I’ve found myself thinking “I can’t wait until we can ....” about things and I figure the girls are probably feeling the same, so I started an isolation jar. Every time we think of something we miss doing we’re going to write it on a square of paper, fold it up and put it in the jar. When this is all over, we can open the jar and set about trying to do the things we’ve missed. I wrote ...
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Day 15 of Distanced Ed
Woke up determined that the girls spend their day being creators (rather than consuming content on TV/screens). That lasted until 10.30am when I wanted to keep them off the freshly mopped floors. Bearhands and I exercised together. For the record I think Exercise-Together Dean and Amanda are the worst versions. I much prefer the Eating/Drinking together set which comes with a red-checked ...
Day 14 of Distanced Ed
We slept late and I helped Bearhands hurry out the door. No time to slip into something formal to take the bins up - maybe next week? Another fish death - this time the female of the cichlid pair. Given that they’ve been isolated from the rest of their species for several weeks, just the two of them, I surmised that the male had sex-pestered her to death. No evidence of this, of course, purely ...
Day 13 of Distanced Ed
Woke up on the wrong side of the wrong bed. My MS symptoms reappeared overnight and it’s hard to sleep when it feels like you’re squeezed into a corset you can’t remove. Spent the morning in a mood because the reoccurrence of my symptoms coincides with missing my normal appointment with my GP because I was being cautious and self isolating. I made two breakfasts before 9am, then followed up ...
Day 12 of Distanced Ed
The Big Sister and I recorded our part for Pub Choir's second Couch Choir, David Bowie’s “We Can Be Heroes”. Hot day, so we all got in the pool. Then Bearhands suggested we shout them Maccas for lunch as a treat. Used the app to order ahead so it was a completely contactless operation- we could even have bought milk, muffins and burger buns - pretty clever. Watched an episode of Nailed It on ...
Day 11 of Distanced Ed
The girls finished their notes to Australian Defence Members then we packed our ANZAC Day care packages. I noticed a Wedge-tailed Eagle whirling over the farm at smoko. The Little Sister and I learned more Auslan (although she insists that she knew all of that already, so it’s only new to me) *insert Auslan sign for drink here*. In the afternoon we broke isolation to go to the Post Office ...
Day 10 of Distanced Ed
The Little Sister and I started an online Auslan course. The first sign we learned was “I Love You”. The boxes I’d ordered to send ANZAC Day care packages to the troops finally arrived (one day before the cut off to send). The girls started writing cards to serving Defence Members who will receive our little care packages on ANZAC Day. Spent some time trying to get my cookbook onto kindle so ...
Day 9 of Distanced Ed
The kids spent too much time watching TV this morning while I did some work and an online yoga session. It was a dear little mate’s 8th birthday, so the girls made cards and a sign. The Little Sister had a zoom meeting with her classmates, then we drove to the Birthday Boy’s place and the kids wished him happy birthday from the car while he stood on the driveway. After Bearhands knocked ...
Day 8 of Distanced Ed
Did an Aerobics Oz-Style style work out with my friend Andrea. Laughed out loud when I mucked up my left and rights and was grateful no one was there to see. Decided our Mums were probably onto something: if you’re uncoordinated, exercising in your own home has its advantages. More cards and colouring in. Bearhands did groceries. Acquiesced to the girls’ unending requests to bake in the ...
Day 7 of Distanced Ed
School holidays started early today so a more relaxed feel at our place. Spent the morning making cards for family. The Little Sister “zoomed” (that’s a verb now) her class after lunch, then we left the farm for the first time in eight days - all the way to the post box, where we posted our letters “I didn’t even touch the box Mum!” and hightailed it home. First day of our new pocket ...
Day 6 of Distanced Ed
The Little Sister finished a beanie she started loom knitting on Tuesday. Then she was brave enough to get back on her motorbike for the first time since a big stack months ago. Another delicious lunch - making the most of the bread while it was fresh. Bearhands and I spent the afternoon getting a head start on tomorrow’s orders. Grateful to still be working, many of our friends aren’t so ...
Day 5 of Distanced Ed
Bit of work in the morning while the girls enjoyed one of the extra channels Foxtel has added to help families isolate. Then horror: we discovered that Benjamin the fish died. Cue tears and howling from the Little Sister. Great fucking timing Benjamin! Used the tea strainer to fish him out of the tank, small sacrifice seeing as though it’ll be a long time til I need to put a pot on. ...
Day 4 of Distanced Ed
The Little Sister did a video conference with her class, then I took the girls to school to collect the things they’ll need to start Term 2 from home. Think it started to sink in for them that this is not a quick fix situation. They acted out a bit in the afternoon. Big emotions for small people. The girls started some craft projects that will hopefully ward off boredom in the coming ...
Day 3 of Distanced Ed
Started this morning with an online yoga session with a dear friend. Found myself shedding a few quiet tears on my mat, so grateful to see her beautiful face and feel some calm amid our house of crazy. Was rushing the kids through breakfast and morning routine when Bearhands called to say there was a rainbow in the dew on the back paddock, so we high-tailed it out there to see. The Little ...
Day 2 of Distanced Ed
Kids took a little longer to get through their school work today. Morning tea somehow morphed into lunch. The Little Sister had a zoom meeting with her class which inspired me to do the same with some mates over a glass of wine. We started some home economics using our first delivery from one of those “here’s everything, you cook it” services. Life lesson #2: when life gives you rock hard ...
Day 1 of Distanced Ed
Day 1 of Distanced Ed: the girls got their school work done in the morning. We had lunch then headed down the creek to pull the pots in.We spotted and identified sea birds, Bearhands let the Little Sister steer the tinny. I got mucky pulling the pots. Then we harvested some grass; Bearhands had the Little Sister in the airconditioned cab of the harvester while I got rained on in the ...
You picked a fine time to leave me
I never met Kenny Rogers, but it wasn't for lack of trying.Long before I was a fan of his music, Kenny was part of my life. Growing up Dad was a long-haul pilot and as luck would have it things always went awry while he was away. Irrigators would break, cows would have difficulty calving, my brothers would get asthma, and Mum would be left to deal with the mess all on her own. Phones weren't what ...
Unexpected
It took a global pandemic but here I am back at the keyboard, blogging about little things, funny stuff and farm life in the hope that others might enjoy a little break from the sobering realities of current events. The farm house became home to an eclectic school on fish on Monday afternoon. The tank that had laid empty since Emma's move to the dam was scrubbed clean and filled over the weekend ...
Moroccan Snapper with Pistachio Rice
Good things are normally described as "the best thing since sliced bread" but truly great things should be described as "the best thing since sliced cheese" because that stuff is a serious time saver in our house. When I first started making this recipe, it was a labour of love. I remember sitting at the kitchen table for hours shelling the pistachios. My fingers were raw afterwards. Fast ...
how to beer batter fish
Many people make a list of forty things to do before they turn forty. I've chosen to focus on just two. I'm going to catch two more big fish before I turn the big 4 0 next year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Smyth (@cookerandalooker) on Nov 12, 2018 at 1:02pm PST Regular ...
Nanny’s Carrot Cake
Skip to the Recipe Mum's been making this carrot cake for as long as I can remember. I always figured it was a recipe she'd clipped from a magazine years ago but I was wrong. There was a carrot cake in the oven when we visited Mum and Dad at their farm a few weeks ago. Mum picked up her phone to show me some photos of what the girls had been up to and there it was. A photo of Nanny's ...
blue cheese sauce for steak
Bearhands cooks a mean steak. Sometimes I help him by sous vide'ing the meat first, but most times he just oils and seasons the steaks, allows them to sit for a bit, then heads out to the BBQ to work his magic. That said, sometimes even a Bearhands steak needs a little crowing glory..... , ...
Fake Away – eleven recipes to satisfy your takeaway craving at home
There aren't too many takeaway options close to the farm, but that doesn't mean we don't get cravings. Here are eleven "fake away" recipes to satisfy your takeaway hankerings, without having to get out of your PJs and into the car. Sweet Basil Pork Stirfry (Kra-Praow Muu) My friend Lim gave me a little Thai cooking class in our farm kitchen many moons ago, and she let me share her ...
Rosemary Chicken Tray Bake
Tray bakes are a busy Mum's best friend. Some quick prep, then bung the whole thing in the oven and you're free to supervise homework, llisten to readers or whack on another load of washing. The rosemary, thyme and lemon mingle with the chicken and potatoes during cooking. Use a large oven tray, so you can allow the vegetables to spread out over the tray in a single layer. ...
eleven great strawberry recipes
Home cooks on the East Coast of Australia are waking to the news of that their strawberries may contain sewing needles. Authorities are advising customers to bin them. But don't ditch your strawberries! Short of running a metal detector over the punnet, the best way to check if your strawberries are safe is by cutting them up. Here are ten great recipes that use cut-up strawberries. 11 ...
30 minute beef fajita tray bake
If you stand on your tippy-toes you can just about see the end of term 3. The end of term is a particularly welcome sight for this tired mummy and her tired offspring. The girls are just worn out. Before school yesterday, the Big Sister told me in the tear-filled sobs that the lunches I pack are so unfair. One of her mates gets Doritos on her lunch every day. Another gets a giant chocolate ...
Mum’s Apple and Mulberry Crumble
It's been cold on the farm this week. More than cold, it's been windy. It's also dry, so the local firies have been very busy. On Sunday, a chopper carrying a fire-fighting bucket came low over the farm. I'm not sure the pilot chose not to raid our dam, perhaps the trees are too close? But before long the chopper disappeared from sight for a while and reappeared carrying a much heavier ...
salted caramel apple dip
I fell out of love with apples a few years ago. It seemed everyone I bought was floury and lacked juiciness. When I expressed my dismay, my friend JJ from 84th and 3rd told me I was likely buying birthday apples and I had to confess I had no idea what that meant. Turns out "birthday apples" are apples that have spent an entire year in cold storage. Not an appetising thought! I only eat ...
homemade LCM bars
We farewelled a dear friend last week. Mr Williams has been one of my biggest supporters for thirty years and I felt his loss keenly. His passing also reminded me of my own mortality. It made me conscious that the memories we are making will sustain us in sickness and sadness. So on Thursday when I had to choose between homework and letting the kids roast marshmallows on the bonfire; you ...
thermomix cream of broccoli soup
Long time readers will already know. I am the broccoli whisperer. There are a lot of super powers out there and, to be honest, I wish my super power was something sexier - like invisibility or the ability to fly. Instead I'm the champion of getting broccoli devoured with gusto. , 3 votesPrintthermomix cream of broccoli ...
thermomix smoked salmon dip
This is the very first thermomix recipe on Cooker and a Looker. Some of you will know that I bought a second hand thermie a few months back. I've been getting acquainted with my new bit of gear, experimenting and generally wondering why I didn't get one years ago. I knocked up this smoked salmon dip in all of five minutes. It's delicious and the texture is much nicer than the horrible ...
I love Lucy
Remember little Lucy - the poddy calf with a penchant for bunting you in the vajayjay? She's all grown up now and on Friday she welcomed a calf of her own. They're both new to this and they had a few initial hiccups - Lucy having not being mothered herself, there was a LOT of learning to do. So, in what feels like history repeating itself, my retired-pilot dad reprised his role as ...
The Great Endeavour Rally
Many of you will know that I’m joining the Great Endeavour Rally next week. What you won't know is that while we were expecting the Little Sister, our obstetrician told us she had an unacceptable risk of having Downs Syndrome. We were floored by the news and I spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night wondering if she’d be healthy and what her life would be like, but ...
how to make vanilla porridge
It's porridge weather. Yes, even in Queensland we get porridge weather for a few weeks of the year. The girls are sleeping later (which is unheard of in these parts) and take more and more coaxing to get out the door on time. You can, of course, buy vanilla porridge in sachets at the supermarket. While they're super convenient, the sachets work out at $13+ a kilo for what's effectively ...
5 things every newly diagnosed MS patient should know
I remember how terrified and uncertain I felt in the first days after I was diagnosed with MS. This is what I wish I could tell every newly diagnosed MS patient.... Being diagnosed with MS is a really scary time. The disease behaves differently in each case and no one can tell you how quickly it will progress or what symptoms you're likely to exhibit. Initially you might not know if you ...
5 ways to teach your kids healthy eating habits
This post is brought to you by Blackmores. Children who learn healthy eating habits have great head start. Here are five ways to teach your kids healthy eating habits and give them a a jump start on becoming healthy adults. It can be easy to demonise food groups or to fall into the “sugar is bad” school of thought, but over simplifying food is a trap. Sugars actually form an essential part ...
19 ways to make breakfast bananas | breakfast banana recipes
Bananas are a fantastic way to start your day on the right foot. Not only are they loaded with essential vitamins and minerals (potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, folate, niacin, riboflavin and B6 - but whose counting!), bananas are also super versatile. Here's 19 breakfast banana recipes to get you off and running! banana breakfast recipes This Whole Grain Peanut Butter Banana ...
creamy chicken and broccoli alfredo
There's an old yarn that says Fettuccine Alfredo was invented by a bloke whose pregnant wife was suffering terrible morning sickness. Desperate to find something she would eat and keep down, he created a creamy pasta dish to sustain her and their growing baby. I can just imagine this bloke cooking up a storm, leaving a wake of destruction and several dirty pots in the sink for his poor sick ...
no bake Easter cheesecake
I'm generally pretty careful about what the girls eat and how we fuel their busy bodies, but on Easter Sunday all bets are off. We let them eat chocolate before breakfast. I'm not sure what qualified medical professionals let their kids eat at Easter, but I figure if they're going to eat all that chocolate they're probably better getting it over and done with, then brushing their teeth. That ...
how to make an epic easter platter
There's no getting around Easter when you visit the shops at the moment. It feels like the supermarket has been filled with eggs wrapped in shiny foil since Boxing Day and this year Kmart has gone to the extraordinary lengths of marketing Easter wreaths and Easter trees - no thank you! Every year I hold off buying hot cross buns until a week before Easter. Call me a puritan, but they're only ...