The good, the bad and the bitching!

Last friday in an effort to torture my boyfriend (not really… we were out shopping, I needed shoes, he didnt want to go anywhere near shoes) I stopped into a few shoe shops. And literally, it was Myers and Joanne Mercer… i didnt make him spend hours on it. the whole ordeal was over in a half hour, didnt stop him complaining though! hehe

So I come across the first pair of shoes I liked so I slipped off my shoe and tried on the pair. Ben stared at me like I was crazy. “How did you do that?” “Do what?” I asked. “How come you can just try on the shoe? Can all girls do that?” In between laughing I told him that no not all girls can do this, but that my feet were the most common foot size so instead of asking to try on a pair, I can just test it out on the shop floor and if I liked them THEN id try them on properly.

He still didnt quite get it. When I did it again hes like “No seriously, how do you know theyll fit”

It was actually quite amusing!

I did buy  some shoes – an ivory silk (am i crazy??) pair with a little bow and a tiny heel, much more comfy than a huge heeled pair!

Then the other night Bens mum just commented that I look like I have small feet, when I said what size they were she said they looked smaller than that. Ben piped up “We were in a shoe shop the other day and she could just try all the shoes on, its weird!” Bens mum just looked at him and laughed.

I didnt know trying a pair of shoes on could fascinate him and make him think all girls are crazy!

Yesterday we had Bens weekly physio appointment with the hand therapist. Its kind of funny because the lady is a sarcastic one who pretty much just bags the hospital and undermines everything the surgeon has told us.

Well, she doesnt think that he needs to have the wire in his finger for quite so long and thinks it should be taken out mid december. She also said that the only reason they havent scheduled it is because of the time of year so they thought theyd just wait until early new year when the full hospital staff are back at work.

But she thinks leaving him until then will dampen his chances of getting movement back in his finger.

So she is going to try to get him an earlier appointment to get the wire and button taken off, but because its probably another surgery she isnt entirely hopeful. But at least she is going to try!

It was also really gross yesterday, they pulled all the dead skin off his finger! I was watching with a very ewww look on my face and because Ben is a littttttle bit of a baby, that wasnt helping him! But she was seriously just feeling it off with some tweezers and it was totally hurting him, but she kept going! Crazy.

Also – I know hospital workers need a Christmas and holiday period too but the impression we have been given is that there are hardly any staff on at that time… it makes us wonder if this had happened to him on the christmas week what would have happened? I think it would be a VERY bad time to get injured!

My boss has gone on a little “spending spree” and bought 2 new magazines. One is an adventure sports magazine that I have no interest in, and another is a coffee magazine that I also have no interest in – except – I do have an interest in hot chocolate.

I have never been able to stomach coffee and I always remember visiting Myer (a department store in Melbourne) with my mum and how the kids section would always smell of what I later learnt to be burnt coffee beans. This might sound odd, but it was just because next to the kids section was a restaurant.

That smell would make me feel sick and it still does. I hate coming into the boardroom at work in the morning when everyone is making a cup of coffee and the smell of beans is overpowering.

The lack of coffee drinking wasn’t really a problem, at least not until I turned 18 and everyone else started to drink it.

So when you go out for “coffee” and don’t drink it, what is the solution? Apart from alcohol – hot chocolate!

There are some seriously sub-par hot chocolates out there, and some awesome ones (koko black, san churro and max brennars off the top of my head) so I am hoping to negotiate with my boss to write an article either on the top 10 hot chocolates of Melbourne, or either doing a review of different places for each issue.

Either way, I love an excuse to drink a hot chocolate!

I have always loved to cook (and hated to clean up afterwards…) and dreamt of opening my own 50s style American diner back when I was a kid – with a vintage clothes store downstairs (naturally).

But, one year of cooking school in year 11 made me realise that while I love to cook, I don’t love the professional kitchen. And I’m glad for that because otherwise I would have progressed along as a chef and no doubt would have had a breakdown by now given that I don’t deal too well with stress!

I’m a messy cook. You won’t be getting any pretty photos out of my cooking!

One thing I am becoming more and more aware of is the fact I cook more not out of a need to eat something yummy, but out of a way to show my affection for my family and friends.

When my friends came over for dinner recently I made massamun curry because I knew it was a favourite of one of the guests, and I made a lemon meringue pie because the boy is a big fan of sour!

Every week when I sit there to do my shopping list and try to think of the different foods the boy would like to eat that week – something particularly important now that he is home all day. he might be bored but at least his nightly meal will be yummy!

There are a few things the boy loves – sausages (particularly chorizo), cheese and pasta.

And I find myself craving a good old pasta drenched in cheese a lot more often than not.

If I think back to what I ate a few years ago it was definitely a bit different. My ex had a thing about pasta, he thought it was too fatty and bad for you. Even when I suggested that we could have spinach pasta with a heap of vegies, nope still too fatty. So we ate a lot of stir fry and fish.

The first thing I attempted to make when I moved into my own place was a lasagne. And while it was a messy and pretty bad dish, it was still pasta!

These days we don’t eat any stir fry. In fact, the few times I have made it I have felt sick afterwards. Although I still love chinese food and happily scoff it down when we are out at a restaurant!

So I’m wondering, does my love of certain foods change depending on who I am with? My love of pasta never went away when I was with my ex but the fact that I can’t even tolerate a stir fry anymore certainly confuses me! Especially seeing as I could eat baby corn straight from the can.

One thing is certain though, I love trying out a new recipe and finding out it can become a new favourite. Ben loves almost everything I make. In fact, its become a bit of a joke. Ill ask what he thinks of dinner, he says its yummy, he asks what I think and I usually say, its OK. Because I can always make it better next time!

With my best friends going away party coming up, she had asked me if I could please make something sweet. DONE! Any excuse to bake

I had made this recipe before with much success for my parents who dont actually like cheesecake! But i thought it would be kinda cool to make them into mini versions simply because I didnt want to have to cut it up on an already crowded table.

firstly, I lined the cupcake trays with baking paper because I wanted to be nice and careful with them (I did one tray without them though, so a greasing should be sufficient.

then I made my biscuit base… Im a little messy!

at this stage the cheesecake mixture gets divided into two, and one half becomes white choc, the other half becomes milk.

fill the first layer up. then put them into the freezer to set for 10 mins. While this happens, make sure you stir the other mixture as it will start to harden!

then you put the next layer on top… only neater than this!

refrigerate overnight and wala!

A bad pic…  but:

I wish I had have gotten a pic of them chopped in half because they looked much more impressive!

Ingredients (serves
200g plain chocolate biscuits
80g butter, melted
1/3 cup cold tap water
5 teaspoons gelatine
500g cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup milk
150g white chocolate, melted
150g dark chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups thickened cream, whipped
100g milk chocolate, grated
cocoa powder, to serve
Method
Grease and line a 24cm (base) springform pan. Process biscuits in a food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Add melted butter. Stir until well combined. Use your fingertips to press into base of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
Place water into a heatproof microwavesafe bowl. Sprinkle over gelatine. Stand for 1 minute. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) power for 20 to 40 seconds or until gelatine dissolves. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth. Stir in gelatine. Divide cream cheese mixture between 2 bowls.
Stir white chocolate into 1 cream cheese mixture. Stir dark chocolate into other.
Fold half the cream through white chocolate mixture and half through dark chocolate mixture.
Pour dark chocolate mixture over biscuit base. Freeze for 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Carefully spread white chocolate mixture over dark. Cover. Refrigerate overnight.
Release sides of pan. Place cheesecake onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with grated milk chocolate. Dust with cocoa. Cut into slices with a warm knife. Serve.
Source
Super Food Ideas – February 2005, Page 53

A few notes: I made these very late at night because of the overnight refrigeration required. So I was a little tired after a very long and stressful week. The result was I accidentally poured a third (very thin) layer over a finished cheesecake! oops.

Also, it pretty much just makes 12 mini cheesecakes. I tried to do 18, so I had to make more mixture! oops.

Cooking Time 50 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
400g penne pasta
1/3 cup light cream cheese
2 x 420g cans creamed corn
4 green onions, thinly sliced
300g shaved chicken, roughly chopped
1/3 cup grated light tasty cheese

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta and reserved water to saucepan with cream cheese, corn, green onions and chicken. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes or until cheese has melted and ingredients are combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon mixture into a 12-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook for a further 10 minutes or until top is golden.

Source
Super Food Ideas – May 2005, Page 43

With this recipe I used bacon instead of chicken, as we had already had chicken a few times this week. But, if I were to make it again, Id try it with chicken. The thing about this recipe, it is very sweet because of the corn. But I still liked it! I wanted to try out some new pasta bakes because the boy loves a good mac and cheese, but I still like to try to bring some health to it! I was going to put in some baby spinach, but uhh… forgot! So next time I think Id do that.

It hardened up on better on the next day, so you could actually remove the slices without it falling apart, so maybe make ahead if you want to try!

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1kg chicken thigh fillets, halved crossways
1 large bulb fennel, thinly sliced
6 sprigs lemon thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Maille wholegrain mustard
400g orange sweet potato, peeled, roughly chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup thickened cream
1 quantity caramelised onions (see note)

Method
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Remove to a plate.
Add fennel, thyme and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add wine and mustard. Cook for 3 minutes. Add sweet potato and stock. Bring to the boil. Return chicken to pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add cream. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes (do not return to the boil as sauce might spit). Stir in caramelised onions. Serve.
Caramelised onions: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add 2 thinly sliced large red onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until soft. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Source
Super Food Ideas – November 2006, Page 70

I thought the recipe wasnt too bad – although it didnt really feed 4 people. I had one bowl, ben had 2 and it was all gone. The recipe would spread further served over some rice. As you can see, we had it with bread to mop up the sauce.

I didnt include the fennel. Simply because i HATE celery so much that even anything related to a celery makes me gag. Perhaps because of that I thought it lacked a little bit of flavour?

But it was still quite a nice dish . Dont know if it will make it onto my recipe cards, but fun to eat something different. Im not much of a casserole girl – I blame dad who cooked the same casserole every tuesday for 5 years!

So… how important is having the right kind of flour when making cookies? Apparently pretty important!

I didnt have any plain flour, so i just used self raising and this happened:

they spread… a lot. to try and combat that, i tried to make cookie cupcakes but they just collapsed! hehe

they did taste ok, a little crunchier than I prefer though.

So I did this to them:

Ice cream sandwich!!

I just found out the other day a girl I did dancing classes with is pregnant. I haven’t seen her in quite some time, and truthfully, I’m not a huge fan, but she is still friends with one of my friends so I often get updates on her life.

Previous to this announcement were the ones that she didn’t really love her boyfriend but it was better than nothing, that she had cheated on him with an old flame, and well, you get the drift.

They had been broken up for a little bit but she had convinced the boyfriend to take her back after she cheated on him and then she made a decision: to go off her pill. See, apparently she didn’t really think anything would happen. Guess what? The month after she did that, she is pregnant. Crazy.

Turns out the boyfriend was rethinking his decision to take her back and so she went off the pill.

Now I kind of hope that the consequences of her actions will make her see a little more sense, but this girl has always been kind of silly. But now there is a baby involved, and a dad who is freaking out that he cannot take party drugs anymore or do whatever he wants. He is feeling trapped, and I guess he kinda is.

I just don’t know what goes through peoples heads when they make a decision like this. A baby isn’t just something you make for fun, and you don’t do it to stop your boyfriend from leaving you!

I guess I’m just disappointed that she chose to do this rather than let a guy she wasn’t happy with in the first place break up with her. I just hope they sort themselves out so that they can give that baby a good life.

Despite all the finger-craziness, we decided to go on our holiday. It was booked, we would have lost money and had we not gone, well, we would have just sat at home. Why not sit in a hotel room instead?

We arrived to our hotel which looked like this:

Rupert joined us on the holiday.

We even got fancy hand towels!

There was the spa on the balcony that you better believe we enjoyed a few times

and this lovely view to one of the four pools – which I only went in once because Ben couldnt swim, but still, nice to look at.

We didnt do too much the rest of the days, just sat around, ate, read, relaxed, tried to keep Ben cool so the cast wouldnt itch. But we did take a trip up to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation one day.

We drove a few kms down a bumpy little road to find this mostly deserted beach (one person swimming in the distance).

and this is the view up on cape tribulation.

So yeah? Jealous much?

On the way back we ate at this crazy backpacker / village place, that was SO hot and stuffy, but packed full of people. It was seriously odd. But it was a good day, despite the heat and Ben being in pain from the drive!

We also caught up with family friends, and they took us to eat lunch at Silky Oaks Lodge which was seriously awesome and was right on Mossman Gorge and apparently where the celebrities stay and all that. Fun!

Its a fun place and while we couldnt do the usual touristy stuff like snorkelling, we got a different kind of holiday where we sat down at the pub most of the day and put bets on the Melbourne Cup, where I sat on the balcony and read a book and Ben watched the cricket.

Mostly, it was just fun being with my boy on our first interstate holiday!