Acchooooo
Well, not me, however, I feel like the computer & I have been sick for a couple of weeks, and today is a very exciting day. I just cannot type fast enough to keep up with the speed of the computer! I have just ushered out of the house the loveliest 2 Columbian men (the cable guys) who came to install cable for our computer! Wow! For those who know me - this is a really big step in the right direction of anti - luditism (sp?). I will be able to upload, download, look at & do all sorts of things on the internet at great speed with no penalities. I am excited...and I had to share! More to follow.
Mothers Day
Yesterday I popped into a fantastic artist space in Footscray for the last day of an exhibition called rethread. The exhibition itself was great with threads being reused in felting, weaving and crotching into gorgeous wearable art, but what got me really excited was the space itself. This great old warehouse with an eclectic mix of artist studios. Sadly, there is a time limit on the place with the developers coming in August...apparently the council are on the lookout for another place. Check out mream for any other exhibitions that they have coming up as they look really good.
It's the eve of Mother's Day & I feel like I have been attacked every which way with advertising telling us all that we have to buy our mums something to tell them how much we love them & I it really irks me. We never did it with my mum as she was really against the commercialism of mothers day & she said that every day was mothers day so I guess that it has passed onto me to a degree. However, I do see the point in being reminded that mums are special and having a day to remind us of that helps. As a mum, I am also reminded on that day how special it is to be a mum. When I looked at my dressing table this morning at all the special little things there are on there that have been made by my kids for me, by my niece for my son, by my sister for my wedding, for me from my husband, I felt such full love. Like a real mum. Happy Mothers Days to all those mothers out there!
It's the eve of Mother's Day & I feel like I have been attacked every which way with advertising telling us all that we have to buy our mums something to tell them how much we love them & I it really irks me. We never did it with my mum as she was really against the commercialism of mothers day & she said that every day was mothers day so I guess that it has passed onto me to a degree. However, I do see the point in being reminded that mums are special and having a day to remind us of that helps. As a mum, I am also reminded on that day how special it is to be a mum. When I looked at my dressing table this morning at all the special little things there are on there that have been made by my kids for me, by my niece for my son, by my sister for my wedding, for me from my husband, I felt such full love. Like a real mum. Happy Mothers Days to all those mothers out there!
Gold, Pure Gold
It all began on a very rainy morning last Thursday in one of those terrible indoor playcentres last week.
I hate those places because:
a) you have to pay
b) they are noisy
c) the food is crap
d) the coffee is crap.
I love them because when it rains in Melbourne and you have a preschooler:
a) it is freezing and they still want to run around & they DO drive you nuts in the house
b) you can catch up with your own friends & they can knit or crotchet (yes, I am still obeying the osteopaths orders & twiddling my thumbs)
c) you can drink crap coffee & be warm & talk.
So it is this conundrum of Love/Hate that led me to this place in the pouring rain & also the fact that it is essential to my mental health to meet with my friends on Thursday morning as it is what I call my "Thursday Therapy Session". For those of you who are not as fortunate as I to have a weekly therapy session with like minded people, this may well be an eye opener for you. You may feel that you have been missing out on many things in life. We do solve many of lifes little problems, and sometimes, the bigger ones.
Some of the topics that were discussed and worked through were: music lessons, interview techniques, returning to work availabilities, sporting parent responsibilities, annoying babysitters, partners input into domesticities, tall story telling 4.5yr old children, until we got down to the real nitty gritty topic that is probably the most important...what to have for tea tonight. Let's face it. We are all sick and tired of thinking of another single meal to make & if someone else can think of one for us, then all the better. Finally someone said Osso Bucco and it was finalised for me and Ange, but it did somehow got us onto a funny conversation about the Gold in the freezer. It went a little something like this.
M: I don't ever label anything that goes into my freezer, because I always think that I will remember what it was, but then I forget, so then we have to have a "freezer-surprise week" which hopefully doesn't mean apple crumble for dinner.
A: I always make chicken stock and then put it in the freezer and leave it there. It stays there too long and I think that it is too good for the family
M: It's like gold, pure gold. Actually, I think I probably have some in the freezer from last year.
A: Too good for the family
M: Waiting for someone to have a baby so you can make them a soup
On the way home, Ange & I saw each other at the butcher buying the osso bucco, and the bones for the chicken stock...pure gold for the freezer...just waiting for the baby to come. Maybe I'll make a rissotto for the family this week. Or maybe just chuck the whole lot into a casserole! Surely that is not wasting such good stock - or is it? After the boys walked in the door after school & asked what smelt so good, it would be mean not to let them have the stock...
Stephanies Recipe (adapted)
bag of chicken bones
tops of 3 leeks
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs parsley
12 peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme
Bring to the boil, simmer for 4 hours, strain allow to cool, skim off fat & use within 2/3 days or freeze (but please DO use).
Oh, and it I did find that ice-cream container of stock from last year that doesn't have a date on it. Not sure whether to chuck it... I have made a promise to myself that I will from now on label all food going into the freezer. (note that beautiful tower of fresh frozen stock).
I really must go & sweep up all of those nectarine leaves that came off the tree in that storm on Friday & pop them in the compost. Please, please never put your green waste in your normal bin. It is much better for the environment for it to disposed of by the council with the green waste rather than being put with landfill and becoming part of the problem. I know that my council does a free monthly pick up of green waste, so if you don't have a compost bin, either start one up or check with your council. We only get one chance at this earth!
I hate those places because:
a) you have to pay
b) they are noisy
c) the food is crap
d) the coffee is crap.
I love them because when it rains in Melbourne and you have a preschooler:
a) it is freezing and they still want to run around & they DO drive you nuts in the house
b) you can catch up with your own friends & they can knit or crotchet (yes, I am still obeying the osteopaths orders & twiddling my thumbs)
c) you can drink crap coffee & be warm & talk.
So it is this conundrum of Love/Hate that led me to this place in the pouring rain & also the fact that it is essential to my mental health to meet with my friends on Thursday morning as it is what I call my "Thursday Therapy Session". For those of you who are not as fortunate as I to have a weekly therapy session with like minded people, this may well be an eye opener for you. You may feel that you have been missing out on many things in life. We do solve many of lifes little problems, and sometimes, the bigger ones.
Some of the topics that were discussed and worked through were: music lessons, interview techniques, returning to work availabilities, sporting parent responsibilities, annoying babysitters, partners input into domesticities, tall story telling 4.5yr old children, until we got down to the real nitty gritty topic that is probably the most important...what to have for tea tonight. Let's face it. We are all sick and tired of thinking of another single meal to make & if someone else can think of one for us, then all the better. Finally someone said Osso Bucco and it was finalised for me and Ange, but it did somehow got us onto a funny conversation about the Gold in the freezer. It went a little something like this.
M: I don't ever label anything that goes into my freezer, because I always think that I will remember what it was, but then I forget, so then we have to have a "freezer-surprise week" which hopefully doesn't mean apple crumble for dinner.
A: I always make chicken stock and then put it in the freezer and leave it there. It stays there too long and I think that it is too good for the family
M: It's like gold, pure gold. Actually, I think I probably have some in the freezer from last year.
A: Too good for the family
M: Waiting for someone to have a baby so you can make them a soup
On the way home, Ange & I saw each other at the butcher buying the osso bucco, and the bones for the chicken stock...pure gold for the freezer...just waiting for the baby to come. Maybe I'll make a rissotto for the family this week. Or maybe just chuck the whole lot into a casserole! Surely that is not wasting such good stock - or is it? After the boys walked in the door after school & asked what smelt so good, it would be mean not to let them have the stock...
Stephanies Recipe (adapted)
bag of chicken bones
tops of 3 leeks
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs parsley
12 peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme
Bring to the boil, simmer for 4 hours, strain allow to cool, skim off fat & use within 2/3 days or freeze (but please DO use).
Oh, and it I did find that ice-cream container of stock from last year that doesn't have a date on it. Not sure whether to chuck it... I have made a promise to myself that I will from now on label all food going into the freezer. (note that beautiful tower of fresh frozen stock).
I really must go & sweep up all of those nectarine leaves that came off the tree in that storm on Friday & pop them in the compost. Please, please never put your green waste in your normal bin. It is much better for the environment for it to disposed of by the council with the green waste rather than being put with landfill and becoming part of the problem. I know that my council does a free monthly pick up of green waste, so if you don't have a compost bin, either start one up or check with your council. We only get one chance at this earth!
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