Happy Easter 2014

Happy Easter everyone!

Sunday Selections # 168

Welcome back to Sunday Selections!

This once-a- week-meme was originally begun by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, as a way to showcase some of the many photos we all take, but don't get around to showing on our blogs.

The rules are very simple:-

1. post photos of your choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title

2. link back to me, River, somewhere in your post

3. leave me a comment so that I know you've joined in and can come over and see what you've posted.

4. hop on over to The Elephant’s Child to see more of her wonderful photos.

Kath and Andrew often join in as well, although Kath has been quite busy lately and unable to join us.

There are several other participants now though:

Jackie K at WorkingThrough It

Gillie at The View from Here

I usually go with a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I'm continuing with some photos of my walk around North Adelaide.

I rounded a corner and found I'd have to walk up this not-so-steep hill. Looks almost flat doesn't it? 
Yet I was out of breath when I reached the top.

a lot of the properties are huge blocks of apartments with barely room for a mosquito between them, so there are these narrow access lanes for the people to be able to bring their wheelie bins to the curb from the back of the property. There are no driveways, I have to assume car access is via a common driveway at the rear of the block. 

in North Adelaide, all roads lead to park lands (eventually), some like this one are sports ovals...or just flat green grass...

...others have been left with native trees and shrubs. A sound buffer between the main roads and the houses. A slice of Aussie bushland right here in the city. 

still others have dog walking tracks, the sign reads dogs must be on a leash I think.

I saw a pink flowering gum tree and heard dozens of bees but couldn't spot any.

and of course the horse agistment paddock with a roll of hay waiting to be spread for the horses.

and there was this! if my memory is correct I think this is a wedding planner-wedding singer business.

Finally, a bold red gate set into a hedged fence. Every other gate in this street was dull, this one makes a statement.

I'm teasing Angel

He is sitting beside the keyboard here washing his face and his little pink tongue is stretching out quite wide, so I'm copying him with my tongue and getting the cutest quizzical looks from him.

what do we have here? Savoury Meatloaf

looks interesting.....

grated carrot and zucchini, finely chopped celery, garlic.....

add some minced beef...

and some sausage mince and mix it all thoroughly with clean hands.
Then add two beaten eggs and again mix thoroughly.  With your hands.

add some sauces for flavour and moistness, just a dash of the worcestershire...a bit more of the tomato....the amounts are entirely to your taste. Mix well, it should be fairly sloppy at this point.

Now we firm it up by mixing in some packaged stuffing mix. Many people use breadcrumbs here, but I prefer stuffing mix for a little extra flavour.  The amount used varies depending on how much mince you've used and how sloppy the mix is and how dry or moist you prefer your meatloaf. 
Mostly it's a trial and error thing. Mix in a little at a time until it "feels right".

Pack it firmly into a greased loaf tin, lined with greased alfoil...

..fold the sides of the foil over the top,

bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180*C for an hour.
Prepare your other vegetables at this point and start them cooking just before the next step.
Which is...
.......open the foil to let the top brown.
Once the top is browned, turn it out into a shallow pan, (I do this over the sink because there will be juices that spill out when turning), remove all the foil and if the sides aren't browned enough for you, put the whole thing back in the oven for a few minutes. (Tip out all those excess juices into a bowl).
If you have an electric oven, you can turn it off and the residual heat will brown it enough. 
Make your gravy if you are having any.
Some people just squirt tomato sauce instead, but I like gravy on my meatloaf.

Savoury meatloaf.

if you packed it into the loaf pan firmly enough it should slice neatly without crumbling and will slice even better when cold. For sandwiches the next day.

I like mine with mashed potatoes and broccoli. 
And the gravy which turned out a little too thick this time.
Which didn't stop me eating it!

Wednesday's Words on a Friday

On Wednesdays, Delores, from Under The Porch Light, has a meme which she calls

“Words for Wednesday”.

She puts up a selection of six words which we then use in a short story, or a poem.

I’m hopeless at poetry so I always do a story.

It’s a fun challenge…why not join in?

This week's words are:

1. mayhem

2. levee

3. blessing

4. archbishop

5. frank

6. blunt

we also have this phrase: "the stars are cold tonight, there is no warmth in their diamond light."

Here is my story:

Last month's visit by Archbishop Frank Blunt had caused a lot of unrest amongst the elders. 

They feared with the  blessing of the newly built schoolhouse the young people of the tribe were turning ever further away from the old teachings, the old ways. 

The elderly shaman in particular was angry and scared. 

Too many of the younger women now were taking themselves and their children to the next village where a medical clinic had been set up by the missionaries, to help them with sicknesses and minor injuries.  

Things that he would have once treated them for, and been well paid in chickens and grains, new mats and a new hut every year. It didn't matter to him that more children were now surviving infancy, he feared for his livelihood, knowing that already he carried only a tenth of the power a shaman had just a couple of generations ago.

He waited patiently however, he knew an opportunity would soon come, the rumbling gods high in the mountain had spoken to him. Now more storm clouds were gathering and much rain had been falling for more than a week. The river was rising....

The Shaman called for a meeting and warned the gods were getting angry because the old ways were no longer being followed. Children were attending the schoolhouse instead of helping their mothers with the animals and the cooking fires. 

Look at the water growing wider and higher, he raved. The gods will sweep away your crops...he shook his fist at the heavens and as if on cue a lightning bolt shot to the ground.

Overnight a minor earthquake shook the ground, cracking the hard packed riverbank, a veritable deluge fell from the skies and in the morning there was mayhem in the tiny village as the levee crumbled under the onslaught and floodwaters rushed through the lower field washing away the chickens and the goat pens, before encroaching upon the huts of the people.

The village people ran around in fear, gathering their children and belongings, rushing to higher ground as the shaman danced around cackling with glee. This would prove to them the gods were angry enough, surely now they would listen to him...

Exfoliating? Who needs it?

I have a kitten, Angel,  who wakes me up at 4.30 each morning by licking several layers of skin off my face.

Cheaper and probably just as effective, although a little....rough...and I have to cover my mouth so I don't get my lips skinned.

His favourite spots are my nose, eyebrows and chin.

I can't stand it for long, I have to get up and wash my face off.

Then I give him breakfast, which is the real reason he wakes me up I'm sure.
He's grown a bit, weighs a whole kilo now.

aaarrgh!

I heard a scritchy scratchy sound coming from the bathroom and assumed it was Angel in his litter tray.

It was Angel, but not in the tray.

He'd pulled down an entire roll of toilet paper......