Inner nanna

I just had an inner nanna moment. I baked chocolate chip cookies and took some over to our next door neighbours. It felt good and wholesome and very 1950's. I shoulda put on an apron and some hair curlers for the occasion. Now my belly is full, my sore tooth has become a sated sweet tooth, my kitchen smells yummy and my neighbours are chuffed. The sun is out and I am heading to a black diamond PK, where I hope to acquire a lot of very cheap climbing toys and such. Life is good.

Long in the tooth

My tooth is sore - perhaps I am getting a little long in the tooth. Or perhaps I am chewing too much fat or maybe I bit in to a bad apple while distracted by the apple of my eye - or was it the pie in the sky? They say pigs may fly. I wonder if they do so with flying colours? And, do they go as the crow flies? I guess the sky, after all, is the limit, at the end of the day.

Ideas often start as dreams, but cliches often start as poetry.

I digress. I do have a sore tooth. For want of somewhere to start, I thought I'd start with what was most on my mind. Having a sore tooth while on the other side of the world is a little scary, especially when only earning $11 an hour!

I think it is my past coming back to bite me, quite literally. (There we go - another cliche!) If thirteen years ago, I hadn't been jumping on a tramp-a-line after drinking too much cheap wine, with about five other people, I would not have fallen and knocked out my tooth, so therefore I would not have a dodge capped tooth jammed into a nerve right now. But, if I hadn't been jumping on a tramp-a-line I would have been doing something else. They say everything goes in cycles. I feel I am starting the cycle of re-visiting my youth, or is my youth re-visiting me?

corporate love

I got this message on my (rip off) mobile, oops - I mean "cell" - phone:

"Hey! Remember we are gonna take $20.on May 17. Be sure to add cash! Questions? Dial 611. Lots of love, from 611."

Isn't that sweet?

Not just love, but lots of love.

Cell phones here charge for incoming and outgoing calls. They are such a rip off, but at least they give you lots of love.

I asked this man on the bench what he thought of companies selling their love with their services. He was unmoved.

beautiful sandwiches

Lets make sweet, sweet…

sandwiches together.
You and I
two grains of rye
callously cultivated then
plucked from the field
of homogenised mass production.
Pressed, pounded, moulded, and baked
in life’s fan forced oven
only to find ourselves
facing each other blankly
wondering what is in between.

***

Bad poetry aside, this sign made me smile. Some people really are dreamers ;-)

artichoke no joke

You know how certain foods can play a big part in your life at particular points and then for no particular reason you just stop buying, eating and cooking them? Sometimes you stop because you overdose on them and need a break – a rehab. This was the case for me with tofu, soy milk, felafel's and hummus after my vegan era. Good news is that after going cold (mock) turkey for some time, I have since made space in my kitchen for all of these items again, except soy milk. That stuff is gross. Don’t know how I ever convinced myself otherwise.

This is all a big preamble to introduce the latest food item to make a re-appearance in my life: artichoke hearts.

I think I went off them after working in a café where I would eat foccacia’s every day for lunch. This meant that I over-dosed not only on artichoke hearts but also on sundried tomatoes and all grilled marinated veggies. But, artichoke hearts have made it back, and even better, they have given a favourite staple of mine – chickpeas – a new exciting twist! I am going to share the recipe that I created with you. (If I can remember). It is remarkably simple but mighty yummy. You know what? I wanna create a separate recipe page. Yeah… that’d be cool. Mmm… but while I figure out how to do that, I’m just gunna put it in right here and now before I forget it.

It went something like this:

Foodstuffs:
Chick peas (I like to use dried ones and soak then cook them, cause it is cheaper and yummier, mainly). About, ummm, I dunno, 4 cups or so.
A few carrots chopped into large-ish chunkish type things
Garlic – ‘bout 3 cloves
One Onion (but me thinks a leek would be a yummy substitute)
Fresh sage – about 1 tablespoon or so (dried is ok as a substitute, but fresh is best, to use the supermarket motto)
½ a lemon
Yummy stock (I used an onion stock cube – but mushroom would also be good, or vegie or chicken… homemade… whatever)
A bit of water – I dunno how much… not too much to make it a soup but enough to give a little liquid
2 – 3 tomatoes, chopped roughly
As many yummy tinned artichoke hearts as you desire. I used a can
Pepper
Chili flakes and chili powder (not too much mind!)
Little little bit of paprika
Salt to taste

Basically put it all in a pot, (assuming chickpeas are cooked already – oh, and I used the cooking liquid from my chickpeas as the water… just adds a bit more flavour), bring to boil, turn right down to low and stew for atleast 30 mins or more – till carrots are lushisly soft and the flavours have all melded and done their thing.

EAT!!! With Quinoa (that’s what I used) or cous cous, or spaghetti, or millet… or rice. With some garlic bread and a leafy salad. Yuuuuuuuuuuuumm. Sounds boring, I know, but it is actually damn fine.

OH, PS- Forgot to mention - a good hearty tip of sherry or white wine in the pot