My weekend...

Chris recently acquired this beauty from my uncle Brent. It had been under his house for 7 years, purchased in 1980 for $110. It is a 1979 Apollo. And its a beautiful thing! The tyres stayed inflated for a couple of laps of the yard, and a squirt down the road, but are very brittle. 

Chris started tinkering with it over the weekend and got me inspired. 

Meet this old gem- the blue Repco! I have had it in the shed for about 6 months, bought at the local tip shop for $5. A nice little Sunday project!

More photos later. 

And a little run with KM this arvo... Pre-empting a big and delicious dinner at Fryers Street Food Store tonight!

Are we ready for another week...!?

Keiramoo

Two of my favourites...

....

A little post about my bestest run buddy, schnuggly fur baby, favourite girl Keira. She is so easy to love, and is most definitely in charge in our house. 

One of our favourite activities is running 'Keira's Loop' - a 7km track in the forest near our home. She runs 5 meters to every 1 of mine - for the first 6km... Then trots beside me, exhausted, for the last km home. We always run the same track, and one would expect that over time, she might have worked out how to pace for the distance?! Nope! Boom and bust is the only way!!

Her birthday is 14 August 2006, so she is  turning seven this year. This scares me a lot... I can hardly remember life without her in our family, and those seven years have flown. I hope the next seven last forever!  I truly love this mushy mud puddle obsessed pudding!!

(Snaps from Saturday's burn around Keira's Loop... Followed by the usual swim in the Goulburn to freshen up. We are both creatures of habit!)

Did I mention she likes puddles? Just a little bit ;)

BY REQUEST: Chicken and sweet corn soup

One of my favourite winter warmers. No idea what the correct recipe is, but this is what I remember from being shown by my aunt and uncle during my first year of uni. It works!

Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons
5-6 Chicken thighs
Ginger (about 2 thumb sized pieces) very finely chopped, or grated
1 large white or brown onion - finely chopped
White wine for sloshing (and drinking while you cook if it blows your hair back)
Water
2 cans creamed corn
Soy sauce
2 eggs

Heat a olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan, medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs whole, brown on each side (don't cook through). Remove from the pan.

Add onion to the pan, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add ginger, stir and cook for a minute. Deglaze the pan with a glug of white wine, stir well. Return chicken to the pan. Add water to cover chicken. Simmer covered for 15 minutes or long enough to allow chicken to cook through.

Remove chicken from the pan and set aside to cool slightly. Add creamed corn to the pan, stir and gently simmer over low heat with lid off.

When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred/pull it apart with your hands and return to the pot.

Add pepper to taste. Add a few teaspoons of soy sauce - adjust to taste (more soy = saltier), or you may like to just add the soy when you serve it, so the eater can decide how much they want!

Whisk eggs, slowly pour into soup, stirring as you go, so the egg distributes through the soup and cooks in ribbons/strings. This will only take 30 seconds or so.

Enjoy.

BY REQUEST: Easy pumpkin soup for Jane

Requested by the lovely Jane:

Pumpkin Soup
Olive oil
Brown onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1.5 teaspoons cumin (ground)
1.2kg butternut pumpkin
1 litre chicken or veg stock

Heat olive oil in large saucepan (heavy based if you have one). Gently cook onion for 5-6 minutes, or until translucent and golden. Add cumin and garlic, stir and cook for a minute.

Add pumpkin (peeled and coarsely chopped) to the pan. Stir, then add the stock. Simmer until pumpkin is soft, then set aside to cool.

Blitz in the blender or with a stick blender until smooth.

Serve with crunchy bread. You might like a dollop of natural yoghurt or cream on top too!

Sunday 16th June

So, the letter writing has been up and down, but I think I'm averaging about one per day. Unfortunately I have 5 postcards and a letter in my handbag that I've been carrying around for a week waiting to go near a post box. Must get that done tomorrow!

I'm thoroughly enjoying my new bike. Had another whoopsie-daisy this arvo but recovered ok. Puddles are apparently my nemesis!

Here are some snaps from this arvo's ride in Murchison VIC

Getting ready at the Hillburners

Resting at the top of a back breaking climb

Watching out for each other 

Story telling

Rehydrating...

And here is the strava link 

https://www.strava.com/activities/60625462

Success! My first letter!

I was so excited to receive a letter from my cousin Niamh today! Hooray. And on totally gorgeous stationery... With the orangutan stamp like the one from G'ma!

The system works! Share the love. Reply is on its way Niamh!

Work lunches-inspiration wanted!

Throughout the summer, I found it easy to make tasty and interesting lunches each day. Now the days are colder, salad struggles to make the grade- the quality of salad ingredients is lacking (I'm looking at you expensive but substandard avocado!), and by midday, I'm looking for something warm to fill my belly. This is today's effort- boiled eggs, salad with offending avocado, a banana, and some natural yoghurt topped with toasted almonds, cinnamon and honey.  Will be delicious... but cold!

What is your favourite winter warmer lunch? Please share! (Ideas or your lunch!)

Muddy Puddle Muddle

2nd of June, and two days into my month of letters. Penned one yesterday, and another three this evening. Off to a flying start. Hope I get some fast replies, or I may run out of friends and Grandmas!

Had a little incident with a big puddle today, while taking my new bike out for its first decent ride. Confidence is no substitute for careful line selection...

There is an Erica shaped smear in the mud coming out of the puddle. Silly girl.

My bike, finally with some proper mud on it. Officially worn in - muddy and survived a crash. Two monkeys off the back.

Ahh!! Time for a latte!

Scarf Community Winter Dinners - A social enterprise you can easily support (and it's delicious!)

Last year I wrote about Scarf Community Dinners, an awesome social enterprise supporting young people. The 2013 winter series kicks off later in June, at Top Paddock, 658 Church St, Richmond.

I encourage you to support the Scarf crew - you'll have a great night out, the opportunity to support a great venture and get behind some young people courageously blazing a trail towards a positive future. What's not to love? Book ahead... and let me know what you think!


x

Restoring order

New season: Soaking.
Weekend at home: Precious.
Peaceful night's sleep: Restoring.
Breakfast shared: Enriching.
Short drive: Karaoke.
Pilates class: Perspiration.
Creamy latte: Effective.
Supermarket basket full of vegetables: Promising.
Phone call to a friend: Planning.
Fridge clean-out: Cathartic.
Housework blitz: Equilibrium.
Letter to friend: Commitment.
Phone call from fellow marathon runner: Relate.
Visit from a friend: Chocolate.
Washing hanging from every ledge: Necessary.
Simple dinner: Satisfying.
Snoring dog: Priceless.
Tomorrow's ride: Anticipation.
Couch time: Recline.
Oklahoma: Sympathy.
Husband: Cherished.
Harry Potter: Magic.
Pillow: Imminent.