Wind Ups, Sweets and Treats

It's that time of the year again when we start the sporting change over from winter sports to summer. Gone is the early Saturday mornings, muddy white football shorts, freezing cold kidlets running to the car after a game and driving across the area for a football and netball game. Now we have summer. For us this means basketball on Thursdays, Baseball on Fridays for the Sparky, Cricket on Fridays for my 9 year old boy, and my youngest lad is trying to convince us that we have time for him to partake in tennis. All whilst we continue Ballet/Cheer on a Thursday for our 3 year old girl.
Our schedule is going to look a bit like this
Sunday : Church and then jobs/family time (Providing we are home and not away on the farm)
Monday: Nothing, yet............
Tuesday: Basketball training
Wednesday: Cricket, Baseball and maybe Tennis Training
Thursday: over lunch Cheer and Ballet, Basketball
Friday: Baseball and Cricket (both for which are in different towns anything up to 50 km apart at the same time)
Sat: Possibly Tennis.........

There is travel time to consider for cheer/ballet, baseball, cricket and tennis matches. One of the few downfalls of country living. Sport matches for us can take place up to 100km away. More if the child is on the local swim team. It is a huge downfall, but the atmosphere is great, kids love it and it also helps give a reason to savour being home when we are home.

Then I get asked regularly why we can't do play dates, sleepovers, and late nights. Hmmmmmmm, let this Mum think about that. :) My goal is to be more organised, Have meals pre-planned, pre-prepared, ready to go so that we can have a more relaxed night time, in and around it all. Also to help prevent last minute buying of fast food/take away and frozen boxed meals. So this summer my  planner and diary will be my BFF I think.

Tonight is the windup, for the mini teams, where awards are handed out, coaches get thank you gifts. There's a BBQ dinner put on, parents bring shared sweets and salads.

We are taking a pasta salad, and after a huge success with my kids a Chewy Chocolate Slice. Which I got from the recipe book "Women's Weekly- Recipes To Remember"

The recipe is below

Chewy Chocolate Slice

125g butter, melted (I used margarine and it turned out fine)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut, extra

ICING
1 cup of icing sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
10g butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoon hot water

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg Celsius/ 350 deg Fahrenheit. Grease a 20cm x 30 cm rectangle pan, line with baking paper.
2. Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in sifted flours and cocoa powder. Then add coconut. Spread mixture evenly over base of pan. (It is a think layer but trust me its ok)
3.  Bake base for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make chocolate icing.
5. Spread hot base with chocolate icing, sprinkle with extra coconut. Cool in pan before cutting.

ICING
Sift icing sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Stir in butter and water. Mix until a smooth spreadable consistency.

Yummy, Enjoy