Happy IWD10

Happy iwd10

So 8th march flew past with not so much as a hiccough (or is it hiccup?) here. But it's still going where you are. So Happy International Women's Day. 

What should probably be more of a big deal than say mothers/fathers day, nurses/secretary/teachers day or even days of holiday in honor of a horse race, didn't rate a mention on my facebook wall, or blogroll bar Catherine . 

On of the kinder assistants was telling me in Russia it's a huge deal. The first public holiday of spring. Flowers are given to all women/girls. She had 8 bunches from her various males, her husband took the day off & vacuumed the house & took her out to dinner. How nice. 

I know we have it pretty good compared to some (?most) - access to education, healthcare, participation in workforce, participation in democratic processes.  But I couldn't help but, at the end of a particularly ordinary day ponder some of the inequities. 

"what are you doing with your day off?" ( having dropped Owen at kinder, involving getting 3 people fed cleaned clothed & a load of washing) 
Umm agh well the answer would be going home to look after my 7 mo old baby, hopefully fit in a vacuum & mop of floors, several loads of washing, get dinner prepared, sort through 9 boxes of clutter, feed  myself & Gus 4 times (roast beetroot, roast kumara, wholewheat bread, avocado & watermelon - def not beige!) 
On top of the looking after other needs of a small baby (gazing, playing, chasing) which, until I had another, was considered by most to be a full-time occupation. Some "day off". 
Or on the heady occasion of leaving the house without o & g "is Andy going to babysit?" Ah,  No its called parenting. 

Yet this stuff often falls to Womens work (though I know I have it better even on this superficial level- A can cook & does so maybe 2x/week, and "helps" with the tidying up/dishes (his words, not mine, usually preceding an argument). 



So anyway, enough venting. Just wanted to say to one of the awesome women in my life- have a happy day (or night) And congratulations on following your talents & dreams & not settling for mediocrity. 

Love me x

It's all beige (alternative title: I should've known it could never work)

Well little sis, I don't think shocking neglect is what I would dub it ... though I was reticent to update again before you, initially, particularly as there is not much going on here, and well compared to you, my life looks rather beige (as has been kindly pointed out by some kind people). And then you go to Lego land and impress with your amazing photos, and potential fella at Rockefellar Centre (which you should totally stalk with your new red hair and fringe).

But seeing in your earlier post you updated on what meals you've been cooking, I guess the gloves are off.  I am cooking at least 2 meals each sitting, twice a day, plus breakfast, afternoon tea, elevensies, afternoon tea, and bridging snack/appetizers before dinner ... and yes, one of those meals is baby moosh.

This free photo collage customized with Smilebox

The kid LOVES it - insane.  So far his absolute favorites are pieces of cucumber, lamb cutlets, pureed pear, and whole plums.  He grabs the spoons, bowls and attempts to feed himself, and has a love too of flinging everything over the edge of his new ikea highchair. Obie frigging loves it.  He also tries to snatch food from others (including fistful of tinned spaghetti from Owen this week, and pizza from my plate. Proves it's not all organic home-cooked food around here! And he's not fussy. Huzzah!)

So what else?

• There's been a fair bit of falling out of bed on Gus's part (oops - even with our industrial sized bed-rails.  Owen used to wail on waking where I think Gus wakes, mucks around quietly so no-one is the wiser, then thinks he should find us again). and accidentally whacking his head on doorjambs as I walk through the house with him permanently attached to the hip.  No serious damage yet (I hope).
• We had a Thomas bonanza at Puffing Billy last week with mum, dad, brother, nephew Dircks (Gratuitous Cross-Post for pictures)
• We've been entertaining insurance people and tradies cashing in on the repairing of flood damage (which was remarkably minor considering, though Andy is pissed off someone has told him officially that gutters do need cleaning - I guess once every 5 years is not so bad, right?).  Apparently we will need to manage without a laundry for a few days *minor breakdown and breathing into paperbag*
• We had a kinder welcome picnic and were embroiled in a child-missing affair (I think I told you about that, right?)
• An Ikea trek last week to get Gus's highchair, where O discovered meatballs with little Swedish flags in the top and fruit salad in a cup - he was in heaven.
• There's been a zoo visit for our brother's birthday (stop me if I'm repeating myself)
• There has been a remodeling of "The Wall" - they now have the old record shop all cafe-i-fied. Will have to pop down there again with camera in hand in the name of research!
• Ah Damien and Lisa have announced baby due in September so much excitement among the clan. Owen wants to know if its a sister or brother & has been getting pregnant and birthing babies in bed/bath/everywhere actually.  He told me my big tummy is just boobs so there is no baby inside - nice. Do you think it's time for pilates?
• Owen is keener than ever to come visit now he knows that the city is made of Lego (that's right isn't it?!)  We had a discussion about winter here (no, it will not snow) and summer there and he is kind-of up for it, though at the current time our bank balance is not.  So we are instigating Money March whereby Andy will finally be paid his salary by the month's end (only like ah 15 months later?) and I am working out our family budget in real life where we are not running at a loss before eating.  I'll let you know how we go.
• And finally I may have gorged this week on a whole pillow-sized block of Cadbury chocolate and the newest TN6 from Jasper.  Did you know they have a Fforde Fiesta in Swindon?  Just saying .... So now a painstaking 8 months before Dragonslayer 2 released in UK and then a WHOLE YEAR before Shades of Grey sequel and then ANOTHER 365 days until Nursery Crime # 3 ... and no TN on the horizon, at all.  I need a new author of awesomeness.  I feel a bit cross with myself for not doling it out in rations, and a bit sick too.....

On that note, dear sis, apologies for being the crappest sister this past 2 weeks ... feel like I'm swimming through mud at the moment. Will do better. Promise.

x L

When I grow up I want to live in Legoland

Yes, sure, it's probably your turn to post now my dear sister, but I just couldn't contain myself!

Back this evening from a weekend in the city with my friend Keren. She is a photojournalist who has been living in Israel and is travelling through the States on her way back to Melbourne.

Prior to meeting up with her I was having anxious fits because I haven't seen her in a while and in that time I was scared she had, like so many of my friends, turned into a real, proper, has her life together grown-up.
I don't get the sense that I am a real grown-up.
And that's not just from exclusively sharing classes with people born in the 90's. Actively pursuing my writing now, in the dusk of my twenties, seems a little bit juvenile when I compare myself to my numerous artist/muso friends back home who are now, and seemingly quite happily, office workers and teachers. They're getting on with their lives and buying houses and getting married and I still feel like those things are so far off, if they are on my horizon at all.

Back to New York and now, I met Keren and I can't even think what it is that had me worried because she is still as much fun as ever. She actually told me she was so glad that I hadn't abandoned my creativity and that I was still pursuing my writing.
And it turns out that she feels no more grown-up than I do! She was lamenting the fact that she's heading home to Melbourne to see her baby sister get married and that for the foreseeable future she will be living with her parents while she works out what she's doing next.

So in the spirit of childlike wonder and in the wonderous shadow of consumerism, we hit the streets of Manhattan and included in our stops the Disney Store, the giant M&M store and the Lego store at Rockefeller Centre.
We also visited the NBC store at Rockefeller Centre because when I was in there the week before, a very handsome young employee there told me I had pretty eyes. And I wanted to go back and check that I wasn't just imagining that he looked like James Franco with glasses. Which looks like this by the by;

He was not there, but I may just keep going back to the NBC store until he is there again. So perhaps expect NBC themed gifts. Central Perk t-shirt for Andy?

The other great thing about hanging out in New York with Keren is that because she's a photographer, she stops and takes amazing photographs with her super-whizz-bang camera.
Now I don't have a super-whizz-bang camera to take photos with, but even with my little point and shoot Canon, the things that Keren sees to photograph with her photographers eye, are really quite speccy!
So anyway, these are some pictures of Lego shapes and colours that I took;

 

Worth a thousand words?

So these pictures will perhaps make up for my shocking neglect updating this blog?

Since we last blogged, I made muffins...

Superfood Muffins - see recipe below

Started classes...

Self portrait - first day of school

Saw squirrels on campus...

Made bolognese...

Made lamingtons.... And forgot to take photos.

Drank beer while watching the superbowl...

Made bread...

Whole wheat sourdough - recipe from EcoMILF

Thought about dying my hair red...

Thoughts? Feelings?

Got bogged down in work and made a mess...

How did this happen? I arrived here less than 2 months ago with NOTHING!

Made homemade pizza...

But still craving a really average Capricciosa...

Got homesick...

Found something to take the edge of homesickness...

Coopers Pale Ale - found in a New Zealand restaurant near South Street Seaport, NYC

Super Food Muffins

Blueberries, yoghurt and oats are all commonly listed as Super foods and in a bid to convince myself that eating treats could lead to better health, I decided to make muffins that combined these 3 ingredients. Sometimes I throw in a bit of LSA mix or put walnuts, which are supposed to lower bad cholesterol, on top. Adapted from a million different yoghurt/berry muffin recipes nabbed from the internet and tried and tested until this very easy recipe was settled on.

1 cup oatbran	1 cup yoghurt
1 cup blueberries	2 tbsp oil
1 cup flour	1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda	pinch salt
½ cup brown sugar	1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

1.       1. Coat berries in dry ingredients. 

2.       2. Mix together wet ingredients. 

3.     3.   In muffin tins 180 degrees 12 – 16 minutes.

A brand new beginning - hi ho, off to kinder we go ....baking Egg-/Nut-free all the way (Oat Crunch Biscuits, Lemon Chia Biscuits, and Apple/Banana Muffins)

This week is little Owen's first at kinder. We had orientation last week, but this morning, packed up with his bento lunchbox in hand, hat & sunscreen to guard against the 39 degree (that's 102 for you up north) heatwave and a lump in my throat.  The kinder seems just lovely - the staff are friendly and respectful in their interactions with the children and families, the space is light-filled and set-up with wonderful natural play areas.  And there is a sandpit bigger than our backyard - that's the winner for Owen.  His eyes haven't stopped sparkling as he proudly will tell anyone who listens about his kinder.

So the past week has been working towards today - not that it's a super big deal, but I'll admit the organised gene rears up from time to time...

Sheltering from the heat I re-purposed Daddy's torn messenger bag to become Owen's for kinder ...
Pic to be inserted once charge the stuffing camera battery.

I found the cot sheets that we never got to use with our co-sleeping kiddos.  Just the thing for use on a nap mat.
I labeled lunchboxes & food containers that have been slowly collected over the past year - we are plastic-free thanks to some good online stores out there (Biome & AshnJuls particulalry).

I labeled clothes. 

 
And then somehow found myself ironing his sleep sheet.I kid you not. And then I freaked out. I've become our mother (well no, that's not true she had a mountain of ironing that never got done til outsourcing long after I'd left home). Maybe channeling my MIL whom I'm reliably informed ironed underwear. Whereas our iron is currently exclusively used for interfacing & pressing seams, only if & when I'm being thorough. Andy & I bonded over the shared understanding of ironing just the collar & sleeves if wearing a vest or collar only if wearing a jumper that wouldn't be removed. 

There has also been some serious baking (yes, in the heat, and yes in our tiny grill oven which does not fit a biscuit tray).  
Most of the efforts are egg and nut free (kinder policy) and the result of some serious web surfing of allergen-free and vegan cooking sites.  Which there are some kick-arse ones around (more later)

Ingredients and helping hands at the ready

The first out of the oven (Oat Crunch Biscuits) sung Anzac to me, however they are softer than my usual chewy Anzac biscuit forays, and there is none of that satisfying fizz when you add the bicarb to the butter/syrup mix. That said they taste  pretty amazing and were lucky to last the 5 days from cooking to lunchbox, even hidden on the top shelf. Andy reckons they are better without the chocolate (??? I know - WTF?!)

Channelling Kingston - Oat Crunch Biscuits: originally from Melanger to mix

180 g butter (or if you want dairy-free, then substitute with oil spread/marg)	60g rolled oats
90 g golden syrup	120g Demerara sugar (though I substituted brown sugar)
1 tsp bicarb soda	150g plain flour
60g dessicated coconut	150 g chocolate to melt (we used a sad wilted Santa “bunny” egg with some Lindt nubs left from last Easter– both were nut free, but could go dark dairy-free chocolate if that way inclined)

1. Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup in mixer (or by hand) until pale and fluffy
2. Add dry ingredients and combine (I did this by hand)
3. Drop teaspoon (and I mean teaspoon - keep them small) mixture onto lined tray.
4. Bake in pre-heated oven, 160C degrees for 12-15 minutes, until golden (they tend to keep cooking, and are too bendy to move off the tray immediately, so adjust cooking time accordingly).
5. Remove to cooling rack using spatula (I actually used the Barbie-Mate to prevent dark brown bottoms).  
6. Once cooled, sandwich two biscuits together using the melted chocolate.

I can't make the picture work - I'm giving up tonight and will return tomorrow. I bastardized the recipe this time, adding extra oat-bran, chia seeds and more oats ...

The second cab of the rank was cracking open a pack of Chia Seeds - brand new addition to my kitchen, and this recipe from a lovely blogger, with just about the best name going ... Darling Lemon Thyme ... go have a browse for the recipe for her delicious Lemon Chia Biscuits (which having both nuts and eggs are destined for my mouth only ... mwahahahaha). I did manage to take a couple of happy snaps of them and will warn you to err on the side of caution with heat, as the bottoms got burnt (admittedly in a toaster oven, sitting atop an upside down roasting pan) and they are quite firm by the end anyway.

Lemon Chia Biscuit

Egg-free, Nut-free Banana & Apple Muffins

And finally, this recipe, again I must attribute origins, and then admit to not following the recipe very closely - I made this second batch with half measures (resulting in perfect 6+1 large muffins into silicon trays, sans paper, thus meeting the waste-free lunch principle.  I substituted half wholemeal flour, used less sugar (about 100g or so), kept the same quantity of bananas, but halved the apples.  

This was the only dish to escape chia seed additions today.  Though we did decorate with dried fruit faces (which then burnt to buggery, but live and learn heh?)

280g self-raising flour	125g caster sugar
½ tspn salt	1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups milk	2 large ripe mashed bananas
2 apples, peeled, cored and grated (though apple puree would probably be fine too)	1 tbsp orange rind zest
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Grease muffin tin, or line with muffin paper cups
2. Stir together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon
3. Separately combine milk, banana, apples, orange rind and vanilla extract
4. Mix lightly and spoon mixture into tin
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and cooked through when skewer test

Apple & Banana Muffin

And that is more than enough baking for anyone.  I think the next week's lunch-fillers will be these, using chia seed gel, rather than traditional egg-replacer

Aside from that, we have been staying indoors because of the heat.  A visit here and there for swims.  A first movie in err 7 months for Andy and I (True Grit) leaving Augustus for the first time at home with grandparents for 2 hours.  

And of course we've loved learning to skype my dear sister, who has made her nephew's day by taking her laptop into subzero outdoors to show off the snow.  And even writing his name in it ...He has a few times this week answered the phone, and mistaken friends for you, and told them (you) that we are saving our money to visit (he gave me a 50 cent piece the other day for the trip, rather than stashing it in his moneybox!)

The disaster zone after cooking

Baby, It's Cold Outside

In the last few days I have been registered and oriented at my university.
I would have taken some pictures of the grounds, because for the most part it's a beautiful campus full of old worldly charm, but firstly, I didn't really think of it and secondly, I would have had to have taken my hands out of my coat pocket and that would have been unpleasant.


I'm resolved not to be one of those people who perpetually states the obvious and moans "It's cold!"  so I've been putting on my best stoic face and responding to anybody who complains in my vicinity that the weather is fine provided you dress appropriately.
This dressing appropriately has seen me wearing 2 thermal tops and a t-shirt underneath a woolen jumper with a thick woolen coat over the top, thermal leggings and thick knee high socks under my jeans (which don't fit so well with the thermal leggings underneath - or possibly my thighs and stomach since eating ribs and discovering my love for American candy - gym opens this week, I'll be there), beanie and ear muffs (which don't fit well with my glasses meaning I have to sacrifice my vision for the sake of warm ears) and then my leather gloves.
In all that garb, it is still possible to be cold.
It's -19°C outside right now.


I get the feeling that in the warmer months this is going to be a great little town to get around.
I'd like to get a bicycle and just scoot about the place. At the moment however, this is one town where you need a car and being neither the owner of a car or a person legally entitled to be in control of a car, I'm a bit screwed.


I ran out of dinner type food yesterday and knew that would mean I had to walk to the supermarket or order in something greasy and the size of a steering wheel to be delivered.
You will be pleased to know that I chose the former.


Donning an additional thermal layer for safety, I headed out into the brisk air and as I was walking the 1.2 miles to the supermarket, it was crystalising in my head that I wanted something warm and stew like and quick to cook.
Once in the warmth of the supermarket, I saw these 

Mmm... Sausages.
Being Australia Day this week I have been thinking about sausages and the people I usually share them with on that day and it has been making me feel a bit sad.


So with my handy handheld scan as you go scanner I scanned them and popped them in my shopping bag.
A few aisles later and I came across legumes and I decided to make Sausages and Lentils.


One thing I have to show you, is how I bought my carrots.
I fear that these carrots might incur the wrath of my dear sister, who would disapprove of something so natural being so processed.
I'm sticking to them though because you cannot buy loose carrots in the supermarket so my options are these or a bag containing enough carrots for a family of 12.
And I like carrots (as you might be able to tell by the bag already being opened before getting home) but not enough to devote myself to an entirely carrot diet. Plus, whenever I go to the fridge, I tend to shove a few of these in my mouth which is healthy and fills me up and stops me eating more Reece's peanut butter cups. For at least 5 seconds.


Now that we've cleared that up, back to the Sausages and Lentils.
Sausages and Lentils is a dish we thought was dreamed up by our brother Nick until it appeared all fancified in the recipe book Apples for Jam but this could also just be a case of universal consciousness.
We were in disbelief that a recipe so simple could be so totally delicious.
The recipe is so simple in fact, that when your brain is partially frozen and you blank on some of the key ingredients and then you're distracted by taking photos of your cooking and miss a few steps, it still tastes delicious!


Lentils and Sausages

Good sausages	Olive oil
Tin of brown lentils (or cook 1-1 ½ cups green / brown lentils)	1 garlic clove
½ onion finely chopped	Tin chopped tomatoes
(optional) chopped carrot, celery	herbs of choice – parsley & oregano are favourites

That's the official ingredients list.
Here's what I ended up with in my addled state;

Good sausages	Olive oil
1-1 ½ cups of the only lentils in the supermarket. Look like puy.	0 garlic cloves (forgot to buy them)
3 spring onions - forgot to buy brown onions	What I thought was a tin of   chopped tomatoes but was actually stewed tomatoes so contained sugar and bell peppers and other stuff
chopped carrot and celery	herbs of choice – parsley & coriander were what was in the fridge

Step -1. Drain and rinse lentils, put in a pot with enough water to cover, bring to the boil then simmer 10-15 minutes until tender

Spring onion, not brown onion

1. Fry off vegetables. 

2. Separately cook sausages in a fry pan.

3. Chop up all your herbs

4. Throw them in the pan with the vegetables

5. Throw the lentils in too

6. And the tomatoes with a bit of stock or water

7. Once the sausages are cooked, slice them up

It was important for me to check the flavours at this stage (gobbling up pieces of sausage)

8. And chuck them in with the veggies

9. And then you eat it

Don't know why I'm wasting my time studying writing when clearly my talents lie in food photography!

An Australian making Italian food with Canadian bacon in an American kitchen while listening to Britpop

As all my roommates have been absent until today, I've had 3 lovely, lazy, relaxing days in New Paltz which are welcome after the hustle bustle madness of NYC.

One of the things I was hankering to do but knew I needed to do on a solo mission was seriously check out the supermarket. Despite having delicious pizza from a place around the corner called Grimaldi's I am determined not to start eating take out for every other meal as seems to be so commonplace in this country. For this to be I needed to know what resources I have at my disposal.

So I hiked down to the local Stop&Shop, which despite sounding like a convenience store you might just Stop in & Shop for something you'd forgotten, like milk, it is actually a gigantic mega emporium of groceries with a complete pharmacy and florist inside. 

I had nothing to do with the rest of the day and a shopping list of 3 items; sage, Lady Grey tea and chicken stock so I double knotted my laces and set off into the fray.

It was mental! I had to stop every few minutes and stare at the lining of my handbag to stop myself from hyperventilating. There was just so much food!!! Food we just don't know about in Australia! Food like Texas Toast and cheese in a can and albacore and chocolate coated pretzels! 

And not only is there so much more food, there is also so much more choice of food. If you want to get soup, you have a good 12 shelves to scan. I decided it would be quicker to make my own!

So homeward bound with a few more things than planned in my bag

How did they get in my basket? And then my bag? And then my mouth?

and I set about making my first ever pot of minestrone in the US.

Two things the supermarket did not have; 1) Convincing Tim Tams

Not even close! Everyone know Tim Tams come in brown packages.

and 2) bacon hocks. 

I had learnt from my first cooking adventure in the US; fettucine carbonara in Queens (story and recipe maybe to follow, we'll see, we'll see) that American bacon is a bit flimsy for cooking purposes so I used Canadian bacon which is thicker.

I make this minestrone when I’m feeling happy or when I’m feeling sad or when I’m feeling sick or if I have a big assignment due or when someone has had a baby or because it’s a day ending in ‘y’. Any excuse really.

You can make whatever adjustments to this that you like. Use peas instead of beans, leave out the barley, use normal bacon or pancetta instead of bacon hocks if you're in the US and that's all that's available. 

This however is my deluxe edition best ever minestrone recipe which I love, love, love for the rest of my life. 

Minestrone

1 tbsp butter	1 onion
3 cloves garlic	Sage
2 bacon hocks	2 celery stalks
2 carrots	1 potato
1 tbsp tomato paste	400g tin chopped tomato
400g tin borlotti beans	3/4 cup pearled barley
Basil	3 litres of stock
green beans	1 zucchini
½ cup small pasta

1.      Melt butter over a low heat, add a dash of olive oil and then add onion, garlic and sage

2.      Fry until soft. Add bacon hocks, celery, carrot and potatoes. Cook 5 minutes

3.      Add tomato paste and tomatoes, 

basil, 

Dried basil. OK by me.

borlotti beans and barley. Season

I hazarded a guess that Roman beans were the same as borlotti beans. I was correct.

4.      Add stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer 1-2 hours

5.      Add zucchini, green beans and pasta

6.      Cook until pasta is al dente

7.      Remove bacon hock from pot and remove any meat that falls away from the bone. Chop finely and stir through soup.

And no, sorry, there are no more pictures because by the time it was almost ready I was hopping from foot to foot and starving hungry so I gobbled it up.

All that remains!