Sometimes, when we’re a bit out of sorts, it’s easy to forget that life is actually hilarious. Here are a few things that have made me laugh this week…
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My gorgeous neighbour Emmeline attempted the Focaccia Tutorial for 23 Year Olds a few days ago. She came up the road and picked up bakers flour and yeast, and then made this vegetarian version with olives, baked ricotta and sundried tomatoes when she came home from work. She was so excited that she couldn’t wait for it to cool before cutting, and I was so excited that I met her on the footpath at 10pm (in our pyjamas) to taste it. As Emm pointed out, we looked like we were doing a drug deal. Luckily the neighbours all know that we’re bonkers!
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Small Man, who was born hilarious, has started uni. He’s studying linguistics, and has just had his first week of lectures. Mad boy that he is, he took himself off to Orientation Week, got sunburnt and attended just one advisory seminar – “Managing your Student Finances” (sigh).
He then came home and announced that it was too expensive for him to buy lunch at university and that he needed to take lunch from home. Which is why he too has now learnt to make his own focaccia (with black olives and cheese). Proving that the tutorial for 23 year olds works just as well for a 19 year old.
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I’ve been getting…um..hot, and have decided to embrace my old Asian woman-ness by carrying a folding fan in my handbag at all times. My mum thought this was terribly amusing and bought me a stack from her local Chinese emporium (they’re only a few dollars each) so that I could hand them out to my equally old, getting hot, girlfriends. Carol texted to say, “please thank your mum for my menopausal fan”.
Honestly, middle age hormones are the funniest things, when they’re not inducing rage and making you want to punch people out.
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Monkey Girl brought over these ridiculously hot instant noodles. Apparently there is some sort of internet challenge to eat an entire packet. Anyone with half a brain would have given it a miss – Korean food is already blistering hot, so any Korean product that has “extremely spicy” and a photo of flames on the packaging is going to be scorching.
I’m proud to say I made it through the entire bowl! Of course, this was followed by Zantac, bad stomach cramps and unpleasant toileting the following day. I might not be able to keep up with the kids at sport, but eating is my speciality.
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Sometimes my kitchen creativity gets a little out of hand (we don’t mention the Apricot Lamb Incident). A couple of days ago, I decided to make a quick dinner out of all the leftovers – so I cut the crust off my sourdough, sliced it and laid it at the bottom of a baking tray, then topped it with cooked rice, pulled pork from the freezer, a tin of beans, and green beans from the garden. This was baked briefly and then a layer of corn chips, frijoles, chipotle salsa and cheese was added. The whole thing was then baked until crisp and golden.
Small Man sat down to dinner and said, “um…what is this, Mum?”.
“Meat and three carbs, lovely. Enjoy!”
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This sight made me laugh! Uncle Steve (Pete’s brother) has been helping us repair our leaking bathroom. In this photo, Pete is shining a torch as Steve silicones the edge of the tiles. I sent the photo to their sister Penny and said, “this is how big boys play pirates!”.
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My fossil collecting has been picking up speed in the last couple of years. You might remember that I recently purchased several small ammonite pairs to use as pendants. I’ve got big plans for a couple of them (hopefully I’ll be able to show you soon).
In the meantime I’ve been wearing this one. Uncle Steve drilled a hole for me to wire a bail on, and then Pete epoxied the sterling silver finding on the front. I can’t be trusted with glue (I once ended up in casualty having glued my eye). I love when something new captures my attention and I can allow myself to be immersed in the experience. The fossils have been spread over the dining room table and the magnifying glasses are out!
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Finally, back to bread. Ever since Bonnie inspired me to get more creative with my slashing, I’ve been practising. Pete is, as always, encouraging in his own way. He described the round loaf above as looking like it had been “slashed by a serial killer”.
The weather has been so warm here in Sydney that it’s been playing havoc with my bread baking schedule. Earlier this week, I woke at 2.30am to pee, and noticed that Priscilla (my sourdough starter) was super bubbly and keen to play. So I made up a dough in the middle of the night (without my glasses on), then went back to bed.
The following morning I ambitiously tried to slash a “C” into the middle of the round loaf on the right. My fingers are covered in fine razor cuts and I’m not sure my slashing is improving yet, but I’m having an absolute ball trying. Luckily I have many willing eaters in our neighbourhood. Pete’s comment? “It looks like Inigo Montoya has been practising his slashing on your loaves” (#PrincessBride).
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Wishing you all many happy moments this week!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Your slashing looks fine to me – Pete might need to mind what he says to a woman who has a deft hand with a razor. ;-)
Especially if they also carry a menopausal fan! :)
I LOVE your foccacia for 23yo. I’m going to try – who cares that I’m 23 x 2 yo :)
Thanks again for a lovely post. I wish I had so many things to laugh about at the moment. (We are going through a particularly stressful time at the moment.)
Please keep your posts coming as they brighten my day. I need your help on the sour dough starter front. I have just had my 4th attempt at trying a sourdough starter and have just had to put it on the compost, no activity! Should I persist on making it from scratch just one more time or give in a buy on online? I would love your advice on this.
I made your focaccia for 23yo the other night and am please to report it worked out well for this 44yo also. Thanks :)
Andrea, I’m so happy the focaccia worked for you! And that your sourdough loaves are looking so brilliant!!
10:00 pm meetings on dark footpaths – hmmm, Celia I really do believe you…honest! Excellent slashing techniques but given the hormonal situation do be careful.
I do remember going through the joys of suddenly catching on fire. I drive a small sports car and my very large dog is almost always with me. My neighbor drove by me one winter day, one of our most bitter cold, and noticed I had my sunroof open. He made a comment about it and it said “two things my friend…hot flashes and a big dog who farts!” I totally embarrassed him.
Diane, I had to read this out to Pete…that was hilarious! :D
Love this post….life gets so involved and full of have to do stuff that we forget the joyous side of it, which is always there tagging on our shirt tails saying, ‘look at me!’ I do love the look of the focaccia and I think your bread slashing is wonderful. I hope you don’t sleep walk too! We need a bit of laughter around here too. I live with a lot of pain most days and it can get the better of me.
As to those fans, I had mine out in the air-conditioned movies the other day, and I’m 63, so stack em up! I admit I do feel like an old lady using it and I refuse to be old! Lots of love your way Celia. I am going to ask a favour again but please don’t worry if it is too difficult. You sent me some of your lovely sour dough starter and I’m afraid someone tall and hairy lost mine in our recent move whilst disposing of unwanted from the fridge. Would you mind sending a little if you have some please. It is so good to keep the ‘lines’ going so to speak.
I can send an address.
Much love to you and yours Marilyn
Marilyn, I hope you’re ok…I’m sorry the pain is unrelenting. I hope the sourdough has arrived and you’re enjoying it!
Well, Celia… just to give you reason to laugh, here is my little bit. Today I came home for lunch by myself because Phil had a meeting – I was in a hurry to go back to the lab, so my idea was to have a super quick and “efficient” lunch break
what do I find first thing as I entered the house? A dog had left some poop ON THE TOP OF MY YOGA MAT that I had left over the rug since I exercised last night.
I don’t know if it was Oscar or Buck, but just in case they are both in the dog house. And because Phil laughed to the point of having stomach cramps, so is he.
(sigh)
Oh how wonderful Sally! You saved the rug! :D
Your loaves look so good, I have a starter from a friend and will bake today, wheeee….. fingers crossed, can’t wait to try the focacia.
Don’t go anywhere without the fans and also a bottle of water, it doesn’t matter if it is room temperature but cooler is best, as soon as you feel the very start of a hottie, drink 4 or 5 big gulps, it seems to head it off before it gets full on.
I found toothpaste, wine, chocolate and anything overly sweet would set it off straight away, so at least you can be prepared for that.
Hope you get over the worst of it soon,mine lasted from 40 to 65 but my Mum didn’t have any,
Sheesh Margo, 40 to 65!! I misread that and thought it was 40 – 65 minutes each, which is actually a lot better than 25 years! All power to you getting through that! :)
I think those fans will come in handy! The ammonite looks beautiful. 👍
Whatever happens in life it can be ‘hilarious’ if YOU allow it to be! Hugs . . .
I thought the ‘slashing’ was a secret Chinese message :) Love those loaves.
Ha! So did one of my friends! :)
Oh, gosh, that was such a giggle – but I don’t think Menopausal Woman should be given a blade and instructions for slashing:). The fact that you also dish up the occasional Unidentifiable Food Object – makes me feel heaps better – I created one of those the other night. There is a cool breeze at the end of the hot flushing tunnel – although it can take some time to get there. Being fair skinned my hot flushes were so vivid that I’m sure people took a step back and thought “she’s gonna blow!” Anxious thoughts were the big trigger for me and the more I tried to control it the more anxious I got – I too had a fan club:)
Jan, I’m struggling with hot drinks these days – one sip and I boil up, even if I’m sitting under the air con. It really is too funny! :)
I have tears in my eyes, you crack me up 😊I can relate to much of your account. My temperature gauge is somewhat awry, I’m a menace with glue, I’m still not convinced I should never eat chilli and try it every so often with the same catastrophic effects, I took a pic today of the G.O. with a pirate… and also transported via the nannavan fridge a portion of my Polly sourdough starter interstate so my Melbourne sister has a sourdough sister called Holly.
ED, the things we do to ourselves! :D I’ve been loving your nannavan travels! So glad to hear about Polly and Holly!
what a lovely cheerful post that makes light of some difficult moments – blood on the bread anyone :-) Honestly I laughed most at the meat and three carbs but I do love your slashing – it is an area of breadmaking that I need lots of improvements
Jo, try some fancy slashing and then baking in the pot – I think the pot is the secret! It seems to control the rise so that the slashes bloom rather than burst!
Thanks for the laugh! I love creativity with leftovers. Your slashing is looking good.
Thanks Lizzie, I think I should have writte “creativity” in inverted commas.. :)
Celia, you just made me laugh all the way through reading about your funny moments! You are clever in your observations. I loved your comment about the big boys and their pirating! You called that perfectly. And meeting your neighbor late at night to share focaccia. I make your wonderful sourdough every week now. I’ve even broadened into sourdough bagels and I just have so much fun! But I haven’t tried the focaccia and I must! Best of all, you just give such a wonderful reminder to find the humor in every day! Humor and gorgeous jewelry! I so admire. :-)
Debra, I’m so pleased your enjoying the whole sourdough journey! Wait until you see the jewellery I had commissioned for my birthday (it’s today’s post)!
‘Eating is my specialty….’ lol
Great to retain a sense of humour through all these trials and tribulations that life sends us all. Maybe that serial killer slashed loaf is your menapausal loaf. Good to hear that small man has started uni and is getting into it- and wise he is to make his own lunch.
Fra, so much to talk about! One of these days I’m going to ring you for a looong chat! :)
Hoping that we might meet up this year – Melbourne or Sydney, we will just do it.
A fun post, lovely. I’ve been getting, um, hot too… I sleep with ice packs at my feet these days! Sigh. I love your tin, it shows the mark of much use xx
Lizzie, when I first read your comment, I mentioned it to Pete and we laughed about it, then two nights later I had to stick my feet out from under the sheets because they were so hot! And I thought…bugger! :)
You do make me chuckle! You’re right, life is full of comedy :)
I keep meaning to comment to say that my starter (not yet named, still working on that) is going gangbusters and my kids/husband LOVE the bread I’m making. Still haven’t mastered the rolls, they come out a bit dense, so will have to work on them. Thank you so much!
Hooray! Thanks for letting me know! Sourdough rolls can end up quite hard and crusty!
Unlike Pete I wouldn’t have thought that loaf was slashed by a serial killer, more likely a menopausal woman who was embracing her “old Asian woman-ness” by eating extra hot noodles in the bath while planning evening street rendezvoux.
Oh good. You’ve summed up my mentalness in a single sentence! :D
I have a large number of assignments to mark today so of course I’m going to try your focaccia recipe….(Delighted to hear your son is doing linguistics.)
Maeve, it’s his great passion! :)
Celia, your slashing looks beautiful! I always use a super sharp little paring knife that I reserve just for that purpose. I’m too uncoordinated to use a razor blade without slashing myself! I have an actual lame, but my paring knife works better.
Jean, I used to slash with a serrated knife too, but the razors are giving me better results. More injuries, but better results. :D
Hi Celia. I noticed that you mentioned that your Small Man (who I imagine is now quite tall) has just started Uni. That means he did well in his exams and congratulations are called for. Good on him. I do hope he enjoys his course.
PS It looks like you have the same tiles in your bathroom as we do.
Thanks lovely! He’s enjoying it so far, and we’re incredibly proud of him. And ugh…don’t mention the wall tiles. Do you have any idea how hard it is to match tiles 25 years later? You’d think it would be easy, but every batch of white is different!!!
You’re back! Ah, you make me laugh, girl. xoxo
Linguistics? I think that’s great. I used to have a friend who was a linguistics professor at Edinburgh University and he used to say the most remarkable things about peoples’ accents. We met over the net and he asked to call me and then he could tell where I’d lived.
Your slashing is lovely but it’s the eating that makes the difference and your loaves are gorgeous.
Everyone needs a laugh right now.
Lots of love to you, darling one. x And that’s Small Man’s aim – to be able to identify all the accents in the world! It’s probably a tad ambitious.. :)
I’m still laughing about your 10 pm pyjama – focaccia – tasting rendezvous!!! It’s so good to share laughs, food, gifts, and good stories!
In all my bread making days I’ve never accomplished to make a good slashing on my Sourdough let alone a good rising! Your bread is always number one for me Celia!
Lina, the baking in a pot seems to be the secret to both the rise and the slashing! Ever since I started doing it, I’ve gone from good homemade bread to really artisan looking loaves!
Absolutely true about laughing! Last week at our sons wedding, we had a fantastic family and friend gathering and I stood back for a moment and thought, “This is what it’s all about. Great family, oodles of love and loads of laughing”. If I’d dropped dead at that moment I’d have gone with a big warm smile on my dial! Slashing seems to be a bit of a focus in the bread world ATM. I think it’s really sad there are no pics of the ‘deal’ going down in your street. Hugs to you, M :)
Maree, we definitely left all our mobile phones at home – who does a deal with recording devices on them? :) I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to reply to comments, but congratulations to you and G, both on the wedding AND the new grandbaby!! Wonderful news!
What a wonderful and fun post! Thanks!
Thanks for the chuckles today..!
womenlivinglifeafter50.com
I thought you might be interested to hear that Priscilla has made it to Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal via Tandy in Gordons Bay. She revived magnificently, and my first attempt at an Overnight Sourdough recipe has resulted in risen dough overflowing onto the counter top. My dough was a bit wet, but nonetheless the loaves are looking good.
Hooray for Tandy and Cordelia! Flour varies from state to state and country to country – you might need to adjust your water quantity accordingly. Have fun!
Life is many things, and one of its many things IS hilarious! So good to be able to find hearty laughs, especially those unexpected ones. And I always think being able to take secret or overt delight in ourselves, either in company or alone, is another level of joy.
Wendy, that’s so true! Life can be difficult or hilarious, or occasionally both! :)
Chipping in from South Africa here. I too received some of Cordelia from Tandy and have named her Phoebe daughter of Cordeila, granddaughter of Celia. She is great and I baked 101 round loaf and am right now making white sandwich bread. First loaf crust was very hard but tasted great. I am in Gauteng. Laura
Laura, hooray for Tandy! You’ll get a thinner crust if you can raise the water a bit and bake in a pot – you might enjoy the overnight sourdough recipe?
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/12/12/an-overnight-sourdough-in-pictures/
granddaughter of Priscilla :) Laura
I bought a fan for my hot flashes too but it didn’t last. Then I carried around a heavy card stock wedding invitation for a while until it became unusable and now it’s a card stock marketing piece for our wine region. I must get down to China town and get more fans!
Eva, apparently you can get little plastic battery operated ones. Effective, but probably less classy…hahahaha
Great post! Your breads are stunning! Love your slashing techniques. They look perfect to me!
Thanks Mimi! Someone pointed me to your boiled bread post recently, it looks fabulous!
Such a fun post, Celia! You’re so right about Korean food. Whenever I go to the local Korean restaurant and they ask if I want it low, medium, or hot, I always tell them that their hot is way to hot and to make mine medium. It’s still far hotter than any other restaurant but I can tolerate it. Those loaves of yours look perfect!
Honestly John, Koreans must be born with asbestos tastebuds, because sometimes the food is unbelievably hot! It’s like their superpower! :)
Absolutely wonderful post. Loved all the pictures…especially of food. Not brave enough to try baking my own bread so I am impressed!
If you ever change your mind Lori, let me know and I’ll mail you some starter.. :)
Zantac is he best friend. Ever since the three pregnancies I have to take one daily, hot Korean food that spicy would put me over the top eve. With two Zantac! Keep those fans nearby. Hopefully your boys are nicer to you than we were to my mom. We teased her when her eyes started to go at 40 (I’m still waiting for it to happen to me). Then I remember her hit f,ashes being horrific when we were in the metro in Paris. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her. I fear payback coming my way! Our lives are a,ways entertaining, even if it doesn’t seem so at the time. Around here it is boys running around naked for no reason or pooping in the yard because they can’t be bothered to come in the house….
Gret, your boys crack me up. Seriously! It’s a joy to see the daily photos of them!
When I’m not mad at them I can sit back and laugh at it all!
I always love your post they make me smile, the way you find such joy in life is refreshing.
Lury
Thanks Lury…it’s not always easy, but I’m blessed with such a wonderful family that it’s hard not to laugh most of the time!
hehe – i needed this laugh! Thanks for the post. I hope you got the leaking bathroom issue sorting – leaking is never fun to deal with…..
Sandy…yep, but then the sewer packed it in. Figures it was always going to be Pythonesque! :D
Hi Celia, I’ve been reading your posts for a while now. Thank you for your lovely posts. I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling out of sorts for a while. I realise it’s been going on for a few months…hope that you feel better soon and things look up! I love reading your blog — am living vicariously through you.
Much love to you and your loved ones! :)
Thank you for such a kind comment! Yes, on the up now! :)
Thanks for the laugh :-) I needed it today! Liz xx
xxx
I am having continued success with my Sally starter and today was no exception.
Oh, don’t you just hate the ‘private summers’ we girls have? I have one of those Japanese fans in my hand bag (cant live without it!) but must find more as its getting a bit tatty.
I loved this bits and bobs post with lots of interesting stuff! :)
Joolz, they’re remarkably hard to buy! The old Asian Emporiums of old are fast disappearing!
Your loaves look beautiful!