Tyroga – A Human Equivalent

Asparagus Fettuccine, originally uploaded to Flickr by tyroga.

I’m not massive on tinned asparagus and next time might try it with fresh asparagus, of course the cooking time may be a little longer.

That’s not to say there was anything wrong with preparing this meal as directed below. I loved it and will definitely make it again. It was yummy.

While vegetarian, it’s not the best for the waist measurement with the cream and cheese but that’s what makes it so tasty.

Ingredients

• 250g fettuccine
• 30g butter
• 1 onion finely sliced
• 300g zucchini
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup tasty cheese
• 340g can asparagus cuts
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Pepper to taste

Method

• Cook your fettuccine
• Melt butter in pan.
• Add onion, cook over medium heat until cooked.
• Stir in zucchini and cook until tender.
• Reduce heat, add cream, cheese, asparagus and parsley.
• Stir to combine.
• Add pasta and stir through.
• Add pepper to taste.
• Allow to heat through and serve.

If you make it, let me know how you go.

Today is my 36th birthday, crap! I’ve been on the earth in this form for 36 years, what have I done with it?

Well if I’m honest not as much as I had hoped. If I’m even more honest, while at times I cringe when I think of all the things I wanted but haven’t done, mostly I’m thankful for how my life has played out to-date.

I have a loving partner with whom I’ve spent almost 13 years with, the best family I could ask for and awesome friends who really are more like extended family.

I don’t often celebrate my birthday, it is after all just another day. But (and thankfully) my friends remind me that it’s a great day to be thankful for everything I have.

Last night David cooked an amazing dinner, well when I say last night I actually mean he spent the entire day Saturday preparing and cooking dinner for seven. I’m aghast that I didn’t take any photos of the food. I was too busy enjoying eating it. He made three pasta dishes, including the pasta, and followed it up with home made banana ice cream and home made chocolate sauce.

My friend Andrew hopped a flight from Sydney and spent yesterday and today with us. It was great to finally introduce my Sydney friend to sone of my Melbourne friends.

This year I was treated with some lovely, thoughtful gifts. I never expect gifts, believing I’m lucky to have all the great people in my life, who needs to add to that with gifts. Having said that I’m always chuffed when a present comes my way. ;)

From Kathryn and John I got some flowers, boomerang magnets (she loves her crazy gifts) and some beautiful Burberry Brit spray.

Nikki and Trudi also had me gobsmacked with their thoughtfall gifts. As a recent vegetarian they’ve given me some of their favourite vegetarian recipes in a folder, all broken out into the sections for easy reference.

I also now have a great memory card game. As we get older it’s important to keep our minds active, Nikki clearly knows the importance of this and has recruited my family to help.

You can see from the photo above the effort Nikki has put into this gift, and I’m not lying to say even typing this I have a little flutter in my chest, wait is that a heart attack at 36?, no, it’s the realisation that I’m loved by my friends. The amount of time Nikki puts into these gifts is amazing, just look at it.

Not only has she sourced every member of my family (including pets), Nikki has also photoshoped them all so just the heads are in there. She’s also made sure the corners are rounded so they aren’t pointy and won’t hurt my ageing fingers.

But if you thought the cards were impressive, check out the container they live it. A piece of handmade art! I love the look of this game wallet, and love that so much time and effort was put into it by a very special person.

Today we went for breakfast and followed it up with a great lunch at the Bridge Hotel in Werribee.

So as I start this next year of my life, I’m joyous and grateful for everything I have and everything I’ve experienced in my life, so far. I know I have a long time ahead and can’t wait to see what’s to come.

Thanks to everyone who contacted me and sent messages today, it’s much appreciated and makes me feel special.

I could write a bunch about it, but just go watch the video http://www.apple.com/ipad

And yes of course I want one!

Things surely have changed. This photo is from the collection of my Great Grandfather, Ernest “Henry” Tomrop. Sometimes also know as “Harry” and “Tom”.

Ernest was one of 12 steel erectors on the bridge. It’s hard to believe, when you think of it, that 12 men were ultimately responsible for ensuring the construction of the Harbour Bridge went to plan.

While I have written about Henry before I came across some more quotes from him in the “Pylon Honour Roll“. They are from tapes recorded by Richard Raxworthy, the writer of the original piece that appeared in “The Sydney Morning Herald”.

Harry Tomrop (left) was one of 12 steel erectors. He had flown aeroplanes in the war and worked on new York skyscrapers. A strong union man, Tomrop was a key witness in the riggers’ fight for height money. He had vivid memories of his job: As a rigger, you’re here and there. You’ve got to do almost everything. They used to cart the sections out on big punts in the harbour and then we’d pick them up
… On a calm day we used to ride up. Our boys up top used to take them off
… One gang tightened the job up. It had to be thoroughly tight before you riveted it
… The noise was terrible at times. [Building] the creeper crane was one of the trickiest jobs in my life. You had to hang on by your eyelashes. You couldn’t stand. You had to hang on.
source: rr 1982 tapes 14/2, 15/1.

If you’re a vegetarian you’d better like Risotto.

The other night we went out and had dinner with Suez in Williamstown.

David and I were a little early and we took a walk down the road to see what I, as a new vegetarian, would be eating for the night. I have to say that you have to love risotto if you’re going to eat out vegetarian, cause that is the staple. In particular in Williamstown it is Roast Pumpkin Risotto.

I kind of imagine one giant pot of it in a back lane that all the restaurant staff running out and getting it from the one pot.

We went to Banque and had a great night, it was a gamble as it was completely dead, no one eating there when we showed up. Usually we avoid restaurants where there are few patrons.

After Banque we went to the Breizoz Crêpery and indulged in some amazing pastry dessert.

Not sure if we’ll go back to Banque, but Breizoz may become a regular place for breakfast and/or deserts.

The hardest thing about becoming a vegetarian is finding ways to make food interesting. It’s not all about eating salads and it’s not all about tofu.

This dish contains neither of those things, in fact it’s very fruit-based. I never would have thought of putting pineapple and bananas with curry powder and mustard seeds. It tastes delicious.

Big thanks to @crumpet for all of her advice in particular with this recipe from Crumpet’s blog. But also with links to other vegetarian recipe sites that I’ll probably share here in future after I try them out.

But for now, be brave and give Pineapple Curry a go. You’ll love it. I didn’t find curry leaves so I added some curry powder.

Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 tbs mustard seeds
• 2 tbs sunflower oil
• Pinch cardamon seeds
• Few curry leaves (I didn’t have any)
• Knob of ginger
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• .5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 fresh pineapple
• 1 banana (firm one)
• 1 can coconut milk

Method

• Make the rice in one saucepan, I did absorption method, 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of rinsed (so already wet) rice.
• Mix the rest together another saucepan simmer till hot.
• For a more detailed method you can check out Crumpet’s blog → Pineapple Curry.

I wonder if it’s real? I don’t really think I suffer from it. But I do feel that my older brother was afforded more choices than the rest of us when we were kids.

Not to say I ever felt left out. Our parent supported us in what ever we wanted to do, where we could afford it. And more importantly I always felt loved as a child.

The image attached is from our local newspaper way back in 1979. You can click on the image to see the full-size version of it. You will note that a face is circled in the picture, that of my older brother Brian (who was 7 at the time). And given that this image has been kept in a family photo album since 1979 with the one face circled, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Brian is the only member of our family in the photo.

Yep there I am, first row, second from the right, proud as punch to have my intermediate learn to swim certificate at the tender age of 5.

Of course I jest. While I am in the photo, this clipping was in a photo album dedicated to Brian so it makes sense for him to be circled. But then my photo album doesn’t have the same paper clipping in it with me circled. :P

When I was about 8 can’t remember exactly. I got my first ever camera for Christmas, I think it was from my grandmother. It was a Kodak Brownie II, with a red flip cover. I have no idea where my original camera is. But guess what. I found one I could buy for $15.

I’ll be placing it on my shelf with the other old cameras I have, the Kodak “Brownie Flash II” and the “Folding ‘Brownie’ Six-20″.

It will also be joined by the Kodak Instant Handle2 that I also bought for just $15. This camera is one we had when we were kids. It was the family camera for a while and one we used right up until Kodak lost the court battle with Polaroid and had to stop making both the cameras and the film. The picture below shows it with a flash. I chose not to buy that as we didn’t have one when we were younger.

They are both pretty much useless as film is not readily available for either of them and processing for 110 film (the brownie II) would be almost impossible to find.

Big thanks to my lovely boyfriend David who lets me spend money on things that are just going to site on a shelf and make me smile when I look at them.

For others interested in purchasing nostalgic items I got mine from Oz Camera. I only just ordered so I’m not vouching for them just yet. Will wait until my products arrive.

Update

OZ Camera can’t find the Brownie II. It’s the one I really, really wanted as it is the same as my first.

But no matter. I’ve already paid so I asked them to swap it for another camera that we had around as kids. The Kodak Instamatic 233. I’ve also asked them to keep my details around should they find the Brownie II.

This is the Kodak Instamatic 233. It was produced between 1968 to 1970. I was born in 1974 so I’m not sure when my parents might have gotten it. But I do remember having it around my shoulders at some stage and soon one will be mine.

Christmas 1983, originally uploaded by tyroga.

This used to happen every year when we were kids on Christmas eve. Santa (and Mrs Claus) would come around in the back of a ute with a bag of lollies to share with the kids of the neighbourhood.

Sure it was Mt Druitt. But it was awesome.

In this picture you can see Me, my older brother Brian and younger brother Gregory (the blonds in the middle of the pic).

The photo was taken with the family’s Kodak Instant Camera. A camera that was made defunct in 1985 when Polaroid won their court battle and stopped Kodak making the camera and the film. They were different systems so therefore not film compatible.

The hardest thing about being vegetarian is my compulsion to pick at food while I make meals.

I’ve just stopped myself twice in the last few days from picking up a bit of steak that broke away on the BBQ and having a bit of roast beef when I made David’s sandwich the other day.

But I did stop myself and that’s what counts.

Going to try Crumpet’s Pineapple Curry tonight I think. I have the fresh pineapple but might have to run to the shop for supplies. Will let you know how I go.

Oh and I’ve also lost about a kilo since I’ve started. I guess one of the pluses of vegetarianism is that most of the fast food places don’t sell fat-laden vegetarian meals, so no more of that stuff for me. And yep that is one of the hardest things about giving up meat. I admit it, I am a fast food eater (or was), but as they are often the culprits of changes in the way animals are raised for food, they had to go from my life.