breakfast now comes in a bowl

I'm the proud owner of a new set of wheels. They even have a car on top of them.

And a go fast badge.

Its proving to be a life changing event.

No more choosing shopping centre parking spots based on their proximity to the door. From now on, I'll be parking way down the back where there's plenty of room between myself and the next car.

No more quick slices of toast on the way to school in lieu of a proper breakfast.

I'll have to leave home fifteen minutes earlier every morning and afternoon so that we can park 500 metres from the to school and thereby minimise the risk of a carelessly handled schoolbag leaving scratches.

No more housing one third of my wardrobe on the backseat.

If as Dr Phill says, past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour, there will be toast crumbs on the seat in about a month.

the perfect chip

Immodest title for a post, don't you think? It is, however, one that I'll happily stand by.

The quest for the perfect chip starts with a good, fit for the purpose potato. For chips I prefer desirees. Potatoes are one vegetable I will happily buy at the supermarket as they are well labelled and there's a choice of variety, unlike most greengrocers which, gourmet varieties aside, usually stock two types only - washed, or unwashed.

Peel and chop into your preferred thickness. In our house, we err on the side of thickness.

An important step is to soak your chip in water for at least 20 minutes. Not sure what the science is behind this, but it helps them to crisp up later on. After soaking, rinse and dry well. Really well.

Heat the oil (canola is my preference) to about 170 degrees celcius. Cook the chips for about 1o minutes, until they are soft, but not browned. Give them a bit of a toss if you like little crispy bits later on.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Let them go completely cold. Refrigerate for an hour or so if time allows.

Reheat the oil to 200 degrees. Cook the chips again for another five minutes until they are golden and crispy.

Drain well and add chicken salt or regular salt if you prefer. Perfect!

the answer is.....

Photo courtesy of Kootoyoo.

Kirsty is having a fun giveaway over at her blog. This post is my entry.

The answer is..... Curly Pops. The colours are right up her street.

cherry season

My favourite seasonal food.

the secret millionaire

Have you been watching The Secret Millionaire?

For those who haven't seen it, the premise of this British show is that a very wealthy person moves into a low socio-economic area and lives for two weeks on the average weekly income of the residents of the area. As part of their stay, they identify people or groups whose lives could be improved by the gift of a substantial sum of money.

I think I've mentioned before that I am one of those people who cries at the drop of a hat. I've even been known to shed a tear in The Simpsons. No really, I have. That episode where Marg and Homer finally pay off their mortgage and Homer gets his dream job at the bowling alley, only to find that Marg is pregnant with Maggie, and he has to go back to the power plant? The end of that episode, where we see Homer sitting in his office surrounded by photos of Maggie gets me every time.

Having confessed that sad little fact, its no surprise that I should cry at the end of The Secret Millionaire every single week. The look on the faces of the people given the money is priceless. The lovely twist is that often the life of the giver, as well as the recipient that undergoes change.

So if you haven't seen this show, I suggest you look out for it. Be sure to have tissues on hand.

pay it forward

You're probably familar with the Pay It Forward concept that's done the rounds of blogland for some time now.

I received a lovely email from a lady called Mary who doesn't have a blog, but wanted to take part nonetheless and asked if I would be willing to be a PIF recipeint. Of course I answered that I would, so in the interest of keeping my part of the bargain, here's the rules.

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a Comment on this post requesting to join this PIF exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blogs . I'm not sure what that gift will be and you probably won't receive it until the New Year, but you will receive it by this date 2009.

Ready, set..... comment away!

poppet in the post

Vintage button brooches now available at Poppet in the Post.