Stuck in a Strawberry

"Mummy...Mummy...Help, I'm stuck!"

I was busy in the kitchen and could hear Monet calling out from her room. I thought Lyndon could hear her too and figured he'd go to her rescue. When Monet gets 'stuck' in her bedroom, it usually means she has surrounded herself with books or toys and can't clear a path to escape.

"Mummy......... Mummy........ I'm Stuck!!!"

She certainly was stuck.

For whatever reason Monet thought it would be a great idea to get into her Giant Strawberry (which is a nappy holder).

Talk about a good laugh for the three of us! (As you can see in the photo she was looking at herself in the mirror with a huge grin on her face - Cheeky devil.)

Mini Dim Sims

In my time I have made up my own version of spring rolls, which I always enjoy. But I have never been motivated or even remotely interested for that matter, to make my own Dim Sims. I live with the Dim Sim King (Lyndon loves a good dimmie) and I thought I might take a chance and make some, after I spied a packet of Dim Sim wrappers in the fridge department of my local Coles.

Well, weren't they delicious? They were easy to make, not at all fiddly (truly) and I will probably be making them again in the very near future. And to top things off, Monet loved them and so did Lyndon!! Next time I would probably add a little chopped Chinese cabbage to make them a little more authentic. I fried half and I steamed half. Either way they took hardly anytime to cook and either way was nice.

This recipe was taken from the back of the Dim Sim wrappers pack, but I added quantities.

Ingredients
1 packet 30 dim sim wrappers
350 g mince (I used chicken)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

Method
Mix all ingredients together until combined. Using dim sim wrappers, place a teaspoon of combined ingredients on each. Fold the ends in and roll, using a little water to make the two ends meet.

Either fry until golden, or steam until cooked through.

Enjoy with soy sauce.

Makes about 30.

Little Fan

I felt like watching and bogeying to U2 the other day. So we popped on the Vertigo Tour DVD and Monet had a wonderful time dancing around. She's a good little dancer who sways her hips, shakes her heads and moves her legs and arms in rhythm. Or tries to anyway.

She has liked U2 for about a year and a half now. I have on tape her dancing and cheering and clapping to the 'Vertigo Tour' DVD when she was just over a year old. It is hilarious.

On Sunday night, the Kylie Minogue concert was on television. Because Monet wasn't well and wasn't sleeping she watched it with us. Well, guess who loves Kylie now? Monet swayed her hips and 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over Kylie's costumes. She especially loved Kylie's feathers!

I have promised Monet that if she sleeps soundly for five nights in a row, without creeping into our bed, I will buy her the DVD.

We haven't got past one night yet. But we will. We will, damn it! I want to watch the concert again!!! (It was actually surprisingly, really good!)

Why Can't This Happen At Home?

To take a break from packing and cleaning this morning, Monet and I visited the library. It's a 10 minute walk away with Monet in the pram.

With Monet still seated in the pram I quickly choose a novel to read (I was actually surprised they had the book I wanted!) and then we went over to the lovely children's area. Some other child had obviously been in the area beforehand. There were blocks spilt across the floor, books still on one of the little tables and general toys here and there. It is usually a pretty tidy area. Obviously not today.

I took Monet out of the pram and took a seat. And you know what Monet did? She cleaned up.

She. Cleaned. Up. Happily and quietly too I must add. She loves the library and she must love the library because it is so neat and tidy (unlike her toys at home!!)

Why can't this happen at home? Hehe...

(((Hugs)))

I bet you've never had a hug from Bono.

I have.

Or from The Edge.

I have.

Or got a hug from an egg. Or a television. I have. Thanks to Monet.

She can be such a laugh sometimes. She is definitely a card my girl.

Each time I speak to my parents or get a text message off my father, they always say "Give Monet a hug from us". So I do. And Monet hugs me back. Big time hug. Not one of those wussy hugs. I'm talking bear hugs. And boy, are they lovely!

The the fun starts. Her eyes dart around the room looking at items she can see.

"This is from the computer", she'll say as she bear hugs me. She lets go, the eyes dart around the room again.

"This is from the oven". Another hug. And another loud laugh from me.

Then I suggest she goes and gives Lyndon Dad (which is what she calls him) a hug. So she goes over to him.

"This is from Grandad" she tells him whilst hugging him. Terrific, just what Lyndon wants, a hug from MY father!! And of course I'm sitting on the couch laughing in hysterics.

She'll come over to me and it starts all over again. She even included family members in her hugs, which is nice. So this week I have been hugged by my Nanma and Grandad (my parents), Nanna and Poppy (Lyndon's parents), Kim (my sister) and a gang of rock stars (The Edge and Bono included).

I love a big hug, I always have and I always will. How about you?

Princess Tooth Ache

My little princess is going along okay. Thanks to everyone for their sympathy. A tooth ache is one of the most painful things to have, we can all agree on that yes?

So we went to another dentist yesterday, just to get a second opinion. I've never done that before (got a second opinion) and I am so glad I did. I think I will get second opinions from now on - trust me. The first dentist we saw on Monday, said in his Irish accent "Out with the teeth". The second dentist whom we saw yesterday said "Let's save these teeth". Do you know how relieved I felt to hear those words?

Monet has some cavities that have to be attended to which will be fixed in a couple of weeks. The poor little love has to go under a general anesthetic so I will be besides myself no doubt, but we will get through this and she will be fine. The cavities could be caused by grazing throughout the day, but they really aren't sure why. She brushes at least twice a day and she doesn't have a lot of sugar in her diet. She still doesn't realise that the 'lolly/sweet' aisle in the supermarket is full of sugary treats. She thinks its just another aisle.

I was very proud of Monet yesterday. I have never seen her open her mouth so w i d e. The dentist was very pleased to see her do this. But she's had a few days practise of doing this. The dental nurse was fabulous, simply fabulous. I could have hugged her. She was kind and playful and Monet thought she was terrific. And she gave Monet a lovely pink balloon and some stickers and some funky bubblegum flavoured 'Princess' toothpaste.

Monet is still in a bit of pain but she is on medication and is a happy chappy when she forgets about her tooth. But talk about whinge when she remembers! Oh. My. Can my girl whinge? But I think a toothache is worth whinging about. Ouch.

Warm Roasted Potato with Spicy Sausage

We have a bit of a 'thing' here for chorizo sausage and when I spied this recipe in my new cookbook I had to make it. It was very delicious and very easy so I will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Tossed'*

Ingredients

800 g small waxy potatoes, unpeeled

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

4 small chorizo sausages (about 500 g), cut into 1 cm slices

100 g rocket, leaves trimmed and roughly torn

100 g semi-sundried tomatoes

crusty bread, to serve

seeded mustard dressing

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs seeded mustard

2 tbs white wine vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Put them in a roasting tin without any oil or seasoning and bake for 20 minutes, or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven and gently squash each potato using a potato masher, until the skins burst and they are slightly flattened. Lightly drizzle the oil over each potato, sprinkle with the sea salt and gently toss to coat. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan over high heat. Add the chorizo and dry-fry for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a serving dish with the rocket and tomatoes.

Put all the seeded mustard dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the crispy potatoes to the salad, pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve hot or warm, with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Gift Time

As you know, yesterday was my birthday. It would have been a great day if it wasn't for my little one not being well. And the visit to the dentist and all that. But I won't go on about that. (For now!)

I was lucky enough to receive some lovely gifts from family, here and interstate. Lyndon and Monet bought me this lovely skirt I had my eye on for a while...


Esprit clothing is really good I find, and wears well. They might be a little pricey but the quality is top notch.

I also received from interstate family some lovely perfume, this groovy bag (called an envirosax) - pretty retro hey?...
...this cool cook book, full of salads to make...
...my Birkenstocks I bought the other day with money from the in-laws, along with a Baking Dish and a funky Bonds long sleeved stripy tee. I did pretty well, don't you think? And of course I recieved some lovely thoughtful cards.

Lyndon took me out to dinner to Mondos, down by the Inlet. I love it there, sitting outside with a slight warm ocean breeze, sipping champagne and munching on a good quality meal at a good price. (No I didn't take this photo!)
But the best Birthday present came from Monet. She slept the whole night through. Bless her.