Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Cooking

Gibbo brought seafood home with him from his quick trip down south to deliver a bull and pick up some very expensive chooks. We had prawns, garlic squid and whiting for dinner.

For lunch today we had Marie's pumpkin soup, cooked last night and always better the next day. It was the best one yet.


Actually, it was so good that I made another batch today to take to work tomorrow for lunch. Not being able to duck home at lunchtime (as we've done for the last 26 years) means there needs to be a little planning and organisation put into lunch ideas. Gibbo's plan is to have cheerios every day; I soon tire of his plan.

Last weekend I wrote a menu and shopping list and duly bought the ingredients yesterday. However, I've lost the recipes I chose! I must have closed their web page without saving. I know tonight's meal is supposed to be Lemongrass Beef Stir Fry - so I've just googled that and found one and adapted it a bit


....but I now have 2 limes, a carton of pure cream, 70g feta cheese and a packet of finely grated parmesan cheese (that was supposed to be pecorini but the shop didn't have any) - and I have no idea what I was going to make! Any ideas anyone?

We ended up with a bit too much diced beef so I made a very quick coconut curry to freeze for my dinner one night when Gibbo is away.



I had a little treat of my favourite jarlsberg cheese and the semi-dried tomatoes (that I made two weeks ago) as I cooked all of the above.

On the Road Again

Yesterday I rescued my bike from the garage, dusted her off, pumped up her tyres and oiled her chain.




Today I rode for the first time in nearly 8 months. I turned right out of our driveway (after having to come back twice to chase the dogs home; the second time I had to walk back and lock Poofy up) and rode until the bitumen ended (which really wasn't that far!); it was a beautiful day and a very flat road. Then I grew a little ambitious and decided to ride into town. Sometimes, as I've driven that road, I've wondered what it might feel like on a bike, especially the bit where the road rises quite sharply and veers to the left until it hits the crest where the sign is. Well, today I found out. Actually, it feels quite hard and my butt muscles burned. I did a quick lap around town (which didn't take long) then headed home. All up I rode 20km which is a good distance first time out and the route is definitely a good one to get a bit of a cardio workout happening; there was a lot of counting of revolutions and breaths going on - it helps me focus!

When I got home I restarted (for the third time) the 30 day "squat" challenge that I started at the beginning of May. I kept forgetting to do them but now I've got the list on the fridge to remind me. Today it was 50; by day 30 I'll be doing 250 and expect to have a butt like Flo-Jo!!!! (google her Meg and Drew; you're both too young to know who she is)!


Friday, May 24, 2013

Sharing......or Not

Poofy is such a gentleman. He has manners. He sat patiently waiting while the more forward one of the two quaffed her fill of the broken leg (which was actually bigger than her).




Once she'd had her fill, finally, it was his turn.


Foggy, Misty, Cold and Sprinkly

Woke up this morning to a foggy and misty sky; it's so beautiful.


The veges are liking the moisture.


New garlic shoots just keep on coming.


The view from my chook pens.
















It felt like a stay-at-home-pyjama kind of day - but I went to work. End of month is on Sunday and there were things to do. G went south to deliver a bull and pick up some new chooks.

After work I went to town and picked up some dinner from the newly opened Indian Restaurant; it was good. While I waited I ducked into the library and picked up two movies; I'm watching The Descendants now.

The coals in the fireplace are glowing red. It's cold outside but toasty warm inside. It feels good.

Tomorrow........I plan on going for my first ride in a very long time. First I'll need to pump up the tyres and dust off the cobwebs - from bike and muscles. I might ride into town and have a coffee then ride home again. Sounds like a good idea.

Monday, May 20, 2013

We're At It Again

Show season is once again upon us; we did plenty of this last week.




Did you know it takes at least twenty long (and sometimes boring) minutes to properly dry a chook (and then I got chipped for not quite finishing the job off properly); there were cockerels, pullets and hens, both large and bantam wyandottes - but silkies really take the cake. It took forever to dry my white silkie hen (but I didn't get any photos of her). A wet silkie is a very wet thing indeed.




Underarms wings.


Almost there - but not quite.


 In the salon - three girls at varying stages of treatment - one dry, one half dry and one just out of the water.


Finished!!!!






So we set off nice and early to the Kingaroy club show with chooks in boxes and tools of the trade ready (and a scarf, beanie and coat for me. It was a tad chilly). It was a wyandotte feature show so there was lots of competition.








In the end, ribbons were hard to come by but it was a good day out.

I finally tracked down some rosemary and planted it out, along with some italian parsley. My herb garden is slowly growing and they all seem to like their spot on the tankstand.


And I have more colour!


Our Four Leggers

Our four leggers are intelligent little beasts. It's turned a bit chilly here over the last few days; already we're feeling the sneaky winds of winter. Our house is sited in a little hollow and we think it might be a couple of degrees colder here than at the old house. However - we lit the fire on Saturday night and the lounge/kitchen/dining area is warm and cosy and soothing.


Within a minute of putting this old curtain down in front of the fire Madam had claimed it as her own....


but not for long!!!


When they're not in front of the fire, they're in my chair - sometimes all three of us are in it at once. It's a bit squishy.




Poor Poofy sits outside the sliding door, all sad and forlorn and looking longingly inside. Poor baby.

Two Days Away

We went to Bris for two days last week; G had meetings so I went along and caught up with Drew. I lingered in Mary Ryan and enjoyed a coffee (or two). Actually I had to get up and walk around because I nearly fell asleep!


We had dinner with Drew and on Friday I caught the city cat across to the Uni. I told Meg that a good birthday present this year for me would be a ticket that would let me ride the city cat from one end of the route to the other, all day. I could sit inside with my face pressed up against the window and wave to all the people as I cruised by. I love riding on it.

The birdlife at UQ must be a hardy lot, having to live so close to all those Colleges and the unruly students that reside within.










My first visit to this year's room; I've seen photos but hadn't been in it until last week.




Food for thought.


We went to Indro where we picked up a new phone. I lost contact again (in a different way) when all the messages, since the other phone was lost, dropped in. Hellooooo.......this is Ground Control to my son Drew.....can you hear me my son Drew.....can you hear me my son Drew......


We did a bit of clothes shopping and went to a sushi train restaurant for lunch. I've never visited one so this was something new. It's very tempting, watching all the different combinations ride past.




What you pay is determined by the colour of the plate you choose - and it's worth is determined by the ingredients on that plate.


G came by and picked us up, we dropped Drew back at College then headed home. We got home and went up to check the tank...and found these two lots visiting from next door!