Saturday Barbeque

Was a time that we did this every single Saturday that Phill was home, all year no matter what the weather.  We have photos of the kids rugged up in woolly hats and jumpers out on a deck or in the yard.  It kind of fell away as the years went on, and Kate left home and Phill was away more.  Tonight I decided we would ressurrect our old tradition.  I marinated some pork ribs in a bottled Smoky BBQ marinade, and got some chorizo style sausages and had some fillet steaks in the freezer.  I made a great potato salad, dressing was leftover sour cream, leftover low fat plain yoghurt and some low fat mayonnaise, with good French dijon mustard, some garlic and white pepper.  I put in two sliced boiled eggs and crisped up some proscuitto in the oven (usually I fry some bacon pieces but the proscuitto is so much better), and we had a Greek salad and a sourdough baguette.  Bbq is usually Phill's forte but I think I did a better job tonight (sshh don't tell him!)

Pat asked about my fried rice.  Those sachets of microwaveable rice are fabulous.  They make the perfect and easiest fried rice, it's already cooked and separated.  I cut up a few rashers of bacon and fry them till crispish, then add a bit of peanut oil and the rice and coat in the oil and fry it a bit, then add a splash of soy sauce and some Chinese cooking wine that you can get from the Asian section of good supermarkets, I fry it a bit and mix it in then make a well in the middle add a smidge more oil and crack an egg or two and mix it up, when it sets I chop it up and mix it through the rice.  If it was just for me I would add some peas and shallots.  At the very end I put a little sesame oil through it, that and the cooking wine is the secret to authentic tasting fried rice.  So quick and easy and a great side dish to just about anything.  My kids say my fried rice is better than the Chinese restaurant version. 

I think we might drive out to the lake at Temora for a picnic tomorrow.  The weather is just so lovely I want to make the most of it before it gets too cold. 

I miss my darling but I'm coping quite well without him.  Kim has eaten with us for three nights running and Em stayed there last night, which I don't like at all but it's not worth fighting over.  She asked if Kim could stay tonight and I said absolutely not and then she asked if she could stay at Kim's and I said no.  It's almost 7.30 and they're still holed up in Em's room.  Em was texting me (and woke me up) at 8.30 this morning wanting me to come get her (I didn't) so it can't be too nice over there in ghettoland. I'm trying new strategies and standing my ground.

Josh is making pancake batter for tomorrow's brekky.  It's great to be able to leave him in the kitchen and know that he knows what he is doing.  Smart boy.

Oh dear I mucked up my camera settings and discovered I could take video clips with my camera and put them on my blog!  I couldn't leave it here because I said a few "square words".  Must find the instructions and work out how to do it NOT by accident.