Tuesday, 12 March 2013
I would just like you all to know
that Penny left her car in a 15 MINUTE ZONE for THREE DAYS and when I dropped her back at her car last night after craft camp, SHE DID NOT HAVE A TICKET. This is her superpower.
PS. Fabulous craft camp ladeez, and thank you for spoiling me with birthday treats. I love youse all.
suse
x
Monday, 10 September 2012
December camp possibility - who's in?!
First, i thought i'd put this here for those who had already left camp by the time this conversation came up, and of course for those of you who weren't there this time. Secondly, i didn't get a chance today to access my full gmail account and am now sitting outside Sam's violin teacher's house while he has a lesson, again with only the iPad and thus not my full gmail ... but will send an email to the full list when i get a chance. In the meantime ...
Who is free and able to come away for craft camp on: Friday 7 to Sunday 9 December?
There's a new crafty retreat venue opened in Woodend (an hour outside Melbourne, for the interstate campers, and with a train station for easy access) called The Retreat. You can have a look here. It's pretty well booked up but there is that one opening in December. Looks pretty good and we thought we ought to check it out, purely for research porpoises you understand. Jenny is pooling her group with ours to see if we can get enough people for a booking between us (understanding that December might be tricky for some), so let me know ASAP (suseinthesoup@gmail.com) if you think you could come.
Bonus, it's available from 9am on the Friday to 4pm on the Sunday.
In other news i promised i'd put this here for Gill.
Verona, for the spectacular Roman ruins including the amphitheatre, and various buildings about town that have Roman foundations in their basements and cellars, Juliet's balcony (yes i know it's fake but hey Romeo and Juliet weren't exactly real themselves, being characters in a play and so on) and a youth hostel with frescoes, and a pretty lovely cathedral from memory. The amphitheatre is still used today for open air opera and theatre productions.
Siena because it's just stunning and the entire city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site, and of course the incredibly beautiful main square which isn't square but shell shaped and on a slant and a world famous insane bareback horserace (the Palio)is held annually in it. Plus it's a university town so is lively and bustling. Plus the Duomo (cathedral) is better than the more famous Florentine one in my humble opinion. Sounds like Kate can fill you in more with Siena (and Florence).
Cortona because it's like something out of this world. Tiny hilltop medieval fortressed village. I was there in 1986 and it was gorgeous. Later on my brother lived there for 6 months, with a dance company, bizarrely. Later again it was made famous by a wealthy American woman who renovated a crumbling farmhouse and cooked a lot and turned it all into a book and film. Bleh. You still should go, though.
Who is free and able to come away for craft camp on: Friday 7 to Sunday 9 December?
There's a new crafty retreat venue opened in Woodend (an hour outside Melbourne, for the interstate campers, and with a train station for easy access) called The Retreat. You can have a look here. It's pretty well booked up but there is that one opening in December. Looks pretty good and we thought we ought to check it out, purely for research porpoises you understand. Jenny is pooling her group with ours to see if we can get enough people for a booking between us (understanding that December might be tricky for some), so let me know ASAP (suseinthesoup@gmail.com) if you think you could come.
Bonus, it's available from 9am on the Friday to 4pm on the Sunday.
In other news i promised i'd put this here for Gill.
Verona, for the spectacular Roman ruins including the amphitheatre, and various buildings about town that have Roman foundations in their basements and cellars, Juliet's balcony (yes i know it's fake but hey Romeo and Juliet weren't exactly real themselves, being characters in a play and so on) and a youth hostel with frescoes, and a pretty lovely cathedral from memory. The amphitheatre is still used today for open air opera and theatre productions.
Siena because it's just stunning and the entire city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site, and of course the incredibly beautiful main square which isn't square but shell shaped and on a slant and a world famous insane bareback horserace (the Palio)is held annually in it. Plus it's a university town so is lively and bustling. Plus the Duomo (cathedral) is better than the more famous Florentine one in my humble opinion. Sounds like Kate can fill you in more with Siena (and Florence).
Cortona because it's like something out of this world. Tiny hilltop medieval fortressed village. I was there in 1986 and it was gorgeous. Later on my brother lived there for 6 months, with a dance company, bizarrely. Later again it was made famous by a wealthy American woman who renovated a crumbling farmhouse and cooked a lot and turned it all into a book and film. Bleh. You still should go, though.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
So I thought I might put it here, seeing as not comfortable putting it on my blog or facebook, that after Fixit complained yesterday about my asking him to do the dishes despite the fact that he hadn't eaten any meals associated with those dishes on that day (he's on evening shift this week), I ended up having a discussion today about fair and equitable division of household duties.
Well, this is after I did the dishes last night because I'd been made to feel guilty about leaving them for him, plus I cleaned up the kitchen/family room including sweeping and mopping the floor because it had become far dirtier in my absence than would normally happen, particularly considering the Cleaning Lady had been through the day before Crarf Camp and the house had been spotless before I left. And heaps of laundry stuff too.... And after I'd been grumpy all morning while I got everything ready for the day ahead, kids' breakfasts, kids' lunches, getting the boys to gather all their soccer stuff together because tonight is the night I teach an after-school class, then take the kids to soccer-training and then teach an evening class, and all the time my mind is ticking over trying to work out how to manage dinner at the tap hall and whether its okay to bring the kids to tap class tonight because I have no babysitter this week because she's doing VCE stuff. And Fixit kept asking why was I grumpy?
And in the back of my mind came recall of those conversations at Crarf Camp. And that helped me to see that all the extra stress I've felt since the evening shift roster started could be alleviated by more help and exacerbated by less help. And that whining about dishes came under the heading of less help, and I said my piece.
He actually listened fairly well. He did mention 3 years of study while having to mind the kids on his own for 3 out of the 7 nights, but I defended that with pointing out that he was never required to do any extra in that time, that he had all his meals cooked and washing done etc, food in the cupbarods, clean clothes, clean house, kids' homework and schoolwork supervised, and that as one of the adults in the family, he couldn't expect to not do any domestic work, study or no.
He's gone off to mow the lawn now, to think it though maybe?
But I wanted to say thank you to you all: I feel helped for having had these conversations with you lovely women at Sewjourn, and it really helped clarify stuff for me. Especially Janet, who made some good clear comments about reasonable expectations. We shall see where it goes from here. xx
Well, this is after I did the dishes last night because I'd been made to feel guilty about leaving them for him, plus I cleaned up the kitchen/family room including sweeping and mopping the floor because it had become far dirtier in my absence than would normally happen, particularly considering the Cleaning Lady had been through the day before Crarf Camp and the house had been spotless before I left. And heaps of laundry stuff too.... And after I'd been grumpy all morning while I got everything ready for the day ahead, kids' breakfasts, kids' lunches, getting the boys to gather all their soccer stuff together because tonight is the night I teach an after-school class, then take the kids to soccer-training and then teach an evening class, and all the time my mind is ticking over trying to work out how to manage dinner at the tap hall and whether its okay to bring the kids to tap class tonight because I have no babysitter this week because she's doing VCE stuff. And Fixit kept asking why was I grumpy?
And in the back of my mind came recall of those conversations at Crarf Camp. And that helped me to see that all the extra stress I've felt since the evening shift roster started could be alleviated by more help and exacerbated by less help. And that whining about dishes came under the heading of less help, and I said my piece.
He actually listened fairly well. He did mention 3 years of study while having to mind the kids on his own for 3 out of the 7 nights, but I defended that with pointing out that he was never required to do any extra in that time, that he had all his meals cooked and washing done etc, food in the cupbarods, clean clothes, clean house, kids' homework and schoolwork supervised, and that as one of the adults in the family, he couldn't expect to not do any domestic work, study or no.
He's gone off to mow the lawn now, to think it though maybe?
But I wanted to say thank you to you all: I feel helped for having had these conversations with you lovely women at Sewjourn, and it really helped clarify stuff for me. Especially Janet, who made some good clear comments about reasonable expectations. We shall see where it goes from here. xx
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Stuffed Shells Recipe
Stuffed Shells Recipe (from a blog I can't remember the name of, it was via other blogs).
Large pasta shells 500g
Zest of a medium lemon
Preheat the oven 350F/180C.
Sauce:
several spoons of olive oil
several pinches of salt
a bit of chilli
a whole bulb of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
840g tomato passata, or thereabouts - this is translation from ounces to grams and the original recipe used tins of crushed tomatoes.
Filling:
450g ricotta (I used maybe 200g more)
1 egg, beaten
a pinch of salt
150g mozzarella (I used 100g more), grated
As much chopped parsley as you want.
Chopped spinach like Jenny did was good too.
Finely sliced basil, to scatter on top for serving.
Boil a big pot of water. Cook shells until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Don't let the shells over cook or they'll tear when you go to fill them.
You need a large baking dish. Sprinkle half the lemon zest across the the dish.
To make the sauce:
Heat oil gently in a pan, add garlic, chilli and salt. Stir the garlic around so it caramelises. Don't let it burn. Stir in the tomatoes. Taste for salt and simmer.
The filling:
combine ricotta, egg, salt, grated mozzarella, rest of the lemon zest and parsley or spinach. Mix well, set aside.
Spread about a third of the sauce across the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mix and arrange in a layer across the dish. Spoon some more sauce over the filled shells and start another layer of filled shells...and so on.
Cover the dish with foil and put in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, then with foil removed for 15 minutes (35 minutes all up, judge this for yourself).
Serve with green veg., or a green salad, and some bread.
Craft Camp Salad Dressing:
1.5 tbsp sherry vinegar (approx)
2.5 tbsp walnut oil (approx)
salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake. Pour over green leaves, finely sliced red onion and toasted walnuts and toss. Done. Yum.
Craft Camp Love.
Large pasta shells 500g
Zest of a medium lemon
Preheat the oven 350F/180C.
Sauce:
several spoons of olive oil
several pinches of salt
a bit of chilli
a whole bulb of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
840g tomato passata, or thereabouts - this is translation from ounces to grams and the original recipe used tins of crushed tomatoes.
Filling:
450g ricotta (I used maybe 200g more)
1 egg, beaten
a pinch of salt
150g mozzarella (I used 100g more), grated
As much chopped parsley as you want.
Chopped spinach like Jenny did was good too.
Finely sliced basil, to scatter on top for serving.
Boil a big pot of water. Cook shells until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Don't let the shells over cook or they'll tear when you go to fill them.
You need a large baking dish. Sprinkle half the lemon zest across the the dish.
To make the sauce:
Heat oil gently in a pan, add garlic, chilli and salt. Stir the garlic around so it caramelises. Don't let it burn. Stir in the tomatoes. Taste for salt and simmer.
The filling:
combine ricotta, egg, salt, grated mozzarella, rest of the lemon zest and parsley or spinach. Mix well, set aside.
Spread about a third of the sauce across the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mix and arrange in a layer across the dish. Spoon some more sauce over the filled shells and start another layer of filled shells...and so on.
Cover the dish with foil and put in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, then with foil removed for 15 minutes (35 minutes all up, judge this for yourself).
Serve with green veg., or a green salad, and some bread.
Craft Camp Salad Dressing:
1.5 tbsp sherry vinegar (approx)
2.5 tbsp walnut oil (approx)
salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake. Pour over green leaves, finely sliced red onion and toasted walnuts and toss. Done. Yum.
Craft Camp Love.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Jane Austen links from March 2012 craft camp
Hello everyone, this is a post partly for Kate who asked me to email her the link to my favourite BBC Sense and Sensibility adaptation. It's the one below, featuring the delectable Hattie Morahan as Eleanor (walks all over Emma Thompson I reckon) and the divine Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame, as Edward. The production is lovely, and the cottage they go to live in when they leave the Great House is quite gorgeous.
Link to the show on the BBC website here. I got it on dvd from my library, but all the episodes are also on youtube I believe.
And for Caroline, the latest Emma adaptation, again a BBC one I think. It's a four part series, and I watched it all on youtube. Romola Garai (who played the blonde sister in Atonement) is wonderful as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller is fab as Mr Knightley. It's a very relaxed and humorous adaptation; the best I've seen. Michael Gambon plays the very fragile OCD father.
Here, watch this. It's the proposal scene where he thinks she's been in love with Frank Churchill and she thinks he's besotted by Jane Fairfax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK_bxcJFQbE
Finally, a little treat for all my fellow Austen lovers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1azbf19VR4
Link to the show on the BBC website here. I got it on dvd from my library, but all the episodes are also on youtube I believe.
And for Caroline, the latest Emma adaptation, again a BBC one I think. It's a four part series, and I watched it all on youtube. Romola Garai (who played the blonde sister in Atonement) is wonderful as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller is fab as Mr Knightley. It's a very relaxed and humorous adaptation; the best I've seen. Michael Gambon plays the very fragile OCD father.
Here, watch this. It's the proposal scene where he thinks she's been in love with Frank Churchill and she thinks he's besotted by Jane Fairfax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK_bxcJFQbE
Finally, a little treat for all my fellow Austen lovers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1azbf19VR4
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School open day and fair
Our school fete, this Saturday. It's huge.
The VCE music students are performing their solos in the Eurythmy Room at 1pm. Sam will be performing one or possibly two movements of 'Spring' from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I've been rostered on for rubbish duty from 1 to 2pm. Sigh. Have to find someone to swap my shift with.
I think Tania's coming. Anyone else interested?
S
x
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Jenny forgot to post this so I did it for her Cx
Thanks caroline for the link, http://www.lilblueboo.com/tag/tie. Spent a lovely day sewing ties...
a new crop of vests made by Justine, a fellow hoarder of too many jumpers
and some fingerless gloves made by the lovely Klarissa
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