2paw

I Don't Care If You Are Called The Rare Miss Frigidaire.

'Cause you're sensational. Yesterday I defrosted the freezer. I don't like this job, and I put it off. The freezer was mainly filled with a bag of ice and things in ziplock bags. I don't know what some of them were or how long they had been there. I saved the raspberries for a cake I made today. Other than that everything else went.

Peri and Gilly thought the bag of ice ice-cubes was the best thing since sliced bread. It kept them amused for ages. PicMonkey has added a collage tool. I haven't quite mastered it yet, but I am feeling very happy to have a selection of collage options again.

On Friday MrsValley and I went to the Greek Restaurant further up the river. The day was reasonably OK when we started out. We had Arni Yarni Lamb pot pie, Pumpkin and Feta tart and then semolina custard tart with lemon syrup. We spent almost three hours catching up and having a good chat. The pictures are poor, I think the lens was fogged up. Everything was absolutely delicious.

The weather was not. It started raining as we left and there was a huge downpour that lasted for more than a day. There were roadworks and gravel and it was all a little scary. I drove at 60kph but there were people who wanted to do the 100kph speed limit. The council hasn't cleared the drains of Autumn leaves around our suburb, so there were deep puddles across the roads. There were minor floods: a hospital, roads near MrsDrWho's school and in the south of the city. It stopped raining last night and we have some sunshine today.

MrsValley bought The Labradors a lovely treat. Blackmores have a pet division now and she chose some special kangaroo treats. They are perfect for Peri and Gilly: low in fat, easy to break into small pieces and according to them, the Best Treats Ever!! Picture from the Blackmores' site, and we have the Labrador packet of course!!!

I sewed a goanna bag and I am working on my next felt project. Semi-secretly.

I've also been wearing my beret, trying it out to see if I like it around the house before it debuts in public!!

All my Library book Christmases came at once and I sat on the couch reading while the rain poured down endlessly. I couldn't read all of I am David because of the sad part at the almost end. I read either side of the sad part. Rose Levy's book has some wonderful and unusual cakes and I want to bake quite a few. It's hard to find a new series of books to read. I listened to Radio National when they had their broadcast from the Sydney Writers Festival and jotted down a few names. I always scan the book section of Saturday's paper. I use the 'recently added' button (well, you organise by most recent date) on The Library site and keep an eye on authors I already follow. I long to find authors I haven't read who have a long book list for me to enjoy!!

I have new dog walking shoes. The shop says they were $60, but they were on super sale for $10. I think the khaki and pink colour scheme may have put some people off. I'm deciding which shoe laces work best.

My aqua shoes with a velcro closure stopped staying closed. They weren't cheap shoes and I was a bit cross. The lady at the shop where I bought them told me that the shoe repair man could replace the velcro. He did, it's black not white, but you can't see it and it only cost $18. An excellent price and I have a 'new' pair of Winter shoes now!!

Zoe and her family are on The Mainland now and Zoe will be having her bone marrow transplant tomorrow. There's a long hard road ahead for them all. Lucy has not been well, her health is deteriorating. I keep them in my thoughts.  One of Uncle and Auntie Dutch's dog died last week. Tommy was a lovely boy, a boy's boy, and he could be a bit of a grump too. He was fourteen which is a good age.  Poppy, the other dog, seems to be coping by herself.

Later on this week I am going to The Hospital to participate in a session with the doctors in training. I'm going to talk to them about my illness, let them do some observations and then answer any questions they have. I'm not sure how it will go, but they are sending me taxi vouchers so I don't have to worry about looking for a parking space. I'm very happy about that!!

The Seven Ear Itch

Thank you for all the kind comments about Lorelai Gilmore. She has been taking her medicine every day and walking on a lead when we go to the dam. Peri ranged far and wide and Gilly yearned to run after her.

She hasn't cried at all and we have been trying really hard to be quiet and calm. Today she was allowed to run off the lead and she has a wonderful time, running with Peri. There were so many smells she had to have a bit of a rest!!

Peri was happy to have her running, and rolling in something smelly, mate back.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... I had my ears pierced an extra time and a half. Ergo I have five holes in my ears all up. Sadly, probably more than seven years ago, I stopped using the extra piercings. They closed up at the back. MrsDrWho gave me nine pairs of cute earrings perfect for the three extra piercings and so for the last three days I have been making my piercings work again. I concentrated on one at a time and every time I walked into the bathroom I'd poke the earring in to see if it would go through. Eventually the back of the hole gave up the ghost and I poked it through. Strangely, I seem to have no real feeling at the back of my ear lobe. And today: success. I am all earringed up!! Here's the three earring ear:

I can see more gray in my hair. It's bite the bullet time. I don't think I could keep up with a colouring regime, so apart from some wodges of colour in late Winter, I am apparently going to just not care!!

That's one job out of the way.

Job Two was pyjamas. I wanted to sew some, but of course The BSODL (tm) only had fluoro green or pale, pale green with white bunny flannelette.  There was a sale at Target, and though there wasn't a matching pair, these will do nicely at 50% off the original price. The top is a bit racy with the back being all lace. It is lovely, soft and stretchy!! The pants have sheep that say, "I only have eyes for ewe".

And a new striped green top. It is not emerald, it is not bluey green. It has dark blue stripes. It is hard to photograph and it was on sale at Rockmans.

There has been, wait for it, knitting!! I found my cardigan carefully put away in a tub of knitting and sewed the fronts to the back. It fits. This is good. So I decided to tackle the sleeves, bearing in mind the pattern is written for 10ply and I am using 8, and I want straight sleeves instead of bell shaped.  The first attempt at a hem was a failure.

Then I tried a band like the one on the other pieces with a potential placket and button. This was more successful but I over-estimated my arm size and it was way too big. I want the lace pattern to show up nicely.

The third time seems to be the charm thus far.

I am not a huge Heston Blumenthal fan. I know his food can be considered 'art', but I liked it best when he helped the children's hospital or the submariners. SBS is showing How To Cook LIke Heston. I am never going to serve my chilli con carne on a bed of flaming wood-chips or waft about the house trailing liquid nitrogen vapours,  but I might just be tempted by the chicken pie, the rich chocolate truffle cake (without the exploding space lollies in the base) or today: the roast potatoes. They are cooling in the colander waiting for the next process.

I am rather more excited about Sally Wise's self saucing banana pudding. I'm making that tomorrow and served with custard it should be delicious. It's from her new book. I made the Ginger Coconut slice for morning tea and it was so quick to make, cooked in twenty minutes and topped with lemon icing it was delicious. I like A Lot of ginger so I think I will add some finely diced glace ginger next time.

We have been having record April temperatures during the day and overnight so it was lovely to have some proper rain. Not much, but enough to make things green again and to make Peri and Gilly smell like my woollen school blazer did when it was in the rain.

The Labradors like the rain too, here's hoping we have more, but in moderation.

How Sick Is That Doggy In The Window???

Poor Lorelai Gilmore was very sick yesterday. Just after lunch I noticed she was sitting strangely and then she wouldn't, and couldn't, walk up the steps. I didn't panic, and tried to entice her with a biscuit, but to no avail. So then I did have a little panic and we went straight to the Vet, even if it was their lunch time: Dr Tim saw us immediately. Luckily all her vital signs were good and there was no back or joint pain but she did yelp when she hopped out of the car. Dr Tom said he thought she might have an upset stomach or very bad wind(!!!) or tummy spasms. He gave her two injections, an anti-inflammatory and an opiate and said to ring back later if she wasn't well. We all had a sleep, me with the help of some Rescue Remedy, for three hours and then she woke up and started to whimper and cry all the time and that was it.

Back to the Vet we went, Peri in the car too because she was not being left behind. We saw Dr Liz and she checked Gilly again and concurred with Dr Tim. We went home with some Tramal and in half an hour or so Gilly stopped crying. She ate a little chicken and rice for her dinner and then we all went to bed. Peri was full of jumping and leaping because she had to sit in the car outside at the Vet and was still feeling left out.

This morning Gilly ran up the steps outside and we went for a walk and she ran with Peri and Sandy and seems pretty much back to normal. Not 100%, maybe 90-91%. I am so relieved and need a Bex and a good lie down.

I heard on the radio this afternoon that Bob Brown has resigned as leader of The Greens and will retire from The Senate in June. My earliest memories of politics are of Gough and Bob. Bob Brown changed the world and he formed Australia's first Green Party. I think he has made a difference, and though he can polarise people, I agree with the general philosophy of The Greens: looking after the Earth, her people and fauna and flora. Happy Retirement Bob!!

I have a new cook book by Sally Wise. It has lots of cakes and slices, biscuits and desserts. Some are very old fashioned and some brand new. I shall cook something from it very soon.

And I bought some nice Easter biscuit cutters on sale. They make nice 3D impressions on top of the biscuits when you cut them out.

So once again it will be Friday Food on Saturday. I'm making Maggie Beer's Apple Cake with verjuice. The woman is obsessed with verjuice and I found some in the supermarket, so it's Kismet!!!

I Name This Day, Fiona!!

I'm sorry you'll read that again, and wonder whatever I am talking about. This afternoon I went to Petrarch's Bookshop and the lovely Fiona McIntosh:

signed her new book, The Lavender Keeper, for me. It begins in Vichy France WW2 and tells the story of Luc, a lavender farmer, adopted into a Jewish family. I have only read three chapters, but it has already drawn me in.

Set in France, it is no spoiler to say that the sequel will be partially set in Tasmania. Fiona was inspired by The Bridestowe Lavender Farm and if only I could transmit scent through the internet, you could smell the fragrant French Lavender Perfume she spritzed over the page after she signed. I keep opening the book and smelling the perfume. Scent is a powerful trigger for memories, and I think I will always associate lavender with Fiona now!! I have read all of her books: fantasy, children's and crime, apart from Fields of Gold. I missed that somehow.

She is a lovely person, and listened attentively as I chatted away to her about how much I loved her books, and had read them all. She graciously signed the first three of her books I had brought along and then gave me a hug. It was so exciting to meet her. And after I have finished posting I am off to bed for a little R&R, that's rest and reading!!

Peri and Gilly had an Easter Carrot Hunt. Peri was quite happy to sit for an Easter Carrot picture, but Lorelai Gilmore thought I wanted to take her carrot away and she was off. But off slowly, as she didn't want to be too disobedient and I think she was conflicted!!

The weather has been very Autumnal: long, loud and bright electrical storms and then 1*C icy cold mornings. I knew the weather would be windy and rainy because my white Camellia is in bud, and you can guarantee as soon as it blooms the wind blows and the rain falls to make the delicate flowers brown and bedraggled.

Peri and Gilly love the cold weather and they are extremely happy and full of joy.

The NextDoor Neighbours have a party every Easter and Peri spends the whole day at the fence, joining in vicariously. This year Gilly spent quite a lot of time there too. Sadly for them, the guests know that there are no treats for The Labradors, but they live in hope.

This week is the week when I catch up with all my friends, except MrsDrWho who is still away overseas. I have been dining out with my Knitting friends where we waxed lyrically about the wonders of turning a heel, something we still find miraculous after all these years:

I had some yummy veal last week and some Trevalla with a tangy crunch salad yesterday. Tomorrow I am off for Grand Afternoon tea with friends I used to teach with and then again on Friday I am off to The Gorge for lunch with two friends I met when I first moved here to teach. Even though we don't see each other as often as we would like, when we do catch up it is as if we last met yesterday. I don't have a Facebook full of friends, but my friends are the loveliest I could hope for!!

We have been going to bed early as it makes me very fatigued to be social so many days of the week. On Saturday I am going to visit Toddler Lucy and Baby Zoe for afternoon tea to wish them well as they leave soon for The Mainland.

Next week I am planning on sleeping every day I think!!  At long last it's cold enough to knit, so I might spend a couple of hours sorting out the patterns for my two Half Finished Cardigans: You Only Rib Twice and Short Scene. I have two new emerald coloured tops for Winter and I must have a new emerald cardigan to wear with them. I shall have to knit like the wind!!

The Internet is conspiring against me. I wouldn't let me comment on Wordpress blogs, though I have changed my email address to one I never use and I seem to have out manoeuvred it, and now Typepad won't let some people leave a comment. Ha!! I have turned off the new Word Verification and now comments are moderated. By me. So your comment won't appear immediately.

I am sure it is not just me who finds the new Word Verification thingies terribly hard to interpret. I hope that this has ameliorated the problem. Happy commenting. I am slowly, but surely, answering my comments so I may email you soon.

Now I am tired so please excuse any errors I haven't caught......

Trek or Treat??

It is MrsDrWho's Nephew's birthday anon: WeeZombie. He will be five and he likes Star Trek and so I am making him a Star Trek Book. The pressure of a birthday made me open the PDF I bought in October last year and make a start yesterday. I have completed Pages 2 and 3. Page 1 was left in its ziplock bag at Sewing last night. Page 2 has the iconic Star Trek TNG line: To boldly go where no one has gone before... though my photography is at its usual low standard and you can't really see it at all.

Page 3 is not what you think. It's a lift and inside are finger puppets: there will be Jean-Luc, Riker, Geordi, Worf, Data and I'll make a Deanna Troi as well.

I have to have all ten pages completed by Friday 16th, next Friday, so MrsDrWho can pack it in her suitcase and take it will her on her LSL.

I have been making some things for the Auction for Toddler Lucy and Baby Zoe. I don't participate in The Facebook, but Miss Delish has uploaded photos for me!!!

I obviously didn't make the souvenirs, MrsDrWho very kindly donated them!!

I would link to The Ravelry for the hat, but I can't access it this afternoon. My connection times out. I cleared my Cookies and now The FireFox says Ravelry is an Untrusted Connection. Not sure what is going on there. Right, through circuitous means I found myself on The Ravelry's Twitter page, that was a bit scary, and Ravelry is down for everyone, I didn't break it myself!! Thank goodness.

And it's back in the room.

This morning the new Water Meter was installed. It is high tech and the meter readers just drive past now and read it electronically. Peri and Gilly, especially Gilly, were very helpful. The Water Meter Reader and The Water Meter Photographer (yes, before and after photos!!) have a Chocolate Labrador so they were happy to be inundated with Labradors!!

The mornings have had an Autumn chill and Peri is especially enjoying the crisp start to the day. She's been running like the wind and jumping over fallen trees!! Peri runs full pelt and then leaps majestically over the jump, ears flying in the wind.

I have no Library books. I took back four books last Saturday and now I am without a book to read. I just checked and I have four books about to arrive: a biography of Catherine of Aragon, growing vegetables in small spaces, River Cottage Everyday cooking and 50/60/70 iconic Australian house architecture.  Catherine's biography is actually at The Library now, but I went out at lunch time and I am too tired to go out again. I haven't been to the letter box at the front since Monday either. I must walk down and up all the stairs tomorrow. That could be my goal for the day!!

I am off to visit The GardyGardeners tomorrow. We have afternoon tea about every two months at their house. Last week their lovely Corgi Ben died. He was fifteen. We have been sad for them and when it is the right time we'll take them a lovely rose for their garden. I am going to bake an apricot version of the Plum Tray Bake, I think that the apricots will work very well.

Oh and it is Friday Food tomorrow. Where does the time go?? I am going to cook something for MrsHouseOf as it has been her birthday too, and MrsRenos!! I have sewed MrsHouse of a new skirt. It is the same material as my Chartreuse dress!! I just need to thread the elastic through the waist and it is finished.

The BSODL(tm) had electric ball of wool winders on sale for $20. I am sure one you wind by hand is better, but I couldn't pass it up at such a bargain price. I have wound some wool. I have discovered I am not a good winder. I may yet be.

Peri and Gilly have just circled back for their second lot of Dinner reminder head butts and tail wags. I must fed them or they will grow weak from hunger!!

Grace Under Fire Ban

On Thursday when we drove towards the dam, this is what we saw:

Just when the temperatures are going sky high, 39* in the Southern Capital today (the record is 40 point something) and 34* at our house, they decide to burn off. The Labradors and all the other dogs and their human companions  were flummoxed as we had no warning. We went to The Tail-Race, where Gilly used to walk when she was a puppy.

Lots of pelicans, and when Peri had a moment off her lead, plenty of mud through which to chase the pelicans.

Today the area was open again and the burn off complete. The Walking People seem to think they have done a pretty good job. I can see that the gum trees are all still alive and it is just the undergrowth that was burnt. The bush needs careful and controlled burning for some things to regenerate. The Male Walking People talked to the Ranger and found out that it was a slow burn so we could stop worrying about the slow echidna being burned.

All the dogs were very happy to be back to their normal routine: Peri, Gilly, Jet and Sandy!!

It's good to keep cool in all the heat and so I have been watering the lemon tree and the rhubarb and they both seem to be doing well. The lemon tree has lots of new buds and the lemons are getting bigger. The rhubarb has more leaves and longer stalks. My patented blue acrylic wool and dowel seems to be keeping it fairly safe!!

Peri and Lorelai Gilmore keep cool in the pool as soon as we get home.

Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust the pattern: it's not exactly what Guy Clark meant but I should have trusted the pattern and my instincts. I cast off 246 of the 256 stitches of the scarf I am knitting and it was too narrow. Then I has to un-cast off the stitches and now I am knitting on more successfully with the second ball of shiny metallic wool. In the last three or four days I've knitted and watched all last season of new Hawaii Five-0 and I am right up to date on this season. Not sure what i'm going to watch next.

The sewing gods smiled on me and I made a new skirt. The BSODL (tm) brochure showed new Lisette patterns and material, so I bought a pattern and some material and whipped up a skirt.

It is cut on the bias and I was worried it was too short, so instead of a normal hem I used a strip of fabric as binding. I set in the zip by hand. It is ever so easy and if it holds up I might do that every time. I think I might have just got away with it. I really need to clean the verandah mirror, I didn't realise rain could fall that way.

There is a Total Fire Ban over the whole island tomorrow as we are expecting very hot weather again. There's one big fire in the South that is inaccessible at the moment, but not threatening any property or life. We're having bushfires and Queensland's having floods. One more very hot day to endure and then mid 20s and rain to come. At last.

I have read both The House of Silk and Death Comes To Pemberley. The House of Silk was OK, I guessed what the silk meant and so it was a case of enjoying the story to the end. There was a lot of buzz about this book, and it I was giving it a score, I'd say 6/10. Death Comes To Pemberley only rates 4/10. It wasn't a gripping murder mystery for me and I also strongly disagreed with PD James' ideas about the characters in P&P. She retrospectively assigned what I believe to be wildly inaccurate and inappropriate emotions, thoughts and actions to the characters. In the end, dear reader, I skimmed. For me it was a disappointing book, and it also had lots of good press. I think I should steer clear of sequels written by writers other than the original author.

It's 30* inside here at the computer and we are not planning to sleep any time soon. The Terminator is on TV and I am a sucker for that film so I'm recording it. Again!! I see more scarf knitting and Arnie in my immediate future!!

To Market, To Market, To Be At The Gig

We went to the new Harvest Farmers' Market and came home again, home again, jiggety-jig with a few bags full of produce.

Dutch Cream potatoes for $1 a kilo, the red onions, baby bok choy, radishes and a bunch of chives all for $8, a kilo of the freshest and most sweetly smelling and tasting strawberries for $8 and 6 medium zucchini for $2. I missed out on the sourdough bread, but because I know the baker's wife I have been promised a loaf at the next knitting outing. I can't stop eating the strawberries.

I have some new wool, it looks like liquid Mercury. In truth is is acrylic and viscose and I want to knit a scarf. I need a pattern with lots of stocking stitch that will show up the liquid silver sheen of the wool.

The roof of the vandalised picnic hut at the dam has been saved and moved to a grassy area. Peri thinks it is the best thing out and likes to run through the roof.

Miss Lorelai Gilmore is not so sure and though by the second day she was brave enough to go closer, when the wind made the struts sing, she was very wary.

Gilly has been playing in the paddle pool and then burying a bone. It is not good for the complexion or the eyes, but it is an enormous amount of fun and makes her very happy.

In the last nine days MrsDrWho and I have radically improved our patchwork skills. Or maybe we just concentrated and chatted less?? We made the second patches in a little over an hour and there was successful use of the rotary cutter, special ruler and not once incident of sewing the right side to the wrong side. So that's both of January's squares out of the way. We hope to get to February's before we are too far into March.

The GardyGardeners and MrsDrWho have kindly offered to replace Harki's stolen roses. There are lovely people in the world. I may have to chain the roses to the wall.

RN, the newly styled Radio National, has a changed programme this year and I have discovered In Our Time, which explores the history of ideas and I can listen on-line. I'm also enjoying First Bite, which is all about food. I can add these to my usual listening diet of The Science Show, Lingua Franca and  Background Briefing, all available to download or to listen on line.

The Oscars are coming up and so I was interested to watch a short video about The Bechdel Test. It made me think. I had already been thinking about films because it was mooted that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy would not be shown locally. On further investigation and a lot of back pedalling on the part of the cinema, it has been confirmed for late March. The same thing happened with The King's Speech last year, and we saw neither hide nor hair of the Harry Potter Postcard where in the weeks leading up to the last film they showed the whole series on Sunday afternoons. (I am running out of puff and so there are no more film links) I had thought I might try to go more often to see films, but they just make it too hard. As do the TV stations, which is why the DVD of Sherlock season 2 is winging its way to our house!!!

Cooking from magazines is going exceptionally well, and I think by tomorrow afternoon I might have three weeks of Friday Food up my sleeve. I have some chicken baking in the oven and plums and ramekins for two more recipes all ready to go.

The weather is muggy, but cooler and drizzly and I feel a little more able to do normal things. Tomorrow there is no dog walking and so we can all sleep in and then read the paper in bed with a nice cup of tea. The Labradors would like toast as well, but crumbs are anathema. I like that, it means especially dedicated to evil, and crumbs in the bed are definitely evil. I might even read two books I have borrowed from Mrs HouseOf via MrsDrWho: The House of Silk, a new Anthony Horowitz Sherlock Holmes book and Death Comes To Pemberley by PD James, set in Austen's P&P world of course.

Oh and in other TV news, MasterChef is filming here for a week. Last year I was not so enamoured of the show, but I will definitely be watching the episodes set in our state: it was Salamanca Market today I think, so maybe they'll travel North now??? I don't know if I am anoracky enough to actually venture out to see them in person if the come.

TinTin Cinzano**

Somehow, I never really jumped aboard the TinTin bandwagon, or whatever vehicle he and his friends are riding on. I don't know why, I have vague recollections of a cartoon on TV. I didn't 'get' The Adventures of Asterix either. Maybe it's because they were graphic novels, because I have small 'c' catholic and small 'l' liberal reading habits. I read what I like, regardless of who the book is meant for. I was thinking about this because there have been some articles about feminism about and it was discussed on the ABC today. I was thinking that although I was too young to be involved the first flush of feminism, women my age have really benefited the most. I never thought about whether I could do or be anything I wanted because there was no-one telling me not to. I could enjoy feminine clothes and books and pastimes, but I could also have equal opportunities in education and when I wanted to borrow money eg. So I still don't know why I like Biggles but not TinTin, but I'm definitely not off to watch the new TinTin film any time soon.

Today we went to The Vet to see Dr Tim, There are no photos because with Peri and Gilly in the same room this is what happened: Peri is being examined and Gilly sits in the corner crying with happiness and impatience because she wants it to be her turn. Then it is Gilly's turn and Peri sits in the corner crying with excitement because it has just been her turn. Then Gilly tries to eat everyone's worm tablets.

Dr Tim said he was very proud of how much health Peri has gained, and then we all went home and The Labradors cooled down in the paddle pool.

This time of the year is trying for the Labradors. It's a good thing they like it when I gently use the hose too cool them down. We are expecting warm weather until at least next Tuesday. The temperature on the news yesterday was 28*C but outside our back door it was 36*. Nothing if not obsessed with the weather here.

I've noticed lots of Americans embroider their states and/or country and I thought I might too. So I've started Australia and I am embroidering each state and territory in their state/territory colour. Who knew ours was Bottle Green???? I can see I've missed a stitch too.

The rhubarb has not died yet. Peri and Gilly are a bit interested when we water, but my exceptionally secure MacGyver-ish barrier of dowel and acrylic wool seems to keep them out!!

You would think The Labradors loved me:

But one squeak of the neighbour's screen door, and the promise of a seaweed rice cracker, and I am persona non grata!!

** Cin Cin Cinzano

The Cauli Of The Wild

Once again, I strayed to the Dark Side and watched some Christmas episodes of Martha. Jessica Seinfeld, she of the cook books which hide vegetables, demonstrated some recipes. I borrowed her Double Delicious book from the Library and made her Chicken Cannelloni this afternoon.

Her first book, Deceptively Delicious is all about surreptitiously adding extra vegetables to the food that children eat. This second book continues the theme, but with family meals.

First I had to make cauliflower puree. I bought a nice fresh local cauli and steamed if for about fifteen minutes. She said ten, but the cauli was still quite hard. Then I pureed it with a little extra water and it turned out perfectly. It is quite mild. So mild, that two Labradors will gladly eat it up when offered a portion. 

You know it must be good. My cauli yielded almost four cups of puree and I froze the leftovers in half cup batches.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly: I used some local ricotta which was not low fat, I eschewed the low fat mozzarella cheese for extra Parmesan and I added quickly sauteed onion, garlic and tomato paste to the passata ( tomato puree in a bottle) I did use wholemeal lasagne sheets and I poached the chicken breasts earlier. I served it with MrsValley's silverbeet sauteed in a tiny bit of olive oil with garlic and pepper. Yum. I could have eaten it twice!!!

I could not taste the cauliflower at all, and in a taste test neither could my neighbour. I will definitely be making this again. And I am eager to try other recipes. It's not that I don't eat lots of vegetables already, but the idea of extra secret vegetables is too good to pass by.

Susan's bespoke cardigan is complete. It just needs a button. I am very pleased and I hope Susan the Doll and her human like it.

Peri and Gilly like the new squeaky football, but a rice cracker is a much better thing.

The weather is lovely: cold and cloudy. We had breakfast and then slept till 12-30pm. I am banking sleep for when it is next hot. The new Delicious magazine arrived and I found lots of things I want to cook for Friday Food this month.

Now, Bring Us Some Fiddly Puddings.

This week I helped organise some easy craft activities for LSG. We decorate the tables at our HmmHmm Lunch and we usually have a choir from a nearby school to sing carols and generally entertain us, so we send them home with things we've made. Whether they like it of not!!

We made plum puddings from Chocolate Royals, candy cane reindeer and peg angels.

The men loved making the 36 candy cane reindeer with boogelly eyes, pom pom noses and antlers made from brown pipe cleaners - or chenille sticks according to the BSODL.  Others formed a production line and turned out 36 little plum pudding biscuits with white icing, spearmint leaves and a raspberry, wrapped in cellophane. I designed a little felt dress and wings for the dolly peg angels, who have novelty wool hair and a tinsel pipe cleaner halo. They have a little gold cardboard stand to keep them upright.

My dental check up went very well, no fillings, no other horrid things and the clean and polish made my teeth shiny and white again.

I also had an appointment with my specialist. Things are OK, some results are higher or lower than we would like, but I tested negative for the important horrible things tests, and I can just keep taking all the drugs and hope things continue to go along nicely.

And that's pretty much taken up all my energy this week. I had unexpected tea and an episode of Farscape at MrsDrWho's house last night. I went to her school this afternoon and we made a list of HmmHmm activities for her class. I am hoping to make these with the children, well, I'll cook a batch and they can decorate. There is not much learning to be gained from watching me mix up some dough and cut out biscuits.

Poor Peri has hay fever of some kind and her little eyes are watering and her muzzle is itchy. There's nothing to be done apart from steroids, which have nasty side effects. When it rains the pollen or dust is dampened down and she is much happier. I moisten a cloth and wipe her little eyes. Gilly is as happy as Larry and helpfully licks Peri's face.

They both managed to get cornflour all over their faces. My phone instruction booklet had some cup of tea spilled on it and the cornflour soaks up the excess moisture. And, if you are a Labrador, it makes for a pleasant tea flavoured make-up.

MrsDrWho and I bought some fabric from the FatQuarterShop. I bought a kind of green jelly roll and some lovely Labrador fabric to make The Labradors a little quilt. I should say another little quilt. It has two Labrador pups running along together and one sleeping on a little green pillow.

I also received a beautiful gift from Jan with a lovely card which made me smile. It has some great patterns and lots of good reading too. The green ribbon is Jan's addition!! It looks as if it belongs on the cover. I really need a green coat next Winter, it's not so cold I really need one, I just fancy one.

There hasn't been any knitting at all, but Mrs GardyGardener sent me a dolly who needs a knitted cardigan, a dress and underthingies. She found her in an Op Shop for $5 and I have the perfect fabric and matching wool. The Advent Calendar embroideries are all done bar two, and I have recreated the missing ones while wathcing Lie To Me today. I have been putting off watching the last four epsiodes because the show was cancelled, and if I don't watch them, it's still technically, continuing on. I don't like to watch the last episode of Blake's 7 ever either, and I'm keeping the last three episodes of Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles locked on my DVR. If I watch them it will all be over.....

I wonder if I am especially mad??

It's been warm this week, and today it was warm and now it is teemng with rain. Gilly keeps going outside to get wet and then comes to give me a rainy cuddle. Peri is curled up asleep in her chair. All's right with the world.