In My Kitchen, October 2014

October already!

In my kitchen I have quite a few new cookbooks.  The first was given to me by a friend who has a son at the Shore school, a private school for boys.  The School released a cookbook to commemorate 125 years of the school.  It’s a stunning hard-back cookbook that’s been incredibly beautifully photographed and all recipes have been contributed by the parents of current and former students.  The book has a lot of categories including a tribute to the ANZACs with recipes like ANZAC biscuits and slice, and cakes.  I’m delighted to add this cookbook to my collection.

Shore - A Shared Table

Shore – A Shared Table


In my kitchen I have three more cookbooks.  They were all given to me by my friend, Monica, who was my neighbour for about five years when we lived in a former house.  We had been living in our house for about a year when we realised someone had moved into the apartment next door.  Alfie had just turned three and when he was playing outside he would run across the lawn and talk to the new neighbour.  A few weeks went by and I thought I’d better introduce myself so I asked Alfie, ‘What’s the neighbour’s name?’  And he looked at me like I was an idiot and said, ‘The Neighbour’.  We’ve been calling her ‘The Neighbour’ ever since.

The Art of Raw Living

The Art of Raw Living

The Neighbour has always been very fond of Alfie and he has always loved spending time with her.  During these school holidays he asked me if I could take him to see The Neighbour and so I drove him up to her home for the day.  When I arrived she said she had a lot of cookbooks she didn’t have time to look at and thought I might like them.

Robyn Russell - More Gluten Free

Robyn Russell – More Gluten Free

I’m very grateful to add to my collection, a book on eating raw, another on how to grow food in small spaces with recipes, and another on cooking easy gluten-free recipes.

Indira Naidoo - The Edible Balcony

Indira Naidoo – The Edible Balcony

In my kitchen I have a lot of cake.  This is what is leftover from Arabella’s party.  She forgot to serve it!  I’m telling you now, this cake has given me more grief than you can poke a stick at.  Anyone want some?

Leftovers

Leftovers

In my kitchen I have some wine glasses.  These are part of a lovely collection of glasses I was given for my wedding.  I have treasured and looked after them not only because they are part of only a few remaining wedding gifts but also because these Kosta Boda glasses are no longer being made.  When Arabella had her party the other night she chose to use these glasses.  I now have three less in my collection.  I asked her why she handed her friends my wedding stemware.  She said, ‘You never use them so I thought you hated them.’

Wedding gifts!

Wedding gifts!

‘No, Arabella, I don’t use them because they’re fragile’.

‘Yeah, they smashed really easily.  I thought they were plastic’.  And I’ve been told she’s intelligent.

In my kitchen I have some plastic wine glasses.  I bought these to save the rest of my wedding stemware.  These are now to be used by Arabella and all her clumsy Gen-Y friends.  These weren’t cheap but they’re strong and sturdy and happy to go in the dishwasher.

These are plastic

These are plastic

In my kitchen I have two little girls who haven’t smashed or broken anything.  They’re adorable but greedy and in this photo they’re looking at me announcing it’s dinner time.  They have incredible internal clocks and can tell the time better than most.  This weekend we have daylight saving starting and these girls will be onto it before it right from midnight.

Where's our dinner?

Where’s our dinner?

So that’s what’s happening in my kitchen.  If you’d like to participate, please link up with the lovely Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial and be sure to let her know you’re involved.

Comments

  1. Arabella’s cake was just too beautiful. I have a Kosta Boda bowl that was a gift from a man in Finland, I really treasure it, so can understand your attitude towards your precious glasses.

  2. Those plastic wine glasses look like the real thing. I need some of these- for the pool and camping trips, and of course clumsy people, which is usually me.

  3. those plastic glasses look fab charlie. i am in need of some. where did you get them? love all the cookbooks and especially the school one as i am a big fan of community cookbooks as was evident from my recent post:)

  4. Fantastic books, I love the edible balcony one as I think the everyone should grow as much as they can 🙂 then that cake 🙂 and Oh Charlie that broke my heart when I read about your wine glasses 🙁 The only things I have that are that precious are things my nana has given me… if they broke I would be devastated, so I’m feeling your pain! Thanks for sharing, Liz x

  5. Is it that time again? My how time passes quickly (I sound about 80 when I say that I’m sure!). Love the pic of your puppies 😀

  6. Oh no not the glasses!! We have a relative who always breaks or drops something we now give her the oldest glassware and only white wine as we have had quite a few events where she throws her hands around!.
    I have my hand up for cake.

  7. What a shame that your lovely wedding stemware got smashed. And the cake not being served seems such a shame. I enjoyed the account of Alfie’s meeting and friendship with The Neighbour. Children are so literal in their interpretation of the world.

    Your sweet girls demanding their supper made me smile as always.

  8. Lots of good things in your kitchen again… I heard Indira Naidoo speak at the Floriade opening… she is awesome!

  9. G’day! I still think you are being too hard on yourself Charlie re the cake, true!
    And now you know why we don’t use those type of wine glasses as we have had them broken and hidden at parties we have previous thrown; now plastic tumblers from Freedom do!
    Thanks for this month’s kitchen view too!
    Cheers! Joanne

  10. Loving all of your new cookbooks. I love thumbing through new ones at the book store and seeing the photos. Kids!!! Sorry to hear that all of your hard work on your cake was not noticed but it looks so beautiful. Take Care

  11. After all the trials and tribulations with the cake, I can’t believe it didn’t get served. Sorry about your wine glasses but plastic really does sound like a good idea.

  12. Oh, my, I am sorry to hear about the broken wedding wine glasses.

    And after all that trouble with the cake…

    But what a lovely Neighbor.

  13. it makes me laugh that miss virtue is writing about raw food – hope you enjoy your cookbooks – sorry to hear about your good glasses’ encounter with Gen Y. We got cheap glasses that I became fond of but most of them broke and I had to buy more cheap knock about glasses but wine glasses get used less and less here so I have to wash off the dust most time I use them now. Sigh! (The waterford crystal doesn’t get many outings – that is our wedding crystal!) Now I must read more about THE cake

  14. Lovely books Charlie, hope to see something from the pages here soon.
    No! No! No! I would have had a screaming fit if those were my wine glasses and then to add insult to injury the cake wasn’t served. Bugger!
    Our cats are exactly the same with their dinner time – animals are amazing!
    Have a wonderful day Charlie.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  15. I’m just cringing at your stemware breakage! Yikes! And Arabella also forgot to serve that wonderful but troublesome cake? You’re a patient mum…I think I might have lost it. LOL! Love the cookbooks, and would really enjoy looking at the “Edible Balcony.” I have plenty of garden space but I’m beginning to think that maybe with our water shortages I’d be better off with smaller space/container gardening. I’m exploring options. How nice that your little guy has remained friends with The Neighbor!

  16. I’ll make it I’ll make it I’l make….to the ‘in my kicthen post’. And not serve that cake..oh! What was she thinking!! You are a good Mum. I would have thrown a hissy fit if my kids broke my wedding goblets.

  17. You have some wonderful new kitchen stuff this month! Great cookbooks — you can never have too many. Fun post — thanks.

  18. My neighbors who used to live next door (they moved) had a boy I watched grow from an infant to an energetic 5 year old and he would come running every time he saw me pull into my driveway – your post reminded me of him Charlie. Think I could use a slice or three of that cake – would you ship it to Atlanta?

  19. I love what’s in your kitchen! Minus the broken stemware, of course. I often wonder why our children think we don’t cherish anything but them? lol

  20. I feel bad that you lost some of your wedding china. You might be able to replace them if you search the Internet. I did that with some of mine. The olds have false teeth and one of them bit the rims of my lovely crystal. Not once, not twice but 3 times before I noticed the little chips.

    She forgot the dachshund cake? After all the kerfluffle to make it? You need to be pampered after that.

    Love the school cookbook. I have Indira’s book but the others are new to me.

  21. Oh Noooo, I’m doing a quite shudder, I may or may not have used the stemware for a party I threw back in the hedonistic days of my early 20’s & I may or may not have forgotten to have served the cake. It’s a touchy subject still to this day whenever I help Mum with the dishwasher, or finding wine glasses at family dinner….. or looking her in the eye as we toast. She’s never said a word, but I know 🙂 I do love that cake though…..

  22. She owes you Charlie, big time.

  23. I agree with InTolerant Chef… Arabella!!!

  24. Great books Charlie. Do you think the author of raw food really is called Dorreen Virtue?. LOL. As always your puppies are cute and given that I have a twin of your Arabella I won’t go there today

  25. Seems to me that you must be very glad that party is over and done with, Charlie.

  26. OK – may I please have your Indira Naidoo book and both of your little darlings – no? Kind’of guessed that 🙂 ! And I am RS as far as my computer software goes: so please do not blame me for the next few weeks following 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!!!

  27. I hope there is a huge bunch of flowers at the very least coming your way from the birthday girl! I’m with Intolerant Chef too. Xx

  28. Love the look of the Edible Balcony Cookbook … I’ve started growing some of my own herbs but would love some tips on growing some of my own vegetables.

  29. She forgot to serve the cake??!! Oh dear. The frustration! At least your new cookbooks look lovely, and hopefully have some easy dishes to make up for the hours spent over cakes that aren’t eaten 😉

  30. I’m delighted by your new cookbooks. 🙂 I haven’t seen any of them but will definitely be keeping my eye open for them.

  31. I love this series and come to think of it I have s couple of new cookbooks too! What a shame about your crystal, all of my wedding tableware are discontinued too. How horrible that Arabella forgot to serve the cake after all the trouble you went to for her.

  32. So cool- I love getting to see what other bloggers have in their kitchens. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the things you make out of those cookbooks.

  33. Oooh I am loving those awesome cookbooks – can’t wait to see what you cook up 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  34. Charlie,
    I LOVE your kitchen.
    The healthy cookbooks, the stemware, the leftovers (O, My) and those dogs thrill me!! xx

  35. That’s tragic about the cake not being eaten, after all your effort! and the wine glasses being broken. Oh dear.

  36. ARRGH to the wine glasses! This is why I refused to register for anything expensive and overly fragile…I just know I would break it all within days of opening it!

    And that cake is gorgeous! How could no one have eaten it?!

  37. I cannot believe Arabella forgot the cake!! After all that. And I’m so sorry about your stemware! Id be furious! You are a patient, patient woman, Charlie. Not one child is allowed to touch my China or crystal!
    But I sure love all your cookbooks!

  38. Sorry to hear about your wine glasses. Every time my boys clear the table with the bone china I get really nervous! No breakage, yet. The cookbooks look lovely as well.

  39. What a month for you! Such a shame about your wedding stemware. I love all your cookbooks (and I love the story that goes with them, very special to have someone like that in your lives). I have been meaning to take a look at the Edible Balcony one for a while, our little school also did a fund raising cookbook and I love trying out all the different family recipes. I hope YOU at least enjoyed that amazing looking cake.

  40. Sigh. Arabella…smash mum’s wedding glasses and forget to serve the cake. That girl! All your cookbooks look fabulous, and isn’t your Alfie just the most delightful young man? He’s got the charm of his father and brother at a very early age! 🙂

  41. OMG! She forgot to serve the cake? While … more for you. 🙂 Love those cookbooks, especially the Edible Balcony. Need to check that one out.

  42. It’s always nice to be exposed to new cookbooks, and I wasn’t aware of any of these, which is doubly nice. Those plastic wine glasses don’t look bad at all!

  43. Love the part about the glasses. Kids never get it.

  44. Great looking cookbooks and adorable girls. So sorry about your glassware!

  45. I’m a bit of a cookbook collector too! I sometimes have to control myself but they always find a way into my basket or trolley. Thank you for sharing IMK see you next month

  46. So, having read the story of that cake, I cannot believe it wasn’t served – and your wedding stemware – you really are a saint!! The school cookbook looks great. My son’s prep school did something similar to raise funds for the scholarship fund but it was a much more simple, ring bound affair with no photos. Can’t stop thinking about the wine glasses – have you tried eBay? You can set up a search alert for Kosta Boda glasses so that you don’t have to be on the site everyday.

  47. Isn’t it the truth about our dog’s internal clocks! Too bad about the wedding stemware, the glasses are beautiful.

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