Custard's Last Stand - Home Cooking Beats the Restaurant

I'm over restaurants! The experience is too random for me, sometimes drafty, sometimes expensive and often impersonal. So lately I've become a big fan of the gentle art of dinner parties.

We've got enough new and old friends now, in this little seaside town of Nelson, to lead to invites and returns for dinners at home. Usually the hosts are fifty-somethings, like us, and they both make an effort to prepare the dishes. We often try things made with seasonal produce from our own gardens, or the local market, and we nearly always end up swapping ideas for recipes, good books and films.

TV cooking shows like Masterchef have inspired us all. We are 'plating' not serving, and 'resting' not cooling! And of course we all have recipe books from way back, and more recent purchases, that are being used. Our generation has survived the pressure years of feeding our kids and their friends, and now we can relax and enjoy the process again, and be a bit more experimental.   

It's fun spending a few hours in a warm home with friends and a good bottle of wine or too, especially in winter! It doesn't have to be fancy food, with expensive ingredients, from a designer kitchen - it just takes time to create the basics for a charming, comfortable evening.

There seems to be about five things which we and our friends do to make dinner parties a better experience than a typical restaurant outing:
1. A comfortable pace, not rushed, just eating things as they are ready
2. A dish with a good story attached - 'this recipe is from that funny old book we got at the garage sale... we always make this to use up Aunt Edna's marmalade...'
3. Something homegrown, locally sourced or substituted in a recipe, or maybe the return of a good old comfort food, like custard
4. The table or room - candles, some embroidered linen, retro place mats or an intriguing item from overseas travels

5. Conversation and laughter - sharing stuff

The restaurants that try to capture this atmosphere, and these values, are the ones that will always be more appealing to people like us...

Lizzie

Mission Accomplished - Sydney twin minding

I'm back in NZ now (from my month of babysitting for my son and his wife in Sydney) in a more peaceful household, with very little washing and healthy sleep patterns.  We also have a working oven and dishwasher, so I feel a bit lucky about that. I appreciate that my husband and I can still forage for salad veges in our garden and hang our clothes out in the sun to dry - but it's very chilly at nights here compared to Sydney, and neighbourhood walks are nowhere near as exciting as Kings Cross!

It was sad saying goodbye to little Rose and Mario Junior, but I don't worry about them as they are part of a strong little family and have their dad at home now for the next 11 weeks. And I have a month's worth of cuddles and nice memories to savour, and a good feeling about having helped in some way. It was time I broke up my relationship with the bottle too... the bleach bottle that is. I got a bit obsessive during the days in Sydney, washing the floors and wiping the surfaces the twins could reach!

29 years ago ago, when my boy was 5 months old I returned to work, and my husband Mario stayed home for two years to mind him. For six months of that time we had set up a coffee shop business, and my parents babysat during the days.

In less than three  months the twins other grandmother, Bev, (Nana B) will arrive to take over their daycare; what a lucky pair they are! So it is true, patterns repeat, and many families like ours come up with these ways of caring for children and sharing the load. Each carer brings something a  little different and special to the mix, and I reckon they benefit from this in the long run.

And, in the meantime, Mario Senior and I are already plotting for a time when we can bring the twins over to NZ for a holiday - to run barefoot and forage for berries and tomatoes in the garden, and splash around down at Tahunanui beach, just like their dad used to love doing.  

Lizzie (Nana E)

Day 16 - Sydney, baby clothes review

I'm into my last week now, babysitting the twins. Rose and I have been thinking about baby wear. There are many choices around and lots of brands to choose from, however it seems that some basics are being overlooked by the manufacturers and designers...

Miss Rose suggests:

1. Clothes need to be easy to work with - the less buttons,
zips and snaps the better. Here I am in my Baptism long
gown  - very fancy, but only one button for my Mum to do up. 

2. Fabrics that look grown-up but are stretchy
are more comfy for us to to wear

3. It is physical being a toddler - we need to be able to move easily as we crawl and roll around

4. Plain, no patterns, make a nice change and means
 we can mix and match our separates more easily

5. Dark or strong colours are good as they don't show  little splops (that my brother Mario makes)

6. Anything small and fiddly (hairbands, socks, hats and gloves) is
a nuisance. Built in hoods and feet covers are great, as we can't lose them.

7. And finally, sometimes you just have to let
your Nana jazz up your classic look a little bit!

Day 12 - we've had visitors

Its great when people come to see the babies. Over the last few days we've had visits from another young family and then today, from the twins' grandfather Bruce and his wife Sarndra.

The twins meet Grand-dad Bruce

I enjoy watching the twins drink in the new faces, absorb the voices and sense the changed dynamic in the little apartment. They seem open to these new experiences and enjoy socialising. It makes a nice change for me too - and a chance to choose some special visitor outfits...

Kate and Joseph with their friends Peta and Chris and their daughter Arabella

   

Day 8 - some pics, due to popular demand

Thanks Joseph for doing the night calls

Thanks YouTube for some
 interesting afternoons

I appreciate all the encouragement, comments and feedback I'm getting. (The dog is fine now, thanks!) And I'm chuffed that so many are interested in my posts. Here's some pics of all of us, as requested.

Thanks Kate, for working and 

giving me this turn with the twins

Day 6 - Minding twins; dogged determination required

We started off okay. I popped out early to walk the dog - a complex little pomeranian/chihuahua individual called Calvin. Once the parents had gone to work I gave the twins their breakfast. While they were having their morning nap I had a burst of energy and washed the downstairs floors and stairs. I rummaged in the toy box and brought out some new stuff because I'm bored with the same things every day. About then I realised that the dog was sick. He'd thrown up some sticky yellow stuff, then some brown stuff and similar liquids were coming out the other end as well. Luckily he'd done all this on the balcony. The twins were waking up and I couldn't bear to contaminate their newly hygienic play-space so I tied him up outside until I had time to clean up.

Mario did his best ever attempt at crawling this morning; he got his round tummy off the floor and started going forwards instead of sideways. Unfortunately Calvin barked incessantly while we played; I ducked out and washed down the balcony before setting off for a walk with the twins in the stroller. I guess that's the trouble with apartment living, a sick dog can't just run off into the garden and get over it...

We went all the way up Victoria Street to Oxford Street and explored the Surry Hills area. Mario slept and missed the whole outing, as usual. I stopped at the park opposite the Jewish Museum for a picnic with Rose. I'd bought a lemon and walnut cookie and Rose happily gummed her way through a rice rusk. That little girl just loves her picnics.
When I got home Calvin had produced another round of excretions. I plonked the twins into the high chairs and took him for a quick run around the courtyard then I tied him up outside while I washed down the balcony again. Shut him out there again, with some fresh water (didn't dare feed him). More incessant barking followed.
Mario had woken up grumpy and dribbling excessively. He's just got his first tooth, but it looks like another one  might be coming through. Rose was in a cry-baby kind of mood by then and also dribbling. They didn't seem to notice the interesting different toys or spotlessly clean floor. And poor Calvin was getting on all our nerves. I called up some reggae music on YouTube and luckily my dancing had them both in giggles in no time. By the time Kate got home I'd just managed to get their dinner into them and the dog had stopped leaking. Finished the day off with a large glass of red wine.

  

Twin Watching - Happy-Busy Days

I had fun choosing outfits for a picnic this afternoon.  It was so complicated getting everything ready and trying to cover all possibilities; I just felt proud that I'd left the house, eventually. 
It was a perfect sunny day and we went for a look through Elizabeth House, then found a little park nearby. I threw down the rug, and confirmed to two passers-by that, yes indeed, they are twins and also, by chance, the same age...
I have noticed that two babies are not twice as much work as one (shared feeding and washing that you'd have to do anyway). But, if their timing isn't synchronised, its hell! For example, I might think they are settled for their afternoon nap (and therefore I am about to collapse in a heap on the sofa) but Rose might start squawking so loudly that I fear she'll wake Mario. So I get her up. Big mistake. Later, when Mario wakes up Rose is tired and wants to sleep. If one is upstairs in their cot  and one downstairs in the stroller it gets even worse. Sometimes, as we are doing the exact same activity, I notice their moods are completely opposite - Mario will be sobbing and Rose will be laughing her head off.
Anyway they put on their best behaviour today for the picnic. At first they lay on the rug and gazed at the trees and the clouds. Then Mario decided to shout out with sheer joy at every passing car, or dog, or person, and Rose sat up and gnawed her way determinedly though a rusk as she giggled at the feeling of grass tickling her feet. 




  

Day 3 - Sydney, baby books review

The twins' chirpy little voices, talking to each other, woke us all up around 5am this morning. But having collapsed exhausted into bed early last night I was recharged and ready for the day. Things just seemed to work better today; the stroller, the washing machine, the weather, me... 
I decided to push a bit more for lunch to see if we could have a better afternoon. They loved my eclectic combination of avocado, potato, pumpkin and pureed apricot. Rose prefers to hold her own spoon and to try putting it in her mouth. Mario just sits there like a baby bird with his mouth open.
We read books today. There's lots of things wrong with young baby books; here's a few of them:

• There is nothing simple or generally recognisable to point to
• The wording is clunky, and disjointed to read out loud
• There are too few, or too many, words on the page
• There is no drama, just boring descriptions
• The endings are weak
• The characters are 2-dimensional and predictable

Our top 3 favourite books today, voted in unanimously (that is by both Mario and Rose) for the 7-month category, were:
Eyes, nose, toes, peekaboo! a www.dk.com publication
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Twin Trouble by Peter Bently

"My favourite characters are the ones that go
on a journey, like the caterpillar," says Rose

"A book has to touch me emotionally; those twin bears
were in danger, it was heart wrenching," says Mario

Day 2 - Sydney, minding twins

I asked their mum, Kate, to leave me some notes, with rough times for naps and meals.  The morning went well - mushy breakfast, nap, playtime. I even managed to pop upstairs and get a load of washing through. I was aware of their big eyes following my moves, watching me carefully. They giggled and glanced at each other occasionally, and seemed relaxed and happy playing on the floor. For seven months old both Mario and Rose are good with their hands and move around well, although not really crawling yet.

We lost the plot a bit after lunch with some fierce resistance to the afternoon nap. Rose definitely wasn't going to sleep, then Mario starting sobbing melodramatically. After an hour of angst I got them back up from their hell-no-definitely-not-nap and tried the stroller. The rain had stopped so we went out for a long walk around Potts Point and Kings Cross. They slept the whole time.

Rose and Mario taking a nap

I'm not sure the stroller and I are going to be friends. Its a big clumsy thing and while the twins are well cushioned in it I think I may need to read the manual. Anyway, by the time their parents got home I'd managed to get through the list; just not quite in the right order. And, I'd learnt a few things:
1. You can't get upstairs carrying both babies at the same time
2. People stare at twins
3. Supermarket trolleys and strollers have dysfunctional front wheels in common
4. You have to pre-empt hunger and tiredness (theirs and yours)
5. You can't give them bottles at the same time, so you have to feed one and sing to the other


















 






  

4 weeks, 2 babies, 1 nana

I arrived in Sydney last night and my son Joseph met me at the airport. I mentioned my anxiety about doing a good job over the next month - I'm here to mind their 7 month old twins. He said just don't talk too much - he knows me well! The twins were still awake and Rose was definitely a bit suspicious.

Today, Sunday, got off to a great start. I heard them cooing and grizzling away intermittently from about 5am. The twins, that is. I had a quick shower then popped in at 6am - greeted by big smiles of delight. Kate came and showed me how they change them - its all really well set-up in their little 2-cot bedroom. They sleep in cute sleeping bag things. We went downstairs and made up a lovely mush of weetbix, blueberries and yoghurt. I spooned most of it into the babies - its great having two, no time is wasted between mouthfuls.

    
The rest of the day was spent in a happy whirl of play, stories, a brief walk (to make sure I could manage the double stroller thing and the various keys into the apartment). Oh, and not much daytime sleep. Maybe that's my fault. I think I talked to them too much!

How to Choose a Book (by its cover)

I'm all for grabbing random books from the recently returned shelves of the Nelson library. This time it was:

'A Beginners Guide to Acting English' by Shappi Khorsandi

Described as a comedy, it had a good cover; predominantly blue and white with the title word 'acting' emphasized in yellow. (Yes, I admit it, I judge books by their covers, not by their subject matter or by the author's name). I like first-time authors, and I'm always attracted to bright or unusual covers. Sometimes I like them to be true stories as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Guide-Acting-English/dp/0091922925

It was a great choice - about an Iranian family and their move to London as experienced by the author Shaparak (now known as Shappi, because English people kept getting it wrong and calling her Shit Attack). I liked the evocative descriptions - her impressions as a young girl growing up in a cultured and eccentric family, in difficult times. A spicy slice of life.

I'm proud to say I now know a bit about Iran, and I will never confuse it with Iraq again... And, the big bonus for me was it turns out I have actually seen Shappi perform a few years ago in Guildford, Surrey, as a stand up comic. I got to the end of the book before I realised this. A coincidence, and a story I won't forget in a hurry.

So next time you're choosing a book don't bother going for big name authors, or the recommendations of others. Just scan the shelves and be a magpie - pick a shiny interesting one.

Lizzie

How we survived (20 days - no supermarket)

How we Survived 20 days with no Supermarket

Is wasn't as challenging as we thought, I reckon we could have lasted another week.

The whole impulsive idea was driven by the feeling that we were spending too much time at the supermarket. We hadn't planned it and therefore hadn't stocked up beforehand - but we had lots of pasta, rice, oil, chicken and rolled oats on hand. The tomatoes and other garden produce kept us going. I received many nice messages and comments - but I had to keep explaining it wasn't  because we had run out of money, or due to some new diet or frugality measure.

Porridge topped with a dollop of homemade boysenberry syrup become our preferred breakfast. We had to share the remaining deodorant spray, and Mario confessed he used Draino on the berry stains on my white T-shirt! Our dog Vito made it through the last few days on a pasta meal, a can of sardines and some free beef bones from the local butcher. He couldn't believe his luck; we've decided to cut back on the canned food for him in future.

But the best part was the 'swaps'. We traded grapefruits, babysitting, house-minding and berry jam for cheese, milk, eggs, apples and a banana. Our last meal was a wonderful if slightly unusual 3-course feast which we enjoyed as we watched that disturbing documentary about supermarkets and the food industry in USA: FOOD, INC

Day 20: Silver beet fritters with
tomato, red onion, cucumber salad 

Now we have almost cleared our pantry  we are going to limit our buying to a fortnightly $100 online supermarket order, and support the farmers markets, local butcher, and roadside grower stalls more. Nelson is a perfect place for this. Also, this way we can keep up the fun times with the swaps, foraging and barters.

Anyone out there want to swap some good cheese for grapefruit marmalade?


Lizzie

The 20 day no-supermarket challenge - Day 12

Well, we are up to day twelve, and its getting interesting.

Following a berry-picking escapade we made boysenberry jam and syrup with the last of the sugar. It was a clever move as now we can trade with pots of jam, as well as the grapefruits from our prolific grapefruit tree. We got three fresh eggs tonight for five grapefruit. Prior to that we've managed swaps for a bottle of cream, some plums and some lemons.

Milk has moved to the top of our 'wanted' list - might have to offer some jam-for-milk options around at work tomorrow or I could offer baby-sitting services as there are some young parents in our team. No-one we know has a cow we could visit.

As I write the delicious smell of homemade bread is wafting around the house. He used the last of the flour though, so these three small loaves will have to last us through.

The garden has been a great help. We have feasted on rhubarb, butter beans, silver beet, fennel, lettuce and the slowly ripening tomatoes. There's still a few tins at the back of the cupboard, and a huge bag of rolled oats - so it should be possible to get through to 20 days. He says he'd kill for a banana though...

The 20 day no-supermarket challenge

You know what it's like. You pop in for bread and come out with 7 items. You never got around to writing a list so have to go back the next day for milk, and you come out with another 6 items, and a magazine...

New Year's Day - toothpicks galore

We did a lot of that over the Christmas and New Year holiday. First we had a big gathering and kept needing obscure things like tooth picks and Tabasco sauce. Then it became a habit; something to get on the way to the beach, or because chicken was on special. We both did that one, and ended up with lots in the freezer. Oh, and I had such fun with the online order and delivery service.

We put a sudden and determined stop to it abruptly on the morning of the 4 January.

'Let's see if we can survive without the daily supermarket visit?' he suggested.
'Of course we can,' I snorted.'We have heaps of supplies. It'll be a game - we can barter and forage, and cook up things from those obscure packets and tins at the back of the pantry.After all half the world doesn't have supermarkets!'

We are up to day 7 now and its just getting interesting. Last night we had chicken, couscous and peas. At least I think it was couscous, it was in an unmarked bag behind the wholemeal flour. Then we ate a rather old  dessert thing we found in the freezer.

Hopefully the lettuces in the garden will flourish soon so we can make a big salad. The emergency milk carton is out of the freezer now - we have watered it down to halves. The only bread left is some rolls, frozen. Hubby's making bread tomorrow. Someone at work says she will swap me plums for grapefruit. Our last tomato in the bowl is over-ripe (waiting for the lettuce), but the ones on the plants in the garden are still a bit green... its going to be tough bridging that gap. As the freezer empties we will become more inventive with the dry stores. At least we still have lots of rice and pasta.

After 7 days abstinence it seems possible to leave the supermarket and food buying out of life. Sort of a pantry detox experience. I don't miss it - the music, the announcements about Richard Till's latest recipe, the mood lighting, the free samples of wine, the trolley, the nice checkout lady, the new product displays...oh hell, maybe I do!

13 days to go, and counting.

Lizzie