Even the fairies enjoyed today's beautiful sun...
Absolutely glorious!
Slept like a log. Felt a little like a log when I woke up thanks to some tickling of whiskers in my nose. No, not an amorous good morning from Husband *cheeky* it was the cat, Rossi, who had lay herself across my shoulder, asleep holding my hand in her paws. Cute - but annoying.
MudGuts has still not arrived, called. The car is still up the road. Husband has not cracked the poohs yet - but this might be different mid afternoon. Stay tuned. *called him at 2pm - on his way - not here at 3pm* Husnabd and the SmallBoy have got the bicycles out, dusted them down and are heading up to the servo to get petrol for the mazda. This is a little car with a big hole in the tank. Husband has been waiting for some time to get the tank off and sealed. Sadly, this shall be put off again and we will breathe fumes if it ends up being the case.
Made a fruit smoothie with kiwi, apple, pear, cantaloupe and banana to have with lunch - grainy bread with hommus, spinach and pinenuts. *yummo* I was a clever girl and remembered to take the lamb shanks out of the freezer and into the fridge at some stage yesterday - I will now admit to 'pulling an all-nighter' and tidying, budgeting, sorting, writing, planning and thinking from Friday through to 10pm last night. I was only half-kidding when I said no hallucinating. I did 38 hours - stupid, but productive and ended up sleeping through for 11 hours to wake up refreshed for once. I don't think I moved during the night.
So, using my whiz-bang Chefs' Toolbox Square Roaster with thanks to Dianne, I will cook the shanks up like this:
- Dust the shanks in seasoned flour
- Dice a big onion, crush a few cloves of garlic, some Moroccan spices and fry up in oil and butter on the stove top in the roaster, saves the need to wash a saucepan
- Add the shanks and lightly brown all over - some people take them out again, I cant be bothered
- Add a large can of crushed tomatoes, some red wine, (fresh rosemary or thyme if not moroccan)
- Add sliced carrot, whole beans - optional, gets the veg in
- Gently combine everything over a low heat until at a simmer
- Turn off the heat, cover and put in the oven at 190 for 2-3 hours
- Serve on mash potato, rice or cous cous
I really hope the boys will go for cous cous - actually, even if they dont, I will and Husband can make extra mash to use in fish patties during the week. Sounds a bit like menu planning. Clever thinking there! Fish patties work better with chilled mash potato, then you can freeze extra patties prior to cooking. I wonder if I can convince the SmallBoy cold cooked fish patties work well as a lunch. That could be a nice change, especially when we save $5-$10 a week not using the canteen at school. The left over shank veggie sauce mix, while no meat, will be used in a pie with some left over cous cous and cauli and broccoli added. Yum. All stemming from $3 shanks!
At 430pm, there is still no MudGuts ~ nasty text sent, just expressed displeasure at being told he is on his way (verbally I add) and he has no intention to get here at all. Being Sunday there are no buses and there is not enough dinner to spread to one extra, let alone his royal stretchnhollowness, so he needed to be here to be catered for. Not that he'd be even offered after this non-performance. Just rang and his mate answered the phone. He 'slept' through the whole conversation, so she is going to put make-up on him, take a pic on her mobile and send it to Husbands mobile to email to me for up-loading tonight. Boy I hope he really IS asleep and has no idea. Hmm - although if he looks good as a girl, his mate is looking for a new girlfriend at the moment. Perish the thought...
For those who use FaceBook, some of the prattlings for our Mission can be seen on the Mands On A Mission fanpage. Feel free - learning about this whole public media as we go along. When the documentary on the food habits show is broadcast, it will be awesome to compare the changes now from the changes that were being undertake then. It will be on SBS, but more closer to the time. Hopefully there will be no internal ramifications with family and friends, but as it is about me and my eating and my headspace over 8-12 weeks of recording going into two hour long programmes, I can't see it all being about me. There were 4 others in there, plus the good ol' Dr Happy. And the camera crew, sound guys and producers...
An interlude
Thought I should read the horrorscope predictions - must say I have enjoyed some of these lately because the messages have been very strong, positive, go forth and conquer type stuff. Need a bit more of that going around here *grins*
For the first time since 1982 Mercury and Saturn, the planets of communication and conviction, are aligned in a very intuitive part of your chart, giving your intuition and your imagination a voice and the ability to turn these into plans or strategies that can be committed to. This gives you a chance to put your thinking cap on in a very smart, intuitive and creative way, looking and thinking outside the square, while remaining mentally focused and sharp.
Oh goodie - all about making the fantasies into reality. Why not back when Jon Bon Jovi was just a little hotter - actually, Johnny Depp is still pretty out there with being part of the imagination - he'd be a treat to motivate, support and provide lavishings of gifts - in single dollar increments too if he so desired... *flutters* Oh - sharp and focussed, well pfft - there goes any Johnny Depp fantasy *sighs*
Must say, all jesting and jokes aside, I am so grateful to have my dear Husband here, by my side, working together to maintain in the belief of our dreams while getting our currently in order and on track to achieve the dream. Our Mission is about the actions, motivation and support clearing our debt ~ Our Dream is all about simple self sustaining living with water and mountains and greenery. Few chooks, goats, pigs, beef, fish, seeds, a shed, a chainsaw and a tractor - sweet! All we'd need to get have others start to see our Dream. *wistful* But first our Mission...
If you've not found it, a separate blog called Mands On A Mission is being updated about our savings, our ways to make rubber meals ~ meaning the meals stretch further, not become rubbery! Tonights $1 lamb shank (x three shanks) slow roasted dinner will also stretch into the fish patties and a Moroccan vegetable pie later in the week, or month for the pie filling. Clever Mands. Plus, as our Mission aims to provide tidiness and less clutter, I've already put the leftovers in the fridge or freezer as required. It is almost 11pm, its all cooled, its finally time for bed!
Feeling very pleased with the productivity on 'everything' this weekend. Checking in the week ahead readings and they are looking a little like this:
You'll meet people who can considerably help you in more than one sphere. Dazzling professional progress, and also some money in. For couples, understanding will be good. You'll be invested with beautiful joy of living and brimming optimism; profit by this situation to liquidate definitively the anxieties which have often tortured you. These astral influxes will grant you the possibility to count on the help of competent and efficient people; try to show yourself worthy of their confidence; don't neglect their counsels for the benefit of those of the persons who're less well intentioned toward you and who would lead you into a dead end. Keep a close watch on the health of your children; a thorough medical checkup every semester is recommended for them. It will be absolute calm on the sentimental plane; you'll profit by it to recuperate from your recent amorous feats.
Now doesn't that seem positively wonderful and achievable?! The changes over the last six months has almost been setting us up for this forward action, changes in lifestyle and formation of healthy relationships with friends and family. Cant end an entry on a much higher note than that! Until tomorrow...
A quick joke from my father:
Public School Teacher Arrested
A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule and a calculator.
At a morning press conference, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-Gebra is a problem for us," Mukasey said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.'"
When asked to comment on the arrest, George W. Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes." Aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the former president.
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