2paw

Run Away Runaway Jury*

I have had a Mental Health Week. I know most people have a Day but I needed a Week. I had some doctors' appointments and also I was summonsed to Jury Duty. The letter was very legal and threatening and it scared the willies out of me. I'm just not well enough to fulfil my civic duty, but in my usual panicked way I catastrophised!!! I had 7 working days to try and make appointments to see my specialist (luckily I already had one) and my GP (It wasn't an emergency so I couldn't see her till Friday) I was finally able to contact The Sheriff (of Nottingham) and his office was all sweetness and light and they took my name out of the box (???!!!) I still haven' t posted the forms off. I have to do it today when I go out. MrsDrWho had Parent -Teacher so she'll be leaving home today at 8am and not getting home till after 9pm. Unpaid overtime all this week, so I'm going to spend an hour or so with Cleo and Caramello at teatime and feed them and annoy them: Cuddle them A Lot!!!

I imagine my life as a graph, a line graph which potters along at 99% all the time and it doesn't take much to push me over the edge into a few days in bed with a migraine. I seem to have subsided below the critical level again for the time being!!!

There has been precious little knitting, whereas there had been an enormous amount of lying on the couch watching DVDs and eating out. I have re-knitted about 5 rows of the actual Stargate and I am marking the middle of the row with the one of the cute Dog stitch counters that someone lovely made for me!! The Stargate Cardi just isn't Knitting-Away-From-Home friendly. I cheered myself up by starting MrsDrWho's birthday socks : Sax and Violets. They are the Waving Lace socks from Interweave's Favourite Socks in gorgeous Crystal Palace Bamboo/Wool in Violets from Yarnomat. It is so soft and light and the pattern is a dream. Mind you, we were watching the last episodes of Stargate Season 9 (again) and I did the whole first repeat incorrectly and had to unravel it. 

Harki and Peri have been revelling in the Winter weather and they are happy to present their version af an Esther Williams Film: Dangerous When Wet!!! And you had better believe that it is very dangerous to be anywhere near a wet Labrador!! They shake like a very shaky thing.

They are also training for The Labrador Olympics and hurdling over the tree that fell over the walking track. They could be great Steeple-chasers!! Tomorrow they are off to The Vet to be weighed again. Fingers crossed!!!

Glenna posted some scone recipes and by coincidence I have had some scone photos sitting on my camera ready to be recipe-ed too. I made one basic mixture and then halved it to make two different kinds of scone: one savoury and one sweet!!

Cheesy Snails and Apple and Sultana Scones

• 4 cups self raising flour OR almost 4 cups of plain flour and 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 120g butter chopped

For the Savoury scones:

• 1 or 2 teaspoons of mustard. I like Hot English, but it's VERY hot
• 1 cup of grated cheese. I like a mixture of tasty and Parmesan
• snipped chives or parsley or even spring onions
• 1/2 cup milk

For the Sweet scones:

• an egg, whisked a little
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 Granny Smith or cooking apple peeled and then diced quite small
• 60-80g sultanas
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 200*C and line a tray with baking paper. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub the butter in with the fingertips. Shake the bowl slightly and any big lumps will come to the top. The mixture should look like breadcrumbs (they say!!)  Divide between 2 bowls.

To make the Savory scones: make a well in the centre and add the milk and mix with a knife until a slightly stick dough forms. You may need to add little extra milk, it depends on the flour and the atmospheric conditions!! Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly then, making sure you always lightly re-flour everything, roll out into an A4 type rectangle about 1/2cm thick. Spread with the mustard and sprinkle over the cheese and herbs. With the long side facing, roll up the dough and seal the edge with a little milk. Use a sharp knife and cut off slices. Lie them on the tray and you can sprinkle them with a little extra cheese if you like. I made some without the chives as well.

To make the Sweet scones: add the sugar, sultanas and apple then make a well and add the milk and half of the egg. Mix to a dough and knead as before. Pat out into a rectangle about 3cm high and then cut with a knife to make scones. Place on the tray, close together and brush with a little egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check after 10 and you may need to turn the tray around. Then eat. The Cheese scones are great as they are but the Apple and Sultana are delicious with  lemon curd and marscapone.

 

*Monty Python and John Cusack!!!

It's TypePad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Baddest Man in the Whole Damn Town

So I sat at my computer two nights ago, yesterday and this morning trying to upload my post and pictures. I keep getting error messages. Typepad had updated their Compose page which means that something that worked perfectly well before, now had a bazillion bugs for me and won't work properly. I tried to ask for Help, but they're not playing (they might be now): They're from Typepad and they're not here to help and there's not a cheque in the mail!!! The BlackSpot of Doomlight is also enhancing their system which means it takes at least twice as long to transact a purchase. I know I have to move with the times but I  wish times would slow, ever so slightly.

Here's a helpful tip: Don't spill a whole cup of tea into your shoe while you are wearing said shoe. Just saying, it's not a worthwhile experience.

After such a long time I am finally feeling better and back to the real world, though I seem to have passed on my cold to other people!!! I think I have pretty much managed to reply to all my very kind comments but I still have so many posts from other people to catch up on. The weather has been wonderfully warm and sunny and even rainy. Harki and Peri love the temperate climes. It is the perfect weather for walking in the morning, lying in the Sun in the afternoon and then snuggling up on the couch in the evening. At home they have been paying long games of Tug-of-War and generally running about a lot in and out, up and down. Finally they are so exhausted they go straight to sleep and Harki snores!!! Peri sleeps on the ottoman, on which she barely fits, but is determined to do so. She takes her Trophy of The Games with her.

Last Saturday we has our second Ravelry Outing. Some knitters dressed for Winter but it was actually so warm they sweltered. Such fun was had and I met some blogging friends in real life: Hi SlimSuzi!! I have been knitting my Diamonds in the Stream socks, in fact I have finished one and started the other. I also knitted a One Row Pattern scarf in some gorgeous green handspun alpaca. It is perfect and I have worn it a lot. I sat on the couch and watched Dexter while I knitted. Dexter is weirdly good, but might be too confronting for those of a delicate nature, of which I am obviously not!! I also, shock/horror, cut off the GiTNEB's buttonband and reknitted it with my favourite buttonholes and I also made it just a tad wider. Now my happiness is complete!!!

In political news, Big Red has resigned and we have a new Fearless Leader . I am not sure about him yet, though he has decided not to fund Gunn's Boogelly Pulp MIll PipeLine. The ANZ has also decided not to fund The Mill itself. Well done ANZ!!!

MrsDrWho and I have pushed our cinematic viewing experience boundary by going to the pictures twice in a fortnight!!! We saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I went along not expecting very much and so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself having a good time. It is no Citizen Kane, or even Citizen Indiana, but it is a good finale to the series. There's humour, adventure, scary bits, snappy dialogue, some fantastic chase sequences and great 'in' jokes for those in the know. I reckon I liked Iron Man better. We have some more films to see: The Chronicles of Narnia-Prince Caspian, The X-Files 2 and another one, maybe The Dark Knight?? I have only seen the first Batman movie, and to be frank, I liked the camp TV series best. I also have to confess I have never seen The Princess Bride. According to MrsDrWho this makes me a Film Barbarian!!!

Thank you to Inkberryblue who's awarded me this. I don't ever think my life is really interesting, I just potter along, but I am glad my wittering on is able to amuse and entertain others!!!

I love Amy Johnson. Amy Johnson is delicious, and no, I haven't suddenly turned cannibal, Amy Johnson is a delicious slice from The Olden Days. You never see a recipe for Amy Johnson anymore, or even the slice itself. I baked Amy Johnson for MrsDrWho, and one bite was enough to bring childhood memories flooding back. My nan would always cook Amy Johnson slice (going for the World's Record in Amy Johnson mentions here!!) for us. It is not too rich, so you can eat quite a few pieces if you want to. And it is one of the things I do want!!! Here's the recipe. It has a few parts and steps, but it is quite easy and definitely worth the effort!!!

Amy Johnson Slice

Pastry Base

• 1 cup of self raising flour
• 2 tbspn butter
• a little milk

• about a cup of dark jam: raspberry, blackberry, whatever
• 1 or 2 cups of currants

Cake Layer

• 135g butter
• 135g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbspn milk
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 225g self raising flour

Icing

• juice of a lemon
• 500g icing sugar
• a little hot water

Preheat the oven to 180*C and grease and line a lamington tray ( or any tray approximately 30 x 25 x 3 cm) with baking paper.

To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and then mix in enough milk to make a dough, not too sticky. Knead lightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then roll out on a floured surface until quite thin and cover the base of the tray. Thin is good, I even had a little dough left over. You can cut and paste to fit, it is the base after all!!

Spread the jam evenly over the base and then scatter the currants generously over the jam in a Nigella kind of way.

Next, the cake layer. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla, and then fold in the flour and milk. You may need to add a little extra milk to make the mixture easier to spread. I used the back of a big Ruth-like spoon dipped into a cup of boiling water to spread it evenly. It works really well.

Bake for 35-45 minutes..You will know it is cooked when the top springs back and is golden brown. It will also come away from the side of the tin. Make the icing and spread over the cooled slice and then cut into small pieces. It makes a lot. Then eat it. Yum!!!

Canoe Feel The Love Tonight?

I have less than no interest in the fact that The Apple Isle will host the 2009 Canoe Wildwater World Cup, but how could I pass up the chance for an Anna Coren segue to The Lion King???  I have never seen the film but MrsDrWho plays the soundtrack in her classroom in the holidays. We will be feeling the love in 2009!! Peri is feeling the Morning Tea love and hoping for a titbit from The GardyGardeners.

I've been meaning to blog for three days but the light has been bad, on Thursday I had my car lights switched on at 3pm, and somehow it always seemed too dark to take a photo. I have been a little busy, though not on The Pop Tartigan because I knitted a sleeve in the space of 36 hours and my shoulder was boogelly: those 5mm needles can be a killer. I have been doing other things. I have made my mum an Odessa. It is meant to reflect a crisp Spring day in Odessa, though I am not sure if that's Odessa Brazil, Canada or USA, but I like to think it's Odessa, The Film, which just makes me think of The Ipcress File, so I think I'll call this The Harry Hat!! Now if there was a choice of looking at me modelling The Harry Hat, or poking your eyes out with hot needles, MrsDrWho knows which one you should choose. So there is only a progress picture of said hat until maybe MrsDrWho models. It's on 4mm needles using almost two balls of Cleckheaton Country Silk in a blue you can't buy here anymore.

There has been sewing: a Sock Tote for Amanda from you-can-guess-where and a zippy bag for Kate:she's not keeping her Library pencils in it, but rather her socks-in-progress!!! There is also a backpack for me made from LoopyLouey's gifted fabric. I used Lotta Jansdottir's pattern though I lined it with lime green poplin. You can see some dog treats in the back pocket and also Harki's zebra striped toy. She's not very happy, I think you can see her bottom lip trembling in the picture: she's pretty sure I've taken it for good. I gave it back straight away.

My last post about The Flame Attendants et al seems to have elicited the same feeling from most people: we are very sad and disappointed at the politicisation of the Games, but supportive of our athletes. It's less than a hundred days till the Games begin: I suggest we all watch these Games instead and revel in John Howard's Apology.

There has been some cooking: a classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. I made it in a bigger tin and I really should have used more pineapple. I did buy more and was planning to dredge it with brown sugar and pop it under the grill, but it never happened. Recipe follows.... I have more to say - what a surprise!!, but I'm saving that for next time.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Topping

• 2 tins of sliced pineapple rings, drained**
• 90g butter, melted
• about 1 cup of brown sugar

Cake Batter

• 120g butter
• 220g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 185g self raising flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice from the tin**

Preheat the oven to 180*C, and then line a 25-28cm spring-form tin with baking paper. Brush the base and sides with the melted butter and then sprinkle in the sugar. Finally  place the pineapple rings in the base of the tin. I didn't have enough. You can also put a glace cherry in the centre of each ring!!

To make the batter, cream the butter and sugar, lightly beat in the eggs and vanilla and then fold in half the flour and half the milk by hand. And then gently fold in the remaining flour and milk. Spoon over the pineapple and spread evenly. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until it is browned and springy to the touch and has come away from the sides of the pan. Invert onto plate and serve with lashings of custard or cream and ice-cream. A Classic.

PS The Jennifer Fallon series?? It's a set of four now!!! Just in case you were on a knife edge waiting for the next one. I am.

Hour: Mutual Friend*

Yes, at last Daylight Saving has ended and we all gained back the lost hour. This means, of course, that we are waking up an hour early. Sigh. The Labradors are all perky-eared and bushy-tailed at 6-30am and have to be very persuaded to lie down again until it is time for a walk. This morning it was drizzling and then raining hard so it was a very happy walk. There's not enough rain for puddles, or even the greening of the bush, but there's enough for hope.

The When You're On A Shawl Thing? Well I've stuck to it and it's finished.  Donna at Random Knits was so right: it is the blocking that makes a shawl!! This is just a little shawl, but I am still extremely pleased with myself. I couldn't believe how a little soak in some warm water could turn the crepey, bubbly knitted fabric into such a soft and smooth lacy swoosh. I left it all night and here it is, pinned on some poplin on the back of the couch, and badly photographed. I may be able to talk someone at Sewing on Wednesday night to do some stylish modelling!!! So, it's The Swallowtail Shawl from IK Autumn 2006, I used 2 and a tiny bit balls of Merino and 3.75mm circular needle. Started about the 28th March and finished 6th April. 

I was then bereft of a new handy project. I hadn't started any socks, I had sewing up to do, and you can't start a cardigan you're knitting a Stargate into, or The Sherlock Hemlock Blanket while watching the last episode of Life on Mars. So I started the cuffs of MrsDrWho's as yet un-named cardigan. I think I should call it The Pop Tart. Any other good Doctor Who names you can think of??? It is supposed to be knitted on 6.5mm, which means 7mms for me, but I am using 12 ply on 5mm for the cuffs and then Making up the pattern for the frou-frou black yarn.  In another handy way I'm making March Wife, or Annie Modesitt's June Bride, for my nextdoor neighbour. The picture in the book bears no resemblance to the actual pattern, so I'm a bit disappointed, but soldiering on nevertheless. They are in a burgundy or maroon colour to match the colours on her stall at the Market. They should keep her warm now Winter is coming.

Life on Mars?? Most excellent thing I have watched or read in recent times. Absolutely wonderful. Great ending, fabulous characters, writing, music, John Simm: Everything!!!

The passionfruit and lemon cake was delicious, served with some vanilla bean King Island Yoghurt and more fresh passionfruit squeezed over the top. However, I made a mixed berry topped brownie, more or less from Donna Hay's Chocolate book, for MrsDrWho. Recipe follows. There's not much green in this post. I had better get my act together and whip up some green things pronto!! Tomorrow I'm making Things Rhubarb: more Autumnal Harvests!!! (Karen Martini's new cook book: can anyone recommend it? It's a bit expensive to buy without the nod from someone)

Berry Topped Brownie

• 220g good dark chocolate, 70% is nice
• 250g butter
• 200g cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 1/4 tspn baking powder
• 40g cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups berries: I used mixed frozen berries

Preheat the oven to 180*C (350F) and grease and line a 20- 23cm square tin. Melt the chocolate and butter together gently, cool slightly then add the sugar and eggs. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into the tin and then strew the berries over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes or until it is set in the middle. Take care, as all the chocolate will burn easily. Cool in the tin. I think it is nice, I can't eat it:-(

*Our Mutual Friend

Don't Cry For Me Allen-Peter

The ABC, aka Aunty, has been showing woeful Summer programmes this year. But there have been a few shining lights, and Love is in the Air has been one of them. The last episode screened on Sunday: National Anthems. For someone who loves Frank, I found I knew all bar one of the songs. And I mean I could sing along and I knew the tune and words!! Someone from The Whitlams, and I only know that because I am a bit of a fan of Edward Gough, talked about Tenterfield Saddler by Peter Allen, and then Peter and The Whitlam man both sang the song (Obviously not together) It just makes me cry. I have no idea why, but play that song and I feel tingles down my spine and I cry.  I also cry at the end of You've Got Mail, during Assistance Dog ads, when someone has just died on Stargate Atlantis The Thirdly Season, at the End of West Wing, Nelson Mandela, when I think of Harki and Peri..... These are a few of my Teariest Things!!! I don't have to pinch myself with tweezers through my pocket or have an onion in my hanky either!!

There was a horrid rumour that the ABC was changing their logo to ABC1, and the Wave may be downgraded or disappear. I love The Wave. The Wave has survived, you can see it if you scroll down to the bottom of this page: it does look good. Mind you, the new logo is sky blue, red and white and it looks like we should all be singing The Marseillaise and eating snails, it's not very Australian. I have been told to move with the times, but let's face it: I love Frank, I am permanently behind the times!!! I love the station idents in the early 2000s when normal everyday people drew The Wave in the air with their finger.  I'm doing it now, and going 'La La La' in the ABC Logo Tune.

Truly it never rains but it pours and we have had flooding rains. I drove through a mini flood in town and a manhole cover had been shot out of the ground and asphalt was scattered all about. The Labradors are very happy, but when I came home in the middle of the storm they were both inside, not waiting faithfully out in the rain for me!! Clever and sensible dogs. It was Barry the GardyGardener's birthday yesterday, and it would have been my dad's too (well I suppose it still is really, he's just not here) and the anniversary of the bushfires too. A momentous day. I managed to finish The Shocker Socks in time. They look very strange, but I think that's because I have quite small sized feet. Harki and Peri love Uncle Barry. It may have something to do with the fact that he was giving them the mini pikelets I cooked for them for morning tea. The grown ups had banana pikelets and instead of mashing the bananas into the batter, I cooked one side of the pikelet, then covered the top with thinly sliced banana and then flipped it and cooked the other side. The banana went sort of caramelised and I sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. MrsDrWho thinks that they need a nice dollop of cream or even a scoop of ice cream. They never last that long!!! Harki and Peri's breakfast didn't last long either. They had an very healthy breakfast of rice, carrot, celery, lean mince and a little dry dog food. They still prefer pikelets!!!!

I have been sewing some more bags made from strange things. I made a Crisp Zippy Wristlet and a Zippy Lab Bag!! I'm also experimenting with a new kind of small knitting bag. I'm making a prototype, it's green with white polka dots!! I have been doing quite a bit of sewing because it has been cool.

I'm participating in The Ravelry Bag Lady Swap. Here is a picture of the bag thus  far. The bag has been disguised to protect its identity. It is basically knitting round and round. A Lot. It is quite soothing. I needed pure wool, and not green, so of course I couldn't knit from my stash. The BSODL(TM) had pure wool on sale but the ball band said each 50g had only 55m. I knew this couldn't be right but the Girl-behind-the-counter-who-knew-better, knew better. So I said I would buy one ball, take it home and measure it. Later on during the storm I went back to buy the rest of the wool because, surprise, surprise, the ball had 93-97 metres, I averaged it out to 95m. The Girl-behind-the-counter-who-knew-better didn't really believe I would go home and measure the wool. What about me suggests in any way that I wouldn't be at home unwinding wool and measuring it against my metre ruler?????

When we go for our walk in the bush, we really are in the bush. There is a narrow track about 50 cm wide and the ground slopes sharply away to the right, to some rocks and a cliff that falls away to the Gorge. You can just see the water at the bottom. Does Peri care?? She does not. My heart is regularly in my mouth, but she is sure footed as a goat, leaping and running about. Harki is more sedate and prefers the topside of the track. 

I like today's date: 08-02-08 and Happy Chinese New Year too!!!

Banana Pikelets

• 1 egg
• 150g Self Raising Flour
• 150-250ml milk
• Optional: 1 tbspn sugar
• bananas, sliced into thin circles
• olive oil/ butter for cooking

Sift the flour into a bowl, and break in the egg and pour in a little of the milk. Use a fork or a whisk to gently combine the wet ingredients and slowly incorporate the flour as you go. I prefer my batter to be a bit on the thick side, so I use just enough milk. You can set the batter aside for half an hour or so if you like. Then heat a non-stick pan to medium, and add the oil/butter. Gently drop 2 spoonfuls of the batter, for each pikelet, into the pan and let it cook until there are many bubbles on the top. If you lift it up a little it should look golden or light brown on the base. Place some banana on the pikelet and then carefully flip it over to finish cooking. You have to just check underneath now as there are no telltale bubbles. Keep warm on a plate and then serve and devour.

The Adventures of Blogger McKenzie

What a Barry Crocker!!! Australians know that when we hear this, the speaker is not referring to the eponymous entertainer, rather they are saying "What a shocker!!!" We have taken Cockney Rhyming slang and made it our own!! Barry Crocker starred in the iconic film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie and he also sang the theme tune to Neighbours. There are two Barrys-worth to start off my post today:

1. I am making the Shocker Socks for Barry The GardyGardener's birthday. I started them yesterday and Tuesday Morning Tea time is my deadline. They are 8ply on 4mm needles, using 44 stitches. I have to knit a full foot for the foot: 30cm!!!!
2. Oh the Internet has been abysmal. Some days it won't load at all. The little green loading line thingy goes Load...Load...Load for half an hour. Later on the same day it loads instantly. I ran the Anti-Virus and The Spyware and nothing turned up. MrsDrWho is having the same problem with her computer so we think it might be an ISP problem. Consequently I had things waiting to be blogged and I couldn't. It worked last night but not this morning. Hopefully it will keep working now........

It rained two days ago and now it is raining again. January was the driest on record, so we are all glad of the downpour. The Labradors loved their walk in the pouring rain and we went for a record 35 minutes!!! They were both very wet but when we came home. Harki wanted to keep on playing in the rain and Peri just wanted to rub her wet fur over everything. When it is nap time Harki sleeps The Sleep of the Just and The Impossibly Contortioned!!! Peri has been playing with the Recycling again. She needs to get in while she can, the Council wants to change from weekly to monthly recycling. I am not sure how we will go with  that.

I have been awarded Awards, and I am ever so glad I Make Peoples' Days, but I am a terrible awarder myself. I can't choose. I don't want to give an award to someone and then have another person feel sad because they have missed out. I think this is a leftover feeling from teaching: as a teacher you have to be very fair and unbiased and beyond reproach. If I read your blog and comment, believe me, you make my day!! My eyes light up when I see posts appearing to be read in my Bloglines. As MrsDrWho would say: You have Internet frie-ends!!!

I've finished my Mum's The Word socks at last and they have been posted off. They were knitted from the Old Merino Cashmere in Denim from The Knittery using 3.25mm needles. The lace pattern is Diagonal Fern from Barbara Walker with garter stitch in between. There is a 'jog' in the garter stitch at the back, I should have put all the stitches on the same needle, but I like the needles to be balanced and symmetrical, so we will all have to live with the 'jog'!! They are beautiful and soft and the wool is so lovely to knit. I haven't bought any of the new sock wool yet, but I hope it is as nice as this. (Pictures courtesy of The Subway Table Top, the Subway with no cups of tea or avocado!!!)

I've also given Mrs Madcage a Squidge Face cloth as part of her birthday present. This one in Anchor Magicline and with a double crochet edging. This picture is a bit wonky: it's not as frilly as it looks!!!

MrsDrWho has been getting ready for school, and I assembled her new bookcase: all I needed was a Phillips head screwdriver.  Then I sorted out her watercolour pencils. I love sorting out the watercolour pencils. Some are nearly 20 years old. They last a long time when you are always reminding the children how expensive they are!! The boxes of 72 don't seem to exist nowadays so the two here are worth their weight in frilly knickers. At $3 a pencil that's more or less $432 sitting there!!! I am very happy to see them arrayed in all their colour co-ordinated glory!!

I am happy to announce that it is All Back to Normal on ABC almost as from today. Hoo-ray. Np more Summertime TV Blues. All my favourite news and current affairs are back in their rightful place. All my favourite shows and more, are back too. Now is the time of year when you have to watch a bazillion shows and hope the ones you like aren't cancelled. I like Burn Notice, Robin Hood 2, Life on Mars 2, for a start, and I'm looking forward to Chuck. Psych and Journeyman have already bitten the dust here.

I made Nigella's No Churn Pomegranate Ice cream. It was fine by itself, but a little insipid. It really does need an accompanying sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, or fresh nectarines as I had, or even a slosh of Limoncello, which I had too. When I juiced my fruit I had 190ml, but maybe UK pomegranates are juicier??? I juiced them and then I emptied all the seeds into a bowl and mashed them up to extract every last drop of juice.

No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

• 2 pomegranates, juiced
• 175g of icing sugar
• juice of a lime or lemon
• 500ml thickened cream

Pour the juices over the sugar and whisk till dissolved. Add the cream and continue whisking till soft peaks form. Spoon into a container and freeze for at least 4 hours. It doesn't freeze hard, but is pleasantly soft and spoonable.

It is a Par-fait Better Thing That I Do...

Than I have ever done... What the Dickens?, you might ask. Well I made Parfait, Raspberry Parfait, and it was delicious. I took a picture of it pre-freezing and then it was eaten. So simple and so easy: recipe follows at the end of the post!! It is delicious. It was eaten on a balcony overlooking the river with friends, some people I hadn't seen for a while, with a mixed berry cheese cake, bubbly and a cool breeze. What a nice way to spend an afternoon!!!

We have had some cool weather and been for such a long walk: 32 minutes long. Harki and Peri were very puffed out and had a big rest when they got home. Peri has turned Six. Every year it is hard to believe she is so grown up now!! We met a lady and her two dogs on our walk and she thought Peri was One!!! To be fair, Peri was running about like a mad puppy and playing with the other pups, but still!!! For birthday breakfast there was Diet Dry Dog Food, Passionfruit yoghurt, fresh peaches and a sprinkling of diced Schmackos. It was delicious and they both cleaned their bowls up. Well, I don't know that it tasted delicious, but they gobbled it all up, so I reckon it was good.

RoseRed has influenced me with her Plastic Bag Power, and I have fulfilled my wool need by putting it into plastic ziplock bags instead of knitting it. I have done most of my sock wool and some of my Jumper wool and some of the Other. I have quite a lot of 'Other'. I have bought   some more new big clear storage bags so I can divide it up even further. Then I plan to make a wide ranging spreadsheet and make sure I know exactly what I have. Then I might just buy some more!!!

I have some new things too. I am all about the Collage Picture Grid at the moment, so I'll elucidate, left to right, along each row:

1. A doorhanger reminder note pad, that is both Green and has a Dog on it: Bliss
2. New Pernamnet* markers that write on just about everything and there are 2 greens and a tealy colour!! (* I always say it that way deliberately.)
3. Japanese material, mostly green dots but a little section of brown too
4. My new hat, on sale for $11
5. Brown linen and 'Vintage' buttons to make a little bag
6. Fabric that is green and has Labradors to make....
7. A new skirt with this pattern. It was so hard to find a pattern without a waistband, and though I know perfectly well how to draft one, I was too hot to do it myself.
8. My new Knitting Journal. I love it, it has elastic to keep it closed. I must update my projects from about 6 months ago till now...
9. And last, new fabric to make a skirt to replace the faded old Dolphin skirt that is at the bottom on the picture.

I'm thinking of making a little bag out of my skirt so I can keep it as a reminder. I have seen my sock tote pattern out and about a bit. There is a gorgeous Hogwarts tote here, The Purse Project, and even one lined with green here!!! Of course who doesn't have one?? Me, so I think I will have a Dolphin Skirt sock tote!!!

The Madcages gave me such a lovely book for Christmas, it is a Dogs' Cookbook. It has lovely recipe names like Easter Paw-rade and Pupp-eroni Pizza and there's even special food for when your dog is ill, icy poles and even after dinner mints!!!! I reckon there might be a few surprises for Harki and Peri soon!!!

And I forgot to say that cicadas are the sound of the bush, aren't they? This year we are invaded, but it is almost over and the poor, worn-out-from-mating cicadas are being eaten by ants. That, and the smell of the gum trees, sand in your bathers and between your toes and in your sandwiches, the barbie, ice blocks clinking and the screen door slamming: This is Australia!!!

PS I loved my video of Harki and Peri. It was at one stage the 3rd most watched Pets and Animal video on Youtube!!! Thanks for the lovely comments about The Labradors!!

Fruit Parfait

• 180g of good white chocolate
• 500g Greek Yoghurt
• 200-300g of fresh fruit: berries, mango, stone fruit for example.
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup icing sugar, more or less to your taste

Allow the yoghurt to come to room temperature, well not if it is 47*C, but you don't want it refrigerator cold. Melt the white chocolate every so slowly over warm water or in the microwave. In fact it is best to only partially melt it and then stir till it is smooth. Cool on the bench, but it mustn't set again. Meanwhile blend your chosen fruit to a pulp with the icing sugar. Then blend/mix the chocolate, yoghurt and fruit together and freeze overnight and it's done. You need to remove it from the freezer about 15-20 minutes before you want to eat it.

We're on a Road to GlassWhere

There I was, happily ensconced on the couch chatting to MrsDrWho on the phone when I heard the sound of breaking glass. A lot. I peeped out the front window and there were two youths of indeterminate age and gender throwing glass bottles onto the road. Very soon cars were driving over the glass and I could hear it crunch. MrsDrWho encouraged me to ring the police and they arrived quite quickly and after some loud youthful swearing, the bottle throwing ceased and the road is clean today. Well done Police Officers!!!

I'm pretty much giving up on posting Christmas cards before Christmas this year. I had 9 hospital and doctors' appointment last week, including being made momentarily radioactive, and really, I was happy to be able to potter and not fall into a heap!! The Lump has been declared a cold cyst/nodule at the moment, and this is apparently good. I will find out what happens next on Friday.

Harki and Peri are hot but well. There has been much duck diving in the paddle pool and on Monday they went to the park to see Aunties Margaret, Sandra and Suzi (in alphabetical order) They had a little time to run about and they both went into the river, but while Harki managed to remain clean, Peri got all muddy and so did all my clothes!!! There has been barely any knitting. I finished the tea cosy for the Tea Cosy Swap on Ravelry and sent off the parcel without the Tea Cosy. I am dozy!! Luckily my Sendee was The Very Well Connected Celebrity-wise Donni and she kindly found the whole situation funny. Now I am knitting a camel to add to MrsDrWho's Knitted Nativity. I was going to make her a Zebra instead but I am to apathetified to bother. I have sewn: I have made about a bazillion little Zippy bags from sweet wrappers. Such fun, and Harki helped with the picture!! And I have made quite a few drawstring bags too.

I've baked, and Peri helped by stealing the sprinkles from a high shelf in the pantry. Her paws were all pink from the red sprinkles. She didn't eat the silver ones as she doesn't like peppermint very much. She is a terror, but maybe she has the temperament needed to be a TV Chef!!!! Gordon Labradorsey, Labragella or even Peri Oliver!!!!

When The Labradors and I have walked in the bush over the last week or so, there have been thousands of beetley insects, I think they are cicadas, all black and shiny and so noisy you can hardly hear yourself think. The trees are littered with the empty shells of what the cicadas were before they shed their skins. They come and go on a seven year cycle but I don't remember them being so prolific before.

I still have a meme to fulfil. I haven't forgotten. We're looking forward to some rain over the next few days, at last. Everything is very dry.

The Knitting Coven celebrated Christmas and Katt dyed some special wool for me, and I knitted Sharon some Seaweed socks and made her a matching Box Bag of sorts. I think they match very well!! And Sharon was especially pleased there was no purple.

Here's the Spicy Biscuit recipe: it is very yummy and cuts out crisply and is so easy to re-roll and re-cut. Happy baking.

Spicy Biscuits

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Golden Syrup
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups Plain Flour
• 1 tspn Bicarb Soda
• 2 tspn spice: choose mixed spice, cinnamon and ginger(my favourite) or even extra chocolatey cocoa

Preheat the oven to 180*(160*C ff) and prepare trays. Cream the butter, sugar and syrup till lighter in colour and fluffy and then add the egg. Fold in the dry ingredients and then knead till it comes together and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface and then cut out shapes. Bake for 12-15 minutes. They hold their shape very well and ice beautifully. 

And I Guess That's Why They Call It The Booze

Thank you kindly for all the lovely comments and positive thoughts!! I haven't seen the Surgeon yet: funding cuts, don't you know.... but I have seen 2 more different doctors and two nurses that I know as friends, all in passing, and they have all confirmed that 'Yes' it is a cyst and is very unlikely to be anything that I need to worry about. It goes up and down, my cyst: gets bigger and smaller on different days.... but I have indulged in some Retail Therapy as advised!! I bought the last two pretty balls of wool from The Shop I Am No Longer Boycotting As It Has New Owners And I Am Giving Them A Go, and some cellophane bags. It is difficult to get cellophane bags here at a reasonable price. I could have had 3000 for $120 plus postage, but really no-one would live long enough to use them all up, so I bought 300 for about $20. I have no idea whether this is the going rate or not, but I am happy. I also bought a new DVD recorder with an inbuilt tuner/set top box thingy. Oh the joy: it set up all the channels instantly itself, it set the clock too, and when you press the Guide button all the stations and programmes pop up and you select one- set record and then it even names the recording!!!! It cheered me up no end and it was slightly on sale.

The Lovely Meaghan at Yarns Online did a sterling job sourcing some Cascade Eco wool in Kiwi Green so I can knit a Hemlock Ring Blanket. The only colours to choose from here were shades like Oatmeal, Natural, Cream, Off White etc  and I didn't want any of those. Meaghan added my 2 giant skeins to her next order, kept me informed all the way and they arrived last week!! Of course now it is far too hot to knit a blanket, but I am hoping for a cool change.

Six Days Later: This draft has been languishing, unpublished for almost a week, but that's good, because now Elton gets a guernsey!! Last night, along with 14,999 other Apple Islanders, I went to see Elton John. First let's get the boogelliness out of the way: I have only been to one almost concert before, but the crowd was so rude. People talked ALL night through the songs. They did not care and were very rude. I was in the poor Bronze section ($100 a ticket) but the Rich people in the Silver ($200 or more) and Gold ($300 and more) sections were apparently participating on some kind of relay competition because at any one time at least 10% were walking off the ground to the outside of the grand stand, especially if it was a less popular song. Perhaps they indulged a little too much: you could buy as much alcohol as you liked and some people obviously did.

In spite of this, the concert as excellent. I had several moments of thinking "Wow, that's Elton John, right here!!!" and I could actually feel the music. My fingers tingled and you could feel the sound waves emanating from the 112 speakers. I imagine it was like being at a soccer match in the UK, but instead of You'll Never Walk Alone, we were all Crocodile Rockin' and Candle in The Wind-ing. He sang and played for almost 2 1/2 hours and we provided a more than adequete sing-along accompaniment!!! It was wonderful. I could go again right now. I shall be humming Elton songs for the next few weeks...

The Labradors are both well and happy. Peri can usually be found soaking up all the coolness from the Evaporative Cooler whenever it is on. They are both very pleased to have the paddle pool filled and more mud making has ensued. Harki has spent endless hours running up and down the stairs to the treeless backyard to fetch her toy and Peri has been perfecting 'Drop'. This means she goes from a standing position to Drop by simultaneously thrusting out her front legs and whipping up her back legs and then actually dropping to the floor. She is excessively pleased with herself!!!

The Smittens are complete and turned out very nicely too. And I have been to MrsDrWho's classroom to make MIni Christmas Puddings and some 3D biscuits too. I also remembered to take a picture of The Most Excellent And Naff Knitted Nativity I made for her!!! The Mini Christmas Puds are so simple and look very effective. I think you could add some extra fruit or nuts if you liked and even melt white chocolate on top for the icing. But I managed to work with the whole class in less than 90 minutes. We made 100 little puddings for about $10!!! MrdDrWho has been experienceing her First Christmas With A Cat. Cleo has been ever so helpful!!!

Although it is inordinately hot, we have had thunderstorms and rain and it is cool today. I am finishing my Tea Cosy for the Swap and doing a little sewing. I also have been 'Tagged'. I have not completed my Tag but as there doesn't appear to be a time limit, I think I'll do that this week!!!

Mini Christmas Puddings

• One 800g ( 1 1/2 pounds) Dark Christmas Cake - cheap brand, mine was $3
• 1 cup of liquid: orange or apple juice, even tea, coffee or brandy I reckon
• 1- 1/2 cups coconut
• 500g (1 lb) icing sugar mix
• red and green glace cherries to decorate the top

Crumble the cake into a bowl and add about half the liquid and half the coconut. Mix well and then test to see if it squooshes well and rolls into a ball easily. Adjust the liquid and coconut as required. Roll into small golf ball sized balls and refrigerate. I skipped this step and ours worked fine. Mix up the icing sugar with some water or juice to make a medium icing: not too runny but not too stiff. Drizzle over the puddings and it is nice if it drips over the sides. Chop up the cherries and use 1 red and 2 green pieces to make a holly shape on top. That's it!! Your puddings are complete.

Knighty-Knight

While I'm not entirely enamoured of this show, I have to watch it with my hands over my eyes and peep through and sometimes put my fingers in my ears too, the Actual Knight is eminently likeable!!! The Knight(pictured in her own handknitted finery to the left), her family and I had a rendezvous at my favourite cafe last Friday. Kate and her family were so lovely and it was as if we already really knew each other, not just internetally. We are on the same wavelength about many things including cheering when young Mr 7 found his handkerchief!!! There was a beautiful present of a green starry needle roll for me, and we had cups of tea and chatted on for a couple of hours!! The time flew and all too soon off they went to wend their way to TinkingBell's town further along the coast!! **I forgot to say that The Knight and I met AmandaJ and The Spunk in town too. Who would credit it????  Our town is a small place, well our whole island is small!!

Both Harki and I had positive health news yesterday: Harki's ears are almost better and my numbers are up by 6 decimal points. The new doctor was very chuffed and I felt he was awarding me a Gold Star for excellent blood cells!!! I am slightly hypertensive(is that a real word?) so I have some new drugs!! The Getting of Drugs entailed an hour long wait and so yesterday I knitted half a sock. I had cast on and knitted 2 or 3 rows of rib, but my fingers flew whilst waiting and also at MrsDrWho's, where we had delicious tea and watched Stargate!!! Today I am wearing my hair like Vala's. Just because!!! These are The Mauritius Socks, for my friend with an interesting surname!!!

In other knitting news, The Burt Ward socks are complete at last and I love the pooling on the sole. What great zig-zagginess!! These were knitted in Hot Socks by Four Seasons, on 3.25mm, and I cast on 64 stitches. I can post them off to my sister now!!

Harki and Peri are very happy that Spring is here and they are spending a lot of time outside playing. Harki especially likes her squeaky toys, while Peri either steals the toy, or tags along. She likes to follow Harki's lead!!  We have eaten brunch on the verandah of late, but as Daylight Saving starts soon it will be a bit too nippy for a while. On Monday we had Salada, bite-size, with Tzatziki, Roma tomato slices, avocado, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Really yummy. I plan to make my own Tzatziki soon.

Oh and my Bendy Neon arrived. It  is hard to tell the exact colours, but there are hints of its variegation. It is pictured on the lovely green fabric MrsDrWho's mother brought me back from Macau. I plan to make a skirt!!!

Today it is a little cloudy. We have been for a walk and had brunch and now I plan to knit for a while and do some Spring cleaning. I made MrsDrWho some Almond Meringues. I know she will email me a photo to add later because I forgot to take one!!

I should just mention Donni is having a sale and a competition. You can enter and/or buy stuff!! Good stuff!! But remember, buying things is a better risk than any competition as the things you want always arrive!!!!!

Almond Chocolate Meringues

• 4 eggwhites
• 220g caster sugar
• 2 tbspn cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal, but you can use hazelnut meal or coconut
• 1 tspn of vanilla
• 100g dark chocolate
• 50ml of pouring cream

Preheat the oven to 160*C (140* ff) and line two trays with baking paper. Using a metal or glass bowl whip the eggwhites till soft peaks form, and then add the sugar very gradually, beating really well all the time. It could take 10 minutes and the mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your thumb and forefinger.

Add the cocoa, vanilla and almond meal and fold through with a metal spoon. Then pipe or spoon little meringues of about 2 cm in diameter.  Bake them for about 15 minutes or until crisp and then cool.

To sandwich them together: heat the cream in the microwave for about a minute then add the chopped chocolate and wait a minute or so while it melts. Gently stir till smooth. I pair up the cold meringues and then join them together with the ganache. I made about 40 little yummy treats.