Tuesday Feast Night

Ample sufficiency does not cover dinner tonight. We have agreed the dinner has got totally out of hand LOL - we may cut down to two courses (but can't see that happening) next time - which will not be next week as the workmate's family have a function to attend. We are furiously working out how to tape the FINAL of 'Australia you have Talent', so as not to miss out on seeing the winner plus 'All Saints' etc. Anyway, I know some of you (my family LOL) will be waiting to see what the menu was for tonight. The WMH (workmate's husband for future ref) did a starter - bruchetta with tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil and the olive oil I gave him for his birthday on sour dough bread wiped with garlic. It was very nice and a light start to the gargantuan spread the Italian's turned up with. It was carb overload and pure heaven with cannelloni; fresh, homemade pasta with a homemade carbonara sauce; and risotto with fresh spinach leaves added last (that wilted with the heat of the risotto), plus garlic bread. The cannelloni was stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese. I cannot begin to describe how different real, homecooked pasta tastes compared to bought stuff, nor how good homemade risotto tastes - this one was cooked in (homemade) chicken stock with spinach and peas in it. Delicimo, all of it.

We had half time while Home and Away was on - I know - I avoided it like the plague the whole time I was at the school we shall not speak of, and now find myself watching it several times a week and whilst I do not know the names of all the characters, I am up to date with several of the story lines - oh well, when in Rome and all that. Back to the dessert!!!! I thought I would start cooking it last night when I got home but alas, on reading the recipe and checking my cupboards, I was sultana and raisinless, a packet of prunes short and I had left the bottle of gingerale up at school. Managed to borrow some sultanas from the workmate today, gathered the gingerale, substituted the missing prunes and raisins with a packet of dried figs and away I went. ( There was also some Greenstones ginger wine to add - how did that happen you ask?? Well, I did allude to my poor memory yesterday.... Quite by chance, whilst I was blowdrying my hair in the bedroom yesterday afternoon before work, I happened to glance down into the wardrobe, where lo and behold, there was my stash of wine, plus the Greenstones I had bought last term!!!!!!! Had a bit of a Eureka moment which was somewhat wasted with no one to share the irony with, but there you go). By the time dessert was served, the liquid had rendered down to a syrupy concoction with the fruit and barley plump, ready to be devoured. We had no ice cream, so whipped cream had to suffice and the result was a roaring success. As I had more or less made a double batch, there was enough for carepackages to be taken away and left behind LOL.

Photographic proof as per Kay's request! (Thank you for the recipe - I did give you and Zelda the credit)

To more mundane stuff, we have had MORE rain - all good except the temps are now in the 20's during the day (had the heater on today) and it has taken a day for the washing to dry!!!!!!! There was a heavy fog this morning which I missed (asleep LOL) and dark rain clouds over head a good part of the day. Dry clothes was the least of my worries today because "ta da" the corporates raised their ugly heads again just to spite me. I have been trying to transfer money from OZ to NZ and at this stage, it would be easier getting an audience with the Pope! I have checked my bank cards and statements, looked up the white pages and the only sodding number I can find is the 0800 number for the call center (National Bank I am talking about!). Of course, the 0800 number will not accept International calls. Why do I need to contact them - well, after getting passwords and secret handshakes (I am kidding about the last bit, but it feels as bad as that) from the Commonwealth Bank of Aust. - and getting cleared to transfer my own money!!! I have to have some IBN number from the NZ Bank to get the transaction started...... yes, well that took two hours on the computer and the phone up at school today. By then it was after 5pm NZ so gave up and will try emailing the bank instead tomorrow. Was at the brick throwing at the screen stage so decided to walk away.

Am on the Gton vegie run tomorrow. Will be on my own as Br M in Perth again though I do have to bring someone back from the bus late afternoon. Am picking up a new vacuum cleaner and dryer for the girls to use which will make life much easier for us all. I also have to pick up stuff for Open Day on Sunday so hope I do not get lost.

I understand petrol is now up to $2.09 per litre in NZ. It has gone up to $1.63 here and everyone is shocked by how dear it is. I think diesel is about $1.89 - and like everywhere else, it is said
to climb again yet. What shocks me at the moment is the price of lemons - $5.95 per kilo - it is very hard to buy them when I am used to picking them off the tree, or getting a bag from friends' trees. Other trivia on the news here tonight - some bloke has married a woman 50yrs older than himself - she is in her 90's! Both madly in love ......... and met on a bus. Hmmmm.

On that note, I will sign off and get some shut eye.