Learning to make Arincini
I have enjoyed making chocolate tarts and lemon tarts since the school holidays. I’ve given most of them away and even thrown some out that didn’t go to plan. I’m ready to move to the next thing I want to learn how to make on my hitlist…. arincini.
I love rice. It is my favourite food. If I get sick, I crave fried rice. If I want to comfort myself I make risotto. I read a beautiful post about food today:Food Memories: Jill Dupliex. It reminded me of the delicious rice pudding my nana would make that we’d eat with golden syrup and cream. Delicious.
I know the value of rice since Roger Green’s Feng Shui course, which included some Macrobiotic food as one of the branches of feng shui. I remember enjoying a rice ball at the ‘Wild Rice Cafe’. When I heard about arincini, I knew I’d love it.
Darin and I made the risotto together on Thursday night. Asha had friends coming over Friday night so I had some victims to test my food on lined up. I also planned to have brushetta which I have pretty well handled now, just in case it was really bad. Darin fortunately had the night off so he helped me heaps with both and they were yummy. We had the kids and J(8) wouldn’t go near it, but Asha and her mates liked it. I heated up the leftovers tonight for dinner -not bad.
Next time though I want to make the risotto a bit wetter and put more mozzarella in the middle. Still I’m happy with my first try.
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Tuesday
I know, it’s not a very imaginative title. I’ve been spending some time after school this week getting my computer and blogs up to date with back end stuff. Andy’s Poohduck is getting lots of hits, but the stat’s weren’t working and other things so I thought I’d better finally get round to doing something about that. He’s been taking some wonderful photo’s lately. I also have had more time available to me to potter around with these things. I’ve got my school blogs almost under control lately. See below for the reasons!
I’ve been catching up with heaps of stuff this week with no year 10 classes. The school ground is so empty. I am going visiting starting tomorrow. I was given a list of students to visit and made some calls today to make times to visit them. I am looking forward to it and wish I could visit every student I’ve taught, but that would be most of them, and I don’t have enough hours in the day. Some of them are in Melbourne with newspapers or architects, so I guess it’s not practical to get around that much in a week.
Darin has a new, more time consuming role at work. A couple of people at work have told me how wonderful the food is where is chef. I felt very proud of him, but I certainly already knew how great his food is. He’s working long hours and talking menu’s at home. Last night the conversation made me hungry. I decided I would wait and cook dinner and eat with him tonight. Just steak and veges, nothing as yummy as what he was talking about. Steak and veges will be good though and it’s better than getting stuck into cheese and biscuits at some awfully late hour! My waistline is expanding lately… what with all the chocolate and lemon tarts I’ve been practicing on and just a greater focus on food in general I guess. I do try to give the tarts away and I have done a lot of that, but you always have to eat some, just to make sure it is ok 
.
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Laundry
I started mucking around with my laundry months ago. I pulled down a wobbly ugly cupboard I had in there thinking it would motivate me to fix it up. It didn’t. I’ve had piles of linen and towels and laundry stuff settled in all throughout the rest of my home. Terrible feng shui!
Yesterday Darin and I went to Ikea and got a storage system for the laundry. We also got paint and stuff to paint the walls, cause we want to do it once and for all! The laundry in this house is in the relationship sector if my trusty feng shui compass and calculations are accurate, so I want to get it right. Most of the piles are accumulating in our bedroom, another feng shui problem for relationships. It’s surprising we are still together at all with all the negative energy in the house around relationships. I don’t want to tempt fate though, so I’m really keen to get this done.
This morning we cleared everything out, washed down the walls and removed all the nails, shelves and bits left behind by previous residents. We puttied (not sure if that’s a word) and I sanded back this afternoon while he was at work. It’s a lot easier doing this kind of stuff with someone else. A laundry is a lot smaller than my previous painting efforts also. I’m confident it will be finished by the weekend when we have the kids. I may even share a photo!
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Tasty TV
I am not a big watcher of TV. There are so many cooking shows that lure me lately. Darin is working most weeknights now… so I have to watch chefs on TV. I no longer have the pleasure of watching him chop, slice and dice etc and I’m miss it. I do get to hear about the goings on in his kitchen, but it’s not the same. I can’t smell, taste and wash up after it! Those hours to myself have become healthy, because I exercise instead. It’s got to be better long term!
I’ve started watching Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. I’ve even watched ‘Kitchen Nightmares’. I am not even a fan of Gordan Ramsey, although it’s mainly based on his inability to be honest in relationship, in fairness I like his style as a chef. In fact if he can be so honest professionally, I do wonder what went wrong at home. Really it’s none of my business and I would be happier if the media didn’t tell me about people’s private lives.
My favourite has to be Jamie Olivier though, I follow his twitters and nod at the seriously intelligent, yet yummy he has to food. He is just lovely. His food revolution is serious common sense and it’s heartening to see someone use their fame for good.
Watch this :
He’s awesome.
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Year 12 Retreat
I haven’t been on a year 12 retreat since 1983 when I was in year 12. I didn’t have really clear memories but vaguely recall going on a really long walk, not allowing enough time to get back, so hitchhiking for the first time with around 5 other girls. An unusual man picked us up (which was to be expected in some ways), fortunately no harm occurred and we made it back on time with the leaders none the wiser. If any of our students managed such feats I am also none the wiser. I found the students to be wonderfully behaved and enjoyed their company.
We had an amazing speaker talk to the kids for a couple of hours and he was one of the best public speakers I’ve seen since I saw Anthea Paul speak. Sam Clear is a storyteller with a very inspiring tale to tell. The students were captivated. Young people today are a tough gig for a speaker. They are incredibly sophisticated critics as they receive so many messages and whilst this group has been well trained to be attentive, it’s rare for them to be so universally impressed by a presentation. I’ve been teaching many of them since they were in year 7, so I’ve heard many negative reviews over the years. That’s another subject for another day.
It was a three day break away from phones and screens for me. There were TVs but I didn’t indulge, prefering conversation, music and journalling in my free time. I did miss my phone and laptop though. I have to say I would prefer not to be without them.
Darin made me a sensational French Onion Soup and Chocolate tart to take for lunch. They were much appreciated by the teachers I had to feed. I didn’t learn how to make them as I’d hoped, it was quicker and easier for him to just do it. So I just watched while he did all the quick chopping and whisking ect. I think I would have to go into training to do these things with ease as he does. I never really appreciated the difference between a good cook and trained chef until lately. The things I’ve have seen him do in the kitchen are under the category of minor miracles for me.
Interestingly enough there was one activity on the retreat that was the same as when I went on retreat. The others were quite similar but had evolved in different ways. I still have my folder from my retreat. It’s in my box of things to pull out to make me feel good along with the lovely cards like those referred to in this awesome post I read today: Prep isn’t the time for assessment. When I say box, I mean boxes and since I have redone that activity, perhaps it’s time for a cleanout.
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Monday Holidays are good for…
Staying up late to watch the Grand Prix, when you can sleep in the next morning. Couldn’t quite manage the soccer, but as it turns out, just as well. I wanted Mark Webber to win too, so it was a dissappointing night for the Aussies sport wise.
After sleeping the morning away, we went for a shop and enjoyed a sausage sizzle breakfast at the local shopping centre. It was ran by one of the Neighbourhood houses and I was astonished to see the co-ordinator was still the same one as when I was a co-ordinator around 9 years ago. I love Neighbourhood houses and remember my time there with fond memories. We strolled around and didn’t buy much, some gumboots for J(8) who is going on camp this week, and a book for Darin to thank him for teaching me how to cook. He said it was completely unnecessary, but I love buying books so I didn’t listen to his protests.
So this evening we are cooking. He’s showing me how to make French Onion soup and Chocolate tart, which I want to take to retreat to reward the staff who are coming with me. I’m away for a few days this week. I haven’t been on a year 12 retreat since 1983 when I was at my own, should be interesting. I hear French Onion soup is incredibly easy to make, but still I love watching and learning how they do it in a restaurant. Under his supervision I know it will taste great and as it should, unlike some of the dishes I’ve tried to create from a recipe.
He’s just been called into work for an hour… they can’t seem to live without him, so I’m taking the break to write this. He wasn’t too happy about it I can tell you. I love hearing him express himself on the phone, he’s so clear and assertive. I learn as much from him about communicating as I do about cooking!
Interestingly when I was doing my new moon goals this weekend I reviewed some of my previous goal setting notes. I had set a goal that I wanted to learn how to cook. I didn’t really think about it again and I was kind of surprised to read it. (Says a lot about my memory) I’d done nothing concrete about it, but I realised that the perfect way of learning had materialised anyway. That’s often happened to me before and sometimes I think the goals I think the least about are the ones that come easiest.
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My Kiva Loan Experience
I made a loan to Kiva of a very small amount Christmas 2008. Today I got the email to say it had been totally repaid. So I got to lend it again.
I have been meaning to lend more and I have to admit it wasn’t until I got the email tonight that I remembered to do it. It’s so easy and there are so many different enterprises you could support. I believe you could find someone you would like to lend a hand to, someone you could identify with and want to help out.
My son phoned me in the middle of the night a couple of months ago, to tell me about Kiva. He was so enthused cause he’d heard about it. I was annoyed that he woke me, but also pleased that he felt a passion for giving. I know it leads to happiness.
The thrill of giving is worth passing on. On the weekend we went shopping and I watched Darin give his kids some coins to donate to a worthy charity. They happily deposited the money into the box and I thought to myself, that’s where it begins. I remember my kids wanting money to give with equal enthusiasm to wanting things for themselves. I encouraged that.
We can always find an excuse not to give.
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Fridge Full
Darin has the weekend off and the kids are here. It’s been a while since he’s been home for the weekend. He has cooked here this afternoon and my fridge is now bulging with yummy food and my stomach is full of dinner that was amazing.
My parents took off today on their winter escape. It’s great to seeing them enjoy this lifestyle. I slept in this morning and thought I had missed them, but luckily bumped into them in the supermarket.
I feel full of gratitude for my life today. This afternoon was a beautiful sunny autumn one and all the huge trees around were showing their colours. The air and light in autumn inspires contentment in me. The kids were playing happily and I got a wonderful text message from Tom. These are the days:-)
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I Can be Taught:-)
I had a beautiful Mothers Day. Asha delighted me with her presence and her presents. Her card was wicked, and so much so that she waited until my dad left before she gave it to me. I loved it … as she had predicted. She is the best daughter.
I cooked lunch yesterday for my mum and my daughter. It was a gift to my self esteem, traditionally being a shabby cook! Darin had to work, so I couldn’t rely on him to put it together for me as he so brilliantly does. I was really pleased with my result. The food was great and all hot at the same time, nothing burnt and no stressed cranky feelings.
I have watched him over the time we’ve been together and I noticed he does a fair bit of preparation in advance and then times it beautifully and calmly in the final hour. So I imitated his style, getting up early and preparing everything and then I just calmly could focus on setting the table and being calm and happy. That is the thing about cooking for others that has always defeated me. I have felt really stressed about it and by the time those who are to be fed arrive, I am not really in the mood for conversation. I hate that. It defeats the whole purpose!
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Full Moon in Scorpio – Wednesday 28th April 2010
Everything I’ve been reading about this Scorpio full moon talks about intimacy, transformation and intensity. It’s been a gradual thing also according to what I read and will last for a little while yet. Moonkissd’s post is a good read. Astrogrrl’s post this moon is about the transformative energy.
Tomorrow after work I’m helping the teachers at my school with blogging. I thought this time would never come when teachers at my school would show a genuine interest in using blogging as a tool in the classroom. When I started this blog back in 2005, I thought it would be great to use with students. I’ve had a dabble a couple of times over the years, with varying success. My original evangalistic approach has died down, but I will be interested to see what others do with it. I must admit I don’t put as much time into this blog as I once did. I still like to keep it for an occasional dabble though.
I had a great weekend. I spent Saturday catching up with a mate for a few drinks (I had intended returning the favour of helping her to paint, but we didn’t paint) and then Darin and I went out when he got home from work. We headed to town on Sunday, making our way to my brothers for the evening. Enjoyed a coffee with Wilma and Darryl on the way and checked out quite a few display homes for ideas. I want to get serious about improving things around my home this year, so it was great to check out what’s around in homes. We saw a couple of ideas we liked. What was really good was that we like the same things. I really hate compromise, it’s lovely to have similar taste as Darin.
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- My Favourites on Watch and Learn Magnify Channel
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