no boys allowed

Hubby's off on a golfing weekend {Heaven help the town of Terrigal} so my gal and I have a big weekend of being girly together. We're starting off by having some friends over for afternoon tea and then we're having a special dinner - as per my gal's request. Unlike most nine-year-olds she's asked for duck confit, potatoes cooked in duck fat and green beans with toasted almond slivers {she'll eat the almonds and leave the beans of course!}. Luckily I had two pieces of confit duck in the freezer {as you do... it was from the 12 pack I bought and loved} so that's defrosting.

We'll do our nails, watch a movie - then she can have a sleepover with me {yep, no night's rest for me next to that little windmill!} Saturday will start off with netball - with her grandparents coming down to watch. Then they'll pop back here for morning tea {oooh yeah - a lot of baking - scones this time, quick and easy and delish} followed by an afternoon of bike-riding, visiting the beach and finishing off her assignment. Saturday night we'll go out for dinner - her choice again {second choice - her first was the french Bistro Tartine - second the gourmet burger bar - more in budget!} and once she falls asleep I'm going to make myself an enormous hot chocolate and settle in to watch a good girly film.

Sunday we'll get up and make breakfast {eggy bread and bacon perhaps} and rug up and eat it in the pavilion by the pool before greeting hubby when he comes home...

frugal friday

Nowadays I'm looking for items with more than one use. Lavender oil for example. Smells purdy - has dozens of uses...

• Mix a few drops into a bottle of water and it's a swish-smelling multi-purpose cleaner, great for swiping down the bench tops or the bathroom vanity

• Again mix it with water and spray it on as an insect repellent

• A few drops in your rinse water, or in your fabric softener zone, will leave clothes smelling like the South of France

• A drop on your temples can relive sinus or headaches

• A couple of drops on a cotton ball can remove sticky residue from stickers etc

• A few drops on a cloth, rubbed over a cold light globe will help infuse the room with scent when the light's turned on - repelling mozzies and helping you get a good night's sleep

• Mix some milk powder with a couple of drops of lavender {and some lavender petals if you grow it} for a milk bath solution that'd make Cleopatra turn green

• Nasty pimple? A little lavender oil on the end of a cotton bud applied in the middle will see it to its death in the nicest way

• A handful of sea salt, a sploodge of olive oil and a few drops of lavender and you have a scrummy body scrub

• I always mop my floors with hot water with a couple of drops of essential oils and lavender's a must for the bedroom

• and finally, for really sweet dreams, a few drops of lavender oil on a cotton ball, placed under the bottom sheet near the pillow, welcomes the sandman in the most scentsational way...

What's your multi-purpose fave?

louby douby doo

On this uber-frosty morning I thought I'd turn up the heat with these red-hot-mamas. I'm loving on the sleek lines, that glorious shade and the teeteringly high heels. Imagine them with a purple pencil skirt... Mmmmm.

do it yourself

When it comes to helping your child with their homework and assignments it's a fine-line. I remember when our daughter was in kinder checking out some incredible dioramas and flip-top contraptions revealing the insects the children were meant to be writing about. Our child had a sheet of cardboard with wonky insects pasted on and some words written in her own, cute hand. That'd be it. 

Each year I watch with interest and see the kids whose parents obviously dive on the assignments with joy, seeing them as a chance to fulfil their childhood prophesy; the ones where the parents obviously reluctantly assemble the projects the night before; the ones where the kids have primarily worked on it themselves and the poor little ones where the kids have had no guidance at all. This is where it's tough, trying to guide, but not lead.

Our daughter has an assignment at the moment {she's in year 4} where they have to come up with an imaginary country and imagine all the different aspects of it {climate, mapping, flora and fauna... heaps of stuff} it's pretty cool - but hard to find the time on top of regular homework, netball, dancing and playdates. However, yesterday she stayed home from ballet cos she's got a cold - and snotty tissues and ballet don't mix - so we got started. I wrote out all the questions in a word doc, and she sat there and typed - while I tried to keep my gob shut. Luckily she decided to pretend to be Dr Seuss and came up with the coolest ideas ever. She has the best animals and insects, cool flowers, an amazing flag, national dish, sports... and all through her own imagination - with me only asking the odd question. Phew.

I want her to be creative and imaginative - but how do children know what's out there without a little subtle guidance? Hopefully by pointing her in the direction of inspiration {for example she checked out things like the population of Iceland - which is just near her 'country' Winter Wonder Land for guidance} I'll help her develop new ways of thinking that'll see her through her schooling. She knows we're happy to help - but is dead keen to do as much as possible herself. Gotta be happy with that.

birthday boy

Oh Mr Depp. Forty six huh? Le wow...

what about me?

I don't know if it's just a girl thing, that becomes magnified when it also becomes a mum thing, but tell you what, how hard is it to do something for yourself? Take yesterday. We got home from a sleepover at our in-laws and I rushed to put on a load of washing, then hubby and I sat down to go through my tax {without killing each other - hurrah}, then I made snacks for hungry girls, and felt overwhelmingly tired. 

Instead of napping I thought I'd go for a walk - more invigorating. Then I looked into the backyard and realised that a few windy days have probably left the trees in the planter boxes by the pool rather thirsty, so I took myself out to water them. 45 minutes later I'm inside, and preparing dinner - no walking. 

Then, I smacked myself into some sense and realised how much I need a daily walk. I love it for the exercise, the stress-relief and the time to myself. So at 5.30, despite the darkness, I headed off to the beach and boy, was it fabulous. Sure, it was a little scary {seriously, were there more streetlights when I was a kid, or were they just brighter? It's so freaking DARK these nights!} but that just made me walk more briskly. I got to see the most amazingly full moon hanging over the ocean leaving a shimmering white path from the horizon to the shore which was pretty cool. I got to breathe in that amazingly fresh ocean air and hear waves come crashing down on the wet sand.

I came home in a much better mood, refreshed, no longer tired and capable of doing so much more than I would have with a nap. I'm now even more determined to fit a 30 minute walk into every day - seriously, if it were a drug I'd be taking it every day...

a simple plan

For years I was a disorganised mess. If you'd asked me, I would have told you that despite all the chaos, I knew where everything was and was totally under control. I would have been lying {to myself, as well as you}. Now that I'm getting things sorted I'm finding that so many other things are slotting into place. Sitting down for five to ten minutes early in the week to work out a menu plan sounds like a girly swot thing to do, but it spills over into every aspect of my life.

Firstly, as I've mentioned, I don't have to stress every afternoon about what I'm going to cook. 

Secondly, there's little to no food waste as I only buy exactly what I need.

Thirdly, we're having really well-balanced meals.

Finally, I'm saving heaps of money.

Today, I've just written up my menu plan and have worked out that I only need to go to the supermarket to buy dishwasher tablets and washing liquid - that's it. I have plenty of cat food, and all the ingredients I need to make my weekly meals. Anything I need I'm buying fresh from my local butcher and fruit and veg shop. Happy!

Here's what we're having:

last night: butter chicken, rice, wilted greens, pappadums 

tonight: proscuitto-wrapped pork scotch fillet {with maple syrup glaze}, roasted root veg and greens

wednesday: beef and beer stew in slow cooker with mash and steamed greens

thursday: lamb shanks, braised french lentils, pumpkin mash and roasted broccoli

friday: my gal and I are headed out to dinner as my hubby's off on a golfing weekend

saturday: home-made pizzas on the bbq

sunday: lemon and thyme roasted chicken and veg

I only have to go to the service station to buy milk and bread {they've got deals on which make it cheaper than Coles} and stop off at my local stores every few days. The best thing is that this means I can walk and save the car trips for ballet drop-offs and netball training.

I've also got a friend and her kiddies coming over on Friday afternoon, so I'm about to make up a batch of home-made sausage rolls to freeze. I've got quite a few leftover sausages from the weekend, so I'll remove the skin, pop em in some puff pastry and freeze them ready to serve on friday afternoon. I'll also bake up something yummy for afternoon tea - but I'm pretty sure I'll have whatever I need in the pantry and fridge. Feeling mighty frugal on this Tuesday morning!

off the shelf

Hey, you know how we've been decluttering like our lives depended on it lately? Well, I kinda cluttered up again today. But in a good way. 

See, I've had a few boxes of books stored at my in-laws, and they're also in decluttering mode, so I said I'd check out what I had in their loft. Hubby climbed up and found - books. Lots and lots and lots of books. But oh, what books. 

All my old classics are there, even ones I've subsequently replaced {such as Perfume, by Patrick Suskind, love that book}. I found some gorgeous hard cover stuff, some 50s and 60s girls annuals and plenty of classic children's books that'll be just perfect for my daughter {including a 1950s hardcover version of Little Women - sigh!}.

All the more impetus to get those floor to ceiling bookshelves built. Then, I'm 100 per cent sure, my life will be complete...

damn fine chicken pot pie

Well, last night's chicken pot pie was delish, so I'm going to post the recipe. I ended up veering away from the recipe a bit - as always. When it comes to recipes I'm only slavish when it comes to cakes and puddings, otherwise, I'm happy to tweak. Now, this ended up making sooooo much filling that I served it up in my loveheart pie dish, rather than individual ramkekins. Still looked pretty and tasted good though.

Here's what I did.

2 chicken breasts

1 carrot, diced pretty finely

1 large onion, diced finely 

2 waxy potatoes, diced the same size as other veg

2 cups of chicken stock

1 chicken stock cube

{random stock vegies, half an onion, half a carrot, stick of celery, bouquet garni}

1/4 cup butter and a little olive oil

1/2 cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley

dried tarragon

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup thick cream

a glug of brandy

salt and pepper

one egg, beaten

First I poached the chicken in the chicken stock, stock cube along with all the random stock vegies and bouquet garni - I also seasoned them generously with ground black pepper. This took about 10 minutes and I removed them from the stock {which I kept simmering} and then I chopped the chicken into largish bite-sized chunks and set that aside.

Next, in my le crueset, I threw in some butter and oil and tossed in the diced vegies and let them soften over a low heat for around 15 minutes. When the potatoes were cooked I added 3/4 cup of flour and stirred it for around 2 minutes over the heat. Next, I strained the stock and poured it over the vegies {I tossed out the bouquet garni and stock veg}. I stirred this through and then added the brandy, cream, salt and pepper and herbs. After tasting it, I poured it into my pie dish, and popped a piece of butter puff pastry over the top, folding the edges over and giving it a couple of random slashes in the centre so the steam could escape. Finally, I brushed it generously with an egg wash, sprinkled pretty pink Murray River salt over the top and baked it at around 180 degrees for around 45 minutes until the top was really golden and crunchy.

I served it with slices of zucchini I'd layered with sliced almonds and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice before baking for around 25 minutes. It was yum.

tinkering with perfection

First, a disclaimer. I live in Australia where, for some reason, buying chicken breasts with their skin on is a feat I've yet to manage. Particularly as I like my chicken free-range, and preferably from Lilydale {Food tosser? Moi? Oui!} I could buy a whole chicken from my butcher and ask him to chop it up for me, but then I'd have to think of a recipe to use the rest of the chook - and frankly, I can't be bothered today.

So, anywho, tonight we've got friends coming for dinner {stop reading right now if that's you - I like to surprise my guests!} and, as one of said friends is a chicken breast fan I needed to find a recipe to use them. In the past, I haven't had much success with chicken breast, I tend to find it dry and lacking in flavour, but that's probably the way I've cooked it. Friends have cooked it for me and it's been scrummy, maybe it's just me...

Oh, and to the point of this post... I'm making a dish that the reknowned Ina Garten came up with, and as she has plenty of devotees I was prepared to almost follow her recipe slavishly, until she asked me to bake the chicken breasts. See, her chicken breasts were covered in skin, and had the bone on, so I'm pretty sure they'd taste moist and delish, but my skin-less, bone-less wonders... not so. Instead, I've poached them in chicken stock, with extra pepper, onion, carrot, celery AND a bouquet garni. So far, so moist.

I'll let you know how they turn out once they're added to a rich sauce and in the finished dish. Surely there's no such thing as too much flavour!

happy weekend

Hope you all have a lovely one. For me? Entertaining friends tonight, cooking and pottering today, a sleep-in followed by a big bowl of coffee on Sunday, dinner at my in-laws on Sunday night and a visit to Dan Murphy's for champagne at some stage.

For now, I'm poaching chicken breasts and listening to So Frency So Chic - surely I'll cook better with a French soundtrack...

Enjoy xx

no whales, plenty of waves

Well, we went to the beach - and it was fabulous. No whales, apparently they're too busy getting into fisticuffs around Sydney Harbour. Plenty of surfers though, and one brave deep sea swimmer. It was all pretty gorgeous and the perfect Friday afternoon activity.

slowly does it

If I counted up how many times each day I uttered the words, "hurry up", or "C'mon, quickly" or even "Quick sticks - let's go" to my daughter I'm pretty sure I'd be horrified. So to start the long-weekend off on a good note I'm going to walk down to the school pick up and then we'll meander down to the beach to see if we can spot any migrating whales. I'll let her order whatever she wants from the café {in her own time!} and then we'll hang around, or not, whatever she's in the mood for.

When she was a teeny toddler we'd often go for a walk around the block and I'd be happy to go at her pace while she checked out flowers, picked up stones to put in her pocket {I know! So Amelie!!} and chattered away. Now, with school, netball, ballet, homework, playdates and all our stuff - work, housework, netball, socialising! - rushing seems to be the order of the day. 

Well not today. I've made a tomato sauce and baked some meatballs and now they're all simmering in the slow cooker. The sheets are washed, so I'll bring them in, make the beds and the afternoon will be all my gal's. 

Fingers crossed we'll spot some whales - or at least some surfing dolphins!

trash talking

Oh, opinion columnists, always aiming to stir up dissent. Are they really as opinionated and awful in real life? I was reading the new on-line mag - thepunch.com.au and my eye was drawn to 11 Ways to Spot A Food Tosser. Of course, as a self-proclaimed foodie - I had to check it out, to make sure I wasn't one. Now I wish I hadn't. See, the problem is that this bloke seems to have mixed up Foodies and Food Wankers.

I tick a few of those 11 boxes. I have an espresso machine taking up space on the bench top - but it's a cheaper Sunbeam number that replaced our expensive Saeco {makes better coffee too btw}. And there's nothing I love more than a Farmer's Market. I barely manage to make it there each week, but damn it - the Saltbush Lamb is better than the lamb from the butcher. And yes, I ask for the Bangalow Pork at my butcher because it DOES taste better than generic pork. I don't have a problem with supporting local farmers who are trying to create a top-notch product by researching and treating their stock well. Seriously, does this make me a food wanker?

I'll also put up my hand to buying French sparkling wine over the Aussie stuff - because it tastes better. Yes, there are Aussie winemakers who make a nice bottle, but if I'm comparing a $30 bottle of Chandon to an $11 bottle of Veuve Amiot, my budget's going to go for the French version. However, in Summer, when it comes to whites, I'm supporting my home-grown Hunter Semillion - it's divine.

I spend ages on food blogs, generally the tv is tuned to Lifestyle Food and have a snobbish aversion to the program 4 Ingredients that's never going to be quelled. And I'm not going to apologise for it. So yeah, I'm a foodie - and what's he going to do about it?

What irked me most about this guy is that he's a food and wine writer, and who do you reckon keep him in business by reading his columns? Yep, that'd be the foodies...

frugal friday

I do believe it's possible to be frugal and still entertain well. In winter, frugal dinner parties are even easier. Slow-cooked dishes and retro puddings are cheap and delight almost everyone's tastebuds. Combined with bargain bottles of good wine and champers, all you need to do is set the scene for a great night.

I always used to over-cater. If I was doing a cheese platter for nibblies it'd have four to five huge slabs of cheese, loads of pancetta, a massive dish of olives, quince paste, paté, a couple of different types of biscuit/bagel chips/grissini... But no more. Now, I'm aiming for an elegant sufficiency. 

I love to plan my menus as soon as my friend's have said 'yes' to my invitation. After asking about any allergies or dislikes I'll plot out my main and pudding - then think about a suitable nibbly to have with our pre-dinner cocktails/champagne. It might be fried slices of chorizo or haloumi, home-made marinated olives {simple: bowl, olives, garlic, chilli, lemon zest, herbs, olive oil}, maple-roasted mixed nuts or a simple dip and crackers. Then I usually choose a one-pot main with a potato side and a green and serve this with slices of baguette and butter. 

But now, I'm concentrating on portions. Most of us aren't used to eating more than one course, so realistically, each of those courses SHOULD be smaller than we're used to serving up. That's why I love individual puds in ramekins - perfect portions.

Pudding's whatever I feel balances out the main - or what I'm particularly craving lately... So long as the food comes out regularly, the wine's topped up, and there are bottles of water to balance the wine that's all a person can ask for.

Combined with a well-set table {I'll even bring out the iron and press my tablecloth and napkins to make it special} and attention to detail fun can be frugal.

Dinner party's aren't an opportunity to impress others with budget-busting complex dishes. I think they're a great chance to actually sit down and chat with people whose company you enjoy - while the kids eat and play together - and for me, it's a chance to cook dishes we wouldn't ordinarily have most nights of the week {pudding regularly would make me resemble a pudding dish!}.

easily pleased

The latest BlogThis challenge made me realise how little I need to make me happy. Starting off the day with a great cup of coffee, baking, entertaining or giggling at my gal all make me smile. Clean sheets {preferably lavender-scented}, a reason to get frocked up and made-up, when my hubby smiles and tells me he loves me, cooking a great meal that has my family or friends in raptures, following facebook status updates that give me a little insight into my friends' worlds, discovering new blogs and kindred spirits, immersing myself in a fabulous novel, pretty coloured toenails...

Oh yes, the list can go on and on {and make me realise that I'm kinda cheating - the challenge was meant to be a visual one... Oh well, I'm sure it's also meant to make you grateful}. Today I'm blissfully happy that the sky is blue. I have one set of sheets already on the line and another in the machine ready to hang. Next I'm going to take my time and make myself a lovely cup of tea - I've finally acknowledged that no butler is going to come along and make one for me!

For my break today I'm going to duck out into the sunshine and pull a few weeds. After all that rain they're bound to come out with no effort at all - leaving me proud of my work with very little strain.

it's the little things: blog this challenge

what's for dinner?

Menu planning has made my life sooooooo much easier. After taking my daughter for an x-ray this afternoon I was able to call in at the butcher for tonight's lamb backstraps {served with braised french lentils and pumpkin mash} and also buy some mince for tomorrow night's spaghetti and meatballs {think I'll do them in the slow cooker - how nice will my house smell tomorrow night!}

Honestly, I swear that the thing I loathe most about cooking regular meals is thinking about what to cook, so having a menu plan, shopping once at the supermarket for the essentials and buying fresh meat and some veg from my locals butcher and fruit and veg store is utterly blissful. And I'm sure I'm saving a bucketload by not calling in for one or two items at Coles and walking out $60 poorer!

new scentsations

To me, there is no point in a bunch of sweet peas, hyacinths, freesias or roses unless they have an intoxicating scent. Yes, they are pretty just to look at, but when I bury my nose in expectation in a bouquet and come up wanting I feel utterly cheated. 

I called at my local florist the other day and was disappointed by bunch after bunch of these blooms, all promising, and yet not delivering. I felt sorry for the poor florist, surrounded by petals but bereft of any perfume. The worst was when I spied two pretty little nosegays of violets. I flung my face into them only to feel smacked in return when absolutely nothing filled my nostrils.

Same with food. When I bite into a strawberry I want it to smell and taste like a strawberry - rich and luscious. Bringing a hunk of cheese to my lips I need to smell it even before it hits my tastebuds. Surely it's wrong to deny any of the senses. And I reckon that some of them work in tandem. For me, if I can't become excited by the exquisite aroma of a food before I take my first bite, chances are I'm not going to end up satisfied.

That's why I can't wait to grow my own vegies. Pulling real onions from the soil, plucking a rich, red tomato from the vine and harvesting exquisite explosions of real strawberry flavour will make me very happy indeed.

fade the grey

Okay, it's winter, I'll run with that. But seriously, does it have to be so grey, miserable and drizzly? I'm in Australia by jingo - what is Australia if not a blue-sky wonderland? So to banish my seasonally-affected blues I've gone for a true colour pop for this week's Shoe Of The Week. A little Magenta is always a good thing {side story: when I used to go to the weekly midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show I always went as Magenta. A couple of packs of burgundy semi-permanent, a brush of my curly hair to make it wild and frizzy, and a slash of scarlet lipstick and I was ready to find my Doctor Frank N Furter...} Ooh, now these shoes have got me all hot and flustered...