The Outback Expat

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Six by Four

May 8, 2019 by Vicky Leave a Comment

Another quirky task post I saw people completing on Facebook so I thought I would give it a go.

Four Names I go by

  • Victoria
  • Vicky
  • Vic
  • Tors

Four Places I Have Lived

  • Somerset
  • Bristol
  • Darwin
  • Brisbane

Four Things I have Watched on Tv

  • Dynasty
  • The Good Place
  • 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown
  • Riverdale

Four Places I Have Been

  • Tenerife
  • France
  • Bali
  • Egypt

Four Things I love to Eat

  • Chocolate
  • Chips
  • Oats with protein powder, berries and peanut butter
  • Laksa

Four Favourite Drinks

  • Peppermint Tea
  • Coffee
  • Water
  • Juice

Happy Easter

April 17, 2019 by Vicky Leave a Comment

The long weekend for Easter starts on Friday. We are heading off for a couple of nights in Lamington National Park which is near the Gold Coast.

The Aussie has visited Lamington before with one of his friends to go for some hikes and we plan on doing the same. I want to get into hiking and have purchased some walking poles because I get pretty nervous when walking off track that I am going to slip or fall and this was recommended to me.

I am really looking forward to seeing what is at Lamington and then sharing our adventures when we get back.

I hope that you have a lovely Easter, however you celebrate or spend the time.

Mount Coot Tha Botanical Gardens

March 31, 2019 by Vicky 1 Comment

The Aussie and I live so close, about 10 minutes away, from Mount Coot Tha and the Botanical Gardens and we have lived in Brisbane since June 2017 so it really was about time that we visited the Gardens!

We have both been working long hours including during the weekends so we set aside our Sunday so we could spend some lovely time together and also explore the gardens.

The gardens themselves are 56 hectares in size and we only touched the surface but it is such a lovely and tranquil space to have a wander, take a seat in a shady spot and watch the world go by.

There are lots of different areas including Lagoons, a Rainforest Walk, a Bonsai Garden and a Japanese Garden as well as some longer walking tracks.

There was also plenty of wildlife around the gardens including lizards, ducks and a LOT of spiders!!! The spiders webs were everywhere including between the plants that is an absolute nightmare for me!

We took a walk around the outside of the Gardens which was lovely albeit it a bit warm as the sun was blazing. Luckily there are plenty of shady spots under trees or a shade cloth if you need to escape the sunshine.

I really enjoyed our time, especially the Greenhouse area and also spending some time sitting in the Japanese Garden.

I look forward to getting back there again soon to explore some more.

Take a tour around the Gardens

My Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

February 27, 2019 by Vicky Leave a Comment

Over the last few years I’ve been working on perfecting my spaghetti sauce mixture and I always really enjoyed it when I make it. Now I tend to just make it for the Aussie because it is tasty but also because I make enough for a few days at a time which saves cooking 7 nights a week.

Sometime’s I substitute the beef for chorizo which is also very tasty.

Ingredients

200g minced beef
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 onion
1/2 capsicum
100g sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Beef stock mixed with boiling water to cover the ingredients
1 teaspoons garlic paste (jar)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Mixed herbs
Italian herbs

These ingredients are enough for two people. If we have more people for dinner I just double the mince but leave the rest of the ingredients the same.

Method

I heat a large sauce pan (I use a wok on the wok burner on the cooker) and add the minced beef to brown the mince. I break up the mince as it cooks and when the beef is browned I add the vegetables and cook them until they are soft.

Next I add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, garlic and Worcester sauce (if you want them), beef stock mixed with boiling water and the herbs.

I turn the heat up and bring the sauce to the boil before reducing the heat to simmer on low.

At this stage I put the water on to boil and cook the pasta and add the pasta when the water is boiling.

By the time the pasta is cooked the liquid is absorbed in the sauce ready for serving.

I then serve the pasta and sauce with some parmesan or cheddar cheese in a bowl or plate depending on how much you want.

Any leftovers are stored in the fridge for up to a couple of days or frozen. They can then be defrosted and reheated when ready to eat.

 

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About Me!

My name is Vicky and I am a Lawyer from the UK who upped sticks and moved to the Northern Territory in Australia in August 2013!

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