Fun Fact Friday: The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

 The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is an annual celebration of the ranching and rural West. Through poetry, music and stories, ranch people express the beauty and challenges of a life deeply connected to the earth and its bounty. Every year, thousands travel to rural Elko, Nevada, in the heart of winter, to learn and share. It's been called the most honest and open-hearted festival in America!! 

For more info, visit http://www.westernfolklife.org/General-Information-on-the-Gathering/national-cowboy-poetry-gathering-home-page.html

Treat Thursday- Glitter Kiss Cookies

Treat Thursday- glitter kiss cookies

340g Hershey hugs kisses 

1tsp edible glitter 

150g butter 

1tsp vanilla extract 

150g sugar 

150g brown sugar 

2 eggs 

1tbsp whole milk 

Pinch salt 

350g plain flour 

1tsp bicarbonate soda 

40g bourneville cocoa 

100g dark chocolate chips 

Preheat oven 175C

1. Cream butter, sugars & vanilla 

2. Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl and add to butter mixture, beat until blended

3. Mix salt, flour, bicarbonate soda, and cocoa in a separate bowl

4. Sift dry mixture into wet mixture beating until well blended

5. Stir chocolate chips in by hand 

6. Roll 2tbsp sized balls and place on lightly greased baking trays 

7. Bake 10 minutes 

8. Remove from oven & place kisses in centre of each cookie, sprinkle with glitter, and place on cooling rack 

Feature Friday- Giraffe

We stumbled upon this restaurant at Gunwarf Quays during our shopping trip and what a lovely restaurant. It has a menu with a healthy mix of Asian fusion, burgers, vegetarian salads, and many more mouthwatering dishes. 

We had a warm welcome and great customer service. The decor is a fun mixture of neon lights, funky pictures, and palm trees with a modern music mix to create a relaxed atmosphere. 

The Food was delicious- so much so we forgot to take a picture! Yum!! I had the chipotle chicken nacho burger & my husband had the deli burger with handcut fries. Great sized portions were filling, but didn't leave us stuffed. They had a great drinks menu- I tried two refreshing recipes- the freshly squeezed lemonade with fresh mint and ice tea with mango and fresh mint, both great non-alcoholic drinks to pair with a spicy chicken burger! 

The service was quick, efficient and overall we had a nice experience, I'd rate it 3/4 diamonds. 

Double chocolate & mint muffins

Double chocolate mint muffins made with Hickory Farms mini melt away mints, a crowd pleaser for all ages! 

Preheat oven 180C 
Makes 18 muffins 

2 eggs 
200g granulated sugar 
130g plain flour 
50g bourneville cocoa powder 
2 tsp baking powder 
160ml whole milk 
1/4tsp vanilla extract 
160g unsalted butter, melted 
80g bourneville dark chocolate, grated 
100g mint chips

1. Gently beat eggs and sugar together. 
2. Sift dry ingredients in a separate bowl. 
3. Mix milk and vanilla in a jug 
4. Alternately add dry and milk ingredients with egg mixture until fully blended. 
5. Grate dark chocolate and add to mixture with mint chips 
6. Spoon about 3 tbsp of mixture until cases 2/3 full. 
7. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
8. Let cool and enjoy with a cup of tea & friends.

Treat Thursday: Millionaire Shortbread Bars

Yummy!! We love baking and creating at Bon Voyage Friends. I was so excited to make Millionaire Shortbread and use the golden syrup I brought back from England!! 

This recipe is from UK Food Network and was a crowd pleaser. Bon Appétit!!!  

Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 50g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour, sifted
• 175g dark or milk chocolate, broken into pieces

• For the filling:

• 200g condensed milk
• 125g butter or margarine
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and grease an 18 x 28cm Swiss roll tin.

2. To make the base, cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Fold the four into the creamed mixture until well mixed. Press the mixture evenly into the base of the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 12 minutes until golden.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling Place all of the filling ingredients into a saucepan, bring to a gentle boil, then continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously. You need to stir quite vigorously as little bits of caramel will stick to the pan but should come away easily and dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has turned a light caramel colour, take the pan off the heat and spread the filling all over the cooked base. Leave to cool.

4. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the pour it over the caramel. Leave to set for 2 hours or until the chocolate is firm. Cut into 12 fingers.

WLFEO Wednesday: BVF's 5 Must Pack Items for District Leadership Conference

District Leadership Conference is commencing next week and will take place in 6 different locations across the nation. It's a weekend full of spirit, sisterhood & special memories.

Here's BVF's list of 5 must pack items to get you through the weekend:

1. Your sorority pin- this is worn everyday throughout the conference. You can even add a special dangle at district by joining the Violet Circle with a $18.51 gift to the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation. "The Alpha Delta Pi Foundation's 1851 Violet Circle is a special giving society designed exclusively for collegiate members of Alpha Delta Pi." To learn more visit https://www.alphadeltapi.org/contentmanager/page.asp?webpageid=175

2.  A journal to record special momentos during the weekend.

3. A camera to take pictures of long lasting memories and to share with your chapter.

4. A personal business card to swap with sisters from other chapters so you can keep in touch when you travel. 

5. Your favourite letters to show your Alpha Delta Pi spirit!!!

We hope you have as many lasting memories and friendships as we've made! WLFEO!! 

Feature Friday: Creative Project- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I love cards- receiving, making and recycling cards. I save my favourite cards from any occasion to recreate new ones and reduce waste. 

This year I thought I'd create Christmas thank you cards from used cards by using part of the picture, all of it or by placing a coloured piece of paper over the interior message to create a blank page. 

Happy Crafting!!

Treat Thursday- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

Preheat oven 180C 

2 cups plain flour 

1tsp baking soda 

1tsp baking powder 

1/2tsp table salt 

175g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup brown sugar 

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla 

3 cups oats 

1 1/2 cups raisins 

1. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stir and set aside 

2. In a medium sized bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. 

3. Add wet mixture to the flour combination and stir together, once loose poder is combined beat on low until mixture is blended

4. Stir in oats and raisins 

5. Form 1 1/2" balls and press them gently onto a greased baking sheet 

6. Bake for 12 minutes

Enjoy with a cup of coffee & share with loved ones 

Travel Tuesday: 7 Tips for Beating Jet Lag from Health.Com

At times, just the plane ride to one's destination can be exhausting-especially during long haul flights! With the start of a new year, we wanted to share 7 Tips for Beating Jet Lag from Health.com

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20322187,00.html

Getting good sleep

Plane travel is rarely hassle free. Packed airports, delayed (or canceled) flights, and lost luggage can send even the most stable of travelers into an emotional tailspin.

But for people who struggle with insomnia, flying can present additional problems. The disruption to normal schedules caused by flying—and especially jet lag—can wreak havoc on sleep patterns.

If you're traveling between time zones, try these tips. Though they won't work for everyone, they just may keep you from yawning your way through your vacations.

Melatonin

Melatonin, a natural hormone also sold as a supplement, regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle. Levels rise after dark, peak overnight, and then fall in the morning. In some studies, taking melatonin has been shown to help fight jet lag.

Experts recommend taking melatonin after dark on the day that you travel, and for a few days thereafter. For people flying east, some experts recommend taking melatonin in the evening (at 6 or 7 p.m., say) for a few days before your flight.

Melatonin can interact with medications, and if taken incorrectly can actually disrupt sleep, so be sure to consult your doctor before trying it.

Lavender oil

Lavender oil (also known as lavender essential oil) is a proven sleep enhancer. In a small 2005 study conducted by psychologists at Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn., lavender was shown to act as a mild sedative, promoting deep sleep and leaving the people who took it feeling more refreshed the next day.

health.com’s remedies expert, Sara Altshul, who tends to experience insomnia when she sleeps away

from home, always takes a small bottle of the oil when she travels. "I shake a few drops on my hotel

pillows and the lovely aroma immediately relaxes me," she says.

Pycnogenol

This dietary supplement—a trademarked extract of the bark of French pine trees—reduced jet lag symptoms in a small 2008 study conducted in Italy.

People who took 50 milligrams of Pycnogenol three times a day for a week, starting two days before their flight, had substantially fewer symptoms (including fatigue, insomnia, and mental slowness) than people who took a placebo. And what symptoms the people in the Pycnogenol group did experience lasted just 18 hours on average, compared to 39 hours in the placebo group.

As with any supplement, you should consult your doctor before trying Pycnogenol.

Prescription sleep medications

Carlos Schenck, MD, a sleep expert at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center and the author of Sleep: The Mysteries, The Problems, and The Solutions, says that short-acting sleep medications such as Sonata or Ambien can be helpful when traveling west to east (especially on transatlantic flights).

When flying in the opposite direction, longer-lasting pills such as Lunesta or Ambien CR tend to work better, he says.

You should never take these drugs without a prescription, and they shouldn't be mixed with alcohol. Adds Dr. Schenck, "Never take any sleeping pill for the first time on a plane; get used to it at home first.”

Soak up the sun

When flying west to east, you're likely to feel sleepy on the day after your arrival. Getting as much sleep as possible the night before will help, and so will getting some sun. "To keep awake, get bright light early in the day by turning on a bright lamp or taking a walk in the sunshine," says Dr. Schenck. And avoid naps, he adds, because they tend to prolong jet lag.

If you fly from east to west and arrive in the afternoon, says Dr. Schenck, recharge by getting some late-afternoon sun, and try to stay awake until your usual bedtime back east.

Get ahead of schedule

Adjusting to the time zone you're traveling to before you get on the plane can help you stay ahead of jet lag.

If you're flying east, you might go to sleep an hour earlier than usual each night for a few days before your flight. If you're traveling in the opposite direction, stay up later than you normally would. (This is generally only useful if you will be at your destination for more than two days.)

Making the adjustment gradually is essential, according to Dr. Schenck. "Do this in steps over a period of days," he says. "Otherwise, sleep could become a problem even before the trip.”