Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day everyone! My Mothers Day was wonderful and also rather horrible. How was yours?

We had lots of fun, and lots of fights. It started out promisingly, with breakfast in bed – toasted croissants with avocado, cheese and tomato, chocolates and cups of tea. Before too long the bed was filled with giggling kiddies, crumbs and a thousand ferrero rochere wrappers.

This was followed by a blissful hour on my own since the Scrooge took the kidlets to church (I am a heathen and get to stay home). Then much fun was had when I attempted to change the sheets and make the bed. Every time I tried to get some chores done Scrooge came along and sent me off, promising faithfully to complete my mission for me. I generally just finished them once he got distracted and wandered off…Hey, it’s the thought that counts!

We had home-made icecream for lunch (maple syrup and roasted buttered pecans), and leftover homemade pizza from the night before.

And then despite having plans to go to Bunnings to get some flower plants and garden the rest of the day, we ended up having an impromptu kite making competition, using only materials we already had around the house, followed by a a kite flying competition at the park.

I am proud to say my kite definitely rocked! I have to admit I cheated though, I snuck onto the internet and bought a quick ebook on kite-making and then just copied – skipping all the hard bits.

This is D flying my kite cause it was definitely the best – even though it didn’t stay aloft for longer than a few minutes at a time.

Then a certain someone had a major meltdown when her kite fell apart, crying and proclaiming that she hated Mothers Day because it always gets wrecked. NO! It wasn’t me, thank you very much! The tantrum was finally brought under control at dinner time. Yes, it was a long tantrum.

Where’s some alcohol when you need it, that’s what I want to know. Oh, that’s right. I drank it already.

 

I Have A Sudden Craving For Oranges

In case this makes no sense, there is an orange on the plate.

Thank You God, Its Finished

I hope they like it. I don’t love it myself, though. I think it’s a little too country, a little too staid or something. Basically its not garish enough for me. I was going to bind it in a beautiful green fabric with leaves and caterpillars and birds, but then I realised I still had enough of the blue left over from the squares and I’d be able to keep the green for something else! I kind of wish I’d used the green though, I think it would have made it a touch quirky more than overly country-ish. It’s alright, though.

Can you see how huge the stitches are? I started out small and as the days went by they got bigger and bigger as I was more and more ready to finish! I made it hard on myself by making it a bit bigger than normal for a baby quilt. I just figure it might be more useful for longer, the bigger it is. Its 1m x 1.3m.

I like the back more. I used some baby blue and white striped flannel from my stash. I don’t love it, but I think it’ll do.

Baked Ricotta and Home-made Salsa

So the Domestic Dreamer has put a call out and is taking orders for cooking suggestions. I think this is a fantastic idea when the dinner mojo suddenly decides to take a hike.

So Dreamer, this is what I reckon: I think you should make baked ricotta with home-made salsa and home-made bread. You’ve got lots of the ingredients for it now (she has posted the contents of her fridge andpantry to make our advisory more sensible). The ricotta and salsa recipe comes from “Vegetarian for Honeymooners” cookbook. I LOVE that book, and have made so many yummy meals from it, but eventually I had to give it back to the bloody library. Pfft. If anyone wants to give me a present, please feel free! There are loads of recipes in it I haven’t tried yet!

There are loads of great bread recipes on the web, including one that’s no-knead. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard its fantastic. Or else buy one of those fantastic batards from Coles bakery. They’re about $2 each, and seriously yum.

Get about 400g fresh ricotta from deli, mix with about 30g parmesan/regular cheese, and if you want/have some, 1 egg. press into a prepared cake tin and bake on high for about an hour.

Dice up about 4 of your fresh tomatoes, and slice up two cloves of garlic. In a frypan over high heat fry up the garlic with 1/4 of a cup of olive oil and tomatoes until skin peels and softens. Remove from heat, spoon into serving bowl, add in 1/2 T sugar, 1/4 of a diced red onion, 1 T vinegar, loads of chopped fresh coriander, maybe some tobasco? and season with salt and pepper.

When your ricotta is toasted on top, cut into wedges, top with the salsa and have the bread toasted on the side.

So so yummy. That is my suggestion.

This is us having ours:

 

 

Grout Is The Devils Work

There is no other explanation.

Yes, I’m Still Here

I know, I know, I know – but I told you guys already, this is the Slacker blog! I’d hardly be living up to my mandate if I didn’t slack off now and again!

In any case, this is what I’ve been up to:

Cutting and piecing a kajillion little squares together – and I know, I’m not a piecing queen, nothing is quite right! Then cutting an amazing number of loose threads.

I’ve been working on this for weeks now, and am finally up to binding. Thank god. You know, I don’t think I like quilting as much as I keep thinking I do. Its just so…relentless.

At least I have avoided the dreaded and well-known “quilters rage” (Leunig):

Phew! It was close, though. I have acquired a new nephew in the usual way that one acquires these critters. Being time rich and money poor I decided to go shopping in my craft cupboard again and managed to come up with the vast majority of materials – I did buy $6 worth of plain quilting material to mix through though.

About half way through the quilting I decided I was over-endeavouring yet again, and announced ”bugger it, I’m keeping it, its mine!” but unfortunately the Scrooge announced he had already told his brother that I was making them a quilt. How rude! Damn it. Now i have to give it away! Maybe I will have to risk the quilters rage again and make Boy one. Or even, finish one of the many unfinished ones I have lying around here. Hmmm, it sounds so much like work…

Here is a picture from the weekend, Girl, Boy and Kai-Kai (so christened by Boy). This photo is in between the endless punch-ups the littles enjoyed the whole time we were there. Ah, the peace of the country. Lovely.

 

Procrastination

I am here on the Slacker because I am avoiding a horrible horrible fate. I just so dont want to be a growned up person right now. Why can’t someone else do it??! Anyone?! I don’t want tooooooooo!!!! Arrrghhhhhhhh!

So in the interests of putting off the inevitble another minute, hour, maybe day…here is some Pinsteration:

I have recently finished an book written by a lady who moved to Fez and, with her husband and a crowd of builders restored an old riad in the Medina. I know, I know, what was I doing reading a book that doesn’t have a cover picture of an embracing couple whose clothes are spontaniously falling off hair improbably blowing, and for some reason a rearing stallion behind them apparently about to trample them. Or a variation thereof.

Well, all I can say is, it was an accident. But it was a really good book. I might have to give proper books more of a try.

I want all of these bowls. Mine, mine mine!

And how cute are these?  I stole them from Ellie’s pinterest folder.

And finally…this, just to tell me to get myself off my big bum and get in there and go and clean out the fridge…sob…noooo…..