Mixed bag

  • Heroes . Is it just me or does one or more of their writer have major mother/child issues? Could Sylar and Peter's mothers have been writen more loathsome and Claire's adoptive and bio-mum more vacant if they tried? Not that it's going to stop me wanting to watch the second series when the BBC decide to air it.
  • Millet . A while back I bought a bunch of grains and pulses for the store cupboard and added some that I hadn't tried before. Quinoa left me unimpressed (and I don't like the look of of the uncoiling germ when it's cooked), millet was more successful. Because I had picked up some fresh cranberries in the reduced for quick sale area Mark Bittman's Autumn Millet Bake recipe seemed like a good way to try it, with a few modifications of course.
  1. Instead of frying the millet in olive oil I went on the seldom contradicted assumption that most recipes, especially vegan recipes will be vastly improved by the addition of bacon bits and dry fried lardons till they rendered their fat before adding half a cup of millet and I have to say it smelt lovely.
  2. Then I did as I was told, I poured it in a casserole dish and put some cubed butternut squash (only I used just half of one because we were only feeding 3 people and not an army) and a cup of fresh cranberries on top. I did the drizzling 2 tablespoons of maple syrup part too (see, how could I not add bacon to the recipe, it was calling for it wasn't it?)
  3. Because I didn't have any sage I put herbes de provence instead and a little bit of smoked paprika just because it seemed like it was missing a little something. Loads of freshly ground pepper and a mugfull of chicken stock (because I'd ran out of vegetable stock and lets face it, once I put the bacon bits in there wasn't any point worrying about keeping it vegan).
  4. I left it half and hour in the oven with the lid on then used the substitute with what's in the cupboard principle and used sunflower seeds, linseed, chopped hazelnuts and chopped almonds for the topping and baked it with lid off for another 20 minutes (or until the smoke alarm goes off).
  • Christmas (another noisy website). This year as The Boy directed my tree decorating efforts (we could do with extra ornaments and some lights, this will be remedied soon) we opted to have a different soundtrack to the usual carols since i was feeling too lazy to hunt for the cd and I couldn't face hearing another one of the more broad casted festive songs. As I placed the 3 wise men some distance away from the rest of the nativity (they don't get there till epiphany you know) Henri giggled to the sounds of Xmas in Fisco (warning it might just start playing and it may not be SFW and is more on the upper side of a PG rating than a U ). There's something strangely uplifting in watching a 10 year old boy in stitches as he hears Bob Rivers' "chipmunks roasting on an open fire , hot sauce dripping from their toes..." (I would have linked to the Bob Rivers Show but I couldn't decide which was worse, the official site or their myspace which was bad even for myspace so I'll take a chance of a future broken link to youtube instead =) ).
  • Teh Blergh . Operation "let's keep this thing under control" is having some results but between exercising, factoring in some daylight outdoors time, having to plan meals carefully to not make things worse by eating my own weight in chips washed down in milkshakes followed by chocolate and sweets and remembering to sit in front of the light box, it is fair to say it feels almost like a full time occupation to keep afloat and this week I'm on a break, but I am planing to get back on the wagon soon because I don't find it very dignified to well up in front of the Woolies pick and mix, honest, I'll get back onto it as soon as I find the energy for it.
6.12.07 23:08


Shuffle lyrics pick of the week

Can't decide if the ipod is feeling appropriate or ironic today when it kept picking Mademoiselle K's "Reste là" :

"Souris la vie est bête
Profite un peu mon vieux, fais pas cette tête
Putain la vie c'est court et en plus après on meurt
Alors arrête un peu d'râler
De dire que tout ça c'est pour du beurre
Y a bien un sens ca j'en suis sûre
C'est pas toujours très clair
Mais qui a dit que ce n'était pas dur ? "

 
7.12.07 17:26


The play

funny pictures

LOL cat courtesy of Icanhazcheeseburger.com (I guess my shameful addiction to captioned cats is out now).


Act1 - Scene 1

(music: Caribou's Andorra )

Stroppycow is sat at the computer, looking up recipes using agar agar and properties offered from rent in slightly more affordable parts within acceptable commuting distance of work and school. She is chuckling at the elaborate concoctions she happens upon and at the creative prose from estate agents (pearl of the week "it's (sic) own uniquely designed feel to it, with a fantastic fish tank built in to the wall, and lovely stone tiled wall the in the lounge area.".

The Boy is ready for bed. He is delaying the good night ritual and the fidgeting gives away that there's something on his mind beyond the will to prolong downstairs time.

THE BOY: Mummy?

STROPPYCOW: Babby?

THE BOY: Do you have any plays?

STROPPYCOW (rolling her eyes in anticipation because by now she knows that no question asked by a 10 year old is ever innocent): some, but they are in French. Why do you ask?

THE BOY: I need a page from a play for school.

STROPPYCOW: Well you'll just have to go look for something suitable in the library, I am sure they have plenty.

THE BOY (putting on his "mother you are killing me. Surely you know better than than this" look): But I need it tomorrow.

STROPPYCOW: Then you should have thought of it earlier, 5 minutes before bedtime on a Sunday evening there isn't much anybody can do to help.

THE BOY (putting on his "if you don't bail me out now I will lose all faith in you and I will put on a face so miserable at school tomorrow that they will either call you to come pick me up or call social services for serious mistreatment): I know, I just forgot. It doesn't have to be an actual theatre play. I think it's anything that you can read out loud, except I didnt write it in my homework diary so I am not sure.

All this to say if you find yourself in a similar predicament theres a couple of sites out there that you might find of use. This site has a whole bunch of scripts and for a true classic there's always The War of the Worlds although I have to admit the thought of The Boy as Orson Welles cracked me up so much I just couldn't print that one for him and chose something with a Christmas theme .
10.12.07 22:56


Child quotes of the week

As I ask if I should read the autobiography he has written as a piece of homework.

"No, you don't know anything about my life anyway"

As I insist I would like to read it and find out more.

"Don't worry, there's nothing about you in it"

As I half plead him to let me

"I don't *want* you to know anything about my life"

Ok, please own up if it was you who took away the soul of my lovely little 10 year old and replaced it with that of a teenager's 3 years ahead of time.

 
13.12.07 16:25


Christmas meme

via Violet because tis the season to be busy lalalalala lala la la.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
First tried egg nog last Saturday. Sipped from MFC's cup. I am still undecided about it. I have to be in the right mood for hot chocolate. Could I not just have a cup of tea instead please?

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Presents? What presents?

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
White. 40 of them on the 3ft tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Not before 1st December is the rule.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish?
My grandmother's capon stuffed with her special mushroom and foie gras stuffing.

7. Favourite Holiday memory?
Too many to choose from. Having all my cousins around and trying to stay awake as late as we could. The smell of my grandmother's bedding. Brioche for breakfast (the pinnacle of decadence when I was 8). Finding the presents under our shoes by the fireplace in the morning. Being allowed on my roller skates in my grandparents' living room. The delight on The Boy's as he unwrapped Annie and Clarabel one christmas morning. Having cheese, bread and wine in bed the first time The Boy spent Christmas away. The Boy enquiring as to why Santa had given him a doll when he unwrapped and action man one year "doesn't Santa know dolls are for girls mummy?".

So far this year: The Boy digging his heels in the supermarket when i suggested the 3 foot bubblegum pink Christmas tree would be perfect for the flat (at less than a fiver it was a bargain too). Burning the first batch of Christmas biscuit and The Boy eating his despite the terrible taste of charcoal.  

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was told numerous times at school but never believed it. My parents were too cunning. You see there were no presents under our shoes near the tree when we left the house and they were there when we came back so he *had* to exist and they *had* to be wrong, although why the Père Noel never seemed to get it quite right and sometimes made such strange choices did bother me a little.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Nope

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
I believe that Christmas trees are the trannies of the tree world. Only somebody with immense talent can make them look tasteful. This year I have given up on the "let's try to limit the level of tackyness and stick to red, glass and gold decorations dogma". We have plastic candy canes and plastic sweets. There's blue, red, green yellow and pink as well as the oh so delicate glass baubles I like so much. Still no tinsel though, there are limits to how much tack I will embrace in one year.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I still love it.

12. Can you ice skate?
Enough to be able to go around the rink a few times without ending up sprawled on the ice. Not so much that it looks graceful of comfortable.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?
I am a bit funny about presents, that's all I'll say for now.

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas?
The family rituals.

15. What is your favourite Holiday Dessert?
My aunt's fruits déguisés, the chocolates and the kilos of easy peelers that never seem to taste quite as nice once Christmas is over.

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Putting the Tree up with The Boy.

16.5. What is your least favourite holiday tradition?
Secret Santa. Did I mention I am a bit funny about receiving presents?

17. What tops your tree?
A star. To be more precise, 2 star ornaments tied together with invisible threads to make a tree topper. All the tree toppers in the shop were designed with huge trees in mind and would have looked plain silly on one more scaled to the living room.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving.

19. Favourite Christmas Song?
At the moment? Hark the Herald Angels Sing because it features in pretty much every carol service I ever go to and it never fails to amuse me to hear people stumble on the verses where the meter doesn't naturally match the rhythm of the music. Me? I don't mumble as I struggle to recall which syllable should be swallowed since I follow The Boy's orders to mime so he doesn't get embarrassed by how off key I am.

 
18.12.07 23:47


Christmas in a few words

Marzipan bears

Hotel room. Contraband cheese, smoked salmon and bubbly wine filled mini-bar. Spoilt for choice for breakfast (haddock and poached egg, porridge and oh so moist and lovely black pudding, how's a girl supposed to make a decision). Watching Bad Santa in Christmas outfit befitting the surroundings. Boxing day in the pool.

27.12.07 14:23


I can has FAIL in the kitchen

Christmas is a time for sharing right? So I give you my latest cooking embarrassment (yes I know it doesn't really qualify as a pantry skeleton but we are talking spirit of the post rather than letter of the post).

Anyway, twas a few days after Christmas and since The Boy was still away at his father's and MFC was busy a) mutating the remnants of unfriendly strain of turkey flu before passing it over to me to incubate and b) doing some work voodoo I was left to make my own entertainment. Were I a single child like The Boy or MFC this would not present a challenge. Alas I had siblings and I have the attention span of a goldfish on speed so there's only so long the fingerless mittens, creating playlists or the pile of books from the library were going to keep me amused.

It seemed obvious at the time that attempting to make cheese curds so I could try making and consuming poutine was a brilliant idea. If you can't buy the stuff then make it seemed the path to follow.

curds and whey
  • Step 1 dismiss all the websites about cheese making that say that without the right cultures and facilities to control temperatures the results *are* going to be bad unless you stick to cottage cheese, paneer or ricotta styles.
  • Step 2 warm copious amounts of milk and sour with yoghurt because cheese cultures aren't an item I keep in my food cupboards.
  • Step 3 add vegetarian rennet and watch the curds and whey separate. Attempt to keep at the right temperature using the yog machine without its lid on.
  • Step 4 strain, rinse the curds and start pressing.
  • Step 5 offer tiny bites of the white stuff to MFC and demand his opinion on the resulting product.
  • Step 6 dismiss the reply of "Nope, just tastes like paneer to me" and press some more adding an extra tin to the pile on top of the plate.
  • repeat step 5, dismiss "nope, no squeak to it"
  • Step 8 offer to go buy some plastic mozzarella or some gouda to use in place of curds. Cube paneer to use another day .
  • Step 9 take one look outside and decide that it's too dark and wet and make risotto instead of poutine .

 
28.12.07 19:02


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