I'd rather be cleaning my oven

i'm back already. I had great visions of staying away from my computer and sewing or painting. I thought I would have more space and time with Nic being home from work. But apparently being on holidays means sitting at the kitchen table with your computer and piles of paperwork and occasionally getting up to pull the kids apart.  I started on some sewing this morning, but remembered that I had promised to make Mr A some soup for lunch. I don't mind making soup, but I don't see it as a means to being creative. Well, maybe a little. I used what I had and made quite a tasty chicken, tomato and lentil soup, and to my amazement everyone liked it!

Then this afternoon I found myself stuck in there again, baking cupcakes. If you have read my posts before about baking you will know that I would rather be cleaning my oven! (something I don't do very often at all). Infact I think I would prefer to get pregnant again so I could ask my mother to do it for me!! Yes I have done this.

So not only did I burn myself, but I argued with Mr A about not giving him a clean spoon to lick because he didn't like the one I had used. "But I don't like that spoon mummy" If I had any sense I would have chosen to lose this fight and given him a clean spoon, but my stubborn nature wasn't going to give in. I guess I just wasn't happy to be baking in the first place.....AND IT WAS A PACKET MIXTURE!!!
(mental note. make a potholder from my Lotta simple sewing book because mine has a hole in that part where you have the loose bit of skin between the thumb and pointer finger and the skin hurts like hell there when you burn it on the oven shelf).

Of course there is dinner to come. I made an effort this morning to be organised so I didn't get to the 5pm time slot and have nothing defrosted or ready and end up cooking some kind of disaster. I defrosted some pork loin, so I'm bound to returning to the kitchen shortly and prepare it for roasting. I had visions of a fig and orange glaze, green beans, fresh salad, roasted spuds and pumpkin. Due to all these dishes, it might just get shoved in as it is! I can't cook anything else until I have a clean slate.

However, it is the holiday season, so an early glass of wine is perfectly asseptable behaviour

edit: The sauce has worked a treat. I cut 2 oranges, a big handful of semi dried figs, grated a small piece of fresh ginger then added it to a saucepan. Cooked until the oranges became all gooey. Added in about 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground fennel seeds, added a slosh of port and a little bigger slosh of balsamic vinegar. Cooked it for about 10-15 min on a low heat. I then placed it through a sieve. I rubbed in some quince paste on top of the pork and then poured over the orange sauce. Then just cook the pork as you normally would..that's if you eat pork. If not open up some baked beans and eat on some freshly toasted bread..this is by far the easier option and requires less cleaning.

Comments

[cally]

Hi cutie, just wanted to pop by and wish you a happy new year.
your kitchen tales made me laugh, it the way you tell 'em, but i totally get thaqt none of it would have been funny at the time.

i always have fantasies about becoming good in the kitchen, but they really are just fantasies, not based on any practical ability, so i'm impressed by what you have achieved, i'm veggie but your chicken and lentil soup sounds super tempting.

best wishes for a creative year with lots of uninterrupted sewing time. x

[Ursa]

You are funny and I can relate. As I have a day off tomorrow I could just say we will be spending it in pjs all day, but no. I am already making dinner plans, then I should bake some and there is laundry and I should sew too and there are bills to pay... Since becoming a parent I can't relax anymore. It is almost like the World wouldn't be turning if I would stop.

[Sonya]

I can't cook when the kitchen is a mess. The pork sounds delicious, figs and quince - yum!

[monica]

cleaning oven? get out of here! (I'm stalling till I get a new kitchen in 2 months time!!!)

did you have a nice Christmas?

[Jade]

I feel like I've spent the past month in my kitchen. Bring on the new year and a break!!!

Glad to have found you! I've admired your work on ETSY and stumbled across your blog while surfing today. Love the matryoska art!

[Kate]

Thanks for the laugh - I'm another one that doesn't clean the oven.

[Tara]

Nice to see you back, very entertaining. Yeah we've already done the beans thing this week. Someone must have suggestions for 'family' lunches? I hate that stopping to prepare food business. I have considered that an intravenous food source would be worthwhile occasionally.... or Willy Wonka meal in bubblegum... roast with gravy...!

[Maggie Pie]

Oh,ovens need to be cleaned??
that orange and fig glaze sounds fantastic!

[jonipossin]

I love, love, love your new header!! I just made a new one this morning... but I have another in transition that I like better.

You sound like a wonderful cook... and very creative.

End of December hugs to you,
Joni

[Kikimiss]

Will you stone me if I bang on about how much I love baking? Sorry, if only I could sew I guess.

[Kris]

Ok. That's it. We're identical twins separated at birth. There's no other explaination. I get people to bake for me even when I'm NOT pregnant!

A Kindy teacher once told me she had concerns about my Miss 4 (now 23) because she thought cakes came from the shop. The aforementioned teacher announced to the class that tomorrow they would bake a cake. Miss 4 laughed and said, "You can't make cakes. They come from the shop!". The teacher asked me why Miss 4 would say this. I said, "cause at our house they do!". Of course it was then that I realised that I had been neglecting my motherly duties and began to bake with her. Turns out she loves baking (obviously not related to me) and she has taught our other 7 children to bake.

Oh. And I really hate cleaning the oven too.

[Louise]

I have an extreme case of the can't be bothereds at the moment - I'm just super exhausted after the lead up to Christmas. I'm sure I'll bounce back in time for the NY festivities.
PS I'm thinking of paying someone to come and clean my oven!

[Ali]

Sorry Tiel, but you made me laugh (especially with the pregnant oven cleaning truth!).

I get like this a few days into at home holidays too (though with less resentment about baking!). Chin up - they'll be back at school/work soon.