Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I've been married 20 years today!

20 years. Oh. My. Goodness.

Yes, today is our 20th Wedding Anniversary. We married in the same church we attend now. Our photos were taken at the harbour at Shellharbour, which is one of the places we still like to take the kids.

Thought I would share a couple of photos from the fastest day in my life. (a warning to all you photographers out there - these are photos of photos, not scanned). And one of the most fabulous days of my life. We had SO much fun.





We were 22. We've known each other since we were 10, but didn't start going out until 20. Engaged at 21, married at 22.

Mortgages, kids and various jobs, cars and pets have seen us through the last 20 years. I wonder what the next 20 will bring?

Happy Anniversary Ray. I love you dearly and am proud to be your wife. xx

Karen.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Sexy Older Men?

So there's a 4 CD set of Rod Stewart's music just been released in the shops. I'm a bit of a fan of the ol' Rod Stewart. He's in the category of men who get sexier with age. He can leave his boots under my bed!



These guys can too, although not at the same time:

* Tom Jones


* Sean Connery



* Jon Bon Jovi



* Antonio Banderas



And, JUST scraping in at being older than me is Simon Baker


Hmmm.....I could become quite a floosy in my old age......


What do you think? Do you agree with my selections? Did I miss anyone?

Leave me some comment love & tell me who would be on your list!

Karen xx





Rod from here.
Tom from here.
Sean from here.
Jon from here.
Antonio from here.
Simon from here.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears - an allergy friendly giveaway.


Edit: 20 May 2012 at 11pm. This giveaway is now closed and has been won by Marybelle, who has been advised by email. Thank you for entering.


I heard on the radio today that 1 in 10 children these days have some form of food allergy. That's a massive 10% of kids that are restricted in what they can eat. That's a pretty alarming statistic. With three kids of our own we were fortunate to not have any allergies. I know plenty of kids who do though. I know how to use an Epi-pen.

I know our primary school is nut free. And foods that are primarily egg are discouraged. Like mini quiches or meringues, due to egg allergies. I know there are other allergies around the place too. We have photos of the kids near the serving window inside the canteen so we can reduce the risk of the kids being served something they are allergic to. Although I tend to find that the kids with allergies bring their own food, or some of the Mums have even checked out the canteen & let us know what their kids CAN buy. Thanks Mums!

Wouldn't it be great to have a lunchbox treat that was allergy friendly?

Well now you can! Or, your kids can lol!

Orgran is a brand I see a lot, being one who packs supermarket shelves for a living & all.

We received a box of their Itsy Bitsy Bears in each flavour (choc berry and choc chip) to taste and review. Being a label reader, I was curious about their nutrition info as well as their taste.

Here's where I sound like a commercial, but the info is important:

* Each 175g box is equal to 10 servings, at only 70 calories per serve (that's snack happy in my book!)

* Oven baked, not fried. (I must not eat fried food, I must not eat fried food.......)

* Rich in complex carbohydrates (from my own untrained dietary knowledge, this means longer lasting, slower released energy, rather than a quick burst that would lead to cravings)

* Contains psyllium for added fibre. (my kids are not vegetable fans, so this helps avoid constipation).




So, what did we think about them?

CHOC CHIP FLAVOUR:

Liam (9): "Delicious". Came back for seconds.

Zac (16): "Average. A bit powdery. Missing something". Ah, yes kids, I didn't tell you they are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free, nut free & vegan.

Megan (4): "Yep", when asked I asked if she liked them.

Me (old enough lol): they are biscuits, they taste like biscuits. (Which is probably what Orgran want them to taste like).


CHOC BERRY FLAVOUR:

Liam: "These are delicious, I'm having more."

Zac: "These ones are better."

Megan: "These ones are yum."

Me: "Back away from the box. These are mine."


So, now you know what we think of them, why not give them a try for yourself? You can find them in Woolworths/Safeway, Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Franklins and leading health-food stores. (I know in Woollies that are in the health food section). RRP $3.75 for a 175g box in either flavour. Break that down to your 10 serves per box & it's only 37.5 cents for a lunchbox snack. Cheaper than some of the other snack foods out there.

BUT, if you can't bear to buy before you try, enter my giveaway. One lucky reader will receive a box of these deliciously allergy free Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears in choc chip AND a box of choc berry flavour too. Winner!

Now, for you App Happy people out there, here is some great news:
A Free App!  Orgran Gluten Free Foods Recipe App. There are over 300 recipes, making catering for gluten free eaters easier. Simply select an Orgran ingredient or two, tell it if you want sweet or savoury & voila! A selection of recipes using those ingredients at your fingertips. Stress be gone! Save the recipes you like in the favourites section. A handy app when shopping too, nothing worse than getting home & finding you have forgotten a crucial ingredient. Now, I have to tell you this app is iPhone and iPad friendly, so I haven't actually tried it because I have Android. But if you have an iPad you could sit it on your kitchen bench to make it easy peasy to follow the recipe whilst you are cooking. And it has a photo of the finished product (a MUST for culinary challenged people like myself), shareable on social media (Facebook & the like). You can download the app free from iTunes.

To enter my giveaway, tell me if you have any experience with food allergies, it could relate to yourself, your kids or someone you know.


Giveaway is open to Australian residents only & will close at 7pm on Sunday May 20. So get your entries in quick smart!

Karen xx


Disclaimer: We received a box in each flavour for review purposes.