Sunday, November 27, 2011

Introducing....

... The newest residents of the Castle!!!



Ta-da!!!




Minchin


 
Bukkit



Yup, we went to get one cat and came home with two!

Nutter is NOT impressed.  Sausage is also not really happy about it, but she at least seems curious about them.  Nutter is hissing and growling and sulking.  She did the same thing when Sausage moved in, so I'm sure she'll get over it.  I'm doing my best to ignore the bad behaviour and praise the good. 

Minchin is a boy and so far has been a bit reserved, but he purrs a lot and is quite smoochy.

Bukkit is a beautiful girl and is a bit crazy.  She also has quite a purr on her and likes to snuggle up with Chyken. 

They are both about 8 weeks old and came from Ingrid's Haven.  If you're near Melbourne and in the market for a cat you should go see her.

It has been very hard to get photos of them as they don't sit still for a second, always off exploring and climbing up things.  Including people.  I already have scratches all over my arms and hands.  Please excuse the grotty state of my floors.  You just scrolled up to check them out, didn't you?  Gah!


How many cats makes a crazy cat lady?  Please tell me it is more than four....

Friday, November 25, 2011

Things I Know - Volume Ten

I know I'm linking up with Shae from Yay for Home! again.

I know I've had another week of night shift.

I know that sleeping in the daytime is goooooood.

I know that Christmas is looming ever closer.

I know that my plan to ignore it seems to be working so far.

I know I'm going to have to face it eventually.

I know I don't want to.

I know that two years has gone by so quickly and yet, so slowly at the same time.

I know today is Turducken Day for all my American friends.  I hope they are celebrating!

I know Americans should stop putting pumpkin in pies, it's a VEGETABLE, people, it belongs next to the potatoes and the Turducken.

I know I really want a turducken.

I know I have some exciting news!

I know Chyken and I have decided that two cats in the castle is not enough...

I know tomorrow is Caturday and we are going to Ingrid's Haven to get a new kitten!

I don't know which one exactly, but I know it will be a ginger one.  I love ranga cats and I'm not ashamed to show it!


I know the photo above is part of the current kitten collection at the haven.

I know I stole that photo from the website and I'm sorry about the quality.

I know they are so CUTE!

I know it will be hard to just choose one.  Perhaps we won't?

I know there will be photos of the new arrival on Twitter and Facebook, probably from the car on the way home.  Are you following so you can see them?

I know the current Castle cats, Nutter and Sausage, will probably not be impressed.

I know they will get over it.

I know that right now, on my 'lunch' break at 3am, bedtime at 730am seems a verrryyyyyy long way away.

What do you know?


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

How To - Chicken Pesto Pizza

Here is a photo of the best pizza in the world:


Do you want to know how to make the best pizza in the world?  Never fear! I am here to help!



First off, pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will go.  (Or about 250 degrees.  Whichever is hotter.)

You will need the following...

Pita bread.  I use wholemeal, but any sort is fine.  In fact, any sort of pizza base would work, but I find this is the nommiest.

* The breast meat of a roast chicken.  One breast per pizza.  (You can also just buy chicken breasts and poach them, but I think the flavour is better if it comes from a roast chook.)  Chop up the chicken into rough 1cm squares.  You can use thighs if you like, but I don't like meat that originated too close to the bone.  I'm odd like that.

* Feta cheese.  One of the chunks you can get in the deli at the supermarket.  I use low fat, but any sort will do.  Cut it into 1cm-ish squares as well.

* Baby spinach.  A big handful per pizza.

* Pesto.  I use a basil based one.  I usually use one from Costo that is about $10 for a kilogram tub, but we'd run out, so I just got this one.  It worked fine.

Grated tasty cheese.  I use the pre grated stuff cos I'm lazy.


Spread a few tablespoons of pesto on your pita bread.


Put a small amount of cheese on.  Cheese before toppings on any pizza will change your life.


Pile a heap of baby spinach on.  Don't worry if it seems too high, the other things we put on will make it calm down.

Dot your feta all over the spinach.  Sometimes I hide it a bit under the spinach too.


Then park that chicken on the top.  ALL over.  More is more.  In my opinion, the problem with proper pizza shops is they don't put enough topping on. 


Then, more cheese.  About a handful.  Spread it all over.


Bung it in the oven and turn it down to about 200 degrees.  Check the pizza after 15 minutes.  It should be done, but if you like it a little bit browner leave it in for longer.  Keep an eye on it though, cos it will burn pretty easily.


I meant to take a photo once I sliced it up, but I was too busy eating it.  Sorry.

This pizza is amazing.  I promise you will love it.  It's also pretty good cold for the lunch the next day.

Why don't you make some today?

Friday, November 18, 2011

Things I Know - Volume Nine

I know I'm linking up again with Shae at Yay for home!

I'm know also flogging with Glowless from Where's My Glow?

I know someone bestowed my first ever blog award upon me this week.

I know I will write more about that soon.

I know that this week has been pretty good.  Certainly a lot better than the last few weeks.

I know I am very glad about that and I hope it continues.

I know we have a very lazy weekend planned.

I know I'm looking forward to it.

I know I took a tonne of photos when I made 'The Best Pizza In The World' a few days ago.

I know there might be a tutorial coming your way soon.

I know that you should go and read this article.  It could have been written by me.  (It wasn't, but it could have been)

I know you should go to Liz's blog and while you are there make sure you vote for her in the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards.

I know we have some very cool things going on in the Castle grounds at the moment, not the least of those is this rose bush which was a housewarming present.



I know I spent several months feeling convinced this rose bush was going to die.

I know I am very glad I was wrong.

I know there are also sunflowers growing almost before our very eyes.  I hope I remember to take a photo of them on the weekend.

I know a pay increase with back pay is wonderful.

I know the tax on back pay is bullshit.

I know we are going to put the back pay to good use on a road trip to NSW just after Christmas.

I know that just when I think people are starting to understand where I'm coming from, they do something that makes me realise they actually have no idea at all.

I know I am over Christmas and it hasn't even started.

I know I do not understand the need for Christmas themed nappies. 

I know there is a baby about to be born to some of my best friends.  I hope everything goes smoothly for them.  I'm waiting by my phone for the news! Please don't buy any Christmas nappies!!!


FYBF



What do you know?

Friday, November 11, 2011

Things I Know - Volume Eight

Things I Know about John Farnham concerts.


1. I have been to a concert in almost all the tours he had done since 1988.  You might call that 'obsessed', I call it 'committed'.


2. I know that if you join the fan club, you get great seats.


3. Chandeliers are appropriate for any occasion.


4. When Mr Farnham walks on to the stage, everyone WILL stand up.


5. The man may be 60, but he still has it.  He had the entire Palais Theatre capacity crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

6. He will make the same lame, terrible jokes every time, but he will pretend they are new and everyone will laugh at them anyway.


7. The first half, which was an 'acoustic' set, was fantastic, even if it did include a banjo.


8.  The first half had NOTHING on the second. 


9. He played the entire Whispering Jack album in the second set.  In order.  And told us anecdotes about the songs. 

10. The more bagpipers there are, the better the John Farnham concert.



11. I know he has NOT retired, and I for one am VERY glad about that.



I'm linking up with Shae from Yay for Home! for Things I Know again this week.  Click the button and see what other people know!




What do you know?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Christmas



It's almost that time again.  Christmas. 

Christmas had always meant 'family' to me.  It was a time to be spent with family, where presents were given and received.  By family.  When my Pop was alive, he ALWAYS arrived with Red Tulip after dinner mints (the thin square ones in the paper sleeve) for everyone and Tweed perfume for Mum.  She didn't like Tweed perfume, but she never told him that and he continued to buy it.  He would also have a packet or two of Mackintosh's Toffee De Luxe.


The Egg & Cream ones were my favourite.  I used to leave the Coconut ones for Dad because coconut is foul and gets stuck in your teeth and to the roof of your mouth.  Let's not talk about how I left the almond part of sorched almonds for him. 

Christmas day involved lunch with everyone around the family dining table, eating too much home grown roast lamb and the best pavlova in the world made by my Mum.  After lunch we all had a nap and then had leftovers for tea. 

Later on, when my siblings got married and had families of their own, it was traditional for us to spend Christmas Day at home, or with the in-laws, then we would all get together on Boxing Day.  It was an unwritten law.

That changed two years ago. 

Well, actually, four years ago was the last time we were all together on Boxing Day.  Three years ago Chyken and I spent Christmas in England.  We spent Christmas Eve in York and Christmas Day having lunch with his extended family, including his Grandma.  Despite me holding out hope until 11:50pm, it didn't snow, however I did see my first and only squirrel that day.  We spent Boxing Day in front of a fire in a 300 year old barn that had been converted in to a house.  Different, but still involving family, and we had celebrated Christmas with our Australian families earlier in December.

Two years ago we had our usual Boxing Day thing, but my Dad wasn't there, he was in hospital.  The rest of us had lunch and made plans to do it all again when Dad came out of hospital. 

Dad didn't come out of hospital. 

We never had a 'proper' Christmas that year. 

I doubt we will again.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Things I Know - Volume Eight

I know I'm linking up again with Shae from Yay for Home! again.

I know I'm also gonna Flog My Blog with Glowless this week, you should too, the button is at the bottom of this post.

I know I am going to see Mr Farnham in concert next week and I am SUPER excited about it.


See anyone you know in this picture?

I know that a week of night shift does not make for a very good blogging effort this week.

I know that a week of night shift means I don't really know what day it is anymore. 

I know that I have enjoyed doing night shift, it has been a lovely change of scenery and duties in my job.

I know the transition from night to day shift next week is going to suck.

I know we have sunflowers growing in the garden. 

I know that I haven't been home or awake during daylight hours in order to take any photos of them.

I know that this is a picture of last year's lone surviving sunflower instead.  Yes it's the same as the one in the header, get over it.




I know the sunflowers we have growing this year ALL came from this one flower.  Imagine how many there will be next year!!!

I know I still haven't seen my sister in a really long time.

I know I am going to try really extra specially hard to fix that this weekend.

I know we are celebrating the impending arrival of a special little baby this weekend with some of my most favourite ladies.

I know Turkish Delight Tim Tams are delicious!

I know I have the most patient, wonderful and amazing husband in the whole world.

I know I am ever so glad that a certain person fucktard who is bitchy and vile and created ill-feeling wherever she went is no longer in my life.

I know that I am glad Apple came to the party and gave me a new iPhone last weekend with a minimum of fuss.

I know Love Never Dies was even better the second time around.

I know Historic LOLs NEVER fails to make me laugh.

I know it is 1:47 am and my 'lunch' break is over.

I know 32 is far too young to die.  Especially if you are leaving behind a son who is only a few months old.

I STILL know cancer is bullshit.




What do YOU know?





FYBF



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