Missing Masterchef ? – Bring back the Mystery Box!

We loved Masterchef!  It was great to sit down as a family and watch the program, I was slightly surprised at Cayden’s interest in the show.  Some Cyber friends from www.SimpleSavings.com.au have got together and have brought back the mystery box.  Our rules are slightly easier and we don’t get eliminated (which is always good!)  So tonight we had a mystery box challenge from these ingredients;

Mince
Bacon
Egg or 2 minute noodles
Eggs
Tinned tomatoes
Mandarins
Coconut milk
Cous cous
Cabbage

Store Basics
These items are available for you to use;
Flour, water, butter, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, two only herbs/spices of your choice, onion and garlic.

I decided to make a meatloaf,  with tomato sauce and served with salad (as the family doesn’t really like cous cous!) and for dessert we had coconut cake with a mandarin syrup.

Meatloaf with tomato sauce & salad

Coconut cake with Mandarin Syrup

Week 7

Things seem to be slowing down a bit.  Still waiting for the brickies to start laying the bricks.  However the top level windows are now in, the back tri-fold doors are in place and they’ve started building the alfresco roof.  Hopefully things will start moving along again soon!

Second floor windows in place.

Week 6

 

Insulation for bottom floor…bricks should be soon!

 

Well things are still moving along well.  We now have the scafolding off the top floor and insulation around the bottom floor, the bricks shouldn’t be too far away from going up.  Today they hung the 2 big front doors and garage door leading into the house and the rest of the top floor windows should be in soon too!

 

Front door, garage door and laundry door fitted.

week 5 – mid week update

Wow, things seem to happeneing really fast.  Yesterday the guttering was completed, today the roof tiles are going on.  By the time I returned from school drop off it looked like they had already done more then 1/2 the roof…they are certainly moving along at a rate of knots.  The bricks have been delivered today, so that will be next.  It’s nice to see how our chosen colours are fitting together…it’s been so long since we chose them we almost forget what colours we chose.

We had the frame inspected by an independant building inspector and are really pleased with the result.  The inspector said that it is a great quality frame and very rare to find in the trade.  So I’m feeling very good about putting our trust in Porter Davis.

 

Guttering finished.

 

Roof Tiles finished

Week 5 – the beginning of the week!

 
We went down to the house to day to have a good look around while the builders weren’t there!  Got to have a look up on the top floor…geez I hate ladders!  But it was worth it!  The games room is going to be great…lots of room for the kids to hang out.  Looks like the frame is now complete and we also have the bottom windows in.  Once the roof is tiled and the scaffolding has come down the rest of the windows will go in.  Took some photos (of course!)

 

 

Hello Daddy ... Darren looking out the front window of the games room, Emma in the garage bordering the laundry

 

 

Emma climbing over the wood between the rumpus and dining rooms

 

Our new front doorway - big double door

 

The completed frame!

The roof tiles should be next!

We’re Back! – Week 4

Had a great 10 days away, interesting flight up that saw our flight delayed 3 times and then eventually cancelled … let me say it just SO much fun sitting around an airport with 2 children for 6 hours … NOT!  We finally arrived at Brisbane airport around 10:30pm and got down to the gold coast around midnight after hiring a car and getting everything sorted.  Thank god we had already organised accomodation before we left.  Can you imagine sorting something out at midnight?

We had 6 days at the gold coast with overcast weather but temperatures in the low 20’s, so still quite good to be doing things!  Went to Dreamworld!  Oh joy…kids and Darren had a ball, visited Q1 and Currumbin Zoo and on our way up to the Sunshine coast had a look up at Mt Tambourine … I could so easily live there!  Spent 4 days at the Sunshine coast visiting Darren’s cousin Vinnie.  Beautiful weather and really enjoyed the company and area.  On the last day we went to Australia Zoo … fantastic place, the whole family enjoyed it.  We left 25C and arrived to 10C in Melbourne … it was a welcome home with a jolt!

 

Q1 viewing platform

 

 

Went and visited the block the next day and low and behold we have a house!  They had poured the slab and the frame for the ground floor was done!

Ground Floor

 

Today they have completed the top floor, only the roof frame to go now, which according to the plan should be finished by Friday.  It’s all happening!

 

Top floor frame completed