The Domestic Goddess 365 - 025

Remember that one? Nigella? Well, I had a domestic goddess moment last weekend. Not only did I cook a nice Sunday roast, not so unusual in itself but I used up all the left overs and made chicken soup
out of the chicken carcass. I even used the pumpkin and made another batch of soup from those left overs. On Monday morning I even used up the mango that came in the organic fruit & veggie box. I haven to confess I often don't use it because of that stone in the middle. How bad is that? We all like mangoes but I sure wish it came in a more convenient form like a banana. Which reminds me there weren't any in this week's box? No cabbage either, yay, that gives me a chance on using up the one that I still have in the fridge. But there was a nice big broccoli which surprisingly is the one vegetable every one in the family will eat. Even Little Monkey who at times eats nothing but pasta with butter and cheese will happily munch some broccoli trees. That and cucumber always gets eaten. As for Nigella, well I'm not too fond of her story book like recipes, I prefer this one by Jamie Oliver. Allegedly you can cook a two course meal in 30 minutes. Personally I haven't managed this because I can't chop anything as fast as a chef and I also can't leave all the pots waiting to be cleaned at the end. I have to rinse them at least a little. Oh and I can't mix the salad or the dough with my hands, yuk. Still, it's food the way we like it so I can't complain really.

edited to add:
That Mrs Wookie is a clever one. If you have a problem ask her, she knows everything. Really. I will fill up the sink next time, what a simple idea. Brilliant.
Also I need to say the 30 Minutes meal cook book is really good, I recommend it. The flaws are totally on my side. Did you know he brings his daughter to school sometimes? Not at my school but I've heard. And that's the only gossip I can tell.

365 - 024 Quirks

While driving to the petrol station this morning I thought it's rather peculiar to drive all that way past several other petrol stations while keeping a close eye on the petrol gauge to that particular one. It's not because it is the closest (it isn't), or the cheapest (are there any cheap ones?) or because the attendant is always so friendly. He should really, I always rock up with a close to empty tank and well it's a big tank a very big tank actually but that's not it. No, it's because once, a long time ago I came across a filling station that ran dry while I used it, it sort of spluttered really horribly and then just stopped after only a few litres. And maybe it's because some are really hard to hold so the diesel runs in terribly slow. And the one I always drive to, it's really easy to use and well, I don't want to risk driving to another one and then stand there for hours while trying to fill nearly 100 litres of diesel into the tank. Slightly paranoid rather than quirky coming to think about it. Ah, well, any quirky habits you have?

"To be" is not fo me

Little Monkey has finally understood the advantages of speech. In fact he talks without stopping, he hardly takes a breath! But while I said recently he isn't too keen on verbs that's not exactly true, he likes verbs he just doesn't like "to be". Maybe he likes to be efficient? Only one verb per sentence? It's all I 'appy!, I running!, I jumping!, I sleeping! He can't pronounce the "h" at the beginning of words so he sounds rather French. He has, however, stopped calling me Maman but he still likes animaux.

The daily photo
is Big Monkey's marble run she got for Christmas. By coicidence the photo includes a ball, well a marble which is today's I spy challenge on Mommytography. But I won't use this as I have a whole drawer for balls of all shapes and sizes that I started just last Friday when I tried to organize the Monkey's playroom. It's another attempt to restore organization, which doesn't stand a chance really. Little Monkey just can't bear having his train track out of sight and Big Monkey's Schleich horses need space to roam so my need for tidiness is doomed. Sometimes only shutting the door helps...

365 - 022 New Year's Resolution

I know it's a bit late but better late than never, right? I wonder whether posting it online will make it easier to keep? I was going to post a photo of my resolution this year today but then Kylie asked about the bath tub in my bedroom. I really don't want to think about the tub but maybe posting about it will help it to get to where it is belong?

When we renovated the bathroom we decided it should be the one for the kids to use and the old fashioned roll top tub didn't fit into the contemporary design we chose for it. However, we didn't want to throw out bath tub just to buy a new one once we get round to re-decorate the en-suite bathroom. So we put the tub into our bedroom, it was only meant for a few weeks. But, but... it's still there over a year later. It has become filled with stuff we can't be bothered to find a home for. Left over fleece, old socks to be turned into monsters, Christmas crackers...


It has really pretty legs, no? But seriously out of place. I wonder whether I can shame us into getting the work in the en-suite started. In February is the new prognosis, I'll keep you updated.

365 - 021 "Toddler hide & seek"

ahh, today I found something better than laundry to photograph. Little Monkey hid in the cupboard and amidst lots of giggles he told me, "I in cu'bard". Hey, who needs verbs?
Anyhow, being in the cupboard reminded him to suggest we'd play hide & seek. He counted and I hid. My first attempt under the blanket in my bed was discovered way too early for my liking. Mainly I had to giggle about him asking me where I was hiding. I wasn't sure about the rules really. The moment he stopped counting and screamed, "'eady or no, I co'ing" he also started screaming "mummy, 'ere a' you". Now, do I say something then? And what do I do if he doesn't find me? Because after hiding for 10 minutes behind the bath tub in my bedroom (don't ask, it's a sore topic) I called out for him just to be told that he is now hiding. I wish I had hid in the bed then. Ah, well. Anyway he wasn't really hiding he was tearing the pillows, duvets and sheets off the bed to build a tower, with boat, plane and a kitchen...

Taking a photo a day

Right, this year I try something different, I want to take a photo a day but don't want to have to scrap them all instead I'll try and post them on here. Except I'm already behind. I haven't taken a photo since I came back from holiday. Well, it would have been either the washing machine or laundry or something like that every day. Been there, done that and I do not need a photo. I reckon I will be finished tonight with the laundry just in time to start on the regular wash regime. *sigh* ah well, I've signed up for this:

I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

I'm heading off now in the search for something more uplifting to photograph than another load of dirty laundry. It's sunny here in London.

More photos from Barbados