I was going to write a post tonight but...
oh well. Better luck next time.
Work = bonafide cushy government job.
Possibly I am just not used to the concept of a job where you get paid holidays... but it's also the fact that as well as a 45min lunchbreak (generous by my past experience) we also get a 15min tea break for both morning and afternoon tea each day. This means it's impossible to work more than 3hrs at a stretch (and frequently time between breaks is less) Not that I am complaining about this.
I'm enjoying it (not really because it's easy-going) but because the people are nice, the customers are almost always nice and... well...
books! lots of books! yippee! :-D
One downside is finding so many books to read that I'll still be getting through them years later, and ending up with hideous overdue item fines. To avoid this fate, I'm trying to limit myself to taking home no more than one item per day. Ok so it's not really a downside. It's actually pretty cool because I run across books I probably never would have found otherwise.
If there is a downside I guess it would be that my feet usually get sore by the end of the day - I think I need some better shoes.
In other news...
I have no other news. Not much else has happened to me lately. Went to the movies with Mum and my brother yesterday to see "Miss Pettigrew lives for a day". It was cute. I liked it (but brother didn't). The story was a little light on substance but I didn't really care. Frances what-ever-her-name-is who played Miss Pettigrew was very good in the lead role.
Happy Mother's Day to Mum for yesterday. You are awesome and I love you.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, 12 May 2008
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Sweet potato mayhem
My mum (brilliant guru of alternative medicine, that she is) has degreed that I shalt not eat potato. For a couple of weeks at least. Hence I experimented with sweet potatoes in attempt to find somethings to replace the gaping hole in my life caused by a lack of potato =P
I didn't used to be a big fan of sweet potato but I've since realised it's all in how you cook it. So here are two different sweet potato recipes for people who don't really like sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Chips (chips like potato chips not hot chips)
I learnt to make these when I worked at a seafood restaurant many many years ago. We used to use them as a garnish and they were delish. Today I figured I'd attempt them at home.
Peel a sweet potato. Get rid of all the skin and then keep peeling. This is probably the easiest way to make thin chips ready for frying - the peeler makes them just the right thickness.
Heat some oil in a small saucepan - a couple of cm deep is enough. You can use any kind oil suitable for frying. Jamie Oliver's tip - put a small chuck of potato in when you turn the heat on and when the potato is golden and floating then the oil's at good temperature for frying.
Line a plate with lots of paper towels for when they come out.
Fry them in batches until the edges of the chips are just starting to brown. Take them out quickly and drain them well. Really well. Sprinkle with salt and try not to eat them all at once.
It takes a bit of trial and error to get the frying right - oil too hot and they go from orange to brown in an instant and end up burnt. Too cool and they don't seem to change at all. The perfect chip is going brown around the edges but still mostly orange (in centre).
I'd post a photo but we've eaten them all already. My brother, who is vehemently opposed to sweet potato, ate all the ones that were left after I'd stuffed my face on them (making myself feel slightly ill in the process). Granted he didn't know what they were at the time, but he certainly liked them.
The yummiest Sweet Potato Mash ever.
I experimented with this last night and it was so good I decided to make it again tonight. Mum's comment was "It's a bit like toffee", and then she took some more. I'll call that a positive response.
Roast some sweet potato
prepare (peel, cut into chunks, toss in oil rosemary S+P)
put in oven ~200, until soft and maybe the corners are going a little brown
turn out on to some paper towel to get rid of any excess oil
Mash with lots of herb butter (or butter and finely chopped fresh parsley)
herb butter: chop finely fresh parsley and mush it in to some butter. Put back in fridge until needed (I made some several days ago because the parsley plants in mum's garden have gone mad and turned into huge bush-like things. Clearly they need to be used. Equally obviously, having made herb butter you then have to find uses for it...)
Eat
Roasting the sweet potato rather than boiling/steaming it, makes the natural sugars in it caramelise and go all yum which is probably what makes this so good... and toffee-like :-)
I didn't used to be a big fan of sweet potato but I've since realised it's all in how you cook it. So here are two different sweet potato recipes for people who don't really like sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato Chips (chips like potato chips not hot chips)
I learnt to make these when I worked at a seafood restaurant many many years ago. We used to use them as a garnish and they were delish. Today I figured I'd attempt them at home.
Peel a sweet potato. Get rid of all the skin and then keep peeling. This is probably the easiest way to make thin chips ready for frying - the peeler makes them just the right thickness.
Heat some oil in a small saucepan - a couple of cm deep is enough. You can use any kind oil suitable for frying. Jamie Oliver's tip - put a small chuck of potato in when you turn the heat on and when the potato is golden and floating then the oil's at good temperature for frying.
Line a plate with lots of paper towels for when they come out.
Fry them in batches until the edges of the chips are just starting to brown. Take them out quickly and drain them well. Really well. Sprinkle with salt and try not to eat them all at once.
It takes a bit of trial and error to get the frying right - oil too hot and they go from orange to brown in an instant and end up burnt. Too cool and they don't seem to change at all. The perfect chip is going brown around the edges but still mostly orange (in centre).
I'd post a photo but we've eaten them all already. My brother, who is vehemently opposed to sweet potato, ate all the ones that were left after I'd stuffed my face on them (making myself feel slightly ill in the process). Granted he didn't know what they were at the time, but he certainly liked them.
The yummiest Sweet Potato Mash ever.
I experimented with this last night and it was so good I decided to make it again tonight. Mum's comment was "It's a bit like toffee", and then she took some more. I'll call that a positive response.
Roast some sweet potato
prepare (peel, cut into chunks, toss in oil rosemary S+P)
put in oven ~200, until soft and maybe the corners are going a little brown
turn out on to some paper towel to get rid of any excess oil
Mash with lots of herb butter (or butter and finely chopped fresh parsley)
herb butter: chop finely fresh parsley and mush it in to some butter. Put back in fridge until needed (I made some several days ago because the parsley plants in mum's garden have gone mad and turned into huge bush-like things. Clearly they need to be used. Equally obviously, having made herb butter you then have to find uses for it...)
Eat
Roasting the sweet potato rather than boiling/steaming it, makes the natural sugars in it caramelise and go all yum which is probably what makes this so good... and toffee-like :-)
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
14 000 miles across the ocean
My mum emigrated to Australia from England when she was 19. Rather than do the usual thing and hop on one of those great big P&O liners, she and her dad sailed themselves here. Yes, really. All the way from England, just the two of them. On a 26 foot yacht.
She's telling the story of their journey here:
http://14000milesacrosstheocean.blogspot.com/
Check it out, it's fascinating. And if you enjoy reading it, please leave comments to encourage her to keep writing.
...oh and the title and subtitle were my idea - is it sad to admit I'm very proud of coming up with them? Well I think they're catchy at least :-P
She's telling the story of their journey here:
http://14000milesacrosstheocean.blogspot.com/
Check it out, it's fascinating. And if you enjoy reading it, please leave comments to encourage her to keep writing.
...oh and the title and subtitle were my idea - is it sad to admit I'm very proud of coming up with them? Well I think they're catchy at least :-P
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