Lamb feast with friends

We had a dinner party on Saturday night. The kids equalled the adults. Three 3 year olds, a two and a one year old, and a 6 month old. With 6 adults all talking at once, and 6 kids vocalising and running from pillar to post, we had a very noisy household, a good noisy.

If I do say so myself, the food was good too. There is a certain satisfaction in successfully feeding a crowd, and seeing everybody happy. 

On Thursday night, I still had no idea what I was going to cook. That was until I watched Masterchef's masterclass with Heston Blumenthal, and his roast lamb. It was a lamb leg studded with garlic, rosemary and anchovies and slow roasted. I did however cook it for twice as long as he suggested, we prefer our lamb not still baa-ing and pooping in the paddick when it gets to the plate.

I roasted it for an hour on 100 degress, then roasted it at 150 for the next two and a half hours. I removed it from the oven and wrapped it up with alfoil and let it rest for about half an hour.

Roast browned and studded with garlic, anchovy and rosemary

  

I used my cake cooler as a rack (multi-purposing at it's best). I just bent it a bit
over the same pan I had just made foccacia in!

I made a burghul pilaf, garlic and mint yogurt and chick pea salad.

Just in case there were some less adventurous, plus the kids, I made roast potatoes, corn and broccoli and the Heston suggested jus(fancy for pan juices made into a sauce) to go along with it too. I also had a tossed salad and some homemade foccacia. 

It was a great feast that went down a treat. I was surprised at how the yogurt went down, it was amazing with the lamb, burghul and the bread, most of us were going back for seconds just to get a bit more garlic yogurt.

Garlic and Mint yogurt
375 grams greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped finely
1/3 cup of finely chopped mint
A small squeeze of lemon

Mix all together. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

I made this about 5 hours beforehand  the garlic really had intensified in that time. 

When it came to serving, I just put everything in the middle of our big table and let everyone help themselves. It was awesome. 

My delicious leftovers lunch on Sunday

The latest in Barbie hair trends #openslather

It seems a talented, yet unauthorised hairdressing ring has set up shop under my kitchen table. All the coolest dolls have been seen there and sporting their new do's around town. 

The scissor police have been deployed and have been combing the scene for the offenders. 

The style police have declared jurisdiction in the fact that Barbies in the vicinity actually look really good with short hair. However revoked after they were shocked at the lack of decorum and style in no underpants while wearing a length challenged dress, with the paparazzi in clear view. Appalling. 

Only in my country

My place in time #94

This is definitely something you will not see in any other country. The yellow and black sign with an australian native animal on it. I'm am not entirely sure, but the yellow and black diamond sign may be an australian only thing as well. 

Kangaroos grazing on the side of the road is a common sight in the early morning and pre-evening in our part of the country. Hence the most common sight as roadkill on the road side also. 

Towards Beachport there is wombat signs, and over the border into Victoria towards Portland, koala signs.

It comes as no surprise then to see these animals as respective roadkill in these areas. I was quite shocked the first time I saw a dead koala laying on the side of the road near Portland. Hubby informed me, he saw quite a few koalas trying to cross the road while rumbling along in his truck, not much match for a poor old koala.

It's chorizo time again #openslather

My brother Auto was flown to Adelaide early last week, he's a bit crook. Thankfully he will live to fight another day, as long as he looks after himself. Mum drove up with his girlfriend and is still there. 

Right before she left Mum had minced an entire pig and added all the flavours, ready to make chorizos. I'm not sure of exact measures, but this entails soaking garlic in white wine overnight, then adding to the meat with lots and lots of paprika.

My sister and I, the kids and Boggy, turned up to give Dad a hand on Wednesday night. We got half way through the mince and I returned on Thursday to help him finish it off. 

All my kids are crazy for these chorizos, they are seriously good. I fried a bit of the mince up for lunch, Dad and I laughed as Summer and Izzy scoffed it up. If Jake had been there it would have been and all in brawl.

I helped Dad last year too, as Mum was working, she left her cleaning job about a month ago. Just as well, and it's weird the way things work out, with her having the time free to go be with Auto. Worrying about and breaking down when things happen to your kids is never easy, no matter how old they get.

I really loved doing the chorizos with Dad again. It's the same recipe and the same way he used to do with his family in Spain years ago. I know it meant a lot to him, to have his family helping just like he helped his.

String, lots and lots of string. We used almost four boxes.

Dad has just spent the weekend in Adelaide with Mum, he flew home last night. I talked to Mum yesterday, she said the first thing he will do is open up the shed and check on his sausages. I can imagine the first thing he'll do is light the little wood oven to help dry them out a bit. Just like last year too, he'll light a little fire beneath them in an old plough disc to smoke them a little. 

In a few weeks I can imagine him dashing across the road with a few cured salami chorizos for the old italian ladies when they are on their daily walk. Everyone loves them.

My legs and butt were feeling it the next day after going up and down that ladder