Sunday, August 15, 2010

Here's to a warm welcome

It’s never easy to leave a world of pink feather boas and big personalities and re-enter the Ironing zone. I spent the weekend at the Romance Writers’ of Australia Conference, wafting about the corridors of a five-star hotel, laughing hysterically with my writing posse (who make me laugh like no-one else can) and eating too many muffins.

I’m sure I have important information to impart about the conference, but right now the hefty bump back into reality, specifically Sunday night ironing, is proving too big a jolt. So that will have to wait (suffice to say that ‘finish the damn book’ is still the ‘take home’ message, and Celeste of the winter white suit is still best left in a drawer).

I do love being back at home (ironing aside). In the quiet times at the conference (between aforementioned hysterical laughter), I missed my boys (large and small) and we are all so incredibly pleased to see each other after a break that I can’t remember why I felt the need to go in the first place (then I spot the ironing pile…).

Similarly, I enjoy eating out, but I like to do it once in a while, not every meal. I miss my own cooking. I was thinking that was fairly tragic until I popped over to Sister B’s blog (Maxabellaloves) tonight and spotted her recipe for Hearty Chicken and Barley Soup. It could not be more perfect for how I’m feeling right now. It’s ‘welcome home’ in a bowl.

I eagerly read the list of ingredients. Most I have in the pantry (the pantry that The Builder says could feed a small village for a week – though we can never be sure because I’m too scared to venture too far into the back of it). I began making a shopping list for the extra stuff. First ingredient on the list: Barley.

Then I stopped. I remembered a conversation I had recently – possibly in the playground, possibly online – about that one ingredient that you buy every single time it’s mentioned in a recipe because you can never remember if you have it.

For some people, it was lentils (these feature highly for me as well). For others, it was flour (tick, I think I have about 4kg hanging about on the bottom shelf). But for me, mostly, it’s barley.

It’s like Arborio rice – you buy it specifically, can never remember how much you used, so you get some just in case. Then you get home, discover that last time you used half a cup AND you’d bought some then ‘just in case’ as well, so you’re looking at eating risotto for three weeks.

So this time, I tried a new tack. I went and looked. Two packets of barley - practically a field of the stuff. We’re pretty much covered for this batch of soup and three more. In fact, I’d best get on with dragging out every barley recipe I have, because the time for winter dishes is drawing to a close.

So here's to a week of warm welcomes.

{image: AusFoodNews}

11 comments:

  1. Let me know if you need a milk pudding recipe using barley kernals. It's home, for me, 'specially at this time of year.....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw the recipe over at Maxabella loves and agree that it looks delicious....I love cooking with barley...it always makes me feel like I am racking up a few healthy points for the week!

    A Romance Writers' Conference? Sounds sooo very interesting...can't wait to hear more about that

    ReplyDelete
  3. But barley does take years to go off, if ever, though so you can never have too much. For me, it's red kidney beans and Maldon Sea salt. I had four packets of the stuff. Although it came in handy when it snowed and we needed to grit our front steps and the council had run out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been dreaming of vegetable and barley soup. A lady sells it at the markets here, and it tastes like it's doing me so much good {the bread and butter I have with... does not}.

    So glad you had a good time. Sounds like your batteries are recharged! x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Finish the damn book. Yes, duly noted. The ingredient I always buy? Eggs. I never think I have enough, and then I have 3 dozen eggs in the fridge and we're having omelettes for dinner. Omelettes for dinner though really are good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh for me it's Chick Peas. And I've started hoarding the red kidney beans as well. Not that they are actually recipe bases but for some reason I buy 3-4 cans every week I shop. Phil recently said ever so subtly "I think we've got enough chick peas, probably enough to see us through 2010". Smartarse. Wait til he wants hommus.

    PS, Own Monster Moves on DVD and think The Bill is only a matter of time. Eeeek.

    Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So glad you had such a great weekend at your conference. Isn't it lovely to have an 'outlet' that reminds you of you before responsibility?

    Cous cous for me. Used to be barley, but I made so much of that damn soup on Saturday that we'll be eating it for a month.

    Be generous with the salt and particularly the pepper when you make it. I really is 'welcome home' in a bowl.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I do that with tomato paste - we always end up with heaps of it, because I always think I should grab one just in case...

    Sounds like you had a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ah feather boas and fabulously five star hotels - sounds like bliss. I once found 15 different types of mustard in my fridge... I'm a huge fan of home-made salad dressings.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I must officially be the world's worst shopper. I don't really keep much of anything in the pantry if on the odd occassion I need to bake something I end up finding I need, well... everything!
    www.wastyle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for popping by the Fibro. I love to hear from you!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...