get the party started

My apologies to iTunes. Thanks to being a complete luddite, I didn't realise that the whole iTunes party mix just keeps going on. I started off slowly with Ben Harper, but am currently rocking out to Dinosaur Jr - apple does know best.

I must say too, that having music playing did put me in a much happier mindset - and I've just about finished reworking that story. Happy now!

tasteful tunes

I'm working today, reworking a story I thought I'd finished, but that the editorial director thought needed a complete change of direction. Grrrrr. At least I'm getting paid for the words, but still. Sigh. Anyway, I thought a bit of music might soothe my savage mood, so I went into iTunes and found what they'd called Party Mix. Hmmm, what could that be? Well, while it's made up of my tunes, it's not what I'd put together for a party. My party tunes have a distinctly retro vibe - heavy on the 80s and 90s pop/dance and grunge scenes. This mix is heavy on Ben Harper, who I love, but I wouldn't put him in my must-have party hits mix.

Oddly, there are party bands on this mix - Blur, Silverchair, Filter... but not the songs I would have chosen. However, as I said yesterday, I'm open to new experiences, so maybe this Ben Harper selection - with its heavy load of Gospel numbers, is just what I need to get this work done. I'll let you know. Apparently iTunes thought I needed divine intervention...

pizza party

As it's New Year's Eve, we're off to friends' tonight to ring in 09. There are five families going along, so to feed the hoards we're all bringing pizza to cook and share. I'm making a fresh tomato sauce and will be using that as the base for my prosciutto and parmesan pizza. I'd also like to use the remaining roast beef I cooked up yesterday for lunch (we had it sliced, cold, with salad and baguettes - yummy) and do a caramelised onion, roast beef and baby spinach pizza. It's not going to be cheesy, I thought I'd just throw on a few chunks of a really strong cheddar - and no tomato sauce, just the juicy onions with a little added garlic oil. That should all go rather nicely with the champers, surely.

rebel yell

I spent a lot of my life inadvertently rebelling against my mother. If you'd asked me, I would have said "No way!" but it's only now that I've realised that a lot of the things I do, I do because my mother didn't do.

When I was growing up our house was always gorgeous. Very fashionable, very clean, very tidy. Our living room was the height of 70s chic - with one wall entirely coated in mirror tiles, deep green modular couches and white carpet. Ye. White carpet. You know what you can do on white carpet? Almost nothing. You could walk on it - in clean feet or clean socks. You couldn't eat or drink on it. Sometimes I wished I could levitate, so I didn't worry about smearing it. 

The kitchen was also very chic, with a white mosaic tile benchtop and splashback - with matching white grout. Now, luckily my mother was a Virgo, so she was keen on clean, and those white surfaces always sparkled under her ministrations. However, I obviously always swore I wouldn't have a house like that. 

See, I refuse to let anyone take off their shoes at my front door, as it always brings flashbacks to that damned white carpet. When we moved into this house, our daughter used to ride her trike up and down the hallways, scratching the floorboards - but adding more character. Food's often eaten at a table, or on the couch in front of the TV - whatever's easiest.

However, being slothful and messy isn't rebellion - it's silly and only impacts on the person who has to live in it. So now, I'm 99 per cent sure I've turned the corner on messiness. These days it's normal for me to put something back where it belongs, immediately. The dishwasher's unloaded as soon as it's finished, and washed dishes are left to dry for no more than half a day before I pack them all away. It's a much nicer life - and I still feel like we've got a lived in and loved in home. It's still pretty gorgeous, but it's worn around the edges. Which is just the way I like it.

something new

I've never been one for resolutions. I always find that as soon as I make a grand statement that I want to achieve... it tends to set me up for failure. I prefer baby steps. For example, this year is the year I try something new as often as possible. A new activity, a new recipe, a new food, a new author, a new album, a new fitness gig, a new restaurant...

To inspire me, I'll tell you all about it. I'd like to step outside my comfort zone in 2009. Stretching the mind and imagination has to be good for the soul non?

pucker up

Okay, I've googled, and reckon that this sounds like the perfect Lemon Drop Martini recipe. Enjoy!

1 1/2 ounces of vodka

1/2 ounce triple sec

1 tsp superfine sugar (I think I'll use caster sugar)

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake 40 times to allow the sugar to dissolve. Then, grab yourself a frosty cold martini glass, wipe the rim with lemon juice, then dip it in some superfine sugar. Carefully pour in the Lemon Drop Martini, then garnish with a lemon twist.

Oh my.

See, yet another reason why I really need to plant a lemon tree. 

book club

As an avid reader I place my books in categories. Meh: I'm only reading this to find out what happens. Fine: okay, but not life shattering. Fab: loved it, will read it again, and Oh, wow. I just read an Oh, WOW. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is such an incredible book. She's one of those rare authors who weave a spellbinding tale, complete with quirky, whimsical characters and can sprinkle on a bit of magic in the most believable manner. I adored every single second of this book.

The cover's different on my version though. It's a pretty blue, with a pair of feathered angel wings and a gorgeous, scroll-script title font in a pretty deep cerise. And it's dotted with raised, sparkly sugardrops. I bought the book for the cover, and I'm so very glad I did.

Oh, and it's spookily magic. One of the main characters in the book had a fondness for a lemondrop - an alcoholic drink I'd never heard of before. And then, less than 10 minutes after reading about this delicious-sounding drink, Jack, on Will & Grace, stepped up to the bar and ordered three lemondrops. Spooky huh? I'm about to google the ingredients, because these little beauties seem to be served in a martini glass - my favourite drinking vessel.

sale guide

We've braving the post-Christmas sales at the local shopping centre today. I'm on the hunt for a new set of sheets and some beach/pool towels. Of course, I'm very, very particular. I only like crisp white cotton sheets on my bed, and for the pool, I want pretty blue and green towels with a cute border of retro fringing. Oh, and I'd like 'em striped if possible. 

We're planning on putting some towel rails up - some on the side of the house next to the intended outdoor shower, and possibly a subtle couple on the fence in the courtyard. Towels get mighty soggy when you swim, so a good drying area is essential, otherwise they get flung over furniture and pool fencing and that just looks very unattractive.

It's also our daughter's birthday tomorrow, so a couple of extra pressies might be in order. We've done most of the shopping, but I love the cheap fillers that make a pile look extra impressive. With girls it's easy - hair bands, lip balm, cute socks...

I've also got the in-laws coming for lunch tomorrow so I'll be roasting up a wedge of beef to slice thinly and serve with a salad and baguette. For dinner we're hoping our favourite French restaurant, Bistro Tartine, will be open. Our little soon-to-be-nine-year-old adores confit duck and creme brulee...

totally stuffed

Last night I roasted a rather delish chicken. I washed it, dried it, then stuffed it with this:

2 slices wholegrain bread, grated

6 slices prosciutto, diced

1 egg

a generous sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

salt and pepper

Then I rubbed olive oil all over the chicken, trussed the legs, sprinkled salt over it, then placed a few slices of butter on top, rubbing into the skin. The chicken then went onto a baking rack, in a tray, into which I poured two cups of moscato (white wine). 

I baked it at 180 degrees for an hour, then tented it with foil and baked it for a further 30 mins till it was cooked through. Finally, I took it out and rested it for 15 minutes. The skin was crispy and golden, the flesh was oohhhh so moist, and the stuffing was mighty fine considering my limited food options on Boxing Day. We ate it with a simple salad and washed it down with bubbles (you know, cos it's Christmas).

bubbles

Festivities just aren't complete without bubbles - preferably French ones. Which is why I'm rather chuffed that a case of this little beauty currently resides in my pantry. 

While I adore Pommery, Moet and Tattinger, my bank account does not. However, I can justify spending $12 on Veuve Amiot - a refreshing sparkling wine that hails from the delightful Loire region. If you ever stumble upon it I can recommend it. It's light and doesn't have that acrid taste that cheaper sparklings can offer. It's also taken over from Grandin as my other bargain French bubble.

Actually, I may need to pop a bottle in the fridge while my chicken roasts. I am meant to be detoxing, but hey, it's Christmas is it not?

flat out

While doing a bit of the odd cleaning and tidying today I got to thinking about the types of chores that I love and loathe. Some I'll do grudgingly (toilet cleaning - erk), others I try to adopt a zen state while I undertake (unloading the dishwasher, putting away clean clothes) and others I just will not do (ironing). Yep, I'm a non-ironer. 

I think I was scarred for life by a white, cotton pirate shirt I had in the 80s. See, I begged for it, and my mother agreed, but only if I'd iron it. Sure enough, the darned thing would sit at the bottom of the ironing basket, getting more crumpled and despicable with every week. Day-by-day more clothes were piled on top and it shrunk and crinkled and almost glowered with wrinkles. Every now and again I'd bring it out, think about ironing it, and shudder before placing it at the bottom. Of course, sometimes I'd just have to wear it with my white knickerbockers and gold belt and shoes combo (I repeat, it was the 80s) so I'd have to dig it out, spray it with the water bottle and spend half an hour cursing as I ironed out one crease, to replace it with another.

Now, I don't iron. I hang out my washing with care, shaking out all the wrinkles and pulling things flat. Then I carefully fold it when I bring it in, and hang anything that can be hung so any remaining wrinkles fall out. 

It works, we look relatively neat and tidy. My husband's work shirts look fine - not pristine, but fine. I hang them all on hangers and all the wrinkles seem to fall out as they dry.

All this time I'm not spending on ironing, or angsting over the growing pile, means I have time to do other stuff - like sleep, or read, or cook. My brow doesn't furrow every time I think about the ironing - because it just doesn't exist, so I'm also saving on botox - bonus!

festive leftovers

Ouch. I'm still very over-satiated from the Christmas Food Festival. The last few days have been a blur of way too much food, swallowed down with plenty of wine. Breakfast this morning was a very light slice of toast with restorative vegemite and a couple of big glasses of cold water. Lunch will be a carved leg ham salad, and for dinner, I have a lovely free-range chook ready to roast and serve with more leaves and other salad greens.

I've just been musing about what to do with the Christmas pudding my mother-in-law lovingly makes for each of her children's families. They're perfect, but unfortunately my hubby has an aversion to dried fruits, so a dried-fruit-studded pudding is not his cup of tea. I'm not keen on nibbling away at it on my own over the next few weeks, lest my waistline take on an even-greater pudding shape. So here's my idea. We're going to friends for dinner in two days time and I thought I'd create a trifle based around the pud. Slices of pudding will be alternated with poached, seasonal fruits, and a vanilla yoghurt 'custard'. Surely that'll use it all it, the sweetness will be tempered with the yogurt and all will be well.

Now, I'm off for a swim - hopefully I'll float and not sink!

seasons shoe greetings

Hope you all have a lovely, lovely Christmas. And I really hope that Santa leaves something like these little beauties under the tree for you...

late night shopping

Well, my visit to the local indie stores yesterday was a smashing failure. Nothing for teen boy, and zilch for teen girl. I could have bought something, if I was prepared to pay $70+ for a t-shirt, which I am so not. So instead, boy's getting a stack of cash in his christmas stocking (his favourite gift according to his ma) and girl's getting a make-up bag packed with age-appropriate essentials (a range of nail shades, mascara, eye liner and a few shadows).

But last night, my local shopping centre was open till midnight, so after an early dinner, I bid the family farewell and headed off to... bliss. At 7pm I drove straight into the perfect park, and wandered around a busy, but sparsely populated Westfield. I bought all hubby's pressies, make-up for teen girl, and a few birthday pressies for my gal. Plus, I found a retro DVD - Santa Claus is Coming To Town, a fave from my youth, that Annabella dived on this morning. By 9pm I was home, wrapping pressies and a few hours later in bed feeling very well satisfied after watching Nigella's Christmas to wind down.

So today's Christmas Eve. I'm sitting here with a shower cap atop my head, dye hopefully seeping in and colouring all that grey on my head, food in the fridge ready to make teeny quiches to take to neighbour's for drinks, then to in-laws for supper (I'm doing it easy and making a couple of dozen lorraine and caramelised onion and blue cheese quiche bites - perfect with any wine or champagne option).

Now the only thing I have left to do is collect my car (which had to be left at mechanic's yesterday thanks to a hole in the muffler and a cracked tappet cover - who needs tappets anyway, let alone a darned cover!). I also need to make said quiche pastry, then quiches, pack bags, tidy house and write an article. Oh, and visit Dan Murphy's for wine and champagne - I ran out of time yesterday. 

Easy.

Have a merry christmas, happy holidays etc. I'll be back before you know it.

Lxx

serenity now

And breathe... Okay, I've designed the invites for my daughter's birthday party - and they rock. I've sent them off to hubby to have them printed in colour - all ten of them, then I'll go get them laminated, buy lanyards from cheapo shop down the road, and we'll pop them in mailboxes later tonight. Phew. One major thing ticked off the to-do list.

I must say that the one thing saving my sanity at the moment is my new oasis of zen - my ultra-tidy and very well-organised pantry. Every time I look at it it's like a little spot of tranquility in my life. 

I'm finishing off the christmas shopping this afternoon at a local surf shop and local funky clothing store. Sure, I may have to pay a little more for the teen's tees, but I won't have to fight my way into a carpark, then through snarky crowds at the local mall. That's got to be worth a few dollars doesn't it?

After all this I'm rewarding myself with a trip to Dan Murphy's where I'm buying a case of champagne and buying difficult brother-in-law some fine wine and port - surely the perfect pressie. 

ready or not

Oh so not. I haven't really given a great deal of thought to Christmas this year, aside from our fast four hour shop a month ago. But see, the thing is, I just looked at the date and realised that I'm somewhat unprepared for the big day. There's still shopping to do - for a teenage niece and nephew - the toughest pressies. There's a secret santa gift needed for a difficult-to-buy-for brother-in-law (wow, that's a lot of hyphens, even for me) and I may need to buy my husband the odd pressie or two.

I've also got to finalise my daughter's birthday invites and send them out. Plan her party - oh, and actually set a date for it that's not tentative. This is undoubtedly my most disorganised year - particularly with her party. I guess it's because I was hoping for the pool party, then had to do the quick switcheroo when I realised that the backyard wasn't likely to be ready in time. 

So today, I'm all action stations Christmas and birthday. I'll buy those last few pressies, get the invites sorted - and maybe do a little work as well. It can be done, and will, so we can all have a very, very merry Christmas.

oh my

Until today, I never really quite understood the appeal of Penelope Cruz. Probably because of the whole Tom Cruise thing. But today... goodness me...

festive loaf

For dinner last night I made a Christmassy meat loaf. It was very delish so I thought I'd best share:

Chicken and pistachio meatloaf

750g chicken mince

3 slices of bacon, diced

1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

1 green onion, finely sliced

1 slice wholegrain bread, grated

1 egg

1/2 lime juice and zest

salt and pepper

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

8 slices prosciutto

Mix all ingredients except prosciutto in a bowl - with your hands, go on. Then line a loaf tin with the prosciutto and then pile the chicken mix on top. Cover top with slices of prosciutto and place in a dish, and pour in enough water so it comes half-way up sides of the loaf tin. Cover top of meatloaf with foil and bake at 160 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake a further 15 minutes till golden.

Remove from oven, allow to rest, then remove from tin and slice. I served this with a sorrel, hazelnut and sliced green apple salad and it was very yummy indeed.

wise guys

My gal had one of her best gals over for a sleepover last night, so we took them out to check out the Christmas lights. First of all we went to Estabar, a coffee and gelato cafe opposite Newcastle Beach where we all indulged. Matt had espresso and chocolate gelato, Hollie had lemon sorbet and a chocolate cherry number, Annabella decided on chocolate and hazelnut, while I savoured a blood orange sorbet. Yummy!

After this we popped a Christmas CD in the player and drove around to look at lights. We finished off at the house above which is stunning in its elegant simplicity. All the curtains of the house are open, with gorgeous little vignettes apparent everywhere you look. These wise men were in the front yard, next to the sleigh that was set up for the children to sit in and have their photo taken.

The couple often come out to wish the children a Merry Christmas and you can just see the joy bouncing off them as they spy the beaming faces of the littlies. That's what Christmas is all about.

pantry raid

Spring cleaning is a task that really satisfies and one aspect I find immeasurably pleasurable is cleaning out the pantry. Going through the shelves one-by-one, taking out all the items and checking use-by dates before wiping over and setting aside, is an almost meditative task. However, what I really don't understand is how I can clean out the pantry at least annually and yet there's always one wildly out of date item. Nothing from the 70s mind you, but a few years out of date...

I also love wiping down the shelves, including the upper and lower sides, with a mix of warm water and essential oils (lime oil today) then allowing them to dry and repacking in a much more orderly fashion.

Today was the first time I haven't had to clean out the pantry as part of a blitz on pantry moths. I've had years of fighting these little blighters, but now I place items such as flour, rice, popping corn etc straight in the freezer once I buy them. The flour comes out after a fortnight, when I know any eggs have been killed off, but I tend to keep the rice and popping corn in the freezer as the grains still remain separate and ready to cook and they take up a little space in my near-empty freezer (I need some food in there to keep the vodka and limoncello company!)

I've only done the left hand side of my walk-in-pantry today. The right-hand-side, with its cake-making ingredients, spices and crackers, will be tackled tomorrow. Baby steps.