This is not one of my typical rambly posts, but I thought I'd share something with anyone that happens to wander past my little blog.

A very good friend of mine, SolsticeMom, is having a giveaway over at her blog.    She is giving away a copy of  this  book (see her blog for details!)  It looks to be just the most gorgeous book about showing our little ones how to live more in touch with nature as other cultures have done.  The artwork is just beautiful (as it is in all of their books.. just have a look at the preview page for Arthur of Albion *sigh*)  They also have a lot of VERY pagan friendly books *happy dance*

If you've never looked at a Barefoot book or their website, wow are you in for some eye candy.  I haven't actually ORDERED any books yet... mainly because our Australian dollar has been in the loo versus the USD recently so the exchange rate just KILLED any international ordering!  Things are looking up for the old AUD though so maybe soon I can.  (And my suitcases will be a bit heavier for my return trip from the US in a few months lol)  But for all you Americans, if you want your children to have beautiful books this is the place to go.    

So, make sure you stop by her blog and then go over to her Barefoot Books 'stall' and have a look!

Today is a perfect day for chicken soup.. it's rainy and overcast and sorta chilly.  Does that just scream out for chicken soup or what??   So this morning my beloved put a chook on to boil with celery, onion & carrot (plus a bullion cube for good measure) and we made my Asian chicken & sweet corn soup.   There's no real 'recipe' for this soup, I cook by smell :D    But I digress...

Into the crock pot goes the skimmed chicken stock, minus the veggies, and the bird itself is cooling. Cut the kernels off three or so fresh cobs of corn, slice up a bunch of green onions and toss into a skillet with vegetable oil.  Add some grated ginger & garlic (I keep mine in jars in the fridge, I'm lazy ;) and lemongrass if you have some.. and cook until it's aromatic.  When your mouth waters, you're there.   Grab ye olde hand/stick blender and blend until it's about half or so unrecognizable, then dump into the stock in the crock pot.  Add a splash of sesame oil and soy sauce... probably about a tablespoon of the former and a couple of the latter.  Obviously if you taste it & it needs more, go for it!  

When the chicken is cool enough that you won't lose the skin from your fingers touching it, pick it to shreds and put into the crock pot as well.  Lid on and cook all day, stirring occasionally (read: find any excuse to taste that you can)   Sometimes just at the end of cooking, I'll crack an egg and separate it, then lightly beat the white with a dribble of water and drizzle into the pot while stirring the soup in a circular manner (witch way you stir depends on your hemisphere.. northern deosil and southern widdershins ;) lol).  This makes those very cool little strings of egg like chinese soups from restaurants have ...  not terribly necessary, but hubby likes it so if I remember I try to add it.  

Serve with big crusty rolls to dip and maybe sprinkle a few bits of sliced green onion on top for ... well for absolutely no reason at all except to make it look fancy ;)

Ok Memo to mother nature... this rain business is far more efficient if its in reasonable doses.  This whole no rain for months on end, then days and days worth of rain doesn't really work so well .  My tomatoes are going to just EXPLODE from this massive dose of water *sigh*   and just think of all the fluffy bunnies!?!  The poor things will drown .   Oh wait.. bunnies are a horrid pest here.. so nm so much about the bunnies Mother nature, you didn't put them here anyway :)  But srsly... my tomatoes are gonna diiieeee!    If anyone needs me I'll be out back building a raft... I think we may wash out to sea on the weekend.

Completely unrelated, now that we have the lease signed on the new rental... I've been seriously bitten by the packing bug.  There is a small wall of boxes  all packed up ready to go (ok there are 9 small boxes and one large one.. sort of a wall)  and I've got a couple more planned for tonight.  I've spent the day washing half the curtains in the house (they have to be handwashed UGH) so I'm bloody exhausted.  My dearest made the mistake of suggesting McDonalds for dinner ... so I threw the keys to the ark...err, car.. at him and said go for it. lol   Butter chicken burritos will be for tomorrow night instead, I just can't face my kitchen tonight.  Guess what part of the house I started packing? ;)

And I forgot to mention that I rang the real estate agent regarding the drapes that recommend dry cleaning (mainly because if I hand wash them and they shrink I want someone else to blame it on ;) and the twit in the office asked another property manager, as mine was out, and was told I'd best get them dry cleaned since we've been here since 07.  WTF?  Their list specifically says that is NOT our responsibility so it just ain't happening.. cause I assure the world those damn things were not dry cleaned before we moved in.  FFS, they had COBWEBS between them & the window when we got the place!   Twits reply was to say she'd leave a msg for property manager to return my call when she got back in the office at 130.... it's now 5pm, so I'll assume I won't be getting a call today.   I'm underwhelmed with surprise.