What's on the box? #openslather

I had no intentions of watching it, but there was nothing else on. Who else watched The Bachelor last night?! I got well and truly sucked in from the start, how could I not? Tim is hot! I think it's the smile, I'm not sure.

 

Tim Robards. See the smile. It's a smile worth googling ;)
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I am sure, that I had that dumb subconscious grin while watching the rose ceremony. It that look on your face, that if you catch yourself with, you instantly change it, in case someone is watching. 

Being one of those last five girls without a rose must be very disappointing and a blow to one's confidence. I wonder if they are counselled after the show. I was glad to see Jolene there, she wasn't a very nice person. 

I'm not sure how long I will stay sucked in by the show, it seems to have filled the void left by Masterchef for me, for now. I'm expecting it's shine to wane, it's something I don't usually watch.

I know I have no time for Big Brother.

I know I will be watching AFL football this Friday night; Port Adelaide takes on Geelong to try to make it further into the finals. Port beat Collingwood on Saturday night, it was awesome. I can't believe I'm saying that. As a Collingwood supporter, I never thought I would say that. Shame on me.

Save with Jamie

I loved Save with Jamie, it was on TEN on Thursday night, after The Project. I'm always inspired to cook something fantastic after seeing a Jamie Oliver show, cook anything! I made focaccia and pizza the next day, couldn't help myself.

What have you been loving on the box?

Parcel - the herb and Mushroom Risotto

This is a handy herb to grow if you have the space in the garden. It's a perennial, so it will die down over winter, only to flourish back, ready for use in the spring.

I made a gorgeous mushroom risotto last week that called for celery. I didn't have any, but what I did have was Parcel in the garden. It's leaves look like flat leaf parsley, but smells of and has the flavour of celery, so I used it to substitute. It worked a treat.

I used some of the mushrooms that we found in June that I had frozen.  

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 celery sticks, sliced

2 tablespoons oil

350 grams mushrooms, sliced

1 lemon, finely grated rind and juice

175 grams arborio rice

400 ml vegetable stock or chicken stock

125 gr frozen peas

75 grams grated cheese

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fry onion and celery for a few minutes in oil. Add the mushrooms, lemon rind and juice and cook for 10 minutes.

Add in the rice, stirring for 2 minutes. Add stock and simmer gently, covered, for about 20 minutes. If the rice isn't tender and there is no more liquid add a little more stock or water and give it another 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the peas, cheeses and parsley until the cheese has melted. 

Serve and enjoy. Delicious.

Jasmine

There's a jasmine plant growing on an arch by the side of the house, in between the lounge room and dining room windows. It's in flower at the moment and the fragrance is beautiful. With the weather warming up this week, I've had the windows open and it's heady scent is wafting inside.

I can smell it while I hang washing on the clothesline, a clothesline which hasn't been used much lately, with the rain over the winter. Spring is here, I've been looking forward to it.

What I'm really enjoying of late is taking a closer look at things, especially flowers. This climber has been here for about ten years, I never noticed the wriggly green bit in the centre of the flower.

An arvo at AAMI, Port vs Carlton

On Saturday arvo, along with forty five thousand others, we made our way to AAMI Stadium in West Lakes, for the last of the AFL home and away matches. 

It was a snap decision earlier in the week to go and see Port Adelaide take on Carlton. It's the first time we'd been to AAMI, and the girls first ever AFL footy match. 

It was packed, the atmosphere was awesome, and the kids were perfect. The only complaint from Izzy was when she couldn't hear my phone from all the noise in the last quarter, she took numerous photos of the back of the head of the man in front of us. Summer slept through most of the last half and woke to chants of 'Power, power, power', and the raucous that comes with a close tussle.

Port dominated up until the last quarter when Carlton came back from nowhere to win by a point. I like to think Kenny (the port coach) told the boys to take it easy in that last quarter, to save themselves for this weekends final against Collingwood. That's my theory for Port losing and I'm sticking by it. 

I heard a Carlton supporter yell out "Carlton are playing like shit, and we're still beating them", keep thinking that sunshine, they let you have it. 

I haven't really followed much of Collingwoods games this season, so I'll will be torn watching this Saturday night. I'm a sucker for going for the underdog, so I think my heart will be with Port. I am a South Australian after all. 

The sun sunk below the members stand during half time, so we got some reprieve after that. Lots of sunscreen before then.

Dad's influence. Throwing undies up into the fan, and watching them fly around the room.
It had us all cackling in the hotel room that morning.