Grace asked what type of noodles I use – this is a picture of the ones we are having tonight (because I’m tired, and I don’t really want to spend time in the kitchen). These are Double Merino brand, which I imagine are not available in Canada, but there would be a local equivalent. Grace, if you get stuck, take the icture with you to your local Chinatown – I am sure someone will help out 🙂
Mum is working in Parkes for about 6 weeks, and Mark is still working long hours, so Inigo, Dad and I are off today for a road trip. I have to be back on Friday because I am volunteering at the baby expo for a few hours (for the Australian Breastfeeding Association). Then Inigo and I are spending the weekend at Stanwell tops for the Australian Breastfeeding Association Branch conference. So there will be blog silence for a few days, don’t panic!
The nasty practices of pig farming has reared it’s ugly head again. Please click here for more information.
And there is something you can do about it. It takes 2 minutes to write a note to Woolworths telling them that you won’t be buying pork from them until you are satisfied that the pigs have a decent quality of life.
So far, my Mothers Day experiences haven’t lived up to the “Hallmark Commercial” expectation. Last year, Inigo decided to stop breastfeeding, preferring to scream until he got the formula that he knew I had to give him.
This year, he woke up screaming at 4am, and alternated screaming and using me as a chew toy for over an hour, before I gave up and asked mark to deal with him. Some panadol later, and we got to sleep in until 8am.
For many of us, Mothers Day has an expectation that we will be appreciated for what we do every day, year in, year out, and rarely get thanked for. For some, it’s time to put your feet up, expect breakfast in bed, delivered by clean angelic children in pristine white clothing, accompanied by a ruggedly handsome man with a twinkle in his eye. But for most, it’s a day like every other day, with, perhaps, a card, and a special lunch, and that’s about it.
So what is it really about?
After reading this post, I know what it’s about. It’s about introspection, and thinking about the good parts of mothering, and glossing over the crap. It’s about recognising the freaking awesome it is to know the love of a child. And knowing that no matter how much they love you, you’ll always love them more.
Years ago, when I was adamant that I was never going to have a baby, my mum said that she worried that I would miss out on “something”. She never articulated any more than that, just that there was a certain something that I would never experience if I didn’t have a child.
And today, I understand. You were right mum.
It’s obviously been tested in the factory, and it works perfectly. Any problems will be my fault!
Colour coded tension dials. Each thread has a colour assigned, and there is a threading diagram inside the front cover.
The little box of bits
Sorry about the fuzzy pic – but you can see on the left, my first attempt. On the right, my second attempt. Much better. 11.09am
Attempt number 2 – an almost perfect cuff. 11.12am
Completed hat and pants. 1.19pm
Pfaff Hobbylock 2.0 Review
Since I’d never touched an overlocker before I went to the shop to try threading it. And today was the first time I’ve ever used one. So I’m pretty impressed that I was able complete two items (including unboxing, reading the manual, making a pattern for the pants and cutting all the pieces), in just over two and a half hours.
I’ve been told that overlockers can be fiddly, hard to get the tensions right, impossible to thread, etc. So many people told me that they have an overlocker that they never use because it is so cantankerous, I am thrilled with this one – it couldn’t have been easier. Of course, I am still crap at driving it, but I haven’t broken anything yet, or needed to take myself to hospital, so I’m impressed, and given my limited experience, I would recommend this model to anyone.
There are some recipes that are too good not to share. I believe this is one of them. Mum put me on to it years ago, and I’ve since done many, many variations on the basic theme. It’s one of my favourite go-to recipes when I can’t be bothered cooking, and want something yummy and warm. It is also really healthy (depending on toppings), and can be mostly made with cupboard and freezer items.
Soup
5 cups water
4 slices ginger
5 teaspoons Massel vegetarian chicken stock
Simmer while noodles are cooking.
Topping Suggestions
Chinese sliced dried mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water
Gai Lan (steamed/microwaved)
Frozen Spinach (microwaved, excess water squeezed out)
Vegetarian Chinese Sausage (from your local large asian grocer)
Field Mushrooms sautéed in butter
Frozen Peas
Basically anything you have in the house, I like to use at least 2 different colours. And I usually use field mushrooms because I am a philistine and don’t really like Chinese Mushrooms in this dish.
Noodles
Drop noodles into a large pot of boiling water. Drain as soon as the water comes back to the boil, or within about 4 minutes, whichever is sooner. They really don’t need much cooking.
Run under cold water.
To Serve
Place noodles in bowl, ladle soup over.
Add toppings, and a splash of sesame oil.
Serve with chilli paste and light soy to taste.
After a nice nap in the car, he wasn’t ready to run riot, so an extended snuggle was in order.
I saw this at the supermarket the other day, and I had to buy it in the hope that it’s the same thing as the Freezer Paper that I’ve seen on American blogs for doing t-shirt stencils.
Anyone know?
It says on the box that “Glad Go-Between is made from food safe poly-ethylene”.
Disco Knitter 