Oh No You Didn't!

Oh yes. I did.

I used powdered potato. Out of a packet.

And I liked it.

I'll do it again.

Let me explain...

I made Pea and Mint Soup. No great mystery there, some onion, a little garlic, a heap of mint, (did I add a little lemon myrtle? Can't rememeber) Blitzed, served with a dollop of sour cream (naughty!) and some crispy bacon pieces.

However, I had a little too much stock, and I like my soup to fill me up a bit, so I often add a diced potato to my soups. But I had none.

So I used this...

It worked a treat.

I'd like to thank Nigella for the inspiration and the guiltless, slightly smug feeling I'm enjoying right now.

What's your dirty secret trick?

MC

Introducing The Ladies

Check out my new page, The Ladies. You'll find it to your right, underneath Home and About. I'll be updating the page periodically, and will try to give you a heads up here, when I do.

Go on, go have a look.

I'll wait.

MC

Looking Forward

Mr Frog accuses me of living in the past.

In a way, he's right, I'm very sentimental and can hang onto things I no longer need, use or even like that much because of the memories attached to them. He often tries to get me to "go through" my things and get "RID" of stuff.

I dig my heels in.

We argue a lot.

I give in a little, but never enough.
Moving house was not fun. We have a way of filling the space we have, so there were lots of things Mr Frog decided we didn't need the bother of having to move. He was right. And he was wrong.

His (quite accurate) accusation didn't really click unitl he added the phrase " you should be looking forward with your Husband and your Baby".

CLICK.

We are building a life, together, for the future. The past is important, yes. But the future is oh-so-bright-and-beautiful.

I haven't thrown out all the things he wishes I would, but I'm getting better. Letting go is getting easier every day.

But this I could not let go of...

My sister Sadie made this for me. I think she was in high school...? Maybe a bit younger. Of all the people she could have made things for, she chose me. And so I choose her.

The feet have broken off, and it will no longer be allowed to reside on the bathroom bench, but it stays. Keeping other bits and bobs safe in my bedside table.


So, Happy New Year. Look back on the year, but try not to hang on to it. Unless someone made you something special. Hang on to that.

Here's to Looking Forward.

What are you plans for next year?

It's beginning to Feel Nothing Like Xmas!

We moved house a week ago.

Yes, a week and a half before xmas, we moved house. Dumb. I know. But that's just how it is.

Needless to say there is crap every where and we are very slowly making progress with the unpacking. While everyone else is looking for the xmas decorations they stashed sometime in January, I'm looking for the dinner plate I packed just over a week ago.

Nevermind.

We're a little xmassy...

 

That is my feeble attempt at a card xmas tree. Technically the power point balances it out. "Hanging" on the blue card is the bauble my mum bought for Tadpoles' first xmas. "Oh but you have to have a tree" she says to me. "I can't find the cutlery" I say to her. 

It's not all bad. I still have my new advent calendar. It's fun when you forget for a few days and end up with quite a collection of choccies.

Tadpoles' first xmas is not quite the one I had in mind. That's o.k. She won't know. Not till she's old enough to hear the story about the xmas we stupidly moved house and mummy made a card xmas tree.

That story will never get old.

What are your memorable xmas stories?

 

Happy Holidays everyone, see you in the new year, when Madame Clochette gets all shiny and new-ish.

MC

These moments in Pictures

Anzac Bastards... aka Anzacs minus and plus a few things

Brown rice salad, trying to take care of myself

Champagne, Canapes, a goody bag and the top bloggers in the country.

Christmas Chocolates

Christmas shopping

A lovely gift, kinda glad the vases are packed.

Crazy times people. We're moving house. Christmas is coming. A visitor is coming to stay.

It's all happening.

Stay tuned.

MC

Mushroom Magic

I love it when I can make a dinner do double duty. By that I mean the leftovers of something delicious become something else, possibly even more delicious. I feel like a super domestic goddess, creating magical goodness with my cleverness.

You know what I mean.

It's cost effective, and time efficient, and we could all use a little more cash and a little more time.

So, my latest stroke of brilliance was Mushroom Ragu.  I only made it because there were a bunch of different mushroom punnets reduced at the supermarket and I just can't walk past that. So I made my ragu (saute a bunch of mushrooms with onions and garlic, perhaps a little wine, a little stock, add a knob of butter at the end) and served it with soft polenta.

The Ragu, looking all yummy and steamy

The leftover polenta was poured into a lamington tin and flattened down with wet hands so it was all nice and smooth. (I'll get back to that later.)

The mushroom ragu leftovers sat in the fridge for a couple of days... the flavours developing (and I kinda got sidetracked.) Then I whizzed up the mix with a little melted butter, divided it into a couple of jars and poured more melted butter over the top. No, this is not every day food.

Voila. Mushroom Pate.

O.k, so I made this jar pretty for you guys

Just in time for Nibblies night.

Oh, and the polenta? Cut into chips, coated in some uncooked polenta and baked in the oven (When we have an extractor in the kitchen I'm gonna fry them!) and served a couple of days later with sausages.

I gave myself a high five.

Twice.

What do you do with your leftovers?

MC

"Tis Almost the Season

This is to be the Tadpoles' first xmas. Granted, it will pass her by in a whirl of paper and presents she'll have no comprehension of, she'll be almost six months old after all, but I wanted to start a new tradition.
In fact, tradition is suddenly a very interesting topic to me. We have traditions already, grown up ones that are a mixture of French, Australian and our very own made-up ones.

1. The tree goes up on December 1st. There is sparkling wine involved, always. Often, the date changes because, hey, that's life.
2. The weeks leading up to xmas involve me pre-making as much of the festive food, and foodie gifts as possible. I'ts a very happy time for me!
3. On xmas eve, I prepare a range of canapes, while drinking sparkling, to be eaten while watching Carols by Candlelight and taking the piss out of everyone on stage. Except Marina Prior. She is untouchable. Everyone else is fair game. (I know, not in the xmas spirit but still, it's fun!)

4. As is the French tradition, we open gifts on xmas eve, but not at Midnight like you're supposed to and only those from each other.
5. This is because on xmas morning we open everything else.
6. I spend the rest of the day cooking. And we eat.

Nothing happens on Boxing day, because until recently Mr Frog and I have always been working. So, I need to get a new tradition for that day.

Until then, my newest addition to tradition is The Advent Calendar. I know nothing about it (perhaps someone could enlighten me?) but a daily dose of chocolate will make Mr Frog very happy... at least until he has to share with the Tadpole!

Here is the process of making my own in pictures:

The shelving, painted cream

The back board with picture

A work in progress

The drawers

Decorating is easy with a sticker sheet

Gluing the back board on

Voila, the finished product.... for now.

I'm still considering adding to the shadow box, but for now it's done. Now I can focus on the xmas gifts I plan to make.

I'm thinking Sleeping masks, bath salts, lip balm, and of course all the food!

What traditions do you have?

MC