}

22 August 2010

A brand new kitchen for the family

Joanne, Antony and the children have been through a hellish 6 weeks while their kitchen was totally gutted, their floor in the dining room, kitchen and corridors was torn up and a gaping hole (to make a door) was smashed through their wall. Dust. Dirt. Mountains of rubble. Workers coming and going. Loud hammering. No kitchen. That was their constant lot for weeks on end.

But, I think you'll agree the final result - a modern, stylish, open plan kitchen and a much lighter and airier dining room - have been well worth it. The kitchen has now been christened with their first dinner party and all their friends were very impressed. But I don't think the Botings will be in a rush to do any more large renovations for a while. They are enjoying their new kitchen and some much needed peace and quiet.


During





The result!



21 August 2010

Just Good Friends

This is a story I remember reading as a child. I hope you enjoy my interpretation:

As usual, I wake up early and I gaze at the man who is sleeping next to me. He has such a kind, loving face, even when he sleeps, and I feel deep affection for him. It will be some time before he wakes. I let my mind wander and I remember back to how we met.

We met at a pub called "The Cat and Whistle" which I visited often. I was first attracted to him, not because he was good looking, but because he seemed kind and gentle. Every night, he used to sit at the same table alone and drink his beer and watch people playing darts.

Then one night, a blonde woman came and sat at his table and started talking to him. From then on, each night, they sat together. To be honest, I felt very jealous. Then after 20 days, they had an argument and she went away. I felt extremely happy. The next night, I went straight over to his table and I sat beside him. I fluttered my eyelids and he smiled at me. There was no need to talk. We were just two lonely souls connecting. Spontaneously, he put his out his hand and caressed my cheek. Later that night, it just seemed natural to leave with him. And we have been living together ever since.

We have never spoken about our pasts. And that is a good thing because life was very hard for me before we met. I am one of four and our father deserted us when I was very young. I had two babies of my own, but they were taken away from me. It is a very painful memory.

My attention comes back to the man sleeping next to me. I cannot imagine life without him. Suddenly the alarm goes and he wakes up. I pretend to be asleep and through closed eyelids, I watch him get out of bed. As usual he puts his foot into the wrong slipper and he groans. Then he turns round to me and says "Wake up, lazy bones!" but as usual, I roll over and lie in the warm hollow that his body has left. "I suppose you want me to get you breakfast in bed again, do you!" he says.

He walks out the bedroom and I can hear his footstep as he goes to the kitchen. Then, I can hear the clinks and clanks of him making breakfast. It's time to get up, I think. I leap out of bed and I go to join him in the kitchen. He is at the table, eating cornflakes from a bowl. "Nice of you to join me!" he says. He pushes my bowl over to me and I lap it up happily. It's not true that we cats only swish our tails when angry.

12 August 2010

Sam's Poem

Sam has been studying about Pirates at school and she wrote a poem. Pretty fabulous considering she's 10 and wrote it in ten minutes flat. Must have the Sorrel genes!

I am going to tell you a story from long ago
about a pirate, our enemy and foe.
It all started that night
when I was in bed wrapped up tight
and then I heard a noise from the door
I looked down and saw a letter on the floor.
I picked it up and I read "you shall be
DEAD DEAD DEAD"
That noise again I heard from the door
I dropped the letter on the floor
And then it came in and it wouldn't go back
"Oh no", it's Calico Jack!!!

1 August 2010

Favourite meals

Food is a gift and should be treated reverentially - romanced and ritualized and seasoned with memory.  Chris Bohjalian

2025
  • Cattle Baron
  • Peanut butter smoothie at Woodside
  • Kirsten's Kick Ass Icecream


2024
  • Raspberry tart @ Harrods, Doha
  • Tender beef on Sylvia Earle
  • Double thick peanut butter shake (Simons Town)
  • Cattle Baron Fillet Madagascar (Cape Town)
  • Frozen orange and mango at top of Devils's Peak (thanks Brandon!)
  • Kirsten's Kick Ass Icecream: Cherry
  • Kalk Bay ice cream: Cinnamon, ginger, cherry
  • Salad at Third Rail during fast
  • Kolfi with dried fruit (Grace of India)
  • Roast chicken meal (Dom in Carcoar)
  • Black cherries
  • Balmoral grilled sea food (octopus, calamari, prawns)
  • Frozen yoghurt with nuts and white chocolate
  • Plougman's lunch in the Blue Mountains (Thank you Michelle and Petros)
  • The Little Snail in Pyrmont: Kanagaroo steak
  • Fish Bowl salmon
  • Thai Beef Salad at the pub after tennis near St Peters station


2023
  • Chocolate pannacotta & flake
  • Banana and mango smoothy
  • Mushroom on toast in Orange with Tina and Dom
  • Take sushi with Tina, Dom, Shushann (x2)
  • Passion Fruit cheesecake (Bamboo Buddha)
  • Messina Icecream (Macedamia Nut Crunch, Lychee & Coconut)
  • Steak final night Buenos Airies
  • Roast chicken in Airfryer with Martin's seasoning
  • Almond nougat (Cape Town)
  • Duck, Pork Belly, Steak tapas as Silk (Cape Town)
  • Peanut butter smoothie (Nepal & Woodside)
  • Lassies in Kathmandu
  • Mango and yoghurt
  • Bowral hot donuts
  • Prawn dumplings at home


2022
  • Portuguese Charcoal chicken with Srini after hike
  • Messina icecream
  • Jo's coffee and rum & raisin icecream
  • Thick chocolate milkshake in Cape Town
  • Eat Greek prawn wrap after Coastal Track walk
  • Cape Town meat & fish: Cattlebaron steak, Ocean Basket, Ribs at market
  • Xmas feasts: Ruth: Duck, pork belly, chicken, amazing potato bake Xmas day at Shalow: Lemon curd trifle, turkey


2021
  • Lamb after Dune
  • Botanica breakfast bowl
  • Four Cheese Toastie at The Flying Bear
  • Love.Fish with Elna to celebrate new year


2019
  • Prawn soup  (The Botanica)
  • Ko Pla (Thai) with Brendan and Eva
  • Ginger drink   (The Botanica)
  • Oven roasted vegetables with smoked almonds (my speciality)
  • Hummus and Mushrooms  (Grumpy Baker)
  • Monkfish with Chris, Xenia, Christina, Shushan
  • Meal at Devil’s Pools
  • Jo’s rum and raisin ice-cream  


2016
  • Ape Crepe & Malaysian Toast
  • Botanica Quiche
  • Pizza in Wilderness: Fig, blue cheese, ham


2015
  • The Edge of the Bay. Seafood chowder, scollop liguine, choc mousse.
  • Lamb salad with Liza (Jagos on Miller)
  • Bondi Pizza (Parramatta lamb pizza and prawn and chorizo)
  • Liz meal. Cheese, salami, tomato and onion pastry, goulash, sticky date pud
  • Roast chicken, pumpkin, potato (made by Matt and Shamista)
  • MaryAnn meal (pap starter, feshwado, granadilla mousse.)
  • Cattle Baron (sirloin with bacon, avo, camembert), chocolate mousse
  • Woodside with mum (steak n chips, calamari)
  • Stormsriver ribs & Malva Pudding
  • Big braai at Geoergian House
  • Vetkoek
  • Hogsback pizza
  • Mutton pie and muffins (waiting for bus). Pancakes at Sani. 
  • Amphithetre:  Butternut soup, pork belly, apple crumble and custard. 
  • Best braai ever with Chrisel's family?  Ribs, steak, potato bake, carrot cake.  
  • Lamb potjie (Amphitheatre, Utopia)
  • Camps Bay Retreat:  Mushroom risotto, Kudu loin, chocolate mousse (with cereal?)
  • I cooked lamb in slow cooker with red wine for family.
  • Steak and chips at Brendan and Eva
  • Veal at Casa Ristorante
  • Indian food (Shamista)
  • Thai restaurant with Srini (Duck curry)
  • Chicken soup (I make for Chris, Jilly, Craig).
  • Chicken soup. Jagos lamb salad with Liza
  • Kirribili meals with Srini (lamb shanks, ribs)
  • Botanica with Yogi - Almighty, lamb skewers, ginger drink.
  • Botanica lamb skeers, All Mighty
  • Eggs and toast



2013

Meals
  • Salad at Brendan's
  • Mexican at Eva and Brendan (lamb)
  • Turkey Roast with Sue
  • Thai duck at Waverton
  • Dani's Belgian pancakes
  • Turkey dinners with Sue
  • My slow cooker meals (ossu buco , apricot chicken etc.)


Restaurants
  • Fancy restaurant for scollops
  • Mexican restaurant after Two Creeks
  • Nepalese restaurant
  • Spanish Tapas
  • Thai (Neutral Bay)
  • Radio Cairo
  • French restaurant (anniversary)
  • Nandos
  • Bavarian Beer caffee (Pork belly with Andreas)


2012

  • Mocha
  • Pad See Ew 
  • Dani's tiramisu
  • Belgian waffles


Restaurant
  • Thai Waverton
  • Blue Mountains (Italian, Chinese)
  • Mexican (after hike)



2006
  • Bull's testicles
  • Guineapig
  • Offal hotpot (Brazil)
  • Doug and Claudia's pepper-corn steak
  • Buffet by weight (Rio)
  • Torres del Paine fry up
  • Seafood with Doug & Claudia
  • Buenos Airies steak
  • Lamb chops (El Calafate)
  • Isla Grande self service icecream


2004 - 2005 

Food
  • Iced coffee and vanilla frappocino at Liverpool Street
  • Meal at web council
  • lamb rack in Gothenberg - best lamb ever
  • Volvo Thursday roasts
  • Steve Fuhrter's strawberry juice
  • Brooklands court sunday picnics in the lounge
  • Glue Vine (and Swedish Glug)
  • Meals at La Taska (Gothenberg)
  • Volvo caffeteria
  • Cambridge crepes
  • pork ribs @ John Barleycorn
  • North Carolina onion rings
  • Wilga and Normon's garden picnics


Restaurant
  • Codfather
  • John Barleycorn ribs
  • Smaka
  • Eating at Nandos (Cambridge)


2000 - 2003

London
  • Putney gourmet burgers
  • North Acton lamb and mint burgers
  • Biltong from The South African shop, London
  • Tescos Crème Caramel (London)
  • Roast beef & yorkshire pudding (touch rugby)


Travels
  • Thick shake & Blue Moon Pancake (Dahab)
  • Food after 2 weeks of dahl baht in Nepal
  • Yak steak (Nepal)
  • Camel steaks (Damascus)
  • Pistachio Icecream (Damascus)


Restaurant
  • The Grove rib-eye steak 
  • Scollops in Knightsbridge, London
  • Dessert wine at The Oxo Towers, London
  • Pocara steak (Nepal)


1990 - 2000

Food
  • Kendal Mint Cake (Granchester, Lake District)
  • Pint of prawns (Plett)
  • Rosemarie's chocolate gateau and risotto
  • Melissa's French Nougat
  • Ally's apple pie with ginger
  • Ally's lemon merengue pie
  • Mexican wrap and berry smoothy from Kuali
  • Woolies picnics
  • Crepes and thick-shakes at Dulces
  • Allies Jamie Oliver's sweet and sour chicken
  • South African Don Pedro
  • Ally's lamb & pavlova
  • The food in Istanbul
  • Hagendaaz Icecream (Kensington)
  • Sea food hot pot (Ko Bulan, Thailand)
  • Cream tea in Devon
  • Yoghurt and honey (Olympos, Turkey)
  • Squirrel
  • meals at George's Place (Butterfly Valley, Turkey)


Restaurants
  • Le Petite Fermet lunches
  • Lamb in pastry at The Wild Fig
  • Barrister's Madagascan Fillet
  • Nandos chicken, chips with perinase and olives
  • Desserts at The Village restaurant
  • Boschedahl buffet
  • Kushiri (Cairo)


1980 - 1988 

Food
  • Spring rolls from Dean Street Chineese
  • Frozen Yogurt Blizzard
  • Roast beef & veggies & kiersch (Gran)
  • South African braais with sizzling boerewors
  • Cassanova veal and cassata
  • Spur Hero Burger
  • Ribs at The Spur


Restaurant
  • Cassanova veal and cassata
  • Spur Hero Burger
  • Ribs at The Spur


1970 - 1980

Food
  • Granny Station's roast chicken & junket
  • mum's chocolate mousse, banana pudding & crème caramel
  • Leche sorbet at San Marcos (Sea Point)
  • Mum's chicken soup
  • Mum's Xmas cake
  • Jam donuts and custard slice at Silwood bakery
  • Mum's Xmas dinners, particularly xmas pudding and brandy butter
  • Granadilla lollies, St James
  • Caramel crisp icecreams as a kid
  • Mum's Sunday Roasts
  • Coffee and Top Deck wtching TV on Saturday nights
  • Mum's rice pudding
  • Welsh Rarebit
  • Appletizer on the beach with grandpa as a kid
  • Granny's chicken lunch


Restaurants
  • Mount Nelson lunches with the family as a kid
  • Birkenhead dinners with granny and grandpa as a kid
  • Spur Hot Rock & Pecan Nut Sunday
  • Pancake place


Related




31 July 2010

Gratitude (2010)


A new lease on life

  • Teaching provides a new lease on life
  • Meds.


More

  • Liza into Mack's life.
  • Russell visit and the Wentworth Falls experience 



1 July 2010

Special connections (2010)


Liza

  • Liza comes into our lives

Teaching

  • Janice
  • Lauren
  • Kimberley & Romy
  • Sam, Tim, Matt
  • Ed, Fee, Matt x2
  • Debbie (Academy of English)
  • Bella (student)
  • Sue


More

  • Craig
  • Jo's card on my 40th



30 June 2010

The family attend a word cup match in Cape Town!

Unfortunately not many photos were taken - but there are two to commemorate the event. Sam is a natural on the Vuvuzela.

29 June 2010

Vivid Sydney 2010 - Light Festival

St Mary's Cathedral all lit up for the festival



The Sydney Baracks


The Opera House







31 May 2010

Challenges (2010)


Financial settlement

  • Settling finances with Ally ahead of our divorce


Teaching rejections

  • First student who wants to leave
  • French girl (Int) - class too disruptive
  • Evan (thick glasses) - more lively, more individual attention
  • Pre-Int girl - not show us enough attention
  • Ron - 2nd time I got him
  • Sweet girl (ele) - changed mind once class mill
  • 3 princesses in upper - stayed
  • Upper class from hell - 2 girls + guy complained in class (interview skills)
  • Last class - 3 wanted to do test to go up
  • Fat face


Teaching drudgery

  • ISR's - huge waste of time
  • Marking essays
  • Electives a lot of work


More

  • Swallowing
  • Release of grief re Ally
  • Craig irritations

26 May 2010

2 May 2010

Sam's 10th birthday

Beautiful photos from Cape Town. Happy birthday Sam!










Clicky