The best bowl I ever bought (AM)

I didn't want to go on about this to you guys, 'cause, you know, I guess I figure that you don't want to hear about some bowl I bought. Or at least you think you don't. But you guys, this is seriously the BEST bowl I have ever bought. Remember at Easter time how the lady crabs visited Pickle and Minderbinder in the country? Yeah, you do. Pickle cooked fish pie in her Falcon dish. She has a whole set. About a million of them. And they are so nice and simple. A few weeks later I had the idea to make a chocolate self saucing pudding. But you can't just make chocolate pudding for no reason on a Sunday night. Plus, I didn't really have a good dish for it. And then. Then I found this pudding dish for six bucks. Yep, Falcon, the most affordable of enamelwares. A bowl so nice I bought it twice. And a few days later was mother's day and I had an excuse to make pudding!

But this bowl is so much more than a pudding bowl you guys. First, it is adorable. Second it is the perfect size for so many things! Six-person pudding; two-person salad; two-person pasta bake using leftover pasta. A small fruit bowl. Mixing small quantities.

I never knew I could feel this way about a bowl. I mean it's just a bowl. But it does everything. I don't want to worship things or love things. I don't really approve of that. (Even though of course there are heaps of things I feel that way about. We are living in a material world, you know.) I just really never imagined a bowl would make me feel these feelings. I love how simple it is. How versatile it is. I love this bowl, you guys. I wish every bowl in my kitchen could be like this one. There! I said it. Sorry other bowls,. but this bowl is something really special!

Favourites list - 2012 (PM)

I completely agree about bed. That's going to be a favourite of mine until they put me in a bed in the ground. Also Pinkman and getting drunk at the end of the year.

But here are some others.

My garden. I love my garden so much that sometimes, when I look at it, it makes my heart swell up in my chest a little bit.

This year, I put some astro-turf down and got some new plants, like hydrangeas and a gardenia. Of course, I like to eat a lot.
Oops! Of what I grow. That sentence was meant to say I like to eat a lot of what I grow. This year, I have planted capsicum, strawberries, jalapenos and of course, tomatoes which have begun to fruit. From the first, this tomato plant has been my favourite.

It's such a bonnie boy. I love all my plants of course, but this one. This one is my pride and it is my joy.

Coconut and chocolate butter. The other day, I was at that organic shop on Lygon Street getting some eggs and flour, when I happened upon this product.

I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I knew I wanted it. I bought it then and there and since then, have been eating it out of the jar with a spoon because I still don't really know what to do with it but I know I want it in my mouth.

Running. Exercise has never been my favourite thing, but running has traditionally been my least favourite of all the exercisey things. But then, things changed. I got sick of trying to avoid running wherever possible. I started doing it a little on the treadmill at the gym. Then doing that more. Then doing more still. Then I started feeling kind of good for ages afterwards. I guess it would be fair to say I started liking it.

The other night, Pickle and I went for a run around Princes Park. I know that's something you guys probably do all the time, but not this crablet. Until Tuesday, I had never once run around Princes Park. But now I've done it and once Pickle makes me that mix tape of running songs she told me about, and once we get Miguel to make us both a new mix tape of running songs, I am going to do the shit out of it again.

The time we went to Hobart. At the moment, I have a pretty big crush on Tasmania. Perhaps this is making me see the world through apple-coloured glasses, but I feel like the time that Chickpea, J and Baby went to Hobart belongs on this list of favourite things for 2012. Eating and drinking and gazing at beautiful things with my favourite people was perhaps the loveliest time I had this year. Is it not the loveliest time one can have? I think it is, and may it always be.

Favourites list - 2012 (AM)

Oh shit! This year is almost over. And if there is one thing I like to do at the end of the year it is get drunk. And if there is another thing I like to do at the end of the year it is reflect on what I have loved that year. Am I right? So here is my 2012 favourites list. Some of these things are long time favourites, some are new. Some will continue to be favourites, others will probably also continue to be favourites. 

Bed. Seriously, is there ever a night that you get into bed and think, ‘Nah, this is not that good’? Lying down when you are really tired and you got that doona all up on you, there are really few things I love more. 

An appropriate amount of spread.  In this age of excess nothing is safe. Vendors of Smith Street, hear me now, a cinnamon and raisin bagel needs just a schmear of cream cheese. It just gives it a little tang and moistness, by no means does it need spoonfuls. And Vegemite, and this is coming from a salt freak, a girl whose own sister can not tolerate the amount of Vegemite I put on toast, Café Rosamond, I like you a lot, but chill the fuck out on the Vegemite.

Brevity. Lately Baby has gotten in to kids movies. There are some really good ones out there and you know what one of their best qualities is? Brevity. A kids movie goes for 80, maybe 90 minutes. Now that is a movie length. An adults movie should go for maybe 100 minutes, max! Two hours if it's really good or there’s something special to say. Hollywood, take note: more than that is too long, so chill the fuck out!

Jesse Pinkman.  From the first episode of Breaking Bad I pretty much loved Jesse. Dude was a skanky meth-cooking, meth-smoking skank in those days, but he was so adorable. Sweet and vulnerable and kind of caring. The guy goes through a lot of shit and has to do some shitty things but he is just this fucking sweetheart. A while ago I said to K, ‘I love Jesse Pinkman. I love him!’ And she laughed at me. About 2 weeks later, after she had caught up on a bit more BB K said to me, ‘I love Jesse Pinkman. I love him!’  Between Vince Gilligan and Aaron Paul I think they have created genius. Jesse Pinkman is a work of genius. And I love him

Coconut lotion SPF30+. I’ll reapply you every four hours!