35). Go on a first aid course

Today I learnt how to save lives! I'm so ridiculously tired I considered just posting that and being done with it. I'm nicer than that. I also have this weird case of OCD where it would bother me to no end, rendering sleep impossible and therefore defeating the purpose of finishing early. I'm going to stop rambling. I went with two friends who really should have letters but... don't. Anyhoo. We had to do an online thing first. And then today we watched movies with tiny octopus and massive burns, gave CPR to dummies who's chests' click and got bandaged up multiple times. And I get a certificate saying I can officially save lives. Hopefully this will make me super hirable and everyone will love me and give me money. I can dream.

I am aware that the new month starts impossibly soon. I have not yet tried a new recipe. I considered saying oh look it's not the exact same teriyaki chicken because I used veal instead! YEAH? nah. I'll get up darn early and make cake.

I'm going to go collapse now.

MuchLove.

snack time

See look? I'm being a responsible blogger again :) Be proud. And just ignore the fact that I didn't blog anything I said I would ever for the last month-ish. I feel mildly bad about that. But I'm in an update-online-me mood so you get to hear the recipe from last month. I'm making it again on monday. That's how goddamn amazing it was. In respect of honesty, I'm admitting the fact that I was quite tipsy at the time. So I wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't try the recipe until monday, after which I can give you a sober response to just how delicious this recipe is. But after that you have no excuses for not trying it.

RECIPE: [SWEET POTATO, BACON AND SPINACH BAKE]

ingredients:

1kg sweet potato ( peeled and chopped )

2tsp olive oil

175g rindless bacon rashers, roughly chopped

50g butter

pinch ground nutmeg

100g baby spinach leaves

salt and pepper

1cup grated mozzarella

method:

Preheat oven to 180. Grease a baking dish. Place sweet potato in saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and cook for 10mins or until just tender.

Meanwhile, heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, for 5mins or until crisp. Drain on paper towel, set aside.

Drain sweet potato and return to pan. Add butter and nutmeg and mash until smooth.

Stir through spinach and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared dish.

Cover it with cheese, then bake it for 20mins or until cheese is melted.

So we added paprika and some other stuff when cooking the bacon and probably pulled it out of the oven early because of extreme hunger. You get the idea. I would kill for a cooktop with options like medium and high and medium-low. It would be so much more convenient that numbers up to 9. WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN??? And the recipe kept calling 'sweet potato', which is obviously the correct word, 'kumara'. What is this nonsense? Spell check agrees with me.

MuchLove.

SPLENDID

I haven't written just a progress report ness in a while. Thought maybe I should update. How fun. Fairly certain last time I did this I explained it as a list of excuses of why I haven't been able to cross more off. Ah well.

Not really list related, but important all the same. Next semester of uni is coming up in a month and a bit. Yes, I have a lot of holidays. And no exams. So much fun. Anyway, next semester I'll be studying Illustration, Design Thinking, Digital Design Production and 20th Century Design Histories. The actual semester and learning and whatnot, I'm looking forward to. But the tutorial registration is what I'm fearing. Everyone in my course frantically trying to obtain the perfect 3 day week at the same time. SHITE.

Ok list. Ish. Shh. On Monday I went to the optometrist ( 6 months late ). Which got me thinking I should probably go to the dentist for 6). seeing as I haven't been since I was about 6 years old. Also, my wisdom teeth are still being annoying. And sparkly teeth would be fun. If they give me shit about my crooked tooth I'm gonna get cranky though. It doesn't hurt or bother me, I don't want or need braces. I should wait with the defensiveness until I get there. Sorry.

K and I went on an adventure yesterday to Chatswood. I'm still not sure why we went that far but I had fun :) On the way we went past this massive cemetery, and now I'm really keen to do 11). It's probably one of the weirder ones on my list but it's still something I really want to do. I just need to find someone to go with, otherwise I won't spend enough time and leave early, which I don't want to do.

There are some markets on a Sunday soon which I plan on going to with A :) They're goth/punk/hippie ness markets, which should make them even more fun. Sounds creeper, but I love to people watch, and people watching there will be awesome, what with the shoes and the hair. And then only 7ish more markets until I can cross off 25).

There is cake in my house. It's amazing. Muffins and chocolate mud cake. So there is no point for me to try a new cake recipe for 45)., so I'll end up using ANOTHER tuesday night recipe. I have already typed it out, A came over for dinner and wanted the recipe. How convenient. But that means no picture. Again. I've misplaced my camera ( again ) anyway. Hmph.

I'm sick of reading recommended books for 75). As much as I love the Anita Blake ones, you read 11ish books with the same characters you start craving new ness. And the last one had no story line, it was just violence and porn. This one I'm reading now seems better though. Still. E abused the read every book for 75). rule and so I'm going to read the millennium series and Harry Potter. I was going to read Harry anyway. And Mother Dearest would have recommended the millennium series eventually.

I am so far behind in blogging movies. It's terrible. I've watched all of Starwars, The Punisher, the A-Team and probably something else. And I'm going to the movies on Sunday. ARGH. Yep. Basically, shut up and write, bitch. But I'm the laziest person I know.

MuchLove.

chicken tonight

Last month I said something along the lines of: "Next month I will make an amazing meal and take photos and hold onto the recipe as if my life depended on it". So I have a ridiculous amount of assignments, and procrastibaking is taking it too far at the moment. So I'm compromising and including another tuesday night recipe. From the checklist created by me last month: make an amazing meal ( check ). Take photos ( not check. I didn't think I'd be blogging it. ). Hold onto the recipe ( check! I half made it up and used online stuff so I have a record of it ).

RECIPE: [TERIYAKI CHICKEN]

ingredients:

500g chicken breast

4 tbs sake

8 tbs soy sauce

8 tbs mirin

4 tbs sugar

enough jasmine rice to feed x amount of people

frozen vegetable mix

method:

Put the rice in a bowl, covered and then some with water and put in the microwave for 10 mins. When it pips stir it and put it back in for 10. Meanwhile, chuck the chicken and all the other stuff in a bowl. But the bowl in the fridge for 15 mins. Cook up the frozen veg mix in a fry pan. once it starts to defrost put in a bowl to the side. Get the chicken out of the fridge, put vegetable oil in the pan and then put the chicken in. It'll splatter. Watch your eyes. Put the rest of the sauce in too. Let it simmer a bit. Then chuck the vegies back in. SERVE.

That was a bit blase. Woops. You get the idea though. I didn't really know what I was doing. If you follow the instructions on the vegie pack and the rice pack you should be fine. Everyone here loved it. I'm keen to make it again. So yay for May and 45). I guess.

recipe time!

BUT NO! because I got to the kitchen board thing where I expected the recipe to still be... and it's gone. It was an epic FUUUUUUUCCKKKK..... moment. Which ended with me forgetting to get cookie. Tragic, I know. I'm pretty happy with my sandwich though.

So... this recipe that is now missing.... I'll tell you what I remember!! It'll be like an adventure cooking show rather than here make it yourself. EPIC.

I started in the garden. That's right. We grow things. I got basil and parsley. We're making pesto! In a food processor! ok, the food processor didn't work so great so maybe try using mortar and pestle or something. I have a lack of patience and arm muscles so that's why the food processor. Mushed up stuff from garden... add some olive oil. and some parmesan cheese. and some pine nuts if you have some. We had barely any, so I decorated with them instead.

Ok next, gnocchi goes in pot. Gets boiled. Gets out of pot when squidgy. Drained and then put in pan with some cream and some something I've forgotten. Maybe more cheese? Anyway. Mix it up. In the pan. And then add some of that pesto. YEAH. Dinner.

Decorate it to the X-treme with pine nuts and parmesan cheese!

I'm sorry. That was ridiculous. Part of me is mad at the rest of me for writing that. TERRIBLE. Darn recipe, leaving me like that. Next month I will make an amazing meal and take photos and hold onto the recipe as if my life depended on it.

what was up with that?!

SUPER LIST UPDATE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS! not really. I just haven't done this in a while. I haven't even crossed anything off. Now I'm just putting it down, before it even got a chance. My god, girl, STOP IT. Yeah, I just realised I'm in one of those moods where I'm being a bit of a spaz. Ah well, enjoy.

First on the list is 43). Learn to speak danish. I started listening to the podcasts. The first one was awesome. I can now say hi and bye formally and informally. And the second one was all about ordering coffee. I do truly love iced coffee. But that's as far as the love goes. Normal coffee is just used for pulling all-nighters. Line drawn. But I figured I'd hold out and listen so I learn how to ask for things from coffee shops. SHE SPOKE SO FAST. Change from oh look repeat this one word three times to repeat this REALLY long sentence. That I said really fast. That I won't break down to manageable chunks. *cue evil laughter*. I haven't listened since. All I remember is "yava got be-a-man cofi, tuk". That's right. I'd like some coffee. In my version of danish. I bet you feel smarter. Unless you are danish. In which case I bet you feel insulted. Or like giggling. Either way.

I have tried new recipes for 45). It was good fun. Last tuesday H came over and helped me cook veal mushroom something ness. And when I say help I mean, basically, I 'directed'. As in, looked confusingly at the recipe and ate bits of mushroom. So it doesn't really count as trying new recipe. But this tuesday I cooked alone and made a mess and didn't have all the ingredients but put gnocchi something something rather on the table. Papa loved it. I wasn't hungry. Mother dearest and Munchkin didn't like it. But still, new recipe. Which I'll write up later when I next need to procrastinate.

Last saturday I went to the city again. I thought I was getting better. I thought I was at the stage where I could walk around and not feel completely lost. Turns out I was lying to myself. I had no idea where we were. But I didn't really care tbh; only the 'crap, you'll never cross 48). off' bit of caring. But yes, much learning to be had. done? Much learning, all the same.

I wanted to get my tattoo for 55). this saturday. I was mad excited for it. Bout frikin time. But then A trips me out by saying I'm meant to research the place I want to get it done at first. In depth research. About artists and their style and the time they take and other people's opinions. SHITE. I didn't want that. I wanted a vague air of teenage immaturity to it. I didn't want to it to be super planned. If I didn't feel comfortable in a place I wouldn't get my tat there. Simple as that. But now I feel like I'm being irresponsible if I don't. And I really don't want an "I-told-you-so" moment. GRRR.

This is already crossed off but for 60). right, my 'free hugs' t-shirt? NO ONE WANTS MY HUGS. People will tell me about their lung cancer and three wives and daughter and allergy to penicillin, but I don't get hugs! I'm wearing it to the next drunken party. Drunk people love hugs, right? I hope so. Otherwise I class the shirt as a fail. And I don't know if that means I have to redo 60).

Boring one. 68). Back up computer one. I just put all the important stuff onto Jasper so back up successful. Woo. Go team.

Jasper makes me feel like I type faster. It's the new shiny-ness for sure but I'm just going to check, ok? I shall be typing about Aesop's fables for 3 mins. If there is an excessive amount of punctuation I will throw something. DUDE. They updated the site. And I can't remember how I went last time. But! my typing speed is now 45 words per minute but I made mistakes so they averaged me down to 39 words per minute. I'm on the higher end of average. This shouldn't make me so happy. Not quite 80 wpm for 69). Im beginning to think that that was much too ambitious.

I BOUGHT PLANE TIX TO MELBOURNE!!! You have no idea how hard it was to contain that so as to maintain a chronological flow. Damn OCD. I get to visit family, visit Rach ( I still haven't gotten her letter. I will throw things at the postman or woman ) and cross something off my list. I'm absolutely positive I can find a place in Melbourne I haven't been to before so I can cross off 79). YAY. But I'm more excited about visiting people. Obviously. And flying. I love flying so much. Did I mention, YAY!?

And lastly, at house sitting place there was a double bed. Twas amazing. But odd. I'm so ridiculously not used to it. And now Xander seems really small ( If the naming of inanimate objects has struck you as odd, i apologise. I enjoy naming things ). When I get to cross off 101). there will be some mixed feelings. Single beds leave so much more room in the room. But that's the only advantage I can think of.

I had other news. Random bits of crap. The title of this blog is reference to todays garfield comic. Go forth and find. I got a hair cut. No it's not dramatic or purple or shaved. It's just slightly shorter. I'm planning to redo the blue tomorrow. I kind of want to go blonde now. Why can't I make a decision and stick to it!?! I'm trying to cut the word 'like' out of my vocabulary. I use it excessively. It's pathetic. And so teenage-girl. So it shall stop. And I'll sound classy. haha.

MuchLove

Cookie Monster would revert

So, before when I was saying I couldn't be bothered to get up and find the recipe... it was in my pocket. Yes, of the pants I was wearing. Made me feel rather silly. But there you go. I've doubled the recipe I was given so there was a decent amount of cookies.

RECIPE: [CHOC-CHIP COOKIES]
ingredients:
250g butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 egg ( beaten )
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
250g choc-chips

method:
preheat oven to 190°C. Put paper on a tray or two or three.
Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla, mix. Sift flour and soda together and stir into mix. Add chocolate.
Drop tablespoon fulls onto tray. Leave space for spreading. Bake for 10-12 mins.

what do we think? Do they look delicious? Is my crappy photography doing them justice?

T insists they are the best texture. The mix tastes really good too :) uhh, yup. March's recipe for 45). Oh, speaking of recipes and 45). I finally got that stupid tupperware box back. Finally.

CAKE!

It's late in the month and somewhat boring and I practically forced myself to do it but I completed 45). for this month. We had a ridiculous amount of oranges so I turned them into cake. logically.

RECIPE: [ORANGE POPPYSEED CAKE]
ingredients:
125ml ( 1/2 cup ) milk
1/3 cup poppyseeds
180g unsalted butter
220g ( 1 cup ) caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
finely grated zest of 3 oranges
125ml ( 1/2 cup ) freshly squeezed orange juice
375g ( 2 1/2 cups ) plain flour
2tsp baking powder

method:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 24cm cake pan with baking paper.
Place milk and poppyseeds in a bowl and stir. Let stand for 20 mins.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with electric mixers, until light and pale. Add eggs one at a time.
Gently fold in zest, juice and poppyseed mixture. Then fold in flour and baking powder.
Spoon mixture into pan and bake for 45-50 mins.

Yummm... this is T's piece. With cream and caramel topping.

I didn't actually get to take the cake out of the oven. I got munchkin to do it for me. I had to go pick up T. I almost died in the process. Combination of too many people and a giant car and a tiny street. We all survived though. Car included. Grandparents came over and we all enjoyed cake. Parents started FebFast a weekend early so they got to have sugar for the first time in a whole month. Dad looked pretty happy. I'm guessing I'll be that way come monday when I can start drinking again.

And, side note, that box I forgot to take home from the last time I baked for 45). - is still AWOL. One day, it might make it back. Maybe.

yeah! shindig!

Last night i saw 4 of my 6 + more; we crashed in a stranger's house, played board games, danced around, struggled to order pizza and drank too much among other things... So that's a bit of 51). completed for this two month period. We're slowly but surely heading off in our own directions but it's still easy enough for us to get together for the moment. Actually, 51). is still just part of everyday life. Once I start working and studying and they all start doing similar things at different places it's going to get tricky. There are vague plans for a camping trip over a long weekend later in the year, which could be fun =]

And because of the shindig I had an excuse to bake =D T and I made faerie cakes. They smelt weird but tasted really good. So YAY for 1 of 33 for 45).

RECIPE: [FAERIE CAKES]
ingredients:
250g butter
330g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
450g (3 cups) self-raising flour
250ml (1 cup) milk

method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 18 large muffin pans with paper cases. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a large bowl until very pale and creamy.
Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined.
Use a large metal spoon to gently fold in half the flour alternately with half the milk, until well combined.
Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Spoon the mixture evenly into the paper cases.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
And for icing we winged it and had alot of softened butter and enough icing sugar to make it icing like.

No photo for this one unfortunatly. It was all done in too much of a rush. We had to go on a mad dash to the shops too because we didn't have enough butter. And I left the container and left overs there. woops.

AND AND!!! I have found a podcast of lessons for Danish =] I have no idea whether it's any good yet but it's a step in the right direction for 43). I hope.