Hello, old friend!

Hello, Food, my old friend. How I have missed you! Today we reunited tentatively after a strained relationship for the last few weeks and particularly these last awful days.

I had been dreaming about  you in the wee hours but knowing the time was not right for us to be together again- yet.

This morning the hunger overcame the nausea and triumphed.
My friend, Jane, says you do notice the little things more and it has been all about you today, Food.

The way double cream fluffs up in a bowl when danced into a joyous cloud by my other neglected companion, Kitchenaid. I played with that cream for five minutes or so folding it and swirling it.

Then I realised that pikelets can be truly sensual. Lairy thinks I need to get out more but have you noticed how the bubbles form so daintily in the batter and, when its a good aerated batter that has been given time to rise, they make that fat generous plop as you flip them on their backs and they puff up. Delightful!!!


                                                                                                                                                         Petals of pikeletty rounds waited to fulfil their destiny, the buffer between me and the hungry after school horde.

Then came the time for my first meal  back in your world, Food. I had been thinking about it since Sunday when I made it for the Big Fella's Father's Day breakfast.

It was also the day we broke up, Food, and I could not bear to see you till yesterday when our mutual friend, Stomach, acted as mediator and got us on speaking terms again.

So we meet again via caramelised bananas with strawberries and bacon on a puffy pikelet with a drizzle of maple syrup. I promise I will never leave you for Keeno again. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Speaking of beautiful friendships...this mysterious and fabulous thing has been waiting to be opened until I was out of the chemo cave! It is a most special and gorgeous object and many of you are involved. I will tell you about it very soon when I have recovered enough to give it the attention it so deserves. Amazing!!!

24 hours

Thursday night:This week B1 and B2 attended a four day music camp where they met lots of great kids, learnt some amazing music and got to play in an orchestra. It involved 50 cent cones on the way home, getting to bed at 10pm on a school night and a sluggish start to Friday.

Friday: NOBODY gets to stay home on the last day of school. Not even if you have broken your arm. You need to go and get it signed- don't you! On the way back from drop off, the Divine Miss M and I chat to the lovely ladies down the road while they walk their horses, Benji and Wes. Horses wondering around the streets have always been one of my favourite reasons for living in this neck of the woods.

We arrive home to find the lairy godmother from over the road waiting with truss tomatoes and Castello cheese. She makes yummy salmon crackers and mugs of Lady Grey tea. How reviving. How civilised.

After she leaves we visit Nanna and Grandad and then pop in on Ron and Brian's boutique de bric-a-brac.

Not a lot of booty today but Miss M's cutlery bribe is too good for the sandpit and is snaffled for the kitchen. We also got some Ikea toddler cutlery, a pretty vintage pink flowery sheet and and inflatable roll about ball thing. I love these cup scoops for the flour and sugar canisters. The spatula is something I've been after for a long time. Remember how nannas always had a row of these utensils hanging in the kitchen, often with a Spanish influence?

These spatulas are the BEST things for pikelets. I must make some immediately to try it and have a childhood flashback...

...all ready to fend of the trampling, exhausted, chlorinated childerbeast as they stampede the kitchen.

You could lose a hand in there if you weren't careful! Did I mention that somebody fell off their modded bike on Thursday. The big fella had a big night waiting with the little fella for 4 hours at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Dad's home so it is time for chook wrangling. Venus and Serena have been next door sulking all day. Wings must be clipped, I'm afraid.

This is my champion chook wrangler. He has executed three search and rescues today.
Mortified!

"I feel naked, Serena. Carole would never have treated us in this appalling fashion."

"Don't dwell on it, Venus. As soon as they grow back we will soar like magpies again."

"Not really, Serena."

"I can dream, Venus!"

Mother is released into the wild for dinner with women folk. The characteristic plumage of the released mother often involves wearing Anna Bartlett clothes and accessories.

"My come too?"

"Not on your adorable nelly, kid!"