For the Love Of Lo-Fi Uggs In Winter. A Return To Donna Hay Recipes. Julia Gillard Is Not On My Twitter.

I can scarcely believe it myself but it has been some days since I last mentioned how the misery of winter has driven me to despair.  Driving to and from work in the dark, driving in the rain rather than listening it patter on the roof whilst in bed, how other people are worse drivers in the rain.  Perhaps I have driving issues rather than rain related ones.

If there is an upside to all that driving in the rain, it is that you eventually have to drive yourself home.  Hopefully to a home with heaters and ugg boots.  Actually, I cannot technically call my boots uggs due to trademark issues.  They are simply synthetic fleece boots from Cotton On.  That have lasted a surprising number of winters (ie more than I feared they would).

Since we already have iPads and iPhones, perhaps one day we will have ugg boots that have remote controls for other winter essentials such as the heater and the TV remote?  The technology is definitely out there but is it ethical to create high tech uggs?  Uggs are a comfort and wearing them makes you feel safe, placid and secure.  I relish the fact that all I have to do is put them on and all they have to do is keep my feet warm.  We both deliver.  

Speaking of delivering, I made a pie the other night that was easy, tasty, quick and yes, from Donna Hay.  It's a return to my cooking roots.

I speak of the creamy chicken and mushroom pan pie from donna hay magazine June/July 2009.  It is nearly July 2010 and the only good thing about this is that I nearly get to file my tax return and hence nearly get to spend all that money that Mr Swan witheld from me on something completely frivolous.  I never get the guilts about what I spend my tax return on.  

Moving right along.

There are a few raw vegetables in the photo that don't belong in the recipe.  They are just photorexic (like tanorexia but better for you and more natural).  Besides chopping the chicken, the next hardest thing was slicing the mushrooms.

This is one of those staged photos and wasn't really meant to express the dichotomy of meat for meat eaters (the chicken) and meat for vegeterians (the mushrooms).  I fried the chicken first.  Took it out of the pan and then browned the mushrooms with garlic and rosemary.  I then returned the chicken to the pan. 

Then we add the cream and  let it all thicken.  Before stirring in the feta.

Once in a while, I actually buy a useful plastic container.  Witness my decor puff pastry freezer storage box.  No more puff with frostbite.

There must be something in the air at SSG Manor but the pies made in the Manor kitchen are not blessed with natural good looks.  Perhaps the Manor rests upon the sacred ruins of a wood fired pizza oven and the pizza spirits are exacting their revenge on their mortal enemies, pies (prudish pizzas with pastry on both sides of a filling?).  Donna's pie was perfect but I had to stretch one piece of pastry over my red pie container that sticks to nothing so it does look tatty in the raw.  Even after the egg glaze, which I was hoping would have some kind of primer / concealer effect.

Much like humans, it did look better after a bit of with a bit of sun(baking).

So here I am on a wintery Wednesday night after yoga.  Wishing I was in Paris in the summer.

Sadly, I was not eating anything as elaborate as chicken pie whilst watching Masterchef.  It was good old poached eggs and toast.

Tonight's challenge involved the contestants going to Paris and cooking dishes using truffles and then having their meals judged by the usual panel and a guest French chef.  There were no tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's nearly time to get to bed.  Mr SSG is sleeping already, in preparation for the 0430 Socceroos kick off tomorrow.  My resident is taking the day off tomorrow to recover.  I have a feeling I will be woken up for what may be Australia's last game.  

On the up side, I will have  chance to watch the news and put myself out of my misery wondering at the leadership of the Labor party.  Will it really be Julia Gillard?  It's all happening too fast.  Is it true?  KRudd, do you really have no friends in caucus?  Why did I not hear of this on Twitter.  Perhaps because I don't follow Julia Gillard.