Archie’s stressed. Apparently, it’s my fault. He’s tracking how he’s going with his degree and he’s a little underwhelmed. I’m responsible. He was in a flap yesterday about an assignment he had to visually present and he fell apart under the pressure. ‘Mum, you know I’ve got this presentation’. ‘What subject?’ ‘Dance.’ ‘Oh, that’s great, […]
She Knows & Chicken and Barley Stew
June 5, 2012 By 35 Comments
She Knows is a women’s blogging site that is all encompassing and includes entertainment, beauty and love, parenting, home and living, food and health and wellness. She Knows has listed their favourite Top 10 food bloggers and I was honoured and overwhelmed to be included on their list. I thought I would introduce you to […]
Stir-Fried Pork Fillets and…I Will Survive
May 31, 2012 By 33 Comments
I had it all in the bag. It looked like it was all about to happen – an enormous stroke of luck that would see Archie out of my hair for a good few months. Archie had an audition. A few weeks ago he phoned me from Uni to let me know he wouldn’t be […]
Bubble Bars and…The Help
May 27, 2012 By 39 Comments
Over the years we’ve had many babysitters for our children and some have been excellent; the kind where you walk out the door and feel no anxiety. Others have just been appalling. When selecting a babysitter the problem is that you’re limited by choice because usually you end up with whoever will say, ‘yes’. Other […]
Pork Belly with Caramel Vinegar and…Hangi Time
April 21, 2012 By 48 Comments
When I was very young the house next door to us was sold and we had high levels of anticipation as to who would be our new neighbours. One day they arrived. And it wasn’t a subtle arrival either. They were a family of six children, three boys and three girls. They were very loud […]
Marshmallow Easter Eggs and…The Fragile Generation
April 5, 2012 By 63 Comments
Recently at Alfie’s primary school a boy was injured on the playground equipment. He sustained quite a nasty cut to his face and I’m not sure of all the facts but I believe he did need a general anaesthetic with plastic surgery to repair the gash. The playground was immediately closed ‘until further notice’. An […]
Potato Scallops and…Thursday Nights and Saturday Mornings
April 3, 2012 By 38 Comments
When I was 15 I thought I needed a job. Part-time work was available for teens in most retail stores for Thursday night/Saturday morning shifts. (This was back in the day when weekend trading was only permitted on Saturdays from 8am until 12md. I went to my local shopping mall and walked from store to […]
Happy Anniversary and…Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashews
March 31, 2012 By 60 Comments
I can’t quite believe it but Hotly Spiced has just turned one! Before I started Hotly Spiced I had only ever read one blog and that was a real estate blog and now I read hundreds of blogs and none of them are about real estate! My first tentative steps into blogging were lacklustre, unremarkable […]
Pear Tarte Tartin and…A Friendly Social
March 29, 2012 By 35 Comments
Last night was Alfie’s school’s Year 2 Social Evening and the organisers chose to hold it at the local lawn bowls club. I was desperate and dateless as Carl had double-booked himself and ended up in a seminar on the other side of town so I walked in hardly knowing a soul, adorned myself with […]
Chicken with Chorizo and…Mrs Hull and Jan Spick-and-Span
March 25, 2012 By 46 Comments
When we moved to Australia just after Abba had been here for their ‘Arrival’ tour and Elvis had sadly passed away, Dad had more overseas business trips and took mum with him. We were left with more hired help. One of them was Mrs Hull and she was really, really old. She was probably only […]
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