Condiment Queen

Do you like a condiment? Someone in this household says condiments are for people who don't like the taste of their food - but I don't see it like that. I view them as they're meant to be - enhancers. But how many enhancements can you handle?

I had this conversation on the weekend with my friend Sally, who is trying to bring some order to their collection. She's suggested to her husband Andrew that he uses one until it's finished, and then another. I don't like her chances. The whole point of the condiment is variety. But how much variety do we really require?

Here's a selection in my fridge - it's not an exhaustive list, merely an indication:

• Mustard: Dijon, Hot English, grain, American, Dijonnasie and American & Tomato sauce (yes, together, quite good on a kransky!) 
• There's beetroot chutney, my mum's chutney, mango chutney and tomato relish
• Sweet chilli sauce, chilli jam and hot chilli paste, fresh chillis and chilli flakes in the pantry - and we're not huge chilli fans! 
• We have preserved lemons and capers (in brine and packed in salt); 
• There's  mint sauce, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, seafood sauce, tartare sauce and redcurrant jelly
• Jams of every flavour including pear, red wine and rosemary to go on roast lamb
• Buckets of marmalade and plum paste that I made
• There's fish sauce, soy sauce, tamari, tamarind, hoi sin, san choi bau sauce, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc
• Dressings for salads - Thai, creamy, lemon myrtle and a variety of home made ones

And that's without what's in the cupboard, like vincotta (plain, fig and orange), raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, balsamic glaze, lemon scented olive oil, four kinds of salt (Murray River pink, Maldon, regular table and rock to go under oysters - so that's not a condiment!), seeds, dukkah, spices - oh, sorry, I said I wouldn't go on with the cupboard.

No wonder the cupboards and fridge can be full and there's nothing to eat!

I'm not going to include the selection of olives (although I do like to toss them over my spag bol with chilli flakes), sun dried tomatoes and other pickled things (although I did mention capers....) 

They seem not to have use by dates either - or if they do, they're well past my expiry date!

So, come on, confess all - am I a lone condiment freak or are things just as out of hand over at your place?

Falling out of love?

You know I love my fridge. Yes, the one we bought and could have had a small, brand new (albeit, probably girlie) car for the same price..... the one my friend Kirsten has even suggested she wouldn't be surprised if I ran away with it I love it so much.

Well we've had a bit of a falling out. Because it stopped working. It started making a funny sound. We got the warranty out and OMG - it was still covered!! That'd be a first. Unlike the treadmill, the washing machine, the dishwasher... oh wait - that was under warranty - the warranty just didn't cover a short circuiting of the motherboard due to a cockroach stepping onto two point simultaneously and frying itself.
Hmmmm, said that repair man, that's unlucky - we normally only see that in Queensland.

Charred remains of the offending, fried, not-covered-by-the-warranty cockroach in top left hand corner...

Anyway, back to the fridge. The repair guy said turn it off for 24-36 hours, let its insides completely defrost, turn it back on and it should be fine. IT WAS NOT FINE. It refused to work. It's so smart though, it could tell me it was a toasty 21C inside the non-working sections - positively warmer than the house. So we had to pile everything into the working side and leave the frozen stuff in the shed (in a freezer!).  It's chock-a-block in the remaining one, I'll tell you.

So we had to get the repair guy back. Hmmmm, he said, that's unusual. (Isn't it always?) There could be a crack in your compressor in which case they'll need to replace the fridge.

They took it away on Friday, leaving a very unattractive gaping hole - I am NOT happy. The verdict on repair or replace is in on Wednesday - I know what I'm hoping for!

Sad, empty fridge/freezer

Overflowing fridge on double duty.

Ugg!

In spite of no longer going to an office everyday, rest assured my title of MWW still holds for all the reasons I initially outline in Why I Work. Retirement is still a mighty long way off.

My business partner Mandy and I have two head quarters - my kitchen table and hers. (She was thinking of reporting revenue by 'office' but decided it would be too tricky to allocate!)

There a great freedom of not having an office to go to. You can get up and start work in your pyjamas if you feel like it. I often find myself working at 11pm because the mood takes me. And it also means I can have a better crack at some of those mother-tasks I've previously not dedicated much time to - like cooking dinner and swimming lessons after school for Sass. And that went so well last week. She has lessons at a private pool in a backyard. So we turn up and yes, it doesn't start back until next week. 'Gee Mum,' said Sass, 'You really need to pay more attention. That was just embarrassing!' Okay - so I'm still getting into the swing of it, all right.

Being at home also means you can chuck on a load of washing between emails, or empty the dishwasher while you think about how to word something. I really am loving it.

But there is a dark side as well - and it's not just that the fridge and pantry are far too accessible! Friday, we were at HQ Mandy with no meetings but stuff to get done. And there we are, nails shalaced, make up on, hair straightened, knits selected, cool jeans fitted - but travel down and OMG - we're wearing ugg boots!!!! At least mine are black and vaguely acceptable - hers are pink!!! If the high flyers could see us now!