I love the most about the show is that they sometimes say the meanest things to each other in the kindest way, if that makes sense. I guess it helps that everything just rolls off Fran, and it makes me think we could all take a leaf out of her book and not let things get to us. Hasn’t Mel Robbins got a theory about this that’s taking the self-help world by storm—the Let Them Theory? I say let them all be unbothered, just like the Nanny! The Exaggeration Is Everything The Nanny feels so different from modern comedy because everything is dialled up to the nth degree. The outfits, the voices, the reactions, the facial expressions, the physical comedy. It’s all just so extra. Fran’s Fashion And then there’s the fashion. You don’t even have to be a fan of The Nanny to know exactly what kind of outrageous style I’m talking about. And I’m surprised at how much I love her outfits. This neutral-loving girl actually loves Fran’s licorice allsorts ensembles, bright colours, wild patterns, and leopard prints. Yikes! Why I Keep Watching It makes me feel good! I know not all the jokes are side-splittingly funny, and some are a bit corny or dated, but it’s still so much fun, with plenty of real laugh-out-loud moments. We used to end the day with an episode of Seinfeld, but now we finish with The Nanny. My husband believes it’s good to end the day on a funny note, and I couldn’t agree more!

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Hello Monday

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Hey there, friends. It’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah and recap my very quiet weekend at home. Being home felt good after going back to work last week. It’s funny how even after Christmas, New Year, and the long summer holidays, it still felt like I’d never really had that time off. Boom. Just like that, it all feels like a distant memory, and Captain Routine came back to take over last week. Not complaining, just reflecting on how quickly time flies. I mean, what happened to January? So what did I get up to? Well, the wildest thing I did was get all of my washing done. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to see the bottom of the laundry bag empty for more than five minutes. But having said that, I think I actually prefer to see dirty washing, because that means Sam is home and he’s gone to work, the gym, or hung out with friends and has gone through about three changes of clothes, which explains the usual full laundry bag. He’s away in Bali, and I’m sure he’s having fun wth his friends. In the evenings, I’ve sent him a casual text, “Hey, how’s it going?” I don’t mind if I don’t get details. All I want is proof of life. He did send me one photo of his food and one of his accommodation. Good egg! Keep it up. This weekend, I also got back to cooking some basic, high-protein meals. Over the holidays, it’s been a snack here and a snack there, nobody’s gonna know. Well, the diber dobber scales sure did. I put on a couple of kilos, and so did my husband. He was annoyed at himself, as he is determined not to put on his pre-knee replacement weight, and he still has a goal to drop more. But it’s all good, because life would be so boring if we didn’t enjoy all the treats during the festive season. Don’t you agree? Anyway, fun’s over and we’re back on track. Cauliflower rice, anyone? I spent a good chunk of the weekend watching TV. Blue Bloods was one of my all-time favourite shows, and I was very sad when it ended. So when the spin-off Boston Blue came on, I thought, yay! We’ve been watching and are up to date with all of the episodes that have come out so far. I’m not sure… I mean, I do like it and definitely don’t dislike it, but I don’t love it yet. A few too many plot holes for me, and I miss all the Reagans. The weirdest part is that the storylines feel very similar, with the same types of roles and situations repeated. I’ll still watch it, and who knows, I might change my mind. I also watched four episodes of the last season of Stranger Things. Oooh, it’s so good, and I can’t see how it’s going to end, but I’m really hoping it finishes all neatly wrapped up and everyone alive. Everyone except Vecna! And that’s about all I got up to over the weekend. How was yours? I hope you had a good one.

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, happy Friday! So glad you’re here. Oh my goodness, it is so hot and humid over here. I just got home from work and had to jump straight into the shower before I could even sit down to write about a few of my favourite things from the week. Now that I’m feeling squeaky clean, I can think a little better. Ok, so let’s get into it. Today I have five quick favourite moments from my first week back at work. 1 First up, I’m so happy to share that this week has been a positive start at work. After feeling more than a bit unsure, it has been really nice to ease into the week and feel that things are heading in the right direction. I don’t want to say too much and jinx anything, but I’m tiptoeing my way into feeling optimistic about this preschool year. Phew! 2 Hello, shiny new coffee machine! Normally, it’s instant coffee for us at work, so this feels like a major upgrade. I’m enjoying figuring out which strength and blend I prefer, and yes, this machine stores your own coffee profile. I had no idea this was even a thing. This is my first real experience in the world of coffee machines, as I only have a plunger at home. I’ve had more coffee than usual the past couple of days and had to cut myself off before heading down the road to heart palpitations—yikes! 3 On Monday, I shared that one of the positives of going back to work was that I eat a lot healthier. While I often look at my salads and wish that I had the power to turn them into a Big Mac, I know that this is better for me. 4 Thursday afternoon, Sam texted that he had arrived safely in Bali. Maybe one day I’ll get used to it, because I have a feeling he’s going to be someone who loves to travel. But I don’t love it when my boy is way up high on a plane. Even though I know flying is the safest mode of transport, I can’t help feeling anxious. I’m also not sure if it’s helpful to track him on Flight Radar, but I did anyway. 5 Steve and I went out for happy hour at Humphrey’s. Cheers to Sam and his friends landing safely! That’s week one, term one, done and dusted. This work week went way better than I expected, and I couldn’t ask for more. Well… yes, I can—I want more weeks like this one, please! Now it’s time to enjoy the weekend, which looks like a very quiet one at home. I don’t have any plans, and I think I’m ready to watch the last season of Stranger Things. I’ve been holding off because I didn’t want it to end, but the longer I leave it, the more chance there is of getting spoilers, right? Hope you all have a lovely weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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What’s Up Wednesday

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Hi friends, it’s great to be back linking up with Shay for What’s Up Wednesday. The last time I joined was back in September last year. Then everything got on top of me with work, and I had to put a pause on blogging. After a lovely summer break, I’m excited to be back and hoping for a much better year at work. We’ve had two staff development days, and tomorrow we meet the new children starting preschool. Not going to lie, I’m a bit traumatised after last year, but it’s going to be okay, isn’t it? Anyway, I’ll stop the nervous babbling and let’s get onto sharing a little about January. Thanks so much for stopping by. January What’s Up Wednesday WHAT WE’RE EATING One of the best things about staff development days is getting to enjoy a catered lunch as a team. This time, we had salads, mini chicken schnitzel burgers, and fruit. My insides are already thanking me for all of these fresh, healthy choices. Last night, my husband cooked Veal Chasseur with mashed potatoes and green beans. Tonight he made a chicken stir fry with vermicelli noodles. Tomorrow night we’re going out for dinner, and after that I have no idea what we’re eating on Friday or over the weekend. I think I’m taking a break from meal planning this year. With Steve cooking three nights a week, we just chat about those nights, and the rest of the time, I’m winging it. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT I’ve been missing the days when my kids were little, and we all lived under one roof. Wow, those days flew by so fast! There’s an eleven-year age gap between my boys, and when they were younger, I often wondered if we had rocks in our heads for waiting so long before having another baby. It wasn’t always easy having a teen and a toddler at the same time, and they weren’t always the best of friends back then. Thankfully, that all changed. Even though my eldest has moved out, they love each other, are in regular contact, and my youngest looks up to his older brother for all things life advice, world political news, and, of course, anything to do with gaming. WHAT I’M LOVING Sitting on the verandah in the warm sunshine. WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO We kicked off 2026 by booking a trip to Singapore and Japan. Yay! I painted the living room with a fresh coat of white paint. Over the summer holidays, we enjoyed eating out at our favourite places and tried some new ones too. We tried Jimmy’s Kitchen, a Greek restaurant at the rocks, and I think this was one of our new favourite discoveries. The food at Jimmy’s Kitchen was delicious, and walking around Sydney Harbour at night was magical. Seeing the Opera House lit up never gets old. We enjoyed a small Cousin Connect at our place in January, as most of the cousins were away. WHAT I’M DREADING Sam’s off to Bali for 7 days with his friends tomorrow. I wouldn’t exactly say I’m dreading it, but I know the worrier in me is going to be… well, worried. I know he’ll have an amazing time, and he’s doing what young people do—enjoying an adventure with his friends. It’s all part of life, and I’m really happy he has this opportunity. But I’ll be so glad when he’s back home. WHAT I’M WATCHING I’ve been watching The Nanny, and now I’ve got my husband hooked. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO I’m back to listening to Lovefly podcasts to get ready for our Cousin Connect adventure. Did I mention I’m scared of flying? Probably only about a million times. WHAT I’M WEARING Now the holidays are over, it’s back to work clothes for me. I have a capsule summer wardrobe made up of comfortable pieces from Uniqlo. It’s usually a black, white, or green t-shirt with linen pants or shorts… and then repeat. WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND I have zero plans at the moment. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH It’s birthday month for me, and I’m keeping up the tradition of doing something special every week for the whole of February. Just a few spontaneous things I wouldn’t normally do, nothing big. I started this after my work buddy, who celebrates her birthday the day before mine, told me all about how she does it. She shared it with me after I was complaining about getting older. And just like that, January is almost over. How was your January? I hope it was a good one 😊

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Five Favourite Things: Summer Holidays and Back to Work

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Hi friends, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. With the holidays coming to an end and work starting again tomorrow (waaaahhh!!!), I thought I’d share my five favourite things about being on summer holidays. And because I’m trying really hard to be positive, I’ll also share my five favourite things about going back to work. My Five Favourite Things About Being on Summer Holidays Time Oh my gosh, having time to do things is probably my favourite. It’s the best feeling when you know that if you don’t get something done one day, it’s totally okay, because there’s always the next day… and the next. No Alarm Waking up naturally without an alarm is pure luxury. Tomorrow I’ll be back to turning on my usual three alarms for 6, 6:30, and 7. Seven is the absolute latest I can get up, and it’s always set to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly theme music because if I get up any later than 7, it’s going to get real ugly. Getting Things Done Around the House I keep a pretty consistent cleaning routine. But nothing beats having the time to get stuck into jobs like washing the sofa covers and curtains, decluttering a cupboard, or painting the living room. I think painting the living room tops the list for me these holidays. This was a chore that I had been putting off for the last few years. So I feel like a real hero ticking this one off the list! Just Being at Home I’m such a homebody, and I love, love, love being at home. Going Out This homebody also loves to go out, so it was fun to do shopping trips into the city, dinner dates, and even just popping up to the supermarket felt like a treat. Although these holidays, I spent most of the time at home. Five Favourite Things About Going Back To Work Okay, so now onto my five favourite things about going back to work… zero. Oops, I said I needed to be positive. Let’s go. I’ll See My Work Friends I work with some pretty great people, and it’s always a highlight to catch up with them. I know I’ll walk in tomorrow and there will be a whole lot of hugging and excited chatter, and then we’ll begin the countdown until the next term break. Walking I feel a bit like a slug at the moment, and I know I’ve put on a couple of extra kilos. I’m looking forward to getting back to my fast-paced walks to and from work. Back to My Favourite Classroom This year, I get to go back to my preferred classroom. We swap rooms each year, and last year I was in the bigger room, which I didn’t love. It was awkward to arrange the tables and chairs, and much noisier because of the high ceilings and echoey space. Our centre isn’t purpose-built; it’s actually an old historic building converted into a preschool back in 1950. So I’m really excited to be back in the smaller, cozier classroom. Healthy Eating I’m looking forward to going back to fruit for morning tea and salads for lunch. Being at home, it’s so tempting to dip into snacks and treats all day. I need a good, forced detox, and going back to work is the only way. My New Lunch Box and Water Bottle Speaking of healthy eating, I got a fancy Kate Spade lunch box and drink bottle from my boys for Christmas. I love all things food-related, and now with my favourite new lunch set, I have even more reason to count down the minutes to my favourite part of the workday—my lunch break. As hard as it is to let go of the holidays, I’m grateful to have a job, that my body is still able to keep up with the demands of being an educator, and that I work with some really lovely people. Wish me luck! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share some highlights from my week. Let’s go!! One One of my favourite moments this week was sitting on my verandah, soaking up some Vitamin D (good for my bones as I get older), drinking coffee, and jotting down dates in my new 2026 diary that my friend gave me for Christmas. Two The postman came while I was there, and I received a postcard from my cousin, who went to New Zealand five weeks ago. Haha, that’s snail mail for you! I’ve actually already seen her, but it was so nice of her to think of me while on holiday. Three When my boys were little, I would let them pick a box of sugary cereal for the school holidays. Now that they’re grown men and eat men food, I’ve kept the tradition for myself and buy a box of my favourite cereal, Rice Bubbles. I actually don’t even eat cereal except when I’m on holidays, get up late (won’t say how late), and can enjoy it properly. Four I lit this cute candle I got from one of the preschoolers as a Christmas gift. It has a lovely scent, and the little gold propeller on top spins as the flame burns. The temperatures were much cooler this week, which is why I actually used a candle. I can’t even look at a flame on those boiling hot summer days. Five The cooler temps made me crave soup, so I made a chicken and vegetable one. I always add Parmesan cheese to mine after I heat it up. It’s something I learned as a kid from my mum’s best friend. We would all get together at their house, and while my mum chatted, I would play with her daughter, who is now my longtime friend, and for lunch we would have soup with Parmesan cheese. I caught up with her last year at her dad’s memorial. Somehow, we got onto the topic of soup, not sure how, and we both said at the same time, “With Parmesan cheese!” She was amazed that I remembered. How could I forget such an incredible taste sensation? Six I saw a huge jar of pickles at Aldi and took a pic to send to the family group chat. We are a close family divided by our love for pickles. About half don’t like them, and half do. I’m team pickle all the way. But I didn’t buy this massive jar, that would be a bit too crazy. Seven Yum, a glass of Merlot and chocolates on Wednesday evening. We didn’t have any dark chocolate, so we cracked open a box of another thoughtful Christmas gift from a preschooler. Working as an educator has some big benefits, don’t you agree, hehe. Eight My favourite evening this week was when my eldest son and his partner came over for dinner. We started with some mini quiches and crumbed prawns before tucking into some family favourites. I made South American food, which I don’t normally make because there are too many steps and I have to follow a recipe. While we enjoyed our entrees around the coffee table… we watched a YouTube clip of Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, and his speech from the World Economic Forum in Davos, and oh wow! I think this might be my most favourite of all the favourites. I loved that, as a family, we watched a truly memorable, historic speech, and it gave us hope. And just like that, my five-week end-of-year break is coming to a fast end, bah! I start back next Tuesday after Australia Day. But shhh, let’s not talk about that and just get on with enjoying the weekend. Happy Friday!

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Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Bake

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Hey friends! I thought I’d share my Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Bake recipe, which my family loves. Because if your family gives a recipe two thumbs up, you know it’s worth sharing, right? It’s the perfect winter warmer, though I make it all year round, and when it’s super hot I serve it with a salad for an instant summer dish 😉 If you’re after a comforting, hearty dinner that’s full of flavour, this creamy garlic chicken and mushroom bake is for you. Tender, golden-browned chicken thighs, a luscious sauce, tender potatoes, and mushrooms all come together in one oven dish. I have to say upfront: I don’t follow exact measurements. I cook by taste and sight, but here’s a rough guide. Remember, you can always tweak it as you go. Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Bake Ingredients 6–8 chicken thigh fillets 4–5 medium potatoes, chopped in quarters or sliced (optional, but they get incredibly tender and soak up the sauce beautifully) 1 onion (red or white), chopped 3 sticks of celery, chopped 4–6 cloves garlic, minced (plus extra for rub) Mushrooms, sliced (as many as you like! I use 500 g) Olive oil Paprika, salt, and pepper Cream (or a mix of cream and chicken stock) White wine (a good splash) Plain flour to thicken the sauce Optional: a chicken stock cube How I make it: Pat the chicken dry and rub it with garlic, olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat a little oil in a pan and brown the chicken on both sides—those golden bits are everything. Set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion, celery, extra garlic, and mushrooms. Scrape and mix in all the little brown bits from the chicken as they’re pure flavour gold. Sprinkle in a bit of flour, then gradually add cream (or cream + stock) and a splash of white wine, stirring until it all comes together. Taste and adjust as you go—a little more salt, pepper, or a stock cube if you like. Just be mindful not to get carried away and make it salty. Putting it all together: Drizzle olive oil in a large baking dish and layer the sliced potatoes. Place the browned chicken thighs on top. Pour the creamy mushroom sauce over everything so it’s all coated. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C / 350°F until the chicken and the potatoes (if you are adding them) are cooked through. I always go by my thermometer because I’m terrified of serving undercooked chicken. As a rough guide, this usually takes around 50–60 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes if you like a slightly golden top. Finishing touch (optional but delicious): Right before serving, if you have parsley or spring onions, chop and sprinkle them over the top. Spring onions add a lovely little crunch, and parsley gives a fresh, bright flavour—together they make it extra tasty and look great. If you don’t have either, a sprinkle of dried herbs works just as well. Serving ideas: My family loves this with rice, as it soaks up all that creamy sauce beautifully. It’s also perfect on its own with bread or alongside a fresh salad. The magic: This Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Bake recipe is all about cooking by taste and sight, tasting as you go, and trusting your instincts. It’s easy, comforting, and made with love, just like my mum’s cooking, but with my own twist.

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Hello Monday

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Hi friends, happy Monday. Today I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah and sharing a little about my weekend. Thanks for being here 😊 Well, this weekend sure was a quiet one, and that’s all ok. I love me a quiet weekend, especially when it’s raining, and oh boy, did we get a tonne of rain over here. Saturday We had a lot of eggs in the fridge, so I thought I would make a quiche. The only problem was that I had no bacon. I googled what else you can add to a quiche when you have no bacon. And although a few options came up, none of them sounded as good as the ones with bacon. So I thought I’d walk up to the local fruit shop, where they sell more than just fruit. They also have a whole lot of things from places like Italy, Greece, and Macedonia. It’s like a little continental deli, full of dips, olives, cheeses, sausages, tins of goodies from all over and good old bacon. I’ve hardly walked anywhere while I’ve been on holidays, so I was excited to get out and get some steps happening. But when I walked out of the house, it was drizzling, and the sky looked pretty dark. I went back in, grabbed my keys, and decided I’d better take the car. By the time I turned onto a pretty major road, it was bucketing! I could barely see what was in front of me, even with the wipers on full blast. Great, I thought, this is where I die… all for some darn bacon! It was only a short drive, but it felt endless. I was too scared to even try turning back, so I may have muttered a few bad words and just had to keep going. The puddles were huge, and I was so glad nobody was on the footpath, or they would have been soaked by the tidal waves everyone’s tyres were making. On the way home, it was still pouring, but not like it was on the way there. I took the back streets this time and made it back safely. I also bought a few other things, because that’s just what I always do whenever I go out for one thing. Do you do that too? Sunday Guess what? After all these years, I discovered The Nanny! I’m loving it and spent most of Sunday binge-watching it. I remember when it first came on TV, all the way back in 1993, and it never really appealed to me. That was the year my oldest son was born, so maybe I was a bit distracted and not paying attention to the world of comedy back then. If you have watched the show, you’ll know the theme song. She was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens. ’till her boyfriend kicked her out in one of those crushing scenes. What was she to do? Where was she to go? She was out on her fanny. Fanny! Do you know what fanny means here in Australia? It’s rude!! I won’t give you a definition here because, blush 🤭 You’ll have to look it up, and then you’ll understand why we call fanny packs bum bags over here. Anyway, that was my weekend. Now I’m off to watch more episodes of The Nanny and sing that very catchy theme song, hehe. I hope you have a wonderful day or night, wherever you may be.

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