Stuff With Thing

2 Chicken Fillets (breast or thigh your choice)

2 bunches of Asparagus (break woody ends off)

1 Red Onion

500g Arborio Rice.

2 Bay Leaves

1 Bouquet Garni

1.1L Water

3 Tbs Olive Oil

Put the water, bay leaves, bouquet garni and chicken into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is cooking finely dice the onion and rinse and chop asparagus into 1cm lengths.

Once chicken is cooked remove from liquid. Put bay leaves and bouquet garni in rubbish but reserve chicken stock.

Put olive oil and onion in rice cooker and sauté onion.

Once onion is clear add the rice and stir through until it is glossy and coated with oil.

Add chicken stock and mix through.

Put lid of rice cooker and leave to cook. Chop cooked chicken into small pieces.

Once rice is cooked add chicken and asparagus, stir through and leave on warm setting for 5 minutes.

Serve with salt, pepper or a little parmesan.

Alternative for the chicken – cook on George Forman grill and use 1litre of chicken stock from supermarket instead of home made. This gives a different taste to the chicken but it can be a little tough on the outside where it touched the grill.

I am confused by my in-laws again. We’ve not recieved a birthday invite to one of my nieces birthday party, more than likely it just forgotten, these things happen. However said SIL did seem to be upset with me last time I spoke to her. I’m going to call today and find out if we are invited or not, be upfront and not play any games.

The in-laws traditionally celebrate Christmas with a dinner on Christmas Eve. This year Christmas Eve is on a Sunday so we are having a lunch instead. I’m thinking of inviting those who don’t have any other plans for Christmas Eve to a BBQ at the local park for dinner. We wont want to do anything big after lunch but it seems a shame to waste the evening sitting around at home when family.

Got tix. to Sandown Leisurefest next weekend. Not sure if I want to go or not. Already given two of them away, now to decide if I want to use the other two or not.

Annie headbutted me in the cheek a few nights ago and it is still very sore. More of a dull ache now than any thing. Hopefully it will settle down soon.

I feel asleep during Jamies Kitchen last night so Ralph suggested I go to bed instead of sitting up in the living room. That was a good idea, I must have been sound asleep by 8.30pm. Woke up several times during the night (when Ralph came to bed, when Heidi was crying) but overall it was a good nights sleep.

Annie is persisting in getting food out of the fridge and pantry by herself. Yesterday she was opening cans of pears in the living room. I took away Sarbear, Georgie, Hamburg Teddy and Mounty Bear (all her bed time toys) and put them in the garage. Annie got told only mummy and daddy can open the pantry and the fridge, if she is hungry she needs to ask us for food. After losing her precious bed time toys she was very good for the rest of the day.

I can put a lock on the fridge easily enough but not the pantry cupboard with is a worry. Did notice though she only breaks into the food when I am away from the kitchen / living area (out doing the washing, at the computer, in the shower), so I think it is attention seeking behaviour.

Heidi keeps coming up to me with shoes and when I take the shoes she sits down and sticks her feet up at me. So cute, she loves to wear shoes and always picks up a matching pair rather than two odd shoes. Her current fav. footwear is Annie’s puddle jumping boots.

Annie has spent the week running around in dress ups, mostly her ballerina skirts, thankfully we have several of them as they get very dirty over the day. Her tapping shoes from the dress ups box broke which Annie is devestated about, I however and very greatful because they were very loud on the kitchen tiles.

The lack of noise from the shoes is made up for by Heidi discovering the Dinosaur toy Annie got for her first birthday, it plays songs as you drag it along. Heidi pulls it enough to get a song started then dances to the music. Too cute.

Two of my SILs and their children came over to lunch yesterday. Big families are fun but an impromptu family lunch means you end up feeding 10 people at the drop of a hat.

The gathering started at about 11am and finished up just after 6pm. Both my girls had lots of fun with their cousins. I enjoyed catching up with my SILs.

Amazingly I managed to get the house tidied up straight away afterwards and cook a nutritious dinner for my family. Get me a gold star STAT!

Two nights in a row now I’ve forgotten to give Annie her Zantac before bed. Two nights in a row now she has woken up at around 4am and climbed into bed with me.

The doctor did say to stop giving the Zantac to her occasionally to see if the reflux had settled, while I didn’t stop on purpose it is clear that the reflux still bothers her.

Must remember tonight because I don’t want her climbing into our bed in the early hours again.

Another week gone by another WIP shot of mums Bell Pull.

Heidi and Ralph were being very cute the other night watch TV together, couldn’t resist posting a picture.

Finally got around to taking a picture of the blanket mum made for Annie. I love the fabric on the back it is so vibrant. The blanket stitch she did on the first letters of each words has beads threaded through it. Must have taken her ages! Such an amazing job from someone who has MS and is confined to a wheelchair, I know sitting and stitching causes her pain so this is just amazing

Looks like Ralph is doing the Church service this Sunday. My email in box is full of stuff from Pastor Brett, the sermon, intercessions, order of service and all that jazz. Hopefully things will run more smoothly this Sunday, last time Ralph did the Church service Heidi spent the whole time screaming for her Daddy. She got so loud that I had to go outside with her, Daddy’s little girl she is.

I had a nap yesterday afternoon, then didn’t feel sleepy last night. At about midnight I started getting a headache and when Ralph finally came to bed at 4am I was really feeling unwell. Got up and sat in the lounge room until I started to feel better.

Now the girls are awake, my head is fine but I am very tired. Just waiting for 8am then I am going to wake the boy up.

In a disturbing variant of the “I can do it myself” thing Annie has decided “I can do it for you Mummy”.

Thus explaining why I found her trying to change her little sisters nappy this afternoon.

Cute:

Getting dressed
Rubbing shampoo into hair
Climbing into car seat

Interesting Results:

Brushing teeth
Cleaning up after toilet training accidents

Not so Great Results:

Pouring own drinks
Pouring drink for younger sibling

and just to round the day out we have a new “I do it myself Mummy!”

Make vegemite sandwiches for self and younger sibling, complete with centimeter think layer of butter on the bread and a vegemite painting on the tv screen.