Inferno Starblast Attack!

The biggest little boy is not 100%. Big vom in bed about 11.30pm. Neaty. Just when I'd caught up with all the washing I have a vomiter and a piddler in one night.

Day home from school today as has wicked cough as well. Now ensconced on couch with little brother, enraptured in Beyblade Metal Fusion, Beyblade in hand, ready to battle when the mood takes him.

Beyblades are the bane of my life. Basically a spinning top with interchangeable parts, they are the merchandise from a Japanese Anime TV series. God knows how many they've lost, ruddy things are small and adept at hiding under the fridge and suchlike. You collect them, then swap the parts around, if you fancy, to supposedly make your bey more powerful.

My children are not quiet ones that read and colour in. They are enthusiastic and animated action men! I have to banish the beyblades outside when battle commences (they have a plastic stadium to battle in - the bey that spins the longest wins) as the noise of them declaring their intent to Inferno Starblast Attack! or Upside Down Awesomeness! is enough to make me consume an entire bottle of vodka at one sitting.

There is a character on the show called Benkei who has the most annoying voice known to man (even more annoying than Dora The Explorer, and that's saying something)

But there's something strangely compelling about them. I quite like knowing all their strange little zodiac-based names and the show is all about values and morals so it's not a bad watch for the smalls.

Better than Ben 10 (had to stop them watching it as they kept fighting each other) but not as good as Shaun the Sheep (classic viewing for all!)

progress report...

dress  - pass

dishes - fail

Too much to do.....

After wondering earlier this week what sewing project I was going start which of the fifty unfinished projects I was going to complete, I am suddenly innnondated with things to do...with deadlines.

Charlie's little friend, whom I call Pretty Chloe, is having her birthday party on Saturday week. When I saw her Mum in the toy shop, I offered to make her a dress instead of opting for the My Little Pony. (Swift self-kick in the shin)

Kinder quilt for the trivia night. 24 little pictures to be drawn by 24 little kinder kiddies, printed onto printable fabric, choose, purchase remaining quilt fabric, cut, piece, baste, quilt, bind. (Big job, dreading it)

I've just signed up for Placemat Quilt Swap Round 6 which I adore doing and am looking forward to. I am going to have to make myself not start these until I've finished the dress though.

So, the plan of attack is...

1) make dress today after the gym (no fruiting around the cafes and shops afterwards wasting time)

2) placemats on the weekend

3) start kinder quilt drawings next week. Delegate the fabric buying.

Oh God! Have just remembered I have to plant the vege garden (only a little one) before the seedlings I bought 3 weeks ago have to be binned. This actually means I also have to pull up all the weeds and spread 3 bags of compost too...  (strangled "gah!" sound emerges from mouth)

Maybe all this activity will help me stop thinking about all the food I'm not supposed to be eating as my evil torturer trainer, Miranda is making me do a detox, starting today.

Hope Jason and the kids survive!

Comfort food

It's been getting cold in Melbourne so when my friend Tori gave me this recipe she ripped out of one of the weekend papers, it seemed the perfect thing to enjoy on a chilly evening, so I, once again, put off folding the washing and got down to the business of cooking!


LAMB AND MACARONI BAKE adapted from Neil Perry

75 ml EV Olive Oil (I probably used half of that)
2 large Onions, finely chopped
Sea salt / Black Pepper
500g Minced Lamb
can of Diced Tomatoes
Bay Leaf
500g cooked Macaroni
100g grated Gruyere
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat Oil over a low heat and cook onions, with a good pinch of salt, for  15 mins or so.

Add 500g Minced Lamb and turn up the heat 'til browned.

Add a can of Diced Tomatoes and a Bay Leaf, and enough water to cover it and cook for 30 mins. Liquid should be evaporated.

Meanwhile make the Bechamel Sauce.

40g Butter
1/2 cup Plain Flour
3 cups warm Milk
3 beaten Eggs
100g grated Gruyere
grated nutmeg
salt / pepper

Melt butter, stir in flour, gradually add warm milk, stirring constantly 'til thickened. Remove from heat and stir in rest of ingredients.

In a bowl, mix the macaroni with a third of the bechamel.

Place half the macaroni in an ovenproof dish, add lamb sauce, then top with the rest of the macaroni. mix half the remaining cheeses with the bechamel, pour over the top, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 20-30 mins, rest for 10.

It was Sen-bleedin'-sational!!

We all loved it. I even had it heated up for lunch today and it was just as good! Huge though...don't know how it will freeze but am going to try it. Would be great for a early dinner party with friends who have kids as they'd have to be pretty bloody fussy not to like it!

Control

Hello, my name is Tanya and I am addicted to buying fabric....and cookbooks.

Every time I see some beautiful design or new collection on a blog or in a sewing book (ok, maybe it's all books, not just cookbooks) I buy I immediately have to go online and find it. I put it in my shopping basket and then have the agony of forcing myself to close the browser uttering..." you have enough at the moment....you have enough at the moment!"

I've just made a block for the Beehive sewing bee, for Katrina, in Anna Maria Horner voile. Do you know how many times I have been to Etsy, sourced the designs and solids that I like and then made myself not buy them? Now I've seen them in real life and actually TOUCHED them, I want them even badder!! (excuse the bad English)

I've already bought Donna Hay's new cookbook this morning.

I've been recording "Fast, Fresh, Simple" on the telly and writing (ok, scribbling illegibly) anything that takes my fancy down, which is turning out to be most of her recipes, so I thought it would save a) my hand; b) paper c) myself from insanity when I realize I can't read what I've written and have deleted the programme.

I recorded a Nigella marathon on the weekend....

God help me!

Extended Holiday over!

 God, it's been ages since I blogged! Now I have one in Grade 1 and one in 4 yr old Kinder, 2 full days to myself and thought it was about time I did a bit more crafting and a bit more Blogging.

Here's what I've been up to in the mean time...

Dom turned 6 in August - party at Sofia restaurant, his favourite. Very grown up! 

Star Wars ice-cream cake.

We took a week out to go skiing in Wanaka, New Zealand. Kids both in ski school, Charlie for the first time. Great holiday!!

 Charlie turned 4 in October - Harry Potter Party

Harry Potter himself came along! As it was made quite clear that I was required to dress up, I made McGonagall robes for myself that involved 4m of Green crushed velvet!

Quilt for Dom's Prep English teacher in December. 

Placemats for Dom's Prep French teacher in December.

 Back to NZ for my cousin Anna's wedding in January. Here are my parents!

 Fun in the apres-pool spa at Sarndra's, Auckland

In the jaws of the Great White! Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World, Auckland

Catch up with Cousin Ladene

Kinder quilt for Charlie's rest time. All the kinder groups had to be represented, not just his own Frogs group!

 Cot quilt for baby Lexi. When Dom found out Roxy was pregnant he gasped and said, "Roxy! Three kids! It's a dream come true!", hence the caption!

Back into the Beehive again.

We've now moved house too. Great spot, very safe and sewing area downstairs! 

Playing catch up.

After a lot of this...

...and a little bit of this...

...I came home and did a lot of this...

...and truckloads of this...

...and when that was all over we celebrated this...

...and then peace reigned throughout the land until....

...next week.

The End.