Decisions

Barb, the refurb kitchen person, has been. We can get very similar to what Ikea planned so it will be interesting to see what her quote is. They install as well, so that is a bonus in my book. *sigh* it's never easy, is it?!

They wouldn't be able to do it until May at the earliest. They are a husband and wife team which is another plus and it's good to see they are that busy. Says a lot for their business. We have lived with this kitchen for so long a few months won't make any difference if we go with them. We can spread the cost of appliances a bit.

Himself has gone to Ikea (the new Bunnings) to buy some outdoor light fittings. Just trying to drag the house kicking and screaming into the 20s!

I pinched this from Chris' blog (NZ Chris, not Canadian Chris). Her runner arrived and she seems happy with it. It's funny seeing your stuff on someone else's blog.

Well Ikea didn't have the lights we wanted. They have an order due with, wait for it, FOUR lights. Only 4. JeezLouise. Plan B.

I have been a busy weaver this afternoon. I should have 5 or 6 runners to give to L'arte by the weekend and then I can get back to my stuff.

Dinner is Aldi lasagne (cos I'm too lazy to make it and it's hot) and salad. 

Tomorrow I have to be on a call with my aunt's financial people, aunt and my step cousin. I am not looking forward to it as I have no idea what's going on. She plays her cards very close to her chest and, like a lot of older people, is very suspicious of everyone - she is expecting to get yelled at tomorrow, heaven only knows why. Worse, I will get numerous calls afterwards asking we what I thought. She is a lovely person and has a good hear but is quite child like which I think is as much a product of her generation and place in the family (the baby). At 90 and still living on her own she's not doing too badly.

Bulldog gin and blood orange tonic tonight.

Recipes and stuff

Chris has no functioning oven. I emailed her a lemon slice recipe which she mentioned on her blog so I have given this and a couple of chocolate slice recipes below. 

I have been very productive this morning. I have baked a double batch of sugar cookies and loaf of rye bread. I have done washing and cleaned up the kitchen. I had to change a craft group catch up which took an hour or so of faffing about on the computer and I have read my blogs.

Himself went to Bunnings and got me rose food and spray and some shiny new secateurs to  prune said roses. They are really struggling with black spot so need some TLC.

While he was out (in my car *sigh* the kms are rising) he noticed the dashcam wasn't recording. Or something. Of course, it's linked to my phone and it's a bloody pain in the neck. When he comes back from his second trip to Bunnings (doesn't everyone do that) he will want me to try to fix it. We are not the most technological minded couple but try telling him that!

Lunch is over (watermelon and plain yoghurt - so nice on a warm day). Time to put another load of washing on and start weaving. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

And just like that it's gin o'clock. Tanqueray Sevilla with Schweppes blood orange tonic. Slurp.

Dinner tonight is cold meat and salad. Maybe with a slice of fresh bread. Dessert might be mango and vanilla ice cream. Or a couple of home made biscuits.

I think the double dose of anti-depressants are finally kicking in. I do feel brighter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are Australian recipes. I have tried to convert where possible.

 Mocha Fudge Mallow Slice

250g (8oz) Butternut Cookies (I'm sure if you google them you will find an equivalent in your country)

100g (~3.5 oz) butter, melted

Filling

2 tablespoons caster sugar (superfine sugar)

60g (2oz) butter, chopped

1/2 cup cream (I use pouring cream)

1 tablespoon dry instant coffee

200 g (~7oz) white marshmallows, halved

200 g (~7oz) milk chocolate, chopped.

Grease 23cm (9in) square slab cake pan, place strip of baking paper to cover base and extend over 2 opposite sides. Process cookies until finely crushed, add butter, process until combined. Press mixture over base of prepared tin. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Filling Combine all ingredients in medium heavy based saucepan , stir over low heat until mixture is smooth.

Pour warm filling over base in pan; refrigerate until set. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water. Store in refrigerator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Caramel Slice

185g (6oz) dark chocolate, melted

20g (slightly less than 1 oz) butter, melted

22 ice cream wafers (google will help if they're called something else!)

20g (see above) butter, extra

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup (this could be tricky - try google)

3 teaspoons smooth peanut butter.

Grease 19cm x 29cm (7" x 11") rectangular slice pan, place strip of foil to cover base and extend over 2 opposite sides. Spread half the combined chocolate and butter over base of prepared pan.

Place half the wafers over chocolate, trim to fit. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Combine extra butter, condensed milk and golden syrup in medium pan, stir over heat until mixture boils, simmer, uncovered stirring constantly about 3 minutes or until golden caramel colour. Stir in peanut butter. Spread hot caramel over wafers, top with remaining wafers; trim to fit.

Spread remaining chocolate over wavers; refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Cut into triangles using a serrated knife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lemon Coconut Squares

250g (8oz) packet of milk arrowroot biscuits. (cookies to some – just use a plain sweet cookie like marie if you don’t have the arrowroot)

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

4oz butter

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 cup coconut + 2 tablespoons extra

1 ¾ cups icing sugar mixture (I think this is confectioner’s sugar)

1 teaspoon soft butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice, approx.

Blend or process biscuits until finely crushed. Combine milk and butter in medium pan, stir over heat until butter is melted; stand until warm. Stir in biscuit crumbs, rind and coconut; mix well. Press mixture evenly over base of greased 7in x 11in rectangular slice tin; refrigerate 1 hour. Spread slice with lemon icing, sprinkle with extra coconut.

ICING

Sift icing sugar into small heatproof bowl, stir in butter and enough juice to make a stiff paste. Stir over hot water until spreadable.

 We were told that an appointment with the kitchen design people would be at least a fortnight away. Yesterday I got online and WOOHOO got one for midday today. I fear this is going to be a bit more expensive than Himself was planning but a kitchen is a huge thing in a house.

I warped up the loom for the blue and white table runner and made a rookie mistake (I am a rookie so I guess I can't complain) and ended up tossing 4 balls of yarn. It was pretty shit to work with and was given to me but I still feel annoyed. A friend gave me a voucher to Spotlight as a thankyou for yarn I have donated to her for her dog blankets so I will use that to buy more white cotton. Paying everything forward.

Concrete Dude came and looked at our very sad front porch. We will be getting it ground back and sealed. Must remember before and after photos. A bit more than we thought but the driveway was a bit less so swings and roundabouts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We went to Ikea and I am so excited. It will come in more expensive than we hoped - what else is new - but we really want a stone bench top. The awful corner pantry will go and be replaced with something more sensible which will also give us more bench space. All this depends, of course, on what the refurb person says on Tuesday but we doubt it will be enough to convince us to not go with Ikea. Now we need to price stone tops to see if we can get them cheaper.

Grabbed some yarn from Spotlight and I had enough left on the gift card to get a Christmas elf which I shall hang from one the trees in the front and move around so the kids can follow him.

We have had a run of steak for dinner lately. If they are decent we buy them. Himself is very particular about steak and as he cooks them I'm not complaining. I rarely eat steak when we go out (whatever that feels like) as I prefer the way he cooks them. So steak, salad, chips and apple crumble and icecream for dessert.

IKEA!!

 Himself wanted me to see the rug so off we toddled. We took the new freeway extension and boy, that makes the journey quicker. I found a kitchen I have fallen in love with.

This isn't it exactly but the cabinets and white tiles give you an idea. Installation will be the issue. We will see what the refurb person says on Tuesday but I just love this one so much. The display fits pretty much our foot print.

We found the rug then saw that they had a matching smaller one and we got both so they match - one under the table and one in front of the couch.

When we first got there Himself was most disappointed they weren't selling their hot dogs. I guess it's a covid thing as they were yesterday but weekends tend to get very busy. We commented on how empty it seemed when we first got there (vacc status checked as we went in) but by the time we got to the market hall I was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Social distancing? What's that? I will wear my mask under my chin - if I wear it all. Kids! Run riot!!

We went back to the car with the smaller rug and then realised we could indeed fit both in my little blue beast so I waited and Himself went back and got the big one.

Himself has taken the dogs to the dog park. I got my exercise walking around Ikea and will now go and warp up for a blue and white christmas runner.

Busy stuff

I have been busy all day but don't feel I've achieved much at all.

First up we had our weekly craft group catch up. Normally this is around lunch time but they couldn't fit us in so we had to be there at 9.00. Not a problem for some but we are a lazy lot and like to sleep in! It was a fairly small group and there was a woman there who rubs people up the wrong way. She comes across as nosy and in your face but she is just terribly lonely. She wanted a hug from Alice but Alice wasn't having it and she was quite upset. Turns out she loves kids but she and her husband couldn't have them. She has alienated just about everyone but I will make sure I sit next to her next time. Speaking of Alice - 2 days in a row she has chucked over me and not small amounts either! Must be a granny thing.

Came home to find the ceiling finished. It still smells of paint but that will pass. We have a flowering gum that has a lean on it. Himself wants to cut it down but I think we will trim it and see if we can convince it to grow the other way. It's a silver princess for those in the know and they do have a drooping leaning habit but this one is leaning a bit too much. They grow very quickly and the nectar eating birds just love them so if this one has to go we will replant with a couple more and train them to stand up a bit straighter.

This isn't my tree. Mine is nearly horizontal!

I then spent ages creating the events for the facebook page of the craft group til the end of the year. 

Then I thought I'd better do something to satisfy Mr Centrelink so searched for jobs and applied for 6. Fingers crossed nothing comes of them! That takes a long time as I have to upload evidence to the government site proving that I have applied.

Himself has gone to Ikea looking for something. I can't remember what! Maybe a rug for under the table as the chairs are scratching the timber floor even with stoppers on them.

We put the summer doona on the bed so I envisage quite a few chilly nights ahead. Sorry if you live in Melbourne. Blame me. That reminds me of my sister in law who really didn't want to go to Italy last year. Bang -  the pandemic. I told her it should be called the Louise virus. My brother has booked for next year and I told her to suck it up.

I could almost have a nanna nap right now. 

Anniversaries

Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of my mother's death. She died peacefully with one of my brothers, me and our dad there. My other brother had just flown to NZ for work and tried to get back in time. He rang to say he was at the airport about to board a flight. Mum was unconscious by then but I put the phone to her ear. She died 10 minutes later. It's as if she needed to his voice.

50 years ago on the 21st of this month we arrived in Australia. I haven't left the country since and I have no desire to other than to visit NZ.

Next year Himself and I will have been married for 45 years. A lot happened in those 5 years between 15 year old me arriving as a well spoken pom who had no idea what people were saying half the time (Australian slang was weird!) and 20 year old me who quickly lost the accent (but can still bring it out if necessary) getting married to a divorced bloke with a 4 year old son. 

Today I went with Amy to the doctor's appointment for Alice's tongue tie release. I wasn't allowed in (covid covid covid covid) so waited in the car. She came out not long after nearly in tears. The tongue tie wasn't the problem. Alice just prefers a bottle cos it's less work. So I gave the little moppet a bottle while Amy went and talked to Three and her mum. We will try one more strategy and then at least Amy can say she did her best. Honestly, I think too many people have too many fingers in the lives of new mums. They get conflicting advice and dare not trust their own instincts.

The bloke has patched our ceiling and given it one coat of paint. He looks as if he should still be in high school but that's more a reflection on this old biddy.

The internet finally got sorted (it was an issue that our "landline" didn't work) and literally 2 minutes after getting it fixed the phone rang and it was the aunt. Her timing was spot on. She is the only one that uses the number (and scammers and political nuisances). Once she shuffles off we shall get rid of it.

I am off to weave.

Cooking and stuff

Chris asked for some no bake recipes as her oven is waiting for a part (hard when you're coming into bitter winter). I dragged out my good old Women's Weekly cookbooks and found several. And then I hit a dilemma. Our ingredients are quite Australian. Do other countries have rice bubbles? weetbix? Copha? I'm sure they have equivalents (I'm pretty sure the UK have rice crispies and weet-a-bix). And we're metric - is Canada?

Anyway, Chris, if you read this let me know the sort of things you like. Lemon? Chocolate? I also have some microwaveable recipes which aren't too bad.

I have made a pizza dough and it is resting in the fridge. Normally I leave it overnight but I thought I'd see if it's OK with less time. It would make it easy in the future so I don't have to plan ahead! I was going to have another go at the brioche (with an oven door that isn't broken) but that's probably a bit too much starchy stuff in one day. Even for this chubster. Maybe tomorrow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

I have been going gangbusters with this runner. It's hard to see but it's a green and red warp (the up and down bits) with a sparkly green weft (the cross bits).

I took the pizza dough out of the fridge as it seemed a bit slow. BANG. It doubled in size in no time so it's back in the fridge until it's time to start making dinner. Which is about now.

*&%^$#@*+)*>%#

We have lost the internet. The "help" centre fucked up. Himself is NOT happy. I will try and save this somehow as I can't post it at the moment.