Cutlet the lamb

My parents are hand raising a little lamb. I would love to meet him. I have heard him bleating over the phone.

He is so cute.

I have called him Cutlet. My parents called him Ribs. Either way, I hope they don't eat him given they're hand raising him.

Their other sheep have lambs too - they are in the paddock, thriving with their mothers.

He was born a little more than a week ago, and is steadfast against the cold and foxes.

Lambs seem to be born on the coldest mornings or nights, when they are most prone to be snatched by a fox or perish in the frost.

This little baby was rejected by his mother. His mother butted him against the fence and left it to fend for himself soon after birth. My parents think it's because her mother died when she was born. She didn't know how to be a mother. Perhaps animals get post-natal depression too.

Nature is cruel.

I think my parents are enjoying having a baby to look after since the passing of Jazzy and Toby. It is hard work for them, though, and there have been a few times when they thought he wouldn't make it.

He is living in the dogs' run.

These pictures were taken when the lamb was a few days old.

He is very playful and runs through their legs.

He is also very loyal, staying by my parents' side on walks. Easier to control than the dogs, apparently.

His coat is so silky.

They feed him four times day.

Note - this is animal formula, not a stubby full of beer.

Power dressing, soup, cutlets and pudding

I did a lot this weekend, but still got some rest in. My cold is almost over, apart from a chesty wheeze that is painful and annoying.

Yesterday I saw the God-awful Eclipse movie - I was so bored and couldn't stop thinking about how wooden the characters are. That Bella Swan is the most vapid character I've ever seen - who knows why she has two boys chasing her and I can't even get one. I grit my teeth and told myself that I was watching this film for charity (I actually was). I was refreshed to see Jacob shirtless several times. There is actually a website dedicated to Taylor Lautner shirtless! Who knew!

Today I rested up and did a few domestic things - cooking, a bit of tidying and picked up my layby.

I am involved in running a large event tomorrow and my organisation's big boss is in town tomorrow for another event, so I will power dress for the occasion. I am channeling Julia Gillard's ambition and my own corporate style.

This top was a bargain $30 at the fashion emporium I call Target. It is a deep blue, a bit Cue-esque. I love Target's trickery of being able to stock clothes that look like I've purchased something from Cue but at a fraction of the cost.

My friend and I once went shopping for an outfit for her. I was proud to choose this top for her - it was the only one on the rack. I desperately wanted one of my own, and for weeks I reminded her of the ultimate sacrifice I made by allowing her to have the top. Then, one day there were a heap of these tops on the rack, and at a reduced price, so I put it on layby pronto.

I didn't think something for $30 was an appropriate amount to layby, I could have just bought the top outright. So when I saw this skirt, I put it on layby too.

And to tie it altogether, my trusty blue Temt trench with the Untamed Menagerie elephant brooch.

The big boss should be impressed should he see me tomorrow. I will try to get an outfit shot (of myself) and post it here.

I cooked a three course dinner. Potato, leek and cauliflower soup.

Lamb cutlets and vegetables.

I believe we need to grow bigger lambs because these cutlets are miniscule.

I know, the vegies are McCain specials. Still, I seasoned them with lime juice.

I also made bread and butter pudding, because I read Sydney Shop Girl's blog. And so should you. Read her blog and make pudding. SSG actually made bread and butter muffins.

I had almost a whole loaf that was going a bit stale. So I greased a tart dish, cut and buttered the loaf and lined the dish.

I used some delicious real fruit conserve. It is wild blueberry.

I made a custard of beaten eggs, full cream milk, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla essence. I covered the bread with the custard mixture and baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

This is what my bread and butter pudding looked like when it came out of the oven.

I had one piece for dessert. I might have another. I deserve it.

I served it with a dash of thickened cream.

It was delicious. Not too sweet, and the top was crispy.

I am watching John Butler on SBS and flicking to Masterchef. I can't decide!

John Butler is a bit cute, don't you think?


That's me finished blogging for the night. Happy Monday all!

Beige dinners

I have a term I refer to as a beige dinner.

Someone I know who is not adventurous with food eats many beige dinners. Battered fish, chips and lemon is the standard beige dinner. No vegetables, no 'exotic' foods. Just beige. Can't be that healthy for you.

Yesterday when I was at home, sore and I admit, a bit miserable, I had a beige dinner.

Crumbed lamb cutlets and potatoes in the pan. A delicious beige dinner that couldn't be that healthy for me, but damn, it tasted good. And it made me feel better. The doctor said I need to eat more. Probably not more beige dinners, though.

I used to be semi-vegetarian for four years. Age 13 - 17. By semi I mean Mum and Dad made me eat fish. I don't think there was any animal liberation thought behind my choice - I just read a cookbook that had beautiful photos of innovative vegetarian meals one time when I was in the school library instead of at physical education.

During my semi-vegetarianism period, I had lots of tofu, many vegie burgers and once had some of those tinned fauxsages (faux sausages). I discovered the following:
- firm tofu is better than soft tofu,
- vegie burgers are good but making no-meat-loaf with lentils and gated vegies is far more tasty, and
- fauxsages are horrendous. They look like fingers in a tin of formaldehyde, and taste about the same.

One day Mum was cooking lamb cutlets. They smelt good. I ate one. The world didn't end. And that was that. I stopped being semi-vegetarian and became a full on meat loving girl again. (There was a period when I moved to Melbourne where I really limited my meat intake to once a week and called myself a 'part time vegetarian' but now I'm a well balanced omnivore. I enjoy vegies a lot, eat them with almost every meal, and am quite happy to have meatless meals.)

I love lamb cutlets. I wish they weren't so overpriced. And I love potatoes cooked in the same pan as lamb chops. I love how the potatoes take on the flavour of the lamb fat. I put mixed herbs on my potatoes.




I felt guilty so I put half a packet of greens with my beige dinner. There was excessive shrinkage from cooking. So I've increased the size of the photo to compensate. Looks like more vegies were consumed.

And I only ate four of the five cutlets - I will eat one tomorrow for breakfast with my green smoothie. It's an alternative way of eating meat 'n' three veg.

Yesterday I cooked up a batch of bolognaise on the stove. It's quick and nutritious, and easy for me to do when I'm not feeling up to cooking because I'm sore. My bolognaise has pork mince and lots of vegies in it - a carrot, onion, eggplant, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, preserved lemon and sweet potato.

I had it for dinner tonight, but in a non traditional way. It's bolognaise disguised as a beige dinner.

This is the pie crust filled with the bolognaise, topped with a few cheese pieces. I warmed the bolognaise on the stove before putting it in the pie.

I made my own pastry. It didn't take long, about 10 minutes. Making pastry is not hard. I rolled it out and I think it looks like America. I was never good at sculpture so you will notice it is not a perfect circle as the pie lid should be.

I cut some of the Eastern and Western states of America off and used it to patch up the pie lid.

Just out of the oven. Inspired by Sydney Shop Girl.

Here is what the cooked pie looks like inside. It was delicious.

A deceptive beige dinner.