How do you feel about Zoom meetings in the age of COVID? I think it's awesome that we've realised everyone doesn't have to be in the same room to communicate effectively. It’s going to save companies so much money in airfares when/if our borders open. Unfortunately, I find the way I look in Zoom meetings... Continue Reading →
We need more like her
Not many people get the chance to do something extraordinary in their lives. Even fewer are brave enough to pursue it. My high school friend Tracy Chapman is one of those people. Tracy is the driving force behind the campaign to free for our high school friend Kathleen Folbigg from jail. Kath has been incarcerated... Continue Reading →
This is important
I was lucky to admire this amazing view on Saturday while eating a Japanese green tea noodle salad for lunch with DD. We nestled on an overgrown grassy verge to avoid other amblers. I wish I could spend a few minutes every day looking at the sea. It soothes my soul in these frustrating, meh... Continue Reading →
Recipes of the week: Chicken, sage & pumpkin bake; beef & lentil pies
I resurrected an old favourite in the HotHouse Kitchen this week. I first blogged the recipe back in 2015: Roast chicken with pumpkin, butterbeans & goat's cheese. A former colleague once told me over drinks - when we could indulge in such pursuits - that it regularly features on the menu at her place and... Continue Reading →
That was weird
Remember how my kids started yammering to each other in Swedish at the dinner table last week ... then hung out in the kitchen with me for hours earlier this week? Well they've gone for the trifecta of weird behaviour. They asked me to drive them to the local netball courts last night so they... Continue Reading →
Put a ring on it
A strange thing happened in the Household last night. The kids normally skedaddle the moment they finish the last mouthful of their dinner. They race back to their bedrooms to watch tellie and listen to podcasts on their phones. I pack the dishwasher, settle onto the green velvet couch with the dogs and watch Netflix.... Continue Reading →
Tribal warfare
COVID-19 is such a divisive disease. In Sydney, the west blames the east for spreading it. The east blames the west for flaming it. Regional NSW blames Greater Sydney for sharing it. Victoria blames NSW. Queensland blames NSW. Western Australia blames everyone and wants to isolate itself forever. In my darker moments, I curse the... Continue Reading →
Just walk away
If you happen to be trapped in lockdown right now and reading this ... how's the diet going? It’s a bust around here - I've started eating “breakfast dessert”. Are you a breakfast dessert person or is it just me? I eat my Vegemite toast then think … oooh, now I fancy something sweet. Yesterday’s... Continue Reading →
Low tide
Is it week nine or 10 of lockdown in Sydney? Should I take the dogs for another walk or make more soup? Is 4pm too early for a cocktail? Have I showered today? Can I wear my pyjamas to Chargrill Charlie's? I can't speak for Melburnians, but we're starting to unravel in Sydney. The past... Continue Reading →
Recipes of the week: cheat’s lasagne & chicken pot pies
Welcome to another instalment of the HotHouse Kitchen. I’m finding it can be stressful cooking for another family, as you worry that you haven't nailed it. This week, my child tasted my pot pies, screwed up her nose, said they tasted funny and told me not to make them again. I was a little freaked... Continue Reading →