Quick & easy mixed veg quinoa "salad"

I have a confession to make. I have fallen off the 100% healthy food bandwagon. But I am determined to make simple adjustments to my everyday eating. We have all heard about quinoa & it's great nutritional qualities. I love it but I will be honest when I say that hubby & the girls have not warmed to it, yet. So I have been thinking of ways that I can eat it with our normal meal. So when I made a potato salad for everyone else to go with the amazing ribs that I cooked for dinner, I thought it was the perfect time to substitute. I made myself a very simple vegetable quinoa "salad". I wasn't going to share recipes on this blog as it can becoming very time consuming taking photos, editing, writting up the recipe, etc. But this is so easy that it is not really a full blown recipe.

The best weekends only cost a tank of fuel.

This past weekend saw us pack up the car and head south. It is always these times that we love the most. The back of the Navara is packed with eskies, towels, pillows, food & clothes. Swimming togs ready and waiting for a beach, waterfall or creek. It was Georgia's turn to plan the trip as it was her birthday week. We headed straight for Byron Bay. Spent the birthday money on skateboards, shoes, handbag, dress & sunnies. Then headed straight to the beach. It was already quite hot & the beach was bursting with people. The last time we were at Byron, hubby and I spent the day kayaking with dolphins. Today was all about family time so we stayed at the beach.

This weeks roundup.

This week we celebrated Georgia's 14th birthday. Yep, no little kids in our family anymore. We are now only 4 years away from being parents to adults only. You have no idea how fast time will fly when they are babies. People tell you to enjoy the time because it will be gone in a heartbeat. They are right. I have spent the week feeling very emotional. I have cried a bucket of tears and more. My heart has been weighed down with nostalgia. It is only 3 weeks till the eldest turns 16 so I don't see this emotional phase leaving me any time soon. I am sitting here right now waiting for my eldest niece to come for a visit. It has been over a year since I have seen her so I am all kinds of excited. She moved out west with her partner and they have really done such a fabulous job in adjusting to a small town, a new life & have done the best they can being so far away from family. I can't wait to wrap my arms around her.

14 years I have had the pleasure of being your Mumma.

Oh sweet girl, 14 years I have had the pleasure of being your Mumma.

{this photo is one that you took of yourself. It captures your spirit & soul completely} 

 From the moment I saw that sweet little face, I fell hopelessly in love. You looked at me with eyes that told me that you trusted me to take care of you from that very second. From the first time you could talk, you have called me Mumma & everytime I hear it I feel so privileged. You were my second born baby girl & you will definitely the baby of the family for ever. Your big sister doted on you from the moment she met you. Your Dadda fell head over heels in love with his baby girl. Even to this day, you have him completely wrapped around your little finger.

My house was messy and no one died.

I had some friends over for a lovely catchup. It had been a few weeks since I had seen them. Usually when I have people coming, I panic clean. I clean, wash, fold, pack away & hide things. This usually takes a full day. I go manic. I am worried that someone may notice that spot of dust, sticky hand print or the pile of washing that needs to be folded. I go completely bonkers. I become a complete mad woman where I yell at the kids that if they dare make a mess that I will hunt them down. But something changed. I thought fuck it! I am not going to keep up this charade. We LIVE in this home & I will let it look lived it. It's not a damn showroom!

It's the small details that matter the most.

It seems that the older your kids get, the more the little details of life become treasured memories. I just posted this on my personal Facebook profile:

Goodbye summer, hello Autumn.

Wow, it's March already! The leaves are falling off the frangipani trees, the roses are in bloom & all of our pets seem to be enjoying the slightly cooler nights.