Gobal Warming/Climate Change is a crock....

apparently. Honestly, right now I don't much care whether it is or isn't. I am not a climatologist. Hell, I'm not even a real-and-proper scientist. Nay-sayers are screaming at the Greens for fear-mongering because apparently october is well into fire season historically.
http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Environment/Australian-Landscapes/Fire-Season-Months.aspx

And while everyone's looking for someone to blame, everyone has missed the most important thing. 

People in crisis are magnificent! Honestly, my newsfeed alone this afternoon got me all choked up. Elderly ladies folding and sorting donated clothes, someone sold someone a car six months ago, -happened to have their number and offered the entire family refuge. So many local businesses offering free food and shelter.

Labour candidate for Macquarie, Susan Templeman lost her home. She was on the news the same day supporting the local community and offering solace and strength to her fellow evacuees...how did this woman NOT get elected?. I would have been a sobbing mess. She rallied and found the strength to lead and comfort. As for her competitor, Louise Marcus..nowhere to be seen. The fact that she doesn't actually live in the electorate may have helped. Guess she was watching the news and thinking "Oh, those poor people!", but she wasn't there. Susan was.

I would imagine that the woman who had lost her home, who had lost all her belongings, who had lost precious emotional ties forever would be LESS able to comment, to support, to encourage....and yet, it was the woman who lost everything who came to the communities' aid. She was the one on the ground. Where, exactly was Ms Marcus??.

While I'm at it , -Mr O'Farrell...was cutting funding for fire services a really good idea?. No, I mean, -was it REALLY a good idea?...I'd like to meet with you in a Pub (the Oriental, Springwood?) with those members of the Rural Fire Service and State Fire Service that aren't collapsed from exhaustion to discuss it.

While we're at it Tony Abbott, could we discuss the fact that your/my country/world is at the tipping point?, could we discuss what the future will look like for my tiny son?.

I imagine not. I suspect you wouldn't see me in the first place (I'm an average citizen with an Arts qualification...gahhhhh!), I also imagine that you (or more likely your junior, -nay trainee, staffers)  would barrack me off at the gates.

Oh, and just by-the-by, The Greens Party do NOT discourage back-burning. Even if they *did* (which they don't) do you (my various right-wing 'friends') imagine that they suddenly took hold of your electorate and overcame state policy? . The Greens encourage fire and native forest management via many means INCLUDING back-burning. They DO have the nerve to ask for enquiries into child-asthma and respiratory disorders as a result. I guess that makes them crazy...

Finally, to everyone in my community that derives their livelihood from mining, - I am NOT against you. I fully appreciate your skills/qualifications/worries. I  understand that you are frightened of losing jobs/income. 

I absolutely agree that the current Government infrastructure does not help you. I agree that a 60 yr old Mining executive may not have the the time nor ability to 'retrain' and that any national 'Green' initiative will only hurt you and your family.

Here's the thing. The Federal Govt has only so much $$ to distribute.  Under Abbott's Govt., the $$ will be distributed to Industry. I mean 'profitable' Industry. Yep. The mighty dollar. 

That's all well and good if you happen to be in that industry (well, at least until the fossil-fuel resources run out...hey, by then you'll be dead!), but not so good for anyone *not* in the industry..like 94%?

There was a quote today on Facebook that 'Greenies were to blame for the fires..and that they were always 'the first to run'.

Firstly, why do you think a minority political party has any say in actions on a State level? Ask Barry!

Secondly, Yes. There are 'Greenies' in your electorate.

I am one.

I didn't 'run'. I did not, and will never "hide". 

There actually is a median that we can all work towards.

Yarangobilly Caves

So, for those of you that missed it in the gossip columns, this weekend past my husband decided that I needed a break from mommy-hood and whisked me down to the Snowy Mountains for a romantic getaway.
Monkey-bum was to be cared for (and spoiled stupid) by BOTH sets of grandparents, which did ease my anxiety at leaving him...slightly. As my hairdresser said blithely "Ahh, he won't even miss ya! -you'll see!". I thanked her for reassuring me and rending my world asunder simultaneously.
Of course, because Murphy's Law is not just frequent but a full-time lodger in my world. At 11pm Thursday night, Gabriel decided to be horribly sick. Daddy held him and got vomited all over while I changed linens, clothes etc. I'm sure other Mums and Dads will be thinking "meh..happens all the time", but in his case it doesn't. he hasn't been 'sick' since he was a newborn, and that was far more posset than vomit. Naturally, we freaked out a bit (a lot)...and seriously considered not going away. As if we were going to leave our munchkin the first time he was ill!
Next morning he brought up all his milk too, but did manage to keep down a banana and didn't have any kind of temperature.
Many frantic phone calls and multitudinous reassurances from grandparents later, we managed to get into the car with mobiles switched to Defqon 4, and were quite prepared to turn around if he so much as sniffled. Phones remained silent until we got to Cowra when we were reassured that he seemed absolutely fine and hadn't vomited again.
On we went past Canola fields 1-58, past Canola mountain and wound our way to Gundagai and Tumut.
The landscape was so utterly green and verdant, it hurt my eyes. I had never approached the Snowy's from this direction before, and I promise you, this won't be the last time!

We finally arrived at Yarangobilly Caves House to find gorgeous accomodation, central heating, a claw-foot bathtub, beautifully appointed and equipped kitchens and dining rooms...you get the idea. It was a pretty big "Yay!: from us :-)

Like proper grown-ups we settled on the balcony with books, wine, chocolate and the evening song of the local birdlife serenading us. The Ranger had assured us that we could call home from the house phone, but we couldn't figure out how to get it to work...
Bright and Early next morning we had a quick breakfast on the balcony and headed off to the first of our caves. It's one of the youngest, only a million years old, and is 'self-guided' which does provide quite the thrill for those of us who've always wanted to be brave enough to be cavers/spelunkers but know without a doubt we'd be quivering messes in the first crawl-space. Anyway anyway,
It's literally 2 mins walk from the house.

Nothing like million-year-old caves to make two nearly middle-aged people behave like children:-). We swooped about and enthused drastically for about 20 minutes. I started up the 60 or so stairs at the end of the cave and suddenly realised there was deathly silence from Brett. I turned around and asked if he was all right...He was stock still and breathing heavily...and not answering. I shouldn't have ever watched 'The Descent" really. It's amazing the images and possibilties your mind can conjure in just a few seconds....The Cave Trolls got him! I just can't see the wound!....And then, in a moment straight from "take a pew" my husband very suddenly, and violently, vomited. And kept vomiting. About 2 weeks worth of ingested material is my guess. We made it out of the cave, and he assured me he was feeling rather better. I was equally sure that anyone following in our wake was going to feel decidedly worse after walking through that particular section of cave....Anyway anyway,
Brett decided he was well enough to do the other 3 cave tours, so we booked them in all on the same day.

Having discovered that the grand secret to the House Phone was as complicated as dialling '0' to get a line out..(grr), we also managed to make contact with Monkey who was merrily creating havoc and not at all concerned at our absence. I hate it when hairdressers are right.
We screamed up the mountain to our first 'guided' cave. The brochure required of us a 'medium level of fitness' for 141 stairs. Well OK, I am medium-fit surely?...The cave was beautiful. 2 million years old and equally impressive, if not more so than Jenolan.

However, halfway up the interminable stairs, Brett started looking decidedly green again. We rushed him out the last flight and he decided woefully that he was, in fact, quite sick and just needed to go and lie down. I filled in the time before the next cave with a book, some water, a picnic table and the company of a charming bubbling creek. It was lovely and serene and quiet, but our 'romantic' getaway was turning out to be rather more metaphorical than I'd hoped.

Brett mustered the strength to get up and drive me to the third and final 3 million year old cave, and the poor bugger waved me a languid 'pip-cheerio' before reclining the car seat and surrendering to sleep once again. I bravely ventured into the tour group solo. Of course, because Murphy and his sodding law are so comfortable in my world, this cave was absolutely and by far the most jaw-dropping and astounding of them all. I took about 300 photos of various 'mites' and 'tites' and my 'medium-fitness' negotiated the 280 stairs with ease...(which isn't quite true....but I did make it out alive so'snaps' for me!!).

Oh, I was also 'gently' persuaded to sing in two caves by extremely insistent strangers. 

Upon my return, Brett thought he might be well enough for the 'short walk' promised by the brochure to the 'thermal pool'. The brochure is a lying scheming cad of a publication. Unless of course by 'short stroll' you mean 'long-clamber-down-side-of-cliff-3kms-along-a-river-and-then-a-super-long-vertical-ascent-that-will-well-nigh-kill-you-and-your-'medium-fitness'....

I managed not to collapse in a sobbing heap screaming for helicopter rescue...but only just.

After a day of climbing well over 600 stairs, I really didn't need a 2 hr Bear-Grylls-expedition when I was expecting a lovely evening stroll with my slightly-recovered husband.

Brett was, understandably, too wiped out for dinner, so he went up to bed and I had 2 minute noodles. We were both in bed by 8.30pm.

This morning, bright and early we drove through freezing alpine meadows, avoided hitting about a gazillion traffic-challenged kangaroos and wallabies and sped home to our little monkey-pumpkin (whom, I was sure, was terribly emotionally scarred at our absence and would be a fretful little person for months to come)...

Nanny and Poppy greeted us warmly and assured us that the sleeping munchkin was well and happy. He woke with an "Oh, it's you" enthusiasm and proceeded to find an an interesting toy. Damned hairdressers.

P.S Grandma and Grandpa Lockley now both flat on their backs in bed with the Gabriel/Brett lergy that I have so far not come down with....

Mushroom, Lentil and Ale Pie

Having tried Linda McCartney's version, I thought I'd try to recreate the magic.

Ingredients

10 small shallotts, halved
50g seitan, chopped into small chunks
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tin lentils, rinsed
150g swiss brown mushrooms
150g button mushrooms
20g dried porcini mushrooms
275ml brown ale
200ml vegetable stock
1 heaped tablespoon vegemite
2 tbsp tomato sauce
Salt & cracked pepper
50g butter
50 g baby spinach
Cornflour
Ready-made puff pastry
1 egg

Note: You could easily leave out the seitan, or change the mushroom varietals according to taste, with the exception of the porcini, -that flavour is a must.

1. Olive oil and butter in large skillet, brown shallotts and garlic
2. Stir in tomato paste, lentils, seitan, mushrooms...cook 5 mins
3. Stir in ale, vegetable stock, vegemite and rehydrated porcini mushrooms (rehydrate in 200ml warm water, add the soaking liquid too). Cover and simmer for 30 mins
4. Add tomato sauce and seasoning, and add cornflour paste until liquid is a thick gray consistency
5. Add baby spinach
6. Brush pie tops with beaten egg
7. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 mins or until browned and puffy!


Brett and Gabriel polished off a whole pie each, but to be honest, I found it a little too 'mushroomy'. If I were to cook them agin, I'd up the lentils and reduce the amount of mushrooms.
However, if you're looking for a really 'meaty' vegetarian dish, and you adore 'shrooms, try this!

Oh, monkey-bum ended up covered in pie and bits of gravy...this is him on his way to a bath:-)
Oh, and the veges are broccoli and broccoli rabe from the garden sauteed in butter and garlic.

Recipe requests

Like every other mother of a toddler, my 'daily achievement' list usually looks something like this;
* Had shower...win!
* Child ate and drank regularly...win!
* House semi-reasonable...I am legend!
* Put load of washing in machine...didn't hang it out....win!
* Dinner cooked...I am such an overachiever!

On very special days I might wear makeup (gasp!), find some energy to teach singing or drama, OR cook something NEW.
The cooking of 'new' things can (and often does) result in a few mini-meltdowns as I underestimate the time required, toddler starts whinging for an outdoor adventure while I'm up to my ears in batter/dough, or I'm simply in haven't-slept-in-a-year-and-a-half zombie-mummy mode and completely forget to buy essential ingredients.
Anyway anyway, occasionally something turns out OK. These moments tend to get memorexed to social media because for me, they're a bloody huge achievement (...and I have a few 'acquaintances' who hate pictures of babies and food...it makes me happy to have the power to piss them off, even if only briefly:-) and due to my woeful organisation skills, if I don't post the recipes online, I will lose them forthwith. Guaranteed.

The gratifying bit is that other Mums out there in cyber-land, taking their precious 10 minute facebook/coffee break sometimes ask me to share recipes. So, here I am on MY precious facebook/coffee break sharing :-)
First up we have yesterday's muesli bars.
These were a 'sudden urge' recipe.
I was in Coles, obsessively reading ingredients lists on commercial muesli bars (1st or second ingredient ALWAYS sugar) when it occurred to me that I should (duh) make my own.
A little bit of net-trawling and I figured out the ratio of wet to dry, and here they are:

MUESLI BARS

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup bran
1/3 cup diced dried fruit (I used apricots, cherries, cranberries, mango and pineapple)
1 cup mixed raw almonds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds (soaked in boiling water for 30 mins then chopped)
1/2 cup wholemeal SR flour
1/3 cup glucose
250g unsalted butter
1/4 cup manuka honey
1 1/2 tsp strawberry essence
1 egg.

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Preheat oven to 180
3. Melt butter/honey/glucose in a small saucepan (add strawberry essence right at the end)
4. Beat egg seperately
5. Pour melted stuff on dry stuff and mix thoroughly (egg last of all)
6. Press into greased/lined baking dish
7. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown
8. Let cool completely and then slice into required size.

Pretty simple:-). My Dad got all misty about them. Apparently the flavour was exactly like a slice his mother used to make for him. Ahhh, flavour-memories:-)


The next one was 'adapted' from Recipes +. Only made because Brett saw the picture and immediately started drooling....

COBBLER

2 tbsps olive oil
500g seitan ( or pork/chicken)
3 brown onions
2 tbsps plain flour
3/4 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsps fennel seeds
2 large chicken stock cubes
825g can apricot halves, drained
2 parsnips, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
2 carrots, peeles, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 cups SR flour
60g chilled butter, chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan/romano

1. Brown seitan/pork/chicken
2. Add onions til also browned and sprinkle in flour and stir til combined
3. Add wine, garlic, fennel seeds and stock cubes
4. Whiz half the apricots in a food processor and add to pan with 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hr. Add in parsnips and carrot and simmer for another 20 mins until veges are tender.
5. While everything's a'simmerin' whack SR flour and butter in the food processor until you have fine crumb texture. Whisk milk and 1 of the eggs in a jug. Add thyme and parmesan to flour mixture. Make a well in the centre and pour in egg/milk. Mix until just combined, turn out and knead until smooth. Press out into a 2cm thick disc and cut out rounds
6. Add remaining apricots to cooked mixture and pour into a casserole dish. Arrange dumplings on top and brush with remaining whisked egg. Bake for 30 mins or until dumplings are golden and cooked. Stand for 5 mins before serving.

If you like you can replace eggs with No-Egg, parmesan with Savoury Yeast Flakes and make it all Vegan and stuff:-)

I must say, it was very very tasty, but probably best saved for a weekend, about 2 1/2 hrs prep time all-in-all.

Next up we have the cake-of-insanity...

Insane cakeMakes 1 8" six layer cake
For cake, via Whisk Kid: 
225g butter, softened
5 egg whites (save 4 yolks for filling)
2 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. I have 3 round cake tins but my oven can only fit 2, so I greased and lined two cake tins and set them aside. 

Weigh your big bowl and write down the number. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in your big bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the egg whites until combined, follow by vanilla. 

Fold in 1/3 flour followed by 1/3 milk. Repeat until it's all combined. Weigh the bowl and subtract the weight. Divide this number by 6. Divide the batter between six small bowls by weight. Colour each a different colour using gel food colouring. Start with just a little, then work up until you reach your desired colour.  

Tip two lots of batter into your prepared pans and bake for 15 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out. Bake off the remaining layers. When the layers are totally cool, wrap in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge. 

For filling:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup dried lavender flowers (optional)
A split vanilla pod

Combine vanilla, lavender and milk in a small saucepan. Put over medium-high heat and heat until bubbles just break the surface. Remove from heat. Whisk together egg yolks, flour and sugar in a small bowl. Strain the milk into the egg yolks and whisk together, then return the mixture to the saucepan. 

Cook, over medium low heat, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Be sure to stir constantly, paying particular attention to the corners. Strain into a small bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the filling. Put into the fridge. 

For icing:
750g butter, soft but not too soft
2 1/4 cups milk
2 1/4 cups sugar
9 tbsp flour
9 tbsp cream
1 punnet of strawberries, hulled and pureed

Combine milk and cream in a large saucepan. Whisk together flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of milk mixture and whisk to form a paste. Scrape into the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously over medium heat, until mixture boils and thickens. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and whisk by hand for 15 minutes until the mixture cools. 

Cut the butter into small pieces and beat in, using an electric mixture, piece by piece. Don't worry if it looks weird and curdled; there'll come a moment where this will whip up lusciously and you'll feel very impressed with yourself. Beat in the strawberry puree. 

Put the cake together as I've described above. Feel terrifically accomplished.

I will not lie. This cake was almost the death of me! Particularly because I decided to flavour the layers in addition to colouring...

So there we have it lads and lasses. ll recipe requests fulfilled...which is lucky because I hear the rumblings of a just-awake toddler....

xoxo

One Year ago today...

So it's 10am in the morning as I write. That means that this time last year I was screaming like a banshee somewhere in the rabbit-warren of Orange Base Hospital and being assured that the anaesthetist would be along as soon as he could...
Ah! The memories!...
I still dislike the nurse that told me to "stop making so much noise and sit up please" INTENSELY...

Anyway anyway, -this is not a maudlin restrospective of the birthing process but a wee blog about my little Monkey's very first birthday party!

Saturday the 1st of June 2013 dawned grey and cold. Heavy rain clouds blanketed the skies and everything was damp and grey. Not ideal. Not at all.
However, everything that I could control was well in hand. Thick and creamy Pumpkin Soup was simmering on the stove, Sourdough was sliced and buttered, hot oven treats were baking (potato balls, spinach and cheese triangles, spring rolls, curried pumpkin bites, mini-quiches), cake was made and decorated, ice-cream a-plenty was softening nicely on the counter, monkey had had his morning sleep and was all bright-eyed and bushy tailed ready for his first ever party!

Somewhat prematurely, I had decorated the outdoor area under the brand new gazebo with a "Magic tree" (fallen eucalypt branch sprayed gold and then wired with apples/pears/persimmons/pomegranates/ivy/roses/berries)....

Stacks of pumpkins and squash in wicker baskets with wicker wreathes...

Hay bales, more pumpkins, mini-daffodils, rosemary sprigs, jugs full of fresh lavender..

Even drifts of oak leaves....

The gazebo structure was liberally wreathed in fairy lights, hanging autumn leaves, bright berries and autumn willow branches...and NO ONE sat out there for the entire party...ah well, I had fun decorating it anyway:-).

As guests showed up, they were plied liberally with hot snacks and beverages and Gabe was cuddled and fussed over within an inch of his life :-). I think he was a little overwhelmed at first, but very soon the excitement of having other children to play with and TWO sets of grandparents to adore him overcame any initial misgivings:-)

Something mysteriously enchanting about the corner of the kitchen...whatever it was, they all found it fascinating...

A spot of chook-chasing is always good..:-)

Ellie decided to 'help' Gabe open his presents because, in her words, he was "too slow"..:-)

She also took it upon herself to feed him at any available opportunity...

Excellent opportunity to show Nanny new walking skills...

Lots of snuggles from Poppy!

Lots and LOTS of wonderful presents from everyone!
This lucky 1 yr old was given a music set, a brand new snuggly coat for winter, a bubble machine, rather a lot of Pumpkin Patch clothing, some wonderful new books, some stacking cups and mini gumboots and some gorgeous hand-knitted booties.

I inflicted a '1yr retrospective' video on the assembled (sorry guys!) and we all gathered around to sing 'Happy Birthday' and demolish the cake...

Luckily, the heavens opened just after the party, and my marvellous guests left with the slightly unusual party-favour of a few pumpkins...

So thankyou thankyou thankyou to Glen and David, Wrellan, jason, Eliie and Rowan, Nick, Amelia and Wolfgang, Ruth and Arthur, Cameron and Joe, Kylie, Noah and Mitchell for making my little man's first celebration an occasion full of laughter and joy and love. He won't remember it, but I will...forever. xoxo

LOVE YOU LITTLE MONKEY-PUMPKIN!!!