My daughter-in-law does enjoy a nice cup of tea 🙂
I came up with the idea of making an Advent Calendar with various types of teabags for her this year.
I had done a tea wrapper for my Mum for Mother’s Day a couple of years ago, so I had a template for teabag envelopes on my computer.
It took me a while to play around with Photoshop and create 25 different envelopes, but I got there in the end
You can download the instructions here
Here is how I made the board
Step 1: Print the 25 teabag envelopes and cut them out carefully. Each little envelope has the date (1-25) and a cute “Tea Quote”
Step 2: Cut out the matching tags that will be stapled to the teabag. I stapled on one side only so the type of tea is able to be read.
Step 3: Fold the envelopes and secure with a little craft peg. For my calendar, I will be displaying the large number on the outside, so each day the quote is revealed.
Here is the step by step pictures of how I did this.
Step 4: Make a pretty board to display the envelopes.  I bought a corkboard from the discount store and decided to cover it with Christmas-y foil. I chose foil as I thought it would stand up to craft glue better than thin paper.
Trimming the foil proved to be a little tricky, as it had a tendency to want to rip rather than cut. I had a nice fresh blade in my knife, but perhaps a craft scalpel might have worked better.  To cover the few tears, I edged the board with glittery silver tape. I am pleased with the result.
Step 5: Lay out the envelopes to get a rough idea of spacing. Once you are happy with where each envelope goes, glue the pegs to the board with good glue. ( I used super glue)
And there you have it.. 🙂 One cute Advent Calendar with a variety of teas and a different quote each day in the lead up to Christmas Day on the 25th.
You can download the envelopes and tags from my free resources page
Have you ever had Dry Aged Meat?? Â Hubby and I were aware that some high-end butchers dry-aged meat, but we had never seen it let alone eaten it.
What is Dry Aged Meat? Â According to Wikipedia
“Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, it is hung as a full or half carcass. Primal (large distinct sections) or sub primal cuts, such as strip loins, rib eyes, and sirloin, are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a “hot box”. This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specially climate-controlled coolers or within a moisture-permeable drybag. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops or groceries. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavour, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture.”
I noticed on Facebook recently that Cotton Tree Meats not far up the road from us had installed a dry aging cabinet. The reviews were that the meat was something that had to be tasted to be believed.
When my birthday rolled around in August, hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and where would I like to go out for dinner. Â I suggested a “2 for 1” present and said why not buy a piece of dry aged beef?
A short trip later and we were the proud owners of the most beautiful looking piece of 28-day dry aged Black Angus Rib-eye on the bone.
We like to think we are pretty capable cooks, but we thought we had better find out how to do this lovely steak true justice. Â The answer turned out to be a cooking technique we had not tried before. Â “Reverse Searing”
Reverse Searing is a method that involves slow cooking the steak in a super low oven until the internal temperature reaches the desired doneness, then finishing in a screaming hot pan to give a lovely seared crust.
This method works best with a thick piece of steak so have your butcher cut a nice piece of Sirloin, Rib, Rump or T-bone into at least 50mm thick (this will feed 2-3 people).
This is the step by step method.
Step 1:
Pre-heat your oven to 135Âş C
Step 2:
Pat your piece of steak dry with paper towel. (the drier you can get the
steak the better the crust you will get)
Season well with salt and pepper. (there is no need to oil the meat)
Step 3:
Place the meat on a grill over a baking pan lined with foil or baking
paper to catch any drips.
Step 4:
Bake in the oven until the internal temperature of the meat reaches your
required doneness. Â Do NOT guess this, invest in a meat thermometer.
Remove from the oven and rest under foil for at least 10 minutes.
Step 5:
Get a heavy frying pan (cast iron is good) or BBQ screaming hot and add
a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Carefully place the steak in the pan and sear well for 1- 2 minutes on each side, don’t forget the edges until a lovely golden crust forms.
Step 6:
Place your steak on a board and cut it into pieces diagonally across the grain. Serve simply with a bit of herbed butter or your favourite sauce.
This was certainly NOT a budget meal, but still much less than if we had gone to a local pub and had a standard steak, salad and chips meal. And of course, it was sooooooo much nicer .
Next time you get a piece of steak, do try this method of cooking. It might
just change your life 🙂
Hubby and I had a great break, one that was most needed.
We have been crazy busy for the last 3 months ( with not much end in sight) so while we really could not afford (time-wise) to be away from our business, we did enjoy it, and recognised that the relaxation was more important.
As I posted earlier, we had a 50% off voucher from Groupon for 3 nights in a fully self-contained Ocean View Apartment. The apartment was huge. It was actually a 3 bedroom apartment that they had just locked off two bedrooms to be able to sell as a one bedroom apartment. The kitchen was a full size kitchen with all the crockery, cutlery, pots and pans that a family of 6 would need. We had a wonderful view looking right up Main Beach and kangaroos came and visited each afternoon. We also spotted a koala having a sleep in a nearby park.
Usually, I do try to stay in apartments with a kitchen. I find it saves us a bucket load of cash while still having a good break. Before going away I do up a rough meal plan and then look at the budget and work out how many meals we might like to eat out.
We like to have a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner out. (Not all on the one day 🙂 ) I will then hit Google and look at restaurant and cafe menus to get a good idea of how much the local cuisine will cost. I also look at Groupon to see if there are meal deals in the area we are going. ( sadly there were none for this trip)
For this trip we took from home: Milk, Coffee,Tea, Bacon and eggs, Some bread, butter, cheese and ham from the fridge, The last of the week’s veges and a pack of beef mince (it all became a savoury mince type dish) Cheese and crackers and a couple of bottles of wine 🙂
We ate out for one breakfast, had pizza for one lunch, and had the most superb meal at a resort restaurant. We also bought a “meal” of fresh prawns and crab fresh from the trawlers to go with the wine. Overall we kept well in budget and came back recharged and ready for another few months hard work.
One of my favourite things to do with my sunshine cash is to spend it on travel.
Now, while my businesses do generate a good  liveable income, we cannot just have unlimited time away.  Even the richest men and women are still found in their offices more often than not.  I make a point of getting away for long weekends every 2-3 months plus and extended week or two once or twice a year.
One of the best ways I have found to have these breaks, is by making good use of daily deals sites. Sites like Groupon, Living Social, Luxury Getaways provide great deals on travel destinations that we may not have otherwise considered.
For us 3 nights away works well, as we can have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights away and have at least some time at home on Sunday afternoon before getting back to work on Monday.
I am preparing to go away next weekend. I bought a Groupon Deal quite some time ago for 3 nights at Whale Watch Ocean Resort on North Stradbroke Island at 50% off the regular price. This short break is about a 90 minute drive from home.
I have already Googled some great places to eat. We will pack the car with the bulk of our food and drinks and maybe eat out for 2 lunches and 1 dinner.
We have both been working really hard the last couple of months , so are really looking forward to this break. Â I can foresee quite a few liquid beverages on the balcony overlooking the ocean and watching for humpback whales as they make their migration up the Queensland coast.
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Have you ever had Dry Aged Meat?? Â Hubby and I were aware that some high-end butchers dry-aged meat, but we had never seen it let alone eaten it.
One of my favourite things to do with my sunshine cash is to spend it on travel.
