Prelude to a Post

Correct answer gets to name the outcome.
Guess what this is:

Oh - was that too blurry? First to point that out gets to buy us a new camera.
Is this any better?

Or this?

The "what I do with it post" is yet to be finalised.

Or started really. I have contemplated and pondered it at length however.

Of course, if I don't get it finished straight away, I can always show you what my loved ones did with these...

Brilliant - me! me!

Lookee what Brissiemum2 gave me - isn't it pretty?

Here are the guidelines:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Add links to these blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

But I have far too many brilliant blogs to gorge myself on contemplate - how to whittle them down?

And then I remembered my latest statcounter visit - and while none of these ladies are directing quite as much traffic as the Asian p0rn site that has me on their blogroll (yep - go figure) they are the most prolific in hitting on me - hang on, that came out wrong, didn't it?

Anyhow, here are the chosen 7:

1. Me & Boo - I actually know this lady from another internet connection since before Boo, and I love how she and her little darling are blossoming in blogland.

2. Bush Babe - as you know, I have known this lady for a looooong time, too!

3. Three Ring Circus - things are, as my father would say in his backhanded way, fair to middling in the 3RC household at the moment, and I do not want to tear anyone away from any hospital beds, but I truly think Tiff is fairly brilliant on so many levels.

4. Our Great Southern Land - Jayne's computer is likewise laid up at the moment, but she does her best to keep us amused and informed on the wierd and wonderful history of this land (and the neighbours)

5. Big Little Sister - Melody is soon to be heading South from her far Northern paradise, and she has taken me on many beautiful trips over the time I have been reading her blog.

6. Jumping Off Cliffs - Mary is someone I met through my sister's blog. I still don't know where the Ozarks are, but I am keen to find out.

7. Penseive - Robyn really does her best to interact and involve her readers! Mind you, I am still no wiser on her latest mystery.

Let Them Eat Cake

Waay back when I began this blogging malarkey, I wrote a post called Baked Blog where I offered recipes for not one BUT two of my staple indulgence foods.

Over at The Pioneer Woman Cooks there is an emphasis on dairy this month including a competition for a recipe using milk, cheese and/or yoghurt. Apparently there is some mention of health in there also.

As I only ever got 2 comments on the original post, I am going to redo the Kolaca a'la Baka on this post for you all to drool over. Of course, you will have to drool in your imagination, as I am much better but don't have any chocolate in the house have housework to do - which is why I can't make it today. ha - believe me if you will, but lack of chocolate is the only thing holding me back.

So here it is - an almost direct transfer from the original post with updated comments from the peanut gallery. The health benefit of such a recipe should be immediately apparent - it is extremely beneficial to your mental welfare, you have to invite friends around to help you eat it and good friendships are great for your health AND if you make it in your imagination, it can be considered exercise.

So, courtesy of my (to try and minimise the explanations) Croatian mother-in-law, Biscuit Kolaca.

Biscuit Kolaca

• The cream (or "mortar")
• 1 litre milk
• 8-10 tablespoons plain flour
• 5-6 tablespoons sugar
• 60-70g butter
• ½ block dark chocolate
• ½ block milk chocolate
• 1-2 tablespoons imitation rum
• The layers (or "bricks")
• 1-2 packs of milk coffee biscuits (rectangular plain biscuits of any variety)
• Cup of milky coffee (instant is fine)
• The topping (or "render")
• ½ block dark chocolate
• ½ block milk chocolate
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

As my paper instructions are very brief - and a little stained - I will translate as best I can.

• Mix together milk and flour on lowish heat on stove until thickens – about when your spoon leaves tracks (I am making this more detailed than her notes, I swear!)
• Take off heat and add rest of cream ingredients. Refrigerate for a few hours.
• When mixture is cooled, make a cup of milky coffee and let cool to blood temperature.
• Line a baking pan with alfoil.
• Quickly dip individual biscuits into coffee, spread with the chocolate mixture and layer in baking pan. It makes no difference how creative you are with your biscuit layering – the coffee “opens” the biscuit to soak in flavour and the choc mix sort of melds in and you end up with a 4-6 layered block.
• When you have run out of your bricks or mortar, melt the remaining chocolate then mix in milk and butter and pour over the top.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Slice and serve – very rich and very delicious.

Warning: If you haven't put weight on reading this recipe, you may do so eating the offcuts! Slice about 1cm x 5cm slices with a hot knife and it will be eaten like wildfire!!!

Oh - and for those of you concerned about my health - much better, obviously, if I am thinking of food (although still not 100% if you consider that I am finding brickie terms humerous)...

I am making Chocolate Squares (the other recipe in the original post) this afternoon for 'Salina and GDR (who gets to spend the WHOLE AFTERNOON with us).

Surrender is the best policy

Well, I am much haler and heartier than yesterday.

I rang the doc - and got a cancellation at 11.30am - my luck was running!

I rang the place where my major bills were due - I could do them online!!

I went to tuckshop and bossed the convenor around some!!!

I went to the doc and she told me that my method of getting through the dreaded lurgy (ignore it, positive thinking, looking in the medicine cabinet for inspiration and ignoring anything that tasted too yucky) was what she generally prescribed, and to just steal someone else's puffer if I gasped too much. Too bad she couldn't write a script for time, because that is what she ordered. Oh - nearly forgot exclamation points!!!!

I did work stuff, sent invoices and put 4 loads of washing through machine and dryer!!!! !

I palmed my child off on a friend and glammed up (and so did V) and we saw some beautiful work by Rhondda Scott at the local University campus. Oops - here they are !!!!!

While waiting to say our farewells there, met lots of interesting folk - including people who run a "child-free resort" and a lady who organises weddings - ha ha, maybe the universe sent me there for more than artistic pursuits!!!!!!

Got back to babysitters by 9, home by 9.30, child in bed by 10 - thinking about what to have for dinner and OMG we only have very limited hours before tomorrow... I know, rest is what you all said - so I did forgo a late main meal, and considered the 3 sushi and other nibblies at the show dinner.

Up at 6.30 and somehow it took until 9 to get a car packed, a child ready and us out the door to go see my sister.

In fact, you can go and see the rest of my day at her place. Actually, don't - apparently she is putting some unflattering photos up, and although I have made her trim my tuckshop arms she has not botoxed my hands enough and used a shot of my 80 year old grandmother instead of my unblemished face so don't go there. Go here and laugh at stupid people.

Okay, I give up

Do you know what I am going to do today?

Call the doctor.

I know people from near and afar have been singing that tune for nearly two weeks now, but I truly thought I was getting better. I WAS getting better. In fact, I would have assessed my health yesterday at 5 as being 85% of the way towards getting better.

Do you know what that narky 15% of "not better" did last night.

It kept me awake.

It forced me to sit up in bed (I am a one flat pillow sleeper). It made me lie on my back (I normally cuddle that pillow on my tum).

It made one tiny spot on the back of my throat force me to cough - and then it got the lungs to squeal in sequence and make that cough into a cough-and-cough-and-cough-and-cough.

Then it would lull me into a false sense of stupidity security and make me think it was over, I could try to sleep, ha ha ha ha bloddy ha. Nearly asleep yet? Wham - lets play that sequence all over again.

It got to a point that I gave up on even trying to think I was going to get to sleep, because it was pointless. That didn't really help matters, because the cough sequence didn't care if I was trying to sleep or not. It just waited until I seemed to relax.

Now the next two paragraphs (after this one) (I counted them) will be TMI and I won't be offended if you sing "la la la", close your eyes and scroll down further. I will be peeved if you click the little black x but hey - its a free world and statcounter doesn't tell me who leaves my pity party early. It will possibly be so layered in euphemism anyway because I am not often a TMI girl.

Now, for those who aren't squeamish, who have birthed one (or more) childrens who hit the 8 pound or over mark and who are nodding their head in anticipation - you KNOW how there are just some things you cannot relax about when you have coughing lurgy.

I know - if you did your Kegels earnestly from the moment of conception to the pain-free, drug-free perfect birth that this does not apply to you - or if you are a Singapore dancer - but some women (and no-one is EVER admitting that it may be them) thought they Kegelled at enough red lights to get a pass found that there are some moments in time - generally accompanied by a cough, a sneeze, or an attempt to jog - where you should have Kegelled stop signs and ceasared two months early just so certain muscles wouldn't get temporary amnesia at crisis moments.

So combine coughing attacks designed to leave me gasping, sleeping positions more suited to wakes, sleep deprivation without the bonus of a screaming infant AND being smited for clenching 29 times a day rather than 40. Is that picture painted clearly enough?

So what do you do when you have all these factors combining? Well, you start thinking about what other carpy aspects of your life you can grind your mind over.

• Work and money issues? Piece of cake.
• Funny way other people of the P&C look at each other during meetings? Check.
• Wearing pretty clothes marked "lingerie" to a dinner party as a child? Oh, its always good to throw into the mix.
• Twenty years of inappropriate choices in men, careers, flatmates? Oh, I know they are good to laugh at while in the mood, but so nice to use as screws in self-torture.

Heck, even god got a trot last night it was such a widely cast net!

So all up it was a happy hacking clenching wrenching writing pity party. It sucked.

Wehn I awoke this morning (because I must have drifted off between the girl screaming at her boyfriend's car out front and V rising for work) my head was pounding, my coughing attack renewed like it had never been away and I made the monumental decision that perhaps I would seek medical attention. I give up. Taking vitamins, pretending I am getting better, looking at the other medicines - its just not working.

Admitting it caused V to look at me with pity. He knows how much I cling to my pretence at stoicism.

I made my daughter treat me with extra care this morning. She gave me a special seat on her imaginary boat to take me to the doctor, where she gave me cough lollies, sat me down, made me vegemite toast (I must say she is getting better at this) and was an angel. I wish I could appreciate it more.

So - off to track down a doctor who will see me some time today. Then peg out 2 loads of washing, finish one little job, send off three invoices, go and do tuckshop paperwork (I know, but Friday is double any other day of the week in TS and noone else volunteers) (I won't point myself towards any food), go to town, pay bills, get mail, hopefully see a doctor, pack for the weekend, get gussied up, feed daughter, drop her at a friends, network at an art gallery opening (while holding my breath, I guess) dragging V, collect 'Salina, come home and I hope to goodness get a better night's sleep.