Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Boredom an excuse for stupidity...?

Okay.
So it's one thing to throw eggs at your neighbours' house when there is no other place/direction that it could possibly have come from - THAT'S pretty stupid.

But choosing to throw eggs when ALL of your other siblings (possibles for fobbing off on...) are out of the house? Now THAT is practically brains sucked out of your head through your nostrils by invading aliens and turned into soup S-T-U-P-I-D.

Chris blames holiday boredom.
I say - about a gazillion billion miles PAST moronic.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

A bit of Monday morning fun.....

I saw this Alchemy request and couldn't help myself (tee hee) - stay tuned for my "bid" in response after the RIDICULOUS request.

Lot of Crochet Flowers Big and Little for my Knitted Baby Hats
posted 9/20/2009 , expires 10/11/2009
Hello,

I am looking for someone to make me some big and little crocheted flowers. I will use them on my baby hats. I have another store on here that have all of my hats listed. This will be something I'd be repeatedly coming back for more.
I bet you will.* I'd be able to advertise your store in each listing and in my store information.ie. this store sells you stuff for NOTHING!* I get a lot of photographers looking for something different. So, I'd be happy to send them your way. They love to buy crocheted flowers to just have in case they find something to put them on. No wonder at the price you're asking!*

Thank you!

*Italics - my witty little side commentary

My bid in response to this:

How much will it cost to make this: $12.00
Estimated shipping cost: $595.00

Describe exactly what you will make:
They would all have to be the same colour for it to be cost effective for me. And made from the same wool. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=513035 How would you ship the item: By NZ International Airmail. Terms of payment: I require AT LEAST a 50% non-refundable deposit upfront before beginning any work, including postage and packaging. I accept only PayPal and credit card via PayPal. Submitted with glee!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

How easily "We" are amused....

This morning the Little Joe spent a good part of the morning lifting up the edge of my top to peak at my belly and have a good ole guffaw. REALLY. He seemed to think it was HIGHLY hilarious. He giggled. He chuckled. He shook with laughter. Methinks perhaps the child is revelling in his handy work...? Then he decided to give it a good poke, with his entire hand - no doubt checking its squish-ability.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Lazy domesticity....

I admit it. I'm inherently lazy. That's why I use gi-normous crochet hooks - things get done FASTER!! We like FASTER. I'm the same with cooking. I like making quick easy meals "from scratch" that are filling, delicious and look great and like A LOT of work has gone into them, but really....- tee hee! It's like sneaky devious cooking. I'm SO lazy I even have a list of what I call "default" meals - these are meals that I can whip up in about half an hour tops - ta da! I'm a magician!! So....in the weekend I went on a crazy whirlwind road trip to Christchurch with a dear dear friend and got to visit some other friends there. Whilst visiting with one of these said friends we got on to the subject of cooking meals. I probably confessed something along the lines about my inherrent laziness, my list of default meals and that I ONLY make things that are
quick and easy! I also more or less told her that she was putting herself through undue stress over meals and that it could be SO MUCH EASIER! Hence the reason for this blog...and probably others to follow....
The plan: I am going to photograph my meals during the week and blog about them so you can all relax a bit more and indulge in lazy domesticity just like me!

So here we go.....
Superduper fast and easy magic meal number UNO:
Kiri's Vege Lasagne: (from my good friend Kiri Brooks)
You need -
1 can of tomatoes (400gms-ish)*- chopped is more agreeable for kiddies especially those who don't fancy cooked toms, this way they get all mushed in with and hidden among the other veges and are not so readily distinguishable from them.
1 can Watties Pasta Sauce (400gms-ish)* ( I use original but there are
a bunch of flavours - if you're out of pasta sauce suitable substitutes are a can of condensed tomato soup or tomato puree - I have used both of these - you may want to liberally add some basil and oregano to the mix if using these subs)
Assorted veges including pumpkin!
I use and have used pumpkin, broccoli, capsicum (usually green but any colour is fine), zucchini,
silverbeet, cucumber, celery, whole green baby beans, cauliflower and mushrooms to name a
few.
1 pottle of cottage cheese (250gms)
Regular cheese - I use mild
Lasagne - wriggly bits of pasta or sheets - your preference
Decent sized oblong shaped dish
Grater
Soup Ladle
Large Spoon
Wooden Spatula
Can opener
A large pot
Step 1: Empty canned toms and pasta sauce into large pot with element
set to medium-ish heat - people using gas yours will cook faster - watch it doesn't burn! (I rinse the pasta sauce can out with cold water and tip that in the pot too to make sure I get ALL of the sauce)

Step 2: Chop/slice all your veges up however you like and chuck them in the pot
taking into consideration which will take the
longest to cook - so for instance I cut up my pumpkin first and cut the skin off too, then probably celery and capsicum and everything else - mushrooms and frozen vege last.
Step 3: Relax and wait for veges to cook - stirring every now and then. Maybe preheat the oven to about 180 (celsius - probably about 350 farenheit I think). Get otherstuff ready - grease your lasagne dish (I'm so lazy I use canola spray and then spread it around with a paper towel). Get other utensils out that you need for making the lasagne. Cover the bottom
of your dish with lasagne pieces. Do dishes and clear clutter!
Step 4: When the pumpkin is mush-able everything else will be cooked.



Using the ladle to get even distribution and cover the lasagne pieces/sheet remembering that you still need enough of the vege sauce mix for another layer.

Step 5: Open your pottle of cottage cheese and spread the whole
lot across the vege sauce mix - I use the back of a large spoon to do this - and I mean a LARGE spoon. To
make sure I don't have patchy
cottage cheese sometimes I even use
the spoon to place dollops of cottage cheese
around the dish and then I just smooth it all out and if I have any cottage cheese left I cover any spots that I missed!
Step 6: Another layer of Lasagne.
Step 7: Ladle on the rest of your vege sauce mix - make sure you cover everything well with
vege sauce/veges or your lasagne pieces will be crispy - my kids actually happen to like crispy bits of pasta though.
Step 8: We don't really need another full on layer of cheese on top
of that - just grate a little
sparingly over top and pop it in the oven for 40 mins - oh AND use the side of the grater with the
smaller holes = more grated cheese volume for a smaller amount of actual cheese grated. YUM.



I'm adding pictures with this (should be pix for all the steps).
What goes well with this? Salad - carrots, cucumber, gherkins, mushrooms with french dressing - maybe some sprouts sprinkled on top, maybe some toasted seeds. OR Potato salad - I chop my potatoes into salad size before I cook them to save time AND burnt fingers - add mayo, hardboiled eggs and gherkins - sprouts are nice with this TOO! - YUM! Or Roast some taters - that's easy! or Peel and slice some potatoes and boil them and THEN brown them up a little.
ENJOY everyone : )
....more to follow.....

*I put 400gms-ish because I'm not entirely sure of the EXACT gms and didn't want pedantic people (like me) hounding me saying they couldn't find the 400gms can of pasta sauce : P

PS - just so you all know my pictures were all sitting nicely the way they should and BLOGSPOT messed them up!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Custom order Etiquette

Dear Alchemy Requester,

The image you have attached to your request is so tiny I can't make out any detail and won't possibly be able to exactly replicate the ripped off design that you want me to copy. Please attach larger image.

Wish Granter/Custom order filler

Saturday, September 5, 2009

CLASSIC!

Jonty: (talking about a friend and said friend's new fancy schmancy Ben 10 toy) ... and it has little discs that shoot out when you push the button, and now he says that he can actually turn into ALIENS with it, BUT I'm pretty sure that he's LYING.....(trails off)
Me: Nothing gets past you...
Jonty: Yep....we'll just have to wait and see....

Friday, September 4, 2009

Flagging Fun!

(Sigh)

Tonight I put the Etsy Alchemy "Flagging/Report" button to productive use. Saw a request that wasn't a request. Got RILED. Signed in. Flagged the request. Now for the part I was looking forward to MOST.
Under "Any additional comments?" I entered:
AAAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
and
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

- bet I made some frustrated Etsy Admin's night :P

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Amusing Fam Bam Snippets.....

(Yesterday in the car, after school)
....We had pretty much just pulled in and Jonty begins to squirm most suspiciously in the back seat...
Me: Jonty. JONTY (it can be hard to get this child's attention) - do you need to go to the toilet??
Jonty: (brain whirring away and processing what Mummy has said - pause while that occurs) - Oh. Yes.
Me: Come on then. Inside!
a few seconds later, Jonty is ALMOST out of the car, when he becomes distracted...
Jonty: Ohhhh....my flag!!! (turning back to retrieve it)
Me: Flag schmag!! I'm more concerned with you NOT peeing in my car!

(This morning as I set about putting the recycling bin out)
....Michael follows me down the hallway proclaiming loudly to all, then he zeroes in on me and repeats what he has just said, with a question added...
Michael: Hey Mum! I'm really good at juggling with one hand, but I can't juggle otherwise. How about you...? Are you really good at juggling with one hand?
Me: "Juggling" with one hand is just throwing and catching. It's not juggling at all.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

To the blog!!! (said like "To the batmobile!"

correction to your description

Hi there, The hat is really adorable, and I just wanted to point out that 100% acrylic is not perfect for little babies skin. Acrylic is a synthetic fiber, like a plastic, and can irritate skin with eczema and other skin conditions. It may feel like wool, but it's not natural at all. Using 100% wool or other natural fibre is best, organic is even better. Much success with your business! (Women's Name)

WHO does THIS?!?!

My Response:
Hi there yourself, Thank you for your concerned advice. I never do say at any time that Acrylic is a natural fibre - I am quite aware that it is not. I have 3 children and they all have eczema to certain degrees - in fact 2 of them have quite bad eczema which is irritated by wool. I was merely meaning to state that Acrylic can be a good alternative to wool for children with sensitive skin - in particular those with eczema - especially since Acrylic is often given such a bad rap, whilst Wool is always lauded as this "all perfect" substance - not so. I do not consider a substance, however natural, that causes your child's skin to erupt in a red angry rash to be "all perfect", much less "best". Thank you for sharing your heartfelt opinion, but I will be leaving my description (which - from my OWN personal experience - I feel is a true and accurate description) as is. Cheers, Ana


WHO is this woman?!? What, she wanders the net at night trolling crafty item descriptions to nitpick at?!!!

BIZARRO!

PS

I also REALLY wish I could have used italics in my response - if I could have I would have typed it like this:
"Thank you for sharing your heartfelt opinion,"