Thursday, April 08, 2010

Kites, Cider and Pesto

I love Costa (SBS 8pm Thursday nights) but holy hell, I'd pay him to shave off that awful awful beard.  He looks like a terrorist, he really does.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with anything, except that I simply had to get it off my chest.

Today Miss 4 is much improved.  The burns on her hand are no longer painful and so far she is enjoying the novelty and attention of being all bandaged up.  Took 90mins at the doctors to get the dressing changed which did not thrill any of us, and we have to go back every day for the next few days sigh.  Bribed the kids into good behavior with the promise of a trip to the $2 shop.  They bought kites and I have spent a lot of today running around in dog poo and 30 degree heat trying to get the wretched things in the air.  I hate kites.

When Miss 5 folornly said, "I think we should give up Mummy."
I agreed with shameful haste.

As usual the Universe was quick to punish me.
A Lorikeet flew into the house through the french doors.  Much hysteria (kids), swearing (me) and barking (dog) ensued.  I quickly caught it in a towel and let it go outside, no harm done.  Or so I thought, until I saw the neat line of bird poo over the two baskets of clean washing on the table.

sigh.

Juiced all those cider apples I had.  Juice is now deposited in two demi-johns Dad gave me, campden tablets have been added - these kill wild yeasts, which can ruin your batch of home brew.
Next I'll be adding some wine yeast, some nutrient for the yeast to live on (lactose basically) and some pectin enzyme to get rid of all that sediment.  This stuff is all easily found at our nearby Home Brew shop.

Then all it needs to do is actually start fermenting.

Hmm.

For dinner this evening I did homemade chicken pesto pizza.  Was rather chuffed that a lot of it was home made. The Pizza dough done in the bread maker, the tomato paste (that I made back in January), and the pesto.  Was especially pleased with the pesto as the basil was out of the garden.

Pesto is one of those ridiculously easy ones to make (like hommus).

My fave recipe is adapted from The Silver Spoon...
Pesto
25 fresh basil leaves
100ml Olive oil
40g pine nuts
50g grated parmesan
Put the basil into a whizzer with olive oil and pine nuts and a pinch of salt
whiz
Add parmesan
whiz more
See easy peasy.
Hommus (if you happen to be interested. This is based on Bill Granger's recipe)
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Whiz the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a whizzer with 2 tablespoons of water
Stop when smooth
Add more water if gunky
Add S&P if you want
 :)

5 people love me:

Anonymous said...

Why is it that kids love kites and parents hate them?

Being Me said...

I think you must be the first person I've ever come across who gets bird poo on the washing... inside the house and not on the line. That's very sad. In a strangely hilarious kind of way.

I can't stand flying kites either. So pointless, really.

Olive said...

I love kites, or at least I used to love kites before I became semi- geriatric. Its now beyond my capabilities to retrieve a kite from the middle of a blackberry bush where they always seem to come down.LOL I still have a kite that has never been in the air. Must get it out and try it out next windy day.

belinda said...

Good to hear the little one is on the mend. I don't envy you those dressing changes but maybe they won't be too bad.

My biggest problem with making pesto is actually growing the basil. Honestly I don't know if this is a universal issue or I am just a basil jinx but getting enough for pesto has driven me to distraction for at least a couple of years.

Kind Regards
Belinda

Epskee said...

I love your posts, but have to make a correction. As the wife of a lebbo, I have to say that Hoummos isnt Hoummos without Tahini!

It totally defeats the purpose otherwise!