And today is .......

[tiger_one]

In Australia, Global Movie Day is an annual celebration of the power of cinema, and screens down under on the second Saturday of February and this year, that’s 14 February.

Today is a vibrant celebration of cinema, bringing together film fans worldwide. Organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this event highlights the power of movies to connect people across different cultures and backgrounds.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences established Global Movie Day, a day for film fans around the world to celebrate their favourite movies and engage with Academy members and filmmakers across social media. The inaugural holiday was held the day before the 92nd Oscars (2020).

The celebration of Global Movie Day focuses on movies’ universal appeal. Films have the unique ability to transcend language and cultural barriers, offering a platform for diverse voices and stories. Fundamentally, the annual mission of this special day is to celebrate the power of movies and their capacity to inspire and move people and transform lives.

One key reason for celebrating Global Movie Day is to honour the creative achievements of filmmakers and actors. This day serves as a call to appreciate the hard work and creativity behind every film, fostering a deeper connection between audiences and the cinematic art form.

Today also shows how movies connect people across cultures and languages through storytelling, all on the movie screen, and with no barrier to whatever genre is chosen. There are many parts that come together to bring a movie to life. They all play a role in telling the story before the first flicker of light on the screen, before the first note of the musical score plays. Collectively, these elements create magnificent narratives that captivate us time and again.

Everyone can be involved – it’s just all about the movie! We can discuss movies that have inspired or have special meaning to us; or rewatch our favourite movies with friends and family or discover something new!

Watching a movie has no bounds these days. Of course, there’s the traditional in-cinema experience; then there’s the plethora of movie streaming sites which are at our fingertips. Similarly, the spectrum of movie genres is wide open, to include action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, musicals, mystery, romance, science fiction, sports, thriller, and westerns. Every which way but loose, we’re all winners.

Just pass the popcorn, please!


Fun Fact about Global Movie Day:

1. Timed for Oscar Season: The day is intentionally held in the middle of awards season, usually just before the Academy Awards, to celebrate nominated films and cinematic achievements.
2. Global Participation: In its first few years, the event gained massive traction, garnering nearly 400 million organic impressions on social media through the hashtag #GlobalMovieDay.
3. And this year, it falls on Valentine's Day - the perfect Date Night just has to be a night at the movies!

"Movies are like a box of chocolates, you never know what happens before the final credits.”

"The whole of life is just like watching a film."

"Movies: The only place where you can travel the world in two hours without leaving your seat."

"Movies are the dreams we share."

 

[tiger_one]

Today, February 15, over 8,000 participants, all affected by breast cancer directly or their loves ones, will lace up at Elsternwick Park in Brighton for the annual Carman’s Fun Run.

This community event is where one of Melbourne’s most colourful, vibrant fun runs will see a wave of pink raise awareness and fundraiser for breast cancer, the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women.

• Among them is young mum, Jess Pearce, diagnosed at 33, over a year after a clear mammogram and told she was "too young" for breast cancer when she first noticed symptoms.
• Also running are the Raymond brothers, Liam 22, Ben 24 and Tom 20, racing for breast cancer support after their beloved mum Emma’s breast cancer was diagnosed as metastatic.
• Beyond the 5km, 10km and 21km runs and the 5km Pink Lady walk, lots of fun activities are planned in the event village, including food trucks, children’s activities, entertainment, Carman’s product giveaways, retail stalls, and more.
• Recharge at food and coffee vendors, browse retail and merchandise stands, and take a quiet moment at BCNA's Mini-Field of Women tribute space.
• In-Person: Join thousands of participants in a "pink-filled" day at the event village, featuring live entertainment, kids' zones, and a post-race massage area.
• Run Anywhere, Anytime: If you cannot attend in Melbourne, you can register to participate virtually between 14 February and 23 February 2026.

Fundraising through Carman’s Fun Run goes to Breast Cancer Network Australia, the first call for essential resources, advocacy, and support for the 20,000 Australians diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA)is Australia’s leading breast cancer consumer organisation. BCNA provides information and support to those diagnosed and their supporters, opportunities to connect with others going through a similar situation and work to influence a stronger healthcare system to ensure all Australians affected by breast cancer receive the very best care, treatment and support.

This is an event not to be missed. Join thousands of runners, walkers, friends and families coming together for an unforgettable bayside event that’s all about movement, community and making a real difference.

Challenge yourself to a Half Marathon, 10K, or a 5K and experience the unforgettable race day vibes running along Melbourne's scenic bayside. If you want to participate but don't want to run, join us for the Pink Lady 5K Walk and get together with family and friends, dress up, and show your support to BCNA.

Make your run count by raising funds for BCNA, to help ensure that all Australians who are affected by breast cancer receive the very best care, treatment and support.

Come Together.

Run Together.

Never Giving In Together.



"A breast cancer diagnosis doesn't have to halt your journey.”

"Cancer tried to end the story... but it failed."

“I want to run, play, grow, live everything that was almost taken from me."

"Together, we can make [cancer] history."

 

[tiger_one]

Lest We Forget


Today, 15 February, marks the anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, one of the worst military disasters to befall Australia, and one of the greatest defeats in British history.

On the night of 8/9 February 1942, Japanese forces landed on Singapore Island. Australians of the 22nd and 27th Brigades were among the first to meet the attack.
By 15 February, with the island’s reservoirs lost, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival accepted Japan’s demand for unconditional surrender - followed by an eerie silence veterans remembered vividly.

Over 18,000 Australians were taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore.
One third of those captured did not survive captivity.
During the campaign, 1,789 Australians were killed and 1,306 wounded

Lest We Forget

 

[tiger_one]

Tim Tam Day dunks onto our calendars each 16 February, celebrating Tim Tam biscuits. Made by Arnott's in Australia, Tim Tams consist of two malted chocolate biscuits, chocolate cream, and a chocolate coating. They can be eaten plain, from the cupboard or the fridge, or be used to make desserts or to do a Tim Tam Slam, where a hot beverage is drunk through a Tim Tam before the biscuit is eaten. Arnott's is often involved in the day. For example, they have hosted Tim Tam Day events and have given out free Tim Tams to people whose names begin with "Tim" or Tam."

There are many varieties of Tim Tams besides the Tim Tam Original. Other “Classic” varieties include Tim Tam Double Coat, Tim Tam Chewy Caramel, Tim Tam Dark, Tim Tam White, and Tim Tam Choc Mint. Their “Crafted Collection” uses ingredients from across Australia and New Zealand.

Their “Deluxe” varieties include flavours like Decadent Triple Choc and Dark Choc Mint. Arnott's has teamed up with Gelato Messina, a popular Australian gelato company, to create flavours like Tim Tam Gelato Messina Choc Cherry Coconut and Tim Tam Gelato Messina Turkish Delight. Many other varieties have been offered over the years. All types of Tim Tams can be celebrated today!

Tim Tams are indisputably Australia's favourite chocolate biscuit, with around 2.8 million households purchasing the iconic treat annually. Created in 1958 and launched in 1964, these biscuits consist of two malted biscuits separated by light chocolate cream, coated in textured milk chocolate. Nearly 400 million Tim Tams are consumed annually, with 1 in 3 Australians participating in the "Tim Tam Slam" (TTS) ritual.

Yes, everyone must do the “Tim Tam Slam.”

The Tim Tam Slam is an Australian coffee break ritual. It goes by many names: the Tim Tam Slam, the Tim Tam Bomb, the Tim Tam Suck, and the Tim Tam Explosion. Whatever you decide to call it, your coffee break will never be the same.

And it's a fun way to enjoy your afternoon coffee break. It's an interactive process that lets you enjoy a sweet treat along with a tasty hot beverage. The ritual is done in a very specific manner and if it isn't done right, things can get messy.

1. Prepare the hot beverage of your choice, be it tea, coffee, or even hot chocolate, and have it ready.
2. Bite off each end of the Tim Tam.
3. Place one bitten end of the Tim Tam in your mouth and dip the other bitten end in the hot drink.
4. Now suck, using the Tim Tam as a straw. As the hot drink is pulled through the biscuit, the structure of the biscuit and cream collapses.
5. Once the drink reaches the tongue, pop the Tim Tam in your mouth before it explodes!

Aussies just love our Tim Tams:

• 1 in every 2 Australian households has a packet in their cupboard.
• Cultural Icon: Often referred to as a "national treasure," they are a staple in Aussie households, with 50% of people bringing them to overseas friends as gifts.
• Origin Story: Created by Arnott's food technologist Ian Norris, who was inspired by the British Penguin biscuit and named the new creation after a 1958 Kentucky Derby-winning horse.
• Global Popularity: While deeply Australian, they are now exported to over 40 countries, with a significant following in the USA.
• Production: The Arnott's factory in Huntingwood runs 24/7, producing 4 million Tim Tams every single day to keep up with demand.

The question remains: Do you share your Tim Tams or (maybe) not?


Fun Fact about Tim Tams:

1. In 1994, Aussie actress Cate Blanchett was in a Tim Tam TV ad. She played a woman who asked a genie for "a packet of Tim Tams that never runs out." The ad was massive success, boosting sales and Tim Tam enjoyment across the nation.
2. The Tim Tam factory in Sydney produces 3,000 biscuits a minute.
3. Australians consume around 45 million packets of Tim Tams each year. That’s close to 400 million Tim Tams devoured annually.
4. Shrinkflation Secret: While an original pack contains 11 biscuits, many "specialty" or "double-coated" packs only contain 9 biscuits to keep the price consistent despite the more complex ingredients.

"What's better than a Tim Tam? Two Tim Tams."

"The Tim Tam Slam: A dangerous, chocolatey, and delicious game".

"Double-coated, double the happiness".

"A 'serving size' of Tim Tams is legally defined as 'the entire packet once opened.'"

 

[tiger_one]

Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Tuesday, is stacked into our calendar annually as we approach Easter. This special date is a day annually earmarked for indulging in the fluffy deliciousness of pancakes.

This year, it falls on Tuesday 17 February. This day is a moveable feast determined by the date of Easter. The first Tuesday before the start of Lent is marked by celebrations worldwide.

The exact date of Pancake Tuesday changes from year to year. But one thing stays the same — it’s always 47 days before Easter Sunday (a feast that is determined by the cycles of the moon). And yes, you guessed it, it’s always on a Tuesday!

Annually and historically, this particular Tuesday is the last day before Easter when Anglicans, Catholics and Methodists commence the season of Lent, where (going back in centuries-old traditions) they used to use up all left-over rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar by making pancakes before the 40-day fasting period begins.

However, over time, Pancake Tuesday has evolved into a day to celebrate all things pancakes! Its origins have evolved beyond its religious origins to become a celebration of community and culinary creativity and all things pancakes (also known as a hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjacks). Pancake Tuesday is now a popular non-denominational cultural yummy custom.

Making them, sharing them and always – eating them! These days, celebrations involve making and eating pancakes, often with toppings, hosting pancake breakfasts, and even holding pancake races. What’s not to love!

Many Australians make and share pancakes on this wonderful day. It is common for families to feast on thin, crepe-style pancakes with lemon and sugar – always a family fav!

There are endless toppings options to transform your stack into a mouthwatering masterpiece. From the classic lemon and sugar to more adventurous combinations. Here are some topping ideas to get you started:

• Lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar for a refreshing tang.
• Maple syrup is always a winner.
• A mixture of fresh berries with a dollop of whipped cream or Greek yogurt.
• Melted chocolate with sliced bananas or Nutella spread or caramel sauce with ice-cream.
• A spread of almond or peanut butter topped with crushed nuts and a drizzle of honey.
• Chopped mango, pineapple, and a squeeze of lime juice, finished with a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

Whatever topping you like is going to be YUMMY! And more some!

Pancake Day offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate with loved ones and enjoy the simple pleasures.

We Aussies have a great love of smaller, thicker pancakes which we call "pikelets," which are a classic treat often served for morning or afternoon tea with jam and cream. Generally we use the general term "pancakes" for larger versions, often eaten for breakfast with toppings like fruit and syrup. Pikelets are essentially mini pancakes being a common staple in Aussie homes and easily found in stores.


Fun Fact about Pancake Tuesday:

• Pancake races are a super-fun Pancake Tuesday tradition. In this mad-cap activity, people race each other whilst tossing a pancake in a pan. Today, pancake races are often organised to raise money for charity and help those in need. Awesome!
• In other countries, Pancake Tuesday has different names. In Germany, for example, it’s called ‘Fastnacht’ (meaning ‘Eve of the Fast’) and in Iceland it’s called ‘Sprengidagur’ (meaning ‘Bursting Day’). In France and some other parts of the world, the festival is called ‘Mardi Gras’, from the French phrase meaning ‘Fat Tuesday’.

“When life gives you lemons, put them on a pancake.”

“Pancakes: because sometimes bacon just isn't enough.”

“Today’s plan: Eat pancakes. Tomorrow’s plan: Same.”

"Pancakes: The only acceptable breakfast that feels like dessert."

 

[krissy]

Tim Tam Day dunks onto our calendars each 16 February, celebrating Tim Tam biscuits. Made by Arnott's in Australia, Tim Tams consist of two malted chocolate biscuits, chocolate cream, and a chocolate coating. They can be eaten plain, from the cupboard or the fridge, or be used to make desserts or to do a Tim Tam Slam, where a hot beverage is drunk through a Tim Tam before the biscuit is eaten. Arnott's is often involved in the day. For example, they have hosted Tim Tam Day events and have given out free Tim Tams to people whose names begin with "Tim" or Tam."

There are many varieties of Tim Tams besides the Tim Tam Original. Other “Classic” varieties include Tim Tam Double Coat, Tim Tam Chewy Caramel, Tim Tam Dark, Tim Tam White, and Tim Tam Choc Mint. Their “Crafted Collection” uses ingredients from across Australia and New Zealand.

Their “Deluxe” varieties include flavours like Decadent Triple Choc and Dark Choc Mint. Arnott's has teamed up with Gelato Messina, a popular Australian gelato company, to create flavours like Tim Tam Gelato Messina Choc Cherry Coconut and Tim Tam Gelato Messina Turkish Delight. Many other varieties have been offered over the years. All types of Tim Tams can be celebrated today!

Tim Tams are indisputably Australia's favourite chocolate biscuit, with around 2.8 million households purchasing the iconic treat annually. Created in 1958 and launched in 1964, these biscuits consist of two malted biscuits separated by light chocolate cream, coated in textured milk chocolate. Nearly 400 million Tim Tams are consumed annually, with 1 in 3 Australians participating in the "Tim Tam Slam" (TTS) ritual.

Yes, everyone must do the “Tim Tam Slam.”

The Tim Tam Slam is an Australian coffee break ritual. It goes by many names: the Tim Tam Slam, the Tim Tam Bomb, the Tim Tam Suck, and the Tim Tam Explosion. Whatever you decide to call it, your coffee break will never be the same.

And it's a fun way to enjoy your afternoon coffee break. It's an interactive process that lets you enjoy a sweet treat along with a tasty hot beverage. The ritual is done in a very specific manner and if it isn't done right, things can get messy.

1. Prepare the hot beverage of your choice, be it tea, coffee, or even hot chocolate, and have it ready.
2. Bite off each end of the Tim Tam.
3. Place one bitten end of the Tim Tam in your mouth and dip the other bitten end in the hot drink.
4. Now suck, using the Tim Tam as a straw. As the hot drink is pulled through the biscuit, the structure of the biscuit and cream collapses.
5. Once the drink reaches the tongue, pop the Tim Tam in your mouth before it explodes!

Aussies just love our Tim Tams:

• 1 in every 2 Australian households has a packet in their cupboard.
• Cultural Icon: Often referred to as a "national treasure," they are a staple in Aussie households, with 50% of people bringing them to overseas friends as gifts.
• Origin Story: Created by Arnott's food technologist Ian Norris, who was inspired by the British Penguin biscuit and named the new creation after a 1958 Kentucky Derby-winning horse.
• Global Popularity: While deeply Australian, they are now exported to over 40 countries, with a significant following in the USA.
• Production: The Arnott's factory in Huntingwood runs 24/7, producing 4 million Tim Tams every single day to keep up with demand.

The question remains: Do you share your Tim Tams or (maybe) not?


Fun Fact about Tim Tams:

1. In 1994, Aussie actress Cate Blanchett was in a Tim Tam TV ad. She played a woman who asked a genie for "a packet of Tim Tams that never runs out." The ad was massive success, boosting sales and Tim Tam enjoyment across the nation.
2. The Tim Tam factory in Sydney produces 3,000 biscuits a minute.
3. Australians consume around 45 million packets of Tim Tams each year. That’s close to 400 million Tim Tams devoured annually.
4. Shrinkflation Secret: While an original pack contains 11 biscuits, many "specialty" or "double-coated" packs only contain 9 biscuits to keep the price consistent despite the more complex ingredients.

"What's better than a Tim Tam? Two Tim Tams."

"The Tim Tam Slam: A dangerous, chocolatey, and delicious game".

"Double-coated, double the happiness".

"A 'serving size' of Tim Tams is legally defined as 'the entire packet once opened.'"




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Sorry but I am not a fan of Tim Tams, to me they are overrated.

 

[Suzie-Q]

Sorry but I am not a fan of Tim Tams, to me they are overrated.

I'd rather a mint slice

 

[NT_Tiger]

Sorry but I am not a fan of Tim Tams, to me they are overrated.

Original tim tams yes, but I dont mind the dark choc ones.

 

[tiger_one]

Australia's first school was established on February 18 in 1793, and it’s this anniversary that is celebrated today.

Really – today is a nod to all of us, our first day at school way back whenever, our teachers, our friends at school, our school memories and everything that falls into place simply because of education.

Historically, today’s date commemorates the particular day in 1793 when Reverend Richard Johnson and his wife, Mary, opened the first-ever school in our nation, located on the corner of Hunter and Castlereagh Streets, Sydney. Initially, it was thought to educate 150-200 children in its number.

This early establishment was a small, informal school for the children of convicts and marines, appearing just one year after the arrival of the First Fleet. It operated out of a newly built church. Just like other schools that followed, it was rudimentary, with dirt floors and thatch roofs, and focused on religious instruction and basic literacy.

Early education was primarily for orphans or the children of convicts and military personnel, often focused on improving the "virtue" of the young population.

In time, private Catholics schools were opened, independent schools, and also the first Public High School, located at Fort Street.

Education for Australians within “the colony” (as it was still known generally) followed the growing population with compulsory education actually beginning in Victoria Here, it became the first colony to pass an Education Act (1872) providing for free, secular, and compulsory education, a model later followed by the other states and territories.

The oldest continuously-operating school in Australia is Newcastle East Public School, established in 1816 in Newcastle, NSW, by a convict teacher (Henry Wrensford, a convict on a conditional pardon) for children of settlers and convicts, making it Australia's first public school and oldest running school.

This school began as a simple slab hut and serves as a landmark in Australian educational history, celebrating over 200 years of continuous operation with its current site being located in the suburb of Newcastle on the corner of Tyrrell and Brown Streets.

Now moving into times that we each share, that within our memory, we try and remember our own first day of school. Perhaps it was a memorable mix of excitement and nervousness, marked by meeting new teachers, making friends, and exploring a new environment. Then there was maybe a new uniform, organized classroom activities, and the beginning of a learning journey. It's a special, sometimes scary, but ultimately formative experience.

Then there are our teachers.

Hopefully (and I know there will be exceptions), we can remember positive relationships, with memories of their kindness and teaching style: maybe also their patience, mentorship, and passion for helping us be our best.

Then, there’s also the friends we make at school, and sometimes keep down the years. We’ve built these connections always based on kindred values of kindness, shared interests, and even participating in sports teams where we felt a sense of belonging and developed, along the way, crucial life skills – sometimes without even knowing it at the time.

So, whatever schools we each went to, and wherever they might have been, the education we’ve received and the life learnings we gained, all this are in us today. School just doesn’t simply eat up our hours as we grow. Our school education has provided critical personal and societal benefits, including improved career opportunities, higher income potential, enhanced critical thinking, and better health outcomes. School has fostered social stability, encouraged equality, and driven economic growth by developing skills necessary for our modern way of life.

And in our nation’s history, it all gets back to where The Johnsons started things on this day in 1793.

Massive thanks to all the teachers who have guided us all, were patient with us, and influenced us to simply be our best!


Fun Fact about school:

• The word "school" originates from the ancient Greek word “skholē” which ironically meant "leisure" or "free time" – can you believe that?!
• The children in the Netherlands start school on their fourth birthday so there’s always someone new in class.
• Meal-time in France is considered part of the curriculum. \Students are expected to learn not only about different foods and where they come from (schools try to source locally), but also to display good manners and etiquette.
• In Russia, children always start school on ‘Knowledge Day’ (September 1) even if it’s a weekend or a holiday.
• In a remote area of Colombia, kids have to travel to school on a zip-line. (These steel wires are the only form of transportation for those living in an isolated valley called Los Pinos.)

“Every child deserves education in a caring school.”

“School lights fires within.”

“Chasing dreams one class at a time.”

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

 

[tiger_one]

National Chocolate Mint Day sweetens our calendar each February 19. This date celebrates the unusual yet delicious flavour which has become a classic over time. Chocolate helps produce serotonin and dopamine, and the combination of that with mint overall makes for a (maybe) healthier taste combo. Mint is also a powerful herb which aids digestion and fabulously freshens breath. Choc + mint = winner/winner every time!

To Aussies, chocolate mint is pretty-much a "love it" classic combo that has maintained a strong presence in local snack culture through iconic biscuits, chocolate blocks, and seasonal desserts.

Mint chocolate is a mix of two great flavours: chocolate and mint. The mint part comes from plants in the Mentha family. These plants give us the cool, fresh taste we know. The chocolate itself can be different kinds. Some mint chocolates use sweet milk chocolate. Others use rich dark chocolate. White chocolate can also be used for a creamy, minty treat.

The smell of mint chocolate is also very special. It often has a strong, fresh minty scent. This smell can change depending on the ingredients.

Our popular Chocolate Mint products across the nation:

1. Arnott’s Mint Slice - arguably the most iconic Australian mint treat, this round biscuit features a chocolate base, a layer of peppermint-infused fondant, and a full dark chocolate coating. By the time winter arrives, Mint Slice’s role becomes akin to munching on candy canes at Christmastime, only much chocolatey and less crunchy.
2. Cadbury Dairy Milk Peppermint - a top-selling staple in Australia, this choc block consists of milk chocolate with a flowing peppermint centre.
3. Nestle Aero Peppermint - known for its "bubbly" texture, this choc bar features a mint-flavoured aerated centre covered in milk chocolate.
4. Tim Tam Deluxe Dark Choc Mint - renowned for being a "perfect" balance of dark chocolate, biscuit, and mint.
5. Violet Crumble Mint Cubes – a newer, popular option combining crunchy mint-infused honeycomb with milk chocolate.
6. All varieties Choc Mint Ice-Cream - common supermarket/speciality ice cream tub flavour that blends mint and chocolate flavours and a long-time family favourite. Then add the always popular Classic Mint Choc Chip gelato – YUMM!
7. Desserts : Aussies frequently use choc-mint in home baking, with popular recipes including choc-mint cheesecakes, mousse cakes, and slices.
8. "After Dinner Mints": Traditionally served after a meal to guests, brands like After Eight or local "choc mint thins" are common palate cleansers after a meal. Again -YUMM!
9. Lindt Mint Intense: - a thin, rich chocolate bar with mint.
10. Native Twists: While standard peppermint is most common, some premium Australian products use native Tasmanian Mint for a local botanical profile.
11. Home Bakers Delights: Here the options are almost endless with favs including choc-mint fudge, choc-mint balls, choc-mint ice cream sandwiches, choc-mint rice bubble balls, choc-mint brownie cake, mint choc chip biscuits and chocolate peppermint crunch slices. And more if your game!

In Australia, there are several key players producing mint-flavoured confectionery. Companies like Nestlé produce Aero mint products at their Campbellfield factory in Melbourne. Cadbury (Mondelez Australia) also produces chocolate in Australia, including special editions like the Dairy Milk Maker's Mint Chip, which uses Tasmanian mint. By example, in 2023 alone, over 9 million AERO chocolate bars were produced and consumed by Australians.

As that line from Seinfeld said: “Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious!" And so say all of us!


Fun Fact about Chocolate Mint:

• People with taste love everything choc-minty; those who say they don’t just haven’t tasted it yet!

“They say it tastes like toothpaste, but I think it’s pure perfection.”

“Life is better with a little peppermint twist.”

Breathe in peace. Breathe out peppermint.

“Aromatic minds think alike.”

 

[krissy]

Ok dark chocolate & mint, now we are talking 🥰

 

[tiger_one]

Ok dark chocolate & mint, now we are talking 🥰

Champion @krissy, I'm having a coffee and bikkie right now and it's a mint slice! 😉

 

[tiger_one]

National Muffin Day bakes onto our calendar each 20 February. WOW! What a day set aside to relish warm, freshly baked treats with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, in a variety of flavours - perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Muffins in Australia are popular, café-style treats known for being large, moist, and often packed with fruit or chocolate, typically featuring a high, crumbled top. They are commonly made with self-raising flour, buttermilk, and oil or butter, with popular flavours including blueberry, apple-cinnamon, and savoury cheese-vegetable options. Common local ingredients include self-raising flour, caster sugar, buttermilk, yoghurt, and macadamia oil.

A muffin’s shape should have a uniform, well rounded top, free from peaks, with no cracks and be large in proportion to weight. The outside colour should be an even golden brown, and be tender, with a pebbly or slightly rough and shiny surface. The inside texture should be moist, tender and light with an even, round-holed grain. The inside colour will be creamy white or slightly yellow and free from streaks.

Muffins are often consumed at breakfast or as a morning/afternoon tea snack. They are highly versatile, with recipes often allowing for easy substitutions of whatever ingredients are available. Many bakers now lean towards using healthier, whole-food ingredients for a more nutritious breakfast on the go.

Then we muffin-lovers have a conundrum: do we go for a sweet muffin or a savoury muffin?

Some might say “Let’s do both!” And they’d be right!

Taste determines the answer always.

Our sweet choices might include: Choc-chip banana, raspberry and white chocolate, apple-cinnamon, and lemon yogurt, macadamia and raspberry (utilizing local nuts and being popular for their nutty, buttery taste) and choc chip Banana - always a classic, simple staple.

Wait there’s more: apple muffins, mango muffins, strawberry muffins, Milo muffins, passionfruit muffins, orange muffins, banana coconut muffins, choc chip Weet-Bix banana muffins … the list just goes on, and on ……

On the other hand, we have our savoury favs: Cheesy veg, bacon, or spinach and herb, bacon muffins, pumpkin muffins, bacon and egg muffins, spinach and fetta muffins, cauliflower cheese muffins, cheesy bacon and corn muffins, halloumi and olives muffins, even the massively popular Brekky Muffins at Maccas…… again, the list just goes on, and on …….

And once we choose which muffin we like, when do we eat them? We Aussies typically eat our muffins as a versatile, convenient option throughout the day, spanning from breakfast to afternoon tea. There you go: whenever you want! YUMM!

And muffins are a common, quick snack option for children, easily placed inside lunch boxes, or devoured after school.

It’s a given that we love our tucker. And amongst all the delicious options we are so lucky to have, the humble – and always tasty – muffin will always rate highly on our “wanted” list of food goodies.


Fun Facts about Muffins:

• If you say “muffins” backwards, that’s exactly what we do when they come out of the oven!
• Muffin Heeler is a popular, high-energy 4-year-old character in the very-popular animated show “Bluey.”

“Life is short, eat the top of the muffin first.”

“Muffins are just cupcakes that didn't go to uni.”

"When you're hungry... it's never salad; it's gotta be muffins!"

“Did Darth Vader really say: Luke, I am your muffin."

 

[tiger_one]

The Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club is officially recognised by SLSA as the oldest surf lifesaving club in the world. Located at the southern end of Bondi Beach and being a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to water safety and community service, it is an Australian icon and holds an indelible position in Australian history.

The club existed informally for some time from the turn of the century. Shortly before 8pm on the 21st February 1907, a group of men gathered at the Royal Hotel on the corner of Bondi Road and Denham Street Bondi to discuss matters relating to the formation of a surf lifesaving organisation on Bondi Beach – this is the first officially documented surf club formation.

A tad after this, on 22 March, a small advertisement for demonstrations of Life Saving appeared in the press of the day.

On this same day, the Bondi Surf Club displayed a new design for the alarm reel. Over time the alarm reel would come to be known as the surf reel and emerge as the backbone of the surf lifesaving movement as well as its most enduring icon.

Founding members John Bond, Percy Flynn, and Lyster Ormsby invented the surf reel and line (first used in December 1906), a revolutionary tool for rescuing distressed swimmers.

"From little things big things grow" Following and directly due to the success of the Bondi Club, it was only time before the SLSA NSW was formed.

Club delegates (along with 9 other surf clubs) decided to form an association which formed the Surf Bathers’ Association of New South Wales on 18 October 1907, which later became Surf Life Saving Australia.

Then followed the first Bronze Medallion where the First Bronze Medallion Squad was examined at Bondi Beach on 2 January 1910. It comprised four members of the Bondi SBLSC and the Coogee Life Saving Brigade.

Under the instruction of founding member Lyster Ormsby, Sid Fullwood became the first Bondi “Bronzie.”

In quick time thereafter, and with donations and community help, the first Bondi Clubhouse was opened in November, 1907, which evolved into the Bondi Surf Bathers Club, Later, on 3 March 1934, a new Clubhouse was opened in style with a Christmas party on the roof .

The Bondi Club flag has a proud heritage representative of this iconic institution. It has been carried all around the world, and even flew during World War II in Palestine, Bougainville and in the Phillipines. The Standard left Australia in November 1940 and returned in November 1945, following our brave members through many theatres of war.

The club’s first boat, the “Johnny Walker,” was won in competition during the 1925-26 season. Over the years, the Bondi Club has proudly produced more Australian Champion teams in the Rescue and Resuscitation than any other club.

Among many rescue events that the Bondi Surf lifesavers have been involved in over time, none is etched into memory more than Black Sunday - 6th February, 1938.

“There are no men in the world like your lifesavers “this is the greatest labour of love in the world – I have never seen anything like it” Dr. Marshall W. Dyer expressing his appreciation for how 80 our Bondi Surf Club members responded to 300 members of the public being swept out to sea within 30 seconds due to a freak wave. The toll was tragic, but it could have been disastrous. Forty had been pounded into unconsciousness and five died.” This rescue remains the largest mass surf rescue in Australian history.

(Perhaps, the recent tragic event of 14 December, 2025 is another reminder of the and true heroism of the modern-day

life savers as the Bondi contingent acted selflessly as first responders in helping and saving lives on that heartbreaking evening.)

As a modern surf lifesaving club, the Bondi Club through their network of volunteer "clubbies" patrol Bondi Beach on weekends and public holidays from late September to April. They work alongside the professional Waverley Council Lifeguards, who are famously featured on the TV show Bondi Rescue.

Traditions continue with Bondi Club generations still providing the Bronze Medallion certification, the standard qualification for all adult lifesavers. A junior Club Nippers program for children aged 5 to 14, teaches ocean safety and surf skills to prepare the younger generation for future lifesaving roles. Club members compete in traditional SLSA events like surfboat racing, board paddling, and ironman/ironwoman competitions at local and national levels.

This club represents everything good about Australia and the community values we each share, in a willingness to serve, and to help and be there “for our mate.”

“Advance Australia” should come with a highly visible red and yellow patrol shirt, red shorts, and a quartered cap!


Fun Facts about Bondi Life Saving Club:

• There are between 30 and 40 full-time lifeguards on staff at Bondi at any given time, with six lifeguards on duty at all times.
• Bondi lifeguards really are top-notch lifesavers. According to the Waverley council, on busy days, Bondi lifeguards save as many as 100 lives per day.

“Not Just Club, A Legacy”

“Beyond the Sand”

"Rescue of the Distressed"

"Our ocean doesn't discriminate. Neither should we"

 

[Buttface]

Sorry but I am not a fan of Tim Tams, to me they are overrated.

Mint slice.

 

[Buttface]

National Chocolate Mint Day sweetens our calendar each February 19. This date celebrates the unusual yet delicious flavour which has become a classic over time. Chocolate helps produce serotonin and dopamine, and the combination of that with mint overall makes for a (maybe) healthier taste combo. Mint is also a powerful herb which aids digestion and fabulously freshens breath. Choc + mint = winner/winner every time!

To Aussies, chocolate mint is pretty-much a "love it" classic combo that has maintained a strong presence in local snack culture through iconic biscuits, chocolate blocks, and seasonal desserts.

Mint chocolate is a mix of two great flavours: chocolate and mint. The mint part comes from plants in the Mentha family. These plants give us the cool, fresh taste we know. The chocolate itself can be different kinds. Some mint chocolates use sweet milk chocolate. Others use rich dark chocolate. White chocolate can also be used for a creamy, minty treat.

The smell of mint chocolate is also very special. It often has a strong, fresh minty scent. This smell can change depending on the ingredients.

Our popular Chocolate Mint products across the nation:

1. Arnott’s Mint Slice - arguably the most iconic Australian mint treat, this round biscuit features a chocolate base, a layer of peppermint-infused fondant, and a full dark chocolate coating. By the time winter arrives, Mint Slice’s role becomes akin to munching on candy canes at Christmastime, only much chocolatey and less crunchy.
2. Cadbury Dairy Milk Peppermint - a top-selling staple in Australia, this choc block consists of milk chocolate with a flowing peppermint centre.
3. Nestle Aero Peppermint - known for its "bubbly" texture, this choc bar features a mint-flavoured aerated centre covered in milk chocolate.
4. Tim Tam Deluxe Dark Choc Mint - renowned for being a "perfect" balance of dark chocolate, biscuit, and mint.
5. Violet Crumble Mint Cubes – a newer, popular option combining crunchy mint-infused honeycomb with milk chocolate.
6. All varieties Choc Mint Ice-Cream - common supermarket/speciality ice cream tub flavour that blends mint and chocolate flavours and a long-time family favourite. Then add the always popular Classic Mint Choc Chip gelato – YUMM!
7. Desserts : Aussies frequently use choc-mint in home baking, with popular recipes including choc-mint cheesecakes, mousse cakes, and slices.
8. "After Dinner Mints": Traditionally served after a meal to guests, brands like After Eight or local "choc mint thins" are common palate cleansers after a meal. Again -YUMM!
9. Lindt Mint Intense: - a thin, rich chocolate bar with mint.
10. Native Twists: While standard peppermint is most common, some premium Australian products use native Tasmanian Mint for a local botanical profile.
11. Home Bakers Delights: Here the options are almost endless with favs including choc-mint fudge, choc-mint balls, choc-mint ice cream sandwiches, choc-mint rice bubble balls, choc-mint brownie cake, mint choc chip biscuits and chocolate peppermint crunch slices. And more if your game!

In Australia, there are several key players producing mint-flavoured confectionery. Companies like Nestlé produce Aero mint products at their Campbellfield factory in Melbourne. Cadbury (Mondelez Australia) also produces chocolate in Australia, including special editions like the Dairy Milk Maker's Mint Chip, which uses Tasmanian mint. By example, in 2023 alone, over 9 million AERO chocolate bars were produced and consumed by Australians.

As that line from Seinfeld said: “Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious!" And so say all of us!


Fun Fact about Chocolate Mint:

• People with taste love everything choc-minty; those who say they don’t just haven’t tasted it yet!

“They say it tastes like toothpaste, but I think it’s pure perfection.”

“Life is better with a little peppermint twist.”

Breathe in peace. Breathe out peppermint.

“Aromatic minds think alike.”




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Mint and chocolate,

Goes together like cheese and bacon. 🥓

 

[Buttface]

For the foodies out there it’s world Pangolin Day!!!

Thanks to China, I had no idea we were eating them before COVID.

 

[tiger_one]

For the foodies out there it’s world Pangolin Day!!!

Thanks to China, I had no idea we were eating them before COVID.

I gotta say it's a new one on me, champion @Buttface.

 

[tiger_one]

The legendary "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, was born on 22 February 1962 with today being what would have been his 64th birthday.

Steve Irwin (1962–2006) was an iconic Australian wildlife expert, conservationist, and television personality famous for his energetic, hands-on, and fearless approach to dangerous animals, particularly crocodiles.

Nicknamed the "Crocodile Hunter," he built a global brand educating millions, managing the Australia Zoo, and founding Wildlife Warriors.

Born Stephen Robert Irwin on February 22, 1962, in Victoria, Australia, his family moved from their home in Upper Ferntree Gully to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, in 1970. Here, his parents started the Beerwah Reptile Park. He grew up caring for reptiles and, by age 9, was assisting with crocodile catching.

Steve developed a deep love for wildlife, particularly reptiles, from a very young age. He became involved with the park in a number of ways, including taking part in daily animal feeding, as well as care and maintenance activities. On his sixth birthday, he was given a 12-foot (4 m) scrub python. He began handling crocodiles at the age of nine after his father had educated him on reptiles from an early age. Also at age nine, he wrestled his first crocodile, again under his father's supervision. He worked as a volunteer for Queensland's East Coast Crocodile Management program and captured over 100 crocodiles, some of which were relocated, while others were housed at the family park. Irwin took over the management of the park in 1991 and renamed it Australia Zoo in 1998

As his fame and gregarious personality grew, he garnered worldwide fame with the series The Crocodile Hunter (1996), which was broadcast in over 120 countries, reaching 500 million people. Irwin's exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, signature khaki shorts, and catchphrase 'Crikey!' became known internationally.

American satellite and cable television channel Animal Planet promoted and showed his uniquely Australian docos beyond The Crocodile Hunter to include Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries and New Breed Vets. Animal Planet also created the annual Croc Week marathon, which lasted a full week in the middle of June, every year from 2000 to 2007. During a January 2006 interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Irwin announced that Discovery Kids would be developing a show for his daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin - a plan realised after his death as the series Bindi the Jungle Girl.

Steve’s catchphrase "Crikey!" and close-contact, high-energy, and often risky interactions with animals to educate viewers on conservation went massive in broadcasting ratings. All profits from his media work were directed toward, and he dedicated his life to, conservation and protecting endangered species.

Under Irwin's leadership, his broadcast canvas grew to include the zoo, the television series, the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation (later renamed Wildlife Warriors), and the International Crocodile Rescue. Improvements made to the Australia Zoo included the Animal Planet Crocoseum, the rainforest aviary and Tiger Temple.

During his ascent, he founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which became an independent charity and was later renamed 'Wildlife Warriors Worldwide'. He also helped found International Crocodile Rescue, the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund (named in memory of his mother, who died in an automobile crash in 2000), and the Iron Bark Station Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility.

Outside the media spotlight, he married American-born Terri Raines in 1992, who became his partner in both conservation and television. They had two children, Bindi Sue (born 1998) and Robert (born 2003), who continue his conservation legacy.

Tragically, his life came to a sharp and shocking end; he died on 4 September 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef with Philippe Cousteau Jr.

Remembered as an all-round Aussie larrikin with a special heart bigger than any animal ever in his care, his death was met with shock and grief by his fans all around the world, and none more so than his legion of Aussie fans everywhere across our Great Southern Land.

Steve Irwin – Rest In Peace

Fun Fact about Steve Irwin:

• Steve held life-long loves for the Essendon Bombers in Aussie Rules and the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.
• Steve Irwin provided his voice for the animated movie Happy Feet in 2006. He played an elephant seal named Trev. The movie was dedicated to Steve because he died while it was being made.
• The first episode of The Crocodile Hunter was filmed during Steve and Terri Irwin's honeymoon.
• In 1990, he pulled in an unfamiliar turtle on a fishing line. They photographed the female specimen and sent them to turtle expert, John Cann, who verified the animal was a new [undescribed] species. This remarkable find led to the naming of the turtle species "Elseya irwini" in his honour.

“Crikey, mate.”

“I am a wildlife warrior, and I will fight, fight to the death for wildlife.”

“My life revolves around conservation. That is my work. That is my life, and I'll die doing that.”

"Where I live, if someone gives you a hug it's from the heart."

 

[Tony Taco]

On this day in 1938........ Carlos Herrera makes a Margarita​

One of the earliest origin stories of the Margarita involves Carlos “Danny” Herrera and his restaurant called Rancho La Gloria near Tijuana. He says that he created it for dancer Marjorie King who was allergic to many spirits, but not tequila.