Oh what a wonderful looong weekend we've had. Then it's only three working days and another longish weekend. It is so lovely having William home for more than two days. I've always thought a three day weekend would do so much more for everyone. A day to do all that running around getting odd jobs done, a day to really sink into the weekend and a day to gently coax yourself out again, get your mind ready for the week sort of thing. This weekend was so full of good things. The sunshine, the rain, the preliminary op shopping for tea cups to make our easter candles. Normally we make really simple ones from beeswax sheets, but this year we've gone all out on teacup candles. It's now Tuesday and there's still no sign of the wicks I ordered, so we made simple roll up candles any way. We gardened and lay in the sun like the puppers, full of chocolate and hot cross bun goodness. Fruit buns for breakfast and chocolate buns for afternoon tea. I hadn't done the crazy "oh my goodness the stores are closing for a whole day" shopping thing so come Friday, with no groceries and a hankering for flathead, we hedged our bets on Wests. Surely being a seafood shop and being Good Friday they were bound to be open. The place was packed. While we waited there was a sun storm and the sky was bright and dark all at once. We took our fish home and caught up on Hugh's everyday veg from last week. I love that man for his passion and humour, his handknits and his farm. Wouldn't you just love to live in that white cottage and eat from that garden? We ordered his book last week. Zahra's keeping vigil by the mail box with her shop front. She's been open all weekend, selling lambs-ear that sprouted in our front lawn and odd bods that she doesn't want anymore. I think it's mostly trade with the neighbourhood kids, " how about I swap two chocolate eggs for that elastic band bracelet?" I did peek out the window today to see her selling one of her plants to the neighbours' visitor. The lady across the road politley refuses to buy anything but did come across to give the kids choc chip biccies. I occassionally wander down and splurge on a handmade card or some fingerknitting. Apart from the shopping and gardening there was reading in bed. Will gets up for work at five to ride to work so seven thirty is big sleep in for him, at which time he springs out of bed to make porridge and eggs for the girls. There's hardly ever any springing from this end so I was left to wake slowly, roll over and read. I'm easing myself back into sewing and knitting. With my dodgy disks I have to be mindful to keep my neck and back loose and to not sit for ages stitching. I've realised I get quite excited and tense when I'm nearing the end of a project and will sit and keep.on.going. until. it's finished. I stitched the last of the binding on Niamh's birthday quilt and could feel each muscle begin to ping and pop as I neared the finish line. So I tried to make it go more like this. Stitch, stitch. Make a cup of tea. Stitch, stitch, stitch. Eat some chocolate. Stitch, stitch. Stretch back. Stitch, sticth. Pat the puppers. Stitch, stitch. Admire handiwork, don't get excited. Stitch, stitch. Eat some more chocolate. Stitch, stitch, stitch. Ah, all done, nice and calm, loose back, loose neck. It's usually starts out like this, all sweet and slow, but ends up more like sticth, stitch, stitch, stitch, stitch, nearly done, twitching eye. Stitch, stitch, stitch, ARGH. MUST. FINISH. NOW. It's a whole new way to work I tell ya. The knitting went much the same. Just gotta pace myself. A finished project is still a sweet thing but I think I'm finally getting that whole "the process is more important than the poduct" thing. We've been working like mad shovelling compost and constructing garden beds so our winter veg is all snuggled in before ANZAC day. That seems to be the gardening lore on winter vegies round these parts. I always overestimate how many seedlings we need for the space we have and am left scrabbling to make another bed or find a space in the garden that the chooks can't get to. I still want to get a bed of garlic, onions and leeks in too. There was an insane amount of dandelion tea drinking, which Niamh decided to get in on. She's so sweet, bringing us a jumper and a pair of shoes to indicate outside time. It doesn't end well if we're busy indoors. She'd spend all day outdoors if Mama would let her. But Mama wants to cook delicious things like poached chicken noodle salad and spanish omelettes. I tried to find a link to the salad but no good. All I can tell you is that it's in Donna Hay's Spring 2008 magazine and it is so good. Fresh ginger and mirin, snow peas and green beans, coriander and udon noodles. Mmmm. But what I do have for you is this salsa recipe. If you've never made fresh salsa go get thyself lickety split to the kitchen and make this one. I don't know where I got it, it's handwritten in my recipe journally thing. If anyone recognises it do let me know. Credit where credit's due. It's not really Autumn fare but it's good and you should try it. Goes well with spanish omelette!
YUMMY GOOD SALSA
Toss all these ingredients in a bowl
2 cups of fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup white salad onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 chilli
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
season with salt and pepper
