Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Gus and Fred Do Time
 |
| Gus, contemplating his future life in Australia. Ha. Pic taken by the wonderful, Ludi in Tulsa's fall foliage. |
 |
| Fred waiting for a little pre-Thanksgiving nibble. Pic taken by Claire Beasley! |
Our dogs, Gus and Fred arrived to Perth in January. Due to Australia animal import regulations, they have to be in quarantine for 180 days. 150 of these days can be spent in the US. So while Ricky and I jetted off to our new life in OZ, we had to leave the kids at their grandmas. The Beasley family took care of them in November. Then Kim and Mark took care of them in December, and shipped them off in January. Thank you to everyone who has helped in this process! We greatly appreciate you giving Gus and Fred lots of love and attention!
 |
| Playing at the pool in Dallas |
 |
| Making friends at Dog Park Dallas |
 |
| Making friends at Dog Park Dallas |
 |
| Brothers playing rough |
I get to visit Gussy and my sweet baby Fred 3 times a week for an hour each time. We get to use the exercise yard for an hour week. Although time with them is limited, I enjoy every kiss Fred gives me, playing tug of war with Gus and spoiling them rotten with treats!
Ricky has only visited them once. :( The quarantine facility is located 45 minutes from Perth CBD, so he can't make it on his lunch break most days. Ricky got to play with the boys on his birthday though! What a great present and reunion after 3 months!
Good news ... we're almost done with quarantine process. Two weeks down . Two weeks to go!
They will be released on February 12, Fred's 1st birthday.
Ricky has only visited them once. :( The quarantine facility is located 45 minutes from Perth CBD, so he can't make it on his lunch break most days. Ricky got to play with the boys on his birthday though! What a great present and reunion after 3 months!
 |
| Loving on my boys in their jail cell |
 |
| Running hard in exercise yard |
 |
| Best birthday gift for Ricky. Reunion with Fred! |
 |
| Patiently waiting for treats! |
Good news ... we're almost done with quarantine process. Two weeks down . Two weeks to go!
They will be released on February 12, Fred's 1st birthday.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Happy Australia Day!
Every year on January 26th, Australians celebrate the day the country was founded by the British in late 1700s. It's very similar to our 4th of July... Filled with family get-togethers, block parties, BBQs, beer, fireworks and AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!!!!
Ricky and I went to our neighborhood block party, played tennis, drank a James Squire pint of beer and watched fireworks over the Swan River. Here are a couple shots that I took that night.
Ricky and I went to our neighborhood block party, played tennis, drank a James Squire pint of beer and watched fireworks over the Swan River. Here are a couple shots that I took that night.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Happy 28th Birthday Ricky!
Celebrating in Perth.... All week long! We visited our dogs in quarantine, devoured homemade french toast, enjoyed Little Creatures beers in Freo with friends, applied and re-applied sunscreen to avoid WA sun and headed to Sting concert at local winery (shhhh it's a surprise!)
Cheers to 28 years!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sportin Down Unda
Ricky and I are really "sporty" as our 6 year old neighbor calls us. I think its because we're always wearing Lululemon athletic gear, running to the gym to exercise or going to some sort of sporting event. Our neighbor is very observant and very honest ... a typical 6 year old, I presume! (He actually told me I looked lovely when I strolled out on our driveway in my pjs with the trash. Not sure if I had brushed the hair or teeth yet....) But anyways, thought I'd share a few pics of the sporting events we've been to in Perth. Obviously tennis is really common and popular in the states. But horse racing is a major sport here and cricket, well, is really foreign to Americans to say the least!
Tennis
Hopman Cup was hosted in Perth this month. It is one of the tournaments leading up to the Australian Open. Most of the leading players of this tournie head are in Melbourne now. Wish we could have made it this year but in hopes for next. (Melbourne is a 4 hour plane flight from Perth. Perth -west coast Melbourne-east coast
Horse Races
Horce racing in the Aussie summer is a really hot sport. The race courses are top of the line, the competition of this professional sport is exciting and the betting on the thoroughbred horses and their jockeys is entertaining and sometimes profitable. Besides watching the horses, there are plenty of people to watch, champagne to drink and chips to eat (remember chips are french fries here and in the UK). Women are dressed to the T... much like the Kentucky Derby in the states.... big hats, big hair pieces and frilly dresses.
A day at the races is a huge event... Australians everywhere stop what they're doing to attend or watch the races. Ricky and I attended on New Years Day in Perth with some of Ricky's work friends. We arrived early for a place in the shade and enjoyed the spectacle!
Tennis
Hopman Cup was hosted in Perth this month. It is one of the tournaments leading up to the Australian Open. Most of the leading players of this tournie head are in Melbourne now. Wish we could have made it this year but in hopes for next. (Melbourne is a 4 hour plane flight from Perth. Perth -west coast Melbourne-east coast
 |
| Perth Hopman Cup |
 |
| Perth Hopman Cup |
Horse Races
Horce racing in the Aussie summer is a really hot sport. The race courses are top of the line, the competition of this professional sport is exciting and the betting on the thoroughbred horses and their jockeys is entertaining and sometimes profitable. Besides watching the horses, there are plenty of people to watch, champagne to drink and chips to eat (remember chips are french fries here and in the UK). Women are dressed to the T... much like the Kentucky Derby in the states.... big hats, big hair pieces and frilly dresses.
A day at the races is a huge event... Australians everywhere stop what they're doing to attend or watch the races. Ricky and I attended on New Years Day in Perth with some of Ricky's work friends. We arrived early for a place in the shade and enjoyed the spectacle!
 |
| Perth Horse Races New Years Day |
 |
| Purple Lighting Jockey |
Ricky's winning race on video... He paid for our champagne after he collected his winnings!
Cricket
We're still learning about this interesting, foreign sport. It's hard to watch on TV if you don't know what's going on. Attending a game or match in person helps to (kinda) understand or at least act like you do! Ricky and I went with some mates to this "20/20" cricket match. It's a shortened version of the usual 5 day match.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Come One, Come All
Your Aussie Adventure awaits you!
Qantas, Australian airlines will be flying non-stop from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth beginning in May 2011. Book now to get a great rate! $898!!!
Qantas announces new route - Dallas/Fort Worth
Qantas, Australian airlines will be flying non-stop from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth beginning in May 2011. Book now to get a great rate! $898!!!
Qantas announces new route - Dallas/Fort Worth
Farmers Market
I ran to the Subiaco Farmers Market today and bought fresh kale from Asian produce stall.
Trying this recipe tonight! Hope Ricky likes!!
crispy kale recipe
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.
Trying this recipe tonight! Hope Ricky likes!!
crispy kale recipe
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
WHAT! NO STARBUCKS?!?
Big shock when we moved to Perth, NO STARBUCKS! Not only no SB, but no brewed coffee and all espresso drinks with different combinations and names.
It took us a few days (and a few misorders) to work it all out. Of course, once you learn the lingo, it actually makes quite a bit of sense. And the coffee is delicious!
Short Black: single shot of espresso.
Long Black: Espresso with water (1/3 espresso 2/3 water). This is the closest thing to an American cup o Joe or Cafe Americano.
Flat White: This is a popular drink in Australia and New Zealand. As far as I've heard, it’s not served anywhere else in the world. A flat white is an espresso with steamed milk (about 1/3 espresso, 2/3 milk). The closest thing in America would be a no foam latte.
So, what if you want a regular cup of coffee with milk or cream?
You order a Long Black with Milk on the Side. This gives you cold milk to add to your long black.
Or I've had success ordering a Long Black with a dash of cold skim milk.
Good news Cappuccino and Latte lovers: you have nothing to worry about! It's the same here. And you can enjoy yours with decorative chocolate powder!
Side notes
I did a bit of research and apparently the east coast of Australia does have SB. And they have changed their menu for Aussie ordering. Take a look.
The coffee culture is much greater than in the U.S. Cafés are more prevalent than gas stations and everything revolves around getting coffee. In fact, at work Ricky and his collegues walk to a nearby coffee shop for half an hour every morning to enjoy a cap or cappuccino (aussies love to abbreviate...everything!). However, cafés are not a quick pit-stop for caffeine intake - Like American drive thrus!. Rather, Aussies prefer to sit back and spend hours drinking coffee in a cafés making it a place for leisure and business.
Ricky and I have altered our at-home coffee as well. We purchased a plunger or French press and an electric kettle to boil water. And what can I say... LOVE the coffee culture change and the buzzzzzz of espresso at home!
Good morning from down unda!
 |
| I found a Starbucks on our recent trip to Bali! |
It took us a few days (and a few misorders) to work it all out. Of course, once you learn the lingo, it actually makes quite a bit of sense. And the coffee is delicious!
Short Black: single shot of espresso.
Long Black: Espresso with water (1/3 espresso 2/3 water). This is the closest thing to an American cup o Joe or Cafe Americano.
 |
| Long Black and Short Black |
Flat White: This is a popular drink in Australia and New Zealand. As far as I've heard, it’s not served anywhere else in the world. A flat white is an espresso with steamed milk (about 1/3 espresso, 2/3 milk). The closest thing in America would be a no foam latte.
So, what if you want a regular cup of coffee with milk or cream?
You order a Long Black with Milk on the Side. This gives you cold milk to add to your long black.
Or I've had success ordering a Long Black with a dash of cold skim milk.
Good news Cappuccino and Latte lovers: you have nothing to worry about! It's the same here. And you can enjoy yours with decorative chocolate powder!
 |
| Latte Art |
Side notes
- If you want skim milk, make sure you indicate so or else you'll get whole milk or full fat cream.
- If you like sweetener as opposed to sugar, bring your own. Don't kid yourself, I carry Splenda tablets in my purse.
- If you order an iced coffee, it will have ice cream in it!
I did a bit of research and apparently the east coast of Australia does have SB. And they have changed their menu for Aussie ordering. Take a look.
The coffee culture is much greater than in the U.S. Cafés are more prevalent than gas stations and everything revolves around getting coffee. In fact, at work Ricky and his collegues walk to a nearby coffee shop for half an hour every morning to enjoy a cap or cappuccino (aussies love to abbreviate...everything!). However, cafés are not a quick pit-stop for caffeine intake - Like American drive thrus!. Rather, Aussies prefer to sit back and spend hours drinking coffee in a cafés making it a place for leisure and business.
Ricky and I have altered our at-home coffee as well. We purchased a plunger or French press and an electric kettle to boil water. And what can I say... LOVE the coffee culture change and the buzzzzzz of espresso at home!
 |
| Ricky enjoying a JUMBO cap. |
Good morning from down unda!
Monday, January 10, 2011
In the Kitchen...
"In the Kitchen, Where I belong" as my hubby would say! Ha!
All of our possessions arrived on Christmas Eve. Yes.....the movers delivered a trunk load of boxes the day before Christmas! We looked at the glass half full on this one. Santa brought us LOTS of boxes with new shiny things. (Thank GOD we didn't have to entertain on Christmas Day) We spent all day Christmas Eve setting up our kitchen (#1 priority), washing bed linens, trying to understand the thick Aussie accents of our movers and downed H20 in that 90 degree heat! At 4 pm, we shut down and made our first meal (and cookies for Santa) with our new shiny things.
These "shiny things" I refer to, are my fabulous, new wedding presents. My wedding registry was definitely focused on the kitchen, thanks to Ludi's advice! And I'm so very thankful! Now, I'm enjoying cooking every day. You'd laugh if you saw the kitchen equipment that the rental company provided. I used it for 2 months. All while reading Julia Child's book. Depressing really! ;)
Another thing we discovered when we moved to Australia ... We cannot find any pita chips and definitely no Stacy's Pita Chips. Silly things like this make us miss home. But once again, we are looking at the glass half full. I am making homemade chips. Good for the waistline as well!
It's really really simple!
Buy pita bread - whole wheat preferred.
Turn on your oven on really high heat (I'm working in Celsius over here. 225 degrees Celsius = about 435 degrees Fahrenheit) on the broiler setting.
Slice bread with a serrated knife into 1-inch slices or triangles. Divide into single pieces/Break the top of loaf from bottom of loaf. So each chip is thin.
Spread out evenly onto a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil. Depending on how many slices you do, just about 1-2 tablespoons. Lightly drizzle the oil.
Then season to your preference. Ricky and I like a little salt and pepper. I usually add either paprika, cajun, garlic, or BBQ seasoning to ours.
Pop in the oven. Keep a close eye on the chips. Make sure they don't burn. Half way through I shuffle the chips around so the oil and spices get on all the chips. Once lightly brown (10 minutes?), take out of the oven. Serve with hummus and a beer!
All of our possessions arrived on Christmas Eve. Yes.....the movers delivered a trunk load of boxes the day before Christmas! We looked at the glass half full on this one. Santa brought us LOTS of boxes with new shiny things. (Thank GOD we didn't have to entertain on Christmas Day) We spent all day Christmas Eve setting up our kitchen (#1 priority), washing bed linens, trying to understand the thick Aussie accents of our movers and downed H20 in that 90 degree heat! At 4 pm, we shut down and made our first meal (and cookies for Santa) with our new shiny things.
These "shiny things" I refer to, are my fabulous, new wedding presents. My wedding registry was definitely focused on the kitchen, thanks to Ludi's advice! And I'm so very thankful! Now, I'm enjoying cooking every day. You'd laugh if you saw the kitchen equipment that the rental company provided. I used it for 2 months. All while reading Julia Child's book. Depressing really! ;)
Another thing we discovered when we moved to Australia ... We cannot find any pita chips and definitely no Stacy's Pita Chips. Silly things like this make us miss home. But once again, we are looking at the glass half full. I am making homemade chips. Good for the waistline as well!
It's really really simple!
Buy pita bread - whole wheat preferred.
Turn on your oven on really high heat (I'm working in Celsius over here. 225 degrees Celsius = about 435 degrees Fahrenheit) on the broiler setting.
Slice bread with a serrated knife into 1-inch slices or triangles. Divide into single pieces/Break the top of loaf from bottom of loaf. So each chip is thin.
Spread out evenly onto a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil. Depending on how many slices you do, just about 1-2 tablespoons. Lightly drizzle the oil.
Then season to your preference. Ricky and I like a little salt and pepper. I usually add either paprika, cajun, garlic, or BBQ seasoning to ours.
Pop in the oven. Keep a close eye on the chips. Make sure they don't burn. Half way through I shuffle the chips around so the oil and spices get on all the chips. Once lightly brown (10 minutes?), take out of the oven. Serve with hummus and a beer!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Fresh Look for Scootin
Happy Monday from Perth!
Introducing... my new look for 2011. Beachy, fresh, fun - just my style! Hope you like it!
I'd like to thank Jessica Cermak from Tulsa, Oklahoma for helping me create a new look for my blog. I discovered her design work from a friend's blog, Barefoot and Pregnant. I really enjoyed working with Jessica on this project. She is very sweet and talented! We actually discovered what a small world it is... she and Ricky graduated from Holland Hall together in 2002.
If you're in need a blog facelift, I highly recommend Diamond Doll Design. Click here to view some of her other creative works.
Friday, January 7, 2011
2011 Resolutions
I could come up with a bunch of cliche resolutions for the new year. Or ones that seem impossible to achieve.... become more organized, stop drinking, lose weight, etc.... But I'd rather tailor my 2011 goals to our new Aussie life!
Here are my goals and how I plan to achieve them:
Document our experiences
Travel to exotic locations
Help others get/stay fit and healthy
Spend more time with family
Here are my goals and how I plan to achieve them:
Document our experiences
- Improve my photography skills and take lots and lots of pictures with my new camera
- Blog, email, facebook and skype with family and friends
- Probably an ODD resolution but we're surrounded by some of the most amazing wine regions of the world. So we're going to try more wine ... good wine from Australia!
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River wine country |
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River wine country |
Travel to exotic locations
- Off to Kangaroo Island in March with the Beasley fam (minus Claire)
- In hopes to travel to Phuket Thailand, New Zealand, Blue Mountains, Great Barrier Reef and Grand Lake :)
 |
Resort at Kangaroo Island. More pics to come after our trip, March 2011 |
 |
Hopefully a future trip to Thailand! |
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River |
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River |
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River |
 |
| December 2010 Trip to Margaret River |
- Most try to lose weight themselves. I could probably lay off the cookies and gummies, but I'd rather help others! I'm starting my Masters in Personal Training certification in late January. The goal is to become personal trainer in 2011!
 |
| Future Personal Trainer! :) |
 |
| Beautiful Ludi on a walk through Wash Park in Denver, CO |
Spend more time with family
- Skype Skype Skype
- And discover this side of the world together. If you haven't booked your trip, just do it!
- Walk my sweet boys every day!
 |
| Beasley fam, Turks and Caicos 2010 |
 |
| Fred runnin wild |
 |
| Gus chasing Fred |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Messin
I thought of our Nana today as I was "messin" around Perth with my new camera. Betty Beasley always took the 3 girls (sometimes individually or all together) to "mess" with her around Tulsa. I'm guessing Ludi appreciated this alone time greatly! Nana would take us to McDonald's for pancakes, Riverside park to play on the jungle gym or Swan Lake to feed the swans. I am determined to learn photography tricks with my new fancy cam, so I am venturing around Perth looking for good photo ops. Just like we admired the birds of Swan Lake, today I tried to capture some birds of Western Australia.
 |
| Swan River |
 |
| Cottesloe Beach |
 |
| Cottesloe Beach |
 |
| Cottesloe Beach |
 |
| Cottesloe Beach |
 |
| Cottesloe |
 |
| Cottesloe |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)