Good idea number 1983

Clearly, I'm having another one of those "productive" days.

I'm procrastinating, obviously, and I just found the PERFECT thing for those lazy days. I. HAVE. TO. HAVE. IT.

So you know those days when it's cold outside (cold is 20 degrees here in Brisbane) and you feel like curling up on the couch with a hearty meal, wine and educational television *cough Gossip Girl, The Hills, The City cough*? I know I get really annoyed, trying to balance my bowl on my lap, reaching long distances for my glass/bottle of wine on the coffee table....getting food all over myself. Doesn't happen to you? Oh. Of course, it doesn't happen to me either.

I found the perfect thing....

source: Holycool.net See it here

Yes, that IS a bowl with a wine holder. It's Alessi. I think we would be very happy together. However, I don't think salad will be seeing the light of day in this puppy. Salad just doesn't go with Gossip Girl.

Stacks on!

So you can tell I'm being very unproductive on this Friday. I like to think of it as unproductive in terms of work, productive in terms of finding things I HAVE. TO. HAVE.

Dear Stackable Oven-to-Table Trays,

I was introduced to you by your friend, All Things Cool (you know, the one whose blog you appear on often).

I was happy to make your acquaintance and would like to offer you a role in my kitchen. You could be working as my roasting tray, my baking tray, and my serving tray ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

I offer good benefits (you will be washed by the dishwasher, G) and a nice home for you to live in (the pot/pan/tray cupboard that is spotless since getting my FF decluttering on).

I think we will be very happy together.

Your friend (and hopeful employer),

Miss J.

ps: I have enclosed a photo of how you can bring your family. They will be very happy.

A post from the kitchen

BREAKING NEWS (do you get it? HA!): I now have a replacement Microstoven and G has returned the memory card reader so I now have photos!

Photo from Maxwell Williams.

Isn't she beautiful?

Sooo I was going to do a post about how much I love my new Microstoven pot by Maxwell Williams. I was going to write about how good it is to be able to brown meat on the stove, then put it straight into the oven. I was going to show you how I made soup for G and I the other day while still suffering from the WORST. COLD. EVER.

But I won't. Because it broke.

Yes, that's right. The pot I have had for precisely a week has broken. All over the floor. Chicken stock everywhere.

I'm hoping to get a refund and change it over. Because I loved the pot so much before it broke. Surely it can only be a dodgy one....right? Microstoven can be bought here

I did, however, manage to get some photos before the mess occurred so you can see how I like to make my soup.

Miss J's Asian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• Chicken (always good to have in chicken soup)
• Assorted vegies (I always put corn, onion, broccoli and cauliflower in mine...unless I forget to go to the markets, then I have whatever's in the kitchen and not locked down)
• Chicken stock (or stock powder and water)
• garlic
• ginger
• soy sauce
• sweet chilli sauce
• Japanese mirin
• Chinese Master Stock - BEST. THING. EVER. If you can't find this, don't substitute - NOTHING can substitute for this.
• A glass of wine. For you

Step 1: Add chicken and garlic to pan. Brown the chicken on both sides.

Step 2: Add chicken stock, corn (if using a cob), and ginger to the pan and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked. Cut chicken up and return to the pot.

mmmm chicken! Cooking this way makes it taste like BBQ or roast chook...without all the fat! Win win!

Step 3: Add vegies, a little bit of soy sauce, a little bit of sweet chilli sauce, a lot of master stock. Notice how we take a relaxed approach when it comes to measuring. Mainly because I don't have measuring cups/spoons.

Step 4: Let simmer for 5 minutes while you have your first glass of wine. Mainly so you can drink and think about how awesome this will taste/how pretty your shoes look/that you need to repaint your nails etc etc. Have another glass.

Step 5: Serve preferably before you become intoxicated.....Or not, whatever floats your boat.

EDIT: I would attach photos to this post now, but G has run off with the memory card reader, making it impossible for me to get my photos from point a to point b. He says it's because he was sending the photos from the wedding to M & E (brother- and sister-in-law), but you know, he looks dodgy. You can't trust him.

Hi G! Bring the card reader home. I love you xxx