In My Kitchen, June 2015

It’s June and it’s winter and it’s a lot colder than usual.  And I don’t do ‘cold’ very well.  It’s like a test of endurance and I’m constantly looking at the calendar counting down the weeks until I’ll be warm again.  Here’s what’s happening in my kitchen this month…

In my kitchen I have a beautiful new wallet.  It was a gift from my children for my birthday and I love it.  For the past year I have been dealing with a battered and worn-out wallet with a broken zip and clasp that was well beyond its use-by date.  This is certainly an upgrade.

A hot pink wallet

A hot pink wallet


In my kitchen I have bottles of Moet.  My girlfriends know me well and these were both birthday gifts.  My other name is Champagne Charlie.

Moet and Moet

Moet and Moet

In my kitchen I have a beautiful bunch of flowers sent to me for my birthday from Em.  So thoughtful!  The roses are a very pretty shade of pink and more than a week later, are still going strong.

Flowers from Em

Flowers from Em

In my kitchen I am again, meddling with medlars.  After my first batch of medlar jelly, I had enough fruit leftover to make a few more jars of jelly.  Tomorrow this will transform into rosy pink translucent jelly to serve with roasted meats.

Mushy medlars

Mushy medlars

Straining the medlar juice through muslin

Straining the medlar juice through muslin

In my kitchen I have a new chopping board given to me by my children for Mother’s Day.  It’s been incredibly handy for resting hot dishes as they come out of the oven.  With the leather handle, it hangs on a hook above the kitchen bench so it’s always accessible.

A handy chopping board

A handy chopping board

Out on the front lawn just inside the front fence is a delivery.  It wasn’t ‘delivered’, it was apparently chucked over the fence where it landed on a patch of grass.  Obviously the postie wasn’t concerned about the big letters saying, ‘FRAGILE’.

Fragile means 'handle with care'.

Fragile means ‘handle with care’.

Fortunately the sender is clearly aware of the delivery guy’s techniques and wrapped the contents in 50 layers of bubble wrap.  So, once I unwrapped all the layers, in my kitchen I have a Yankee Candle in the fragrance of ‘Blue Summer Sky’ which is divine and reminds me of sunshiny Sydney summers.

Yankee candle

Yankee candle

In my kitchen I have a retro container from Barilla for my pasta.  I’m thrilled with it.  We always have Barilla pasta in the pantry and this is a really good way to store any uncooked pasta.  Macaroni is my little guy’s favourite and this will be used to make him macaroni and cheese (with leeks and chives because mac and cheese looks even better with a sprinkle of green).

Retro Barilla pasta container

Retro Barilla pasta container

In my kitchen and everywhere else I go, is Rosie.  Five weeks on from the loss of Ruby, she is managing quite well.  With the cooler weather and living in a house that’s dark and cold like a cave, she is missing snuggling up to Ruby for warmth.  Instead of sleeping on her own in the kitchen at night, she’s had a royal upgrade to being on my/our bed.  Drew graciously tolerated this ‘threesome’ situation for a few weeks but then asked delicately, ‘How much longer does this need to go on?’  And I told him, ‘For the term of her natural life’.  Settled.

Rosie

Rosie

And that’s what’s happening in my kitchen this month.  If you’d like to do an IMK post, please link up with Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.

 

Comments

  1. Holy bajinkas…. your kitchen is loaded with sweet and fun and delightful things. Love that hot pink wallet, and the bottle of bubbles is perfect. Teehee, that’s great that Rosie gets to sleep on your bed for the rest of her life too, made me giggle picturing you saying that. LOL!

  2. Danielle says:

    Ooh, what lovely gifts, belated Happy Birthday Charlie! I like your new moniker 😉 I think you and Rosie both needed that upgrade, especially in winter. Have a happy June!

  3. Lovely birthday gifts, you lucky thing! Freezing in Johannesburg and I’m also counting the weeks until Spring. (Had to Google medlars, had never heard of them.)

  4. Didn’t you once have a parcel left on your lawn that someone tore into and pinched the contents? At least this parcel survived in one piece I guess. Happy birthday – enjoy your pink treats x

  5. Charlie, such lovely things in your kitchen… including Rosie, bless!!! xxx Your wallet is such a gorgeous colour. And those medlars, well, wow! x

  6. hope you had a lovely bday. Flowers and champers = what amazing people you have in your life.

  7. I agree w/ Anna: Holy bajinkas!!!
    What a FAB kitchen!
    Love your new wallet & that bottle of champagne is lovely. xxx

  8. OOOOO,
    HAPPY late BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. What a great post! Happy Birthday as well. Nice presents. Sorry it’s so cold, but I wish it was fall here. LIke I’ve mentioned before, I need a home in both hemispheres!!!

  10. Happy Birthday Charlie! What gorgeous gifts! And Champagne Charlie-I’ll remember that one! 😉

  11. Had to laugh at your comment to Drew about Ruby sleeping with you guys. DONE. 😛

    And I’ve never heard of medlars! I wonder if they don’t grow here?!

  12. Looks like you were well and truly spoilt for your birthday and rightly so after the tough time you have had with Ruby and Arabella’s leg and all those races! Love your chopping board and that you have two bottles of moet. Lovely to see Rosie but I feel a pang seeing her without Ruby.

  13. Glad Rosie’s sleeping arrangements are settled. 😉 Sounds like a good arrangement to me. It’s hard for me to associate June with winter. Cold, yes, winter though seems so strange to me. We’re just finally warming up; although I’m told cold is on the way again. Sigh. I hope you had a beautiful birthday! I love the wallet. Gorgeous color. And I’m a big fan of Champagne too. Love bubbles! Happy belated birthday. 🙂

  14. How thoughtful of those who love you to gift you with such wonderful, and suitable, birthday gifts. I expect you celebrated a splendid birthday. Many more birthdays, Charlie!

  15. Hi Charlie, our chocolate lab sleeps with us as well, and she is quite big. When we travel we always try and get a room with a king sized bed. Looks like you have been given some beautiful things for your birthday and mother’s day. Take care!

  16. Happy birthday Charlie! I had to laugh at your postie’s methods – ours are similarly unconcerned with instructions and also tend to leave parcels in random places if we’re not home. I’m glad the candle survived! I do love your new wallet and those flowers xo

  17. Moet and beautiful flowers … a great way to celebrate your birthday even without the other goodies. Rosie’s upgrade in sleeping accommodations is well deserved. 🙂

    Happy birthday!

  18. Happy belated birthday – Charlie – and that was a good haul! And lucky Rosie, but I do understand how Drew feels – our Zac would be nightmare on the bed!

  19. Happy Belated Charlie…so much happening in your kitchen…I love it!

  20. Happy Birthday Charlie!!!!! Lovely gifts and those roses are just a beautiful shade of pink. Glad to learn Rosie is managing well on her own.

  21. There were three in the bed… oh what a spolit little lady. Fair enough though it’s cold enough in Brisbane let alone Sydney. What lovely gifts you were given for your Birthday. Aren’t delivery people terrible. Last week I had a cot delivered and the guy put it outside the door while I signed for it. Then said ‘you’ll be right with this won’t you?’ Yep, totally, I’m just enormous already with a 5-month pregnant belly and that box is huge and awkward and heavy but I’ll be fine!

  22. I’m so lucky that it was John’s idea for the whole family to be invited to bed with us. Now if they would just sleep in HIS side, I’d be happy. Two cats on one side, the dog on the other. John’s on the other half of the king sized bed with no trouble rolling over without moving anyone. Rant over.

    I LOVE your new wallet and all your gifts are so special. I had no idea about Champagne Charlie but I won’t forget! 🙂

  23. Love the apricot roses! And a ‘Happy Birthday’ after the event!! Well. you also being a Gemini explains many a ‘matter’ . . . I’m next Wednesday and do not like it a’tall, a’tall as the Oirish say!! Hmm . . . yes, we had a dachsie and a corgi with doggie beds in the room . . . may I just hope and pray that Rosie will not personally ‘investigate’ what normally happens in bed twixt a guy and a gal . . . . still remember a corgi head trying to make it a ‘threesome’ . . . bad, bad, bad move!!!!

  24. I am with you on the “don’t do well” in winter Charlie and Happy Birthday! What great celebrations and pressies! I am sure your Yankee Candle will help you count down the days until the warmth returns again! Hopefully soon, but think I am dreamin’! 🙂
    Please pet Rosie for me…

  25. Ooo, so many wonderful birthday gifts. Happy Birthday Charlie!
    Pete has long given up on asking about the cats on the bed at night, although he does get a little frothy when the baby of the lot sleeps between us.
    Have a beautiful day.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  26. I think that’s a fair upgrade for beautiful Rosie….and a lovely warm for you for the winter months 🙂

  27. What a delight to see your kitchen on your birthday!

  28. Dear Champagne Charlie, 🙂 I loved your IMK post and all of the life happening in your kitchen. Had to laugh about your “delivery” (thank God for bubble wrap) — enjoy that Blue Summer Sky in the midst of your winter. (And stay warm with Rosie!) Your fuschia colored wallet suits you. Belated birthday greetings with extra hugs, xoxo!

  29. The medlar jelly is will be well worth it I am sure. Jellies are such a treat. Hahha, strange delivery of a fragile item.So slack!

  30. Belated birthday wishes! It looks like you were royally spoiled as you deserved!! Lovely happenings in your kitchen this month. Glad Rosie is getting some TLC. xo

  31. You have some gorgeous presents in your kitchen – your new purse is devine. And of course, Rosie is adorable.

  32. Hi there Charlie, getting a hot pink wallet is a great idea as my black one always get lost in the sea of stuff at the bottom of my purse. I don’t know but I think I saw madler fruit the other day at the market. When you first got them were they yellow? Have a super weekend

  33. Champagne Charlie! Definitely going to call you that the next time I see you 🙂

  34. Happy birthday 🙂 loved every story in your kitchen this month.

  35. Gorgeous pic of Rosie, thanks Charlie.
    And I hope you had a very happy birthday.

  36. Oh snap on those Barilla metal tins! On a recent shopping trip to Woolies they were giving them away. A whole cage full! I asked if I could have two, and they said yes! They are a great size and I love the little side window.
    Lovely birthday gifts!
    Cheers, Kirsty

  37. I love your “In My Kitchen” posts!

  38. Happy belated birthday – Champagne Charlie – I love it!!! Jan x

  39. This is my first visit to your page. I saw your blog when I was visiting Love Is The Secret Ingredient’s Blog.
    I had to laugh when you mentioned it was winter there and you were waiting for Summer time. I will gladly trade you places. I live in Florida where it is HOT almost all year round. Ok, Warm in the winter months.
    I don’t do Warm let alone hot and humid.
    Belated happy Birthday.
    Sarah

    • Hi Sarah, lovely to hear from you. I really shouldn’t complain about our winter as it is fairly mild. I’ve heard the Florida climate is very summery.

  40. I’m so glad to hear that Rosie has a place so close to you at night, Charlie. I loved your response to Drew. LOL! That gave me quite a chuckle. And I’m sorry I missed wishing you a happy birthday, but it is very clear you have wonderful friends and considerate children! Great gifts. I must say that I think “Champagne Charlie” has a very nice sound to it! 🙂

  41. Awww I’m glad Rosie is doing well and I honestly believe all dogs if possible should sleep in our beds hehe they provide so much warmth. Cupcake definitely sleeps in my bed and I love cuddling up to him 🙂
    I agree it’s been such a cold June especially in Melbourne we’re rarely seeing any sun!

  42. So we’re all busting to know, did you have a big 50th bash? Or is that still coming? 🙂 Let me know if you need a cake board for it.. 😉 Seriously though, sounds like the family spoilt you properly, and you certainly deserve it! And bless Rosie, although poor Drew! xxx

  43. So many interesting photos, you just reminded me that I need to drain some yoghurt in cloth overnight. Such a good month for IMK!

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