Lamb a la Barry.

Tonight we are having Australian lamb for dinner. Sometimes they put on an Aussie tune in the supermarket and I become this mad Australian singing lady, bopping around the aisles. Lamb is not a commonly eaten food here and so if we are at Cosco we’ll pick some up, but we don’t have it regularly.

Label reads: lamb leg boneless imported Australian

It comes complete with heart felt salutations! But can someone tell them it’s “G’day”.

“Gidday Mates” ??

I feel like I need to name this dish. Something Australian to honor it completely, hence Lamb a la Barry.  I can declare “I’m having a Barry” but in a good way! It’s a pity my kids will not get it. For those of you not in the know, if you are having an awful day or do something that turns out to be an incredible failure, you will hear Aussies refer to it as a Barry Crocker, which is rhyming slang for shocker.

So if you’re having one of those days better know as a Barry Crocker, chuck on a “lamb a la Barry”. It’s bound to cheer you up! You brown off the meat and then throw in a cup of stock, onions, mint, ginger, thyme, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, pepper, salt. I have my roast set on the lowest setting as I am going to roast it for 8 hours. Why? because I have the time to slow cook it. But if you don’t have the time, just dial up the heat and rock it it out for a couple of hours – Jimmy Barnes red hot screaming style!

Today brings no words, just a rockin Aussie lamb pot roast. Watch out meat pies, you’re next!

Fear the goat.

On the weekend we experienced the spectacular all-american football match. A college football match – South Alabama Jaguars v. Navy Shipmen on their home ground in Annapolis. There is a big Naval academy there which churns out US marines and as such, has a large presence in the city. Navy are undefeated at home and it was their last home game of the season. The stands packed full of Cadets who march in on ceremony before taking their seats. I am told that they march from the Academy in town out to the field and I can only imagine how crazy the traffic must get as they parade down every game. College (University level) football over here is extremely popular and even the home ground stadium we are at, has a larger crowd capacity than Bruce stadium in Canberra. To see our local NFL team the Baltimore Ravens, who were last years Super Bowl Champions would mean selling one, or maybe both children in order to get a decent seat!

Finding a parking spot was interesting. The parking on the stadium grounds is reserved for season ticket holders and all the area around the stadium is residential. We tried a school which had organized game day parking and it was full. We found a little sign propped outside someones house which said “parking $20”, complete with parking attendants in florescent vests, and in we go. It looks like there’s a lot of residents that offer up their backyards like this. There may be 10 or so cars in there, not a bad way to make a little money on the weekend.

Then it was a 5 minute walk to the stadium and we arrived at another American phenomena know as the “tailgate” party. A tailgate is where you take along your Barbie (“Grill” as it is called in the US) and sit on the grounds in the carpark and BBQ up a storm. In some cases it will just be friends coming together with a few chairs and picnic spread. But in other cases there are big tents with ornate banners, beer and wine kegs, open bbq pit fires marquees and dining areas. People listen to the game on the radio, or not listen to the game at all just keep warm by the BBQ.

We had tickets to a BBQ lunch on the grounds inside the stadium. Football food, wine and beer. Game day football food was a bit of an enigma when i first got here. You cook special things just to watch the football? But in thinking about this, Australia is no different and where as we go diving for the meat pie and sauce, over here it’s the hotdog and ketchup. Other American favorites – spicy chicken wings, mac & cheese, casseroles, potato skins with all the “fix’ins” on top, warm cream cheese dips, pizza, cupcakes, hot chocolate. As long as it can be eaten with fingers and it’s belly warming, it’s all good.

And how was the game itself? I must make a confession here. I don’t really know the game. The only other time I’ve watched it was last year on TV, the Super Bowl, which I don’t think anyone here misses. I like to crowd watch and this is what I saw. There is a squad on the side line of players, coaches, media, cheer squads, mascots, marching bands, and goats. Yes, goats. It’s the Navy team mascot and the slogan is “fear the goat”. You will see kids walking around with goat beanies and foam battleship hats. The goats themselves have their horns decorated in club colors and little coats to keep their little goaty bodies warm. There are fog horns and cannon fire for every kick off and when Navy scores a touch down a large contingent of cadets run out onto the sideline and do pushups. The cadets have a “barmy army” style cheer squad in the stands and  from a distance you look at them thinking how suave and sophisticated they look. Then the camera pans over to them and they are sticking out their tongues and pulling faces and I remind myself that they are no different to any other young University students enjoying the folly of  youth.

Fear the Goat!

University of South Alabama

No.56 needs to follow the washing directions!

Cheer Leaders

Cadet spectators

Today brings no words and lots of happy mothers in Annapolis, rejoicing now that their babies and small children are able to have an uninterrupted afternoon nap.

What not to say to your wife…

My husband got me some flowers. I gave him a hug.

Me – “What are these for?”

[insert cricket sound effect]

Husband – “They were left over from a function.”

I feel so special.

Today brings no words, or declarations of love.

Help yourself.

Yesterday I came up from the basement, I’d just finished my workout for the day and I found Hamish in the corner cutting something with his scissors. He looks at me with that universal childish grin that all kids get when they have been sprung doing something they shouldn’t. He immediately drops his scissors and stands in front so I cannot see what he’s got. Eventually I spy what he’s been cutting.

Chocolate!

He’s raided his Halloween candy bucket. And he’s actually problem solved how to get the wrappers off. I am a little proud of him working it out for himself. “OK, you can have that chocolate, but you need to ask Mum next time and not just help yourself.”

And then it dawns on me, I’ve heard him shuffling about a bit while I was in the basement. “Just how much chocolate have you had?” I asked.

“Ummmm. Two packets of M&M’s and now this one.” And sure enough I go to the garbage bin and there’s the other candy wrappers. I tell him he’s had enough for today and he’s got to have fruit or something healthy for afternoon tea and no treats after dinner as he’s had far too much sugar. Then we hop into the car and go to get Dylan. Hamish tells me in the back of the car, “Mummy, my tummy is sore.” I explain that that’s what happens when you eat too much chocolate. Lesson learned! He gets home from school today and asks me for a treat from his bucket. “I’ll just have one today”. Good idea.

Just one today.

Today brings no words and no more chocolate indulgences for Hamish.

Yams in a can.

Today it was cold. There were warnings of sleet and snow flurries but I did not see any. Just leaves. Lots and lots of falling leaves. They flitter and fall to the ground like some bizarre leaf rain-storm and the coverage is so thick that you cannot see road lines. Our next door neighbor has picked his up and two days later the lawn looks the same. It is not uncommon to see garbage bags full of leaves, left outside peoples houses on the curbside waiting for “trash” day.

There is actually two rows of bags, plus the ones propped on top. A common sight around the neighborhood this time of year.

Hamish loves to run through them, they pile up thick on the lawn until there is no green to see and later this week men will come around with industrial strength leaf blowers to pile them up and then mulch them down with a vacuum that loads it into the back of a truck.

Tuesday is also the day I grocery shop. I have a menu plan and I try to stick to it. I try to make at least one meatless meal a week. Sometimes it’s on a Monday just because I like the alliteration,  but sometimes just because the day before shopping day we can be a little scant on supplies. I often find weird things while I am shopping and I sometimes buy them and then come home and completely alter my menu plan:

Today I found Potatoes, individually wrapped and ready to microwave. I wonder about microwaved potatoes as I’ve never cared for them, we like them mashed, boiled or baked here. I wonder if these sell, as it seems just as easy to wrap them in cling wrap yourself or forgo the wrap and just fork them a bit before putting them in the microwave.

Tamarind. I have only ever seen this in a dark brown thick syrup form. They are like little seeds inside a pod.

And I saw this.

Nice work Bruce.

Yam’s (sweet potato) in a can, in syrup. They are Bruce’s and I need to ask him what he was thinking when he decided to bundle them up. I cannot imagine what that would be like or how you cook it. I’ve only ever had it cooked savory style, but there is a sweetened dish that is cooked over here at Thanksgiving where you bake it with a blanket of marshmallows on top.

Made with renewable engery! Ready to BURST out of the can?

A recipe for “Yam Blueberry Delight”

Today brings no words, and no yams in a can, thanks Bruce. I prefer mine mashed or baked.