Lentil as Anything

A good day. 

Lots on. It's HOT, HOT, HOT though. It feels like (high) thirty something at least. We've already been to the pool once today and we'll be going back this afternoon.

Anyway, I've been meaning to write about a fabulous lunch we had on Saturday. A catch up with fellow nurse, Christine, at a place where you pay for what you feel your meal was worth and what you can afford. An amazing concept. You'll find Lentil As Anything venues here.

According to their website, it's about being "a part of a unique financial model that is centred on the values of trust, generosity and respect that gives people the opportunity to eat out and be social regardless of their financial situation".

It's a not-for-profit organisation that supports the refugee community of Melbourne by providing employment. It's really an amazing place. 

What I love about it - anyone is welcome. There were all kinds of people eating and I loved the diversity.

There are no pretenses. It's what you see is what you get. It's SUPER kid friendly and best yet, the food is fabulous (all vegetarian - which even though I'm not, is yummy).

 

Lucie was in heaven because they let you leave your mark on their wall. 

 

The Lamington Cupcake

Without meaning to, I've done a bit of an Australia Day theme today! Shame I'm late.

After posting the pics of Lucie's beloved tattoo, it occurred to me that I should document the Lamington cupcake. I made these for the (great) Australia Day BBQ we went to (thanks Alex & Adam!) and plan to make them a yearly thing. 


While I'd love to claim I was the first to come up with the concept, I highly doubted I was. The cupcake is hardly a new thing and nor is the lamington. A quick google just now proved this was so, and though I didn't in fact 'copy' another, this was a make up as you go thing. I probably saw one years ago and kept it in my subconscious! 


Anyway... if you want them.. 


1. Make an easy peasy basic butter cake recipe and do cupcakes.
2. Ensure you use a recipe you know, love & trust. 10pm the night before an event is NOT the time to try new ones. * See below for example of why.
2. Five minutes before they are baked, add one teaspoon of strawberry (or raspberry if you're so inclined) to the top of each (note from Jeremy: it's not a true lamington without jam) and keep on baking.
3. Leave to cool (another lesson I had).
4. Whip up your favourite chocolate butter cream or otherwise. 
5. Pipe, spread or whatever suits, your frosting/icing. I'm pretty into piping these days but do whatever you find easier/more fun. 
6. Sprinkle with coconut. Personally I think a shredded looks better
7. Place an Aussie flag in each and all done!


My super simple butter cake recipe (the one that works)

This is SO easy that I don't even cream the butter & sugar. It's a one bowl job, seriously. Very handy. Very quick.

60g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence 
3/4 cup caster sugar 
1 egg
3/4 cups milk
1 1/5 cups self raising flour


Makes 12 cupcakes 


* What a waste. Take one in the bin.

A warning however. 


Letting the kids near this:

May result in this:

Thanks to Lucie and her BBFFs (Will & Jack) for being such dedicated taste testers. Their fourth partner in crime, Tom, had already been carried out on a sugar high by this point). 


BBFF - (boy) best friend forever

My little Aussie

Lucie is going through an 'obsessed with Australia' phase. Ever since Australia Day last week she's being all about being Aussie. She's wanted to know more about Australia being discovered, how is happened, etc. Strangely she was most fascinated with the fact that Captain Cook has since died (of course she asked about where he lived now). She just assumed he'd still be around. I guess at four you just don't understand that 200+ would be just too old. 

Anyway, with all of this patriotic behaviour I had to laugh at her choice of t-shirt when she asked me to take a photo of her new tattoo. 

By the way, I had nothing to do with the funny model pose :) 

Proud

I've never really been good at sports. It's not something that bothers me, it just is what it is. It's just not my thing and there's no problem with that. For some reason however, Lucie seems to not only love her sport but to have a level of skill & coordination that most certainly didn't come from her mother. It's all Jeremy's doing, no doubt about it. I hope in the years to come she can find and be a part of something she loves, be it sports of otherwise.


Anyway, I did once win a trophy. In 1987 for netball. It's not what you think though, it wasn't about being good at it. I won the 'team spirit' award. I've told Lucie about it before and she is so into the whole story that when I was cleaning out our house recently (big cull!!), I just couldn't part with it. I gave it to her to keep and you'd have thought I'd given her the world cup trophy. 


For the last few weeks she's been taking it everywhere with her. She shows it to people we visit and even took it into our neighbour's house to show it off. It's kind of embarrassing (especially when she blurts out that "guess what? Mummy is so good at netball she won this" - only to have them realise we're talking the '80s). More than anything, it really makes me smile. 

The impact we can have on our kids lives is so evident sometimes. What stands out so much to me in all of this, is how clever, how perfect and how highly skilled we are in the eyes of those who look up to us (even if it's only really team spirit you have to offer). 

Here goes nothing

I have wanted a blog forever. 

It's 1:26am and half an hour ago I decided it was time. I guess I couldn't sleep. Ok,it was an hour ago. It took me an hour to edit the photos in (I had no idea how). 

So, why did I start this blog? 

Reason 1 - 
I read a million and one (fabulous) blogs and feel like I'm being so nosey. That's kind of true of me given that I love to know what's going on. Truth be told, that's what I most love about blogs. It's a glimse into the lives of those who grow to love, all while being allowed to look! I love being the fly on the wall. It felt time to share something of myself too. I got sick of my comments showing a blank photo. I felt too snoopy & stalker like. 


Reason 2 - 
I want to keep a reflection. Maybe one my daughter can read one day. I know I'd sure love to have one of my own Mum, or even grandmother. 


Reason 3 - 
I feel like I've got a journey ahead of me and maybe writing about it will help. This journey involves a few tricky elements: 


1). We (that would be Jeremy & I) are trying to give Lucie, four, a sibling. Not much luck there :( More about that later. Sure it will come up.


2). Lucie has a Mum with a face that's 'different'. Even though she has no idea, the other kids will tell her soon enough. To her I'm just Mum. And in her words... 

"when you smile, you're just the same as other mums" (said after I tried to convince her that I DID have a face that was a little different).She's starting kindergarten this year and school next year and we all know that kids can be cruel. 

My approach is to be honest and open. I figure I can share through this blog. 


If you've read this, thank you. I'd love to see you again. xo

p.s - oh, and it's called Parry Romberg Syndrome :) Thought you might be wondering.