Inexplicable grumpiness, and sadness. Two mornings in a row I've streamed tears while walking the dog. Wish I understood myself.
However, this afternoon the most splendid sunlight made a brief appearance in the house.
Found two of these chairs at the oppy recently.
My go to cookbook: In The Kitchen by Michelle Curtis and Allan Campion. The picture is Thai Chicken Balls. I made the other recipe on the page, Lemon Chicken Polpettini. Only I used turkey mince because there's a free-range turkey farm 5 minutes from town but not a free-range chicken farm. Once upon a time we bought turkey direct from the farm (you could see the birds barrelling around the paddock). Now Leadoux Turkey can be bought at the local fresh produce shop. Polpettini were yummy.
Choko relish and pickled onions. I'm including the pee-in-a-jar looking stuff in the background. It's feijoa jelly. Tastes like feijoa...mmm,nice. Then, there's a nasty, odd, metallic aftertaste. I did jar it, but I think it will go on the garden. I am really over preserving. Sick of it. I guess this is how women in olden times felt after preserving a much bigger harvest than mine. Did they have other women to help? Sisters, aunties, mother, daughters? How does this bode for the future? I love that scene from the film Looking For Alibrandi where the extended family gets together to do the tomatoes (great book too). I want that for the future.
Here's a pic. of my improvised jelly bag, for the dud feijoa jelly.
I could have cropped out the clothes horse in the background...but, that's how it is. The clothes horse is a permanent fixture in the colder months. It's a skyscraper - holds two (smallish) loads of washing. Got it from a garage sale years ago. Never seen the like since. If I saw another I would buy it quick time (just to decorate my kitchen in winter *cough*).
Hoping tomorrow I have a dry-eyed dog walk and I'll be in sorting thoughts mode rather than confused shit mode.
SNAP, my doppelganger blog friend!
The 2002 edition of C&C in the kitchen is the cookbook I'm working from this week. It's my go-to book too!
BTW, loved the Winkles you featured a couple of days ago.
Posted by: librarygirl | May 25, 2011 at 08:37 PM
I've got the C&C book "Everyday Cooking" and I love it. I've also got two clotheshorses draped round my heater at present! I'm sorry to hear you are sad. It has been pretty grey and bleak weatherwise, I felt much better when the sun reappeared the other day...
Posted by: Stompergirl | May 25, 2011 at 10:01 PM
The photos of the knives and the chair is ominous...Don't do it!
Posted by: Anna Walker | May 26, 2011 at 08:18 AM
Your mood reflects mine lately too. Isn't it just crap being a woman sometimes!!! I, too, have been coming over very teary lately, its driving me nuts...our poor animals get the brunt of it all the time. I am sure in their minds they are thinking "Crap, I'm glad I'm not human!!"
Posted by: Colleen | May 26, 2011 at 09:12 AM
Our clothes horse spot is near the front door - every time the postie delivers a parcel I have to move three clothes horses out of the way.
I think the secret to many jobs is to make them fun and communal, preserving, market shopping and rearing children, are all improved by company and a sense of occasion.
Hope you get some cheerier dog walking days soon,
xx K
Posted by: kate | May 26, 2011 at 09:49 AM
We have two big old wooden clotheshorses that are permanent fixtures - one in the hallway where nothing dries cos it's icy, and the other in the family room by the fire. I have to swap them regularly or the one in the icy hall just smells damp. Your skyscraper version is amazing.
Eight more sleeps! (I hope that cheered you up).
Posted by: suse | May 26, 2011 at 11:49 AM
I seem to be rocketing between 'feel nothing robot' and 'as moody as a teenage heartthrob' It's getting tedious, let me tell you! Hope you can shake the glooms off soon.
Posted by: Kate | May 26, 2011 at 02:11 PM
I think it's a waning time of the year, it can be very triggering for SAD and well, feeling sad. Here's hoping your mood lifts soon.
We have a monster clothes rack too and like Kate, it lives near the door. Very inconvenient for ingress and egress.
Your shots of the light are beautiful as always.
Posted by: Janet | May 27, 2011 at 04:12 PM