Diagnosis: family fatigue syndrome

I thought it was the jetlag. Or because I was unmistakably fat again. Or my holiday booze fest. Or PMT. I’ve been battling this bleak malaise all week. And while all those symptoms may be partly to blame for my condition, I’ve decided the main cause is family fatigue syndrome. I love the Sprogs, I really, really, really do. But it’s been four solid weeks of family time, with no respite, aside from a brief and unrewarding trip to the chain stores of Barcelona. That’s 28 days of eating every single meal together, with dinner sometimes stretching until after 10pm due to bizarre European eating habits. The four of us went sight-seeing most days. We spent 48 hours together in a plane, plus at least 20 solid hours in a car. The only “me” time has been while I’ve been sleeping. And I don’t think that counts. Life during school terms is more structured. Husband goes to work. I take the kids to school. I drive home and enjoy five hours of blissful silence. Or have lunch with a friend. Or go for a walk. I really miss those five hours of “me” time. I know I sound like the wicked mother of the north, but I’m looking forward to getting those hours back next week. And the nights, they normally have their own peaceful rhythms too. The kids are tucked up in bed by 8pm. Their bellies have been raspberried, their feet have been tickled, their minds have been nutured by a bedtime story. Husband and I then get a few hours to watch telly, read books, surf the internet, relax … Weekends, of course, are family fiestas filled with library visits, playtime in the park, trips to the beach, yum cha lunches … and I love that. But 28 days of unrelenting family time is exhausting. I’m not alone. A Singaporean friend is so desperate to avoid family fatigue sydrome, she wants to take her maid/live-in babysitter on her next holiday (depending on frequent flyer seat availability). It’s not really the Australian way (well, it might be in the poshest of circles, I’m not sure), but maids come super-cheap in Singapore. Me? I’m taking my parents on my next holiday as the help. It’s not the direction I dreamed my future sojourns would follow, but I’m older, wiser, wearier. Mum’s promising me lots of nights out in exotic locales while she minds the Sprogs. It’s still seven months away, but I’m excited already.

TONIGHT’S MENU: I’ve been inspired by an old Jamie Oliver cookbook, plus a Margaret Fulton “favourites” one I’ve never tried. So I’m tossing up between devilled chicken, whole chook baked in a pastry shell or lamb racks with roasted vegies (the lamb racks will no doubt be so outrageously expensive they’ll cause heart palpitations, so they probably won’t make the cut). If it’s delish, I’ll add the recipe later.

PS It was delish. So delish it inspired Sprog 2 to eat red meat (unminced) for the first time since February. So here’s the recipe …

Jamie’s tray-baked lamb with roasted veg & mint oil (edited version)

1 x 10-rib rack of lamb (got mine at Woolies for less than $20); 2 firm eggplants; 8 ripe roma tomatoes; olive oil; 8 cloves of garlic (skin on); dried oregano; sea salt & pepper; bunch of fresh mint; red wine vinegar; pinch of sugar; handful of pitted kalamata olives.

Preheat oven to 200C. Slice eggplant into 2.5cm thick rounds and lightly fry with a little olive oil on both sides in a frying pan. Cut tomatoes in half. Throw tomatoes, eggplant and garlic cloves in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and oregano. Place rib-rack beside them. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove rack from tray and rest for five minutes. Chuck olives in the roasting pan and cook veg another 5 minutes. While it’s cooking, put mint, 2 tblspns red wine vinegar, 6 tblspns olive oil, pinch of salt and pinch of sugar in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Slice your cutlets, serve with veg, drizzle it all with the mint oil. (Hint: I usually find the Sprogs respond better to mash & steamed veg with their meat – sans mint oil – but yours might be more adventurous.)