EXCHANGE INTERFACE

I really should go out and dig the hole for that extra chook yard post. Some physical action will definitely help my state of mind and body.

It's grey today, with a drizzle of rain every now and then, and a general feeling of dampness. I'm sitting in the lounge room with Maladicta curled up on a cushion beside me, and a file open in 4TheWords and I'm writing. Just worked out a good personal-interaction scene for the MC to connect with someone that I want to turn up as a recurring character in this story and others.

Trying to decide what to have for lunch. Have started making some tabbouleh, except without the bulgur wheat; it's mostly tomato (winter tomato) and shallots right now. Which probably isn't tabbouleh, exactly.

I made Kansas City BBQ pork ribs yesterday - well, the cut was 'pork belly ribs' which is a small cut of pork ribs with a lot of belly meat on it (probably because they've taken the skin for crackling). The chipotle apricot sauce was *chef's kiss*: sweet and spicy and fruity and all the good things turned into a marinade crust.

Thought I'd make a black forest cake today, but that will mostly depend on time and energy. I kind of want to make a chocolate mud cake for the cake, but I think that's too rich for a black forest cake. And I'd like to make a black forest pavlova like a recipe that I've had for decades, but...that's a lot of effort, really!

My hockey club, denied the back end of our season, have been watching the Olympics together, and it's been very fun and sociable this week. Quite a few of the ladies have developed a crush on the Aussie and Belgian penalty-flick takers on the men's hockey teams - Blake Govers (AUS) and Alexander Hendriks (BEL) and it's been amusing to watch.

The social interaction is good since some are feeling very isolated by lockdown, and struggling somewhat. At least two are single parents and isolation and lockdown is taking its toll on them and their kids. So we're going to do a weekly zoom meeting for an hour or so on Sunday afternoons at 3pm.

Sorry if I've been over all this in the last week and you're re-reading it. I'll be putting up a separate gardening post over in gardening, and will link back here. Hopefully. :)

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Question of the Day: What skill would you like to master?

Probably the ability to empathise with people, to see their side. And then to find ways to persuade them to my way of thinking.

Dukkah Roasted Cauliflower

Pinterest board: nommy
- baked parmesan zucchini
- chicken enchilada casserole
- breakfast skillet
- 7 layer dip

Maybe later in the year.

There's a lot of sweets and cakes and tarts and icing/frosting on that board, though. Going to have to limit that. Maybe stick with the donna hay/marie claire/delicious recipes which are a little more health conscious (but possibly also a bit more complicated).

Also, remember to check the recipes tag for options.

January is going to be marked by several things:

• B1 (housemate) is going to be away in the coming week
• weather is cooler than usual, not quite so hot
• high likelihood of being asked to change diet following coronary calcium scoring
• garden is pumping out leaves (rocket, silverbeet, spinach) and various vegies (onions, could probably get tomatoes) plus eggs from the chooks
• limited trips out to the shop because of increased COVID cases
• leftovers from Christmas/New Year: cheese, antipasto, sour cream
• freezer remains: filo pastry, shortcrust pastry, a whole duck, assorted frozen fruit, breadcrumbs
• preserves: pickles, olives, jams & fruits that need eating

Some thoughts:
- buy a whole raw chicken and boil to make stock and chicken meat (freeze breast meat)
- make small pastries/pasties in filo/shortbread and freeze them for a quick meal
- salads, salads, salads!
- from garden: rocket, lettuces, parsley, pea sprouts, spinach/silverbeets/salad leaves, tomatoes (sometimes), onions, shallots (onions), basil
- from pantry: lentils (black, yellow), butter beans, buckwheat, chickpeas, black beans, split peas(?), rice, pasta

( way more than three recipes, but it'll give me options )